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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
I believed, and still believe, that you can build your dreams brick by brick. That you can accomplish anything with persistence.
Even falling in love.
Those three sentences above perfectly encapsulate Desi's personality, and set the underlying theme for the rest of the book.
Desi Lee is kind of your stereotypical Asian overachiever - she's acing all her AP classes, has a ton of extracurriculars, well on her way to Stanford pre-med, and she's even a jock! (God, what I wouldn't give to have her resume.) But Desi is completely and utterly hopeless when it comes to flirting with boys. Very aptly dubbed 'flailures', or flirting failures, by her friend Wes, these blunders were of such colossal proportions I actually shrieked out loud and had to close my eyes for a few seconds to cringe in extreme second hand embarrassment.
Spoiler
Desi, my sweet, how in the world do you manage to sneeze a bunch of phlegm onto a cute freshman, then the very next week, pants yourself in front of the new guy?So when a hot new guy walks into her AP English Lit class, Desi wants to win him over without epic flailure for once. But we've established that she pretty much sucks at that, so - inspired by all the K-dramas her father watches - our textbook nerd realises she kicks butt at things when she has a plan for them/has studied for them, and comes up with a K-drama list of steps to achieve true love . Now that's what I liked about this book, aside from her sweet relationship with her father; this is a pretty unique premise , while managing to incorporate a lot of positive representation.
But holy crap, that's about where the list ends, because this book just didn't cut it for me . This book is cliche from the minute the love interest, Luca, walks in - and of course he's the bad boy type, to counter Desi's goody-two-shoes personality. Yawn. I mean, I know cliches are unavoidable, but come on. There are ways to write cliches without having your story falling flat.
Luca reads like an amalgam of every single bad boy on Wattpad ever - he's the tortured, artistic type who gets into a lot of trouble all the time; is snarky and generally closed off because of a dark past; and he has - any guesses? - daddy issues. COME. THE. FUCK. ON! The cliches extend well beyond characterisation to the plot points, because honestly, the second Desi came up with her list, I knew what the climax was going to be.
Spoiler
There's even a mid-argument 'urgent' kiss during the climax. Dear lord.Plus, I just could not get behind Desi's behaviour. Sure, we've all tried to orchestrate 'coincidental' run-ins with our crushes, but she takes it a step too far. She does a lot of really stupid, potentially physically harmful, and definitely hurtful things in order to make Luca fall in love with her. And I really don't understand why she couldn't just fess up once they really were together. I know Desi didn't mean it that way, but it doesn't change the fact that she was really manipulative. There's also this moment where she puts her dreams at jeopardy for him - what the fuck? Never put a crush over your dreams. Never. Ever.
All in all, this book is an okay read if you're looking for a quick, fluffy read, but it is not by any means a particularly wonderful romance novel.
the main character is selfish and annoying. i did NOT want her to end up with her love interest?? if it was the other way around and the mc was a boy who made a list of steps of how to get the girl, this would be a totally different discussion. however, there were cute moments and the book kind of called itself out on its flaws in a way.
"Unexpected things happen," I said into the microphone. "But it's how we react to them, how we learn and evolve from these things that shapes us into who we are."
Desi Lee is known for a lot of things. Like being Student Government President and getting straight As and being solidly on track with her plan to go to Stanford. That's not even counting her knowledge of engines thanks to her car mechanic dad or her large and varied list of extracurriculars (Arbor Day Society anyone?).
There's one other thing Desi is known for, at least with her best friends Fiona Mendoza and Wes Mansour. Desi has never had a boyfriend. In fact, thanks to her spectacularly disastrous attempts at flirting (Flailures. Get it?) she's never even come close.
When Luka Drakos (AKA the hottest guy she has seen in her entire life) breezes into Desi's high school she knows she's a goner. But she's also motivated. And, thanks to the Korean Dramas her father loves, Desi has a plan.
All she needs to do is follow her “K Drama Rules for True Love" to convince artsy Luka that they're perfect for each other. Desi's path to true love is filled with disasters (both manufactured and otherwise) and the kind of charming mayhem that might be impossible to resist in I Believe in a Thing Called Love (2017) by Maurene Goo.
I Believe in a Thing Called Love is Goo's sophomore novel.
Desi narrates this standalone contemporary in her singular voice. Inspired by actual K Dramas (featured in a list at the end of the novel) Desi's story takes on the structure of her “K Drama Rules for True Love" with each chapter following one step as she tries to use them to win Luka over.
Desi dreams of becoming a doctor. She is athletic, driven, and she doesn't have an artsy bone in her body--something that becomes all too clear as she tries to bond with Luka over his art. Luka, meanwhile, is a sensational artist without much interest in school or sports. While the pairing seems unlikely at first, these two complement each other well throughout I Believe in a Thing Called Love while effortlessly flipping some traditional gender roles seen in romantic comedies.
Desi's story is an unapologetic love story--just like the K Dramas she comes to love. But this isn't just a story about a girl pursuing the boy of her dreams. It's also the story of a girl trying to do the absolute best she can for a father she adores and the story of that father adjusting to life in a new country--especially after his wife's sudden death. It's a story about dreaming and also realizing that sometimes dreams change. And that's okay.
I Believe in a Thing Called Love is filled with madcap adventures, romance, and an abiding admiration and respect for all of the forms love can take. Don't miss this striking story. Highly recommended.
Possible Pairings: Bookishly Ever After by Isabel Bandeira, Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum, To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han, When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon, Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith, Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes, The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*
Desi Lee is known for a lot of things. Like being Student Government President and getting straight As and being solidly on track with her plan to go to Stanford. That's not even counting her knowledge of engines thanks to her car mechanic dad or her large and varied list of extracurriculars (Arbor Day Society anyone?).
There's one other thing Desi is known for, at least with her best friends Fiona Mendoza and Wes Mansour. Desi has never had a boyfriend. In fact, thanks to her spectacularly disastrous attempts at flirting (Flailures. Get it?) she's never even come close.
When Luka Drakos (AKA the hottest guy she has seen in her entire life) breezes into Desi's high school she knows she's a goner. But she's also motivated. And, thanks to the Korean Dramas her father loves, Desi has a plan.
All she needs to do is follow her “K Drama Rules for True Love" to convince artsy Luka that they're perfect for each other. Desi's path to true love is filled with disasters (both manufactured and otherwise) and the kind of charming mayhem that might be impossible to resist in I Believe in a Thing Called Love (2017) by Maurene Goo.
I Believe in a Thing Called Love is Goo's sophomore novel.
Desi narrates this standalone contemporary in her singular voice. Inspired by actual K Dramas (featured in a list at the end of the novel) Desi's story takes on the structure of her “K Drama Rules for True Love" with each chapter following one step as she tries to use them to win Luka over.
Desi dreams of becoming a doctor. She is athletic, driven, and she doesn't have an artsy bone in her body--something that becomes all too clear as she tries to bond with Luka over his art. Luka, meanwhile, is a sensational artist without much interest in school or sports. While the pairing seems unlikely at first, these two complement each other well throughout I Believe in a Thing Called Love while effortlessly flipping some traditional gender roles seen in romantic comedies.
Desi's story is an unapologetic love story--just like the K Dramas she comes to love. But this isn't just a story about a girl pursuing the boy of her dreams. It's also the story of a girl trying to do the absolute best she can for a father she adores and the story of that father adjusting to life in a new country--especially after his wife's sudden death. It's a story about dreaming and also realizing that sometimes dreams change. And that's okay.
I Believe in a Thing Called Love is filled with madcap adventures, romance, and an abiding admiration and respect for all of the forms love can take. Don't miss this striking story. Highly recommended.
Possible Pairings: Bookishly Ever After by Isabel Bandeira, Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum, To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han, When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon, Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith, Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes, The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*
This book would have been a solid 3/5 stars, but it lost it after one scene that changed the main character from cute and inexperienced, to freaking nuts.
This isn't quite a spoiler, but if you don't want to know anything about this going into it, then you might want to exit now because I'm going to talk exactly about why I did not like this.
*************************************************
Listen. I love Korean dramas. They have lots of drama and lots of romance and usually end happily. I love them, but I'm also a realist. I am very much aware that Korean dramas are not an accurate representation of romance anywhere in the world.
So, Desi meets a cute art boy at school named Luca and because she's so used to there being steps or rules to success, she writes down a set of steps (based on the formula of Korean dramas) to making Luca like her. It starts off pretty cute. She tries to get to know him, stalks him online, and tries to make him jealous. Sounds like the typical teenage girl trying to get a boy to like her. But this where I lost it: Desi decides that one of the steps to getting closer is by facing a disaster together and ultimately bringing them closer in the end. So what does she do? She throws nails out into the road with her friends near her home and then asks Luca to drive her back home, but makes him drive over the area with nails three times to make sure it pops his tires. So his tires pop and his car is damaged enough to be unable to drive. WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL. I'm sorry, but who the hell puts people's LIVES in danger just to make someone like them?! Not even Korean dramas do that kind of bullshit!
And even when he finds out about her little rule book to make him like her using Korean dramas, SHE USES YET ANOTHER RULE FROM HER BOOK ON KOREAN DRAMAS TO MAKE HIM TAKE HER BACK (putting him in danger yet again I might add). I feel like this girl didn't grow at all. It didn't feel like she really understood the severity of her actions, nor did it seem like she learned that all she has to do is be herself. I felt like this moment of growth was so quickly glazed over that it didn't feel like she grew and learned at all. It was just dumb.
This book had a lot of potential to be cute, and it did have cute moments, but the character growth just wasn't there for me and Desi went way too far. She went from cute to crazy in the span of one chapter, and I just lost all respect for her after that. Sucks that this book was a letdown, since I love Korean dramas and was excited to see them incorporated in a book.
This isn't quite a spoiler, but if you don't want to know anything about this going into it, then you might want to exit now because I'm going to talk exactly about why I did not like this.
*************************************************
Listen. I love Korean dramas. They have lots of drama and lots of romance and usually end happily. I love them, but I'm also a realist. I am very much aware that Korean dramas are not an accurate representation of romance anywhere in the world.
So, Desi meets a cute art boy at school named Luca and because she's so used to there being steps or rules to success, she writes down a set of steps (based on the formula of Korean dramas) to making Luca like her. It starts off pretty cute. She tries to get to know him, stalks him online, and tries to make him jealous. Sounds like the typical teenage girl trying to get a boy to like her. But this where I lost it: Desi decides that one of the steps to getting closer is by facing a disaster together and ultimately bringing them closer in the end. So what does she do? She throws nails out into the road with her friends near her home and then asks Luca to drive her back home, but makes him drive over the area with nails three times to make sure it pops his tires. So his tires pop and his car is damaged enough to be unable to drive. WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL. I'm sorry, but who the hell puts people's LIVES in danger just to make someone like them?! Not even Korean dramas do that kind of bullshit!
And even when he finds out about her little rule book to make him like her using Korean dramas, SHE USES YET ANOTHER RULE FROM HER BOOK ON KOREAN DRAMAS TO MAKE HIM TAKE HER BACK (putting him in danger yet again I might add). I feel like this girl didn't grow at all. It didn't feel like she really understood the severity of her actions, nor did it seem like she learned that all she has to do is be herself. I felt like this moment of growth was so quickly glazed over that it didn't feel like she grew and learned at all. It was just dumb.
This book had a lot of potential to be cute, and it did have cute moments, but the character growth just wasn't there for me and Desi went way too far. She went from cute to crazy in the span of one chapter, and I just lost all respect for her after that. Sucks that this book was a letdown, since I love Korean dramas and was excited to see them incorporated in a book.
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Such an adorable book and a super fun read to kick off summer. If you love a good YA contemporary this book is for you. Can’t wait to read more by Maurene Goo!
4,5 stars
Was this an over-the-top, hilarious and amazing contemporary?
Yes, yes, 100% yes.
Just my kind of book, to say it as simple as that. If you need a funny, tad bit unrealistic and cute book, look no further. This will put you in a good mood for days.
I loved the concept of this story. A girl following steps taken from Korean dramas to capture the heart of a boy? Sign me up. I have never watched Korean dramas before, but knew it would be fun. From dropping pants to 7 minutes in heaven.. It was definitely a good read. The characters were amazing, the setting spectacular and the writing fit the story perfectly. When it comes to characters, Desi’s father was definitely one of my favorites.
When it comes to the romance, it is one of those things that you don’t quite know how to feel about. On one side, Desi is planning everything out, almost to the point of putting lives in danger to complete her list, but on the other side you can’t help but falling in love with the chemistry between Luca and Desi, and understand where she might be coming from. You can see the struggle.
One thing that definitely describes this book, is over-the-top. Especially in the beginning it feels quite unrealistic and overexagerated. That is something to be a bit wary of, as some might not enjoy that too much. For me, it just added on to the enjoyment. This book would not be as good if it took itself too serious all of the time. It made the book more of a comedy, which I personally loved. I definitely think this could be an amazing movie.
If you love hilarious, cute and adorable contemporaries, definitely pick this up in the near future, you will not regret it.
Was this an over-the-top, hilarious and amazing contemporary?
Yes, yes, 100% yes.
Just my kind of book, to say it as simple as that. If you need a funny, tad bit unrealistic and cute book, look no further. This will put you in a good mood for days.
I loved the concept of this story. A girl following steps taken from Korean dramas to capture the heart of a boy? Sign me up. I have never watched Korean dramas before, but knew it would be fun. From dropping pants to 7 minutes in heaven.. It was definitely a good read. The characters were amazing, the setting spectacular and the writing fit the story perfectly. When it comes to characters, Desi’s father was definitely one of my favorites.
When it comes to the romance, it is one of those things that you don’t quite know how to feel about. On one side, Desi is planning everything out, almost to the point of putting lives in danger to complete her list, but on the other side you can’t help but falling in love with the chemistry between Luca and Desi, and understand where she might be coming from. You can see the struggle.
One thing that definitely describes this book, is over-the-top. Especially in the beginning it feels quite unrealistic and overexagerated. That is something to be a bit wary of, as some might not enjoy that too much. For me, it just added on to the enjoyment. This book would not be as good if it took itself too serious all of the time. It made the book more of a comedy, which I personally loved. I definitely think this could be an amazing movie.
If you love hilarious, cute and adorable contemporaries, definitely pick this up in the near future, you will not regret it.
i absolutely adored this! so much fun and cute. and now i just want to watch ALL the k-dramas!
If you're looking for your next cute summer contemporary read, look no further.
I Bellieve in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo is a story about Desi Lee, a Korean girl who is best in her class and an overachiever in everything but boys. When a new (white--go figure) boy, Luca, comes to school, she uses the guide of K-dramas to help her win him.
Even if you don't watch K-dramas (I've only seen one), you'll love this book, but it's probably even more fun if you've seen them. This story even has a guide to K-dramas on the back, if you want to marathon those before reading this.
This is one of the cutest books I've read in a long time, oh my gosh. Desi is such a sweetheart and adorable, and her relationship with her father is adorable, and her relationship with Luca is adorable. Everything about this book screams cute.
Plot-wise, this is sort of a predictable book. You can tell what's going to happen, but it doesn't stop you from reading on anyway!
I love this book and this is probably one of my favorites of this year so far (and that's a big accomplishment considering I've read like 60+ so far).
PLEASE READ THIS BOOK AND LOVE IT!!!
I Bellieve in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo is a story about Desi Lee, a Korean girl who is best in her class and an overachiever in everything but boys. When a new (white--go figure) boy, Luca, comes to school, she uses the guide of K-dramas to help her win him.
Even if you don't watch K-dramas (I've only seen one), you'll love this book, but it's probably even more fun if you've seen them. This story even has a guide to K-dramas on the back, if you want to marathon those before reading this.
This is one of the cutest books I've read in a long time, oh my gosh. Desi is such a sweetheart and adorable, and her relationship with her father is adorable, and her relationship with Luca is adorable. Everything about this book screams cute.
Plot-wise, this is sort of a predictable book. You can tell what's going to happen, but it doesn't stop you from reading on anyway!
I love this book and this is probably one of my favorites of this year so far (and that's a big accomplishment considering I've read like 60+ so far).
PLEASE READ THIS BOOK AND LOVE IT!!!