A review by margindoodles
I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo

3.0

Wavered a little on how to rate this, because I did love so much of it!! Desi is a true blue Amy Santiago type, and her voice is one of a kind. I laughed out loud a few times and was definitely grinning through a lot of the book. I also adore her relationship with her dad, and the way K Dramas help bring the two of them even closer together.

I wish I felt more deeply about the main ship (was even wondering for a moment if the story would reveal Luca as the red herring love interest and go the Best Friends Who Become More route instead), but I do think the central conceit is generally well executed, managing that tricky balance between absurd and believable. I also like how the relationship gradually becomes more real as Luca became more real to Desi, and the way it coincides with Desi easing off of using the list as a means of connecting with him.

Spoiler

The ending felt rushed and I'm still not entirely convinced that Desi properly grasps how to show Luca in a non-K Drama way that their connection is real. I'm also not too sure about the implication that being with Desi kind of magically healed Luca's relationship with his dad, as well as the very one-note portrayal of his mom that pointedly made his dad seem more sympathetic by comparison.

A fun read overall, though, especially since I just started watching K Dramas myself!