Name: I Believe in a Thing Called Love
Rating: 3.515873015873016 (63 reviews)
ISBN: 9781536439106

Maurene Goo

Desi Lee knows how carburetors work. She learned CPR at the age of five. As a high school senior, she has never missed a day of school and has never had a B in her entire life. She's for sure going to Stanford. But-- she's a disaster in romance, and h

I Believe in a Thing Called Love

A disaster in romance, high school senior Desi Lee decides to tackle her flirting failures by watching Korean television dramas, where the hapless heroine always seems to end up in the arms of her true love by episode ten.

alexandra

i binged this novel harder than a k-drama. 

I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE is sososososo hilarious, adorable, and heartwarming. as a person who loves korean dramas, this story was a dream come true. i couldn't help but laugh situations (and Desi's internal monologue!). although it was obviously cliché and predictable, i loved every second. <3333

jess

This was a cute romance, and it will make you want to cover your face in second-hand embarrassment every 2 pages. It was good, though; I really like seeing East Asian protagonists and the whole k-drama tie-in was a nice touch. The romance was pretty well-written and Desi's character development was great.

Debbi

This is a very, very cute book. I also really enjoyed the father daughter scenes. 💕✨

Paula Narvaez

What can I say?
Cute and sooo unrealistic.
But as with a good K Drama: “Once you start going down Disbelief Road, you’re lost forever, ...-Just sit back and believe, it’s so much more fun that way.”

Jeni Enjaian

I enjoyed a few things about this book, primarily Appa, Desi's father. I would love a book more focused on Appa and Desi's relationship rather than the ridiculous romance of this book, predictable from the outset. Here are the faults listed in no particular order.
1. I have noticed an annoying trend with young adult literature recently through the 30 or so YA books I have read this summer. The best friend of the protagonist always happens to be a lesbian, never the main character, always the best friend. This reeks of the token "person of color" best friend trope long found in books, movies and TV show.
2. Desi's all-encompassing focus on romance when, supposedly, she also is valedictorian, soccer star, student body president and much more. Although one person could accomplish all of those things, she could not accomplish all of those plus indulge in the KDrama obsession as well as pursuit of Luka. It stretches the suspension of disbelief a hair too far.
3. This book is one of the most predictable books I have ever read. I detest those types of books. It feels like lazy writing to me. In the end, all of Desi's mistakes have no consequences. All of her flailures become adorable and help her with her overall goal. Her friends support her no matter what. I could go on but I will refrain because I know that some people may enjoy reading this book.
4. Goo never satisfactorily explained why Luca despised his father, why his father was the horrible parent rather than his mother. Yeah, he got angry once but all I saw through that was Luca responding poorly and the intimation that more had happened in the past, no explanation.

I don't recommend this book and will not recommend it to my students, too many problems.

Jessica 

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Full review also found here. 


  “You can always control how hard you fight.” 


YOU GUYS, HELP! This book was so cute. I've fallen. How can something be so freaking cute? Not only is the cover-art dreamy, I Believe in a Thing Called Love is, too. And it's definitely one of my favourite contemporary releases since To All the Boys I've Loved Before, You Know Me Well and Anna and the French Kiss. Needless to say, if you are a fan of any of the others who penned the above releases: you NEED to pick up this book.

First things first--I have only watched one K-drama in my life (entirely because most days I cannot for the life of me sit still during television or films, for whatever reason) but I definitely see the appeal. Once you get roped into something, you're glued--and that's exactly how to describe Desi's love of K-dramas. And this little attachment (see: addiction) of hers sparks some massive changes in her life--I.E., a list of ways to snag the cute boy she has her eyes on, that may only be better in theory. Desi is willing to take that risk, as her love life up to this point was non-existent.

You see, Desi is not just bad at love, she is practically hopeless when it comes to flirting with anyone. It's so endearing and definitely something anyone can relate to--if you've dated someone or had a simple crush, it is likely that you've had embarrassing moments.

While my moments were less frustrating than Desi's (see: the cute freshmen boy who tried asking her out while she was sick vs. me LITERALLY RUNNING AWAY from the first boy who asked me out), it's very easy to connect with her. What I loved about her was that she was an overachiever; smart and lively, but completely flawed.

In short? She is a regular teenager who has a lot of dreams and of course complexities.

I loved how her love interest came into her life. There's something so comical about it all, but their first meeting is my personal favourite. Goo crafts him with the same care and honesty that she did with Desi and that's always a plus. Luca, too, comes to life before your eyes and is exactly as he is meant to be--a teenage boy.

Their relationship was so cute. Normally, I'd be a little uncomfortable with how much planning Desi did to snag Luca. Maurene Goo, however, manages to make some questionable choices seem logical. Desi is much less experienced in love when compared to Luca and it makes sense that, once she got the ideas in her head, she would plan as extensively as she did. The list, her goals, made her human and I appreciate that.

What I enjoyed most (beyond the relationship of Desi and Luca which, again, was so cute) was the balance that I Believe in a Thing Called Love created. Plus, all of the relationships (family, friends, significant others, slight enemies) were wonderfully painted. I loved how everything connected and where certain ties were made.

Overall, I Believe in a Thing Called Love was super adorable and fast paced. I was swooning, I was laughing and I was cringing throughout it. It's the perfect contemporary for a sunny day.

Desi Lee knows how carburetors work. She learned CPR at the age of five. As a high school senior, she has never missed a day of school and has never had a B in her entire life. She's for sure going to Stanford. But-- she's a disaster in romance, and her botched attempts at flirting have become legendary with her friends. So when the hottest human specimen to have ever lived walks into her life one day, Desi decides to tackle her flirting failures with the same zest she's applied to everything else in her life.

I Believe in a Thing Called Love

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