I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo

Title: I Believe in a Thing Called Love
Author: Maurene Goo
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Publication date: May 30, 2017
Pages: 336
Source/format: Library/hardcover

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Desi Lee believes anything is possible if you have a plan. That’s how she became student body president. Varsity soccer star. And it’s how she’ll get into Stanford. But—she’s never had a boyfriend. In fact, she’s a disaster in romance, a clumsy, stammering humiliation magnet whose 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. She finds guidance in the Korean dramas her father has been obsessively watching for years—where the hapless heroine always seems to end up in the arms of her true love by episode ten. It’s a simple formula, and Desi is a quick study. Armed with her “K Drama Steps to True Love,” Desi goes after the moody, elusive artist Luca Drakos—and boat rescues, love triangles, and staged car crashes ensue. But when the fun and games turn to true feels, Desi finds out that real love is about way more than just drama.

M Y  T H O U G H T S

Desi Lee is an overachiever who is involved with sports, many clubs and has the grades for Stanford University. However, she is a complete klutz. Desi has a plan for everything in her life and she succeeds at almost everything except when it comes to love. She is always caught in the center of a flailure which is a flirt failure. Desi gets tongue tied, is a bit clumsy and always ruins her chances with a guy. Luca Drakos is the new guy at school and for some reason, he likes Desi.

Desi's father, who she calls Appa, means the world to Desi. After the death of her mother, Desi always wants to make sure Appa is living a good life. Appa loves watching K Dramas and Desi soon becomes obsessed with them. She uses what she learns in the K Dramas and applies it to her love life with her own list "K Drama Steps to True Love." I love the relationship between Desi and her father. It's one of the most genuine relationships I've read regarding a single parent. Appa is very involved in Desi's life and Desi treats him with respect and will share almost everything with him.

Maurene Goo breaks down stereotypes. Instead of an athletic, good looking guy, we have Luca, the artist who is more of the sensitive type. He has troubled past and he is that mysterious guy that Desi is intrigued with. Desi might be the valedictorian of the school and is involved in everything, accept anything art related, but she seems to only have two friends. She is not as popular as many people seem she is but Wes and Fiona are very supportive friends.

I had only one issue with the book and that is the ending of the book during the prom scene. It seems unrealistic. I don't want to spoil the book for readers but it was something that felt rushed just for the sake of a happy ending. However, I enjoyed reading about Desi being a quirky nerd, stating random facts at the whim. I Believe in a Thing Called Love is definitely a cute book and I adored reading the interactions between Desi and Luca for the most part.

I highly recommend this novel for readers who enjoy To All the Boys I Loved Before by Jenny Han and When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon. This rom-com will sweep you off your feet with its heartwarming scenes and hilarious lines.