In my lifetime, I have watched one Korean drama: Playful Kiss. It was a super long time ago (the drama itself is very old) but it was a pretty terrible drama now that I think back on it. I have a good idea on what Asian dramas are like though, based on what I have seen and obsessively watching Chinese dramas. Each country's dramas are different so I don't have a total understanding on Kdramas so all my opinions are based on the Chinese ones I watch. Anyway, I was pretty excited for this book ever since I read the synopsis. Girl tries to pursue a boy based off tips she gets from watching Korean dramas, oh my lordy I already knew this book was going to be hilarious. I went in with high expectations and I was most definitely not disappointed. So! Let's get into the review.

One of my favorite things about this was the awesome characters Goo wrote about. The main character is kind of like me: she is a planner, she likes to make lists, she also endlessly binged watched her dramas, which is most definitely me. I can safely say that I would probably never pull something Desi did to pursue a guy but I get her. I understand her ways just because I can really relate to her. I also really loved the side characters of this story. Desi friends are in some ways pretty great. I love how chill they are with each other and how supportive they are of each other. (They shouldn't have supported Desi's Kdrama plan though these people do not know when they hear a bad idea) I looooved Desi's relationship with her father as well. He is such a funny character and definitely added some more humor to the book. Also, Luca was such a perfect love interest. He was *SWOONY AF*.

Alright, I got a lot to say about this plot so buckle yourself in. I am going to be real with you, the whole "let's take tips from Kdramas" thing was such a bad idea now that I think of it. I understand Desi needed a plan and something to go off but please people, don't try that at home it's a bad idea. Some parts in this book was kind of screwed up, some parts of the book was extremely cringy but that is the beauty of Asian dramas. The typical romance drama will have the most cringy scenes, with the most obsessive characters, who have the most terrible ideas and who are constantly giving you second-hand embarrassment. However, that is the beauty of these dramas. The female lead is constantly getting herself into stupid situations, the characters will do anything - no matter how screwed up - to get to their love interest, and there will always be a scene where the female lead get's injured and the love interest lovingly performs some first aid, as if they can't do it themselves. Sure, what Desi did was kind of screwed up and a little ridiculous but that captures an aspect of Asian dramas: a lot of screwed up shit.

I also knew this storyline was going to be a great one to read about because I knew a lot of events in this book were going to be hella based off of stuff that happens in the dramas. Stuff that happens in those dramas always give such funny and light content and the happenings in this book definitely made the book so light and funny. Also, reading about Desi trying to make her and Luca's love story like the ones in the Kdramas made the book that much funnier to read about. And honestly, Goo did a great job picking apart dramas and finding a way to put them "in real life." It was so fun to read about something I love being incorporated into a book and I can only hope more books like I Believe in a Thing Called Love come our way.

And I can't forget about the fabulous rep and diversity of this book! I don't think I've read many books with Korean main characters so I am really happy to have this book. Korea is definitely an interesting culture, with their super popular music and dramas, and their bomb ass fooooood. This was such a great sophomore novel for Goo and I am really looking forward to what else she has in mind.

I Believe in a Thing Called Love

Rating:

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.