I Believe in a Thing Called Love
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 her answer 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 fake 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.
Praise
-
Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2017
-
Seventeen.com's Best YA Books of 2017
-
NPR's Best Books of 2017
-
New York Public Library's Best Books of 2017
“Plot-driven as the K dramas Goo’s protagonist seeks to emulate, her funny, engaging narrative also delivers powerful messages of inclusion and acceptance.”
–Kirkus, Starred Review
“This book extends beyond a typical romance story, as it also deals with parent/teen relationships, grief, and the stress of college admission… A humorous romantic comedy with a Korean drama twist that should be on all YA romance shelves. Purchase where Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han are popular.”
–School Library Journal
"I Believe in a Thing Called Love is the perfect summer read—really the perfect anytime read. I laughed and I swooned and I streamed way too many K dramas. Maurene Goo's fresh, funny writing had me hooked from the first chapter. I loved it!"
–Morgan Matson, New York Times best-selling author of The Unexpected Everything
"This is the book I desperately wish I could have read when I was in high school... Charming and awkward and hysterically funny, this book is simply awesome!"
–Ellen Oh, author of the Prophecy series and founder of We Need Diverse Books
“The art-centric romance that develops between Desi and Luca is rewarding to follow, as are their parental relationships, particularly that between Desi and her widowed Appa. Goo (Since You Asked…) simultaneously honors and deconstructs romantic tropes, both in general and specific to K dramas, and does so using a wonderfully diverse cast.”
–Publisher’s Weekly, starred review
“In the tradition of best-laid plans, Desi’s goes painfully awry in ways that elevate the story above the level of fluffy, cross-cultural rom-com. Friends and family are well crafted to inspire discussions about the comfort and complications they afford . . . Readers who crave believability with their fun and wit will be satisfied with the way the plan works out.”
–VOYA
"This is a hilarious and endearing romance full of zany Korean-drama fun. You'll fall in love even as you're falling into a pool!"
-Melissa De La Cruz, #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel and Something in Between