Books › I believe in a thing called love
I believe in a thing called love
352 pages
A laugh-out-loud, swoony romp about trying to choreograph romance like a television script, only to discover the joy of going off-book.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like binge-watching your favorite romantic comedy on a sunny Saturday afternoon. It is bright, energetic, and fueled by a delightfully stubborn optimism that makes it impossible not to smile. The narrative moves at a brisk, bouncy pace, carried by a protagonist whose hyper-competence and utter cluelessness about love create a perfect storm of hilarious, cringe-inducing mishaps. Beneath the laugh-out-loud hijinks and clever nods to K-drama tropes, there is a warm, earnest core exploring the pressure to be perfect and the quiet terror of vulnerability. It is a sweet, deeply comforting read that will delight anyone who loves a fiercely determined heroine learning that the best parts of life are the ones you cannot plan.
- Mood
- cheerful
- swoony
- lighthearted
- warm
- Tone
- humorous
- earnest
- upbeat
- self-aware
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- perfectionism and control · first love · messiness of reality vs fiction · father-daughter relationships · embracing vulnerability
- The writing
- Breezy, conversational, and packed with sharp, witty observations that perfectly capture the voice of a highly driven teenager.
- The arc
- Moves from rigid, comical overconfidence to a humbling, heartwarming realization that real love requires letting go of the script.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love K-dramas, type-A heroines, and laugh-out-loud romantic comedies with a lot of heart.
About the book
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.
Description from Open Library.
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