Genre: Contemporary Young Adult Romance Fiction
Pages: Print 312
Release Date: May 30, 2017
Author: Maurene Goo
Rating: ★★★.5
Disclaimer: This review is solely my opinion. I checked out a copy of this book from my library. The comments in this review do not reflect the views of the author or the publisher. The copy used in this review is a finished print copy.
Goodreads Synopsis
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.
Final Thoughts
This contemporary young adult fiction follows the journey of Desi, an overachiever Korean American teenager raised by a single father. Desi is smart but seems to fall short when it comes to dating. Desi is starting her Senior year of high school off with a bang of embarrassments. She fails at an attempt to go on a date with a guy who is clearly interested in her and also fails as noticing when a guy is flirting with her. That is until she meets Lucas, a new boy in town who seems to be interested in Desi depict her lack of dating skills. Desi sets her mind on attaining Lucas, disregarding all social norms, and consulting her dad’s favorite K drama series as a source for dating advice. As the story unfolds, we watch as Desi learns that not everything can be controlled and how listening to those around you is something that always needs to be done.
The author took a common approach when developing this love story. I literally just grabbed this book randomly off the shelf at my library and decided to give it a read. I typically enjoy contemporary young adult romance novels but this one fell a little bit short for me. The huge scene toward the end of the book wasn’t actually that thrilling and left me wanting to making it more thrilling. I am not looking for a sparks to fly when something dramatic happens but I am looking for something more realistic. The emotions displayed by Desi when her secrets start to unravel felt real but the moment leading up to Lucas discovering them, was not. I personally wanted more depth in the story and more realism when it came to meeting the parents, going to a big event, and an accident. It is like there was a complete disregard for what would happen in the real world if someone did this. I mean I am no wizard in the dating scene but I somehow managed to snag my current boyfriend with me being myself. However, I do commend the author on showcasing the importance of being yourself and I did like the scene at the end. Unfortunately, I got to a point in the book where I was getting anxious and wanted it to end. I read as Desi went through a lot of unnecessary antics to gain the attention of a boy but in the end the truth came out. If the goal of this book was to be a mushy young adult romance novel then it did its job and more. If you are interested in getting your sweet tooth itched with contemporary young adult novel, then this is your book. Otherwise I suggest reading something a little more tame with more depth in the storyline. I recommend this book to early teens and adults interested in novel with a potential happy ending ( I will not spoil the ending). Sometimes the geeky, overachiever, underdog can have things malfunction but still learn from their mistakes.
Happy Reading and I hope you enjoyed my honest opinion of this novel!
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