29 Dates by Melissa de la Cruz

29 Dates

by Melissa de la Cruz

'A heartwarming, sparkling romantic comedy... Completely unputdownable!' Sandhya Menon, New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi

How many dates will it take to find The One?

Kim Jisu never expected her traditional South Korean parents to hire Seoul's premier matchmaker to find her a suitable boyfriend. She just wants to figure out her own dreams! But to please her parents she agrees to go on the dates. When she flubs a test and then skips out on a date to spend time with friends, her fed-up parents ship her off to a private school in San Francisco, where she can shine academically - and, of course, be set up on more dates!

Just as she starts to feel comfortable in her new surroundings, attention from two very different boys sends Jisu into a tailspin of soul-searching. As she discovers her passion for photography, she begins to wonder if she even wants to find The One. And what if her One isn't parent and matchmaker approved?

'A refreshingly modern love story.' Maurene Goo, author of I Believe in a Thing Called Love

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

4 of 5 stars

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Rating: 3.5 Stars

Jisu was devastated, when her parents shipped her off to San Francisco in hopes that she could perform better in an American school, but they may have given her the greatest gift, since her new environment did yield some stellar results.

• Pro: Jisu was easy to like and root for. My heart broke, when her whole life was uprooted, but I admired the way she took it in stride, and also commended her on fulfilling her filial duties. Beside being under the standard pressure to get into an Ivy League school and earn top grades, she also had to go on a myriad of blind dates, which she did with a more or less open mind.

• Pro: The dates were interesting. They were presented to us in a transcript format, and what I really liked was the way they paralleled something happening outside of the dates, as well as being a catalyst for Jisu's growth and change. She had discovered a lot about herself during these dates, even if she never happened to find "the one".

• Pro: I adored Dave, and thought the chemistry and dynamic between him and Jisu was fantastic. One of my favorite scenes was when Jisu met his mom. Totally couldn't wipe the smile off my face.

• Con: There were some really fun parts in this book and also, a lot of things I really enjoyed. I wish more of these things had been included. There were some times when the mood shifted, and it sort of made the story drag a little.

• Pro: It's really difficult for a teen to leave her friends, but Jisu was lucky to find such a great squad in San Francisco. I especially loved Hiba, who was fierce and not afraid to speak her mind.

• Pro: Jisu's grandfather was a most precious human. I loved and adored him so much, and was grateful that Jisu had such a phenomenal ally.

• Pro: The ending went in a direction that left me with a smile on my face. I was really happy with how de la Cruz finished Jisu's story (even if I wanted an epilogue, too)

Overall: A story of growth, change, family, friendship, and finding your passion, which was thoughtful and satisfying.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 24 November, 2018: Finished reading
  • 24 November, 2018: Reviewed