[There is one spoiler in this review that is clearly marked.]

As much as I adore Lee Dong Wook and Lee Da Hae, especially together – this series did, at times, feel like a chore to get through. I watched it once around the time it came out, and had a favorable impression of it overall, but I forgot most of it and felt it was time to watch it again. At the time, I'd only seen a handful of k-dramas, and by this point, I've seen dozens more. Perhaps that has had an impact on my perception/expectations, because I didn't have nearly so positive an impression of it this time.

I watched this drama both times because of the main actors, and really... I feel like that's the only reason I would actually recommend it to anyone. If you loved their dynamic in "My Girl," then it's more likely that you'd find this drama worth watching. When Mo Ne and Jae Wan are on good terms, they are a sweet, cute couple – and for mostly the same reason that made the main characters from "My Girl" so cute together. They compliment each other well.

Although her stereotypical "bratty, entitled rich girl" behavior is a bit grating in the beginning, Mo Ne's positive qualities gradually become more apparent as she is humbled by hardships and betrayals. She is exceptionally compassionate, loving, and forgiving. Moreover, she has an enduring childlike, joyful quality that helps balance out the overly stoic and deeply wounded Jae Wan. Likewise, it is because of Jae Wan (and their mutual friend/assistant, Soo An) that Mo Ne learns to be more structured and responsible so that she can rightfully take over her deceased father's hotel.

The main problem with this drama is length and redundancy. The main characters repeatedly make the same mistakes – namely, trusting people they have very good reason not to trust – and their relationship fluctuates between hot and cold so many times that it just becomes tiresome. There are also a couple of supporting characters with one-sided crushes on the main characters who are a bit tedious to watch because their unresolved feelings never seemed to get fully resolved, and thirty two episodes of that is just a bit much. I would have liked to see them really move on before the drama ended, but at least in the case of the male character who has feelings for Mo Ne, he never pushes them onto her or expects anything from her. That is pretty rare in dramaland, so it's quite refreshing to see. (Alas, the second female lead, while often otherwise likable, does not act so reasonably when it comes to her feelings for Jae Wan.)

On the positive side, the relationships between the older main characters and younger main characters (Jae Wan, Mo Ne, and Roman) are complex and interesting. Lee Duk Hwa (Lee Joong Goo) and Kim Hae Sook (Baek Mi Nyeo) portray their characters quite well, in my opinion – especially Kim Hae Sook, whose character undergoes many dramatic changes throughout the drama. Although it is dramatized, the abusive relationship between Joong Goo and Jae Wan feels authentic in the way that they both love and hate each other, and they both feel bound to one another in spite of how toxic they are for one another. Even after Jae Wan discovers the extent of Joong Goo's deception, he isn't able to stop caring about him completely, and there isn't ever really a miraculous recovery from the years of abuse he has endured. It is implied in the last episode that he still has a long way to go in terms of healing emotionally from everything he's been through, and although I wouldn't say the drama is very realistic overall, I did appreciate at least that much being realistic. (I've seen too many instances of PTSD being completely, instantly overcome by the power of love. It's become a pet peeve of mine.)

The supporting characters who worked at the hotel were usually quite fun to watch and provided much needed comic relief. There are also some side romances among them, but unfortunately that aspect of their role in the story was not as enjoyable.

[SPOILER] There's one more thing I'd like to cover, but it's really impossible to do without getting into spoiler territory, so consider this your warning if you haven't watched this drama and intend to do so. Early in the series, Jae Wan is led to believe that Mo Ne is his biological sister. Many people were freaking out about their relationship in the Viki comments; for many episodes, questions such as “is this really incest?” and “but are they really siblings???” were frequently asked. And really, it depends on how you look at it, I think. They aren't biologically related, but when Jae Wan finally caves and initiates a romantic relationship with Mo Ne, he does so believing that they are siblings.

This is kind of addressed but mostly swept under the rug towards the end of the drama. Mo Ne is shocked to discover that when he first confessed to her, he thought she was his sister. When she brings it up to him, she makes light of it and then moves on – which, like many of her choices, seems just a bit too unrealistic. (If you found out that someone you love and trust had hidden such an important fact that would have likely influenced your decision to be in a relationship with them, I'd think you'd feel pretty hurt and betrayed at the very least...) [/SPOILER]

So, tl;dr...

Main relationship is very cute when it's good, but it sometimes feels tedious because of its many ups-and-downs

There are aspects of the plot that are interesting, but it is ultimately exasperating because of its repetitiveness; this could have probably been resolved by significantly trimming it down

The acting is mostly good, although sometimes too over the top

The OST is reasonably good, but not outstanding

The "incest" subplot may be too squicky for some viewers

Conclusion: A time consuming drama that is sometimes cute, sometimes funny, sometimes intriguing – but far more often frustrating. If you like one or both of the main two actors, it may be worth watching – but otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it. There are better dramas to spend your time on.