I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

"The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos" is a heartfelt story that blends romance, culture, and self-discovery. Evan Saatchi, fascinated by his new colleague Dalisay, quickly learns that asking her out isn't as simple as it seems. Coming from the Philippines, Dalisay believes in the traditional Five Stages of courtship, a ritual deeply rooted in her cultural values. Although Evan initially sees it as a challenge, the process draws him closer not only to Dalisay but also to her world, sparking both romantic and cultural growth.
The dynamic between Evan and Dalisay was both sweet and complex, showing how cultural expectations can impact relationships. Evan’s willingness to embrace Dalisay’s traditions despite their differences really stood out, while Dalisay’s passion for her family and values drove the story forward. However, their journey wasn’t without challenges, and the moments of miscommunication felt relatable, as both characters struggled to meet in the middle.
Overall, the novel was a delightful blend of romance and cultural exploration. Through the lens of their relationship, I got to see a portrayal of Filipino traditions, especially the unique stages of courtship, in a modern setting. It’s a great read for anyone looking for a romance with a deeper cultural layer!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. I highly enjoyed it and will be recommending it to others.

Really heartwarming romance. I’d say spicy level 3/5! Love how the novel as covers the family dynamics of the MC and how there are different cultural conceptions of dating.

The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos by Melissa de la Cruz is a slow-paced romance with cultural elements. The premise revolves around Evan trying to win over Dalisay through Filipino courtship traditions. The characters, particularly Dalisay, have good chemistry and represent diverse cultures. However, the writing style and pacing are disjointed and dragging. While some moments are enjoyable, the book struggles to engage the reader. While it might be worth checking out for slower-paced romances with cultural elements, it doesn't quite hit the mark for me.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC for an honest review.

This was a really fun book! It's sweet, funny, and multicultural.

Evan has a new coworker, Dalisay. She actually got the job he applied for. But she's really a great writer, and he's not too upset. Once he sees her and gets to know her. And he really does try to get to know her, but she's not the least interested. Why? Because she's a traditional girl. She's fresh from Manila. A traditional girl who wants The Five Stages. What's the Five Stages? Oh, just a traditional courtship from the Philippines.

Evan is not Filipino. He's explained how it goes, and honestly, he's not THAT into her. Is he? He's skeptical about the Five Stages. But when a bet is made, he can't help but step up to the challenge.

Soon, Evan is going full in. And the bet becomes more than they expected. The Five Stages draws them closer, and it also draws them closer to each other's world.

But while they're getting closer, there's still the fact that Evan isn't Filipino. And Dalisays family expects something else for her future.

I loved learning about this culture! I'd never heard of the Five Stages before, and it's such a never before tried trope. If you can call it that. Evan and Dalisay both grow so much in this story!

I was immediately hooked when I started reading the book. The characters were enjoyable, and the plot was interesting. But, it became dragging and somewhat repetitive toward the end.

The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos is a cute and endearing story I’d recommend to those looking for a diverse, semi-spicy rom-com.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the DRC of the book!

Oh how I wanted to love this one. As a child of immigrants and married to a Filipino, I was like yes! But by 20% in I had no desire to root for their future. I stopped reading then.

It was insta love, but not really. Fake dating, but not really.
I don't know what trope(s) this was trying to fit in.

Thank you for the opportunity!

I love when characters feel real! And Evan and Delisay definitely felt real to me. And I loved reading about a different culture and all the food! And who doesn't like a nerdy guy who plays D&D!

I wasn't really a fan of this book. I expected the five stages to take up the entire book but it got done so quickly. I would have love seeing more time spent on each stage. I did like seeing a bit into the Filipino culture. I had high hopes for the book but overall, I was disappointed.

3,5*
the story itself is cute but too predictable and "lovey-dovey", not the thing I usually go to (was expecting a bit more of an "enemies to lovers" kind of thing) and the drama seemed a bit hammered on, not natural.

I have been a Melissa de la Cruz fan for over a decade, but this book did not quite hit for me.

There were plenty of aspects that I enjoyed, like the look into Filipino culture, the stages of courting, and the chemistry between the two main leads was fun. But other aspects didn't quite work. Even though they did all the stages to begin dating, it felt like the two didn't even really know each other at all, or if they did, they got to know each other off-page and we as readers couldn't see. It made the 3rd act breakup more confusing and just soured the book for me.

3.5 stars for a fun read but frustrating at the same time.

𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝟓 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝
𝟭) Contains lots of family traditions
𝟮) Extremely likable characters
𝟯) Filipino representation
𝟰) Everything comes full circle
𝟱) It’s sweet and spicy

🌟ARC Review🌟
The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos by Melissa de la Cruz
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️

Tropes:
🔥Office Romance
🔥Courtship
🔥Opposites Attract
🔥He Falls First
🔥Filipino Rep

I was so excited to get this book and it was in fact my first ever physical ARC! I was initially drawn to this book because I am a Filipino American and jumped at the chance to read a romance with a Filipino FMC!

I felt a range of emotions reading this book. I found myself assigning certain characters to people I know in real life. What shocked me was how angry I got at Dalisay for her choices but came to the realization that I was so angry because she reminded me of myself!

Dalisay is organized, loves books and travel, is a rule follower, and is overly cautious. All of those traits describe myself. Overly Cautious in Love could be the title of my romantic comedy. Once I made the connection my heart was invested.

The book had an excellent portrayal of the challenges of different cultures navigating a relationship and their partner's family. I would especially recommend this book to anyone who hasn't had a friend or dated anyone of a different culture!

Thank you to Melissa de la Cruz, The Nerd Fam, and Union Square & Co. for sending me this ARC.

This one was a fun book full of Filipino culture and traditions. I enjoyed seeing and learning something completely new.

Dalisay was such a unique character, she was a bit rude to Evan during the courtship phase though. Evan, he was a man determined to win her over. He was such a dream, he took the challenge of the five stages and ran with it. He put up with a lot and eventually got what he wanted… Her!

The family dynamics in this one was exactly how I picture a traditional Filipino family. I truly enjoyed the dynamics and all of the supporting characters. They were a trip and added so much depth to the story.

"The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos" is the perfect blend of romance, cultural heritage, and self-discovery. This book follows Dalisay Ramos, as she navigates the complexities of love and tradition.

Dalisay, an endearing character with relatable flaws, embarks on a quest to find love while staying true to her cultural roots. The five stages of courting, rooted in Filipino traditions, are depicted with authenticity and warmth. The interactions between Dalisay and Evan are filled with humor, tenderness, and occasional mishaps! I loved the integrations of traditional customs, family dynamics, and cultural nuances.

This book would be perfect for readers who love contemporary romance and those interested in exploring diverse cultural narratives.

They said Filipinos have to go through the five stages of courting someone they love • A Refreshing Multicultural society mixed with a bunch of sweet romance 💝

Love is in the air for Evan Saatchi once his eyes meet his new colleague, Dalisay Ramos. But asking her for a date proved as a not-so-easy-as-it-sounds mission! He has to go through five stages of the courtship ritual to prove his commitment as her potential suitor 😱 — Do you think he can go through all the stages and get Dalisay’s heart at the end?

A Culture that piqued my curiosity 🌸 one of the reasons why I took an interest in De La Cruz’s new work is the cultural aspect that she highlighted. I think she did a great job depicting the euphoria of Filipino communities abroad and how they still uphold their cultures—be it from the language, and social tradition to the food and music 🔥

From the character aspect, I fell in love with how sweet and tolerant Evan was, he is such an ideal type—wait until you get to read his present to Dalisay… let me tell you: Sweet to the core!

However, I think that within the book's second half, the pace is getting dragged on and I lost the chemistry between the characters. Nevertheless, I did enjoy the rich cultural party from reading this book plus the side characters are so lovable and supportive 🩷

If you are looking for a refreshing romance with a touch of cultural and family elements, this book might be the one for you! ✨

𝗠𝗖𝘀: Dalisay + Evan
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝘂𝘀𝗮—𝗶𝗳 𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗮𝘇𝗲, 𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲.

This was my first book by Melissa and truthfully, my first experience reading such a culturally diverse cast of characters and it was SO much fun in the beginning! Dalisay is Filipino and Evan is a second (or third) generation Persian immigrant descendant. When Evan first spots Dalisay at work, he’s bold enough to ask her out, but she turns him down flat until his friends tell him about the Five Stages of courting that traditional Filipinos go through to prove their worth and devotion to their potential partner.

At first I was iffy. Call it my American upbringing because I don’t feel like anyone should have to prove their worth to get a chance at anything. That feels like judging before a verdict. But it was actually kind of fun and sweet watching Evan stumble through all the stages. And Dalisay admitted there was an unbalance as Evan learned everything about her but she learned nothing about him. Both of them were open to what they were feeling and I LOVED that!

But what didn’t work for me was the last third of the book. I knew at 50% when the initial courting was done and things heated up, that we were going to have a third act break-up. In this scenario, it was done for drama and not needed. That, honestly, ruined what could have been a 4-5 star read for me. A gap in time and then a repeat of certain things that late in the game? Nah, Dalisay didn’t win brownie points from me. I adored Evan, but she was just stuck in her traditions without really respecting them herself (as she demonstrated many times throughout the story). I couldn’t move past my annoyance with Dalisay and that makes me so sad!

Regardless, if you don’t mine third-act breakups and the drama that comes with it, don’t let my review sway you because the writing is great and the premise is fun!

𝘙𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘦: NOW AVAILABLE
𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠. 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣.

4★ For this very cute read novel! As a Filipina, reading this book made me proud. I love how our culture is adapted into this novel. I do know of the courting traditions here in the Philippines but I didn’t really know the stages or the actual steps a man has to go through.

In this day and age, courtship has evolved into something that fits the modern world. But in this novel, there are stages where Evan was challenged to determine his intents for Dalisay.

I find it beautiful, really. Some might view it as a little too much but if a man is really set to winning the heart of the woman he loves, he will go through these stages.

And in doing so, not only did he won the woman’s heart but also of her family.

Anything for love.

QOTD: What is your country’s dating tradition like or what is your favorite stage in dating? Let me know in the comments section <3