Thank you Union Square Press for the ARC. I was sooo excited to get this ARC because 1) the cover is so cute 2) the premise is so unique and 3) I'm half-filipina !!! This was the perfect fluffy romance. Good banter and love that she demanded the best.

This was such a cute rom-com! I loved the concept of a proper courtship rather than “hey you want to go for drinks?” It is just extra romantic. Dalisay is from Manila and the culture has “The Five Stages” to court someone. Evan is American and has no idea of this, but Dalisay bets that he can’t do it and so he’s not going to be made a fool right? But as he is going through the steps, he realizes he is putting more intent behind it than if it really was just a bet, and finds that he really does like Dalisay.

And as he goes through the stages, Dalisay is realizing that she really likes him too. After he completes the final stage, the two make it official and actually give their relationship a shot. But then they run into a lot of cultural differences that threaten— and succeed— in tearing them apart. But time apart makes them realize how much they really miss each other and that they were happiest with each other. So Evan does the Five Stages again, but in earnest.

I really loved this book, how it highlights the two different cultures, and how blending them can be just as beautiful. Tradition isn’t always the way; what’s real is loving someone who they are.

Thank you TBR and Beyond Tour for the gifted copy!

3 stars.

"The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos" by Melissa de la Cruz is, unfortunately, not my favorite book. Let's start with what I liked. First, I loved the Filipino representation. I enjoyed learning about the five stages, the Filipino customs surrounding dating, the immigrant experience Dalisay faces moving to the states after the death of her father, the familial bonds, the food, and seeing the differences between American and Filipino cultures in life, love, and work. There is some funny dialogue and some zany situations between the characters that made me chuckle. Some of the side characters were excellent. I really wanted to like this book more, but the rest of it is a choppy mess. The insta-love between Evan and Dalisay would have been fine if I had felt any spark between them, but I didn't. The first half of the book, Evan has to go through the five stages to prove to her, her family, and her friends that he is serious about her, but he doesn't even know her! He just thought she was cute and proceeds to get swept up in a plot to date her. He hits on her on her very first day with the company, and she assumes that he wants to get married and have kids when all he wants is a drink. It's giving ICK on both ends. I'm not saying he couldn't fall in love with her in the process, but I didn't feel any sort of yearning or pining between the two of them until about 70% into the book. The spicy scenes feel superfluous, added only to appease the TikTok crowd...and this is coming from someone who loves and appreciates a heavy spice level in their books! They didn't add anything to the story, or to Dalisay and Evan's romance. There was still no spark between them, even after they do the deed. The pacing is also atrocious. The beginning feels like it moves too quickly, but the ending is slow as molasses. I think this book could have benefitted from a lot more editing. That being said, I loved Amielynn Abellera's narration. I think she brought these characters to life in a big way. I probably wouldn't recommend this book to everyone, but there is most definitely a set of readers out there who would like this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, Melissa de la Cruz, and Union Square & Co. for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

This one missed the mark for me a little bit. I think it started with some really interesting and sweet potential, but i ended up skimming the last 50 or so pages because i just wasn't invested.

I enjoyed the characters, Dalisay and Evan are really sweet and the side characters were also so lovely! I loved learning so much about a different culture. The 5 Stages was such a fun and unique way to see a couple get to know one another.

Unfortunately, the writing style just wasn't doing it for me. There was a lot that felt really cheesy or out of place. I felt like much of this book fell victim to "show don't tell". We don't really even get to see conversations happen between the couple, it's majority all done through internal dialogue and reflecting back on conversations had off-page. I also felt like there was a lot of depth missing from the relationship. Almost all of Dalisay's thoughts about Evan were about how she wanted to hook up with him which felt really disjointed from her actual personality since she was more modest.

I just couldn't get invested in this story despite the elements I did enjoy.

Thank you, Netgalley, for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

(Review available on Sunday in my other platforms)

First of all, I'd like to paraphrase and redo a couple aspects from the synopsis, because I got some ideas from it that I did not like that much but they happened differently in the book.

Evan Saatchi is deeply curious about his company's new recruit, who has arrived from Manila not long ago. Dalisay not only looks confident and put-together, but she is also beautiful and he cannot resist asking her out. After being turned down, he thought he would not have another chance with her, but then she proposes a bet: pass the five stages of courtship that hopeful suitors perform in the Philippines. Dalisay does not believe he will pass the test and Evan does not want to give up, so they place a bet about it. However, whilst the five stages are in process, they see themselves being drawn to each other and thinking about the other person more than they should.

I want to stress that both parties know and are present when placing the bet, it is not something one of them does behind the other's back and will come back in the third act to break them up. It is a fun challenge that is proposed to see if Evan could pass the five stages; they both believe the bet is not really about their feelings, as what is a stake is a work's project/vacation. (But of course it is also about them and their feelings).

One of the aspects that worried me about the book was the introduction to the five stages; I was afraid it would be presented unseriously or that Dalisay would appear pretentious, but it was a good scene and Evan knew how important it was. Moreover, seeing bits of Filipino culture and the different family and relationship dynamics was fantastic; I knew we would see that aspect but I really appreciate it and liked it.

Evan is a charming man, respectful and attentive, and he was so good to Dalisay. He tried and did his best with her, but I feel like sometimes that was not mutual. We know that Dalisay has had to leave the Philippines, and having to adjust to a new culture and country is not an easy task, yet she sometimes takes her frustration on Evan, who does not deserve it, and without previous notice. There were a couple scenes were Dalisay called Evan out for being too American and not taking her culture into consideration when he has always had her interests at heart and has been very open-minded and considerate; I did not think it was fair.

I have a lot of thoughts on that, because it is really important to maintain one's culture, but it was rather one-sided, Evan had to adapt and be considerate of her beliefs but Dalisay did not. Girl, TALK TO HIM! He is doing his best but if you do not let you know how you feel, how can he know? And try meeting him in the middle sometimes, it takes two to tango.

Again, that was a small part but it bothered me and I had to let it out. I knew only snippets of Filipino culture so I was happy to get to know more, but it was not front and center in the book; this is a romance, it just happens to be about the five stages of Filipino tradition, which is how it should be. If you are not familiar with what the five stages are, do not worry, I also wasn't, but it is made quite clear in the book; you do not need to research for it (I did when finishing the book), if you know about it, that is fine, but it is also fun finding out just as Evan does. JM and Pinky, two of Evan's friends, were a delight and I wish we could have seen more of them.

Overall, it was a sweet, but also a bit spicy later on, romance that incorporated Filipino traditions and centered on family dynamics. Seeing Dalisay interact with her family was a joy. Evan was an amazing male lead; he was such a good person with amazing manners, and I wish he had been more appreciated.

This is such a fascinating book. A romantic story of passing five stages to love someone. Is that a real thing in real life? Might be? Well, let’s set that aside for now. Anyway, let’s continue. The chemistry between Evan and Dalisay is good and sometimes awkward. I like the characters, especially Evan’s friends and Dalisay’s family. I notice one character’s name coming from… well I’m not going to say it hehehe. I get to know a bit about Filipino culture, which is awesome. Overall, I enjoy this book!

I received a free copy in exchanged for review. All opinions are my own. Thank you!

Actual Rating: 3.5⭐

Let’s talk about the good things first, the first half part of the book is very entertaining as Evan enter the five stages of courting a girl from the Philippines. I wasn’t aware of those courting stages so I find the experience really sweet and also funny.

Dalisay and Evan grew up differently and comes from different culture but it didn’t stop them from falling to one another nonetheless, I was rooting for them both right from the beginning!
I love the warm-hearted feeling of Dalisay’s family and how they welcome Evan right in as well.

However, I find the second half of the story a bit weird. I wasn’t really a huge fan of the third break-up scene near the ending, not to mention Dalisay can be very frustrating.
<spoiler> I wish Evan didn’t have to do the five stages again, instead I was hoping Dalisay would do it in return. Evan has done so much but it seems like Dalisay didn’t give the same effort in this story. </spoiler>

Overall, it’s a pretty entertaining and enjoyable read. The courting stages are absolutely fun and I kind wish it was still practiced nowadays!
If you’re looking for a simple slow-burn workplace romance then you might like this one!

The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos was a sweet, heartwarming rom-com.

When Evan Saatchi falls for his new coworker, Dalisay Ramos, he embarks on “The Five Stages of Courtship.” These stages of courtship are part of Daisy’s Filipino culture. To make the deal even sweeter, Dalisay makes a bet with Evan, promising him a travel opportunity in exchange for completing the tasks successfully. As Dalisay gets to know Evan, she realizes she may have misjudged him.

Melissa de la Cruz has a way of writing that makes it easy to get lost in a story. She develops characters well and her plots move quickly.

I loved the aspects of Filipino culture that de la Cruz explored. The five stages mentioned in the title are based on courtship rituals in Filipino culture. De la Cruz found ways to take the traditions and make them comedic and realistic in ways that felt true to the characters. Some of the rituals explored led to funny and embarrassing moments. These were some of the most fun parts of the book.

It was interesting to see how the characters’ love lives were influenced by their heritage and commitment to their families. While many rom coms put primary focus on the romantic protagonists, de la Cruz included friends and extended family members. This allowed for greater diversity and representation, which was nice to see.

De la Cruz also added some family drama aspects to the narrative. These moments added more sincerity to the characters.

De la Cruz does a great job of giving her characters realistic flaws, so they’re not one-dimensional in service of the plot. These layers made the dynamics between characters more interesting.

As a character, Dalisay could be finicky. As the plot progressed, it was easier to understand her motivations better. At times, it was hard to side with her character because she was being too hard on Evan.

If you’re looking for a sweet rom com that explores culture and family dynamics, then add The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos to your cart.

Thank you NetGalley and Union Square & Co for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was such a cute and and heartwarming love story! I really enjoyed the main characters, both in their romance and their family dynamics. I also really enjoyed the subplot with Dalisay’s sister.

Check this one out if you’re looking for something with:

💕 Workplace romance
💕 Making him work for it
💕 Filipino and LGBTQIA+ rep
💕 An absolutely adorable dog

Thank you so much to Union Square and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

This was such a wonderful contemporary romance. I loved learning about Filipino courting traditions. Evan whole-asses the 5 stages and it was so beautiful to watch him gain respect for the traditions that Dalisay love.

I enjoyed watching Dalisay learn that sometimes following your heart is more important than tradition and culture. As her dad always said “Remember where you came from. Remember where you are going.”

They both gained confidence in themself and their relationship. It was a beautiful romance

Arc provided for a free honest review.

Melissa de la Cruz's "The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos" is a charming exploration of cultural traditions and modern romance, though it sometimes falls short in depth and originality.

The story revolves around Evan Saatchi, who becomes infatuated with his new co-worker, Dalisay Ramos. Fresh from Manila and leading their travel app’s Asia division, Dalisay values tradition and family above all else. When Evan boldly asks her out, he is promptly rejected. Learning from his Filipino friends that Dalisay expects her suitors to undergo the Five Stages of traditional Filipino courtship, Evan skeptically embarks on this unfamiliar journey. His initial doubts—especially about the aspects of servitude and singing—turn into determination when Dalisay bets he won't make it through the stages.

Evan’s attempts to navigate these stages provide both humorous and heartwarming moments, as his earnest efforts to win Dalisay’s heart and prove her wrong transform their interactions into a sizzling, albeit secret, romance. The courtship rituals bring a delightful cultural element to the story, making it an interesting read.

However, while the concept is engaging, the execution sometimes feels predictable. The characters, especially Evan, could have benefited from more depth and development. The portrayal of Filipino traditions, while central to the plot, occasionally felt superficial and could have been explored more richly to add layers to the narrative.

The highlight of the book is the tension between modern love and family expectations. This theme is handled thoughtfully, showing the struggle to balance personal desires with cultural and familial obligations. Dalisay’s character embodies this conflict well, making her a relatable and sympathetic figure.

In conclusion, "The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos" is an enjoyable read that offers a sweet and sometimes humorous look at love and tradition. While it may not be groundbreaking, it provides a pleasant escape with its unique cultural backdrop and charming romance.

♡𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 &| 𝐞𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰♡
3 🌟
-
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 :
•rom-com
•Filipino Tradition
-
The premise of this story is what caught my attention. The Filipino's tradition aspect of the five stages, the same courtship ritual that lovers in the Philippines have performed for generation. The pacing was a little weird to me, and I felt like the FMC Dalisay was a little selfish in the beginning. Even though it was a bet between her and Evans. I felt like if she wanted him to go through the five stages, she should have at least tried to get to know him as well. Like whats his favorite color, drink, flowers, etc. She didn't realize she didn't know that stuff until 50% in the book. The romance development throughout the book was good.
The narrator Amielynn Abellera did a good job telling this story! The audiobook is 4🌟.
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 July.9
-
Thank you, Netgalley, RB Media for the (ALC)-audiobook and Union Square for the (eArc)-eBook for my honest review.

I found this to be such an interesting read, especially learning about the five stages of courtship and getting to learn more about the culture. While it may have originally started out as a bet, Evan soon found himself committed to the courtship task. I really loved the gift giving stage and how absolutely savage Dalisay was as she trashed the teddy bear and bit through the balloons to pop them. She was holding nothing back as she completely and thoroughly rejected Evan’s gift. One of the more interesting yet heartbreaking elements was watching the MCs navigate their cultural differences and the level of impact this differences had on their relationship. Fair warning, this does have the dreaded third act breakup, but it does give us the opportunity to experience the five stages a second time leading to the more than worthwhile zoo scene. I combo read this book between ebook and audiobook. I enjoyed both versions. Amielynn Abellera did really well with the narration, and if you’re on the fence trying to decide between the two, I would recommend the audiobook, but there ins’t a wrong choice.

Seeing this ARC got me excited because I love seeing Filipino representation in romance books! The whole premise intrigued me as I was eager to see how Evan would woo Dalisay through traditional Filipino courtship. At that point, it was so fun and adorable. However, there were some aspects that didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

Learning that Dalisay was not a Filipino born in the US but had recently migrated got me hooked. I wanted to see how a character with purely Filipino roots would be portrayed. In this regard, the book did not disappoint. Dalisay was relatable and valued her family and their traditions. It was wonderful to see how deeply the culture was embedded in her and her family members. The Filipino representation was done well, reflecting many practices familiar to my own family. Even the mention of the song "Maharani" by Alamat made me giddy because I enjoy listening to that song. The stages of courtship were really enjoyable, particularly how Evan executed them towards Dalisay. I also loved how strongly the family and extended families got involved. To be honest, I wasn’t really aware that there were “officially” five stages of courtship, but I recognized all these different ways of courting from my own experiences, though not to this extent. The courtship stages were my favorite parts of the book because they were so fun and endearing. Evan really put effort into respecting Filipino culture and traditions. However, I felt that this part was rushed. The pacing was off, making it hard to stay engaged with the book after that.

Evan was an adorable character. He seemed very harmless and wasn’t arrogant or presumptuous throughout the courtship. He definitely passed all the stages with flying colors! I really appreciated how he tried his best to execute everything respectfully. Although he was motivated by their challenge, he was genuine and sincere throughout. He was a delightful character, and I was rooting for him to succeed. Dalisay, however, was a disappointment. She was so unlikable as a character. Her dismissiveness and arrogance were off-putting. While we’re past the conservative expectations of women, Dalisay’s behavior towards Evan was neither conservative nor respectful. Women were expected to repress emotions and affection in the olden times, but Dalisay was dismissive and disrespectful. She didn’t speak properly to him, initiate friendly conversations, or make an effort to get to know him during the courtship. This felt so off-putting for me. Of course, women are allowed to say “no” to men and push them away if they act predatorily. But since she made this agreement fair and square, she could have at least put some effort into acting civil. One of the things that really pissed me off was when she threw away the gifts Evan gave her daily, in full view of him! That was just plain rude. As a Filipino, we were taught to be respectful and not waste money or things. She could have given these things to charity and moved on with her day. But no, she had to show him that. It left a bad taste in my mouth. I was more interested in getting to know Nicole and Pinky! Speaking of Nicole, she is Dalisay’s twin. I was weirded out that a parent would give a beautiful Tagalog name like “Dalisay” to one child and a generic “Nicole” to the other. I expected parents to follow a theme with names, so it was strange that the twins' names lacked an apparent likeness. I’m not sure if this was even explained in the book because I wasn’t invested in it after the first half.

After the whole courtship, I was already disengaged from the story because I didn’t feel any connection or chemistry between them. They weren’t really talking or making moves to get to know each other. The timeline felt disjointed, making it hard for me to continue investing in the story. I hoped that the courtship storyline was stretched out and they developed a slow-burn romance through that. This book had great potential and aimed to tell a beautiful story, but the execution just wasn’t for me. I would still recommend this to my fellow Filipinos because of the representation of Filipino culture and traditions. That part was truly a treat for me.

A fun romcom that features MMC Evan Saatchi and FMC Dalisay Ramos. Dalisay moves to America to run a travel app division and meets Evan. He feels an instant attraction and asks her out, but she honors tradition so she rejects him. She wants the traditional five stages of courting ritual that has been done in the Philippines for generations. They make a bet on whether he can complete all the stages.

I love the Filipino culture and family traditions that were in this book. I have some family that are Filipino so it was nice to see. I found it to be well written and engaging. The characters were great and relatable. I love Dallas Lola. The relationship was heartwarming. If you like romantic reads, this one’s for you.

This book was fun look into Filipino culture, I truly enjoyed getting a look into how another culture does things when it comes to dating. I’d never heard of this custom and was very intrigued with it and how it means so much to them.

Dalisay was an interesting character, and I related a lot to her in the way she’s cautious about jumping into things and like to have lists and plans but she was kind of self-centered, Evan did everything, and she didn’t make much effort and that could be part of the courting, but it made the book kind of flat. I also thoroughly enjoyed that it takes place in SF, I’m from the Bay Area and not enough books are set here. I do wish the courting had better pacing and there wasn’t much said about Evan’s background/heritage which I feel was a missed opportunity. Loved the D&D and Evan’s character, he felt more fleshed out than Dalisay which was unfortunate. Overall, it was a decent read but did drag.

I was excited for this book because we Filipinos hardly ever get representation in books. However, I felt like I was trudging through this read. There is something about the main character that just irks me. I also think that Melissa dela Cruz’s writing is probably just not for me. I’m sure someone out there will appreciate the story this book wants to tell, it’s only unfortunate that I wasn’t one of them.

I loved the premise of this book and learning a bit about Filipino culture was interesting to me. I would like to see if the courting could’ve been spaced more. I appreciated Dalisay’s perspective on her heritage. With that being said, I wish that I learned more about Evan’s heritage. It was missing.

While there were some parts of the story that I struggled with, I did find this book to be an enjoyable read.

This was a huge disappointment. I love the idea behind The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos and was especially excited to learn about the Filipino tradition--especially since it's one I hadn't heard of before--but the execution was shockingly bad.

It's been a while, but I've read books by Melissa de la Cruz before and don't remember having such a hard time with her writing. To be blunt, it read like something an elementary school student would write. The sentences are pretty straightforward and there isn't a lot of variation in sentence structure. In terms of content, a bulk of the story is devoted to dry and unnecessary descriptions of people (ex. a "dark-skinned Asian woman") or rote recitations of their actions. It reads more like the mini descriptors in a script or screenplay than part of an actual novel.

I also wasn't a fan of the actual story. The pacing felt off--we get through all five stages within the first half of the book and the "tension" at the midpoint was pretty disappointing. From the outset, I didn't really buy the premise and am not sure why de la Cruz chose to abruptly pivot from an insta-love at first sight to some kind of psuedo rivals-to-lovers dynamic, but neither were particularly convincing. I just never really bought the stakes and felt like Dalisay and Evan's relationships never went beyond the physical. Some of the more serious aspects of the book like Dalisay and Evan's anxiety, the complex family dynamics, and cultural differences were glossed over, and I was disappointed they felt like they were treated pretty superficially.

As much as I like the idea behind The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos, it think it needs a lot more development.

2.75 stars

I was really hoping to love this more than I did. I loved Evan right away, the nerdiness, D&D, rescuing an elderly dachshund, just seemed like a genuine guy. And the fact that he was willing to go through the 5 Stages without really knowing if he was going to win her over or not.

But Dalisay... She was a really unlikeable character for me. She seemed to put zero effort into knowing Evan or showing that she was interested. She made him do ALL the work. I was really bothered by the fact she threw away all the gifts during that stage, I get that it was a form of "banter." But she did nothing at all to encourage him in these stages.

It's a fine book for people who like the 'insta love' trope. I loved the diversity in characters (side and main), the traditional values and cultures. The pacing of the book was off for me. I would have liked them to get to know each other a bit first before jumping right into the 5 Stages. Plus, there isn't much development between them or the characters after they get together.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!