I enjoyed the story and how it showed many cultures and the cultures affect on relationships of all kind. I do feel like the story moved a bit slow in some places and then skipped through other parts too fast.

Overall it was a cute fun read. The audiobook was preformed by Amielynn Abellera who did a wonderful job!

Rating 3.5 ⭐️ (rounded up to 4)
Spice 1🌶

The first 50% of this book could have been a meet cute romance all by itself. However, the book just kept going and it wasn’t always for the better, which is why I’m only giving this read 3 stars.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

eBook and Audiobook duo review!

Dalisay Ramos and Evan Saatchi are co-workers at a travel website, and Evan has been mesmerized by Dalisay from her first day at work. He quickly learns that courting Dalisay is not as easy as simply asking her out for a drink. Moving to the States from the Philippines, Dalisay is a romantic at heart who wants her suitor to complete the Five Stages, or five acts in a courting ritual from the Philippine culture.

Evan was a trooper through all the stages! Even when he was trying to convince himself that it was all an effort to win a bet, there were moments when his romantic intentions really showed through. I thought it was so sweet and thoughtful for him to revisit these when he knew that Dalisay was the one. The passion that Dalisay has for her family, traditions, and culture is evident as it guides the whole story and foundation for her relationship with Evan. I liked her character for most of the book. I was a little taken aback and confused as to her motivations for stepping away from pursuing a relationship. It felt very miscommunication heavy for what was happening.

The family dynamics between Dalisay and her large Filipino family are wonderfully written, and I felt engaged and invested in their stories as well. I love Lola. I learned so much about Filipino culture and practices from this book! I loved reading a well-done romance with multicultural characters and culture.

I loved this story in audio format. The narrator, Amielynn Abellera, adds so much to the story with her accents and passion in her voice. I found myself going back to the audio version because I truly enjoyed the performance, or I would hear Abellera's different accents while I was reading the eBook copy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Union Square & Co., and RBmedia for providing me with an ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Netgallery for this ARC

This story follows Dalisay Ramos and Evan Saatchi. This a duel POV workplace romance.

I will say this is such a unique and different romance book for me as it is explores the different courting/dating rituals from different cultures instead of very westernized norm of dating culture. It was really sweet and refreshing story.

After Evan asked Dalisay out for a date on her first day on the job after she has moved to America from the Filipino, she turns her down. Evan then finds out from his Filipino friends that there is a courting ritual called the 'Five Stages' which is what potential suitors normally do in the Filipinos.

Dalisay and Evvan end up betting that he could never complete the 'Five Stages'. Evan, not one to stand down from a bet learns about this cultural ritual and what it takes to impress Dalisay.

What started as just a bet , soon turns into more.

The first 80% of this book was more boring than watching paint dry. While I really liked learning about Filipino culture, but that was the only thing I liked about this book. Evan annoyed me, and Dalisay was just boring. Their subplots were just as lackluster as their relationship, and their version of slow burn didn’t feel authentic. They both had too much instant love/lust to have this slow burn romance, but then the 80% mark came. I almost DNF’d this book a million and one times, but the last 80% gave me all the romance vibes that I wanted throughout the book. It was a “too little too late” feeling, but the ending really was great.

📚 The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos by Melissa de la Cruz
📕 Genre: Contemporary Romance, Woman’s Fiction
🎧 Format: Audiobook
🎙️ Narrated by: Amielynn Abellera
📖 Read: June 2024
✨ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

”Here's to stories worth telling.”

‧₊˚✧ Tropes ✧˚₊‧
ꕥ Workplace Romance
ꕥ Opposites Attract
ꕥ He Falls First
ꕥ Cultural Differences
ꕥ Love Bet

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book, however after reading the description I thought it sounds really cute.

Things that I really enjoyed about this book were the multicultural aspects! I loved the Filipino representation and I learned a lot about the culture. I also loved the themes brought up in this book on the importance of really earning one's attention. I loved how we were able to see the relationship between Dalisay and Evan grow stronger as they faced certain challenges.

While I really enjoyed that Dalisay was a strong female character, I felt at times she was a bit too harsh on Evan. She seemed so critical and almost hypocritical, which was a turn off for me.

Overall, I did enjoy this audiobook. The narration was on point. Will I remember this book in a week or two, probably not… but it was super cute while reading.

Check out my Bookstagram for aesthetics:
https://www.instagram.com/booked.and.listening/

Thank you NetGalley, RBmedia and Melissa de la Cruz for this audiobook. This is my voluntary, honest review.

Started out sort of cut but I couldn't finish or get onto it after we meet and get more time with our titular heroine. Delisay was snooty and way too much trouble for the bother. I did not like the way she judged so harshly and continued to have an attitude for no apparent reason.

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 RBMedia for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first 55% of the book - it felt like I couldn't get enough. I loved learning about the traditions and culture of Dalisay's family and the characters felt real/relatable.

Then the rest of the story fell flat for me.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos was honestly all kinds of cute. We get some romance, Filipino culture, and some lgbtqia+ representation. It was all quite entertaining from start to finish. I also really enjoyed the whole courting experience because it just made everything a bit more fun.

In this, you will meet Dalisay and Evan. At first, Evan asked Dalisay out and she respectfully declined. Not necessarily because she didn't think he was cute or anything; it just wasn't her cup of tea. The asking part, that is. So, when he reached out to one of his friends, who is also Filipino, he knew exactly what he needed to do moving forward. He's going to court her, but first, let's make it a bet.

Honestly, this whole thing was adorable. I liked how the romance flowed between them. Especially when things got a bit steamier and sex positive. I also really enjoyed watching her sister and Clare get some much-needed love too. The drama within the family just felt realistic, and I liked how, in the end, they were really trying to be more welcoming and understanding of everything.

It doesn't mean that we had to go with the drama and sadness before we got to that typical happy ending, though. In some ways, I just kind of hope and pray people are bit more welcoming to different kinds of love. Or at least different views of it. It's not really black and white anymore, and it just feels like characters in books (plus people in real life) should be able to accept that and move on.

In the end, this was cute and enjoyable. Easy to listen to, and I will most likely re-read it again.

Real rating: 3.5

Thank you netgalley and rb media for the free ALC. My opinions are being left voluntarily. This cover and synopsis caught my eye and attention however found it incredibly boring and lack luster. It was the slowest of alow burns. It was my first by this author and will need to see if any of her backlist are available as audio.

3.5/5☆

(Review posted on my other platforms on Sunday)

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.

Summary: Evan Saatchi has just returned from a work trip to find that his newest coworker is the woman of his dreams. Taking a chance he asks her out but she flat out refuses him. But when he learns from his Filipino friends that maybe Dalisay requires him to follow the traditional Five Stages of Courting to win her affection. When Dalisay learns that Evan is interested in the Five Stages she bets him that he cannot make it through them but Evan is determined to win this bet. As they begin to court the heat between them rises and as romance blooms they have to decide if they are going to stay with the traditional courtship in this modern world.

My Thoughts: Insta-love is the theme for De la Cruz’s new book. I don’t know how I feel about that. From the very first moment they see each other they are head over heels. By halfway it seems like the book should be over but of course the romance genre has a set pattern (boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy finds girl again).

I really enjoyed learning about the cultural aspect of the Filipino courting rituals. I have been trying to read more diverse stories and this one fit in perfectly. This book is a cute romance with some spicy bits.

The characters are not really developed but rather basic. They each have some baggage from their families that they have to deal with but I don’t feel like it developed the characters too much beyond the surface.

The audiobook was a quick listen and had a good narrator. If you want some fluffy story with a cultural aspect then this is perfect. I liked it. It fit what I was hoping for in a summer read.

Thank you to Union Square & Co. and NetGalley for providing me with an audio galley of this title to listen to and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Evan can't keep his eyes off his new Filipino coworker Dailsay. When he asks her out and she rejects him, he learns from his Filipino friends there's more to dating in Filipino tradition than what American's know. On a bet, Dalisay encourages Evan to do The Five Stages of Courting traditional for her people. But along the way, things get blurry and Evan and Dalisay fall for one another. When Dalisay's world is turned upside down, she realizes going back to her traditions is best. But can she stay away from Evan? and most of all, does she want to?
I'm a nurse and have been immersed in a bit of Filipino culture since I started in the industry. I was anxious to read this book and learn some new information about the culture. And it was fun!
I really liked watching Evan learn about the Filipino courtship ritual. It was a testament to opening yourself up to new culture and realizing your way is not always the right way. But it was also interesting to watch Dalisay adapt to American culture and realize the same thing. Sometimes when we are so set in our ways, it can cause us to miss out on new things we may love.
The Filipino representation in the book was great. It absolutely sealed what I know of my friends and coworkers. It also made me want to learn more. Cruz captured what it means to be Filipino in America. How holding on to traditions is just as important as opening yourself up to new things.
The romance was nice, though a bit forced in the beginning for me. It was insta-love and I'm not really a fan of that. I understand attraction but it just seemed like more than that and I wanted more of a progression given the idea that the five stages were meant to take you through it.
This is not my first de la Cruz book and I can see her writing style does not change even with a change in genre. It's quite choppy. Her choice of third person narrative often took me out of the story. With romances I really like to hear the voice of the characters and the third person didn't convey this for me. This also made the pacing very slow for me and I felt myself having to push to pick the story back up once I set it down.
Overall I found the book a bit of a struggle but it's worth it for the cultural aspect if you're wanting to learn a bit about Filipino culture and tradition.

I really enjoyed this book! It was cute, funny, sad, and very emotional! I loved the relationship between Evan and Dalisay. I loved learning about the Philippine culture about love and marriage. Thank you for allowing me to read and review this ARC

I truly enjoyed this book! I was drawn into the exploration of differences in courting in other cultures. It was intriguing how the characters navigate their cultural differences, their different approaches to love and dating, and the compromises they make to foster their connection. This could be one of any multicultural couples trying to navigate their differences and balance the modern and traditional expectations and it was really sweet to read about.

Thank you NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for the Advance Reader Copy.

The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos was a sweet romance for someone who likes insta-love (not me). Dalisay and Evan's relationship begins quickly - as soon as Evan sees her in the office (after getting the promotion he wanted) and asks her out. However, due to the 5 stages of Courting, Evan actually knows nothing about Dalisay for at least 50% of the book. He is wooing her based solely on her looks from what I can tell because there is no opportunity for them to interact at all. It only started to turn around for me at the 60-70% mark, after they actually began their relationship, did the obligatory break up, and Evan tries to woo her back again. At least then you know that he is trying to woo back someone he actually cares for.

I did enjoy pieces of Filipino culture sprinkled throughout the book, food, values, and the 5 stages, all of which made this a unique romance to read. However, the cultural misunderstandings (mom hating having someone take off her shoes) felt contrived to create conflict and didn't really resonate as something that would happen in real life. Evan also should know better than to propose off-hand a few months into their relationship when Dalisay indicated how important it was to go slow. By the time he did propose, I wasn't convinced they had a foundation of love since so much of their on-page time after getting together was devoted to how well they connected in bed.

Overall, I WANTED to like this book because I love culturally infused romances and slow-burn connections, but the characters left me feeling disconnected.

I absolutely adored the 5 Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos! It was interesting to read about the cultural differences of Filipino/ American and the characters were all cute and relatable.

I was approved for the audiobook and enjoyed every minute of it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed the insight into the cultural aspects of this story. It was very interesting. I enjoyed the main couple and side characters. You can’t half-ass your way with this story. 😉

I absolutely loved this heartwarming romcom with Filipino-American blend, it was written beautifully that intertwines Filipino culture with the bustling charm of Bay Area. The story follows a Filipino immigrant navigating love, career ambitions, and cultural identity.

I really enjoyed the audiobook! The narrator did an incredible job capturing the nuances of cultural identity, making every character and setting feel authentic and alive. It has the perfect mix of humor, heartwarming moments, and insightful reflections on the immigrant experience. I highly recommend the audiobook for anyone seeking a pick-me up romcom that celebrates diversity, community, and family!