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.

I loved the premise and multicultural aspects of this book. This type of “humor” doesn’t appeal to me, so I’d consider it more a light-hearted romance than a rom com. The writing is strong and the characters are well developed. I enjoyed the narration.

Ultimately, though, I couldn’t get past the MMC hitting on a co-worker on her first day—it was gross and predatory and totally inappropriate. Her reaction was even worse—assuming that he was looking for a hookup just because he invited her for a drink after work. The whole setup was awkward and soured me on the book.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

The chemistry between MCs was apparent from the first meeting. The book had lighthearted humor, great chemistry and fun side characters that kept the story moving. The romance was a slow burn but appropriate for the MCs to romance each other and be believable.