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booksaremytherapy's review
4.5
Melissa de la Cruz's "The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos" is a delightful romantic comedy that dives into Filipino culture. The story follows Evan Saatchi, who is immediately smitten with his new colleague, Dalisay Ramos. Dalisay, newly arrived from Manila to head their company's Asia division, values tradition and family deeply. When Evan asks her out, she turns him down, setting him on a path through the traditional Filipino courtship rituals known as the Five Stages.
One of the story's strengths is its depiction of Filipino customs and family expectations, offering readers a fascinating glimpse into this culture. This aspect is both educational and entertaining, making it a unique addition to the rom-com genre.
However, some scenes feel truncated, with interactions between Evan and Dalisay implied rather than shown, which left me wanting more. Additionally, the third act breakup felts very frustrating and a not needed disruption.
Overall, Melissa de la Cruz has crafted a charming romantic comedy that celebrates cultural heritage and the complexities of modern love. Fans of the genre will find much to love in this sweet, insightful, and entertaining story. Don't miss out on this delightful journey through the five stages of Filipino courtship.
bookworm_nita's review
3.75
The Five Stages is Melissa’s adult romantic comedy that shows a lot about Filipino culture and deals with family expectations.
As Evan meets Dalisay and immediately jumps to ask her out, he discovers that she is not easily won over. We then get to unveil and experience the five stages of Filipino courtship with Evan, where sparks will fly, frustration will be in the air as well and they’ll have to find a way to see and get what they truly want amidst what tradition may say is right or wrong.
••••••
As soon as I started this book I was hooked. The characters are sweet, fun and they make you want to spend time with them to see what they’re up to. It also helps that there’s a dachshund in the book, my favorite ever.
It was very fun to read about every characters reactions as the five stages actually happened. Following tradition, it was interesting that there weren’t much interactions between the main characters on certain settings but I feel like that led to there being some very cool secondary characters. I was veeery interested to learn so much about the Filipino culture from this modern point of view, as well as discover how many similar things we also have in Colombia, ranging from food to celebrating holidays.
I feel like at certain point I was feeling like some scenes were cut short, where I would have loved to see our characters interact much more, or it is implied that they did interact more but we don’t actually “see” those moments, out of which there are a couple at least that would have been very sweet to read.
••••••
Thank you @unionsqandco for sending me this ebook copy of the book, it really was great! I’m excited to see it hit the shelves on July 9th!
As Evan meets Dalisay and immediately jumps to ask her out, he discovers that she is not easily won over. We then get to unveil and experience the five stages of Filipino courtship with Evan, where sparks will fly, frustration will be in the air as well and they’ll have to find a way to see and get what they truly want amidst what tradition may say is right or wrong.
••••••
As soon as I started this book I was hooked. The characters are sweet, fun and they make you want to spend time with them to see what they’re up to. It also helps that there’s a dachshund in the book, my favorite ever.
It was very fun to read about every characters reactions as the five stages actually happened. Following tradition, it was interesting that there weren’t much interactions between the main characters on certain settings but I feel like that led to there being some very cool secondary characters. I was veeery interested to learn so much about the Filipino culture from this modern point of view, as well as discover how many similar things we also have in Colombia, ranging from food to celebrating holidays.
I feel like at certain point I was feeling like some scenes were cut short, where I would have loved to see our characters interact much more, or it is implied that they did interact more but we don’t actually “see” those moments, out of which there are a couple at least that would have been very sweet to read.
••••••
Thank you @unionsqandco for sending me this ebook copy of the book, it really was great! I’m excited to see it hit the shelves on July 9th!
lavenderbtcpodcast's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I want filipino food. I want to do the five stages for someone and them to do it for me. I feel like I learned about the culture and traditions making it more interesting. There are emotional aspects with non-queer acceptance, fear, change, etc. Overall, this (arc) version made me smile &, yearn. And I was my feet everyday! Inside joke. But really more people should stop wearing outside shoes inside the house. I hope in the fictional future they delve into discovering Persian culture, go to the Philippines, & travel europe and asia together.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Terminal illness, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Racism, Religious bigotry, Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Medical content, and Vomit
ritaslilnook's review
4.0
In "Five States of Courting" by Dalisay Ramos, I embarked on an emotional journey alongside Evan and Dalisay as they navigated the complexities of love and tradition. Be aware: this review might contain details you'll consider spoilers.
While the instant connection between the protagonists initially caught me off guard, I found myself drawn into their gradual blossoming relationship and the endearing romantic moments scattered throughout the story. The narrative's use of a third-person perspective felt impersonal, but that did not bother me as much as I thought it would.
However, the novel did stumble in a few areas. The handling of time within the narrative was sometimes unclear, and the sudden breakup in the third act felt somewhat forced and disrupted the natural flow of the story. Additionally, the five-month gap left me feeling a bit perplexed, and there were moments where the writing felt rushed, preventing me from fully savoring the nuances of the plot.
Overall, "Five States of Courting" provided me with heartwarming moments of laughter and genuine romance, despite its shortcomings. With a bit of fine-tuning in pacing and character development, I believe the book has the potential to become an even more delightful read.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC of this book.
While the instant connection between the protagonists initially caught me off guard, I found myself drawn into their gradual blossoming relationship and the endearing romantic moments scattered throughout the story. The narrative's use of a third-person perspective felt impersonal, but that did not bother me as much as I thought it would.
However, the novel did stumble in a few areas. The handling of time within the narrative was sometimes unclear, and the sudden breakup in the third act felt somewhat forced and disrupted the natural flow of the story. Additionally, the five-month gap left me feeling a bit perplexed, and there were moments where the writing felt rushed, preventing me from fully savoring the nuances of the plot.
Overall, "Five States of Courting" provided me with heartwarming moments of laughter and genuine romance, despite its shortcomings. With a bit of fine-tuning in pacing and character development, I believe the book has the potential to become an even more delightful read.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC of this book.
nazjaimercdes's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
First, Thank you to the publisher for this ARC 💐! Now, I really like this writing style, and the somewhat refreshing premise. The diverse set of characters felt real, and the look into filipino culture was wonderful. I really like this book until I didnt. I HATE third act break ups, especially when I feel like it could be solved with more open communication. I also wish that the five stages would have lasted the entire book and not have started off as a bet just authentic. I also wish their relationship had been even more of a slow burn. Overall I loved the core ideas of this book but the execution per my taste was not what I wanted. But I would love to see this as a RomCom!!!
oddandbookish's review
lighthearted
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I received an ARC of this book for free from the author for promotional purposes.
I’ve been a reader and fan of Melissa de la Cruz since middle school. Her books are always so fun and engaging, and this one was no exception.
First off, there’s so much Filipino representation in this book. I loved it. The book captures so much of Filipino culture and family life. As a Filipino American, I found it very relatable (especially in regards to how stubborn Filipino mothers can be). I’m so happy Melissa de la Cruz has started incorporating more of her Filipino heritage into her books. Representation does matter!
The story was well done. The Filipino stages of courtship was an entertaining premise. I liked how the story came full circle (sorry if this is vague, I’m trying to remain spoiler free). It was so cute and just made for an adorable love story.
Since this is a romance, there’s naturally some sex/sexy scenes. I loved how sex was handled. The main character, Dalisay, is a virgin, but everything was so sex positive.
Lastly, the characters were all so lovable. I particularly loved Dalisay’s lola (grandmother). I also had no complaints with the love interest, Evan.
Overall, this was such a joy to read! If you’re looking for a feel-good contemporary romance, check this one out.
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