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A review by ritaslilnook
The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos by Melissa de la Cruz
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.