Publishers Weekly
04/01/2024
A young man relentlessly courts his evasive new coworker in this sweet but superficial romance from de la Cruz (The Missing Sword). Travel writer Evan Saatchi has his heart set on a promotion, but when stunning Dalisay Ramos, who’s just moved from Manila to San Francisco, snaps up the job instead, he can hardly feel upset. Instead, he congratulates her and asks her out—but hopeless romantic Dalisay shuts him down, saying she’s not interested in “American hookup culture.” To truly win her heart, Evan must go through the Five Stages, a Filipino tradition in which the suitor proves he’s serious in his pursuit through, among other things, the presentation of heartfelt gifts, serenades, and even servitude to the woman’s family. Fortunately, Evan loves a challenge, especially if it means getting to see Dalisay smile. Meanwhile, despite her unflappable exterior, Dalisay is charmed by Evan’s efforts and is secretly terrified at how much she wants to be with him. De la Cruz gets a lot of mileage out of the culture clash between American and Filipino values, but without a convincing connection between the leads, the story lacks an emotional core. This misses the mark. (July)
From the Publisher
With an entertaining plot and lively characters, de la Cruz offers a romance about overcoming cultural differences, proving that true love is worth the effort.”—Library Journal
"A Filipino courtship ritual is a uniquely interesting plot device in this sweet rom-com."— Kirkus Reviews
Library Journal
03/01/2024
Two travel writers fall in love when a bet to complete Filipino courtship rituals leads them to challenge each other's beliefs and traditions in this lighthearted rom-com. Europe travel expert Evan is hoping for a promotion and a chance to visit Asia as senior editor, but when a newcomer from the Philippines, Dalisay, nabs his dream job, he's more captivated by her than irked. When Dalisay turns him down and rejects American dating and hookup culture, Evan learns about the five stages of courting in the Philippines. With Dalisay betting on his inability to successfully pull off the stages, Evan can't resist proving her wrong, only to realize they might be the right match for each other. Fun romantic moments highlight the novel's vivid San Francisco setting: stage one is "teasing of friends" at the Fil-Am community center; stage three is a serenade at the city's Asian Art Museum, plus a reunion walk on the pier. There are wonderfully encouraging supporting characters, but both Evan's and Dalisay's family histories and relationships are authentically complicated. VERDICT With an entertaining plot and lively characters, de la Cruz (Witches of East End) offers a romance about overcoming cultural differences, proving that true love is worth the effort.—Hazel Ureta
Kirkus Reviews
2024-05-17
Cultures clash when an American travel writer pursues his Filipino co-worker.
Evan Saatchi wants nothing more than to be promoted to senior editor at Overnight, the travel app where he works as a writer. But when Dalisay Ramos—a new staff member who’s just moved to the U.S. from the Philippines—gets the gig instead, he finds the disappointment softened by his instant attraction to her. When he asks her out for a drink, though, she swiftly rejects him. Dalisay doesn’t believe in “American hookup culture” and is dedicated to the traditional Filipino values her parents ingrained in her from childhood, including a courtship ritual called the Five Stages. These stages, which include buying thoughtful gifts and performing a serenade, are meant to prove a man’s seriousness in pursuing a relationship. But Evan isn’t interested in serious romance and thinks that jumping through all those hoops is too much for just one date. That is, until Dalisay bets Evan that he can’t get through all Five Stages, offering him an all-expenses-paid trip through Asia that comes with her new position at Overnight if he does. What starts as a bet quickly turns into something more, as Evan and Dalisay become increasingly drawn to each other. But will their differences prove too big an obstacle to overcome? Keeping Evan and Dalisay at arm’s length for the first third of the novel results in a flimsy romance, and the author is more adept at building sizzling sexual tension than cultivating a deep emotional connection between her protagonists, though discussions of cultural differences are handled with sensitivity and depth.
A Filipino courtship ritual is a uniquely interesting plot device in this sweet rom-com.
