The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos

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)