As a writer, I often look back at the movies and books that shaped my love for storytelling. Today, I want to take a moment to celebrate some of my all-time favorite romantic comedies—the kind that make us laugh, cry, and believe in love all over again! 🍿❤️
When Harry Met Sally
This timeless gem has it all—witty banter, unforgettable moments, and a love story that blossoms in the most unexpected way. Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal are perfection!!! 🌟
Notting Hill
The charming bookshop owner and the Hollywood superstar—ummmmm, what’s not to love? Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts bring such warmth and humor to this delightful film. I never get sick of it! 📚✨
Bridget Jones's Diary
Bridget is relatable and hilarious. This film captures the ups and downs of single life and the quest for love in a refreshingly honest way. 📖💖
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
And a special nod to a modern rom-com—To All the Boys I've Loved Before by the amazing Jenny Han!!! Young love, teenage angst, and heartfelt friendship craft a story that resonates with audiences of all ages. 🌸✉️
My Upcoming Book
In writing my very own rom-com, The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos (out July 9th!), I leaned on these stories for inspiration. Classic romance novels are enthralling and aspirational, but there’s something about the relatability of a rom-com that makes it that much more meaningful.
In The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos, our leading man, Evan, learns that to win Dalisay's heart, he must go through the Five Stages of Filipino courtship—a journey filled with servitude, serenades, and plenty of surprises. 💞
Here's a sneak peek into the first chapter:
CHAPTER ONE: Checkpoints
The airport is like Evan Saatchi’s second home. He’s used to the routine of waiting to check in, zipping through security checkpoints due to his Global Entry status, calculating how long it will take to walk from one end of the terminal to the other to plan the perfect route down to the second. Airports, no matter where you go, are mostly the same. The same kinds of food options, mostly sandwiches that are quick to make and easy to carry or eat while standing in lines; the same coffee chains, with the paper to-go cups and wooden stirrers and packets of sugar; the same bookstores, with the best sellers and magazines and gadgets for reading on long flights. He has the flight attendants' entire safety speech memorized, knows all the sounds airplanes make, what actual bad turbulence feels like, the best angle to sleep at so as not to get a leg cramp, and the quickest route from the airport to the office that avoids Bay Area traffic. Efficiency at its finest.
This kind of efficiency has helped him chart his career, land his dream job writing and traveling for a living, and buy his own condo. It hasn't let him down so far. And today is the day he'll know if he'll become a senior editor, his ultimate dream job.
If you're a fan of classic rom-coms, I promise you’ll love The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos. It’s a story about tradition, love, and the lengths we go to for the ones we care about. And guess what? You can preorder it now! 📦✨
Until next time, keep watching, reading, and loving those rom-coms!
XOXO
Mel