One minute, Katrina King’s enjoying an innocent conversation with a hot guy at a coffee shop; the next, a stranger has live-tweeted the entire episode with a romantic meet-cute spin and #CafeBae is the new hashtag-du-jour. The problem? Katrina craves a low-profile life, and going viral threatens the peaceful world she’s painstakingly built. Besides, #CafeBae isn’t the man she’s hungry for...

He’s got a [peach emoji] to die for.

With the internet on the hunt for the identity of #CuteCafeGirl, Jas Singh, bodyguard, friend, and possessor of the most beautiful eyebrows Katrina’s ever seen, comes to the rescue and whisks her away to his family’s home. Alone in a remote setting with the object of her affections? It’s a recipe for romance. But after a long dating dry spell, Katrina isn’t sure she can trust her instincts when it comes to love—even if Jas’ every look says he wants to be more than just her bodyguard…- Goodreads

This is my first book by Alisha Rai. I would like to note that this is the second book to her Modern Love series. Although they are separate stories with references to the first book, I did feel like I should have read the first book. When I was reading, I felt like I was missing something and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. With that being said, I probably would have found this more enjoyable if I would have read the first book. 

But moving forward this book was cute. Although at times seeing Jas and Katrina act like middle school kids was frustrating, I enjoyed the slow build. If you aren't interested in slow builds, you will not like this book because it is slow. 

I liked Jas way more than I liked Katrina and it is not because she has so much going on. She is just boring. Adorable but boring. Jas was not only attractive, he was talented, spoke three different languages, had depth but was comfortably simple. I adored him and loved the fact that I was able to read from his point of view. 

Beyond Katrina being stale, I am just going to say reading about her or Jas having sex was extremely uncomfortable for me. Not because I don't read sexual activity in books but because it felt forced and it felt like the author just put it in there to appease the masses. It didn't feel genuine at all. It read like the author was uncomfortable writing it. 

*sigh*

But overall, this wasn't a bad read. It was okay, cute (ish). It would have been nice if Katrina had more personality and if there was more chemistry. 

3 Pickles

I appreciate this entry in Rai's Modern Love series, though did not enjoy it as much as the first, The Right Swipe. The characters are warm and funny and Rai does a particularly good job of giving attention to the leads' friends and family - enough that the main romance doesn't feel like it's happening in a bubble, but not so much that it loses focus. The hangup for me was that the amount and depth of the leads' respective traumas feels too heavy for the narrative. The weightiness of the anxiety and PTSD over their heads is empathetically drawn, but unrealistically tidied up as the story winds down.

3.5 stars?

So I was really looking forward to reading this after “The Right Swipe” bc I loved Katrina’s character in that one. Plus you throw in a bodyguard romance? Sign me up!

Unfortunately this book didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I enjoyed Jas and Katrina, but most of the book was far more focused on their individual/family issues than their actual romance, which annoyed/frustrated me quite a bit. Also, this is quite the slow burn, which I usually have no problem with, but the way this was executed wasn’t great IMO.

I did really appreciate how Rai tackled some tough issues such as PTSD, anxiety, emotional/psychological abuse, and panic attacks. I could see a lot of people relating to what Jas and Katrina go through in this novel. I also did enjoy the actual romantic scenes that we got, but there just weren’t that many.

Also side note, don’t let the illustrated covers of these books fool you. This series is definitely more dramatic than it is comedic. Yes, there are lighter moments, but most of the time this book is pretty serious.

As a longtime Alisha Rai reader, it's no surprise that the second installment in the Modern Love series is a sexy and surprisingly sweet followup to last year's spikier THE RIGHT SWIPE. GIRL GONE VIRAL follows reclusive investor Katrina King's accidental wooing of bodyguard and certified babe Jas Singh after a social media firestorm kicks rumors of romance into action. It's without a doubt one of the best contemporary romances of the year.

Sadly, I didn't like this one as much as the first one. I liked the characters and watching their relationship grow, but there were parts of this book that, while I know they kept the story going, were just kind of boring to me.

The main plot of protecting Katrina from the internet was just... not believable to me? I've seen plenty of tweets go viral without people needing 24/7 bodyguards and to run away to a farm in the middle of nowhere.

I understand why she felt the need to do it, but it just felt strange. It felt like the author thought that was the only way she could force these two characters together to make their romance grow.

This was a miss for me, I'd still recommend it to people that liked the first book, but would just warn against super high expectations. I do, however, think it is a *me* problem as I just enjoy the tropes in the first book better. There are some people that LOVE the bodyguard falls for who they are protecting trope, but it's just never been my cup of tea.

I will definitely be on the lookout for more books by Alisha Rai because she is a great author.

I feel so lucky that I was chosen to read Girl Gone Viral! I absolutely loved The Right Swipe, even though I wasn’t sure if the plot would fit my particular reading preference…dating apps?? Not for me (I picked it up only because it was Target Book Club!). But Alisha Rai really got me with her sweet writing style and lovable characters. So I was HONORED to read Girl Gone Viral this week. 🙂

Rich investor and ex-model Katrina has a panic disorder. And because of this panic disorder, she’s been sheltering herself in her Santa Barbara home since the death of her husband. She spends years carefully working herself out of the house, afraid of having a panic attack, with the help of her amazing friends, therapist, and of course – her bodyguard. And now she’s ready to start dating again! She thinks. But she’s only interested in one guy, Jasvinder – her bodyguard, of course.

After a chance encounter in her favorite cafe goes awry, Katrina ends up viral. Her face and a made up story about her are plastered over the internet, for weeks. To avoid being discovered by her past, Jas and Katrina escape to Jas’ family farm in NorCal, where family drama and romantic encounters await them.

What I really loved about this book was how complex these characters were! Too often you read romance, and it’s delightful, but you get no sense of who these people are or why they fit together. Both Katrina and Jas had very complex back stories and backgrounds that helped you comprehend how they helped one another and supported each other through their problems. The entire book can really be classified as family drama, in addition to contemporary romance, for all the great plot lines tied to Jas in particular. His life is just as well-formed as Katrina’s, and the book is better for it.

I really do enjoy Alisha Rai’s way of bringing the larger world into her book. Similar to The Right Swipe, this novel takes on some larger American and even global issues that we should be thinking about, giving you characters you care about experiencing the exact reasons we should care. They’re living it, and you feel it. It’s wonderful and adds something really magical to Rai’s work that sets it apart. This book in particular took on the internet and going viral, as well as panic disorders and PTSD, as a result of both trauma at home and trauma halfway around the world due to military experience. It digs in deep to the effects of these things, and ties strongly to the plot line and caring for the characters. I really commend this, and for this reason alone would absolutely recommend Girl Gone Viral.

I suggest you go and grab a copy of Rai’s newest on April 21!! I read it in about a day, even being at school and work…just couldn’t put it down. :)

Heat Factor: Sweet and awkwardly real
Character Chemistry: Two-way pining is the best!
Plot: #planebae reimagined
Overall: This book is so excellent! Read it!

Thanks to Twitter, I learned before I read Girl Gone Viral that it was written as a sort of response to the #planebae fiasco of 2018. I had not previously heard of this thing, and if you also have never heard of this, the short of it is that one person switched seats with another person on a flight and then live-Tweeted about a fantasy budding relationship that she had helped facilitate by asking to switch seats in the first place. On the one hand, OMG! Cute love story!!!!! On the other hand, HOLY INVASION OF PRIVACY, BATMAN!

Let’s begin.

Scene:
Woman sits in a crowded cafe, minding her own business. Man approaches and asks if he can share her table because there’s no room. She consents. They chat. He splits the spines of his books. She declines his request for a date.

Now let’s imagine that someone sitting at the table next to this pair started tweeting about a fantastical budding romance, insinuating that the pair went off to the bathroom together (gasp!) and declaring that the two would start dating after this adorable meet cute! Consent to this tweeting requested and granted? Hard no.

Rai’s writing is captivating. I was immediately absorbed by the story. I am a sucker for a little unrequited love, forced proximity romance, and this is the good stuff.

Katrina King escaped an abusive father by marrying a much older, extremely wealthy man. A kind man, who asked nothing of her but companionship. A man who was apt to rescue people when they needed rescuing. His head of security was Jasvinder Singh, who also needed a little rescue after being medically discharged from the army. When her husband died, Katrina decided to live in seclusion, letting go of all her husband’s staff, but asking Jas to remain as her personal security guard. He stays. He’s been in love with her for years, and she has no idea.

For a long time after her husband’s death, Katrina was primarily working on managing to live (to function) with her severe anxiety. Jas was there for her the whole time. But when the book begins, Katrina is beginning to feel she’s ready to venture forth. Maybe date. Maybe find somebody who will make her get over her outrageous and unreciprocated feelings for her employee of all people. Until some lady with boundary issues decides to start a hugely invasive Twitter thread that goes viral makes Katrina feel unsafe in her own house. Then things fall apart--or come to a head?

Jas is also going through some stuff that relates back to his time in the army, and he’s a super stoic tough guy, so he’s toughing it out like a tough guy does. But when Katrina says that even with all the security layers Jas has around her, she’ll feel better about the Twitter situation if she can just go live in a house in the country, Jas takes the opportunity to run from his own worries as well. Because, you see, he has a house in the country. He just never goes there.

Please commence forced proximity situation in which all the things happen that bring the romance into the wild.

Jas knows Katrina really well--it’s his job--but he’s kept such a lid on himself that this forced proximity in a space that belongs to him finally allows him to open up to Katrina in new ways. This is one of the most butterfly-inducing romances I’ve read in a long time. And I’ve had a very good run lately. It’s an excellent balance of “is this real?” angst and unparalleled adorableness. Yes. Adorableness. I don’t care if these protagonists are nearing 40.

On the surface, we’re considering this whole privacy-in-the-world-of-social-media thing. But that’s not all Rai does. We’re also able to view what a loving, supportive partner looks like when someone has severe anxiety. And we’re able to consider what’s important with respect to the give-and-take in a relationship.

Point the first: Rai’s example might feel extreme, but the fact is that we honestly don’t know what the impact will be to another person if we don’t gain consent before looping them in on the rollercoaster that is social media. In this case, one party is terrified by the publicity, while the other guy who sat down at the table decides to ride the fame train as long as he can. But even that guy didn’t consider what the impact would be to the third party in the story when he decided he wanted to be famous, and he made things even worse. Rai’s presentation is thoughtful without being preachy.

Point the second: Everyone experiences anxiety to some extent, as it’s a natural thing. That anxiety is not the same as what someone with an anxiety disorder is dealing with. Partners who don’t get this struggle to support loved ones because it’s easy to get frustrated with something that feels so wholly irrational. That’s why Jas’s response to Katrina is so beautiful. He is simply there for her. Patient, understanding, kind. And she knows he’s there for her. But she gets to be herself. They’ve known each other for a long time, so we don’t get to see what obstacles they had to overcome to get to the point where he knows what she needs as she manages her anxiety, but when it happens… Beautiful.

Finally, point the third: Jas is so in love with Katrina that he eats breakfast every morning even though he doesn’t really care for breakfast because she makes it for him. It’s a way she cares for people. But Katrina struggles with how real Jas’s feelings are because he’s too selfless. But she’s also very selfless. Beginning relationship angst is something I do not miss. Even so, I appreciated Rai’s unique take on this relationship give-and-take. Because sometimes it’s hard to remember that a relationship is give-and-TAKE. Like, it might be reasonable to voice one’s own needs and preferences. Who knew?

I just reread the last chapter to write this review and I gasped-melted-swooned all over again. This is a Good. Book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

I was so excited for this book & wasn’t disappointed! It was well written with the different struggles both characters go through. Katrina likes to stay hidden from the world and had an anxiety. She’s a silent investor for different businesses. Jas is Katrina’s body/security guard. She’s had feeling for him for awhile. Jas is exmilitary and worked for Kat’s husband when he was alive. When Kat goes viral from an onlooker at a cafe, she goes into hiding at Jas’s family farm. This was def a slow burn romance. It was cute watching these two get to their HEA and learn to open up and trust. A sweet romance for sure!

I've read a number of Alisha Rai's novels before, and I could recognize her talent but the books never felt like they were for me. This one is! Bodyguard romances have never held any appeal for me, and there are discussions of the power dynamic in this one, which helps. What I do love is MUTUAL PINING, which this has plenty of. Also, a let's escape to a cabin (ish) far away. I'm in!

The actual interpersonal drama of the romance was something I loved and related to. I appreciated that there weren't big betrayals or deceptions to create drama between Katrina and Jas; it was more like everyday baggage that keeps people from having successful relationships.

I've often felt a disconnect from Rai's novels because there's often a focus on wealth in some way, and also business drama, often multigenerational business drama, and I don't love reading about any of that. They were in here a bit, and I wish there were some kind of acknowledgement that Katrina's wealth makes her situation more tenable even as it has also created some of her problems.


*** Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ***

I read and adored The Right Swipe, the first book in Alisha Rai's Modern Love series, last year, so I was thrilled to get my eyes on Girl Gone Viral a little early. Girl Gone Viral, like The Right Swipe (and, from what I understand, Rai's Forbidden Hearts series), tackles difficult topics. Both Katrina and Jasvinder have experienced traumatic events that have put limits on their lives. For Katrina, that means she feels safe only in her Santa Barbara home and a few carefully selected locations around town, and even then only when she knows her longtime bodyguard, Jas, is nearby. Jas, meanwhile, has a distant relationship with his family—in large part because it's difficult for him to spend time on the family farm his grandfather and step-brother love so dearly. Rai writes about trauma and its aftermath with a great deal of empathy and sensitivity. The book is serious, but also deeply charming and funny. Although Kat is guarded in public, at home and around her friends/roommates (including The Right Swipe's Rhiannon), she is a brilliant, goofy woman who loves animals and cooking. Jas is more reserved—we see him beginning to warm to the possibility of friendships when Rhiannon's boyfriend, Samson, brings Jas along for drinks with his two best pals (those who read The Right Swipe may remember baby-obsessed Dean and his cousin Harris), and his favorite hobby is gardening. I appreciated Rai's depiction of the viral "meet cute" that sets off the story—the immense invasion of privacy committed by some nosy stranger, and the very real fear that going viral without her consent causes for Kat. What we have here is a story of mutual pining and minor misunderstandings, a slow-burn romance that focuses more on character development than sex scenes (they're here too—just not the main focus). This book has cemented Alisha Rai as a favorite romance author for me—I will be eager to pick up future installments in this series (Jia seems to be next in the queue, and I'm hoping Lakshmi might get a starring role down the line?).

This was a great second book in Alisha Rai’s Modern Love series. I enjoyed diving further into Katrina’s life and learning more about her history. She had some very traumatic events happen in her life and she is working hard to conquer her fears. The relationship between Katrina and Jas, her body guard, was so sweet. Seeing them recognize their feelings for each other and then figure out whether/how to act on them was sweet. I also appreciated that the sex scenes felt realistic (at least to me) given the intimate histories of both characters. This book was filled with a little of everything - sweet, sexy and even some funny.

When the heroine shares a table with a hot guy at a cafe, someone at a neighboring table live tweets the encounter. The heroine is intensely private and suffers from panic attacks. In order to protect the heroine’s privacy, the hero, who is the heroine’s bodyguard, takes her to his family home. The relationship between the hero and heroine develops as they spend more time in each other’s company.

The book also delves into the hero’s relationship to his family. The book also addresses the hero's PTSD from his time in the military, as well as events that occurred before he left. However, the external storylines seemed to overshadow the romance.

The Right Swipe was one of my favorite books from last year, but unfortunately, this book didn’t work as well for me. However, the next book in the series will be about Jia, who we first met in the Forbidden Hearts series. I’m looking forward to reading her book!

It was a good book, the characters were interesting. I just could not get into them as well as I would like.

Former model Katrina King values her privacy, mostly because of a previous kidnapping and an anxiety condition. Now she helps fund start-ups, and is working with a therapist; she's finally found ten places she can go outside of the house without having a panic attack. Everything is going great, until she shares a table at a cafe on a busy day.

Jas Singh has been Katrina's personal bodyguard ever since her late husband died, and was part of their security team ever since he came back from a tour of duty that ended with a medical discharge. He likes his job. And he likes Katrina more. And not just because she's a great boss. He's been ignoring his problems, though, until he is forced to face them...

When that day at the cafe results in Katrina going viral against her will as #CuteCafeGirl, part of a made-up Twitter saga documenting her supposed meet-cute with #CafeBae, Katrina wants to be anywhere but home. Jas whisks her away to his family's farm in Northern California. While tucked away in safety, will they address the growing feelings between them?

This second installment in Rai's "Modern Love" series is just as fun, flirty, and timely as the first. "Girl Gone Viral" is fantastic, as are Katrina and Jas! You'll be rooting for them from start to finish!

Ok... firstly I have to say THAT cover is So cute!!

This was my first book by Alisha Rai and have to say it won't be my last.

I really appreciated the topics of PTSD, trauma, and panic disorder. The topics were handled so well considering they were a major part of the main characters. It's so refreshing to see this in our romance novels. Sometimes mental health challenges can be stigmatized in novels but Alisha handled it so well. Major kudos to you Alisha!

The two main characters were so sweet and loving! Oh my goodness it was. bit of slow burn but it was just the perfect amount of slow burn.

Oh that Jas my friends talk about a dreamy piece of pie hahah.

I would definitely recommend picking this one up! I have to go back and read the first in the series now! :)

4 stars!

Thank you to much to Netgalley and Harper Collins/Avon for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: 4/21/20
Published to GR: 4/14/20

This was just uh-freaking-mazing, I cannot stress how badly I already want to reread this wonderful book.

I love love love the diversity, living for it, truly. I love the fact that the author's depiction of Katrina is so natural and original that it's hot and...trendy, for lack of a better word.

Every single scene just melts over and into the next like a creamy goodness, argh it's phenomenal. Especially the sex scenes. I find it difficult to even call them that. Love scenes would be more accurate, but that term always seemed wishy-washy to me. However, in this case, it doesn't hold that light for me. If anything, it perfectly represents what romance and the closeness of being with someone is all about.

Jas..... I had a bit of a problem keeping in mind that 'Jas' is a male character's name hehe. Spelling out his full name helped some(Jasvinder), but every time 'Jas' came out, it'd throw me for a loop. Mini moment of confusion.

What also tripped me up sometimes was the narration style of this book. I guess because it felt so intimate and had such depth that I almost resented the author for not writing it in POVs.

This book is considered a romance, but I believe the entire concept of this book revolves around love. The love of family, friends, and yes the romantic aspect of it, although the beginning of it isn't quite defined, it is every present throughout the story.

It's lovely, funny, and everything the real world is cracked up to be. I highly recommend this read and can assure that this will be going onto my favorites shelf.

Received and ARC copy from NetGalley for a free and honest review. This in no way swayed my thoughts and feeling on this read. All quotes are subject to change, as this is an ARC that they are coming from.

"Happiness is a radical act"

I ADORED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!!! Katrina is a widow with anxiety and PTSD (TW: Kidnapping, panic attacks, general anxiety and anxious thoughts.) After her husband passed away, she only kept on one of her bodyguards, and that was Jas. She has feelings for him, but is trying to date others, because she shouldn't be dating her employee, right?
Jas is a war veteran who would do anything for Katrina, except actually tell her that he was in love with her. Estranged from his family, Katrina is all he has, and wants. He has his own demons that he wars with as well. (TW: war related PTSD)

"Humans aren't meant to be indefinitely bent into pretzels. We bend until we snap, and then we put ourselves back together and hold steady until someone or something bends us again. Every part of that process requires strength, and hope, I think."

After Katrina has her photo taken with a stranger without her permission, another online influencer spins a story of love and fate with this stranger. The stranger runs with it, and it is viral to the point of making national news. This triggers Katrina's anxiety, and Jas just wants to keep her safe. So, he swallows his pride, and takes her to his home in NorCal where his family owns a peach farm.

From there, we see this two not only grow into lovers, but we see them grow as people. They both face various demons throughout the novel, and it is such a beautiful thing. I love this book more than I loved the first, and it was just amazing. I am so excited for you all to be able to read it!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hands down, 5 stars.

I absolutely devoured this book. From it's portrayal of mental illness to the swoon-worthy love story of Katrina and Jas, this book was everything I hoped for and more. I can't wait for more from Alisha Rai. I will definitely be reading everything she releases from now on.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and I am happy to give my honest review.

I am a huge fan of Alisha Rai and loved The Right Swipe, the first book in this series. I was excited to read Katrina's story and it did not disappoint.

Katrina is a bit of a recluse. A retired model, widow, and sufferer of extreme anxiety. We learn through the story that she has experienced emotional abuse by her parent and was kidnapped and held for ransom because of who her husband was. She was a famous model and wants to live a private, healing life.

Jas is Katrina's bodyguard. He joined her husband's security detail after leaving the military traumatically. Jas was a gentle soul and a balm to Katrina's spirit. He has quietly loved her for years and thought there was no possible way for them to work.

Katrina is outed in the public unwillingly and Jas brings her to his family's farm upstate to escape. The forced proximity was delightful. I loved Jas's quiet way of caring for Katrina. I loved Katrina creating room in her everyday life for mental health.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I did find Katrina a bit Mary-Sue towards the end. She did everything so well including business and personal relationships that I wanted to see how she would bounce back from struggling. Jas, however, is hands down one of my favorite book boyfriends. I could read 100 more books with Jas in it and be happy.

I loved Alisha Rai's first book, "The Right Swipe" and I was excited to get this ARC to read.

The story is about an ex-model named Katrina and her bodyguard Jas. When Katrina accidentally goes viral, Jas takes her away to his family farm. The two have always been attracted to each other, but now that they're away their feelings get stronger.

This book is a little more of a "slow burn" but Rai is a good writer who kept me reading until the end. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.