‘Can an online romance-turned-offline-fauxmance ever become love in real life?’

Jianna Ahmed is a beauty blogger who has been at it for a while and is starting to lose sponsorships and, more importantly, motivation to continue creating content. Dev Dixit is a descendent of Indian television royalty trying to break into the American television market. After their uncomfortable initial encounter, Jia suspects that someone has been using Dev’s account and pictures to catfish her. As they try to get to the bottom of the situation, a misinterpreted photo that goes public sets off a dramatic and romantic series of events in our protagonists lives.

Some of the plot points that were intended to set the book in the modern era - the mentions of CGI technology and Tiktok - didn’t add anything to the story for me. Furthermore there were a few romantic relationships among minor characters that were mentioned that could have potentially added significantly to the story if they had been developed a bit more. With that said however, the book was well-paced, with well-built moments of tension and incredibly charming yet authentic characters.

Book highlights: a multicultural cast of characters, intercultural romance, modest romance

Book content warnings: panic attacks, graphic depiction of sex

I received an e-arc of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3/5 stars

This book had a bunch of things going for it for me to absolutely love it. It is a story of a social media influencer who ends up fake dating a tv star who has just come to America for a fresh start and ends up falling in love along the way.

Of the three installments in this series, this book was actually my least favorite even though I still enjoyed it to some extent. My main issue was that I wasn't overly invested in the characters and felt like things went a little too fast for my liking which made it seem a little unrealistic. However I did like the look into the social media influencer life, especially one who has it as a full time job. I'm not sure how accurate that portrayal ended up being in the long run but I think some of it was at least close to the experience some feel with being an influencer.

One thing that made this book more of a three star read for me was that I found it so easy to put aside without having the desire to pick it back up and continue reading. I think if I wasn't challenging myself to read 28 books in February that this would have taken me longer to read. There were also a few mistakes in this arc which I'm sure will be cleared up for the publication (this in no way affected my overall rating of the story). However there was one rather large mistake where they used the wrong name and it left me a little confused at first until I realized it was a mistake.

The overall plot of the story was good it was just the fact that I felt like their feelings changed so quickly towards each other and things went so fast between them that I just really didn't find the romance believable. This was mostly just an okay read for me but I will still continue reading this series.

Meet Jia, an influencer known for her makeup and beauty videos, she’s Pakistani, Muslim, and wears a hijab. She’s also a little bit in love with a handsome Bollywood star Dev, thanks to the romantic texting they’ve done for the past year.

Once she sees that Dev will be in the US for filming, she finds a way to “meet” him in person at a party. Imagine her shock when he says that he has no idea who she is! Soon the whole catfishing story comes out and Jia is devastated. Later Dev wants to apologize but paparazzi discover them and soon an elaborate “fake dating” storyline spins out of control! How long will it stay fake?

The sweet romance is a bit far-fetched, but this made for a great escapist read and I love the diversity in characters. Family means a lot to these two and that was a welcome change from some other books I’ve read recently! This is the second one in this “Modern Love” series that I’ve read, still need to go back and read #1.

A cruel catfishing rouse results in a sweet rom-com that’ll warm your heart and make you smile. Book 3 of Rai’s Modern Love Series, which can absolutely be read out of order. If anything, each book will just make the reader want to better know the tangential characters.

Fresh and original, yet highly relatable. Alisha hits all our expectations of a love story, but also manages to subvert cliche.

I think this may be my favorite Alisha Rai to date. No one writes characters quite like Alisha Rai. She has this magical ability to somehow make every single character interesting and seemingly deserving of their own book. When I learned Jia was getting her own book, I knew I had to read it. First Comes Like did not disappoint! The Ahmed sisters are all compelling and fantastic heroines, but Jia is my new favorite. The misunderstood, oddball of the family. From her first in=person introduction to Dev Dixit, I was one hundred percent invested in their relationship. Alisha Rai takes us through so many delightful tropes like the master she is: fake dating, one bed/one room in the hotel, fake engagement. I adored everything about this book and almost read it one sitting.

After discovering Alisha Rai through the Right Swipe, I read some of her backlist and love the subtle connections and relationship nods that are present in so many of her series. I can't wait to hear what story she is going to tell next.

Thank you so much, Avon Romance/KissCon for an e-arc of this one. This was a fabulous ending to the Modern Love trilogy.

I need to start with the disclaimer that I received an ARC of "First Comes Like" from NetGalley with the understanding I would read and provide an unbiased review prior to the book's release date of 2/16/2021.

Let's get going with the #1 question I get asked by my reader friends when they see a book is part of a series, "If I read this book cold, will it spoil the other books in the series where I won't enjoy them if I want to read them later?" I can say with 100% confidence, "First Comes Like" can be read as a stand alone novel, it does not require knowledge of the previous two books in Rai's "Modern Love" series, and it spoils none of the plot lines from the previous books. Jia's roommates (who are the heroines of "The Right Swipe" and "Girl Gone Viral") are minor side characters in the book who provide her friendship and support, but their backstories beyond what their careers are and boyfriends' names are not included in the plot of "First Comes Like". To be honest, if a reader is the type that must deep dive before reading a book that isn't the first in a series, they would be better served to spend their energy learning the back stories of Jia's sisters which can be found in Rai's "Forbidden Hearts" series, as her family's entire back history is chronicled there. This information is not required in anyway to be able to enjoy the book, but her family plays a much more significant role than her roommates in the story.

Like "The Right Swipe" and "Girl Gone Viral", Rai is examining an aspect of our "modern" 21st century culture/life in "First Comes Like". Previously, it was online dating, revenge porn, #metoo, sexual harassment in the workplace, the power of social media (especially when paired with traditional media to amplify messaging), the phenomena of going viral (especially involuntarily), and general privacy rights in a digital world. Now Rai is taking a direct look at social media and the world and role of influencers in our modern lives as well as the damage catfishing can do with "First Comes Like"

Jia Ahmed is an established Hollywood beauty influencer on social media who as she edges closer to 30 and years in the business is facing the reality that hits and clicks are getting harder to maintain and so is keeping a constant stream of new ideas for content coming as she competes in a world where everyday there is something and someone new. Add in reference to recent illness (the reader is led to draw the conclusion of COVID, but is never directly told that) and Jia is tired and just wants to meet the Bollywood Prince Charming that slid into her DMs a year ago and she has been texting with on and off ever since.

Dev Dixit is Bollywood royalty seeking a new fresh start in Hollywood away from the fans that feel like they own the members of his tragic famous family. On top of being an unknown on a new American TV drama, he has been dropped into the role of being a parent to his 13 year old niece, Luna, after his younger brother's death. In walks in a gorgeous stranger who is spitting mad that he doesn't know her and turns his world upside down.

While this is in some ways a story about love in our crazy modern times, at the heart of "First Comes Like" is a very traditional tale of two individuals deeply tied to their families, culture, and the expectations that come with both those things. And at the end of the day how those traditional factors still can trump all, even in the modern world when they go on a collision course with all our new digital technologies for interacting with one another.

This one is a slow burn, relationship of convenience, insanely sweet story about family and the role it still plays in our modern world of love.

Jia Ahmed is a Southern CA based internet influencer sharing makeup and beauty tips. She’s been DM’ing with Dev Dixit, an Indian film star from an influential Bollywood family. He was kind and sweet when she was sick, and after a year of online-only contact, she’s decided to meet him face-to-face by crashing the party he’s attending for his new American-based TV show.

Dev Dixit has long lived in the shadow of his famous grandfather and brother, and now that they’ve both passed, he’s decided to relocate to America with his niece and uncle. He’s trying to make it on his own, without funds from his grandmother. However, he can inherit his grandfather’s fortune if he marries before his next birthday. When the beautiful Jia approaches Dev, he’s shocked to find out she thinks he’s been messaging her. In an effort to discover the truth and make amends to Jia, the pair decides to “fake date.”

Ah, the fake-relationship trope is one of my favorites and Ms. Rai knocks it out of the park with First Comes Like. I simply adored Jia and Dev, finding their quick but genuine romance heartwarming. While their relationship starts under false pretenses, they are always honest with one another. First Comes Like is the third book in Ms. Rai’s Modern Love series, and there is a connection to the earlier books via the characters; however, it can be read as a standalone without issue.

Jia, a Pakistani American, embraces her families traditions and cultures, while simultaneously works to find her own voice. In a family filled with successful doctors, she feels like a huge disappointment, often viewing herself as “too much” and over-the-top. It’s heart-breaking to read her inner-most fears and thoughts. Similarly, Dev finds himself at odds with his family’s legacy. He knows the fame helped him in India, but he wants to break out on his own. Additionally, he is struggling how to best parent 13-year-old Luna, not knowing much of her relationship with her decease father. Their relationship is touching and an important part of the story.

Dev and Jia feel an immediate connection, and I appreciate that Jia questions her feelings because of a year spent talking with a fake Dev. I absolutely love that Dev and Jia are respectful of their respective traditions, while trying to find their own way together. They don’t go along blindly, but also don’t turn away just to rebel. They work because they are able to express their concerns and feelings in a safe place.

First Comes Like is an absolute delight. I love how the universe brought Jia and Dev together, and that the couple embraces it. The book shares an HEA that is honest and true. The story is unique and fresh, and all about what works for Dev and Jia.

My Rating: A- Enjoyed it a lot

I love reading about different cultures in romances. I love supporting POC authors. Reading diverse characters is a window into a world I always appreciate. But...the culture differences in this book made it very difficult for me to engage with the characters and didn't lend well to a Contemporary Romance.

The female lead, Jia, is a bit more modern in her approach to relationships, having been raised in the United States. While the male lead, Dev, was raised in Mumbai. The story of the romantic relationship between them feels extremely stifled and imbalanced. His mannerisms feel not just wholesome and polite, but awkwardly sterile. It feels a bit like you are reading a romance between a 20-something female and an 85 year old man. These two leads are so formal and reserved with each other that I just couldn't feel any chemistry at all. And contemporary romances NEED chemistry.

I've read low-steam romances with enough chemistry to make me wait until the last chapters for just a kiss and still love the book. But this book had so little chemistry that even though these two eventually consummate their relationship there is still no sizzle.

Maybe this makes me a horrible, egocentric, American who can't feel the romantic chemistry within the confines of a much more conservative culture. But, in the end, this book just didn't do it for me.

This is such a cute rom com story!! I absolutely loved Jia, she had the perfect amount of sass. And Dev is the perfect man, so understanding and patient and reading as they fall in love without realizing was a joy.

First beauty expert and social media influencer Jia is catfished by someone impersonating international superstar Dev Dixit. Then she’s caught by paparazzi in what looks to be an intimate moment with Dev, the face of her catfish. Jia’s life feels like it’s spiraling out of control. Her loving but meddling family has all kinds of opinions about the pictures and what Jia should and shouldn't do. What to do? Dazzle her family by fake date Dev, of course. But what happens when the fake relationship turns real?

First Comes Like is a book that you enjoy reading throughout, and it puts a smile on your face. I loved Jia and Dev. He is old-fashioned, chivalrous, considerate, and giving. She is kind, clever, ambitious, spontaneous, and resilient. As a couple, Dev is supportive of Jia and her career.

While they begin as strangers, Jia and Dev quickly find a lot of similarities between them. They are considered rebellious by their families though they aren’t; each has chosen a different path from the rest of the family. Both find themselves at a career crossroads. They have similar opinions about fame and privacy.

Jia and Dev aren't the only great characters in the book. First Comes Love has an entire cast of memorable secondary characters. There's Dev’s family that lives with him (niece Luna and Adil Uncle), the meddling, opinionated families on both sides, and Jia’s roommates who are like sisters to her. They are all likable, realistic, relatable characters. They serve as a loving support system for Jia and Dev and help them along their journey.

I appreciated the glimpse into Indian culture, including courtship and family dynamics. I enjoyed learning more about the culture and traditions.

First Comes Love is a sweet and entertaining story about two wonderfully unique characters unconventionally falling in love.

Thank you to Avon Publishing and NetGalley for the book to read and enjoy. This voluntary review represents my unbiased, honest opinion.

FIRST COMES LIKE is a fluffy romance with very few obstacles to happily ever after - once the two leads meet, they pretty much fall in love, get engaged right away, and then get married. It felt very fast-paced with little to no stakes - however, this is a personal preference, so take it with a grain of salt. Every romantic journey is valid, even extremely fluffy ones that go from hello to happily ever after in 200 pages.

This romantic comedy is wacky and fun, and the fake dating scheme spirals so far out of control in all the best ways. In short, it's chaotic and I love it. This was yet another book that I did not realize was a part of a series before starting it, but on a scale of the Showmen series (which reading them out of order did not affect my enjoyment) to Well Met (which I believe must be read in order) I think this one falls somewhere in the middle. Do you need to read the other books in the Modern Love series before reading this one? No. I will admit I would have liked to have known a bit more about Rhiannon and Katrina, and maybe I would have been even more invested in those characters had I read their books first, but not knowing much about their stories in no way took away from my thorough enjoyment of this book.

The only thing that bothered me about this book were the somewhat oblique references to COVID. I have no idea if that was intentional or not, but at times Jia would mention the fact that she and her sister were sick and isolated in the past year. It is never stated outright that she or her family suffered from coronavirus, but it felt too similar to be coincidental, yet it only came up in the offhand way she would talk about being sick, and there were no mentions of the world around them having been affected by whatever mystery illness Jia contracted. I can understand why one would want to tie in the pandemic to this kind of story, and it in no way made me like the book any less, but the occasional offhand mention of it tended to take me out of the flow of the action.

I loved Dev and Jia's relationship, and I was really happy to get both of their perspectives throughout the course of their story. Jia's insecurities feel real and justifiable, and I think that she is an incredibly relatable character for any type of content creator. I was skeptical on the concept of a "modern love story" that's focused on things such as social media and going viral, but I think that this book has successfully quashed any hesitations I had. I look forward to catching up on the other books in this series, although I would be lying if I said I was not going to be sad at the lack of Dev as I work my way backward. I am, however, looking forward to potential future installations in this series, maybe focused on Lakshmi? Please?

FIRST COMES LIKE – Alisha Rai
Modern Love, Book 3
Harper Collins
ISBN: 978-0-06-287815-1
February 16, 2021
Contemporary Romance

Los Angeles, California – Present Day

Beauty expert and internet influencer Jia Ahmed is normally too busy promoting her brand to worry about a man, but here she is at a party checking out Bollywood actor Dev Dixit. Several months ago, he’d slid into her DM’s on social media, tantalizing her with his interest in her. Now she’s crashing a party to meet him—and to confront him. Jia finally comes face to face with Dev and after she mentions how they know one another, he informs her that he doesn’t know her. How can this be true when they’d been texting back and forth all this time?

Dev is perplexed by Jia’s claims. He really hasn’t heard of her and yet she is in front of him claiming they’ve been texting for months. He tries to play it cool, not wanting to let her know he’s alarmed by her claims while he tries to figure out what happened. After questioning a couple of family members, he learns that his late brother logged into Dev’s social media account and started chatting with Jia. This brother is now dead, and another brother kept it up, a form of establishing a relationship called “catfishing.” It’s an embarrassment all around, and Dev feels like he needs to make it up to Jia for what his brothers did. Besides, he’s now more than a little interested in her…

Dev is new to Hollywood after years spent building a successful career in India. He comes from a legendary family of Bollywood actors and wants to make his own mark in America. He has custody of his late brother’s daughter, Luna, and they all live together along with his maternal uncle. Meanwhile, he meets up with Jia to explain what he found out about who was texting her. He needs to make it up to her for what happened. They end up going out a few times—as friends only—and discover a nice friendship. Could it end up being more than friendship?

Jia belongs to a traditional Muslim family and she is trying to make a name for herself in the beauty industry. Having Dev in her corner could prove beneficial, and she thought she was onto something when he started texting with her. But now that she is getting to know the real Dev Dixit, she likes what she sees. Their relationship builds slowly, but it soon is about to fast track in ways neither expects in FIRST COMES LIKE by Alisha Rai.

A tale that is cute and funny, with modern love thrown in, FIRST COMES LIKES is set around the Hollywood Hot Set. Despite Dev’s fame being mostly in India, his family’s reputation, power, and money have the paparazzi chasing after any scandal they can dig up about him. This is why the “catfishing” done by his brothers with Jia needs to be kept hidden. She is a nice girl, anyway, and Dev will do whatever it takes to make it up to her. Will they soon be in love?

For an engaging romantic tale about love in the twenty-first century, be sure to grab a copy of FIRST COMES LIKE.

Patti Fischer

Will also appear on the Romance Reviews Today site: http://romrevtoday.com/

I really enjoyed this sweet, slow burn romance. Fake dating and celebrity romances are always fun tropes I enjoy and this book combined the two. I loved the dual POV and the friends/family side characters. I didn't love the first book in the series, but I am really glad I gave this one a shot!

Thanks to Avon (via NetGalley) for the ARC!

OMG this was the SLOWEST OF SLOW BURNS!!!!!!! (view spoiler) I'm not normally a fan of super slow-burn romances, but in this case, it definitely made sense with the plot and the characters themselves. Although, honestly I still would have preferred a little more action. Especially considering the other two books in this series.

I really liked the chemistry between Jia and Dev (but also, do guys like Dev actually exist??? If so, where...........?), and this book has some of my favorite tropes: fake dating, there's only one bed(room), idiots to lovers (:D). I definitely could have gone for more pining because I feel like everything wrapped up in the end REALLY quickly, and there wasn't that huge third act conflict that romance readers have come to know and love (or hate? at least expect). There was a very minor conflict at the end that was resolved with a two-second conversation, so I feel like this book didn't have as much tension as I would have liked. It definitely seemed more low-stakes than the other two in the series.

That said, it was a lot of fun, and I sped through it. Also it seemed like there were some heavy hints for an f/f romance for Lakshmi??? So let's hope she gets her own book to shine because I really like her and want to see her character developed.

Alisha Rai's First Comes Like is fine. I've come to expect a different type of story with Rai's books—steam, mostly—so this was disappointing. I do appreciate the presence of COVID-19 in the story, though.

The amazing finale to the Modern Love series exceeded my expectations. Jia is a beauty blogger who was catfished by Dev's cousin and has been talking to him forever. When she confronts Dev at a party, she is astonished to learn this. However, when the paparazzi capture them together, they enter into a fauxmance to benefit the media and Jia's parents. In all this, as Jia and Dev start to learn marabout the other, they fall in love with each other for real, resulting in complicated feelings and being unable and unsure as to how to express them.

I adored Jia and her choice to follow her passion and defying her parent's expectations of what her life should like. Making it on your won is quite hard, yet Jia keeps focused and trying to achieve her dreams. Dev is another character I loved for he trues to make a name for himself instead of horse backing on his family's reputation. I also appreciated how much he loved his niece and tried to be a good father to her no matter what his relationship with her father was.

Both these characters have odds stacked against them, yet they continue to fight which made me fall completely in love with them. As they fall in love and find each other to be supportive of them and their dreams, it was hard not to ship them and Rotterdams for everything to be okay for them.

This couple was a lovely one that I adored reading about. Their story was a beautiful although complicated one which was written well.

Heat Factor: A little at the end, but nothing too spicy
Character Chemistry: They are pretty cute together
Plot: Catfishing leads to friendship leads to fake engagement
Overall: I enjoyed this one

Rai’s Modern Love trilogy sets up each of its stories as a reaction the characters have to an internet thing. In this case, the impetus for the story is catfishing. Specifically, Jia has started chatting with someone who she believes to be Indian soap opera star Dev Dixit - but when she shows up at a party he’s attending, he doesn’t have a clue who she is. Turns out, she’s been talking to someone else the whole time. How. Embarrassing.

However, this can’t be the end of things, because then there would be no story.

Instead, Dev tracks Jia down to figure out why she was so upset, and then stays in contact to give her updates on who was using his identity. But then! They are photographed together by the paparazzi, and things sort of spiral out of control until all of a sudden they’re fake dating and about to meet each others’ families. A modern take on the Compromised trope, if you will. As you might imagine, what’s fun about this book is how the stakes slowly get higher and higher as Jia and Dev are prodded from all sides into making more and more commitments to each other.

Don’t let this description of Dev and Jia getting sort of pushed into a relationship let you think that they are pushovers. Rather, Dev and Jia are great characters who are both looking for a relationship and are really attracted to each other and therefore let themselves be nudged into moving more quickly than they would have otherwise.

I will say that I didn’t love the fight at the end of the book. It seems that Rai included it to be able to make a point about love being work, not a magic panacea that makes relationships easy, but the miscommunication that actually happened seemed very out of character after the other communication hurdles they had already overcome.

This, however, is only a small quibble with what was, overall a very enjoyable 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.

Jia is a beauty influencer focused on her career with not a lot of time for love, until a superstar slides into her DMs and she falls for him. When they finally meet in person, he has no idea who she is, but they agree to fake date to calm the gossip from the paparazzi.

I really enjoyed this story and now need to pick up the rest of the books in Rai’s Modern Love series. The story was sweet and fresh with a modern storyline involving an influencer being catfished by a TV star. When Jia meets Dev in real life and he has no clue who she is, they slowly get to know one another in real life and explore the differences in their families, overcome misunderstandings, and try to meet expectations of those around them.

I liked both main characters (and the supporting cast around them including Dev’s uncle and niece) and felt their connection. They were sincere and had an easy way of being themselves around one another and you could feel their chemistry. I also liked learning about their cultural norms and expectations.

Overall I enjoyed this one and recommend it if you enjoy a fake dating story with diverse characters.