My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC copy of this book available to me.

Sadly, this is my least favorite of the three books in this series. I didn't find much relatable in the professions of choice for either of the main characters, and was very uncomfortable with the story arcs involving familial betrayal and lack of empathy with their family members.. I did like the relationship between the male lead and his niece and uncle. I still found the book to be pretty good, and I will read the next (assuming there is one) in this series. I'd even look forward to a book involving how these same main characters deal with the upcoming changes in their professional lives.

I’ve loved all of Alisha’s previous books but I think this one is my favorite. I loved both main characters and their rich backgrounds with their families. Both characters were from cultures I didn’t know a lot about and I love how they were weaved into their characters. I really liked this book.

3.5 wholesome + sweet + creative stars to this cutie! It’s the 3rd book in the Modern Love series and pub day is February 16th! Thank you so much to avonbooks + netgalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Like the two other books in this series, I really enjoyed that this book is full of modern dating scenarios, diverse characters featuring different cultural and religious beliefs, discussions of mental health, strong female leads, bonds of sisterhood and swoonworthy romance. Jai is a YouTube celebrity, famous for her makeup tutorials, who for over a year has been falling in love via her DMs with Dev, a Bollywood actor. Dev is finally in LA, working on an American TV show. Jai is excited to meet him except for one small detail- Dev has no clue who she is. Turns out someone has been catfishing Jai from his account their entire correspondence. Can IRL romance bloom once this misunderstanding has been cleared? This book was a fun, quick lighthearted read that brightened my day.

This was so cute! Even though it was a literal zero on the steam meter until very close to the end, the chemistry between Jia and Dev was off the charts the whole time! I loved the concept of how these two got together, and I think the conflict and confusion was realistic and wasn't glossed over too easily. I also really enjoyed the fact that Jia's and Dev's culture played such an important role in their relationship and their behavior throughout the book. It was not necessarily a "typical" romance, but I absolutely loved it. This is definitely my favorite of Alisha Rai's Modern Love series so far. I'm crossing my fingers that we might get Lakshmi's story next?!

My thanks to Avon and NetGalley for an advance reader's copy.

3 / 5

This was a really sweet book but it lacked tension and it was sometimes hard to get through because it felt like not much was happening despite the premise.

Jia is an influencer trying to get her metrics back up, Dev is an Indian soap opera star, and they’ve been dming for a little while. Or so Jia thinks. On the day where she finally gets ready to meet him it turns out she’s been catfished. Despite the circumstances of their first encounter, Jia proposes a fake dating scenario to Dev after the press releases a photo of them that elicits concern and outrage from her family. As time goes, however, they both wish the relationship wasn’t so fake afterall.

The premise sounded so exciting and amazing, and I have to say I went into it expecting a lot so the way the trope was executed was a little disappointing to me. It all started well with their meeting and discussing the fake dating arrangement: Jia’s parents set a date to visit and the publicity could help them both. However, we never see them having to act “being together”. Jia’s parents meet Dev once they’ve confessed they had feelings for each other and they never do anything for the press, on the contrary they try to stay hidden from the public. I wouldn’t say the fake dating has no impact on them because they do have some insecurities about it but it kind of fell flat. I think that overall the book lacked tension, and there were some wild plot points thrown in there but I never felt at the edge of my seat or any real angst.

Jia’s and Dev’s relationship was very sweet and there were a few moments that made me smile, but again, I didn’t feel a great deal of chemistry between them. I will even say that I thought a story between Jia and Lakshmi would’ve been so much more interested and I found myself way more invested in the three scenes they had together than the actual romance of this book.

I really did like the characters though! Jia’s perspective was very interesting as an influencer who’s been around a few years and is seeing these very young people thrive on different platforms (tiktok seems to be alluded to) and trying to not feel down about her own numbers, especially after her break. Her career choice also hasn’t pleased her parents and she feels the pressure of wanting to impress them and for them to be proud of her. She’s always felt like “too much”, too ditzy, too impulsive, especially compared to her other sisters who have become doctors and settled like it was expected of them.

Dev also hasn’t entirely lived up to people’s expectations. Instead of following in the footsteps of his ultra-famous Bollywood family to act in huge movies, he’s turned to television and soaps. While his career was still highly successful in India, he decided to move to California after his brother’s passing. He’s also now become responsible for his niece, Luna, and his brother’s crushing debts. I really loved his relationship and dynamic with both Luna and his uncle Adil. The three of them have become a little family of their own with their ups and downs but lots of love. Dev is truly trying his best when it comes to Luna, especially as he’s not fully aware of how his own brother treated her. She seems to have some unpacked trauma and abandonment issues but we can see throughout the book that she feels secure in her uncle’s love for her and that is everything.

Alisha Rai also proposes a different perspective than most books here with a muslim and demisexual heroine who wants to wait for marriage to have sex. This is always respected by Dev as he’s always attuned to her needs and wants, and never portrayed as something she should be pressured into.

Something unexpected is that I think there were some covert COVID refenres throughout this book. Jia is said to have been ill and had to quarantine from her roommates, her sister also got sick with lasting effects impacting her lungs, there’s talks of better work-from-home programs, and Luna also takes ill at some point. It’s never confirmed and the world isn’t affected by it beyond these few mentions, but I thought it was pretty relevant.

Overall this was a sweet book and although I wanted more from it, I still enjoyed it a lot!

This is the third novel in Alisha Rai's Modern Love series following Jia, a YouTuber, and her relationship with Dev, a Bollywood actor. Jia and Dev have been messaging via Insta DMs for a while and she finally wants to meet - however, Dev has no idea who she is when she walks up to him at a party. Jia realizes she's been catfished, but that doesn't explain why the texts came from Dev's official account if it wasn't him. Dev finds out what happened (I won't spoil), and him and Jia decide to get involved in a fake relationship for other reasons that I won't spoil... to their dismay, they begin to grow feelings.

I really loved Jia and Dev as characters in here. They had great voices and I think Jia in particular was a character who had depth and real insecurities that made sense for her past. Their romance is a lot more chaste (at least to begin with) than those in Alisha Rai's other books, but its super cute and they have lot of love and mutual respect for one another.

However, my main issue is the set-up. Of course, I knew what I was getting into with a catfishing plot, but I enjoyed the first two books and wanted to hear Jia's story. While I could understand the catfishing set-up, even after explanation, it still didn't fully come together for me. I think this may just be my aversion to this trope ... can we call it a trope? I understood using the plot as a way to explain Dev's family drama, but there were a lot of moving parts. It got a bit confusing and it made it harder to buy into the romance and their relationship initially.

I also wish I had seen more of Jia's career. She constantly discusses with Dev how important her career is to her, but there's only one or two scenes where she's actually vlogging. The beach trip I won't include since there was barely anything other than a small scene of Jia taking IG pictures. It made her backstory and insecurities about her job feel less grounded in the story even as I understood them and felt for her.

However, despite these issues, this was a fun read. They were a cute couple and even though the set-up was off for me, I liked where they ended up. I think this also discussed family expectations in a really nuanced way. I'd likely give this 2.5/5 or 3/5 but I would still recommend if you've enjoyed the other books in the series.


[I got an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, and also listened to the audiobook via Libro.fm's ALC program]

My thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to review.

Dev Dixit is a soap opera star and member of a famous Bollywood family who is approached by beauty influencer Jia Ahmed , who has been engaging in an online relationship with him. However, Dev has no idea who she is until Dev finds out someone he knows catfish him to Jia. Jia has her own issues. Her parents want her to meet a man and marry. Dev later comes back to apologize and Jia makes a very interesting deal with him that can benefit his public image and her parents. Can this lead to a real romance perhaps?

Charming romantic comedy but a but predictable.

First Comes Like is a book I've been anxiously awaiting for a very long time. We first meet its protagonist Jia in Rai's Forbidden Hearts series as the younger sister of past protagonist Sadia who's determined to forge her own path by leaving medical school to dedicate herself to her true passion. Jia is a beauty influencer with a YouTube channel and a large dedicated fanbase--she's passionate about makeup and skincare, and dreams of one day owning her own makeup company. She's a creative and charismatic character, and I'm so glad that she finally got her own story, after being featured as a side character in not only the Forbidden Hearts series but also the first two books of the Modern Love series. Although I'm fairly terrible at makeup, I enjoy watching beauty Youtubers, and I thought it was so much fun to have one as the main character in a romance novel--we get to see behind the scenes of what Jia's process is like and watch her struggle with a creative rut and fears that she's out of touch as an "older" influencer, and also see what some of her past content has looked like.

Like the previous two books in Rai's Modern Love series, First Comes Like deals with a modern dating conundrum--catfishing. (The Right Swipe was focused around ghosting, while Girl Gone Viral featured, well, going viral.) Jia thinks she's been talking to famous Indian actor Dev through his verified account, but when she finally tries to meet him in person, she realizes that he has no idea who she is--she's never actually spoken with him in the first place. Nevertheless, Dev is intrigued by Jia, and after a rocky start the two begin a whirlwind and very sweet fake relationship that quickly turns into real feelings. 

Everything I love about Alisha Rai was present in First Comes Like: a badass female protagonist, a strong friendship group that supports one another, complex and interesting family dynamics. I did find Jia a more compelling character than Dev, who has a quieter and less forceful personality, but I really liked their interactions and their eventual HEA. This is a great series that contemporary romance fans absolutely need to check out if they haven't already, and I can't wait to see what Alisha Rai comes out with next.

I received an eARC of First Comes Like from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Alisha Rai had me at the dedication - “For all the girls who are ‘too much.’ (Actually, we’re just right)”

Jia is a social media influencer who knows what she wants, but worries about her family's approval. Dev is a beloved actor and has strong convictions about his culture and his family's honor. A year ago, Dev slides into Jia's DM's on Instagram and the two continue communicating regularly, even though Dev lives in India and Jia in LA. When Dev makes the trek to America to star in a new TV show, Jia pushes to meet. She shows up to the launch party for Dev's show and much to her surprise, Dev has zero clue who she is. Turns out, Jia had been catfished by someone with access to Dev's social media. But after a paparazzi photo forces them to pursue a fake relationship, they both soon realize there might be more to this relationship than meets the eye.

I absolutely loved this book! First Comes LIke is light, fun and completely original. Dev screams sex appeal, but not in the traditional sense. He shows respect to Jia, lets her call the shots and is ever the gentleman. Through their relationship, Dev pushes Jia to gain more confidence, especially in her career. This is not your typical love story and that drew me to it. There is something so refreshing and appealing about the originality of Rai's story. I appreciated the insight into the Indian and Pakistani culture and how they handle relationships and marriages.

I cannot recommend this book enough! I loved the first two books in this series and First Comes LIke does not disappoint! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received an ACR from Netgalley.

Jai, an Indian-American influencer, thinks she is going to meet her match, Dev, an Bollywood film star living in LA, but turns out she is catfished by his family. He feels bad and decides to make it up to her. A whirlwind adventure awaits.

A fun rom-com. It is the 3rd book in the Modern Love series by zalisha Rai. You don't need to read the previous books to read this. This has it all... meddling family members, friendship, and the paparazzi

Although I haven’t read the first book in this series, I really enjoyed the second, so I was really excited for Jia’s story! I was even more pulled in by the fake dating premise. First Comes Like shows what happens when a fake relationship becomes real.

A beauty influencer, Jia Ahmed is finally about to meet Dev Dixit, the famous actor whom she’s been talking to online for months. Or so she thinks: it turns out whoever Jia’s been talking to was not Dev himself. After a picture of them makes headlines, he agrees to fake a relationship with Jia; for him, it’s to make up to her about the fake messages, and for her, it’s to keep her family from nagging her. However, the lines between fake and real become more and more blurred.

Fake dating stories can rarely go wrong in my book, but I particularly loved this one! There’s also a catfishing aspect to the story, so the fake dating is partially to save face from that. The book feels very evenly paced, both plot- and relationship-wise. Also, while this book is part of a series, you can read it as a standalone without missing anything.

The romance was so soft; I really liked how Dev is so respectful of Jia’s boundaries as well as does his best to understand her and her line of work. As an influencer, many people are flippant about Jia’s choice of career, but he supports her. The two of them had such chemistry, and I really loved reading about them!

I also liked the character arcs throughout this book. Jia has often been told that she’s “too much” and as a result becomes less and less sure about herself. However, she comes to realize that being “too much” is just who she is. She doesn’t have to tone herself down for anyone else. Meanwhile, Dev is taking care of his niece after his brother died, and he grows to understand what it means to be a parent after having a complex relationship with his family over the years. It was also interesting reading about his struggles to break out in the American television market after being a famous television star in India.

First Comes Love was a loveable romance about a fake relationship to save face after a catfishing incident. It was fun and sweet, and I had so much fun reading it! I definitely recommend First Comes Love if you enjoy fake dating stories or soft romances!

Instagram influencer Jia has been DMing with Bollywood soap star Dev for months and it's finally time to meet him in person. Jia works up the courage to approach him at a Hollywood party...but he doesn’t know who she is. After figuring out she's been catfished, Jia is devastated, but it turns out Dev can't stop thinking about her and this fauxmance might turn into a real romance.

I loved meeting both Jia and Dev's families and all the cultural background that was ingrained within the story, but to be honest, I felt a little indifferent to both Jia and Dev. I appreciate that this book takes on a more conservative approach to love where there's no touching, kissing, or sex before marriage because I think we need that representation in the romance genre, but the build-up was lacking. Jia and Dev went from too scared to even hold hands or be alone together, to perfectly comfortable being married and getting it on. I would have loved more pine-ing and tortured moments throughout the book.

Overall, the pacing just felt off in this story, particularly toward the end. The book didn't feel completely finished - I was shocked when there wasn't an epilogue wrapping things up because there were a few too many loose ends for me.

This book was so good, I didn’t want it to end! This is book number three in the Modern Love series. These books can be read as a standalone, but is better enjoyed apart of the series. Instagram influencer, Jia, meets Dev for the first time, unfortunately he’s not sure who she is. That’s when they realize she was apart of a catfish scheme. They decide to engage in a fake dating scheme, each for their own reasons.

This book was so good, Dev was so swoon worthy, and totally the perfect book boyfriend. I loved the cultural background in this story, and how they respected each others beliefs. The chemistry between the two characters was undeniable. I only wish there was more of their relationship in this story. I just loved both of them so much. If you’re looking for a slow burn romance, I highly recommend this one!

In the third installment of the Modern Love series by Alisha Rai, we follow Jia and Dev. Jia is a Muslim YouTube and Instagram star with followers in the millions and Dev is the grandson of Bollywood royalty and a famous soap opera actor in his own right. We start their story with Jia getting ready in the bathroom at a club, anxiously reapplying her lipstick. She's there for one reason and one reason only, to meet Dev, a man she has had a texting relationship with for around a year. When Jia approaches him at the party, her world is turned upside down when he admits he has no idea who she is. Heartbroken, Jia returns to her home with Katrina and Rhiannon to drown herself in ice cream.

Things I loved about this book:
Jia is such a wonderful main character!! She is funny, insecure, full of bravery, smart, stylish, and loving.
Dev is another fantastic male main character in this series! These men seem too good to be true. He is loving and doting to his niece and uncle, and he is caring, kind, and thoughtful.
The side characters, Adil Uncle, Shweta, Luna, Ayesha, all of Jia's family really. They were so fleshed out even given limited page time. Refreshing.
The romance. THE ROMANCE. I can't put into words how amazing their romance is. Yes, there are almost all of my favorite tropes in this story (fake dating, only one bed), but the best part is that it doesn't include one of my least favorite tropes and one that is currently oversaturated in the romance market: miscommunication.

There was a tweet a while back that talked about the tired use of the third act breakup and honestly, I agree. It is tired, overdone, and unoriginal. There are so many ways for drama to occur that don't include miscommunication and this story proves it. Throughout the story, they are communicating their wants, needs, and expectations and while they may not always communicate well in the moment, they readdress and bring up the things that bother them! They're honest about their hurt feelings and allow the other person to explain themselves instead of just assuming and running away. Like seriously!!! That's incredible! Obviously, there is tension and drama and uncertainty, but it feels more grown-up and less childish. Given that I'm reading an adult romance, I expect the main characters to behave as such and they do, but this is all too uncommon.

I really could go on and on about what I loved about this book. I read it in two days because I was just so enthralled by their love story. I was frustrated when I had to put the book down. I really loved this trilogy as a whole and I hope it continues on with Lakshmi's story in the next book!

I enjoy everything that Alisha Rai does. I've always left her books feeling comforted and happy. This book was no different. It wasn't my favorite out of the current series, but it continued in the thread of interesting, multidimensional characters just trying to live their life to the best of their ability.

I liked both Jia and Dev, and I loved the cast of characters they brought with them, both new and old. I love that their lives and values are different than other characters, both in the same series and in the wider genre still.

The book had two missteps though. One, it felt a bit rushed, especially the end. The relationship itself was a bit rushed, but ultimately that was a good thing. It was something that could have been played with, a bit of a change from other recent contemporary romances, but the book ended before she could explore those themes!

Two, the book was clearly in edit when COVID happened and it was edited into the book. It FELT like it was edited into the book. Not only was it a little clunky, but it really brought down the parts that referenced it instead of adding to the experience. However, there are only a couple references to it, and once it was past it was fairly easy to forget it happened.

I was looking forward to reading this book as I had expectations of a fun, light read in the rom-com genre. Unfortunately, after the first two chapters, I didn't find myself connecting with the love interests in the story so I decided to pass. Did not finish.

One of my favorite series in 2020, I was very excited to receive an ARC of the third book. I appreciate that the author takes on different cultures and ethnicities and shows the reader what they mean. I did miss some of the quick wit and one liners that were present in the first two books but overall a great read.

My thoughts:

Oh my word, this was simply delightful! This is my first book by Alisha and while it is #3 in the series, it can totally be read as a standalone (which I loved) and the reader will miss nothing. I really fell in love with Jia and Dev's characters, who totally came to life through the audiobook narrators and I would totally recommend listening to this one for the full experience.

Just when we thought the days of catfishing were over, this book takes a traditionally embarrassing situation and spins it for the good, with lots of hilarious and adorable experiences along the way.

My very favorite part was the fact that these were multicultural characters who were incredibly real, down to earth and honest with their intentions, even in spite of their highly public personalities. I really appreciated that Dev was a famous actor, yet didn't realize or understand his affect on women. And Jia is an influencer, yet was super relatable and strong willed. These characters could have been written so many different ways, but I love that Alisha made them REAL. This is not your typical romantic comedy and for all of the right reasons! I highly recommend this book to my friends who are looking for a light, fun and meaningful read.

This installment in the modern love series was very cute, just the right vibe to brighten up the dreariness of January. Like with the previous books, I love Alisha Rai's strong female lead and the attention that she places on sisterhood (blood-related or not). I also found the dynamic between Dev and Jia very sweet, with all the drama that they faced being in different parts of the entertainment industry.

There was one thing that made this work a bit less for me than the others, and it took a second to pinpoint. Just a few too many references to current events, in my opinion. The other two books have walked the line between incorporating modern elements while still managing to maintain the escapism that many readers look for in the romance genre. In First Comes Like, with the various mentions of COVID and a side character who clearly embodies a famous TikTok dancer, I felt that the author's focus on relevance detracted from my overall enjoyment of the story.


(cw: grief, loss of family members, panic attacks, mentions of dieting/diet culture)

What do you do when the whole world believes that the man who catfished you is your fiancé? Jia and Dev find themselves in this situation and have to figure out how to navigate the expectations of family and maintain their reputations. Will they be able to calm their family's by fake dating or will it lead to more?