First Comes Like is the third book in Alisha Rai's 'Modern Love' series - This was my first book by Alisha and it was so so SO sweet - I really enjoyed this one.
First Comes Like is a modern day love story, one filled with social media ups & downs, a slight marriage of convenience, between a Bollywood star, Dev Dixit, and social media influencer Jia Ahmed.
Jia began her "romance" with Dev under some SERIOUSLY false pretenses, aka, she was being catfished at one point by Dev's younger brother, who had passed away before our story begins, and Dev's cousin, Arjun. When Jia works up the courage to go meet him herself, she is met with total & utter confusion from Dev, as he had NO idea who she was. Of course, Dev was quite taken with her from that chance meeting... and it blossomed into more than something just for show to protect both their reputations & careers.

This book is adorable - Alisha herself has an exceptional presence on social media and she makes me belly laugh ALL THE TIME. Her humor absolutely shines in this novel. However, it being my first from Ms. Rai, I didn't realize just how much of a slow burn, and how little on the page of intimacy there would be. We don't even get them kissing until 90%. I'm not complaining though, to be fair. I just didn't know what to expect! The build up of Dev & Jia's relationship was raw, and real. Both of these two babies insecurities were laid bare for the reader and it made the story so much more relatable and real to me. I sympathize with Jia in that, when you meet a man who really seems too good to be true and you're used to being "too much" or "less than", one misstep leaves you feeling like your man could go running for the hills at the slightest sign of an inconvenience just because of your personality. Jia has confidence, and lots of it, in her skills, and usually in her self worth, but when she realizes how much Dev means to her, the scariest possible thing is thinking he couldn't possibly love her, as is.
I cannot wait to read the two previous books in this series - Alisha Rai's characters are bright, vivid, colorful, honest and real. I also adored the relationship between Jia and her roomies Katrina and Rhiannon. Katrina had a beautiful quote near the end that resonated so well:
"Because as someone who has been with someone for a minute now who doesn't like talking or explaining themselves but it selfless almost to a fault, I can tell you that it's really annoying, but occasionally you have to directly ask them why they're doing what they do. You might be surprised by the answer. No one tells you that this is a big part of relationships. Sometimes its not all about big misunderstandings."
AMEN SISTER. AMEN.

Thank you to the author, and Avon Books for the opportunity to read this ARC

What an absolutely adorable story!! This time of social media, catfishing and sliding into people's DMs calls for a story like this and I'm always SUPER happy to see ethnic representation within reads. Not only because it's nice to see different faces on covers but also learning about these cultures through these joyous stories. I am forever grateful for authors like Rai who fight for diversity within the genres that they write.

Let's talk about our protagonist, Jia. A makeup influencer who, while internet famous, isn't as well known as the Bollywood star, Dev, who she's been communicating with via social media for a while now. Imagine the surprise when she runs into him face to face just to realize he has no idea who she is... what.. is.. happening? This is a fun, FUN, fake relationship trope that I always have enjoyed. I mean, we all know how this will probably play out but I didn't foresee that big of a jump from the get go to the end. WHAT! 😮 But it works here. It absolutely works.

I especially love that Jia uses ice cream for comfort when she's depressed (oh hi, me too). I understand that feeling Jia has when it feels like you're not going to make your parents proud until you meet that certain mold they expect from you (hi fam!). I especially understand when she over analyzes what's happening and her mind jumps to worst case scenarios because HELLO, I date so I get it. 🤣 But what's great is how much the families are incorporated within this story - from the parents to the aunts, grandparents, nieces, cousins, etc. YES YES YES. Family loves you in spite of and BECAUSE of all sides of your personality.

My only tiny issue may be that I wish people would stop calling women spider monkeys when they jump on their men - this reminds me always of that scene in Twilight.. gah. And I truly wish that all women could have their first time be as good as Jia's.. (Ahem). But these are stupid little nits when the main focus of this was not so much the physical relationship, but the true respect and time they took to get to know each other (though still an incredibly fast timeline from beginning to end).

I don't know about y'all but I think we need more stories like this one. My first Rai but definitely not my last.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. It has great friendships and a great relationship between the two main characters Jai and Dev two different people. One is a influencer and the other is a movie star. It has good family relationships. The pacing of this story is good. The romance is slow and sweet. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It is in stores now for $15.99 (USD).

Entertaining and realistic, my two favorite aspects in romance fiction. Alisha nailed it out of the park with this one. I was instantly attracted to this story because from the very beginning it just felt good. All the plot points throughout the story felt organic and unfolded so well that I wanted to dive into the story myself! I’ve been a fan of Alisha’s for many years and honestly, she has never written a book that I haven’t enjoyed. She makes it easy to fall in love with not just her stories, but her characters. Her stories are very rarely dramatic for the sake of being dramatic and they always captivate. This story was all of those things with the added pleasure of sisterhood and family blended into the story.

I think this book had moments where it was sweet, but it was a miss for me. I felt like I couldn't relate to or sympathize with Jia's character - especially in the beginning. Her character, to me, felt like it was playing off the stereotype of the annoying influencer in the beginning, though she did get better throughout the book. I did like Dev, but he felt flat. The dialogue was bland and I felt like this couple could use some tips on communication. Maybe Jia could make a video about that.

Having previously read and enjoyed the second book in the Modern Love series, I was excited to see the newest installment offered as a Book Club Girl Early Reads pick. Like the previous offering, social media factors into the story, which features beauty expert and influencer Jia Ahmed and Bollywood family soap opera star Dev Dixit. I liked both of the main characters and thought several of the secondary characters showed potential. Some of the secondary characters didn't feel as fully developed to me, which was too bad because I liked several of them as well.

The set-up for this one is Dev, who is connected to a famous Bollywood dynasty, is coming to the US for a tv series. His uncle and niece have traveled to the US with him and the three are sharing an apartment. Dev and Jia (or so she thinks) have been chatting back and forth for over a year, so Jia is excited and eager to meet the dreamy Dev in person. During their first in-person meeting, things don't go exactly as planned and a series of misunderstandings and miscommunication follows. Despite these snags, it's clear that these two are destined for each other and the reader can't help but root for them to find a happy ending together.

While I found this to be a fast read, I felt like it was a bit rushed in spots and certain plot points fell flat for me as a result. For example, when the solution to the paparazzi photo situation is presented, everyone seemed way too accepting of it being the only logical solution. Not one of the people involved paused to say, um, guys, really? There is NO other solution here?? I realize this is fiction and this was almost certainly the only viable option for getting Jia and Dev into a steamy situation, but still. Also, I felt like the revelation of who was behind the DMs was a bit convenient. I guess it made more sense than who I thought was behind it, but there wasn't a ton of investigating before the identity was revealed. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book overall and was grateful for a happy ending escape.

Many thanks to William Morrow for this Book Club Girl Early Reads pick!

I really liked both the hero and heroine of this book, but felt that there was just something missing. The storylines involving the main characters' relationships with their respective families was much more interesting than the relationship between the main characters themselves. There was catfishing, fake relationship and even only one bed(!). But I would put the book down and didn't feel compelled to continue reading like with previous books by this author. I loved the first book in this series, but unfortunately, the rest of the series just didn't work for me.

A sweet romance with interesting family dynamics. The initial catfishing that leads to the relationship starting seemed a little implausible but the story is otherwise strong.

First Comes Like is the perfect Bollywood-ish, sappy, glittery adult romance. It has just the right amount of pace, and lots of things happening in 400 something pages. Jia and Dev are the swoon-worthy couple, who do have their awkward moments at first, and then they have those butterflies-in-the-stomach moments, which makes the book just the perfect adult romance.

We get to see a lot about an influencer/YouTuber's life and Dev's Bollywood background gives us a good look into that superficial lifestyle. This book is filled with so much drama, and there's so much going on at moment, that not once you will feel bored. It had the right amount of fun and charm. The characters were well written, though I found Dev's grandmother to be obnoxious and Dev is too good to be true, but since its fiction, I'll take that.

Jia's character was very relatable. She falls in love, gets heart-broken, decides not to mope to much and then falls in love again. Even though she promises not to fall for Dev, she couldn't help but acknowledge how she feels, and embraces it. She's awkward, she's forward, and she's super anxious, which makes her the relatable heroine.

Topping off Dev's character with a miserable past and him trying to get past that gives him a certain charm that makes him the boy boyfriend of your dreams. Not to forget the author's too precise character description of his physical appearance and giving him all gentlemanly attributes makes him easily an unforgettable character.

The side characters, especially Dev's niece and Jia's four sisters have my heart. They have their own personality that gives depth to the book, without sabotaging our protagonists' limelight. Jia's twin sister Ayesha is my favourite character to be honest. Her character really did make me laugh out loud. If you decide to pick this book up, do it for Ayesha and Jia and Dev's intimate moments (*winks*) that's not gonna disappoint you.

I was really excited to read First Comes Like. I loved that this book featured a muslim heroine wearing a hijab on the cover and I looked forward to reading about other cultures. That was definitely the best part of this book.

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me. The main issue I had is that it was very mild. There was so much potential but it just didn’t deliver. It took me almost a week to read, which is really unusual for me.

I love romance books and, although I love steam, I don’t mind the lack of it in this book but there was also a lack of connection between the two love interests that made their relationship seem superficial. I didn’t feel that they really knew each other at the end of the story.

I know that many people loved this book. I think you will enjoy it if you are looking for a very clean romance without any drama or tension. The catfishing and influencer aspects of the story gave it a unique twist as well.

First Comes Like is another installment of the Modern Love series from Alisha Rai. It follows Jia who was introduced in The Right Swipe and who we saw again in Girl Gone Viral. Jia is a YouTuber and social media influencer who strayed off the path her parents had wanted her to follow and has since worked to prove herself to everyone she meets. As with each main character in this series I really enjoyed Jia. She’s bubbly and headstrong and her quirks and fears left me relating to her deeply and cheering her on the entire story. Unfortunately, I found that Jia was the only character in the book that felt fully developed even with her love interest, Dev, being a second narrator. Dev was quiet and introspective but to the point where his own thoughts and motivations barely played out on the page. The supporting characters in Rai’s books are often some of my favorites but I was disappointed when I wasn’t able to get attached to any of the ones in First Comes Like. I think they all had the potential to be something more than they were but in the end I still found myself only feeling like I cared about Jia.

When it came to the plot of the book I was continuously cycling between reading really quickly to completely dragging myself along. There were so many parts that felt under explained and it took me out of the story because I kept asking myself questions that never ended up being answered. I enjoyed that the cultural aspects of this book were completely different from any romance I’ve read before and that may have been the main reason I enjoyed this story as much as I did. The reasoning behind the fake dating was so unique and it was interesting to see how the relationship would develop. Unfortunately, this did also lead to the ending of the book feeling rushed and so much happened in the latter half of the story. There were also a number of plot points that felt like they had been recycled from Rai’s first two books in this series.

Overall I did end up enjoying First Comes Like. Rai does such a great job with writing unique and lovely romances that melt my icy heart. Not only that but she writes relatable and diverse characters and I look forward to rereading this in the future.

Rai brings us another hit with First Comes Like. Jia and Dev’s relationship starts off rocky but works it’s way into a very sweet and soft love. Definitely full of that Alisha Rai magic and I highly recommend!

A title by Alsiha Rai is an automatic order for our library at this point! Her titles are always so funny and sweet and she has a dedicated reader base at our location. The characters in this title are particularly lovely and I found myself laughing out loud multiple times. A gem of a novel.

First Comes Like by Alisha Rai is a fun rom-com between a social media influencer and a Bollywood star trying to make it in the American market. I wish this was a tv show that I could binge because, as much as I loved reading it, this is begging for a screen adaptation.

Jia is a social media influencer. She knows how to contour and has a channel showing people how to look amazing. She’s a wonderfully sweet character who has trouble with her dating life.

Dev isn’t quite the star that his brother or father were but he’s got heartthrob qualities that are ripe for bigger screens. He’s also an amazing uncle to his niece who is having a hard time breaking free of the restrictions that her family have put on her.

The meet-cute at the start of the book fails (not really a spoiler since it sets up the rest of the story) but it’s worth sticking around so that Jia and Dev can properly meet and get to know each other. Their chemistry is apparent but they both have to turn their suspicions off long enough to fall in love.

This is definitely for fans of Talia Hibbert and Christina Lauren.

I have loved Rai's past books in this Modern Love series and this one is no different - a really interesting insight into other cultures and expectations.

This is the third book in a series that is focusing on romance and POC MC.
I have read this entire series, as it's fun easily enjoyable novels. This one focuses on two people using the other for appearances on social media. For those readers who want romance from a virgin perspective, this one shows adults falling in love without sex before marriage, though they both are thinking about sex with one another. This was written rather well in my opinion and as it is rare in novels, it's nice to see. Bollywood actor turned US sitcom side character meets social media make-up beauty, neither really knowing the other. Both have some family issues to work through, but somehow they come together. There are some things I felt connection to them, like being stuck in a town with no options, buying first home and the reaction, and getting married quickly. It was a fun quick read. Great for fans of Abby Jimenez and Tessa Bailey's Hot & Hammered series. Also available on audio book - two readers, so you easily can follow each storyline.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC, all thoughts are my own.

Too much makeup and influencer talk in the beginning I could not finish it. This has too much social media talk in it.

Jia is a successful online influencer. She makes videos of makeup tutorials. She's about to finally meet the man she's been texting for over a year and she couldn't be happier. He's said so many wonderful, charming things to her, but they've never met in person. She wants to finally change that and puts herself in position to meet him at a party they both have been invited to. She's never been one to message somebody without knowing a little more about them. However, he is a Dixit, from India, with fame and fortune surrounding him. Maybe this will give her the boost she needs to finally let her family see she is okay on her own. Her family is so judgmental though, and Jia isn't sure they can even see the online success she currently has.
Dev Dixit is a famous actor from India, that has recently moved to America with his niece. This move is a new beginning for him. A way to get away from the Dixit name and all the fame it entails back home. He only wants Luna to be protected and be the best Uncle he can be to her.
One of his first big parties he attends he meets Jia. He does not know her, but she seems to think they have a connection. She is so upset after speaking to him that she runs out of the party as quickly as she can. He didn't even find out her name. But he is definitely going to find out what he did to upset her.
Thls book is such a sweet, cute romance. One that starts as a misunderstanding but turns quickly into an attraction for both parties involved. I love that Jia is her own success already. That her dreams and desires are not modified by this event. She uses the kindness of Dev to her advantage. One that will allow her family to see her as an independent success. Dev on the other hand is such a sweet gentleman. Chivalry is so powerful for this man. He opens doors and must wait to snatch that first kiss. He treads lightly around Jia, he fears offending her and never seeing her again. He wants this fake relationship to be more, but communication for either of them is a bit out of their comfort zone. If they can find a way to navigate this, they can move forward with a strong relationship. I love that Dev's grandma comes into play in this story. She is such a joy. Her character is great. She has power and success and she wants what's best for Dev.
A fun, lighthearted read. One with a few relationship ups and downs, but a sweet, romantic read.
I received this ARC from #netgalley for my honest review.

Well written with good character development but very predictable to me. I just couldn’t get into it. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Alisha Rai is an auto buy for me! I love her writing style and the contemporary tropes. She is growing a strong fanbase and First Comes Like is the best book of this series. I am excited to share it with other rom-com fans!