Book 3 in the Modern Love series by Alisha Rai. Each book in this series presents a relationship between a modern BIPOC couple. Each story has its share of references to social media or online dating. Side characters from previous book take the spotlight in each new book. In this book, Jia Ahmed takes center stage. She is friends & roomies with Katrina and Rhiannon from the previous two books. Jia is a Pakistani-American who has built a career as a beauty blogger, posting makeup tutorials and more on Instagram and other platforms. She has been having online exchanges with Bollywood Soap Opera star Dev Dixit for a while and is excited when it is announced he is moving to California to act in a new American TV show. But, when she approaches him at an industry party he has no idea who she is. It turns out that she has been CATFISHED. Dev is intrigued by her and has his assistant track her down after the party and the two agree to meet. A paparazzi gets photos of them at their meeting and the media assumes they are in a hot new relationship. So.... (of course) the two decide to pretend to date to get their respective families off their backs.

So, yes, this is another book in the fake dating trope. This one has a bit of a twist in that the female lead is a modest Muslim American woman who has no intentions to get hot & steamy outside of marriage. I actually ended up liking this book more than the previous two books in the series. It was a fun, light read that was easy to get through in a day.

Another great installment in the Modern Love series. Such sweet main characters and I loved how honest and caring they were with each other. Can't wait to read more from Alisha Rai!

I blew through First Comes Like. I really like the modern issues that couples face due to technology in this series (although I haven't read book 1). Husband and I utilized email in our early relationship so I appreciate seeing these aspects presented in a realistic way.

First Comes Like was exactly like the description states, yet still different from what I had in mind. When Jia finally meets Dev, he immediately feels an attraction to her but has no idea who she is. She's hurt and embarrassed. He attempts to investigate who could have written the messages to her in his name and is determined to make things up to her as much as possible. This causes them to interact more and eventually come up with the plan to fake date. Of course, getting to know each other sparks feelings on both sides, but neither knows where the other stands.

I devoured this book. Even though the challenges of modern technology felt realistic to me, the solutions to the problems facing this couple didn't feel the same level of realism in my opinion. Maybe this stems from my lack of cultural knowledge, but I felt some of those pieces of the puzzle were too easy. Honestly, though, I was enjoying the journey too much to care about the realism in the moment.

Often times I end up complaining about books that have forced extreme conflict just for the characters to have something to overcome. I was thankful that nothing crazy happened to force conflict between these two characters. There were little things that they had to work to overcome but nothing drastic or forced.

Overall, I enjoyed First Comes Like . It was clean for the most part. The only scenes came at a point where I couldn't morally object. Shoot these characters didn't even kiss until past a certain point (no spoilers). The technology challenges were realistic even though the solutions to some of the conflicts were not in my opinion. Ultimately, I'm happy to give First Comes Like 4 Stars. Have you read First Comes Like ? What did you think? Let me know!

First Comes Like is a sweet romance infused with religion and culturees that sets it apart from many contemporary novels today.

This is a classic "girl gets catfished, then fakes a relationship with the real guy to get her family off her back, and actually falls in love" romance.

You know, totally normal.

I've enjoyed this series by Alisha Rai a whole lot and this is no exception.

A lovely rom-com that explores not only the romantic relationship, but also how complex family relationships color how the hero and heroine interact. It also focuses on cultural clashes between the Indian Bollywood hero and the American-raised Pakistani heroine who is an internet star.

This story was cute, but not my favorite. I appreciated that it focused on a diverse couple, and that the main character was an independent woman with her own business. It was a bit repetitive and a solid PG rating, which is a little lighter than I personally prefer.

I enjoyed this romance featuring two likable, relatable characters who got caught up in a catfish-turned-fake dating situation.

Jia is a Pakistani-American beauty influencer and Dev is an Indian actor transitioning from Bollywood to Hollywood (love that representation!). They’re both navigating the changes in their careers and, of course, family dynamics.

I read Alisha Rai’s Forbidden Love series two years ago and have been reading the rest of her work since. I love that First Comes Like brought us back to one of the characters we met in that first trilogy.

I enjoyed this fun, romantic romp of a read, with it’s blend of traditional Indian culture and modern social media -driven plot. The characters were quirky and funny, and the experience was overall a light but sweet escape.

I loved the first two book in this series and this one didn't disappointed. This was a sweet story that gave insight into Muslin culture. I don't have first hand expense so can't comment on the accuracy, but I always enjoy reading about different cultures. I am excited to read more by this author. She is becoming a new favorite!

This was my first book that I have read in the series as I did not realize it was in one. I have missed some of the character relationships between Jia and her roommates but it did not affect the story for me. Jia is a beauty influencer who meets Dev, a Bollywood star and from there begins this romantic comedy. Alisha Rai wrote a great story with fun and witty characters. There were real life experiences and emotions which made the story relatable.

This book was a breath of fresh air. I LOVED the romance and HUMOR. Alisha has a way of making you swoon and giggle in the same paragraph. I love the insight into a new kind of romance. Alisha will always be a insta buy!

Influencer Jia Ahmed is nervously excited to finally meet Dev Dixit for the first time. After all, they've been talking online for months, but real life is so different. But IRL is quickly heartbreaking when Dev doesn't have the slightest clue who she is.

Bollywood actor Dev is trying to keep things together: he's moved to California to make his debut in American television, he's now raising his tweenage niece after the death of his womanizer brother, and reconnecting with his mother's brother. He doesn't have time for romance. However, he makes time to figure out who Jia is and why she insists that they have been talking through some very personal private messages over social media.

They meet up again so that Dev can make sense of what happened and give Jia the answers she needs for how they got into a catfishing mess, the last thing they anticipate is getting caught by the paparazzi. While Dev's quick thinking saves Jia's face from ending up in the gossip rags, Jia's mother and older sisters quickly recognize a piece of Jia's wardrobe and demand answers. To save face and to prove she's not the screw-up they all think her to be, Jia declares that she and Dev have been dating. And after the pain that Jia has gone through, Dev is willing to play the part. But quickly the 'fake' part of their relationship is called into question as feelings develop.

While I love Alisha Rai and her Modern Love series, I entered this book with some hesitation. As far as I am aware, Rai is not Muslim, so I was interested to see how she handled two Muslim main characters. (Especially since there has been some back-and-forth regarding Jia on the cover's design.) Also not being Muslim, I can't 100% say that everything was depicted in an accurate and respectful manner, but having read books by and about Muslim women where romance plays a large role, I thought that the religious aspects of the book were handled well.

However, it does lead to my central complaint. The second half of the book felt rushed, and it didn't have to be. Jia and Dev do get married in the book, but that seems to largely serve the purpose of getting them into bed together. The first half of the book was this nice slow-ish burn, fake-dating trope book where we could see exactly where and how Jia and Dev were going to develop individually and come out stronger. But then it didn't happen; everything that could have been got dropped to push them to the altar so that they could, eventually, end up in the bedroom. Nothing feels truly resolved at the end of the book, and it's so hard to feel like the characters got a Happily Ever After when they aren't the characters we were rooting for at the beginning.

I have (mostly) enjoyed this series from the beginning and was eager to get to Jia's story.

I've liked Jia from all of the glimpses we've seen of her. She's smart and motivated and knows what she wants, but isn't sure about how people will perceive her choices. Dev is a little stoic, but charming and loyal to his family. Together they have a sweet friendship and loads of understanding. Of course, it was so much fun to see the couples of the previous books.

Plot wise, it is the slowest of slow burns. I enjoyed all of the scenes with Jia and Dev getting to know each other and seriously could have done with a million more pages with all of the sisters together. I think my main struggle with it was that the build up felt non-existent and then boom! Instant conflict and resolution. I wanted more chemistry and less miscommunication.

Overall, I liked these characters and they were easy to be invested in. I can't wait to see what Alisha comes up with next.

**Huge thanks to Avon for providing the arc free of charge**

Fake dating leads to falling in love? Sign me up. The second I read the synopsis I knew I would want to read this and probably love it.

This was a very sweet, wholesome romance. Both MCs, Jia and Dev, were both extremely sweet people, individually and as a couple. They were both so considerate and caring of the others feelings, it was almost to a fault. I loved their slow burn like to love, tiptoeing around their feelings. I wish they talked more about their feelings, both good and bad, with each other more than they did others around them. But that goes along with getting to know each other. Did they rush things? Yes. Was it adorable? Also yes.

I loved the sense of sisterhood and the strong female friendships, between Jia and her friends and also between Jia and her sisters. The one conflict was wrapped up extremely early and then because a friendship of building each other up, which I thought was great.

Overall, I thought this book was really adorable and sweet, and a quick, fun read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon books got the e- ARC!

I was pretty let down by this book. There is zero character development here. The reader is told many times that Jia is flighty and impulsive, etc. However, none of that is really evident in the book (except for the big impulsive decision towards the end of the book). I didn't feel any chemistry between the two main characters. I think this is meant to be a slow burn romance, but really doesn't succeed at it. And the references to COVID-19 without actually naming it really annoyed me. Overall just underwhelming.

Enjoyable tale with likable characters which I admit to preferring in a light rom com like this. It was also any interesting snapshot into the life of a rising social media star and another culture.

Please see the link below and attached to view my blog’s review of Alisha Rai’s First Comes Like:

https://wordsofmysteryblog.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/what-i-read-in-february/

Love Alisha Rai and her new book First Comes Like is no different! This one features an influencer and the guy who slides into her DMs...but has no idea that she's famous. Such a fun read, highly recommended.

*2.5 stars ⭐️*

Likes:
Firstly, I did not find any glaring problems concerning the Muslim representation. However, I am Malay Muslim, and cannot comment on the Pakistani-American (heroine Jia) or Indian (hero Dev) rep here.

✨Jia is a practicing Muslim: she prays, doesn't drink and it's not shoved in your face which I liked. It was just a part of her and her daily routine, and it's refreshing to see myself represented in that way in a female romance lead.
✨I liked how Dev was always very respectful of Jia and in their marriage, especially because he comes from a different culture.
✨I liked how they didn't rush intimacy until near the end. I know not a lot of people were fond of that, but I do know it's quite realistic for a lot of Muslims.

Disikes:
◦ My main problem with the story is that it kinda lacked charm. Chemistry. Fun. The fake-dating aspect was alright, but the overall romance was so tame and lackluster. Just plain boring.
◦ Also, a TikTok dancer was in this and it felt weird. Could've left that out lol.
◦ There were a few sweet moments here and there, but seriously not enough for good chemistry. It wasn't fun, or had funny banter. The relationship between the MCs wasn't passionate; they didn't feel like friends, honestly, maybe a bit more than acquaintances I'd say.
◦ Also, Jia had some strong insecurities, but they were never given proper backstory or any build-up. It was all tell and no show from the beginning and I couldn't relate to her at all aside from that she's Muslim. Dev's story was more interesting since he's a bit of a single dad and has custody of his biological niece.

Overall:
Underwhelmed with the story. Wished that Jia was a more interesting character in terms of personality and backstory. I just wanted more oomph to their relationship, pre-marriage.

A big shout out and thank you to Lonely Pages Book Tours for including me in the tour and to the publisher for providing me with a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review!

First Comes Like is the first book of Alisha Rai’s I read and I regret it. Why? Because I should have read them all. I should’ve already known about her and her writing and I should’ve already spoken to fifty million people about it. I’ve wasted too much time. This book is everything one would look for when in search of a comfort read. You won’t be tossed into the wave of the unknown, rather you’ll be gently released into an ocean of familiarity.

The setting may not be familiar, nor the plot. But the people are. The story is. It resembled something my friend would tell me, or I would experience through a day; like a call from a parent, an embarrassing moment, quiet joy in our work place or a shared smile with someone dear. It was all very real to me. The strangest part is finding this realness with a YouTuber and an actor–both of whom technically my life barely has any correlation with. I loved how Alisha brought the well known statement (that even the most famous people in this world are just that: people) true in her narration.

The writing was my absolute favourite part of this book. Alisha brought sensitivity into every single letter of her book. The narration is extremely gentle and the characters are all kind or reveal kindness at an unexpected moment. Absolutely nobody stays under darker light, almost always revealing light within them that we may have never expected to perceive–just as it happens in real life. This was something heavily supported by the dual perspective. I’m a very wary fan of dual POVs because sometimes the narration falls flat when the voices aren’t caught well or there are discrepancies in the switch. But Alisha pulled it off so well that I have a special respect for dual POCs now, because it brings a layer of understanding and insight into both protagonists and their lives separate from their feelings for one another.

The characters… I mean what more can I say that I haven’t already (hopefully coherently) gushed about? Jia had my heart much much earlier than I would’ve expected and she certainly retained it through the story. Her moments of fear, kindness, bravery and even pettiness made her very very human and I never felt that the character gave way to the plot by losing their personality. Dev is one of the most kind, gentle and responsible people I have read in a while and I have to say I was just as moved by him as Jia was throughout the story. He resembles everything we would expect in a person and while he’s never without flaws, he’s always ready to apologise and rework himself. The secondary characters are all very very multifaceted, be it the friends, the family or the acquaintances who appear on scene. Everyone seems to have a perspective they work from and no one is ever completely perfect or irredeemably flawed.

Five stars. Easily. A special mention to the dedication. It may not be earth-bending-awesomeness, but like Alisha’s book, this too was quietly moving… the kind that stays with you forever. It was the first thing I highlighted and the last thing I came back to see once I was done. I highly recommend this book (if all the gushing wasn’t evident). Have a wonderful day and stay super super safe. Also, as always happy reading and don’t forget to drop by on the other tour stops! ❤