First Comes Like: A Novel
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- Create Date：2021-02-17 04:22:10
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Alisha Rai
- ISBN：9780062878151
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Summary
Notes From Your Bookseller
If good things come in threes， we’re happy to see Alisha Rai's next book in her Modern Love series。 From dating app creators in The Right Swipe to a tweet event meet-cute in Girl Gone Viral， it is with much delight we get a story of an internet influencer in this new book。 Romance novels remain fresh and fun with Alisha Rai！
The author of The Right Swipe and Girl Gone Viral returns with a story about finding love in all the wrong inboxes。。。
Beauty expert and influencer Jia Ahmed has her eye on the prize: conquering the internet today， the entire makeup industry tomorrow， and finally， finally proving herself to her big opinionated family。 She has little time for love， and even less time for the men in her private messages—until the day a certain international superstar slides into her DMs， and she falls hard and fast。
There’s just one wrinkle: he has no idea who she is。
The son of a powerful Bollywood family， soap opera star Dev Dixit is used to drama， but a strange woman who accuses him of wooing her online， well， that’s a new one。 As much as he’d like to focus on his Hollywood fresh start， he can’t get Jia out of his head。 Especially once he starts to suspect who might have used his famous name to catfish her…
When paparazzi blast their private business into the public eye， Dev is happy to engage in some friendly fake dating to calm the gossips and to dazzle her family。 But as the whole world swoons over their relationship， Jia can’t help but wonder: Can an online romance-turned-offline-fauxmance ever become love in real life？
Editor Reviews
01/04/2021
Rai （Girl Gone Viral） lovingly dives into modern Desi family dynamics in this playful， good-natured story of growing into love。 Beauty influencer Jia Ahmed takes the bold step of crashing an L。A。 party to meet the man who has been wooing her via Instagram messages， Bollywood actor–turned–soap opera star Dev Dixit—only to discover that he doesn’t know who she is。 Jia is humiliated， and to make matters worse， her family insists on traveling to California to meet her new beau after the paparazzi publish a picture of her and Dev from their one conversation at the party。 Jia asks Dev to pretend to date her during the visit so that she doesn’t have to tell her family she was catfished。 But in the process of learning enough about each other to be convincing as a couple， they develop a true fondness for each other。 Rai offers a refreshingly balanced depiction of minor celebrity; her protagonists clearly have money and fans， but in the end， they’re still people。 The personalities of the couple’s families are distinctive， but never so over the top that the novel falls into farce， and the story lands as upbeat， witty， and sincere。 Readers are sure to be satisfied。 Agent: Steven Axelrod， the Axelrod Agency。 （Feb。）
About the Author
Alisha Rai pens award-winning contemporary romances and her novels have been named Best Books of the Year by Washington Post， NPR， Amazon， Entertainment Weekly， Kirkus， and Cosmopolitan Magazine。 When she’s not writing， Alisha is traveling or tweeting。 To find out more about her books or to sign up for her newsletter， visit www。alisharai。com。
Reviews
Norah G
，
I received an ARC of this book to read from Edelweiss+。 All opinions are my own。 First Comes Like by Alisha Rai is the third book in her Modern Love series and I’m delighted that I finally get to read Jia’s story as she was one of my favourite characters in the first two books。 It could be read as a stand-alone but I adored the other books in the series so I highly recommend reading them too。 This book has a lot of my favourite things going on， only one bed， fake relationship， must marry soon to collect inheritance， family members whom you love but who also drive you crazy and rebuilding your life when what you had isn’t what you need any more。 Instagram Influencer Jia Ahmed was at a low point in her life when Bollywood Star Dev Dixit slid into her instagram dm’s and over the course of a few months she felt that they had become good friends and she can’t understand why now that they are in the same city he doesn’t want to meet in person。 She arranges an invite a party for his new television show and discovers that she’s been catfished。 Dev’s not quite sure why the beautiful woman he just met is so angry at him， but he’s going to find out why and do what ever he can to make it right and when the the dm’s were sent to Jia get published a fake relationship may be what’s needed to save her career and his。 I loved this book so much that when I finished I read it again because I wasn’t ready for it to end。 Steam Level: Light。 Publishing Date February 16， 2021。 #FirstComesLike #AlishaRai #AvonRomance #HarperCollinsCanada #HCC #ContemporaryRomance #OnlyOneBed #FakeRelationship #bookstagram #bookstagrammer
tai
，
this was okay， but I think it was a little bit underwhelming for me。 Things I liked:• JIA！ My favorite part of this book。 I loved loved loved her！ Such a great character to read about。 She had an amazing， loving personality， and I loved getting to know her more！ • Luna！ She stole the show for me。 She was sooo great！ • The friendship between Jia， Rhiannon and Katrina， and later on how Jia and Lakshmi became friends！ I loved their scenes together and how they worked out their silly differences and this was okay， but I think it was a little bit underwhelming for me。 Things I liked:• JIA！ My favorite part of this book。 I loved loved loved her！ Such a great character to read about。 She had an amazing， loving personality， and I loved getting to know her more！ • Luna！ She stole the show for me。 She was sooo great！ • The friendship between Jia， Rhiannon and Katrina， and later on how Jia and Lakshmi became friends！ I loved their scenes together and how they worked out their silly differences and started to like each other。 I’ve been wanting to read more about Lakshmi since The Right Swipe so I really hope she gets her own book！ This series always hits the mark perfectly when it comes to the friendships！！ I’m always a fan of their scenes。Things I didn’t like:• unfortunately what missed the mark for me with this book was the romance。 It had absolutely no depth， no development， no chemistry。。 nothing。 These two barely knew each other and were already so sure they were a perfect match and would make a great couple。 This book is the definition of instant love and I just wasn’t a fan。 I didn’t feel their connection at all。 I got excited when it seemed like they would start fake dating but then things went a completely different route after that and just moved too fast for my liking。 • dev。。 he was just so bland。 I didn’t care about his character or his POV。 he barely had a personality！ he was just boring in my opinion。 I did enjoy how supportive he was of Jia， of course， but that was the only highlight of his character for me。 I did really enjoy Jia and the girls in this book， but I feel like this series is a constant hit or miss for me。 I thought The Right Swipe was just ok， but loved Girl Gone Viral， and this one didn’t hit the mark for me either。 I loved Jia in the other books so I was excited for it， and I’m glad I still loved her so much in this book， but aside from that and the scenes with the girls， I just found I had to force myself to pick it up unfortunately！ 。。。more
Leann
，
First Comes Like was such a super cute romcom read。 While it’s the third in Alisha Rai’s Modern Love series， I absolutely read this one as a stand alone with no problems。First Comes Like follows Jai and Dev’s blossoming romance， which starts out on the wrong foot - errr the wrong inbox！ I appreciated the slow burn and how Jai and Dev took their relationship much slower than is traditionally seen in romance books。 There is some heat， but it’s definitely slow to get there。The family dynamics are a First Comes Like was such a super cute romcom read。 While it’s the third in Alisha Rai’s Modern Love series， I absolutely read this one as a stand alone with no problems。First Comes Like follows Jai and Dev’s blossoming romance， which starts out on the wrong foot - errr the wrong inbox！ I appreciated the slow burn and how Jai and Dev took their relationship much slower than is traditionally seen in romance books。 There is some heat， but it’s definitely slow to get there。The family dynamics are also fun and tense in this book。 Jai moved to California from the East Cost， whereas Dev moved to California from his family in India。 When all the parents and grandparents get together to meet one another you can feel the tension in the air。 。。。more
Norah Gibbons
，
I received an ARC of this book to read from Edelweiss+。 All opinions are my own。 First Comes Like by Alisha Rai is the third book in her Modern Love series and I’m delighted that I finally get to read Jia’s story as she was one of my favourite characters in the first two books。 It could be read as a stand-alone but I adored the other books in the series so I highly recommend reading them too。 This book has a lot of my favourite things going on， only one bed， fake relationship， must marry soon to I received an ARC of this book to read from Edelweiss+。 All opinions are my own。 First Comes Like by Alisha Rai is the third book in her Modern Love series and I’m delighted that I finally get to read Jia’s story as she was one of my favourite characters in the first two books。 It could be read as a stand-alone but I adored the other books in the series so I highly recommend reading them too。 This book has a lot of my favourite things going on， only one bed， fake relationship， must marry soon to collect inheritance， family members whom you love but who also drive you crazy and rebuilding your life when what you had isn’t what you need any more。 Instagram Influencer Jia Ahmed was at a low point in her life when Bollywood Star Dev Dixit slid into her instagram dm’s and over the course of a few months she felt that they had become good friends and she can’t understand why now that they are in the same city he doesn’t want to meet in person。 She arranges an invite a party for his new television show and discovers that she’s been catfished。 Dev’s not quite sure why the beautiful woman he just met is so angry at him， but he’s going to find out why and do what ever he can to make it right and when the the dm’s were sent to Jia get published a fake relationship may be what’s needed to save her career and his。 I loved this book so much that when I finished I read it again because I wasn’t ready for it to end。 Steam Level: Light。 Publishing Date February 16， 2021。 #FirstComesLike #AlishaRai #AvonRomance #HarperCollinsCanada #HCC #ContemporaryRomance #OnlyOneBed #FakeRelationship #bookstagram #bookstagrammer 。。。more
Amy
，
I adore this series SO much and have been so looking forward to getting Jia’s story。 This had a sweeter feel to it than the first two books， a softer more romantic side and I think it’s because of how tender Dev is 🥰 I can’t speak on a personal level as to how well portrayed the religious aspects are， but I can tell you that I loved learning about another culture and was thrilled to have a female heroine in a hijab！ Read this is you like fake dating， smart heroines， and complicated and entertain I adore this series SO much and have been so looking forward to getting Jia’s story。 This had a sweeter feel to it than the first two books， a softer more romantic side and I think it’s because of how tender Dev is 🥰 I can’t speak on a personal level as to how well portrayed the religious aspects are， but I can tell you that I loved learning about another culture and was thrilled to have a female heroine in a hijab！ Read this is you like fake dating， smart heroines， and complicated and entertaining family dynamics 。。。more
Darelis Carrion
，
First Comes LikeBy: Alisha RaiRating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5Quote: “People com in and out of our lives， and we have to enjoy the parts in the middle。 But I think it’s okay to not enjoy all the parts” Thank you NetGalley for the eArc in exchange of an honest review。This book follows Jia Ahmed: a youtuber influencer that shares beauty secrets with her followers。 As she became closer to her 30’s， she started to felt old for the job and started to dream to build her own make up line。 Jia has been chatting for month First Comes LikeBy: Alisha RaiRating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5Quote: “People com in and out of our lives， and we have to enjoy the parts in the middle。 But I think it’s okay to not enjoy all the parts” Thank you NetGalley for the eArc in exchange of an honest review。This book follows Jia Ahmed: a youtuber influencer that shares beauty secrets with her followers。 As she became closer to her 30’s， she started to felt old for the job and started to dream to build her own make up line。 Jia has been chatting for months with the Bollywood star ，Dev Naik and she can’t wait to meet him。 When she finally arrange “a meeting”， she realizes that she have been catfished。First Comes Like， is by far my favorite book from the Modern Love Series。 I loved the chemistry between both characters and the diversity of representations the book offers。 It gave me a lot of insight about Muslim culture。 I also loved the respect of each character for the each other culture and support between them。Overall， it was cute book and I enjoyed very much the knowing process of each family members。 I read it over Valentine weekend and it was the perfect read 。。。more
Just Love books
，
“Here’s to a mutually beneficial manufactured and discreet romance。 Just what every girl dreams of for her first romance。"Jia Ahmed loves being a beauty influencer and sharing her tips and hacks with her followers but like all girls she has her insecurities a big one being guys and this is only heightened when Bollywood star Dev Dixit all but denies knowing her at all， after Jia has been chatting with him online for give or take a year。 As it would turn out someone else has been messaging her al “Here’s to a mutually beneficial manufactured and discreet romance。 Just what every girl dreams of for her first romance。"Jia Ahmed loves being a beauty influencer and sharing her tips and hacks with her followers but like all girls she has her insecurities a big one being guys and this is only heightened when Bollywood star Dev Dixit all but denies knowing her at all， after Jia has been chatting with him online for give or take a year。 As it would turn out someone else has been messaging her all this time using Devs social media。••Wanting to right the wrongs that have been done to Jia， Dev tries to apologize to her which only leads them to being photographed by paps in a cozy situation。 This leads to both sides families getting involved and soon Jia and Dev find themselves in a fake relationship that only snowballs。 But soon real feelings begin to form and it's not so much of a fake relationship but will these two be able to get their happily ever after？••This was such a cute book。 I absolutely loved the way Rai portrayed the Desi culture all while keeping things modern and fresh。 I absolutely loved having a strong Muslim female lead that embraced her culture。 As for Dev， the was pretty perfect， I loved that he was genuinely a nice guy and that he was helping to raise his niece。 I absolutely loved his relationship with Luna and uncle Adil。••The connection between these two characters was just perfect， I loved that they supported each other。 Also I have to say I liked that Rai showed the darker side of Bollywood and didn't just brush over it as all flowers and sunshine。••This was definitely a excellent depiction of both cultures as well as how Desi families like to operate。 I would definitely recommend First Comes Like， this book just like previous two was a cute read。 。。。more
Kimberly
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Reviewed for Wit and SinCan catfishing lead to love？ It can when in the hands of talented author Alisha Rai。 First Comes Like starts off with a modern problem and turns it into a sweet romance。 Dev and Jia’s story is an excellent blend of modern and traditional that shines thanks to its incredibly charming leads。Jia is easy to adore。 She’s a social media influencer and beauty expert working toward getting her own makeup line one day。 Jia’s family may say she’s “too much” but she’s exactl Reviewed for Wit and SinCan catfishing lead to love？ It can when in the hands of talented author Alisha Rai。 First Comes Like starts off with a modern problem and turns it into a sweet romance。 Dev and Jia’s story is an excellent blend of modern and traditional that shines thanks to its incredibly charming leads。Jia is easy to adore。 She’s a social media influencer and beauty expert working toward getting her own makeup line one day。 Jia’s family may say she’s “too much” but she’s exactly right as-is。 Jia has a bright personality， a kind heart， and a quick mind – she’s a true triple threat you’d absolutely want as a friend in real life。 When she learns she’s been catfished by someone using soap opera star Dev Dixit’s social media account she’s mortified。 Between worrying what her family will say when they find out the truth and the paparazzi sticking their cameras into her business， Jia needs a quick fix and it’s Dev to the rescue。Dev is a total sweetheart。 He’s got a heart of gold and a sweet， protective， and supportive nature。 Dev is raising his niece in the wake of his brother’s death and it was lovely to watch him with his family。 Dev isn’t perfect but he tries so hard to do what’s best for the people he loves。 It’s a testament to Rai’s talent that he doesn’t come across as too perfect。 If a fake romance is what it will take to solve Jia’s problems than Dev is happy to help。 And the more time they spend together the clearer it is that the two of them are simply meant to be。Because Jia and Dev are such likeable characters it’s easy to fall into their romance。 There’s an easy chemistry to them that makes the pages of the story whizz by。 I liked how they simply clicked on every level， appreciating and supporting each other at every turn。 There’s not much drama and very little angst in First Comes Like and that was fine by me for the most part。 I do wish there had been more to the story at the end to see Jia and Dev grow more as a couple。 Things felt left up in the air with their lives and professions – likely by design – but even with this issue I was still confident Jia and Dev would be able to navigate whatever obstacles came their way。 First Comes Like is the third book in Alisha Rai’s Modern Love series but it can easily be read as a standalone。 I was delighted to revisit Rhiannon and Katrina and the strong female friendships in this book made my heart sing。 I also adored Jia and Dev’s families。 The dynamics can be messy， but there is love there that radiates off the page。 And it would be remiss of me to talk about this book and not note that Rai treats Jia and Dev’s religions， cultures， and traditions with respect， making the characters and the world they inhabit feel all the more real。 I’ve adored every book in the Modern Love series and First Comes Like is no exception。FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。 。。。more
Erin
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ARC from NetGalley and Avon books in exchange for an honest review。 Well I had all intentions of going to bed early。。。 but I just couldn’t go to sleep wondering what was going to happen with Jia and Dev。 This “slow burn” romance was super cute。 And again， I really loved that Rai was able to get these 3 stories to be completely different and captivating even though they were modern love stories。 This was was definitely the most PG of the series and I am holding our for a Lakshmi and Tina installm ARC from NetGalley and Avon books in exchange for an honest review。 Well I had all intentions of going to bed early。。。 but I just couldn’t go to sleep wondering what was going to happen with Jia and Dev。 This “slow burn” romance was super cute。 And again， I really loved that Rai was able to get these 3 stories to be completely different and captivating even though they were modern love stories。 This was was definitely the most PG of the series and I am holding our for a Lakshmi and Tina installment please！！ Thank for being mixed raced couples， Muslim couples， non religious couples。。。 🤞🏾gay couples！！ I really enjoy how you tell a story and was happy to spend my valentines week with these characters！ 。。。more
BoxerLover2
，
This book has all the tropes。CatfishingFake relationshipInterfering familySuper supportive friendsJia is an internet influencer。 Dev is a Bollywood star。They meet。 They talk。 He watches her videos。 It takes them a while to realize they are each what the other is looking for in a relationship。 This book is like a warm cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows。 Content warning for Alisha Rai fans， they don’t touch and/or kiss until 90% into the book。 And I am ok with that。 It was a great read。
Rachel White
，
Wow， this one has to be my favorite book in this series。 Alisha Rai does such a great job of representation in her books and portraying diversity in relationships。 I felt like this one showed the cultures in such a real and interesting way without betraying the morals of the cultures。 I was really impressed and this made me want to read other books with this same cultural representation！ Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review！
Monica Yeavello
，
This book was sent to me as an ARC in exchange for an unbiased honest review。 It took me a bit to pick this book up and a few pages in I was not sure if it would be for me。 I have to tell you that I was very happy I continued on because I ended up loving this book。I enjoyed all of the characters， their family dynamics and views on dating， engagements and weddings。 Thank you so much for the great journey！
Ashleigh
，
Let me tell you that this is a fun， flirty， funny， sweet， a little over the top book that everyone needs in their life。 I devoured this fast paced crazy rom com and have no regrets， besides the fact that I need more Alisha Rai in my life。 Jia， a beauty influencer has been having an online relationship with a soap opera star named Dev。 Her friends think she is being cat fished because they've never met in person， but Jia has confidence that it really is Dev she's talking to。 Jia plans to run i Let me tell you that this is a fun， flirty， funny， sweet， a little over the top book that everyone needs in their life。 I devoured this fast paced crazy rom com and have no regrets， besides the fact that I need more Alisha Rai in my life。 Jia， a beauty influencer has been having an online relationship with a soap opera star named Dev。 Her friends think she is being cat fished because they've never met in person， but Jia has confidence that it really is Dev she's talking to。 Jia plans to run into him at an event and when they finally bump into each other Jia realizes he friends were right she wasn't talking to the real Dev。 After the meeting Dev can't get Jia out of his。 The paparazzi begin to publicize their "relationship"。 Which gets their families involved and a crazy whirlwind adventure ensues。 。。。more
Anita Byars
，
I received this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 Jia is a social media influencer and thinks she has caught the eye of a member of a famous Bollywood family。 But when she finds out he is in town she has to meet him in person。 But instead he doesn’t even know who she is。 Broken hearted and embarrassed she finds out that she has been catfished。But Dev Dexit cant get her out of his mind and when he finds out what his twin did to her he wants to make amends。 I received this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 Jia is a social media influencer and thinks she has caught the eye of a member of a famous Bollywood family。 But when she finds out he is in town she has to meet him in person。 But instead he doesn’t even know who she is。 Broken hearted and embarrassed she finds out that she has been catfished。But Dev Dexit cant get her out of his mind and when he finds out what his twin did to her he wants to make amends。 But starting a faux dating romance with Jia in his struggling world at the moment just seems to be difficult at best。 But as these two get to know one another could there be real feelings for a HEA？ This story moves slow at times and it just seemed a little bit lacking a true love connection and the feels for me。 Otherwise I would have loved it！ 。。。more
Rebecca
，
I found this to be a cute and sweet love story with an interesting beginning and fun twists along the way。 A slight change from the first two in the series， I thought it slowed down a bit and focused more on the connection and growth of love rather than just attraction and chemistry- although there was plenty of that。 I thought this one was the best in the series and enjoyed getting to know these characters more。 I love the way the author has developed the characters over the series in each book I found this to be a cute and sweet love story with an interesting beginning and fun twists along the way。 A slight change from the first two in the series， I thought it slowed down a bit and focused more on the connection and growth of love rather than just attraction and chemistry- although there was plenty of that。 I thought this one was the best in the series and enjoyed getting to know these characters more。 I love the way the author has developed the characters over the series in each book but gives a story to each in their own book。 A delightful read with a bit of romance。 。。。more
Kayleen
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3。5
Natalie （readswithnatalieb）
，
I’m not much of a romance reader， but I haven’t read a romance story like this before！ I didn’t realize this was a series until after I finished the book， so it’s safe to say you can read it as a stand alone。 I’m sure I didn’t pick up on some context of the characters mentioned， but it wasn’t obvious at all。I really enjoyed the two main characters， Jia and Dev。 To be honest， I really liked all the characters！ They each brought their own importance with great dialogue。 Maybe I do need to read mor I’m not much of a romance reader， but I haven’t read a romance story like this before！ I didn’t realize this was a series until after I finished the book， so it’s safe to say you can read it as a stand alone。 I’m sure I didn’t pick up on some context of the characters mentioned， but it wasn’t obvious at all。I really enjoyed the two main characters， Jia and Dev。 To be honest， I really liked all the characters！ They each brought their own importance with great dialogue。 Maybe I do need to read more romances *cue adding the first two books of the series to my TBR。* Content Warnings: death of family members， car accident mention， catfishing， estrangement from family， racist micro-aggressions， grief， anxietyFor what is such an overall cute rom-com and easy read， it covered a lot of heavy hitting topics。 I was super impressed with how much Rai was able to weave into the story， and nothing felt out of place or forced。Does anyone have insight if there will be a fourth book！？ The ending felt a little rushed to where I needed some more！ And I would love a book on Jia’s roommates alone。 They were amazing。Thank you so much Libro。FM and Harper Audio for this ALC！ 。。。more
Erin
，
ebook Giveaway Win！
April
，
Thanks to LibroFM for my free audio copy of this book in exchange for my honest review！I loved this one on audio and these characters were so fun！！ I loved the way Jia and Dev started out as a fake couple and enjoyed the back and forth perspectives of each character！ This story was sweet and funny and I did not want to stop listening on my commutes！ I need to go back and read the author's previous books！！ Don't miss this if you enjoy romance books that dive into fake relationships， social media/ Thanks to LibroFM for my free audio copy of this book in exchange for my honest review！I loved this one on audio and these characters were so fun！！ I loved the way Jia and Dev started out as a fake couple and enjoyed the back and forth perspectives of each character！ This story was sweet and funny and I did not want to stop listening on my commutes！ I need to go back and read the author's previous books！！ Don't miss this if you enjoy romance books that dive into fake relationships， social media/influencers， and sweet and wholesome characters！！ 。。。more
Becky
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I received a copy of this book from Netgalley。 This book tells the story of Jia， an Internet influencer， and Dev， an actor。 Dev's brothers had been communicating with Jia as a "prank"。 When Jia meets Dev， she realizes he has no idea who she is。 Their picture is taken by the papparzi and published。 In order to protect Jia's reputation， they claim to be dating， and their relationship develops。This was a sweet story with very likeable characters。 It was a very enjoyable read， and I plan on reading I received a copy of this book from Netgalley。 This book tells the story of Jia， an Internet influencer， and Dev， an actor。 Dev's brothers had been communicating with Jia as a "prank"。 When Jia meets Dev， she realizes he has no idea who she is。 Their picture is taken by the papparzi and published。 In order to protect Jia's reputation， they claim to be dating， and their relationship develops。This was a sweet story with very likeable characters。 It was a very enjoyable read， and I plan on reading the first two in the series。 。。。more
Farhina ↯↯ The Wanderer Of Inked Adventures
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On a book tour for this one。 I don't know where I was asleep when I signed up for this， but I am slightly worried and anxious about the Muslim rep now。 I thought the author was Muslim 🤡 On a book tour for this one。 I don't know where I was asleep when I signed up for this， but I am slightly worried and anxious about the Muslim rep now。 I thought the author was Muslim 🤡 。。。more
Rebecca
，
Thanks to the publisher， via Netgalley， for an advance e-galley for honest review。Alisha Rai has become an author that I'll automatically read， and First Comes Like was a much anticipated read that delivered for me。 I'd love to shove this series， as a whole， into the hands of readers who think of romance， in the genre's entirity， as a smutty monolith （yes， these readers are out there， even in 2021）。 This series has shown how much nuance can be in within the genre， even when taking the lens of so Thanks to the publisher， via Netgalley， for an advance e-galley for honest review。Alisha Rai has become an author that I'll automatically read， and First Comes Like was a much anticipated read that delivered for me。 I'd love to shove this series， as a whole， into the hands of readers who think of romance， in the genre's entirity， as a smutty monolith （yes， these readers are out there， even in 2021）。 This series has shown how much nuance can be in within the genre， even when taking the lens of social media/internet dating as a continuing thread throughout。 The Right Swipe， Girl Gone Viral， and First Comes Like have showcased three very different characters with different social， religious， and cultural backgrounds- and their different attitudes and beliefs to love， dating， and romance。All that said， I really enjoyed getting to finally see Jia's story and her perspective。 Dev was a sweet and supportive male lead， and I thought their story had so much heart。 。。。more
Julie
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I love this series！ I have enjoyed getting to know Jia in the earlier books， and was excited to read her story。 She is an Influencer who also happens to be Muslim。 And I liked that while she's Muslim， and it's part of who she is， it wasn't the whole story。 She's the youngest of many sisters （5， I think） and the majority， along with her parents， are doctors。 She is living in LA with the main characters of the first two books read them！）。 She thinks that her family doesn't take her or her career s I love this series！ I have enjoyed getting to know Jia in the earlier books， and was excited to read her story。 She is an Influencer who also happens to be Muslim。 And I liked that while she's Muslim， and it's part of who she is， it wasn't the whole story。 She's the youngest of many sisters （5， I think） and the majority， along with her parents， are doctors。 She is living in LA with the main characters of the first two books read them！）。 She thinks that her family doesn't take her or her career seriously （she has millions of followers！）。Jia has been communicating with Bollywood star Dev Dixit through social media。 She has developed what she thought were reciprocated feelings for him， and， when he accepts an acting job in LA， she manages to get an invite to party where he will be。 And， to her embarrassment， he has NO idea who she is。 However， after a series of events， they end up fake dating （I love how fake dating creates a false sense of intimacy where the characters can get to know each other at a faster pace than usual）。 Unfortunately both Dev and Jia's family wants to meet the other and their stories grow more complicated by the moment。This book made me smile and laugh out loud multiple times。 I loved Jia's thoughts and personal reflections。 There were doable perspectives （Dev had his own chapters）， and I liked having his perspective as well。 I felt that the first half moved along beautifully。 The second half was a little slower for me。 It almost felt like real life- we started with the initial rush of a new （fake） relationship and then moved into the complicated reality of figuring it out。 My fingers are crossed that the series continues！Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Kinsey
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Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。I've really enjoyed this series but didn't connect as well with this one。 The troupes just weren't my thing。 I still appreciated the modern romance， witty writing， and as always amazing representation that I've never seen in the romance genre before。 Our two main characters try to balance their families' expectations of them while staying true to themselves。 You get this series trademark females in the t Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。I've really enjoyed this series but didn't connect as well with this one。 The troupes just weren't my thing。 I still appreciated the modern romance， witty writing， and as always amazing representation that I've never seen in the romance genre before。 Our two main characters try to balance their families' expectations of them while staying true to themselves。 You get this series trademark females in the tech world with the heroine who is a YouTube makeup influencer trying to figure out her next career move。 They start to fake date to keep up their reputations but quickly fall for one another （that's the troupe I liked best）。 However， the ending felt rushed and I felt like it lost the chemistry between them。 。。。more
Princess
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I received a copy of this from the publisher in exchange for my honest review。 I absolutely adored this！ Jia was so sweet and naive and wonderful。 She felt like her whole family didn’t appreciate her and she just wanted to be someone they could be proud of。 Dev was struggling to find his place in his family。 Fate threw them together and it was wonderful
DeAnn
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3。25 sweet romcom starsMeet 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 3。25 sweet romcom starsMeet 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。Thank you to Book Club Girls Early Reads/Avon Harper Voyage for the copy of this one to read and review。 。。。more
S
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Quick review （to be updated with full review later）: Fake dating， mutual pining。 A nod to road trips and only one rooms。 Meddling families。 Heartwarming moments。 Slow burn。I know that due to the catfishing aspect， this won't be for everyone， but it's my favorite book of the Modern Love Trilogy。CW: grief/mourningThank you to Avon/Harper Collins for my ARC in exchange for a review Quick review （to be updated with full review later）: Fake dating， mutual pining。 A nod to road trips and only one rooms。 Meddling families。 Heartwarming moments。 Slow burn。I know that due to the catfishing aspect， this won't be for everyone， but it's my favorite book of the Modern Love Trilogy。CW: grief/mourningThank you to Avon/Harper Collins for my ARC in exchange for a review 。。。more
Robin
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This series just keeps getting better。 Highly recommended for even casual romance readers。
Lisa
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I really enjoyed Dev and Jia's story so very much。 I personally liked how it embraced current social media trends and the witty and unexpected turn of a phrase。 Others will describe the story， I just want to describe the warm fuzzy feeling I felt at the end of this book！ I'm totally excited to learn that this was the third entry in this series and there are two prequels to read。。 Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book。 I really enjoyed Dev and Jia's story so very much。 I personally liked how it embraced current social media trends and the witty and unexpected turn of a phrase。 Others will describe the story， I just want to describe the warm fuzzy feeling I felt at the end of this book！ I'm totally excited to learn that this was the third entry in this series and there are two prequels to read。。 Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Nicole
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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 t 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。 。。。more
Donna Sutay-Cooke
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