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 … 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?
more
This book was a great time! It was my first one by Alisha Rai, but it won’t be my last. And even though I jumped into the third book of the series, this book is a standalone and I didn’t miss a thing. Jia’s story is just terrific, and Dev is the perfect kind of swoony hero. I love their glitzy LA life, which is so different from my own. (Can I visit Malibu? Pretty please?) And Jia’s influencer story made her an unusual heroine, and I loved that angle so much! A shout out to Jia’s family, too. They’re a fun bunch.
A thoroughly-charming, standalone-HEA tale about beautiful (inside and out) influencer (Jia) and Bollywood soap star Dev. Jia is catfished by one of Dev’s well-meaning? relatives. and their story continues from there. This is a fun, entertaining, romantic tale filled with quirky and lovable family and friends.
Loved this romance trilogy! Jia and Dev’s story was so so cute! I loved all the family moments for each of them. I laughed with Jia and her sisters. I recommend this trilogy.
This story was a lot of fun to follow along with! The only downside was there felt like something was missing, since there wasn’t too much drama. I didn’t take too much away for that, since it’s refreshing to see a romance without devastating events. The characters are all super loveable, and I really liked how they’re all connected through all 3 books. Overall really good and really cute!
Book 135 towards my goal of 290! 4/5 stars for this adult romance read. Great for those who love the fake dating trope! Loved the characters, and loved all the family members! The cover fits the story so welwell. Loved the dual narration. Highly recommend!
I love Alisha Rai’s work, even though I’ve only read a few. I was super excited for First Comes Like, the third book in her Modern Romance series. Overall it was a great book and excellently written. I have to admit, though, I was looking forward to some super-steam, and this book just didn’t have it. Honestly, though, it wouldn’t have made sense with these characters for them to be super intimate, so I get it, totally, but still a little disappointed.
Jia is a social media influencer. She has all her websites and videos, etc. She starts talking to an Indian TV star online, and when he comes to Hollywood to break in to American TV, she goes to meet him – except he has no idea who she is! One thing leads to another (romance reasons) and they agree to a fake relationship for both of their benefit, except, of course (!) they catch feelings.
This book felt like it moved really fast! I don’t know that I got a great idea of the characters – I wanted to live with them longer? Be more in their heads? It just felt very plot-driven (which isn’t a bad thing), but I wanted I guess more feelings.
In any case, I’d recommend First Comes Like, and can’t wait for Rai’s next book!
At first, I didn’t like this book very much. I especially didn’t like Jia. I thought she was vain and spoiled … privileged. But I slowly came to see her differently, as a caring and compassionate person. However, I liked Dev right away. He comes across as a kind and caring, if awkward, person. Both of them turn out to have interesting and realistic families.
I enjoyed watching Jia and Dev get to know each other and go from “enemies” to lovers. However, when Jia and Dev make a big decision and follow through with it. They did this without talking about the consequences or effect this decision will make for their futures. They went in blind, suffering misunderstandings almost from the start. It seemed out of character for two such conservative and intelligent people. It made me wonder if they’ll face further big problems in their future. This appears to be a series. Will there be future books about Jia and Dev? That would be nice. I’d like to see if they are able to make things work.
This was a fun love story, easy to read, and enjoyable if not completely believable.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley. I thank them for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book
Thank you @avonbooks @williammorrowbooks & @librofm for this gifted book and ALC.
4/5 Stars
1/5 Steam Rating
If you’re looking for a sweet romance with some great BIPOC representation, this might just be the book for you!!
What I enjoyed:
I LOVED the BIPOC representation and that this was a more conservative story, which fell in line with the conservative characters
Jia is a strong female lead. She is a Pakistani-American that wears a hijab and is also a beauty influencer
Dev is a famous soap opera star that comes from a famous Bollywood family
This is a Catfish Fo-mance, with a side of a celebrity relationship
Jia & Dev are both incredibly SWEET characters
I enjoyed all of the family dynamics
One of the supporting characters had my name!!!! It’s not often you see a character named Rhiannon!!!
What didn’t speak to me:
Some of the dialogue felt off in a few places
The relationship felt a bit rushed; I felt the feelings between the two but it didn’t feel like love to me
: Jia & Dev have their own narrators, which I always prefer! Both narrators were easy to understand and Dev’s even sounded like her had a Middle Eastern accent. I was easily able to crank up the speed on this book with how clear the narrators were.
Rai is one of my favorite romance authors writing today, and First Comes Like doesn’t disappoint. Instagram beauty influencer Jia and Bollywood-gone-Hollywood star Daev deal with catfishing, family pressures, and other real-world concerns along with their swoony, compelling attraction.
Very current, tropetastic, diverse, and inclusive. Also, probably the sweetest and slowest burn of all Alisha Rai’s books I’ve read so far.
In her third book in the Modern Love series, Alisha Rai opts out of insta-lust and instead goes for a bit of a slowburn romance that perfectly fits the natures of Jia and Dev.
It all starts with an unfortunate case of catfishing. Jia was convinced that she’d been exchanging those sweet texts with Bollywood star, Dev. She decides to make the bold move to meet him in person when he’s in LA to film a new show. Their interaction is the stuff of nightmares because Dev is caught off guard and has no idea who she is. Humiliated and angry, she runs off leaving a perplexed Dev to fight out what just happened. Sure enough he does and feels this immense responsibility to make things right with her. Right there, THAT is what sets Dev apart immediately. He’s so super conscientious about things and people, he can’t let go of what happened so he reaches out to Jia. She initially wants nothing to do with him ever but when being seen with him might get her parents and family off her back for her career choices, she offers up a different way for him to make it up to her. A fauxmance could serve them both well.
First Comes Like has a different tone to it. It’s not flashy and as I said earlier, it’s not insta-lust. It’s a gradual progression to romance based on becoming friends first and then leading to more. Dev has always maintained a low profile opposite to that of the rest of the men in his family. It’s like his goal is to be under the radar and not be embroiled in scandals. What’s most wonderful about this story is how much their different cultural backgrounds play in to their relationship for which there’s a deep mutual respect. There’s no deep conversation about it just that it’s something they get about each other. Which reminds me, can we please take a moment to adore this cover and acknowledge how monumental it is that there is a brown, hijab-wearing Muslim woman on the cover of a romance novel? This means the world to so many women looking for representation. And on the same level, Dev is a huge supporter of Jia’s career. Being an influencer is still a suspect choice in the eyes of some families, but he sees her remarkable skills and encourages her. He’s seriously a sweetheart.
The hardest time I had with this was when the families became involved. I’m just so uncomfortable with families in general pushing for marriage before the parties involved even know how they feel or have any feelings for each other in the first place. I felt their presence only rushed matters and I guess it didn’t feel quite as romantic to me because it wasn’t an outcome that happened in its own due time. It also seems that Jia and Dev become weird around each other after that, like they’ve suddenly forgotten how to communicate. They had such a good rhythm going and then it was all thrown off.
I enjoyed First Comes Like because of its different approach to a romance based on the personalities and cultures of its hero and heroine. I’m glad for the change of pace and it just fed my soul to read two genuinely lovely, decent people become closer. Alisha Rai is a supberb writer and I’ll go on reading this series as long as she keeps churning them out.
~ Bel
Source: Netgalley: ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
First Comes Like by Alisha Rai is an entertaining and different romance between an Indian soap opera star and an Internet influencer. Jia Ahmed is a Muslim American Pakistani who has a make-up and lifestyle presence aimed at woman 13-85, but mostly young women. She has been communicating by DM with an Indian TV start and has fallen in love. She wants to meet him but he is reticent so she takes it into her own hands and turns up at a press gala for the new American TV show he is on. She is not normally this bold, but she walks right up to him and he does not respond at all. She is devastated. She is angry. He thought she was beautiful and wanted to know why s he was so angry with him so he got a copy of the guest list and narrowed it down until she was the last name; he got his assistant to find her phone number, and he called her. He met up with her…it turned out she had been catfished. She had never been in contact with him at all. She’s really angry now, and embarrassed. He is taken with her, the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. Circumstances throw them together, entertaining circumstances, and they are photographed. His publicist in India puts it out that they are engaged and then the fun begins.
What a totally different and enchanting book. First: cultures no American dictate other sorts of behavior. Second: people in the public eye are different than the rest of us; they have different concerns. Third: trying to do the right thing can lead to trouble. They have trouble, in spades, but it all leads to deepening their relationship. It was great! They got to know each other, but they were married before they ever even kissed: part cultural, part situational. This was a thoroughly entertaining book that presented a romance from a different perspective. I had trouble getting into it in the beginning but it was not long before I was knee-deep into the relationship and I loved every minute of it. I forget, sometimes, how different other cultures can be, and yet how much the same. It’s good to be reminded, and entertained. I recommend it.
I was invited to read a free ARC of First Comes Like by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #firstcomeslike
I really enjoyed this story and now need to pick up the rest of the books in Rai’s Modern Love series. The story was sweet and fresh with a modern storyline involving an influencer being catfished by a TV star. When Jia meets Dev in real life and he has no clue who she is, they slowly get to know one another in real life and explore the differences in their families, overcome misunderstandings, and try to meet expectations of those around them.
I liked both main characters (and the supporting cast around them including Dev’s uncle and niece) and felt their connection. They were sincere and had an easy way of being themselves around one another and you could feel their chemistry. I also liked learning about their cultural norms and expectations.
Overall I enjoyed this one and recommend it if you enjoy a fake dating story with diverse characters.
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!
First beauty expert and social media influencer Jia is catfished by someone impersonating international superstar Dev Dixit. Then she’s caught by paparazzi in what looks to be an intimate moment with Dev, the face of her catfish. Jia’s life feels like it’s spiraling out of control. Her loving but meddling family has all kinds of opinions about the pictures and what Jia should and shouldn’t do. What to do? Dazzle her family by fake date Dev, of course. But what happens when the fake relationship turns real?
First Comes Like is a book that you enjoy reading throughout, and it puts a smile on your face. I loved Jia and Dev. He is old-fashioned, chivalrous, considerate, and giving. She is kind, clever, ambitious, spontaneous, and resilient. As a couple, Dev is supportive of Jia and her career.
While they begin as strangers, Jia and Dev quickly find a lot of similarities between them. They are considered rebellious by their families though they aren’t; each has chosen a different path from the rest of the family. Both find themselves at a career crossroads. They have similar opinions about fame and privacy.
Jia and Dev aren’t the only great characters in the book. First Comes Love has an entire cast of memorable secondary characters. There’s Dev’s family that lives with him (niece Luna and Adil Uncle), the meddling, opinionated families on both sides, and Jia’s roommates who are like sisters to her. They are all likable, realistic, relatable characters. They serve as a loving support system for Jia and Dev and help them along their journey.
I appreciated the glimpse into Indian culture, including courtship and family dynamics. I enjoyed learning more about the culture and traditions.
First Comes Love is a sweet and entertaining story about two wonderfully unique characters unconventionally falling in love.
Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the book to read and enjoy. This voluntary review represents my unbiased, honest opinion.
Thanks to Book Club Girl Early Read Program & NetGalley for a digital advance reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own. #FirstComesLike #NetGalley
This was a sweet, contemporary rom-com of two people and their developing relationship, from meet cute “fauxmance” to happily ever after. Think of this as Crazy Rich Asians with Hindu/Muslim families. Just when I thought I had it figured out, the plot would twist with more quirks and curve balls. It was refreshing to have authentic Indian cultural traditions, clothing, food, morals, and faith (Muslim and Hindu) as part of the lifestyle of the main characters and their families.
At the same time, these characters were extremely contemporary with Jia an online influencer for skin care and makeup and Dev a well-known Bollywood star who comes to America to be featured in a Hollywood TV show. For a change, the characters are actually chaste and respectful of each other. Jia has her phone alarm set to go off for morning prayers and often wears a hijab. Dev is conscientious of appearances and careful to protect Jia’s reputation. But like all rom-coms, there are a couple of descriptive sex scenes, though they occur after the couple are married.
And this isn’t a spoiler as what quintessential romance doesn’t end in a happily ever after marriage? If you’re looking for a sweet rom-com with miscommunications, interfering relatives, and a contemporary sensibility, I recommend you read “First Comes Like.”
Jia Ahmed has worked hard to carve out a name for herself in the oft-overcrowded and competitive realm of social media influencers. Lately, she’s been feeling like she’s hit a roadblock in her career. Ultimately she’d love to start her own line of makeup, but it’s all about finding the right connections and keeping up those “likes” and “views”. One of her saving graces has been conversing with Dev Dixit, a popular Bollywood actor who slipped into Jia’s DM one day, and they’ve been talking for nearly a year. Now that Dev is in the US filming a new television show, Jia thinks it’s the perfect opportunity for them to meet. But when they run into each other at a party, Jia is thrown by the fact that Dev has no idea who she is.
Coming from a beloved Bollywood family, Dev has always known that being in the spotlight means expecting the unexpected. But he’s completely unprepared when he meets a woman who claims to know him personally, a woman he’s never met before.
As Jia and Dev wade through the confusion of what brought them together, the paparazzi out them as the new “it” couple. Now they’ll both have to contend with their respective families all while navigating a tentative relationship that could turn into so much more if they just make the leap.
I really enjoyed the opposing ideas of fame that Alisha Rai presents in the story. Dev’s family is super famous in India, he himself was on a soap that just ended its long run, and he’s newly come to Hollywod having just landed his first role on American television. I liked the different dynamic that we learn about between on country’s idea of fame and celebrity and another.
Unlike Dev, Jia was not born into her celebrity, she’s had to build it from the ground up with the new(er) form of internet famous. I liked seeing this person kind of on the down-swing of their social media fame. The idea that Jia wants something more, wants to expand her “brand” I guess I could say, but not really knowing how to go about it. The precariousness of the influencer is like on the blade’s edge. One moment you’re popular and you have a million view, and just as quickly it could be gone.
I wish these were aspects that were explored a bit more. I liked seeing Jia find her way as her realizes her days as an influencer might be numbered – or at the very least shifting in direction. Dev too, I liked seeing him almost in this fish-out-of-water scenario, trying to adapt yet also bring his experiences from Bollywood to Hollywood. Within that I kind of wanted to see them explore their relationship.
The story, however, quickly diverges from these ideas when the paparazzi gets wind of their relationship, and subsequently their families do as well. Then the story utilizes the fake boyfriend trope as Jia feels like her parents will start to take her, and her career, more seriously if she is settled down in her personal life. It’s not that I didn’t like when the story shifted, it’s maybe just that I’ve read this kind of story before, I just wanted something a bit different.
But the commentary that Alisha Rai brings regarding family and religion and even class systems is all paced out with a deft hand. The expectations that our families can place upon us and the desire not to disappoint is, I feel, a universal feeling.
Plus, I just really enjoyed Dev and Jia together. I felt like they balanced each out very nicely without losing themselves along the way.
I also loved that just because this is Jia’s book doesn’t mean Alisha Rai forgets about Rhiannon and Katrina from her previous books in the series. I loved the moments of connection between the women as well as seeing the, hopefully, next one of the group to get their story told (I’m looking at you Lakshmi).
Overall, while the story didn’t proceed as I would have expected, I still enjoyed Dev and Jia and navigating all their ups and downs.
Catfish tuned fake dating becomes very real!
Jia and Dev find themselves in the middle of a fake relationship with some very real feelings, which could be manageable without their fame, her traditional family, and his ultra famous, wealthy family who is kind of blame to for everything!
I absolutely adored Jia and Dev’s slow burn strangers to accomplices to lovers. The respect and consideration they showed each other was as sexy as the sex itself. The blending of their cultures and families was also nicely explored. And I loved getting to see the other Modern Love couples!
However, one of my favorite things about this book was the subtle nods to love and life during Covid. From isolation due to illness leading to text chats to the inclusion of family via video chat.
I listened to the audio of this one and at first I wasn’t too sure about the female narrator but as I got to know Jia she felt like a perfect fit.
I really hope we get Lakshmi’s story!
I received a complimentary review copy of this book and audio but all opinions are my own.
4.5 stars
First Comes Like is my first Alisha Rai book and I’m looking forward to more! I enjoyed it from the first page to the last.
Jia is the type of girl that I assume I couldn’t connect with – my polar opposite – on first glance. She enjoys playing the vapid fashionable girl that people tend to underestimate. But she’s completely likeable. She consistently treats others with kindness and generosity.
I smiled regularly throughout and thought the hero, Dev, and supporting cast were equally likeable. I can’t speak to the accuracy of culture and religious Dynamics but I can say that I loved reading about a diverse cast. I love that Alisha wrote in such a way that I knew who the characters were without over explanation.
Now I just need to read Rhiannon and Katrina’s books!
TW: mild language, skippable steam
Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Twenty-nine-year-old Jia Ahmed crashes a Hollywood party to meet a man she’s been texting with for over a year, but Dev Dixit doesn’t know who she is. A social media influencer, Jia has millions of followers for her online makeup tutorials. Dev, a famous Bollywood actor, is in L.A. for a filming project. Everyone thinks he’s wealthy, but his brother recently died, leaving Dev his debts along with guardianship of a teenage daughter. Dev’s grandfather left him an inheritance if he marries by age thirty-three, a few months away. But Dev won’t bow to pressure and has no plans to marry. Still, he can’t forget the gorgeous, confident woman he met at the party. Give this rom-com a chance, and you’ll be rewarded with a refreshing take on a familiar storyline. A rom-com with a flair.