Loved this just as much as the Right Swipe. A great story, wonderful characters and a sweet romance. So well done. A wonderful reminder about how much social media and the internet can affect our lives.

2 stars
Not what I expected. To be honest, I put it down and was going to pick it up later. When I did, I remembered why I put it down and called it DOA.

The main plot line was absurd at best. I haven’t read the first book in the series, but I don’t think I was missing anything. Steaminess factor was 🔥. You’d like it if you liked forced proximity between lovers trope.

I appreciate a book that surprises me, and Girl Gone Viral managed to cram lots of tropey goodness (bodyguard, friends to lovers, forced proximity) into a story with characters whose behavior I couldn’t predict.

None of these are my favorite tropes, which might be why I didn’t love this book. I did appreciate that we were stuck in pining purgatory for only the first part of the book, just long enough to be delicious. The relationship dynamics between two people pleasing cinnamon rolls were just as incredibly thoughtful as I’d expect from this author.

All of the characters were very wealthy, which isn’t my jam. I did love Jas’s family dynamics (lots of drama, lots of love, lots of avoidance of Desi stereotypes) and Kat’s found family was a joy, although I could have done without the many mentions of their flat stomachs and thin bodies. But Kat’s unabashed love for her body was delightful to read.

Once again, I read this a while ago and was too caught up in maternity leave to leave a real review. This was so good though. For some reason I saw this on NetGalley and requested it, even though I hadn't read the first book the description for this one seemed like it would be something right up my alley. It was! Man I love a good romance when two people ~go way back~ and each hold a torch for one another but have no idea about it. Great stuff. I loved how everything went down and Jas being the big strong dreamy body guard that he was and Katrina being the strong woman she was, despite having lived through some trauma in the past. I will definitely be going back to read the first!

And even though this is now out (I know, bad me), huge thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a change to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion! ♥

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I read the first book in this series, The Right Swipe, last year with Dragons and Tea Bookclub, and really fell in love with the writing and the characters. When I saw that Katrina was getting her own book, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Let me set the scene:

Katrina King: you may remember Katrina King as Rhi’s friend and roommate. She’s an ex-model with some major anxiety, and now lives an extremely private life. She’s the best cinnamon roll in this entire series and I want to put her in my pocket and never let anything bad happen.

Jas Singh: Katrina’s bodyguard for years and years and years, and one of the few people she trusts completely. She’s also had the hots – or the ‘zings’, as she calls it – for him for ages. Too bad he’s completely professional…

In an attempt to get her mind off of Jas and try to jump some hurdles caused by her anxiety, Katrina strikes up a completely innocent conversation with a cute guy at her favorite coffee shop. When he asks her out, she turns him down, and thinks that’s the end of it. Until…

A stranger at the next table live-tweeted (and embellished) their entire interaction, and now #CafeBae and #CuteCafeGirl have gone viral. All at once, Katrina’s extremely private life has been thrust into the very large public eye of the internet. As she starts to spiral, Jas comes to the rescue, and offers to whisk her away to his family peach farm. A hot bodyguard and his charge, after years of sexual tension and pining after each other, stranded together at a secluded farm? What possibly could happen???

Ok so let me lead with this: I liked The Right Swipe better than it’s sequel, and I’m not sure if it’s because I liked the characters better or the storyline better – I’m suspecting both. I connected more with Rhi than I did with Katrina, and this storyline just seemed unsatisfying somehow. I think some of the complicated problems that came up were solved just too neatly and easily?? And I think the chemistry between the two MC’s left something to be desired, BUT I think the way their romance progressed was right on par with their personalities, and there were definitely some swoon-worthy scenes.

There was also some fantastic mental health representation in this book –anxiety attacks, panic disorders, PTSD, and emotional abuse were all highlighted and were major plot points. The author didn’t just mention these topics, she showed her characters battling them and finding their own ways to ask for help and struggling to deal with them.

Overall, I did really enjoy this read. I know I already mentioned that Katrina is the cinnamon roll of all cinnamon rolls, but I really enjoyed Jas as well – he kind of snuck in and stole my heart without me even realizing it. If you are looking for a quick, easy read, slow burn romance with a diverse, fantastic set of characters, this book is for you. I can’t wait to see where this author goes next!

GIRL GONE VIRAL by Alisha Rai is quite unlike any romance I've read before. It didn't really even feel like a "romance novel" until much later in the book, which is perhaps why I didn't love it as much as I thought I would (but it was still enjoyable)! Katrina and Jas have a quiet intensity about them that I would love to watch on a movie screen, and it's clear they care deeply for one another. I think Rai does a great job of portraying the importance of mental health, female autonomy, and characters who embrace their cultural and ethnic backgrounds. That being said, I wasn't as fully invested in the romance as I would have liked, though I think that has to do more with me and my preferences when it comes to romance. There's plenty to love about this book, and I would still encourage readers to pick this one up if they feel intrigued by it. I love Alisha Rai, and I will undoubtedly continue to read anything and everything she writes in the future.

After a frightening childhood where she was abused by her father-turned-manager, Kat grows up with PTSD and has panic attacks. There's only a few people that Kat trusts. In her life, she trusts her two roommates and her bodyguard, Jas. After being photographed at a café and makes her anxiety jump, Jas takes Kat away from all of the madness. It's here where their story begins. If you like slow burn novels, this is one you should read.

One of the main reasons why this wasn't my favorite novel was the fact that the slow burn was one of the slowest I ever read.  I wished things would've happened a little sooner writing wise. 

I loved these characters. I loved Kat & Jas and their backgrounds. Kat has a good amount of wealth, but I always felt as though she was humble throughout the entire novel. I wish this book focused a little less about their backgrounds though. Unfortunately, I feel as though now I'm loving Alisha Rai's writing style, I was expecting more romance and more heat. The backgrounds, the fighting with families, etc., really just took away from the whole romance of it all. I wish there was more cute scenes like the snow fight. 

Overall, I think that this book was good. There were a lot of great qualities, but a lot of qualities that missed the mark for me as well. I don't want to compare her books, but this book was more mental health based and the first in this series was more romance based. There's nothing wrong with differing books by the same author, but I expected Girl Gone Viral to be romance as well.

Content Warnings: abuse (past/discussion of), war discussions, PTSD, assault (discussion), anxiety attacks

Former model and young widow, Katrina King, craves a low-profile life, but when she meets a cute guy at a coffee shop, she's suddenly viral on Twitter. Desperate to escape before the identity of #CuteCafeGirl is discovered, Katrina's bodyguard Jas Singh whisks her away to his family's orchard. Will Katrina be able to keep her growing affection for Jas at bay? Will Jas' long-running family dispute get in the way? Will Katrina keep her identity secret?

I settled down with Girl Gone Viral thinking it would be a fluffy, sweet romance with little filler, but was I wrong -- Girl Gone Viral is so much more! This is the second in the Modern Love series by Alisha Rai, and while I haven't read the first book in the series, I don't think that affected my reading of Girl Gone Viral.

Both of the main characters struggle with mental health (depression, anxiety, and PTSD), and the discussions of therapy, how to support a friend that needs help, and complex family dynamics were handled well and with compassion. It's not often that I find a fiction book that addresses mental health in such an everyday, commonplace way. I'm encouraged to see the beginnings of the normalization of mental health and therapy in contemporary fiction. This is also the second book I've read recently (the previous was the YA book Don't Read the Comments by Eric Smith) that dealt with online targeting, doxing, stalking, and harassment. I am pleased to see more contemporary novels address the issue.

The pacing of the romance was near perfect. I liked the slow burn and the will-they-or-won't-they drama. I did feel, however, the ending was rushed and would have liked a few more pages fleshing that out.

Overall, I really enjoyed this quick read and will look for the first in the series.

If you're looking for a bodyguard, friends-to-lover, slow burn romance with a bit of forced proximity thrown in for good measure, this book is it.

This is not my first Alisha Rai romance but there's just something about her voice that I enjoy - fresh, brisk and modern. And it's the perfect voice to tell this kind of story. It strikes on very relevant themes of internet privacy, shaping the narratives of real people to suit the voracious desire for others to live vicariously through the celebrity du jour, especially the story of people's love lives regardless of whether it hews close to reality or not. Rai handles these themes deftly, without burdening the narrative.

Katrina Jackson is funny, intelligent, and somewhat reserved with her feelings. A combination of factors contributes to her reticence. She lives with panic disorder and anxiety, a condition that is depicted realistically, with an emphasis on therapy and good friendships. Katrina has also constructed her life in just such a way as to keep her anxiety from being triggered. She has a wonderful support group of friends who love her unconditionally, and to whom she is generous in turn.

Likewise, the depiction of Jasvinder's PTSD is compassionate and conveyed skillfully. He has a tragic past that has contributed to his PTSD, but he is considerate and very careful with Katrina. It takes time for him to come into his own, to learn to build his own support system, and open up to Katrina but it is a beautiful journey to watch.

The novel is also very diversity. In the author's note, Rai discusses diversity of the Punjabi culture, which she generously shares with readers.

Katrina and Jasvinder are a lovely couple. There is no question they are perfect for each other, despite their mutual issues. Their love grows organically over time - they have many years of friendship behind them and in consequence, they know and understand each other well. When they give in to their feelings, it is deeply satisfying. A gentle romance filled with funny, tender moments, and a couple you can't help rooting for.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Girl Gone Viral is THE romance to read. This is such a great fun romance that was real.
The characters are well developed, fleshed out and flawed.
I really enjoyed that the characters were up front with their issues.
This made for a well written, perfectly plotted romance that I really enjoyed.

Girl Gone Viral is a story about a woman, that after a traumatic event, suffers from anxiety and panic disorders. She has lived a life that allowed her to have a bodyguard, Jas, that helps her when she is in public to manage these disorders as she slowly reintroduces herself to the world. The book then addresses this while exploring the relationship that Katrina and Jas have through cute hi-jinks. Katrina and Jas are great characters and make you care about them and want what is best for them. They are well rounded characters and the author does them justice. While romance novels are not normally part of my reading repertoire, I did love the book and would be interested in reading the other books in the series. If you are not comfortable with intimate scenes, and if you are reading a romance novel you are expecting them, these are more daring than I was comfortable with, but they were well written and honestly nothing that isn’t new. It would definitely have at least a R rating

I read and enjoyed The Right Swipe but I felt like this book was even better. I loved Katrina and Jas' relationship, their family dynamics, and the friend groups that each had (recurring characters from both The Right Swipe and Rai's previous series). The one part that drove me a little crazy was the slowness in the slow burn. If you love a delicious slow burn, you'll love this. The protagonists take a long long time to get to the bedroom, and even then, it's full of starts and stops. I generally prefer a little more *ahem* action.

There's also an adorable dog and a hidden cabin on a peach farm. The stakes of the viral plot weren't super high, so this is a great book if you want a smidge of suspense but not too much. The real draw here is the found family/friendships and the resolution of family conflict in two very different ways.

I absolutely loved this romance! the main characters had great chemistry, and the secondary characters added some great texture to the plot. Can't wait to read the next in the series.

I had a little trouble getting into this book, but I trouped through and I loved it. Everything going on with life right now is super stressful and it helped to take my mind off of things for a little while. It helped calm me down, and take my mind off of my real world problems. Thank you NetGallery for another amazing read.

I wanted to like this book but I couldn't get into it. There didn't seem to be much of a plot in the first few chapters. It was just the two characters thinking about how they love each other. I wasn't getting into the voice and the narrative didn't engage me, so I had to DNF. Aside from the slow plot, there wasn't really anything inherently wrong with the book, it just didn't draw me in.

"Adorable" is what I would call this story. Light, fun with interesting characters. Its not written to stay with the reader, but to provide entertainment when we can all appreciate the sweetness and romance of this book.

Even though I'm a massive Alisha Rai fan, I was a little nervous going into this because THE RIGHT SWIPE, the first book in this series, was a bit of a let-down. But I enjoyed GIRL GONE VIRAL, and although it won't make my favorite Rai, it was a soft, thoughtful read.

I personally love friends-to-lovers romance, and watching Kat & Jas tip-toe around each other, while also obviously being willing to die for the other, was a lot of fun. (Me, reading: JUST KISS ALREADY.) This is a slow burn, which I don't mind at all, but I do think the pacing was off. There was moderate romantic tension in the first half that increased steadily (yay!), but right around the climax, it dropped off and things were resolved way too quickly.

I think part of that is that the book has a lot of moving parts. It's a romance, but also an excellent conversation about mental health (both Kat and Jas deal with mental health issues), the horror that can be social media (Kat goes viral), complications with family, and a more subtle conversation about agency. So with all that going on, there was not enough space to draw out all the romantic issues/tension that had been set up. Which is a pity, because Kat and Jas were amazing characters, separately, and I think with more space it would have been an epic romance.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It made me think A LOT (esp about social media), it made me chuckle, and it made me feel very warm, especially the parts on friendship and family. This is not a book to read when you're in the mood for "go go go" plot, but when you want something soft & thoughtful - GIRL GONE VIRAL is worth a shot.

A slow burn, friends to lovers, romance with lots of heart. I loved watching both Katrina and Jas take ownership of their own life and figure out what they needed to be happy. Radical happiness, indeed.

4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance.

I love a good bodyguard romance. Especially a grumpy sort of silent body guard in a romance. I loved Jas and his calm desire to take care of Katrina. I love that he pined for her for so long. I loved Katrina and her sunny outlook and desire to be happy and care for others. The first book in this series was a little too "modern" (modern love series, I know...) for my personal tastes, but this one was just right. I loved the plot, and how they got away to his family's cabin together. As someone who personally deals with anxiety and panic attacks, I thought that Rai's representation of that in Katrina's character was really accurate and sensitively done. I hope that it helps get some awareness out there to readers. It actually choked me up a few times, because I've been there, and was lucky to have someone by my side to help me too. I really enjoyed all of the animals, and also Jas's family. I thought that they were all so colorful and funny. I loved the history of his family and the diversity in that area of California. The "I Love You" stole my heart. Swoon, this was such a cute book. Can't wait, as always, for more of Rai's books!