Can we start by giving snaps to Alisha Rai for making lube sexy? This is the energy we need for Romancelandia in 2020
Anyways, this is a lovely slow burn of a book. I absolutely LOVED both of the main characters (and was of course thrilled to see Rhi again), and I appreciated how each of their mental health issues were so meaningfully incorporated into the plot. I am a sucker for a protective hero who is also kind of a cinnamon roll-- this book actually reminded me quite a bit of One Night with Her Bodyguard by Noelle Adams, which is a favorite novella of mine.
I will say that this book did suffer from the things that kept me from just fully loving her previous book, Hurts to Love You- love the characters, love the conflict, love the family dynamics.... but I wasn't fully sold on the actual transition into a relationship from the two main characters and there was not enough of a denouement. Both of these books were slow burn type tropes, so I wonder if this is just something that doesn't click with me for how she handles this kind of story?
Still, I enjoyed myself immensely in this book, would definitely recommend, and I'm hoping for a book with Lorne (if there's not already one?)

Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai is an absolute delight. From start to finish, I enjoyed every page of it. I have a new favorite contemporary romance.

Kat is a former cover model, striving for anonymity, and Jas is her bodyguard and best friend. He started protecting her when she married her wealthy older husband ten years ago and has continued to protect in the years since her husband’s death. He knows her inside and out. He also loves her. What he doesn’t know is that she loves him too.

In this moderately steamy friends-to-lovers romance, there is literally nothing to dislike.

Some romances really play up a miscommunication, or manufacture drama to create a conflict--but this one avoids these crutches. Everything about their relationship felt organic. It evolved and developed naturally, and they handled every aspect of it as two adults who are learning to ask for what they need. Honestly, the way they communicate with each other was so refreshing.

Kat learns to spread her wings a little and take up space in the world, and Jas supports and encourages her every step of the way, while providing a safe place to land if she falls. She, in turn, helps him open up and let others help him the way he’s always helping others.

They both suffer from PTSD--hers from a kidnapping, and his from his time in Iraq. Hers is complicated by crippling anxiety and panic attacks. Rarely do I read a book that gets anxiety SO RIGHT. From the descriptions of the attacks themselves to the emotions Kat experiences during and about the attacks, Rai has done her research.

I don’t normally underline quotes but there were several in this one that stood out so much I wanted to remember them.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Avon Romance, and Alisha Rai for my e-ARC.

Based on the cover, I opened this book thinking it was going to be this cute, light romcom. Although it did have romcom aspects to it, it dug more deeply than I was expecting. I loved that there were some heavier issues tackled and addressed (TW: Veteran PTSD, parental neglect/abuse) within the pages.
I loved Katrina because she is nurturing, loves cooking for the people in her life, and has this generous spirit about her, despite not having grown up in an environment that provided that for her. There were aspects of her personality I really identified with.
Jas is this quiet, stoic man of few words. He is difficult to get close to, because he’s got these walls up from a past trauma. He doesn’t let people in easily, but he’s got such a servant’s heart when it comes to Katrina, even when it is to his own detriment. Watching the two of them navigate their boss/employee relationship while harboring secret feelings was frustrating at times, because I just wanted one of them to open their mouth and admit what was in their heart! The payoff was worth it though.
Now, the “gone viral” part of the title comes into play, it really makes you consider the cost, the ethics, and the plugged in world in which we live. I wonder if Alisha derived her inspiration from one specific real life event, because as the story unfolded, I kept thinking of the #PlaneBae incident of 2018. I remember following along with that supposed fairytale being documented, and the fall out that quickly followed. This is a real, relevant, and valid issue in everyday life, and seeing it addressed in this story humanized it even more for me.

Look I don't know how many romance readers out there are familiar with that whole Plane Bae mess that went down last year. Short recap, a couple grossly violated two strangers privacy. A woman decided to spy on the people sitting together on a plane and decided that it would be great to tweet about them. During this whole thing a ridiculous amount of people followed her on Twitter and were cheering this mess on. The whole thing went viral. Buzzfeed and others picked up the story and the woman who originally tweeted (who was a writer) used this to parlay herself into fame. Of course people rightfully said this was gross, why would you be taking pictures, implying that they had sex in a bathroom (they didn't) and use this to push yourself forward. It was awful and I think people on both sides of this mess were yelling at each other. The poor woman in question who was spied on had to delete her social media. The main in question was all, heh, this is good for my brand (I think he may have been an Instagram model. No I don't understand how that's a thing). I think within 7 days the whole thing had boomeranged with people who initially thought this was cute realizing it wasn't and the whole thing was messed up.

So the above is what Rai sets up as her big plot. The heroine (Katrina King) goes to a cafe where she let's a stranger sit at her table. She's polite, but not interested cause she has a crush on her bodyguard (Jas Singh). The main at the table asks her out, she turns him down. She notes that a woman next to her is typing furiously and thinks nothing of it. The next day she finds out a twitter hashtag called #cafebae has taken off and a woman had taken a picture of the side of her face and talked about how it was true love between her and the stranger at the table. This causes issues due to Katrina's past (she suffers from panic attacks) and she is scared that her anonymity which she treasures is about to blown to bits. Jas takes her to his family's farm where they grow peaches and then romance romance romance. Honestly the book did not work for me at all.

I think Katrina was just too nice. I really hated the outcome of the whole plane bae thing. I was hoping that Rai would tackle that more in the story. Instead if was talked about here, talked about somewhat here, and then just dealt with in a way that I doubt would have resolved itself in real life. Katrina also had another thing happen to her in this book and it was just too much after a while. I think I was supposed to go all girl power, but it started to read a bit too Lifetime for me.

Jas was an interesting hero, but once again there was a lot going on with him too. I think the plane bae thing should have been dropped since the story could have just focused on how similar these to are (both dealing with past trauma) though Jas had a loving family though his grandfather is ticked at him somewhat. I just started to feel like I was getting four stories worth of information in this book and it was too much.

We get previous characters we were introduced to returns in this one, but once again they felt apart from the main story at times.

The writing was okay, the flow was hit or miss for me after a while though.

The ending had a nice Happily Ever After (HEA) I thought, but once again we have another hero that is dealing with some really serious stuff that I don't think gets fully addressed by the end of the book.

I'm finally understanding the Alisha Rai is the best romance writer in the market right now, and probably forever. Alisha Rai can create romance that isn't sexist, that is inclusive, and that can still be loving, steamy, and amazing. (Too many "ands"? Probably.) There aren't enough words that would describe the amazingness of this book, but I will try.

Something that bothers me about any book I read written by a woman is that the men don't feel like real people. Sure, men like Jas are hard to come by, but the flat characters I read in romance novels are nothing in comparison to the amazing character Rai created. I'm beyond thrilled that, for the first time ever, I like the male character in a romance novel MORE than the amazing and strong female heroine. It has never happened before, and I commend Rai for reaching into the black pits of my feminist heart to find hope that men can be like Jas. (Is that a blurb or what, Avon.)

Every character in this book was incredible. The story was incredible. ALSO! Can we take a minute and appreciate it was the WOMAN who was the millionaire! I'm sorry white female romance writers, women can make a lot of money too.

This was such a fun and sweet read. Alisha Rai, I'm so happy I finally got around to reading one of your amazing novels. I can't wait to read the rest.

A sexy, Sikh bodyguard and a reclusive billionaire, each with their own troubled pasts and issues, come together in Girl Gone Viral. I really loved The Right Swipe and wanted to love this one as much, but in my mind it fell short a few decimals despite the tech talk.
Still, it's a happy romance that you will want to finish and hug.

Pretty cute. I read maybe about 30% of it on Valentines day and then ii put it down and didn't pick it up until about a week later but its a really cute romance with all the feels. If you're a romance fan go pick this up

Thank you to @netgalley for the advance copy of this book. I thought the premise of the book was so relevant in today’s world of broadcasting everything on social media. I did enjoy that there were diverse characters with real issues. I was bummed that this book did not work out for me. I felt it odd that they characters had know each other for so long and all of sudden have mutual feelings for each other. The book is a bit slow with a really slow burn. I did enjoy it but expected a lot more fun banter. ⁣

Girl Gone Viral is the second book in the Modern Love series, but it can be read as a standalone. I hadn’t read the first book but was never lost in this story! Girl Gone Viral was an incredibly cute and respectful love story.

I loved our two protagonists! Katrina is a former model who now stays out of the spotlight; Jas is her trusty bodyguard who’s been by her side for the past ten years. They’re thrust into a sudden situation when Katrina suddenly goes viral after she allows a guy to sit at her table at a coffee shop and a stranger thought they were having a meet-cute.

I really liked how “going viral” was presented in this book. There are plenty of meet-cutes or overheard conversations that go viral, but there are definitely ones where the person sharing it is creepy. Sharing one tweet is fine-ish to me (although not including a picture like this woman did in this book), but when you write a whole thread about their conversation and you clearly have many opportunities to just stop listening to them, it’s a problem.

Anyways, Katrina has panic disorder and PTSD after being kidnapped years ago, so she very much values her privacy. Jas takes her to the only safe place he can think of: the family farm where he grew up.

I really liked seeing their interactions! Both are so caring. They’ve both gone through a lot; Jas is a veteran and also has PTSD. However, they don’t “heal” each other, they just help each other survive. This felt very healthy to me. They respect each other’s boundaries and support each other.

The side characters were also great. Katrina’s friends Rhiannon and Jia are always there for her and support her throughout this entire journey. Jas’s family, including his meddlesome parents, his stern grandfather, and his slightly resentful younger brother, all have a dynamic that I really enjoyed reading.

The romance was a bit of a slow burn but I really liked it! Girl Gone Viral was just so soft, and I wholeheartedly recommend it. This was my first book of Alisha Rai’s, so now I need to go and read her entire backlist!

One minute, Katrina King’s enjoying an innocent conversation with a hot guy at a coffee shop; the next, a stranger has live-tweeted the entire episode with a romantic meet-cute spin and #CafeBae is the new hashtag-du-jour. The problem? Katrina craves a low-profile life, and going viral threatens the peaceful world she’s painstakingly built. Besides, #CafeBae isn’t the man she’s hungry for...

He’s got a [peach emoji] to die for.

With the internet on the hunt for the identity of #CuteCafeGirl, Jas Singh, bodyguard, friend, and possessor of the most beautiful eyebrows Katrina’s ever seen, comes to the rescue and whisks her away to his family’s home. Alone in a remote setting with the object of her affections? It’s a recipe for romance. But after a long dating dry spell, Katrina isn’t sure she can trust her instincts when it comes to love—even if Jas’ every look says he wants to be more than just her bodyguard…- Goodreads

This is my first book by Alisha Rai. I would like to note that this is the second book to her Modern Love series. Although they are separate stories with references to the first book, I did feel like I should have read the first book. When I was reading, I felt like I was missing something and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. With that being said, I probably would have found this more enjoyable if I would have read the first book. 

But moving forward this book was cute. Although at times seeing Jas and Katrina act like middle school kids was frustrating, I enjoyed the slow build. If you aren't interested in slow builds, you will not like this book because it is slow. 

I liked Jas way more than I liked Katrina and it is not because she has so much going on. She is just boring. Adorable but boring. Jas was not only attractive, he was talented, spoke three different languages, had depth but was comfortably simple. I adored him and loved the fact that I was able to read from his point of view. 

Beyond Katrina being stale, I am just going to say reading about her or Jas having sex was extremely uncomfortable for me. Not because I don't read sexual activity in books but because it felt forced and it felt like the author just put it in there to appease the masses. It didn't feel genuine at all. It read like the author was uncomfortable writing it. 

*sigh*

But overall, this wasn't a bad read. It was okay, cute (ish). It would have been nice if Katrina had more personality and if there was more chemistry. 

3 Pickles

I appreciate this entry in Rai's Modern Love series, though did not enjoy it as much as the first, The Right Swipe. The characters are warm and funny and Rai does a particularly good job of giving attention to the leads' friends and family - enough that the main romance doesn't feel like it's happening in a bubble, but not so much that it loses focus. The hangup for me was that the amount and depth of the leads' respective traumas feels too heavy for the narrative. The weightiness of the anxiety and PTSD over their heads is empathetically drawn, but unrealistically tidied up as the story winds down.

3.5 stars?

So I was really looking forward to reading this after “The Right Swipe” bc I loved Katrina’s character in that one. Plus you throw in a bodyguard romance? Sign me up!

Unfortunately this book didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I enjoyed Jas and Katrina, but most of the book was far more focused on their individual/family issues than their actual romance, which annoyed/frustrated me quite a bit. Also, this is quite the slow burn, which I usually have no problem with, but the way this was executed wasn’t great IMO.

I did really appreciate how Rai tackled some tough issues such as PTSD, anxiety, emotional/psychological abuse, and panic attacks. I could see a lot of people relating to what Jas and Katrina go through in this novel. I also did enjoy the actual romantic scenes that we got, but there just weren’t that many.

Also side note, don’t let the illustrated covers of these books fool you. This series is definitely more dramatic than it is comedic. Yes, there are lighter moments, but most of the time this book is pretty serious.

As a longtime Alisha Rai reader, it's no surprise that the second installment in the Modern Love series is a sexy and surprisingly sweet followup to last year's spikier THE RIGHT SWIPE. GIRL GONE VIRAL follows reclusive investor Katrina King's accidental wooing of bodyguard and certified babe Jas Singh after a social media firestorm kicks rumors of romance into action. It's without a doubt one of the best contemporary romances of the year.

Sadly, I didn't like this one as much as the first one. I liked the characters and watching their relationship grow, but there were parts of this book that, while I know they kept the story going, were just kind of boring to me.

The main plot of protecting Katrina from the internet was just... not believable to me? I've seen plenty of tweets go viral without people needing 24/7 bodyguards and to run away to a farm in the middle of nowhere.

I understand why she felt the need to do it, but it just felt strange. It felt like the author thought that was the only way she could force these two characters together to make their romance grow.

This was a miss for me, I'd still recommend it to people that liked the first book, but would just warn against super high expectations. I do, however, think it is a *me* problem as I just enjoy the tropes in the first book better. There are some people that LOVE the bodyguard falls for who they are protecting trope, but it's just never been my cup of tea.

I will definitely be on the lookout for more books by Alisha Rai because she is a great author.

I feel so lucky that I was chosen to read Girl Gone Viral! I absolutely loved The Right Swipe, even though I wasn’t sure if the plot would fit my particular reading preference…dating apps?? Not for me (I picked it up only because it was Target Book Club!). But Alisha Rai really got me with her sweet writing style and lovable characters. So I was HONORED to read Girl Gone Viral this week. 🙂

Rich investor and ex-model Katrina has a panic disorder. And because of this panic disorder, she’s been sheltering herself in her Santa Barbara home since the death of her husband. She spends years carefully working herself out of the house, afraid of having a panic attack, with the help of her amazing friends, therapist, and of course – her bodyguard. And now she’s ready to start dating again! She thinks. But she’s only interested in one guy, Jasvinder – her bodyguard, of course.

After a chance encounter in her favorite cafe goes awry, Katrina ends up viral. Her face and a made up story about her are plastered over the internet, for weeks. To avoid being discovered by her past, Jas and Katrina escape to Jas’ family farm in NorCal, where family drama and romantic encounters await them.

What I really loved about this book was how complex these characters were! Too often you read romance, and it’s delightful, but you get no sense of who these people are or why they fit together. Both Katrina and Jas had very complex back stories and backgrounds that helped you comprehend how they helped one another and supported each other through their problems. The entire book can really be classified as family drama, in addition to contemporary romance, for all the great plot lines tied to Jas in particular. His life is just as well-formed as Katrina’s, and the book is better for it.

I really do enjoy Alisha Rai’s way of bringing the larger world into her book. Similar to The Right Swipe, this novel takes on some larger American and even global issues that we should be thinking about, giving you characters you care about experiencing the exact reasons we should care. They’re living it, and you feel it. It’s wonderful and adds something really magical to Rai’s work that sets it apart. This book in particular took on the internet and going viral, as well as panic disorders and PTSD, as a result of both trauma at home and trauma halfway around the world due to military experience. It digs in deep to the effects of these things, and ties strongly to the plot line and caring for the characters. I really commend this, and for this reason alone would absolutely recommend Girl Gone Viral.

I suggest you go and grab a copy of Rai’s newest on April 21!! I read it in about a day, even being at school and work…just couldn’t put it down. :)

Heat Factor: Sweet and awkwardly real
Character Chemistry: Two-way pining is the best!
Plot: #planebae reimagined
Overall: This book is so excellent! Read it!

Thanks to Twitter, I learned before I read Girl Gone Viral that it was written as a sort of response to the #planebae fiasco of 2018. I had not previously heard of this thing, and if you also have never heard of this, the short of it is that one person switched seats with another person on a flight and then live-Tweeted about a fantasy budding relationship that she had helped facilitate by asking to switch seats in the first place. On the one hand, OMG! Cute love story!!!!! On the other hand, HOLY INVASION OF PRIVACY, BATMAN!

Let’s begin.

Scene:
Woman sits in a crowded cafe, minding her own business. Man approaches and asks if he can share her table because there’s no room. She consents. They chat. He splits the spines of his books. She declines his request for a date.

Now let’s imagine that someone sitting at the table next to this pair started tweeting about a fantastical budding romance, insinuating that the pair went off to the bathroom together (gasp!) and declaring that the two would start dating after this adorable meet cute! Consent to this tweeting requested and granted? Hard no.

Rai’s writing is captivating. I was immediately absorbed by the story. I am a sucker for a little unrequited love, forced proximity romance, and this is the good stuff.

Katrina King escaped an abusive father by marrying a much older, extremely wealthy man. A kind man, who asked nothing of her but companionship. A man who was apt to rescue people when they needed rescuing. His head of security was Jasvinder Singh, who also needed a little rescue after being medically discharged from the army. When her husband died, Katrina decided to live in seclusion, letting go of all her husband’s staff, but asking Jas to remain as her personal security guard. He stays. He’s been in love with her for years, and she has no idea.

For a long time after her husband’s death, Katrina was primarily working on managing to live (to function) with her severe anxiety. Jas was there for her the whole time. But when the book begins, Katrina is beginning to feel she’s ready to venture forth. Maybe date. Maybe find somebody who will make her get over her outrageous and unreciprocated feelings for her employee of all people. Until some lady with boundary issues decides to start a hugely invasive Twitter thread that goes viral makes Katrina feel unsafe in her own house. Then things fall apart--or come to a head?

Jas is also going through some stuff that relates back to his time in the army, and he’s a super stoic tough guy, so he’s toughing it out like a tough guy does. But when Katrina says that even with all the security layers Jas has around her, she’ll feel better about the Twitter situation if she can just go live in a house in the country, Jas takes the opportunity to run from his own worries as well. Because, you see, he has a house in the country. He just never goes there.

Please commence forced proximity situation in which all the things happen that bring the romance into the wild.

Jas knows Katrina really well--it’s his job--but he’s kept such a lid on himself that this forced proximity in a space that belongs to him finally allows him to open up to Katrina in new ways. This is one of the most butterfly-inducing romances I’ve read in a long time. And I’ve had a very good run lately. It’s an excellent balance of “is this real?” angst and unparalleled adorableness. Yes. Adorableness. I don’t care if these protagonists are nearing 40.

On the surface, we’re considering this whole privacy-in-the-world-of-social-media thing. But that’s not all Rai does. We’re also able to view what a loving, supportive partner looks like when someone has severe anxiety. And we’re able to consider what’s important with respect to the give-and-take in a relationship.

Point the first: Rai’s example might feel extreme, but the fact is that we honestly don’t know what the impact will be to another person if we don’t gain consent before looping them in on the rollercoaster that is social media. In this case, one party is terrified by the publicity, while the other guy who sat down at the table decides to ride the fame train as long as he can. But even that guy didn’t consider what the impact would be to the third party in the story when he decided he wanted to be famous, and he made things even worse. Rai’s presentation is thoughtful without being preachy.

Point the second: Everyone experiences anxiety to some extent, as it’s a natural thing. That anxiety is not the same as what someone with an anxiety disorder is dealing with. Partners who don’t get this struggle to support loved ones because it’s easy to get frustrated with something that feels so wholly irrational. That’s why Jas’s response to Katrina is so beautiful. He is simply there for her. Patient, understanding, kind. And she knows he’s there for her. But she gets to be herself. They’ve known each other for a long time, so we don’t get to see what obstacles they had to overcome to get to the point where he knows what she needs as she manages her anxiety, but when it happens… Beautiful.

Finally, point the third: Jas is so in love with Katrina that he eats breakfast every morning even though he doesn’t really care for breakfast because she makes it for him. It’s a way she cares for people. But Katrina struggles with how real Jas’s feelings are because he’s too selfless. But she’s also very selfless. Beginning relationship angst is something I do not miss. Even so, I appreciated Rai’s unique take on this relationship give-and-take. Because sometimes it’s hard to remember that a relationship is give-and-TAKE. Like, it might be reasonable to voice one’s own needs and preferences. Who knew?

I just reread the last chapter to write this review and I gasped-melted-swooned all over again. This is a Good. Book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

I was so excited for this book & wasn’t disappointed! It was well written with the different struggles both characters go through. Katrina likes to stay hidden from the world and had an anxiety. She’s a silent investor for different businesses. Jas is Katrina’s body/security guard. She’s had feeling for him for awhile. Jas is exmilitary and worked for Kat’s husband when he was alive. When Kat goes viral from an onlooker at a cafe, she goes into hiding at Jas’s family farm. This was def a slow burn romance. It was cute watching these two get to their HEA and learn to open up and trust. A sweet romance for sure!

I've read a number of Alisha Rai's novels before, and I could recognize her talent but the books never felt like they were for me. This one is! Bodyguard romances have never held any appeal for me, and there are discussions of the power dynamic in this one, which helps. What I do love is MUTUAL PINING, which this has plenty of. Also, a let's escape to a cabin (ish) far away. I'm in!

The actual interpersonal drama of the romance was something I loved and related to. I appreciated that there weren't big betrayals or deceptions to create drama between Katrina and Jas; it was more like everyday baggage that keeps people from having successful relationships.

I've often felt a disconnect from Rai's novels because there's often a focus on wealth in some way, and also business drama, often multigenerational business drama, and I don't love reading about any of that. They were in here a bit, and I wish there were some kind of acknowledgement that Katrina's wealth makes her situation more tenable even as it has also created some of her problems.


*** Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ***

I read and adored The Right Swipe, the first book in Alisha Rai's Modern Love series, last year, so I was thrilled to get my eyes on Girl Gone Viral a little early. Girl Gone Viral, like The Right Swipe (and, from what I understand, Rai's Forbidden Hearts series), tackles difficult topics. Both Katrina and Jasvinder have experienced traumatic events that have put limits on their lives. For Katrina, that means she feels safe only in her Santa Barbara home and a few carefully selected locations around town, and even then only when she knows her longtime bodyguard, Jas, is nearby. Jas, meanwhile, has a distant relationship with his family—in large part because it's difficult for him to spend time on the family farm his grandfather and step-brother love so dearly. Rai writes about trauma and its aftermath with a great deal of empathy and sensitivity. The book is serious, but also deeply charming and funny. Although Kat is guarded in public, at home and around her friends/roommates (including The Right Swipe's Rhiannon), she is a brilliant, goofy woman who loves animals and cooking. Jas is more reserved—we see him beginning to warm to the possibility of friendships when Rhiannon's boyfriend, Samson, brings Jas along for drinks with his two best pals (those who read The Right Swipe may remember baby-obsessed Dean and his cousin Harris), and his favorite hobby is gardening. I appreciated Rai's depiction of the viral "meet cute" that sets off the story—the immense invasion of privacy committed by some nosy stranger, and the very real fear that going viral without her consent causes for Kat. What we have here is a story of mutual pining and minor misunderstandings, a slow-burn romance that focuses more on character development than sex scenes (they're here too—just not the main focus). This book has cemented Alisha Rai as a favorite romance author for me—I will be eager to pick up future installments in this series (Jia seems to be next in the queue, and I'm hoping Lakshmi might get a starring role down the line?).

This was a great second book in Alisha Rai’s Modern Love series. I enjoyed diving further into Katrina’s life and learning more about her history. She had some very traumatic events happen in her life and she is working hard to conquer her fears. The relationship between Katrina and Jas, her body guard, was so sweet. Seeing them recognize their feelings for each other and then figure out whether/how to act on them was sweet. I also appreciated that the sex scenes felt realistic (at least to me) given the intimate histories of both characters. This book was filled with a little of everything - sweet, sexy and even some funny.