First Comes Like
A Novel
by Alisha Rai
Avon and Harper Voyager
You Are Auto-Approved
Avon
General Fiction (Adult) | Multicultural Interest | Romance
Pub Date 16 Feb 2021 | Archive Date 13 Apr 2021

I wanted to like this. I have heard about the author but this book was not the one for me. Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager as well as NetGalley for the ARC.

3 star

I wanted to love this, because I've really enjoyed the other books in the Modern Love series. But....I just didn't.

I'm trying not to be an ass about this, because I know the main arc in this mirrors life for a lot of people in the world. But the innocence of it was grating for me (just kiss already? Like, once?) and the sex itself, once it happened, was like...nothing. It wasn't well-written, it didn't feel passionate, it didn't feel real...it just felt like, well, this is a romance novel so I better say something about it. Honestly, I think I would have liked it better sans sex!

All that said, I also found the main hero fairly cardboard, and the best parts of this were def. the families of both main characters which is....not good. You're supposed to root for them, and I mostly just wanted to see Aji and Luna and Adil Uncle interact with Jia's family. Just...not great for a romance novel.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this novel! Jia & Dev were both soft and cute main characters. I love their small moments where they just got to know each other and be cute.

My main issue was the last ~25% had too much plot that we got less cute moments. I also wasn't the biggest fan of the way everything panned out so I was left a bit disappointed.

Overall, book two is my favorite in this "series" by A LOT. But I love the diversity and the STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS that are all so unique.

I feel so privileged to have been able to read an advanced copy of this book. This series has been incredibly popular, and for good reason - it's fantastic! I adored Jia - she really was one of those truly authentic influencers that I would love to meet in person. She was intensely relatable - I might even steal her voice notes as pep-talks trick! Dev was also just wonderful. He is so sweet and really cares so much for his family - even when they've treated him badly.

I think one of the best things about this book is the respect Jia and Dev show for each other in every interaction. Even when Jia approaches Dev and he has no idea who she is - he is still kind to her and goes out of his way to find her and figure out what he did wrong. I also loved the respect he showed for each other on a cultural basis as well. Jia is conservative - but it seems like Dev is even more so than she is. The author really handles this so well - I could just keep gushing over it.

The only <i>only</i> reason I'm not giving this five stars as I felt their could have been more about their married life in the book - maybe I'm just bitter that I didn't get to read more! There were also a couple of plot tendrils that kind of left me hanging - like Jia and her sister's illness (COVID?), But otherwise - I highly recommend this sweet and amazing read.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

First Comes Like was another delicious slow burn by Alisha Rai, much like the second book in this series, Girl Gone Viral. Jai and Dev have been talking on and off for MONTHS when Jai has finally had it with the online communication and seeks Dev out at a premiere party for his new American TV venture... He slid into her DMs first, for the record. Their meeting leaves her quite confused when he doesn't seem to remember that he's had quite a few heart-to-hearts with her. After some in-person convos and straightening out an unfortunate catfish, they decide to create a fake relationship for some free PR for both of them. But then they kinda like each other after all.

I usually like my romances a little smutty early on in the story, but for some reason I never seem to mind Alisha Rai's slow burns. They're so worth the wait in the end. I loved meeting Luna, Dev's niece, and was fully ready to protect her myself if need be. I also loved Dev's caretaking uncle, and of course loved the peeks at familiar characters from previous books. Dev's considerate and gentle nature was sweet (and frustrating for Jia sometimes!!), and I was so interested to see the different cultures of both Jia's and Dev's households. My only complaint with this is just how suddenly everything ends-- it's like a candle burning and burning for the whole book with this bonfire of action at the end. I appreciate the potential for their stories to continue off the page, much like we've seen with Rhiannon and Katrina, but I guess I was really just sad to see it end.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

It was fun to revisit the heroines of the last two books in this series during this third book. I didn’t love the premise of how the hero and heroine got together, but in the end this was a good story with interesting characters.

This gets points for excellent diversity/representation, strong friendships between a great group of women, and the nuances of Dev raising his grieving niece. However, I thought the pacing of the relationship was way off. I got reader whiplash as they careened through the various bonkers plot points we learn from the summary and then off into the deep end from there, with hardly a meaningful conversation along the way. There is one really lovely section where they bond on the mini road trip they take but after the plot shit hits the fan from there their connection fell way off for me. Still giving it three stars for the positive aspects I mentioned but this was kind of a miss overall.

Alisha Rai is a wonderful author. I really enjoyed everything about this. While it used a familiar trope with the fake boyfriend/engagement, it was otherwise unexpected and refreshing. Highly recommend!

Dev is a Desi soap star. Jia is a beauty social media influencer. They started talking after he slid into her DM’s. When he gets cagey about meeting her in-person after moving to the States, Jia confronts him at a party, but he doesn’t know who she is. Turns out she’s been catfishes. But neither of them can stay away, and when the tabloids —and their families— get involved, they quickly go from strangers to spouses. Can love blossom when marriage is rushed into?

I loved this modern Muslim woman’s romance! Jia and Dev both follows propriety and modesty according to Islam, and I looked forward to seeing how this steamy romance author would make those scenes happen. It does drag a bit at the end, though. It feels like the final complication/miscommunication was thrown in there because the editor said it needed something more— that there wasn’t enough conflict between the male and female leads.

On the chaste to steamy scale, it’s a 5.

Diverse reads:
- Jia is a practicing Muslim who wears a hijab and prays in the story. Her family is South Asian, but Jia grew up on the East Coast.
- Dev is Indian; his mom was Muslim and his dad Hindu, but Dev while very polite is non-practicing.

First Comes Like was pure escapism -- I'm not usually a big romance reader, but I really fell in love with Jia and Dev's relationship. While they had their fair share of drama, I found them to have great chemistry from the start, which is usually my biggest complaint with romance. They didn't feel forced and I believe truly respected and cared for one another. Dev was super swoon worthy, but Jia ultimately stole the show. She understood her weaknesses and could admit when she was wrong, but she was also confident and self-assured.

Most importantly, this story stood out for the way it dealt with diversity/representation in the media through Dev's new acting job in the U.S. and the role of social media and influencers on body positivity and self esteem through Jia's career. These are important topics, and as a POC, I really valued the way it didn't shy away from these issues but complemented the fun, light-hearted air of this romantic story.

I've enjoyed reading many of Alisha Rai's entertaining romance novels, and I thought I had already found my favorite, but now I know it's FIRST COMES LIKE.

Rai's talent really shines in this fresh story about a sweet Muslim influencer and a devoted Bollywood hero. Protagonist Jia Ahmed is relatable despite her beauty and social media success, yet is the tragedy-ridden oldest brother and grandson Dev that will capture readers' hearts. Their innocent courtship and fauxmance is delightful, but its Dev's backstory and family reunions that will grip readers.
This is definitely Rai's best book to date and shows her depth of talent. Congratulations.

Thank you for the ARC

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.

Jia and Dev go from catfishing to fauxmance to like to love in Alisha Rai’s latest book First Comes Like. It’s the third book in her Modern Love series.

Jia is a makeup influencer thinking about making a career change to something offline.

Dev is a descendant of Bollywood royalty trying to strike out on his own with a television series set in America.

This book is so charming. If Hallmark made movies with completely diverse casts,, this would be the perfect Hallmark movie.

You will fall in love with Jia, you will fall in love with Dev and you will be cheering for them to reach their HEA.

This is also a great relatable family story. Dev’s complex family situation and the dynamic between Jia and her sisters and mother creates drama and humor
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This was my favorite of Rai’s Modern Love series. I would have liked an epilogue for updates on favorite characters and to see into the future a bit for Jia and Dev, but it was still a delightful book.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The third book in Alisha Rai’s Modern Love series is something of a departure, but no less delightful. Beauty influencer Jia Ahmed dreams of running her own company, and of meeting IRL the Bollywood hunk she’s been chatting with online. But when she attends a swanky LA party that Dev Dixit is at, he looks at her without recognition. Was it catfishing or is he just a jerk?

For his part, Dev can’t stop thinking about the beautiful woman in the headscarf who seemed so pleased to see him and then so disappointed that he didn’t know her. Perhaps he should track her down to apologize? But he’s also busy with his orphaned niece and his uncle and trying to get his US acting career off the ground.

I don’t want to give anything away, but the beats of this story were different than a typical Rai novel. Jia is a devout Muslim, which colors the story without being its central focus. She and Dev were very sweet as they got to know each other. There was a bit of instalove and the ending felt slightly rushed, but I hope it all works out for them!

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review.

First off, I've been waiting for Jia's book ever since I first read about her in, Wrong To Need You. This book however, left me wanting a little more. Everything was just fine, the only exciting thing that did happen was at the beginning and that was it.

What a fun book! I've loved following Alisha Rai's other books and this one was special.

Beauty youtuber Jia Ahmed is trying to prove to her whole family of doctors that dropping out of med school to pursue her youtube career was the right move.

The grandson of Bollywood legend & a powerful Bollywood actor of his own Dev is trying to break into the new market of Hollywood TV while raising his niece even though he's not sure he's a good parent.

When Jia confronts Dev for ghosting her on social media, only for both of them to learn that Dev's cousin was catfishing Jia, Dev sets to work making amends to Jia. Through various hijinks both of them end up in a faux relationship that is obviously real to everyone but them. Their chemistry jumps off the pages and melts your heart!!

First Comes Like is a sweet love story. The plot is complicated, involving mistaken identities, pretend romances, wills with contingencies and all sorts of other familiar tropes. However, it works well. Alisha Rai's characters are always multi-dimensional and flawed, which helps to make them relatable. This title is different from most of her others in that the romantic relationship is quite chaste. It was nice to see this in a contemporary romance.

I've been waiting to read and review this book for so long, and so going into this read, I was already quite excited. I devoured Alisha Rai's first two books in her "Modern Love" series, The Right Swipe and Girl Gone Viral, where we were briefly introduced to Rhi and Kat's third roomie, Jia, who's a popular beauty influencer. Now, it's Jia's turn for some love. We start off with a nervous Jia about to crash a Hollywood party to meet her crush Dev, an international actor, that she thinks slid into her DMs a year ago. However, he doesn't recognize her and she realizes that she was catfished. Like the previous two books in the series, we see back and forth perspectives to get insight into both Dev and Jia's inner thoughts. While he doesn't recognize her, Dev is quite mesmerized by her beauty and confidence from the moment he saw her at that party. Also, it was great to see that Rhi and Kat both still have their HEAs with their love interests. That made me squeal once again because I love to see that. This book was a tad slow to start, especially in comparison to The Right Swipe and Girl Gone Viral, and I was just waiting for more than one hundred pages for that heat and action to pick up. And honestly, I'm just not as invested or feeling the butterflies as I was reading the first two books, this feels a lot slower. Back to the story, Dev wants to make up for the catfishing and agrees to fake date each other to appease her parents as they keep getting to know each other and the feelings deepen. There's a lot of build-up, but then during the road trip scene, that's truly the book's turning point for them and the book because that's where things start to pick up.

The POVs flip midchapter in some parts, which can be a bit abrupt at times. However, this book is still cute and true to Rai's style. Yes, it's less steamy and more romantic compared to her other books in the "Modern Love" series, but once again, I couldn't put it down. This book makes such a sweet addition to the series with a cute HEA and a similar style to the other books -- as soon as the pacing picked up halfway through.

I think Jia’s story was the sweetest, most lighthearted and well written one of the series! Ms. Rai adroitly and gently handled the sensitive issues like beliefs, conservatism, tradition, religion, grief, abandonment, self respect. Without provocation and trying to give political, social messages, she drew the line so professionally for giving us a unique romance and meaningful, motivational, poignant family bounding story with lovely characters.

Both Jia and Dev were decent, genuine, adorable MCs from the beginning and even though their love story seems like moved a little faster, it was not another example of haphazard, abrupt insta love. They clicked together as soon as their eyes met. Their chemistry was so obvious.

Both of their family members’ involvement into their relationship, the misunderstandings, class differences, inheritance problems, being legal guardian of his deceased brother’s niece and past family resentments are also well told, emotional. In my opinion, they were the most entertaining, heartwarming parts of the book.

The quick and brief summary of the story: Jia Ahmed knows the secret of being great makeup artist and tells her secrets on her videos effectively which makes her one of the greatest influencers. But now she’s getting closer to 30 and feeling old for this job, dreaming of starting her own makeup products business and she has been also chatting with Bollywood star Dev Naik for months and she’s charmed by his lyrical messages.

She thinks it’s time to meet him in person whether he suspiciously cancels their recent meetings at last minute emergencies. But Jia is invited at the same party he attends and she’s determined to surprise him by facing him in front of the crowd.

But as you may imagine their first encounter doesn’t go well as she’s planned. It’s obvious she’s catfished and Dev Naik has no idea who she is. But Dev couldn’t forget their encounter. He feels like he’s enchanted by her beauty and as he sees her walk away upset he wants to make sure she’s all right by using his contacts to reach her.

They both finally find out the catfishing schemes is connected with Dev’s recently deceased brother. Dev wants to compensate the humiliation his family caused to her and then the paparazzis catch them together. Their pictures are all over the tabloids! Unfortunately both of their families see those pictures.

Jia’s reputation at the stakes and Dev’s acting career can be ruined by rumors which gives them a idea to solve both of their problems: fauxmance! Acting like fiancees help the families stop worrying and Dev gets rid of being criticized by conservative and traditional audiences.

But of course a few dates later their blossoming romance kills any chance to have fauxmance between them.

Overall: it’s easy, fast, entertaining feel good read! There is no unnecessary drama, cliffhanger, angst, extreme circumstances. It’s natural, genuine, heartfelt family bond, sisterhood, friendship and love at first sight novel!

I’m giving four vivid, traditional, smiley, sweet stars!

This series is getting so much better at each book.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for sharing this lovely reviewer digital copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
I enjoyed it sooooo much!

I am between a 3.5 and 4, so I rounded up since I haven't read Alisha Rai before. Jia, Dev, and all of the side characters were fantastic, but the plot was a bit absurd at times which kept me from fully loving the story.

Jia Ahmed is an internet famous fashion and beauty vlogger who is determined to turn her internet fame into a successful career that will make her family proud. She has fallen for Dev Dixit through their online communication and can't wait to meet him in person now that he is living in LA. Dev is a famous Bollywood actor who emigrated to the US after the death of his brother to care for his niece and try his hand at American television...and has absolutely no idea who Jia is. They intend to go their separate ways once they realize Jia was catfished, but fate, and the paparazzi, gets in the way. To save Jia from embarrassment and to prevent a media scandal, they decide to fake date once rumors about their relationship grow, but it quickly becomes something real for both of them.

I loved every character in this book and their relationships with each other. Jia's friends and family were fantastic, and I now want to read the other books in the series to spend more time with them. Dev's complicated relationship with his family was also very interesting and made him even more likable.

The romance was actually the weakest part for me which I wasn't expecting. They didn't communicate directly much at all which left both questioning the other's feelings on multiple occasions and kept me wondering what was keeping them together. They also became super serious very quickly to the point it felt rushed, but there was enough there that I could believe it would grow into a strong relationship with time.