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Modern Love #2
Girl Gone Viral
In Alisha Rai’s second novel in her Modern Love series, a live-tweet event goes viral for a camera-shy ex-model, shoving her into the spotlight—and into the arms of the bodyguard she’d been pining for.
OMG! Wouldn’t it be adorable if he’s her soulmate???
I don’t see any wedding rings [eyes emoji]
Breaking: #CafeBae and #CuteCafeGirl went to the bathroom AT THE SAME TIME!!!
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…
OMG! Wouldn’t it be adorable if he’s her soulmate???
I don’t see any wedding rings [eyes emoji]
Breaking: #CafeBae and #CuteCafeGirl went to the bathroom AT THE SAME TIME!!!
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…
400 pages, ebook
First published April 21, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,858 reviews
January 29, 2021
it is 2:39 in the morning, so i will make this quick. REALLY HAD A LOT OF FUN WITH THIS. HERE’S WHY:
- the whole bodyguard romance thing is new to me, but i tend to like the general trope where one character is taking care of the other (bc of injury, illness, bad day, literally whatever) soooo this entire concept *really* did a lot for me lol
- even tho jas was katrina’s employee, it never felt like there was a power imbalance, especially bc it was addressed/considered multiple times. they complimented each other well & it felt like katrina took care of jas as much as he protected her
- THERE IS A SECLUDED FARM. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. MORE FARM ROMANCES PLEASE.
- valid criticism of the casual/widely accepted invasions of privacy that happen thru social media so often
- positivity surrounding therapy and the main characters’ mental health (ptsd, anxiety, panic disorder)
- motherfucking communication!!!! that shit is WHERE IT’S AT
- very nice hug related content very enjoyable
- the whole bodyguard romance thing is new to me, but i tend to like the general trope where one character is taking care of the other (bc of injury, illness, bad day, literally whatever) soooo this entire concept *really* did a lot for me lol
- even tho jas was katrina’s employee, it never felt like there was a power imbalance, especially bc it was addressed/considered multiple times. they complimented each other well & it felt like katrina took care of jas as much as he protected her
- THERE IS A SECLUDED FARM. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. MORE FARM ROMANCES PLEASE.
- valid criticism of the casual/widely accepted invasions of privacy that happen thru social media so often
- positivity surrounding therapy and the main characters’ mental health (ptsd, anxiety, panic disorder)
- motherfucking communication!!!! that shit is WHERE IT’S AT
- very nice hug related content very enjoyable
August 31, 2020
This book is very exciting, for exactly one reason.
This reason is that I am going to model my entire life’s purpose on its plotline.
Here’s where I’m going from here:
Step 1: Marry rich
Step 2: Rich husband dies
Step 3: Get even richer
Step 4: Marry hot bodyguard
That’s the upside.
The downside is that, other than the sheer force of its inspirational power, this reading experience did not give me much.
I didn’t really like the romance. I didn’t care for the characters. The character development, while definitely there, didn’t hit me very hard.
In fact, the only really memorable part of it for me (beyond the ways it changed my life) is the number of descriptors of our main character Katrina’s body and skin.
Lush. Creamy. Soft. Silky. And so on and so on and so on.
Also, it was a quick read. I don't remember it being particularly quick, but according to Goodreads/past me I read it in a day, so it must have been.
These are my only thoughts.
Do with them what you will.
Bottom line: I have to go!!! I have so much to do before I even get to step one!
This reason is that I am going to model my entire life’s purpose on its plotline.
Here’s where I’m going from here:
Step 1: Marry rich
Step 2: Rich husband dies
Step 3: Get even richer
Step 4: Marry hot bodyguard
That’s the upside.
The downside is that, other than the sheer force of its inspirational power, this reading experience did not give me much.
I didn’t really like the romance. I didn’t care for the characters. The character development, while definitely there, didn’t hit me very hard.
In fact, the only really memorable part of it for me (beyond the ways it changed my life) is the number of descriptors of our main character Katrina’s body and skin.
Lush. Creamy. Soft. Silky. And so on and so on and so on.
Also, it was a quick read. I don't remember it being particularly quick, but according to Goodreads/past me I read it in a day, so it must have been.
These are my only thoughts.
Do with them what you will.
Bottom line: I have to go!!! I have so much to do before I even get to step one!
July 14, 2020
The romance in this was SO. CUTE. and I now have no choice but to stan Alisha Rai for the rest of my life 🤷🏼♀️ sorry I don't make the rules
March 26, 2022
Girl Gone Viral is the second book in Alisha Rai's Modern Love series. These cute Adult Romances contain the perfect mix of steaminess with real-life issues.
In this installment, we follow Katrina King, who many of you may remember as Rhiannon's silent partner and roommate from The Right Swipe.
Katrina is a kind-hearted, super wealthy, ex-model with extreme anxiety and panic disorder.
After years of seclusion, she has just recently made a commitment to start reengaging with the world. With this in mind, she has begun venturing out to a couple of places she feels safe, one being a local coffee shop she loves.
It is on one of her visits to this shop, on a busy day, that a man asks if he can sit at her table. Katrina says yes and the two chat amicably for a short while.
When he asks her for a date, however, she turns him down as politely as she can and that is the end of the encounter. At least as far as Kat is concerned.
Unfortunately, another patron watched the whole exchange unfold and posted it online. Thus, a viral #meetcute was born.
To Kat's horror, the man involved comes forward and insinuates they are now in a relationship. This is way too much attention, triggering Kat's worst fears and anxieties.
She needs an escape and luckily, her hot bodyguard and friend, Jas Singh, is right there to save her.
Upon Kat's request, he whisks her away to his family's peach farm to stay in a little house he owns, yet rarely visits. They plan to hide out there until the whole mess blows over.
This book was so stinking cute. I loved both Kat and Jas. Watching their relationship evolve; it was everything.
I thought Rai wrote Samson, from The Right Swipe, as irresistible, but I actually loved Jas and his quiet protective presence even more!!!
Again there was quite a bit of serious subject matter included, with Kat's anxiety and family issues, as well as Jas's PTSD and equally troublesome family issues.
I like that Rai includes that. Her characters are always working through something. They're not perfect, they have flaws just like the rest of us and I think that makes these stories extra relatable for me.
I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series, which follows Kat and Rhiannon's new roommate, Jia.
I actually hope Rai continues on with this series. As long as she writes them, I'll be reading them!
In this installment, we follow Katrina King, who many of you may remember as Rhiannon's silent partner and roommate from The Right Swipe.
Katrina is a kind-hearted, super wealthy, ex-model with extreme anxiety and panic disorder.
After years of seclusion, she has just recently made a commitment to start reengaging with the world. With this in mind, she has begun venturing out to a couple of places she feels safe, one being a local coffee shop she loves.
It is on one of her visits to this shop, on a busy day, that a man asks if he can sit at her table. Katrina says yes and the two chat amicably for a short while.
When he asks her for a date, however, she turns him down as politely as she can and that is the end of the encounter. At least as far as Kat is concerned.
Unfortunately, another patron watched the whole exchange unfold and posted it online. Thus, a viral #meetcute was born.
To Kat's horror, the man involved comes forward and insinuates they are now in a relationship. This is way too much attention, triggering Kat's worst fears and anxieties.
She needs an escape and luckily, her hot bodyguard and friend, Jas Singh, is right there to save her.
Upon Kat's request, he whisks her away to his family's peach farm to stay in a little house he owns, yet rarely visits. They plan to hide out there until the whole mess blows over.
This book was so stinking cute. I loved both Kat and Jas. Watching their relationship evolve; it was everything.
I thought Rai wrote Samson, from The Right Swipe, as irresistible, but I actually loved Jas and his quiet protective presence even more!!!
Again there was quite a bit of serious subject matter included, with Kat's anxiety and family issues, as well as Jas's PTSD and equally troublesome family issues.
I like that Rai includes that. Her characters are always working through something. They're not perfect, they have flaws just like the rest of us and I think that makes these stories extra relatable for me.
I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series, which follows Kat and Rhiannon's new roommate, Jia.
I actually hope Rai continues on with this series. As long as she writes them, I'll be reading them!
May 6, 2020
You had me at “bodyguard romance”
ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Girl Gone Viral follows Katrina King, an ex model turned reclusive investor who craves privacy above all and her dutiful bodyguard Jasvinder who helps maintain her safety. On one rare outing Katrina shares a table at a crowded coffeshop with a beautiful man. This completely innocuous interaction is live tweeted by a woman sitting near them with a meet-cute spin and suddenly Katrina has gone viral on twitter. As the internet hunts for her identity, her bodyguard Jasvinder whisks her away and as they hide out together on his family farm the two must come to terms with their mutual pining.
Katrina is a really wonderful and fascinating character. I loved that she was a sappy romantic who loved to cook for her friends, was obsessed with animals and always willing to swoop in to save drowning businesses. She also has a panic disorder and anxiety, I really loved the discussions around therapy and how her friends supported her whenever she had her panic attacks. The care with which Rai treated mental health in the book was really great and extended to our male lead as well. He is a veteran with ptsd and his subtle journey to accepting support and opening up to the possibility of therapy was lovely. Both Kat and Jas are really caring and selfless people which i think helped them mesh well as a couple because they wanted nothing more than to make sure the other was happy and comfortable. Additionally I liked the emphasis on family and how difficult those relationships can be, as well as found family dynamics, it was very wholesome.
Onto the plot:
So the social media aspect of this provided some interesting discussions on privacy and how terrible the internet tends to be with boundaries as well as the really flexible nature of the social discourse online. HOWEVER, I do feel that in a way it felt slightly underdone. The anxiety that Katrina has about possibly being doxxed in the internet's frantic search for her identity is a very valid concern, but something about the way it was written didn't make the danger feel imminent to me. My heart was never pounding worrying for her safety and I must admit that I kinda hoped it would be more exciting because of the bodyguard aspect. This book really is not exciting at all if I'm honest, it's more slow and meandering but nice in it's own way. Also I felt like some of the stuff regarding Jas's military past coming back to haunt him felt slightly shoehorned in and I never mustered up enough feeling toward it to care about that side plot personally. But I did enjoy the discussion of Jas unpacking some of his trauma.
Now to talk about the romance itself:
Jas and Kat have been pining for each other and the mild angst of that was cute, when they finally came together I admit I was hoping for a more fiery union but I think these characters are two very soft people and the gentle and understated nature of their relationship reflected that. I do think however, that similarly to The Right Swipe, there was not always enough focus on the romance. There is so much going on in the character's lives and career wise which I personally found fulfilling but it sorta made the romance feel drowned out at times and I think Rai could have cut out some of the fat and given us more domestic goodness and scenes of the couple interacting to sell us on the fact that they are a great couple (they are but it could have been emphasized more).
Overall it was really enjoyable and really the little things I'm pointing out didn't necessarily hinder my enjoyment but I want to make sure everyone goes in with the right expectations.
Cw: parental abuse, emotional abuse (past), veteran with ptsd, mentions of a kidnapping, anxiety attacks
ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Girl Gone Viral follows Katrina King, an ex model turned reclusive investor who craves privacy above all and her dutiful bodyguard Jasvinder who helps maintain her safety. On one rare outing Katrina shares a table at a crowded coffeshop with a beautiful man. This completely innocuous interaction is live tweeted by a woman sitting near them with a meet-cute spin and suddenly Katrina has gone viral on twitter. As the internet hunts for her identity, her bodyguard Jasvinder whisks her away and as they hide out together on his family farm the two must come to terms with their mutual pining.
Katrina is a really wonderful and fascinating character. I loved that she was a sappy romantic who loved to cook for her friends, was obsessed with animals and always willing to swoop in to save drowning businesses. She also has a panic disorder and anxiety, I really loved the discussions around therapy and how her friends supported her whenever she had her panic attacks. The care with which Rai treated mental health in the book was really great and extended to our male lead as well. He is a veteran with ptsd and his subtle journey to accepting support and opening up to the possibility of therapy was lovely. Both Kat and Jas are really caring and selfless people which i think helped them mesh well as a couple because they wanted nothing more than to make sure the other was happy and comfortable. Additionally I liked the emphasis on family and how difficult those relationships can be, as well as found family dynamics, it was very wholesome.
Onto the plot:
So the social media aspect of this provided some interesting discussions on privacy and how terrible the internet tends to be with boundaries as well as the really flexible nature of the social discourse online. HOWEVER, I do feel that in a way it felt slightly underdone. The anxiety that Katrina has about possibly being doxxed in the internet's frantic search for her identity is a very valid concern, but something about the way it was written didn't make the danger feel imminent to me. My heart was never pounding worrying for her safety and I must admit that I kinda hoped it would be more exciting because of the bodyguard aspect. This book really is not exciting at all if I'm honest, it's more slow and meandering but nice in it's own way. Also I felt like some of the stuff regarding Jas's military past coming back to haunt him felt slightly shoehorned in and I never mustered up enough feeling toward it to care about that side plot personally. But I did enjoy the discussion of Jas unpacking some of his trauma.
Now to talk about the romance itself:
Jas and Kat have been pining for each other and the mild angst of that was cute, when they finally came together I admit I was hoping for a more fiery union but I think these characters are two very soft people and the gentle and understated nature of their relationship reflected that. I do think however, that similarly to The Right Swipe, there was not always enough focus on the romance. There is so much going on in the character's lives and career wise which I personally found fulfilling but it sorta made the romance feel drowned out at times and I think Rai could have cut out some of the fat and given us more domestic goodness and scenes of the couple interacting to sell us on the fact that they are a great couple (they are but it could have been emphasized more).
Overall it was really enjoyable and really the little things I'm pointing out didn't necessarily hinder my enjoyment but I want to make sure everyone goes in with the right expectations.
Cw: parental abuse, emotional abuse (past), veteran with ptsd, mentions of a kidnapping, anxiety attacks
May 14, 2020
3.75*
Just the slightly steamy slow burn dual perspective diverse romcom read I had hoped for when I picked this up.
Katrina was one of my faves from book1, I deff preferred her to Rhiannon although Rhi was much better as a side character in this book - she is a great friend I just didn't like being in her head in the first book 🤷♀️
In fact I really enjoyed all the supporting characters in this, I particularly enjoyed the returning characters we met in
The Right Swipe, their cameos in this were fab fun and the supportive female friendships were great 🤩👍
Heads up, I don't think one needs to have read the first book in the series to enjoy this one as this is more of a companion/spin off novel with interconnecting characters than a straight up sequel 🙃
The newcomers in the form of Mona from the coffee shop & Jas' family were such a delight. Bikram in particular was a 🍑 and interesting cultural rep explained in the authors note brought about by a random foody discovery was fascinating to me as uneducated as I am about Punjabi diversity in the States, and indeed worldwide...I'm so ignorant 🤦♀️
Also speaking of side characters; I cannot not mention Zeus (🐱) & Doodle (🐶) very minor tho their appearances are - they deffo stole my heart alongside our MCs.
Each of the MCs comes with some baggage and I liked how the author introduced their issues and how the MCs themselves manage to deal with them, well Katrina more so than bottle-it-up-Jasvinder but he starts to make progress. Social anxiety, panic attacks & PTSD present in different forms for everyone and for different reasons. Each person finds different ways to manage them then eventually open up and learn to lean on each other and those around them. These are tricky subjects to tackle in an otherwise light read and I did like how they were handled without judgment from those around them. However considering so much of the MCs issues stem from things that happened in their pasts - it feels a little surface level as it's pretty late in the book before we get (m)any details. Although this could possibly be attributed to them being in the start of their romantic relationship and indeed varying levels of their own recovery processes but I do like the communication between them once they start to break down certain barriers.
The final chapter and ending also felt a little rushed to me, I'd have liked to see them explore their new roles and see how the choices they made towards the latter half of the book affected their approaches to life going forward. I'd really have liked to see an epilogue of them going to the parade - as that would have been a great cultural exploration as well as opportunity for growth and to check back in with them to see how they were both handling things after the reveals/decisions at the end of the book pertaining to their backstories...sorry for vagueness, but I'm trying not to be spoiler'y
The viral trigger which sets this storyline in motion raises some interesting privacy questions and I was pleasantly surprised with how this was handled. We share so much of our lives, especially in these social distancing times where much of our current connections are taking place online it's no harm to pause every now and then to consider exactly what we are choosing to share & whether it is our place to do so...🤔
While this didn't have as many laugh out loud moments as the first book, these characters suck you into their story on a more emotional level and this doesn't mean there weren't funny moments. As I said the side characters are great and the MCs themselves had some cheekily funny moments too.
I am curious to see if there will be more books in this series. I hope so as there are so many interesting side characters that this series could go in many directions. Lakshmi, Jia and Harris are my picks for next MCs...altho tbh I'd really love to see more of any of the supportive characters we've met in this series so far 🤗
Just the slightly steamy slow burn dual perspective diverse romcom read I had hoped for when I picked this up.
Katrina was one of my faves from book1, I deff preferred her to Rhiannon although Rhi was much better as a side character in this book - she is a great friend I just didn't like being in her head in the first book 🤷♀️
In fact I really enjoyed all the supporting characters in this, I particularly enjoyed the returning characters we met in
The Right Swipe, their cameos in this were fab fun and the supportive female friendships were great 🤩👍
Heads up, I don't think one needs to have read the first book in the series to enjoy this one as this is more of a companion/spin off novel with interconnecting characters than a straight up sequel 🙃
The newcomers in the form of Mona from the coffee shop & Jas' family were such a delight. Bikram in particular was a 🍑 and interesting cultural rep explained in the authors note brought about by a random foody discovery was fascinating to me as uneducated as I am about Punjabi diversity in the States, and indeed worldwide...I'm so ignorant 🤦♀️
Also speaking of side characters; I cannot not mention Zeus (🐱) & Doodle (🐶) very minor tho their appearances are - they deffo stole my heart alongside our MCs.
Each of the MCs comes with some baggage and I liked how the author introduced their issues and how the MCs themselves manage to deal with them, well Katrina more so than bottle-it-up-Jasvinder but he starts to make progress. Social anxiety, panic attacks & PTSD present in different forms for everyone and for different reasons. Each person finds different ways to manage them then eventually open up and learn to lean on each other and those around them. These are tricky subjects to tackle in an otherwise light read and I did like how they were handled without judgment from those around them. However considering so much of the MCs issues stem from things that happened in their pasts - it feels a little surface level as it's pretty late in the book before we get (m)any details. Although this could possibly be attributed to them being in the start of their romantic relationship and indeed varying levels of their own recovery processes but I do like the communication between them once they start to break down certain barriers.
The final chapter and ending also felt a little rushed to me, I'd have liked to see them explore their new roles and see how the choices they made towards the latter half of the book affected their approaches to life going forward. I'd really have liked to see an epilogue of them going to the parade - as that would have been a great cultural exploration as well as opportunity for growth and to check back in with them to see how they were both handling things after the reveals/decisions at the end of the book pertaining to their backstories...sorry for vagueness, but I'm trying not to be spoiler'y
The viral trigger which sets this storyline in motion raises some interesting privacy questions and I was pleasantly surprised with how this was handled. We share so much of our lives, especially in these social distancing times where much of our current connections are taking place online it's no harm to pause every now and then to consider exactly what we are choosing to share & whether it is our place to do so...🤔
While this didn't have as many laugh out loud moments as the first book, these characters suck you into their story on a more emotional level and this doesn't mean there weren't funny moments. As I said the side characters are great and the MCs themselves had some cheekily funny moments too.
I am curious to see if there will be more books in this series. I hope so as there are so many interesting side characters that this series could go in many directions. Lakshmi, Jia and Harris are my picks for next MCs...altho tbh I'd really love to see more of any of the supportive characters we've met in this series so far 🤗
April 17, 2020
4.5 STARS
I have been so excited for Girl Gone Viral – for Katrina’s story – ever since reading and enjoying The Right Swipe. And after having finished GGV, I can say this is another success in the Modern Love series! But what else did I expect from Alisha Rai? I loved this story. Jas and Katrina are the sweetest cinnamon rolls and I adored their slow burn romance! If you’re in the mood for something fluffy that will make you feel all the bubbly feelings, you need to read this book.
In case you didn’t know, this is a BODYGUARD ROMANCE! A trope I don’t read that often, but love all the same. Jas has been Katrina’s bodyguard and protecting her for years, and both have been pining for each other for almost as long as they’ve known each other. There is plenty of longing and unrequited (but actually requited) loved between the two of them. Then Katrina goes viral on Twitter against her will, terrified of losing her privacy, and Jas sweeps her away to his secluded farm out in the California countryside. FINALLY, things start to heat up now that they’re in such close proximity together (and Katrina gets to accidentally see Jas shirtless a time or two).
Katrina and Jas are such pure characters. They are kindhearted and selfless people, which is the main reason why neither of them ever brought up their feelings to the other until now. Their romance is just so… SOFT. I loved the dynamic between these two characters who have known each other for YEARS, so they know all about the other person’s quirks, likes, and dislikes. There is also plenty going on outside of their adorable slow burn romance, with the tweets and the people behind them showing up all over the media, and Jas’ family conflicts, particularly with his grandfather, who wants Jas to inherit his farm.
I think I liked this even more than The Right Swipe. I know I’ve seen some reviews say that the romance was overshadowed (which I felt in TRS) but in GGV it never really felt that way to me! I didn’t mind at all that we get a ton about the viral tweet and Jas’s issues with his family, mainly because Jas and Katrina are always dealing with everything TOGETHER. They are such soft, lovely, complex characters and if you love the bodyguard trope, I can’t recommend this book enough!
I have been so excited for Girl Gone Viral – for Katrina’s story – ever since reading and enjoying The Right Swipe. And after having finished GGV, I can say this is another success in the Modern Love series! But what else did I expect from Alisha Rai? I loved this story. Jas and Katrina are the sweetest cinnamon rolls and I adored their slow burn romance! If you’re in the mood for something fluffy that will make you feel all the bubbly feelings, you need to read this book.
In case you didn’t know, this is a BODYGUARD ROMANCE! A trope I don’t read that often, but love all the same. Jas has been Katrina’s bodyguard and protecting her for years, and both have been pining for each other for almost as long as they’ve known each other. There is plenty of longing and unrequited (but actually requited) loved between the two of them. Then Katrina goes viral on Twitter against her will, terrified of losing her privacy, and Jas sweeps her away to his secluded farm out in the California countryside. FINALLY, things start to heat up now that they’re in such close proximity together (and Katrina gets to accidentally see Jas shirtless a time or two).
Katrina and Jas are such pure characters. They are kindhearted and selfless people, which is the main reason why neither of them ever brought up their feelings to the other until now. Their romance is just so… SOFT. I loved the dynamic between these two characters who have known each other for YEARS, so they know all about the other person’s quirks, likes, and dislikes. There is also plenty going on outside of their adorable slow burn romance, with the tweets and the people behind them showing up all over the media, and Jas’ family conflicts, particularly with his grandfather, who wants Jas to inherit his farm.
I think I liked this even more than The Right Swipe. I know I’ve seen some reviews say that the romance was overshadowed (which I felt in TRS) but in GGV it never really felt that way to me! I didn’t mind at all that we get a ton about the viral tweet and Jas’s issues with his family, mainly because Jas and Katrina are always dealing with everything TOGETHER. They are such soft, lovely, complex characters and if you love the bodyguard trope, I can’t recommend this book enough!
April 4, 2020
Oh, wow. This was such a miss for me and I am so sad it was. When I started this book, I thought the premise was so promising with how Katrina is a super private person, has anxiety, and hates attention, so when she goes viral, her bodyguard whisks her away to his farm house hours away. A bodyguard romance!? YES. Sadly, this book ended up being so boring and the romance was overshadowed by other storylines.
The story in this book was very slow moving and I hated how we still have a lot of unknowns about these characters' pasts. Katrina is a very complex character, but I feel like her backstory was not developed to its full potential. I still have questions about her relationship with her deceased husband and what happened to her that has scared her from having attention on her again. Then, with Jas's character, we didn't really get his full story until almost the very end and I wish that we had that in the beginning. There was drama currently happening the related to his past, but we only got conversations about it, not any confrontation with it or something more substantial.
As for the romance, it was sweet, but it didn't really go anywhere. Jas's issues with his family overshadowed his romance and I didn't really find myself caring about when Jas and Katrina were going to get together. There wasn't really a spark for me and I was more bored that anything while reading. While I really enjoyed The Right Swipe, I just wasn't a fan of this book.
The story in this book was very slow moving and I hated how we still have a lot of unknowns about these characters' pasts. Katrina is a very complex character, but I feel like her backstory was not developed to its full potential. I still have questions about her relationship with her deceased husband and what happened to her that has scared her from having attention on her again. Then, with Jas's character, we didn't really get his full story until almost the very end and I wish that we had that in the beginning. There was drama currently happening the related to his past, but we only got conversations about it, not any confrontation with it or something more substantial.
As for the romance, it was sweet, but it didn't really go anywhere. Jas's issues with his family overshadowed his romance and I didn't really find myself caring about when Jas and Katrina were going to get together. There wasn't really a spark for me and I was more bored that anything while reading. While I really enjoyed The Right Swipe, I just wasn't a fan of this book.
Shelved as 'dnf'
April 12, 2021DNF at 43%.
Could not connect to the story.
Could not connect to the story.
March 4, 2020
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?)
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?)
February 6, 2021
Yes to the diversity of characters, no to everything else.
Shelved as 'dnf'
April 12, 2021dnf at page 185
October 31, 2019
First I have to be completely honest and admit part of me was sure I wouldn't like this. I dnf'ed the first book in the series, The Right Swipe a few months ago but I made the decision to give this author another try. While I couldn't finish it, was an issue with characters and the relationship building more than anything else, the writing was really nice and I loved the diversity.
So, when I saw the arc of Girl Gone Viral available to request, I decided to go ahead and request and thought this was the perfect time to give Alisha Rai another try and I'm so freaking glad I did it.
I loved this and connected in ways that I haven't with the first book in the series and I think for people like me, that couldn't get into the first book, this might be the perfect read.
I really liked both main characters, in particular I thought Jas was one of the sweetest main characters/love interests I've read in awhile. I thought he'd be cold and aloof at first but he was so caring and precious. He was such a selfless person that almost made me want to shake him because he was just too damn good.
I really appreciated and enjoyed all the talk about trauma, PTSD and panic disorder. I thought it was handled well given that's such an important part of the story and its characters.
The pacing of the romance was perfect, it was almost a friends-to-lovers but also not and having all that pining and earning mixed with the slow-burn was everything I hoped for.
The side characters were so amusing, I loved every single one of them and I wished to see more of Jas' family. Even though his relationship with them was so strained it was so refreshing to see how they worked in their issues and learning to be more honest with each other.
I also enjoyed the talk about the internet and how people react and feel entitled to strangers' lives in it. There was space to touch and talk about it more in depth but the story didn't miss anything and it was just enough to make us question how we also might get caught in thinking something is harmless and fun, while invading someone's privacy.
This wasn't perfect, some particular scenes and dialogues made me cringe a little which took me out of the story sometimes but didn't make this any less enjoyable.
Definitely recommend and will continue this series and picking up books by this author, if will be a hit or miss I don't know but I'm willing to try out because when it's a hit sure is great!
I was provided an ARC via Edelweiss Plus in exchange of an honest review.
So, when I saw the arc of Girl Gone Viral available to request, I decided to go ahead and request and thought this was the perfect time to give Alisha Rai another try and I'm so freaking glad I did it.
I loved this and connected in ways that I haven't with the first book in the series and I think for people like me, that couldn't get into the first book, this might be the perfect read.
I really liked both main characters, in particular I thought Jas was one of the sweetest main characters/love interests I've read in awhile. I thought he'd be cold and aloof at first but he was so caring and precious. He was such a selfless person that almost made me want to shake him because he was just too damn good.
I really appreciated and enjoyed all the talk about trauma, PTSD and panic disorder. I thought it was handled well given that's such an important part of the story and its characters.
The pacing of the romance was perfect, it was almost a friends-to-lovers but also not and having all that pining and earning mixed with the slow-burn was everything I hoped for.
The side characters were so amusing, I loved every single one of them and I wished to see more of Jas' family. Even though his relationship with them was so strained it was so refreshing to see how they worked in their issues and learning to be more honest with each other.
I also enjoyed the talk about the internet and how people react and feel entitled to strangers' lives in it. There was space to touch and talk about it more in depth but the story didn't miss anything and it was just enough to make us question how we also might get caught in thinking something is harmless and fun, while invading someone's privacy.
This wasn't perfect, some particular scenes and dialogues made me cringe a little which took me out of the story sometimes but didn't make this any less enjoyable.
Definitely recommend and will continue this series and picking up books by this author, if will be a hit or miss I don't know but I'm willing to try out because when it's a hit sure is great!
I was provided an ARC via Edelweiss Plus in exchange of an honest review.
April 22, 2020
This book is much different than the first in the standalone series in a lot of ways...and yet, I still enjoyed it!
Girl Gone Viral is much, much tamer and slow burn than I expected especially since the two characters have been in love with each other for years. They are two of the sweetest and softest characters, I really enjoyed being in their heads and getting to know each of them. I thought it was so interesting and cool getting to know Jas's family and the whole dynamic between them all was really fleshed out. I also loved getting to see more of Rhiannon and Katrina's friendship as well as Jia and the other secondary characters. Also can I just say the I LOVE the diversity in this book, but in terms of POC characters and LGBT+ characters?
I did feel that some of the background/sub-plots of this book weren't fully fleshed out and left open-ended which I was kind of confused about as they were mentioned multiple times throughout the book so I assumed we'd see that come full circle. Also I loved the slow burn and sweet burn of the angst of wondering when they'd finally be together but then when they finally kiss...I felt nothing. I think it was so slow burn that by time the romance came the candle had fizzled out and I didn't really feel the connection anymore. I still think they are so sweet together but I didn't feel that chemistry like I'd hoped I would. Also the couple has small issues that aren't really handled by the end but instead left open-ended again which for some won't be a problem but I don't really like endings like that.
Overall, even though I didn't quite feel the connection like I'd hoped I still really enjoyed this. I flew through it and once I picked it up, I had a really hard time putting it back down. There's something about Alisha Rai's writing that I really like and I can't wait to read her next book!
arc given in exchange for an honest review.Thank you!
January 7, 2020
CW: Extreme social anxiety, panic attacks, PTSD, talk of past parental abuse
More of a 4.5 but I’m definitely rounding up.
I wasn’t gonna read this book until nearer to its release date, I just wasn’t feeling interested in diving into a new epic fantasy world right at the beginning of the year, so obviously I decided to go for my other favorite genre - romance. As of Jan 6th when I’m writing this review, RWA has been going through shit for almost a couple of weeks and many many authors of color have been relentlessly voicing their opinions about the structural issues regards to racism in the organization and how hard they’ve been working to make it inclusive but it just all seems like for naught. While I can’t contribute much because I’m only a reader of romance, I decided I can atleast read the latest romance novel by my favorite author of color Alisha Rai. And as always, this book was excellent.
The Right Swipe was one of my favorite romances of last year, and because I really liked Katrina in it, I definitely had high expectations from this book. But Alisha completely hit it out of the park this time. The story captured my heart right on the first page and then never let it go till the end. It’s an engaging love story of two people who’ve been through a lot in their lives and the I can’t describe the joy I felt when they were able to finally express their feelings for each other. This is a story about hope and kindness and I’m so glad I got to read it. My only slight niggle is that a couple of subplots didn’t feel completely resolved, but I guess it’s ok if we consider that the characters are still a work in progress.
This book has so many important themes that are discussed and I loved how sensitively the author manages to explore all of them. The PTSD, extreme anxiety, panic attacks - everything is dealt with honestly- how difficult it is to live with them but also how they can be managed with access to therapy, medication and a support system. I particularly loved the importance the author places on having a supportive friend group, people who are unconditionally there for you whenever you need them and how family is whatever we make it to be. The author also talks about how it’s very easy to get cynical in our current world but sometimes, keeping hope alive in hearts and being kind to each other might help us move on.
But definitely the most important theme of the story is about privacy in our world of social media and viral videos. We’ve really seen this happen many times - someone takes a video or photo of someone else in a public place and talks about the conversation they are having or spin a tale about a probable meet cute or just about anything else - and these tweets go viral. While they make for some fun when we read them, we never really do think about how the person who has been photographed and whose private conversation has become a social media trend actually feels about it all. Even if the whole situation played out in a public place, what right do we actually have to expose someone else to the toxicity of the internet without caring anything about their boundaries and privacy issues - there is absolutely no consent in this situation and it’s truly horrifying when we carefully think about it. I’m glad the author decided to talk about this issue in the book.
The characters are always memorable in Alisha’s books but this book is just at another level. Katrina may have a lot of mental health issues but she has done a lot of work to devise her coping strategies, design her life in a way that minimizes possible triggers, and tries everyday to push her boundaries a little more. But despite everything, she is an extremely kind hearted person who wants the best for everyone and maybe, finally is ready for some happiness herself. As the story progressed, it was wonderful to see her assert herself more, talk about her needs and expectations and trying to not let her past hold her back.
Jasvindar may fit the typical romance hero trope of a grumpy bodyguard with a tragic past with his own issues of PTSD, he is also an extremely nice and considerate guy and hates talking about himself, but will do anything for the sake of Katrina. They both really are the perfect couple and it was amazing to see them finally open up and talk to each other about themselves and also just be a bit silly. This is a very slow burn relationship with many years of friendship behind them and I really loved their dynamic. I also love how much emphasis there is on consent throughout.
The side characters in this book are absolutely wonderful. Rhiannon and Lakshmi make appearances again and they are their usual badass selves. Rhi and Jia are such supportive friends and it was so nice to see all these women take care of each other. Jasvindar’s family was a delight to get to know. They are so warm and loving but also stubborn and their bickering and arguments felt very familiar. Sam and his friends Dean and Harry also make an appearance and it was nice to see Jas trying to make new friends and try to build a support system of his own.
To conclude, this love story is sweet and beautiful and there’s no way you won’t love these two softhearted characters. It’s an amazing slow burn with deep friendship and also pretty tame, so don’t expect Alisha’s usual sexy and angsty times. But this book also tackles a myriad of important issues with a lot of sensitivity and I think I’ll definitely recommend it more because of them. I know Jia is getting the next book and I’m really excited for it but I also badly want Lakshmi’s book. Please make it happen Avon !!!
More of a 4.5 but I’m definitely rounding up.
I wasn’t gonna read this book until nearer to its release date, I just wasn’t feeling interested in diving into a new epic fantasy world right at the beginning of the year, so obviously I decided to go for my other favorite genre - romance. As of Jan 6th when I’m writing this review, RWA has been going through shit for almost a couple of weeks and many many authors of color have been relentlessly voicing their opinions about the structural issues regards to racism in the organization and how hard they’ve been working to make it inclusive but it just all seems like for naught. While I can’t contribute much because I’m only a reader of romance, I decided I can atleast read the latest romance novel by my favorite author of color Alisha Rai. And as always, this book was excellent.
The Right Swipe was one of my favorite romances of last year, and because I really liked Katrina in it, I definitely had high expectations from this book. But Alisha completely hit it out of the park this time. The story captured my heart right on the first page and then never let it go till the end. It’s an engaging love story of two people who’ve been through a lot in their lives and the I can’t describe the joy I felt when they were able to finally express their feelings for each other. This is a story about hope and kindness and I’m so glad I got to read it. My only slight niggle is that a couple of subplots didn’t feel completely resolved, but I guess it’s ok if we consider that the characters are still a work in progress.
This book has so many important themes that are discussed and I loved how sensitively the author manages to explore all of them. The PTSD, extreme anxiety, panic attacks - everything is dealt with honestly- how difficult it is to live with them but also how they can be managed with access to therapy, medication and a support system. I particularly loved the importance the author places on having a supportive friend group, people who are unconditionally there for you whenever you need them and how family is whatever we make it to be. The author also talks about how it’s very easy to get cynical in our current world but sometimes, keeping hope alive in hearts and being kind to each other might help us move on.
But definitely the most important theme of the story is about privacy in our world of social media and viral videos. We’ve really seen this happen many times - someone takes a video or photo of someone else in a public place and talks about the conversation they are having or spin a tale about a probable meet cute or just about anything else - and these tweets go viral. While they make for some fun when we read them, we never really do think about how the person who has been photographed and whose private conversation has become a social media trend actually feels about it all. Even if the whole situation played out in a public place, what right do we actually have to expose someone else to the toxicity of the internet without caring anything about their boundaries and privacy issues - there is absolutely no consent in this situation and it’s truly horrifying when we carefully think about it. I’m glad the author decided to talk about this issue in the book.
The characters are always memorable in Alisha’s books but this book is just at another level. Katrina may have a lot of mental health issues but she has done a lot of work to devise her coping strategies, design her life in a way that minimizes possible triggers, and tries everyday to push her boundaries a little more. But despite everything, she is an extremely kind hearted person who wants the best for everyone and maybe, finally is ready for some happiness herself. As the story progressed, it was wonderful to see her assert herself more, talk about her needs and expectations and trying to not let her past hold her back.
Jasvindar may fit the typical romance hero trope of a grumpy bodyguard with a tragic past with his own issues of PTSD, he is also an extremely nice and considerate guy and hates talking about himself, but will do anything for the sake of Katrina. They both really are the perfect couple and it was amazing to see them finally open up and talk to each other about themselves and also just be a bit silly. This is a very slow burn relationship with many years of friendship behind them and I really loved their dynamic. I also love how much emphasis there is on consent throughout.
The side characters in this book are absolutely wonderful. Rhiannon and Lakshmi make appearances again and they are their usual badass selves. Rhi and Jia are such supportive friends and it was so nice to see all these women take care of each other. Jasvindar’s family was a delight to get to know. They are so warm and loving but also stubborn and their bickering and arguments felt very familiar. Sam and his friends Dean and Harry also make an appearance and it was nice to see Jas trying to make new friends and try to build a support system of his own.
To conclude, this love story is sweet and beautiful and there’s no way you won’t love these two softhearted characters. It’s an amazing slow burn with deep friendship and also pretty tame, so don’t expect Alisha’s usual sexy and angsty times. But this book also tackles a myriad of important issues with a lot of sensitivity and I think I’ll definitely recommend it more because of them. I know Jia is getting the next book and I’m really excited for it but I also badly want Lakshmi’s book. Please make it happen Avon !!!
September 12, 2022
The main character, Katrina King, a very wealthy woman, was in hiding from her abusive, manipulative and controlling dad. She also has severe anxiety and panic attacks. She’s worked hard to avoid public interactions and goes by an alias.
Her world was tilted off its axis when a video taken without her permission went viral. The video captured her interaction (small talk) with another stranger she shared a table with at a cafe. The video was taken out of context to spin a “Love at First Sight” tweet. She needed to get away as quickly as possible, but there is no place far enough from the influence of the internet. It was time she faced her fears head-on.
I enjoyed the flow of the plot. The love connection between Kat and Jas also spiced up the story. 3 Stars.
Her world was tilted off its axis when a video taken without her permission went viral. The video captured her interaction (small talk) with another stranger she shared a table with at a cafe. The video was taken out of context to spin a “Love at First Sight” tweet. She needed to get away as quickly as possible, but there is no place far enough from the influence of the internet. It was time she faced her fears head-on.
I enjoyed the flow of the plot. The love connection between Kat and Jas also spiced up the story. 3 Stars.
March 31, 2020
*4.5 stars*
I loved this so much. Alisha Rai just excels at writing characters who feel real and human and complex and interesting, and who you can’t help but root for. The romance itself was super sweet and felt so natural. Loved getting to see the characters we know and love from the first book in this series, too! Plus, a large part of this book is set on a peach farm??? Like, how much cuter can it get???
I loved this so much. Alisha Rai just excels at writing characters who feel real and human and complex and interesting, and who you can’t help but root for. The romance itself was super sweet and felt so natural. Loved getting to see the characters we know and love from the first book in this series, too! Plus, a large part of this book is set on a peach farm??? Like, how much cuter can it get???
April 21, 2020
The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Full review HERE
This was such a good romance book, I really enjoyed it.
This is the second novel in a companion series, but you don't have to read the first one to enjoy this story.
I appreciated very much how Alisha Rai included so many important and serious themes in her narrative, such as an abusive parental figure, PTSD, panic attacks, and the right to privacy in the era of social media. I think they were all dealt with in a good and deserving way. I like when a romance story isn't only about the couple, but also about their own life and problems.
I also really liked the two main characters, Katrina and Jas. Throughout the book we got the chance to discover that Katrina came a long way and I felt so proud of her and how far she had come. Jas was also dealing with his own issues and I think they were given quite good resolutions.
Lastly, but not least, I enjoyed how the concept of family was included in this novel. Sometimes the people you love the most in your life are blood related to you and sometimes they're not and that's totally fine too.
If you're looking for a good romance, I definitely recommend this one!
Full review HERE
This was such a good romance book, I really enjoyed it.
This is the second novel in a companion series, but you don't have to read the first one to enjoy this story.
I appreciated very much how Alisha Rai included so many important and serious themes in her narrative, such as an abusive parental figure, PTSD, panic attacks, and the right to privacy in the era of social media. I think they were all dealt with in a good and deserving way. I like when a romance story isn't only about the couple, but also about their own life and problems.
I also really liked the two main characters, Katrina and Jas. Throughout the book we got the chance to discover that Katrina came a long way and I felt so proud of her and how far she had come. Jas was also dealing with his own issues and I think they were given quite good resolutions.
Lastly, but not least, I enjoyed how the concept of family was included in this novel. Sometimes the people you love the most in your life are blood related to you and sometimes they're not and that's totally fine too.
If you're looking for a good romance, I definitely recommend this one!
May 4, 2021
I love Katrina King’s character since the very first book itself. But this book is something which is 50% enjoyed and 50% did not enjoy. Nothing more, Nothing less.
The dialogues between the characters were off and just not there at times. It could have been more fun just like the first book but it wasn't.
What I liked was the exposure of Indian culture in the book. Jas and Hardeep and all the family drama along with it felt good to read about. Jas's character could definitely have been better.
Even when they both ended up together towards the end of the book it did not feel like from Jas's dialogues. But nonetheless, the book was a sweet read and slower than the first book.
The dialogues between the characters were off and just not there at times. It could have been more fun just like the first book but it wasn't.
What I liked was the exposure of Indian culture in the book. Jas and Hardeep and all the family drama along with it felt good to read about. Jas's character could definitely have been better.
Even when they both ended up together towards the end of the book it did not feel like from Jas's dialogues. But nonetheless, the book was a sweet read and slower than the first book.
February 28, 2020
Please note that I received this book for free via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.
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 man 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 it 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.
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 man 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 it 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.
July 27, 2021
I am usually very generous with my ratings, but I just couldn't with this one. I was soo bored and conflicted. Firstly I just couldn't sync with the vibe of the book. Because the book clearly didn't know what it wanted to be. There was so much going on and the tone changed so abruptly that I was just left confused.
So the story follows Katrina and her bodyguard Jas. Katrina suffers from bad panic attacks and prefers to stay away from socialising. During one of her normal visits to her favorite café, she is clicked having a conversation with another guy. And the photo goes viral upending Kat's life. Now comes in her friend and bodyguard Jas who whisks her away into a farm house in a small town, to let everything blow over. Yeah this is the basic premise of the book.
Now I want to point out the problem with the book. Jas is supposed to be head of the security and he should have been able to keep and eye if people sitting across her client are taking her pics. Nvm even that. He specialises in cybersec yet he didn't make an attempt to get the post down. With the amount of money everyone had in this book, pfft it wouldn't have been a bother at all. That reminds me, everyone is filthy rich in here. Jas whisks Kat to his "small" house which is huge in itself and then comes Jas's family home..which well is grand. There is a lot of family drama going on with Jas's family. Again rich people problem which I cannot relate to whatsoever and I hardly cared. Out of all characters I think Bikram was the most tolerable one.
Ok these are petty things which bothered me. Now to the major stuff. I don't support romanticizing trauma, mental health or PTSD. And I hate it when it is done so poorly. It just felt like the author decided to make both her MCs traumatised people as she couldn't think of building any other personality for them. A lot of romance books have mental health or disability rep, but there has to be more than only that to your MCs personality. Maybe I am bitter because I recently read a spectacular book having mental health rep but you cannot just keep on drilling that Kat has panic disorder and Jas has PTSD every alternate page.I would have appreciated if it was more show then punching it in my face.
And who makes a person suffering from PTSD, head of security? Which brings us to mysterious Hardeep. Rich, generous and benevolent Hardeep. Who just helped random people by throwing out money. Why???? Tell me more about him? How was Kat's first marriage like?
Aaah now to romance. This was a romance book afterall. Hmmm. Romance. Chemistry. For all of Kat's talk of zings, I did not feel a single spark. I dozed off thrice while reading. It just did not work for me. Not believable and felt forced somehow. And not to forget Kat's insane obssession with eyebrows. That was well...weird.
I hate writing negative reviews. I would have dnfed this book, if not for a buddy read. But well these are my honest feelings sadly.
So the story follows Katrina and her bodyguard Jas. Katrina suffers from bad panic attacks and prefers to stay away from socialising. During one of her normal visits to her favorite café, she is clicked having a conversation with another guy. And the photo goes viral upending Kat's life. Now comes in her friend and bodyguard Jas who whisks her away into a farm house in a small town, to let everything blow over. Yeah this is the basic premise of the book.
Now I want to point out the problem with the book. Jas is supposed to be head of the security and he should have been able to keep and eye if people sitting across her client are taking her pics. Nvm even that. He specialises in cybersec yet he didn't make an attempt to get the post down. With the amount of money everyone had in this book, pfft it wouldn't have been a bother at all. That reminds me, everyone is filthy rich in here. Jas whisks Kat to his "small" house which is huge in itself and then comes Jas's family home..which well is grand. There is a lot of family drama going on with Jas's family. Again rich people problem which I cannot relate to whatsoever and I hardly cared. Out of all characters I think Bikram was the most tolerable one.
Ok these are petty things which bothered me. Now to the major stuff. I don't support romanticizing trauma, mental health or PTSD. And I hate it when it is done so poorly. It just felt like the author decided to make both her MCs traumatised people as she couldn't think of building any other personality for them. A lot of romance books have mental health or disability rep, but there has to be more than only that to your MCs personality. Maybe I am bitter because I recently read a spectacular book having mental health rep but you cannot just keep on drilling that Kat has panic disorder and Jas has PTSD every alternate page.I would have appreciated if it was more show then punching it in my face.
And who makes a person suffering from PTSD, head of security? Which brings us to mysterious Hardeep. Rich, generous and benevolent Hardeep. Who just helped random people by throwing out money. Why???? Tell me more about him? How was Kat's first marriage like?
Aaah now to romance. This was a romance book afterall. Hmmm. Romance. Chemistry. For all of Kat's talk of zings, I did not feel a single spark. I dozed off thrice while reading. It just did not work for me. Not believable and felt forced somehow. And not to forget Kat's insane obssession with eyebrows. That was well...weird.
I hate writing negative reviews. I would have dnfed this book, if not for a buddy read. But well these are my honest feelings sadly.
May 16, 2020
4.5
Life rarely made narrative sense, but sometimes it could take something away and give something else right back.
TW: Panic attacks. PTSD.
Lovely couple. Both with problems from the past. They have known each other for more than ten years as boss and employee (he is in charge of security)
She is half-Thai. He is Punjabi Sikh-Mexican descendant.
This book exposes the subject of all the problems that are presented by the unwanted exposure by some twitters and everything that implies when someone exposes you on social networks without your knowledge or that your right to privacy matters. Just for the 'fifteen minutes of fame'. This is exacerbated because Katrina has problems with panic attacks, with unknown people and situations, in addition to some paranoia from a traumatic event.
The support of the family , or , in some cases of good friends is very important. And also that it is necessary to know how to ask for help and not hide our difficulties.
.....................
Comentario en desarrollo
...
Advertencia: Ataques de pánico. TEPT.
Pareja adorable. Ambos con problemas por su pasado. Se conocen desde hace más de diez años como jefe y empleado (él está a cargo de la seguridad)
Ella es medio tailandesa. Él es descendiente Punjabi sij-mexicano.
Este libro expone el tema de todos los problemas que se presentan por la exposición no deseada por algunos twitters y todo lo que implica cuando alguien lo expone en las redes sociales sin su conocimiento o sin que tu derecho a la privacidad les sea importante. Solo por los 'quince minutos de fama'. Esto se exacerba porque Katrina tiene problemas con ataques de pánico, con personas y situaciones desconocidas, además de cierta paranoia de un evento traumático.
El apoyo de la familia o en algunos casos de buenos amigos es muy importante. Y también que es necesario saber pedir ayuda y no esconder nuestras dificultades.
Life rarely made narrative sense, but sometimes it could take something away and give something else right back.
TW: Panic attacks. PTSD.
Lovely couple. Both with problems from the past. They have known each other for more than ten years as boss and employee (he is in charge of security)
She is half-Thai. He is Punjabi Sikh-Mexican descendant.
This book exposes the subject of all the problems that are presented by the unwanted exposure by some twitters and everything that implies when someone exposes you on social networks without your knowledge or that your right to privacy matters. Just for the 'fifteen minutes of fame'. This is exacerbated because Katrina has problems with panic attacks, with unknown people and situations, in addition to some paranoia from a traumatic event.
The support of the family , or , in some cases of good friends is very important. And also that it is necessary to know how to ask for help and not hide our difficulties.
.....................
Comentario en desarrollo
...
Advertencia: Ataques de pánico. TEPT.
Pareja adorable. Ambos con problemas por su pasado. Se conocen desde hace más de diez años como jefe y empleado (él está a cargo de la seguridad)
Ella es medio tailandesa. Él es descendiente Punjabi sij-mexicano.
Este libro expone el tema de todos los problemas que se presentan por la exposición no deseada por algunos twitters y todo lo que implica cuando alguien lo expone en las redes sociales sin su conocimiento o sin que tu derecho a la privacidad les sea importante. Solo por los 'quince minutos de fama'. Esto se exacerba porque Katrina tiene problemas con ataques de pánico, con personas y situaciones desconocidas, además de cierta paranoia de un evento traumático.
El apoyo de la familia o en algunos casos de buenos amigos es muy importante. Y también que es necesario saber pedir ayuda y no esconder nuestras dificultades.
April 16, 2020
I loved the previous book and was beyond excited to see Katrina was getting a book. Sadly, this was a let down for me.
I loved Katrina and Jas. I love their history and how in tune they were with each other. They’ve both been pining away, but unfortunately, there was no chemistry at all. Of course I loved seeing the the other ladies and Doodle was the absolute best. I could have done with about a million more scenes with the dog.
Plot wise, it was a struggle. The actual background story for each of them is given in bits and pieces in passing conversations. We don’t get the full story {but still a very vague idea} until nearly the end. The tension slash build up was non-existent and that includes the romance part of it.
Overall, there was so much potential, but for me, the story lacked a spark and direction. If there is another book in the series, I’ll be reading it.
**Huge thanks to Avon Books for providing the arc free of charge**
I loved Katrina and Jas. I love their history and how in tune they were with each other. They’ve both been pining away, but unfortunately, there was no chemistry at all. Of course I loved seeing the the other ladies and Doodle was the absolute best. I could have done with about a million more scenes with the dog.
Plot wise, it was a struggle. The actual background story for each of them is given in bits and pieces in passing conversations. We don’t get the full story {but still a very vague idea} until nearly the end. The tension slash build up was non-existent and that includes the romance part of it.
Overall, there was so much potential, but for me, the story lacked a spark and direction. If there is another book in the series, I’ll be reading it.
**Huge thanks to Avon Books for providing the arc free of charge**
July 15, 2020
What I liked about this book:
1. The diversity! To include and basically represent these many cultures in a book was genuinely refreshing and fucking necessary.
2. The male MC (Jas) was so kind, as a bodyguard and then as a boyfriend, he was very understanding about female MC's (Katrina) fears and anxieties.
3. Katrina again was so sweet.
4. This book is fucking goals!! This is how understanding, a couple should be towards each other.
5. The topics such as PTSD, anxiety, panic attacks and internet's privacy invasion were handled beautifully.
6. The sex was not your typical rom-com book one, it was so realistic, to include lube and make it sexy is damn amazing.
7. The friendships, whether between girls or Jas and Samson were screaming GOALS!!
There are many other things which I liked about this book, but these are the main ones.
What I didn't like about this book:
1. I was just not into the book, I took me like 3 days to complete this book, which is a very long stretch for me.
2. I felt the ending was very abrupt, not all my curiosities were satisfied.
3. Some points were explained way too much, and for some there was no explanation at all.
4. I missed the whole falling in love stuff, it was like when the book started they both were already in love with each other.
5. The slow burn part was way tooooo slow for me.
6. It was not as good as The Right Swipe. I know it's not a valid point, but after reading that book I had way too much expectations from this one.
Overall it was a good book, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.
1. The diversity! To include and basically represent these many cultures in a book was genuinely refreshing and fucking necessary.
2. The male MC (Jas) was so kind, as a bodyguard and then as a boyfriend, he was very understanding about female MC's (Katrina) fears and anxieties.
3. Katrina again was so sweet.
4. This book is fucking goals!! This is how understanding, a couple should be towards each other.
5. The topics such as PTSD, anxiety, panic attacks and internet's privacy invasion were handled beautifully.
6. The sex was not your typical rom-com book one, it was so realistic, to include lube and make it sexy is damn amazing.
7. The friendships, whether between girls or Jas and Samson were screaming GOALS!!
There are many other things which I liked about this book, but these are the main ones.
What I didn't like about this book:
1. I was just not into the book, I took me like 3 days to complete this book, which is a very long stretch for me.
2. I felt the ending was very abrupt, not all my curiosities were satisfied.
3. Some points were explained way too much, and for some there was no explanation at all.
4. I missed the whole falling in love stuff, it was like when the book started they both were already in love with each other.
5. The slow burn part was way tooooo slow for me.
6. It was not as good as The Right Swipe. I know it's not a valid point, but after reading that book I had way too much expectations from this one.
Overall it was a good book, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.
May 13, 2020
This one was very different from book 1 but I still liked it. If you don't remember, Katrina was the silent partner and friend to Rhiannon, the heroine in book one of this series. We got the little tidbit about Katrina being a recluse, but not the fully understanding as to why.
In this sequel, Katrina is trying her hand at making a love match. However, she isn't finding that zing of attraction that she feels when she is around her bodyguard Jas. She is determined to find someone who returns her affections so when a chance meeting occurs with a handsome stranger at a cafe, Katrina strikes up a conversation. What happens as a result exposes the very private Katrina on the internet. To buy time for the attention to die down, Katrina's bodyguard Jas whisks her away to his family farm and that is when both characters really begin to open up and see what's been in front of them the whole time.
The writing was really engaging and dynamic. The author deals with their mental health issues with sensitivity and grace, so I was really able to empathize with the main characters. Katrina and Jas were dealing with issues that made trusting others very difficult but they clearly don't have trouble trusting with each other. Their subplots with their respective families added another layer of intrigue to this story. I learned a few cultural things thanks to Jas's family. The grandfather reminded me of my own.
The pacing of this story made the romance more believable because these are very cautious and skittish individuals. Imagine a turtle slowly poking their head out of their shell and being to take steps. Each step revealed the characters were always aware of the other and tried their best to meet the other's need. They were pretty good at communicating with the other. The dual pov made the romance more authentic because the reader got to follow the character's mental and emotional journey.
I thought there was an excellent balance with the romance and their individual growth/healing. I am always a fan of love stories where the characters grow and make the choice to fight for their own happiness. I enjoyed the slow burn and ultimately the happy ending. This series proved to be a hit for me and I can't wait for the next book.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review
In this sequel, Katrina is trying her hand at making a love match. However, she isn't finding that zing of attraction that she feels when she is around her bodyguard Jas. She is determined to find someone who returns her affections so when a chance meeting occurs with a handsome stranger at a cafe, Katrina strikes up a conversation. What happens as a result exposes the very private Katrina on the internet. To buy time for the attention to die down, Katrina's bodyguard Jas whisks her away to his family farm and that is when both characters really begin to open up and see what's been in front of them the whole time.
The writing was really engaging and dynamic. The author deals with their mental health issues with sensitivity and grace, so I was really able to empathize with the main characters. Katrina and Jas were dealing with issues that made trusting others very difficult but they clearly don't have trouble trusting with each other. Their subplots with their respective families added another layer of intrigue to this story. I learned a few cultural things thanks to Jas's family. The grandfather reminded me of my own.
The pacing of this story made the romance more believable because these are very cautious and skittish individuals. Imagine a turtle slowly poking their head out of their shell and being to take steps. Each step revealed the characters were always aware of the other and tried their best to meet the other's need. They were pretty good at communicating with the other. The dual pov made the romance more authentic because the reader got to follow the character's mental and emotional journey.
I thought there was an excellent balance with the romance and their individual growth/healing. I am always a fan of love stories where the characters grow and make the choice to fight for their own happiness. I enjoyed the slow burn and ultimately the happy ending. This series proved to be a hit for me and I can't wait for the next book.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review
April 19, 2020
this is one of those books you start and cannot stop until you've read the very last word. it's also one of those books you're thankful to read when things get a bit too hard in the real world. it was both adorable and complex, it dealt with some very hard subject, such as ptsd and panic attacks, and although I can only speak for the anxiety representation, it felt good to read about this aspect written so well. (4.25)
September 21, 2022
4 Stars for Girl Gone Viral: Modern Live, Book 2 (audiobook) by Alisha Rai read by Summer Morton and Brian Pallino
This story is a take on the bodyguard trope with a modern twist. Not only does the client suffer from anxiety but so does the bodyguard. He can’t be around guns and loud noises. Fortunately she doesn’t need that much protection.
This story is a take on the bodyguard trope with a modern twist. Not only does the client suffer from anxiety but so does the bodyguard. He can’t be around guns and loud noises. Fortunately she doesn’t need that much protection.
June 20, 2020
This was such a cute romance. I like this author and her romances are usually more intense than this. But I enjoyed the lighter romance with such likable characters. I am such a sucker for the unrequited love plotline too. I also liked the family drama that Jas, the male character, had to deal with. It was a nice bonus that I also learned about Punjabi American history because the author had based some of the settings in a real place. I haven't read the first book in the series because its synopsis didn't appeal to me but maybe I'll check it out.
July 20, 2021
I wish this book worked for me because the synopsis, the premise sounded really promising.
This is a bodyguard friends-to-lovers romance. Katrina is an extremely private person and is haunted by the traumas of her past. But one day when a random couple takes her pictures and tweets about her, she goes viral and her anxiety is in jitters. She feels robbed of her personal space and to take her away from the spotlight, her bodyguard - Jas - takes her to his family farm.
Now, Jas is haunted by his own past from the time he served in the military in Iraq and the things that happened there with him. He hasn't come home in a very long time because he did not want to face the family drama and their anger at him for being away from family.
*******potential spoilers ahead*******
I was really intrigued with Katrina from The Right Swipe and wanted to know her side of the story. What could have happened to her to result in her having such extreme social anxiety and panic attacks. But I do not think that we were given satisfactory answers in this book. I still have so many questions regarding her marriage with her ex-husband, her kidnapping, and even her time with her father. I am not even clear about what happened with her mom. She says in the book that she will try to reach out to her extended family but we don't see her doing that either. It felt as if the author had ideas of including this and that but they were never seen end-to-end. Katrina's character had a lot of potential but I think it wasn't developed that well. Same for Jas. We know that he suffers from PTSD, but as far as I know, people with extreme PTSD like him aren't given the jobs of bodyguards because they may not be able to protect their client during an actual attack since they might have an episode at that time. Sooo 👉🏻👈🏻 idk. A lot of things were just allowed to slide by saying "oh, Hardeep (Kat's ex) was such a generous person, always helping" 😐
We don't get any confrontation or resolution with the conflict that Jas was facing from his time in the military either...
Notice how, in all this time I haven't even mentioned the romance or chemistry between the characters? 😑 Because most of it was overshadowed by all these traumas and family drama. I did not get why Kat was interested in Jas, besides his "perfect eyebrows". I did not buy the chemistry between the two at all and anyway, this book never tried to work on their relationship. This book never felt like a romance to me.
Also wanted to add on to what made me annoyed - there's a side character in the book named Jia. She's a Muslim who practices Islam and wears a hijab, according the author. And yet she is drinking in the book??? This did not sit well with me at all and left a very bad taste in my mouth.
I officially give up on books by Alisha Rai. I don't think her books work for me.
This is a bodyguard friends-to-lovers romance. Katrina is an extremely private person and is haunted by the traumas of her past. But one day when a random couple takes her pictures and tweets about her, she goes viral and her anxiety is in jitters. She feels robbed of her personal space and to take her away from the spotlight, her bodyguard - Jas - takes her to his family farm.
Now, Jas is haunted by his own past from the time he served in the military in Iraq and the things that happened there with him. He hasn't come home in a very long time because he did not want to face the family drama and their anger at him for being away from family.
*******potential spoilers ahead*******
I was really intrigued with Katrina from The Right Swipe and wanted to know her side of the story. What could have happened to her to result in her having such extreme social anxiety and panic attacks. But I do not think that we were given satisfactory answers in this book. I still have so many questions regarding her marriage with her ex-husband, her kidnapping, and even her time with her father. I am not even clear about what happened with her mom. She says in the book that she will try to reach out to her extended family but we don't see her doing that either. It felt as if the author had ideas of including this and that but they were never seen end-to-end. Katrina's character had a lot of potential but I think it wasn't developed that well. Same for Jas. We know that he suffers from PTSD, but as far as I know, people with extreme PTSD like him aren't given the jobs of bodyguards because they may not be able to protect their client during an actual attack since they might have an episode at that time. Sooo 👉🏻👈🏻 idk. A lot of things were just allowed to slide by saying "oh, Hardeep (Kat's ex) was such a generous person, always helping" 😐
We don't get any confrontation or resolution with the conflict that Jas was facing from his time in the military either...
Notice how, in all this time I haven't even mentioned the romance or chemistry between the characters? 😑 Because most of it was overshadowed by all these traumas and family drama. I did not get why Kat was interested in Jas, besides his "perfect eyebrows". I did not buy the chemistry between the two at all and anyway, this book never tried to work on their relationship. This book never felt like a romance to me.
Also wanted to add on to what made me annoyed - there's a side character in the book named Jia. She's a Muslim who practices Islam and wears a hijab, according the author. And yet she is drinking in the book??? This did not sit well with me at all and left a very bad taste in my mouth.
I officially give up on books by Alisha Rai. I don't think her books work for me.
June 25, 2020
“I’ve always thought it would be romantic to have a meet-cute with someone, but I think actually we’re in a perpetual meet-cute, you know? Like it’s never-ending, us finding each other.”
tw: ptsd, panic disorder, toxic/abusive family member
Katrina was a delight in The Right Swipe and I loved getting to know her even more in this book! She has always loved her privacy and anonymity but after a series of tweets about her went viral, her privacy is threatened. She wants to run away for a while and her bodyguard Jas decides to take her to his house at his family property up north. (yes, closed proximity romance!!)
Kat has feelings for Jas, but she doesn’t want to jeopardize what they have especially since he’s been an integral part of her life for so long. A part of her also thinks he only cares for her because he’s obligated to. He is her bodyguard, after all. The thing is, he’s had feelings for her for a looong time. Cue the mutual pining!!! The romance is slow-burn but it’s so soft and heart-warming overall. They’ve known each other for years so they know all the little things about each other. Tbh I loved the romance in this one better than in TRS.
The friendship between Kat, Rhi, Jia, and Lakshmi is to die for!! I always love seeing supportive female friendships in books. I hope Jia and Lakshmi get their own books, too.
Rating: 3.75/5
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