First Comes Like

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Trigger warnings: catfishing, grief over the loss of a loved one, anxiety/panic attacks

Beauty influencer Jia Ahmed falls for soap opera actor Dev Dixit.

Influencer Jia has been talking to soap opera star Dev for a while on social media, but they haven't met yet. Jia uses her contacts to get into a cast party when Dev comes to America. When they meet, it's obvious he has no idea who she is.

Dev researches Jia, thinking she may be a stalker. He finds that someone with access to his social media accounts had been leading her on. Determined to make it up to Jia, he meets her to discuss what happened.

When the paparazzi catches Dev and Jia together, they decide to fake a relationship to appease Jia's family. But faking the relationship becomes more complicated when they develop feelings.

Nepalese author Alisha Rai continues her tradition of featuring diverse characters in her novels. Jia is a Pakistani-American Muslim and Dev comes from a famous Bollywood family in Mumbai. Dev is a single father who is the guardian of his deceased brother's daughter.

This is the third book in the Modern Love series, and each novel revolves around a different roommate. In the first entry, Rhiannon finds love and the second involves Katrina's relationship. Jia is the final roommate to discover her man.

Jia's narrator Saira Ayers has a calming voice that embodies a modern American woman. Neil Shah reads Dev with an Indian accent, which adds to the authenticity of Dev's narrative. His female voices are pitched higher, which sounds a little silly.

Recommended for romance readers, especially those looking for a diverse cast of characters.

Alisha Rai writes contemporary romance novels and features diverse casts of characters. Her hobbies include traveling and social media.

Series: Modern Love, #3

Publisher: Avon (print); HarperAudio

Narrators: Saira Ayers & Neil Shah

Running Time: 11 hours, 11 minutes

Length: 432 pages

Release Date: February 16, 2021

I received an electronic galley copy of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I also received a digital audio recording of this title from the publisher through Libro.fm as a librarian review copy. I read the latter edition. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.