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caseythereader's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Thanks to Avon Books for the free copy of this book.
- FIRST COMES LIKE is a wonderfully soft and gentle romance novel. The two leads are so kind to each other, even when trying to figure out the strange, false circumstances of their meeting.
- Dev and Jia are such a great pair, supporting each other through complicated family dynamics without a second thought.
- The real best part of this book, though, is that there is NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP. Just a miscommunication that is quickly solved when they talk to each other about it! The best.
- FIRST COMES LIKE is a wonderfully soft and gentle romance novel. The two leads are so kind to each other, even when trying to figure out the strange, false circumstances of their meeting.
- Dev and Jia are such a great pair, supporting each other through complicated family dynamics without a second thought.
- The real best part of this book, though, is that there is NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP. Just a miscommunication that is quickly solved when they talk to each other about it! The best.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent
Moderate: Pregnancy and Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol and Drug use
zombiezami's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Grief, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Cursing
Minor: Addiction, Drug use, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Infidelity, Islamophobia, Chronic illness, and Car accident
naika's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was really enjoying First Comes Like until about halfway through, where it felt like it was losing momentum. (It also didn't help that the audiobook narration was meh at best).
The set up to the romance was interesting: a Muslim youtube influencer who is catfished by someone impersonating an actor from a well-known Indian family. Not knowing she is being catfished, Jia makes a move to meet Dev in person. Well of course, things ensue. But everything that followed the set up continued to feel like a set up for the relationship. Nothing truly convinced me that they were IN love. Feelings were brewing, but anything other than that felt a bit forced. The story went from a slow-burn vibe to "let's do everything now!" and it was startling. Even her family at one point was questioning how quickly things were moving.
I think what disappointed me the most is that this was not as dynamic, or as charming, as the previous books in the series. But the potential was there!
I am not Muslim, so I cannot speak to how accurate or sensitive the representation was. I defer to own-voice readers for that and have been scrolling through some of their reviews to get a better understanding.
The set up to the romance was interesting: a Muslim youtube influencer who is catfished by someone impersonating an actor from a well-known Indian family. Not knowing she is being catfished, Jia makes a move to meet Dev in person. Well of course, things ensue. But everything that followed the set up continued to feel like a set up for the relationship. Nothing truly convinced me that they were IN love. Feelings were brewing, but anything other than that felt a bit forced. The story went from a slow-burn vibe to "let's do everything now!" and it was startling. Even her family at one point was questioning how quickly things were moving.
I think what disappointed me the most is that this was not as dynamic, or as charming, as the previous books in the series. But the potential was there!
I am not Muslim, so I cannot speak to how accurate or sensitive the representation was. I defer to own-voice readers for that and have been scrolling through some of their reviews to get a better understanding.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Minor: Drug abuse and Drug use
sarahsthoughtsonbooks's review
emotional
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Received a gifted copy of the print from Avon/Harper Collins and Bibliostyle, and the audio ALC from Libro.fm.
This book is my favorite of the books in the Modern Love series by Alisha Rai.
I've been waiting for Jia's (and Ayesha's) story since we were introduced to Sadia's family in Wrong to Need You.
While the Jia and Dev could have met under better circumstances (catfishing), I enjoyed the book
- fake dating/faux relationship
- mutual pining
- interfering family
- nod to "there's only one room"
Very slow burn, low steam romance. However, I think the chemistry between Jia and Dev are great.
Note that this book has very modern references, so not sure how it will age (TikTok, YouTube, influencer life, alludes to COVID-19)
Content Warning: diet culture, grief/mourning
This book is my favorite of the books in the Modern Love series by Alisha Rai.
I've been waiting for Jia's (and Ayesha's) story since we were introduced to Sadia's family in Wrong to Need You.
While the Jia and Dev could have met under better circumstances (catfishing), I enjoyed the book
- fake dating/faux relationship
- mutual pining
- interfering family
- nod to "there's only one room"
Very slow burn, low steam romance. However, I think the chemistry between Jia and Dev are great.
Note that this book has very modern references, so not sure how it will age (TikTok, YouTube, influencer life, alludes to COVID-19)
Content Warning: diet culture, grief/mourning
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Bullying, Car accident, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
kendallreadsbooks's review
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I didn't love this as much as the 2nd book, but it was still fun!
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug use and Panic attacks/disorders
booksandprosecco's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug use
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