A review by festive_fossil
First Comes Like by Alisha Rai

funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

Just to preface this review: I am not a romance reader generally. Syrupy-sweet dialogue makes me cringe and having an audiobook read sex scenes aloud to me was a little more than my lil ace heart could take. So there were definitely portions of this book that I was just the wrong audience for. That being said, this book was cute. I have not read the rest of Alisha Rai's Modern Love series, but you definitely don't need to to pick up First Comes Like. Overall this was a solid three stars for me. Jia and Dev are adorable together, if the expression of romance itself was a little cliche. 

Here are a few things that I did like:
  • Jia and Dev handle their own professional problems outside of the relationship. I like me some independent characters and it was refreshing that their love interest was not the magical key to solve every problem. They both face some career obstacles in this book, and they figure things out on their own with some healthy emotional support from their partner - which I believe is part of a healthy relationship.
  • Jia experiences character growth in a way that is near and dear to my heart: beginning the journey of learning how to not care what other people think of you. It was so sad to see how Jia had internalized some criticism and how it was affecting her self-confidence and sense of self-worth. So a nice touch to have that addressed in the story.
  • How the characters' background and cultures influenced the romance. Jia is a practicing Muslim and Dev is the grandson of Bollywood royalty. The expectations of their families and Dev's fanbase play very heavily into the story and how the characters, especially Jia, navigate their relationship. 
  • Dev's relationship with his niece: just so sweet.

Some things I did not like:
  • Just a pet peeve of mine when the problems within a romance relationship come from lack of communication. I understand many people do not communicate well lol but I just want them to tALK TO EACH OTHER.
  • Not a huge fan that Dev has many random thoughts throughout the story that reflect diet culture (having to 'earn' a cookie with exercise, avoiding 'fattening' foods, not eating dinner, etc.) but are not addressed later. Obviously Dev is an actor and this comes with huge pressures to maintain a very particular physical appearance, so it makes total sense that he would have these thoughts. However, we are just left with those and no larger condemnation of diet culture or personal growth past these harmful behaviors.
  • There are justifications for why the romance moved so quickly, but I always just cringe when characters are ready to launch the ship after two days. That is more a personal problem than any sort of reflection on this book.

Would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a light contemporary romance that features a diverse female and male lead who I believe (this is NOT an own voices review, so I may be wrong) are treated sensitively. Be advised, if you are looking for something extra *spicy*, this book may not fit the bill for you.
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