First Comes Like
Modern Love, Book 3

I Picked Up This Book Because: Finish the series.

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: Netgalley/BCPL
Dates Read: 3/19/24 - 3/21/24
Stars: 4
Narrator(s): Priya Ayyar, Neil Shah

The Characters:

Jia Ahmed Beauty influencer working to make her dreams come true after losing momentum due to illness.
Dev Dixit Actor from a famous family whose world has been flipped after the loss of his brother and Grandfather.
Dev’s Niece, Dev’s Uncle, Jia’s roommates (who I would love to see have their own stories)

The Story:

While I do not have a super dramatic reaction to this story I liked it a lot. I think Jia and Dev are low key characters that have some semi dramatic things happen to them. There is a lot of growth and change for these characters as they are both thrown into major upheavals. I wasn’t in love with the last bit of miscommunication. Jia really didn’t need to jump to conclusions about the housing situation.
I love Dev’s uncle and I would have liked to see more of his niece. ( )

The story and characters were very sweet! ( )

I love love love Alisha Rai's contemporaries and will totally read her next, but I did feel like this one lacked real conflict. The initial premise was just kind of random and hard to believe and from there on out it was just a bit too lovey dovey. There were no moments where I had my heart in my mouth with concern. But the relationships were lovely nonetheless, especially with the elder generations and with Dev's niece. ( )

i really didn't like this. from the first moment i knew i wouldn't and probably should have just put it down. it improved slightly as it went along but in general i just found it annoying and ridiculous and i wasn't too interested in any of the characters, with the possible exception of dev. i should probably rate this a little higher because jia and her friends got more interesting by the end, with some added depth attempted with her coming to understand herself better and her willingness to try to let go of what others think of her. but it was all so superficially done. i did like dev's relationship with luna, and their love for each other. i appreciated that we were supposed to think of her influencer persona as a real job and i can see that it can be real work, but i just couldn't care about fashion and make up tips and feel like that is a business empire i could be interested in.

maybe i just wasn't in the mood for a book where someone sees someone else and then is "obsessed" about them ever after. and how a few days of getting to know someone can turn into a genuine engagement, even in a different culture. i definitely wasn't in the mood for the manufactured tension made by lack of communication, although i liked how quickly that was resolved. it also bothered me that she pronounced his name differently than he did. maybe it was the audio reader, because i found her hard to take in general. but it's not offensive or anything, so maybe between .5 and 1 star for an official rating. ( )

Alisha’s romance novels have a special place in my heart, so I was already excited for the release of this trilogy finale. And then when I got the opportunity to be a part of the blog tour, I was ecstatic. And this book lived up to all my expectations.

Jia is such a wonderful character. As a South Asian woman, I personally know how hard it is to defy our parents’ expectations from us and carve our own path, so Jia choosing to be a beauty influencer with an ambition to do more is really very admirable in my eyes. Dev on the other hand is an Indian soap opera star trying his hand in American television, but I loved how down to earth he is and knows what his priorities are. Even though their relationship takes a very unique and slightly unconventional path, I loved the bond they formed with each other and they just felt perfect for each other. Her impulsive nature and his steady supportive calm are great complements and i thorough enjoyed reading about them.

The friendships that have developed throughout this series and fully in display again and I can’t describe how much I love all these brilliant strong women Alisha has created. We get to see some fascinating older women too in the form of Jia’s mom and Dev’s grandma, and it was such an overall excellent ensemble. The plot is entertaining and sweet, the pacing is just fast enough for us to want to know what’s gonna happen next already, and the characters are so lovable. I also loved that Alisha decided not to go with unnecessary break up/make up subplot because I was really dreading that third act which has become so predictable. But Alisha never disappoints and I should have just trusted her writing.

In conclusion, this is a very lovely romance with a sweet couple and full cast of supportive side characters. If you have enjoyed any of Alisha’s novels previously or just like romance novels with smart heroines and nice heroes, this one is perfect for you. I can’t believe this series is already over and I can’t wait to see if Alisha will write a spin-off with Lakshmi’s story next. ( )