Alisha Rai

In Alisha Rai’s second novel in her Modern Love series, a reclusive investor goes viral, shoving her into the world's spotlight—and into the arms of the bodyguard she’s been pining for… OMG! Wouldn’t it be adorable if he’s her soulmate??? I don’t see any wedding rings Breaking: #CafeBae and #CuteCafeGirl went to the bathroom AT THE SAME TIME!!! One minute, Katrina King’s enjoying an innocent conversation with a random guy at a coffee shop; the next, a stranger has live-tweeted the entire encounter with a romantic meet-cute spin and #CafeBae has the world swooning. Going viral isn't easy for anyone, but Katrina has painstakingly built a private world for herself, far from her traumatic past. Besides, everyone has it all wrong...that #CafeBae bro? He isn't the man she's hungry for. He's got a to die for. With the internet on the hunt for the identity of #CuteCafeGirl, Jas Singh, bodyguard and possessor of the most beautiful eyebrows Katrina's ever seen, offers his family's farm as a refuge. Alone with her unrequited crush feels like a recipe for hopeless longing, but Katrina craves the escape. She's resigned to being just friends with Jas--until they share a single electrifying kiss. Now she can't help but wonder if her crush may not be so unrequited after all...

A Novel

Girl Gone Viral

Julie Burszan 

“It’s like we’re in a perpetual meet cute” 
I’m in love. This book is adorable 😍

It’s been a while since I finished a book in one day. I remember enjoying the first book in this series last year and it was actually the second book I was most excited about in the series. So of course I proceeded to not read it for a year cos I’m an idiot. 

Katrina and Jas’s romance was top notch. I truly appreciate a good slow burn romance. And this is the kind of bodyguard romance I can appreciate as Jas was a total softy who could also kill you. I do wish there was a bit more exploration of his backstory and resolution to the whole plot surrounding his past injury but I acknowledge that really wasn’t the focus of the book. I just like to have things resolved and that plot point didn’t feel resolved. 

It was nice to have such a therapy positive book and although Kat had anxiety she learnt to not let it control her. It wasn’t glossed over when an attack hit or that truly innocuous things could set it off but she was never shamed for it. I did find her unstoppable positivity a little much. She was too nice. But that also made her character so I wouldn’t have changed her either.

Honestly I’m tired and rambling but I loved this book. I worried that after my last book was a 5 star read I’d struggle choosing my next book so I’m so pleased this was such a winner. 

Becky

It’s been a while since I finished a book in one day. I remember enjoying the first book in this series last year and it was actually the second book I was most excited about in the series. So of course I proceeded to not read it for a year cos I’m an idiot. 

Katrina and Jas’s romance was top notch. I truly appreciate a good slow burn romance. And this is the kind of bodyguard romance I can appreciate as Jas was a total softy who could also kill you. I do wish there was a bit more exploration of his backstory and resolution to the whole plot surrounding his past injury but I acknowledge that really wasn’t the focus of the book. I just like to have things resolved and that plot point didn’t feel resolved. 

It was nice to have such a therapy positive book and although Kat had anxiety she learnt to not let it control her. It wasn’t glossed over when an attack hit or that truly innocuous things could set it off but she was never shamed for it. I did find her unstoppable positivity a little much. She was too nice. But that also made her character so I wouldn’t have changed her either.

Honestly I’m tired and rambling but I loved this book. I worried that after my last book was a 5 star read I’d struggle choosing my next book so I’m so pleased this was such a winner. 

menna

im a whore for bodyguard romances and this book absolutely delivered!!

Kristen Claiborn

Ah romance...I love you so much. This book was adorable.

while i thoroughly enjoyed this book, i did round up because it of the Thai main character. this is the first book i’ve ever read that had a Thai main character (taking recs if anyone has more!). it’s important to know: representation matters. 

the things i didn’t like: the formal and sometimes cringey dialogue. the way major conflicts were wrapped up a little too conveniently. 

the things i did like: the found family dynamic. the relatability of the characters’ (well-developed) personalities. the YEARNING (so good). 

Kristle Saneewong

while i thoroughly enjoyed this book, i did round up because it of the Thai main character. this is the first book i’ve ever read that had a Thai main character (taking recs if anyone has more!). it’s important to know: representation matters. 

the things i didn’t like: the formal and sometimes cringey dialogue. the way major conflicts were wrapped up a little too conveniently. 

the things i did like: the found family dynamic. the relatability of the characters’ (well-developed) personalities. the YEARNING (so good). 

Connor 

I knew I'd like this one even more than the last because helloooooo friends to lovers and "it's about the YEARNING," it's nice to see you!!!!!!

Sven Test

3.5 stars
I think my expectations were a bit high. I still enjoyed this story a lot, but through most of it, I couldn't really feel the connection between Katrina and Jas.
RTC

Sheena

To put it mildly, this was a snoozefest and before I knew it, it was dropped before I even reached the halfway mark. I'm pretty sure I was more interested in the whole #CafeBae and #CuteCafeGirl concept a bit more than the actual storyline. But kudos to the author for featuring diverse characters since they're a rare gem nowadays.

"P.S.: Insights, interviews & more:--10 pages at en

Flavia Louise

I had high expectations and I was absolutely not disappointed. This book has a great romance but also talks about some really important topics again just like book 1. <3

Alexa Jade

No one look at me as I cry from disappointment. I’m 10000% rereading this physically to see if that helps.

Rebecca Browne

Cute sappy romance I cannot fault it this author has become an auto-buy for me all her books are just *chefs kiss*

Sahi K

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 !!!

Esther

thought the premise of unwanted virality was intriguing, but it fell a bit short for me
kinda like coffee .. i prefer tea   Coffee was always coffee, in his opinion: hot bean soup he occasionally drank when other people around him were drinking it.

Lisa W.

Alisha Rai has done it again but in better! 

Girl Gone Viral was a sweet love story that made me giggle like a school girl. I wouldn't say this was anywhere near the new adult books that I have read but somehow the innocence of the characters heightened the read that much more. One of the things that this book did have in spades was humor! My favorite lines are as follows 

1. "How dare you utter the truth first thing in the morning" 
2. "Small talk is the fifth horsemen of the apocalypse"
3. "You'd be more like a backpack, wouldn't you" 

I vaguely remembered Samson and Rhiannon's storyline but the one thing I remembered was how great of a friend Katrina was to Rhiannon and their cat (Zeus) lol. I was so happy that Rhiannon and Jia could join this book and provide the much needed support and friendship that Katrina needed. These ladies were a great team and the girl talk was something I would share with my best friends. 

Speaking of friendship, I am so happy that Jas was able to join in Samson's friend group. Not only because I get a kick out of the cousins and will take their banter any chance I can get but I think Jas truly deserved that type of camaraderie. 

 Let's talk about family.... I love Jas's, they are so adorable! Grandpa was so precious to me... Hard exterior but soft as pie in the inside. He loved his family dearly and only wanted to make sure they knew how much. His actions were an amazing ode to their culture, the mindset of first generation US born elders, and a prideful man. My heart bloomed during the conversation in the hospital and when he mentioned his heirs and how he felt about Birkram. Oh Birkram, the absolute best newly added character (outside of Jia). Can we keep in him? lol I was very refreshing to see his character amongst his family because of his youth, his biological status and because of his sexuality. Rai broke down stereotypes by showing brown wealth *especially in the field of business*, diversity of characters, etc. Speaking of diversity I absolutely loved that this book had a Punjabi man and a mixed Thai American. 

Since we are talking about race... the McGuire storyline was very refreshing. I was expecting the backstory to be something about how McGuire lead the troops into a trap or battle recklessly or something but NOTHING nearly as relevant as the truth. My only gripe was that we didn't see any resolution. I believe they intend to carry this on to the next book but I don't necessarily want to give that storyline any more energy. Not because I don't enjoy Jas time but because I don't want to devote anymore energy to such a toxic story, especially when we live a form of it every day on American soil. 

Now to the reason why we are all here.... the love story! It was a slow burn, so pure and effortless that it just made sense. Rai did a fantastic job of providing complex backstories for both characters that made their "issues" fit. They not only understood each other but needed each other. The balanced each others lows and provided the necessary jolt to bring them back. It was great to see that Hardeep didn't live in the midst of their relationship but was honored throughout it. I was shocked to learn about H & K's marriage but it added so much color to her. I was proud to see she still didn't love H any less when she began to love Jas. She wouldn't let her knew love and his family overshadow what she shared with H. It somehow made their relationship more palatable/acceptable that Hardeep was a good man to both main characters. What shocked me, which she did a lot of, was the age difference. Lastly, I just want to say JASVINDER! Me just saying your full name says it all for me. Jas is cute and friendlike, however JASVINDER is reserved for the spark you ignite. Strong, Brave, Possessive, while being Caring, Tender and Considerate.

Lonneke

Not as good as the first book plotwise, but I really liked Katrina and Jas as the main characters. However I read this book for the romance since it's a romance book and didn't really feel the 'zing' between the characters as Katrina liked to call it.

b.andherbooks

Okay to be fair I finished this approximately an eon ago in Corona Virus time. 

If you are looking for a very soft and super slow burn romance between two pining idiots who should JUST KISS ALREADY you will adore this story. It is also a good reflection on modern dating culture, going viral (social media wise, not sick wise), and power dynamics.

I reviewed a free copy from Edelweiss+

Celia Adams

Super sweet love story that combines a lot of my favorite tropes and even a few I don't normally like. The world is so obsessed with meet cutest and viral sensations and I love that, but exploring what exists beyond that is such a clever and interesting setting for a romance.

Alyssa Jacunski

After reading The Right Swipe in 2019, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. A companion novel, I was so excited when my hold finally came in.

Katrina, who meet in The Right Swipe, goes viral in a coffee shop meet cute with a random stranger. Living with anxiety and flying under the radar, she knows she needs to get away. When Jas, her head of security and bodyguard, offers up a house on his family's farm as a get away, Katrina knows she has to take him up on the offer. What follows is (view spoiler)[a slow burn romance (hide spoiler)]. 

I loved this! Watching Katrina and Jas navigate their relationship was wonderful to watch. I loved seeing both perspectives and learning more about both characters and why they are the way that they are (which is my favorite part of any novel). On top of that, I found that Rai handled and portrayed Katrina's anxiety in a real, authentic and respectful way. 

What kept me from giving this five stars you ask? I love Rai's writing style, character development, how mental health was woven into the story. But, ultimately, something was missing, and I can't quite put my finger on what it is. I'll definitely be diving into Rai's backlist and crossing my fingers for another companion in this series!

Trigger warning: PTSD; anxiety; panic attacks; emotional abuse and manipulation by a parent; loss of a loved one.

Ana Couto

GIRL GONE VIRAL by Alisha Rai is quite unlike any romance I've read before. It didn't really even feel like a "romance novel" until much later in the book, which is perhaps why I didn't love it as much as I thought I would (but it was still enjoyable)! Katrina and Jas have a quiet intensity about them that I would love to watch on a movie screen, and it's clear they care deeply for one another. I think Rai does a great job of portraying the importance of mental health, female autonomy, and characters who embrace their cultural and ethnic backgrounds. That being said, I wasn't as fully invested in the romance as I would have liked, though I think that has to do more with me and my preferences when it comes to romance. There's plenty to love about this book, and I would still encourage readers to pick this one up if they feel intrigued by it. I love Alisha Rai, and I will undoubtedly continue to read anything and everything she writes in the future. 

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free book in exchange for an honest review!

Lacey

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!

Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

Abigail | 

THIS IS SO CUTE. 

I loved it!, this book is the perfect sweet escape and I adored the characters and the romance. 10/10 for me! :) thank you so much to Netgalley and Avon Books for approving me an advanced copy. I can’t wait to share a full review on Instagram and my blog!

Girl Gone Viral A Novel

Reviews