Name: Bria's review of The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai
Item: The Right Swipe
Rating: 3
Author: Bria

Alisha Rai

Alisha Rai returns with the first book in her sizzling new Modern Love series, in which two rival dating app creators find themselves at odds in the boardroom but in sync in the bedroom. Rhiannon Hunter may have revolutionized romance in the digital world, but in real life she only swipes right on her career—and the occasional hookup. The cynical dating app creator controls her love life with a few key rules: - Nude pics are by invitation only - If someone stands you up, block them with extreme prejudice - Protect your heart Only there aren't any rules to govern her attraction to her newest match, former pro-football player Samson Lima. The sexy and seemingly sweet hunk woos her one magical night... and disappears. Rhi thought she'd buried her hurt over Samson ghosting her, until he suddenly surfaces months later, still big, still beautiful—and in league with a business rival. He says he won't fumble their second chance, but she's wary. A temporary physical partnership is one thing, but a merger of hearts? Surely that’s too high a risk…

A Novel

The Right Swipe

Cassidy

Bria

This was alright. Nothing really stood out except for the diversity.

Mel 

It took a while for me to care about what was going on in the book. I’m not the biggest fan of some of the tropes used. It didn’t have much of what I usually love about romance books. A just okay book with POC main characters.

Julie Burszan 

menna

What can i say except for the fact that i have a soft spot for people with trust issues who are just trying to do their best and that perfectly applied to both Rhiannon and Samson. Seeing them both dealing with their personal issues and them generally being the cutest with each other was the highlight of the past two days and i loved every minute of it.

Becky A

Cute! I love Samson and how doing the right thing was just his natural way of being, and I loved Rhi and her struggles and how clearly of a moment this is. (And I really really hope there are books about Katrina and Jia forthcoming!)

Lots of good 🌶️ scenes and a good story! 

Connor 

HERE FOR IT, DELIGHTFUL, will be starting the next one STAT.

Fátima

Sven Test

Can I start by saying that I loved this novel?! I loved the idea of the story and how it was executed. Here we have Rhi, who had an unforgettable night with Samson. They agree to meet again, but he stoods her up. Rhi believes in no more second chances and doesn't want anything to do with Samson. Later, they meet again at a conference and it's there she finds out that Samson is the current spokesperson for the company she wants to buy. Samson wants to rekindle what they had and he suggests having a physical partnership for the media so both dating companies can get the media exposure.

"I am not easy to hurt. I am a stone cold bitch when it comes to men. No rose-colored glasses here."

This novel was all about feminism and I was loving every aspect of it! Rhi is a strong, independant, fierce woman who didn't give up when rumors started going around the internet about how she was a gold-digger in her job. What she did was she started her own dating company, which has flourished more than anyone thought it would. I love how real she gets when it comes to her company and how she cuts down the stigma of women having needs just as men have needs. When I read the quote below, I was grinning and screaming in celebration!

"Just because I don't want to have a relationship doesn't mean I don't have needs. You'd never shame a man for casual sex. Crush's business model is built on empowerment. I'm using my own app exactly as it was intended."

Samson was all kinds of dreamy. Guys, read this novel even if it's just for Samson. I cannot even begin to describe the kind of amazing man this guy is. My fave parts were when Rhi would be working and he knew just how stressed she would be so he'd send in Thai food and massages, a junk food basket, Vegan food, pizzas, Mexican food! By this point, I wanted to smack Rhi in the head so she could just accept Samson! He's so dreamy and caring and soft and handsome and a gentleman and I can just keep on going. *sighs dreamily* The romance and all the angst that came with it had me swooning so hard! *heart eyes*

Something to note about Samson that I was praising highly was how he always let the ball in Rhi's court. He never pushed for sex or for a relationship. He took what she offered because he knew she needed to come to terms with everything by herself. It was all about consent with this guy and I was loving it.

He wanted to play her body like a concert violinist.

Not only was this novel empowering for women, it also has some diversity that I was adoring greatly! The main characters as well as the side characters had me completely invested! The side characters had their own arcs, which were done so unbelievably well. Rhi's assistant is the one I was loving more than anything! I am anxiously waiting for her own novel!

Overall, The Right Swipe exceeded my expectations. It had more than I had bargained for and I was loving every minute of it. This book represents women in a wonderful, strong and independent way, and I praise Alisha Rai for taking this route with her book. I cannot wait for more by this author!

WHAT ARE SOME BOOKS FEATURING EMPOWERING WOMEN? ARE YOU PLANNING ON READING THIS ONE? HAVE YOU EVER DELVED INTO ONLINE DATING APPS?

I can personally say I have and I've gotten great experiences from it. Some, not so much. But the majority have been good. To the point where some of the guys I met are now some of my best friends. It's interesting how it works. I never went into Tinder, though, and I'm glad I never did.

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lindsey

i was just so underwhelmed and disappointed lol

Paula

I think this is the first time I wished there was a 2.5 rating.

It's a perfect match . . . but will it last? Rhiannon Hunter may have revolutionised romance in the digital world, but in real life she only swipes right on her career - and the occasional hookup. The cynical dating app creator controls her love life with a few key rules: - Nude pics are by invitation only - If someone stands you up, block them with extreme prejudice - Protect your heart Only there aren't any rules to govern her attraction to her newest match, former sports star Samson Lima. The sexy and seemingly sweet hunk woos her one magical night... and then disappears. Rhi thought she'd buried her hurt over Samson ghosting her, until he suddenly surfaces months later, still big, still beautiful - and in league with a business rival. He says he won't fumble their second chance, but she's wary. A temporary physical partnership is one thing, but a merger of hearts? Surely that's too high a risk... 'I absolutely loved it: Strong, successful, unapologetically ambitious alpha woman. Huge, muscly, softy, emotionally intelligent guy. Crackling connection. Cackle-worthy dialogue . . . I HIGHLY recommend' Sally Thorne, New York Times bestselling author of The Hating Game 'Rai crafts some of the best romance writing of the year' Entertainment Weekly

Becky

I’d put off reading this book for so long and I have no good reason as to why. I think a couple of slightly lower ratings for it and so didn’t make it a priority but even that I’m not 100% about. It’s been so long since it released I honestly can’t remember what put me off but it was something stupid. 

I loved it! At first I wasn’t too sure. I liked Rhi and how badass and strong she was. She was strong and independent and she knew how to go for what she wanted, at least when it came to work. She needed help when it came to personal relationships though, there her independent streak was definitely a hindrance but she had good reason for her trust issues so I respect her for that. When she realised that Samson, the one night stand who ghosted her, she was angry and shocked to see him working for a competitor. She slowly allowed him back in and was wonderful to see her let her guard down. I was a little annoyed at the third act breakup reason as she jumped to conclusions but again, her trust issues were justified and I think she needed that time apart to realise she was holding herself back by not allowing more people in. 

As for Samson he was a total sweetheart. I kept wanting to dislike him as he was too nice but each time a negative came up it was then explained away. He ghosted Rhi. But actually not cos there were extenuating circumstances and he would have got in touch if he could. Or he got moody after dealing with emotional stuff and shut down. Except he didn’t, he was struggling to deal with his emotions but he wasn’t shutting people out. He was just too good. 

I just really loved this book.

Alexa Jade

Update: Reread this and its still 5/5. SO GOOD. 

I knew this would a 5 star read. I KNEW IT. OMG. Absolutely this is a new fave. Wow.

Sahi K

Alisha Rai’s Forbidden Hearts trilogy was a very angsty, heartfelt set of diverse romances that I really enjoyed and when this book was announced, there was no way I wouldn’t read it. And getting approved for this ARC made me all kind of giddy and I’m so happy that it was all I expected it to be and so much more.

Rhiannon is an extremely whip smart, successful entrepreneur who comes across as abrasive and cynical but she has good reasons to be so. Being a black woman has never been easy for her, right from being bullied in an elite private school because she was from a poor family to being in the highly misogynistic tech industry; so, she has learnt to be tough and never show emotion or vulnerability and that’s the way she can achieve success. Also having been in an emotionally abusive relationship before which adversely affected her professional life too, she has decided to not to ever hookup with anyone more than once and her immense trust issues prevent her from wanting to have any sort of relationship. 

Samson is a retired NFL linebacker and the current spokesperson for Rhi’s competitor dating website. He is a sweet, softhearted guy who doesn’t have much experience in dating, because he spent most of his past 5 years taking care of his uncle with Alzheimer’s and ALS. He is also still struggling to deal with the grief over his uncle’s death and also the loss of his parents years before; all this grief leaving him feeling lost and unsure of his future. 

I enjoyed the way their relationship developed. Once Rhi forgave Samson for ghosting her due to extenuating circumstances, it was evident that they had real chemistry and were quite comfortable being around each other. Obviously, Rhi’s trust issues and need to be in control ensure that she comes up with rules for their professional and personal interactions, but it was amazing to see Samson accept all of them as par for the course and not ask her for justification. Their relationship is mostly based on mutual respect and they really support each other in their decisions and career aspirations and it was truly wonderful to read. Rhi is actually slightly more judgmental and comes to instant conclusions without thinking through sometimes when she believes her trust has been broken, and that was my only point of contention with her. But it was also true to her character and it just took her a long time to open up and trust him and show her sensitive side. Samson is much more thoughtful and patient and willing to give her the time to work through her issues. 

There are also some excellent side characters here and I loved how each of them played important roles in the plot. Katrina is Rhi’s most vocal supporter who doesn’t hesitate to point out flaws in her reasoning and encourages her to be more open to relationships. Lakshmi is her awesome badass assistant and I think Rhi and her made for this amazing workplace duo who can do anything they set their mind to. Samson’s aunt Belle is an eccentric woman but strong in her own ways and I loved her dramatic gestures as well as her sound instincts and advice. It was also nice to see Gabe again. 

Alisha writes such smart and thoughtful romances, I’m in awe of her. This book is definitely less angsty than the Forbidden Hearts trilogy but it really suited my tastes. She completely subverts the concepts of an “alpha” male character or the “strong” female character, by giving us realistic reasons for the way they are who they are. We also get some very funny but interesting discussions on the traditional old fashioned dating websites vs the modern instant world of dating apps and hooking up, the ever changing lingo of the internet dating world and how these two ideas are not necessarily opposing. The author also gives a lot of depth to the story and characters - In case of Rhi, by showcasing the adverse effects of sexual harassment in the workplace and how employees get gaslighted by the powers that be when they dare to report and the importance of investigating such allegations seriously and believing the victims; In the case of Samson, we see his struggle to reconcile his love for football with the adverse longtime effects of concussions and CTE on players and their families and what he can do more to ensure that sufficient support is available and hopefully, ensure the safety of the players. All of these aspects make for a fun and sexy romance novel with a realistic portrayal of modern love and an important take on contemporary issues. 

To wrap it up, I’ll only say that if you love reading romances with smart characters, you should check this out. Obviously if you are an Alisha Rai fan, you can’t miss this book. It’s sexy, it’s fun, it’s engaging and it’s full of empowering characters. I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one a lot. And I can’t wait to see who the next book will be about ... is it gonna be Katrina... I will definitely kill for the one about Lakshmi and Tina... !!!!

Laura Yaneth Martinez

Kind of cliche. Wouldn’t recommend it . Didn’t regret reading but yeah...

cossette

content warnings: death of a parent, death of a family member, sports related injuries, emotional abuse, racism, sexism, sexual assault, mentions of past abusive relationships, medical conditions, coercion 

3.5 rounded up to 4, i think?

Madelin Gates

I really liked this book! I fell in love with the personalities of the two main characters and found the side characters to be fascinating as well. I enjoyed the strong female representation and really appreciated the character growth throughout the book. 

Katie

2.5

According to Goodreads, 2 stars means "it was ok," and really, that's all I can say about this book. It had an interesting premise--a woman who was ghosted reconnects with the ghoster and they rekindle their relationship--but it definitely wasn't tense enough for my tastes. I would have loved it if they had been forced to work together and had moments of distaste/bickering/what have you, and then slowly started liking each other again, but that vibe didn't last as long as I wanted it to.

The writing style itself was also sometimes a bit stilted and weird. There were quite a few turns of phrase that were just...off. It interrupted the reading experience for me because I sat there thinking, "Why did the author make this weird-ass choice?"

I did absolutely love all the diversity in this book. Both the love interests are people of color, there are other POC in the book, as well as queer characters, mental health rep that will be explored more in the next book, and a lot of really good stuff! It was clear that Alisha Rai cares about making her books real and including this combination of real people. I also really liked that the book was not only centered on the romance, but also the baggage the characters had. There was a lot of focus on sexual harassment and grief and the importance of advocating for yourself, when you can. I'm glad these were topics of conversation in this book, that added to and informed the development of the romance.

Overall, it was just meh, but more because it wasn't to my taste and not because there's anything wrong with it objectively. So if this book sounds interesting to you, go ahead and give it a try!

Linda Quintanilla

I have to say it that I freaking love The Right Swipe. I could not put it down at all. It was that addicting and I feel like that everyone need to pick a copy. You won't regret it. Trust me, I adore The Right Swipe so much! And I cannot wait for the second book coming out next year. But let's get back to The Right Swipe characters, Rhi and Samson.

Rhi

I freaking love her so much! Like I want to be her best friend. She is an icon in her own. And no one can say she is not. She is and I love it so much. She has so much fire in her that men are typically intimated from her. Who needs a weak man? Not Rhi. She needs a man that will complete her even if she complete herself. And that's where Samson comes in. But it is a bumpy road for them. They kinda had a bad interaction in the part. Hasting it out is definitely important, even though Rhi does not want to hear it. 

Samson

He is big league in the world that everyone finds him a catch. But he does not pay attention to it because he been facing tough family problems recent years. It is definitely sad but I am happy that his aunt push him to interact more. And he does but only when it is Rhi. He has the hots for her even though she wants kill his gut. But he is willing to explain his self and make himself a prospective to her. She is a catch and he wants her. I definitely commend him for that cause he has determination to get her no matter what she throws at him.

Their journey together will be bumpy for each other since they had a bad interaction. But avoid should not be the solution. They have insane chemistry with each other that they can't be together. They just need to communicate with each other. Like they need too cause they belong to each other. I know it and the other reader know it too.

The Right Swipe will bring two former lover together again in the modern age of dating. It will bring some fire with a toss of humor that will make you laugh for days.

Five Stars!

Kath Lau

This is the first book in the Modern Love series. I read First Comes Like in February without knowing that it's the third book. Great thing it can be read as a stand-alone. A very successful dating app creator and owner Rhiannon is looking forward on buying one of their rival company. But she's not expecting to come face-to-face with Samson, a former pro-football player and the guy who disappears right after their one night stand. Just like in First Comes Like, I liked the diverse cast of characters in this book. Both Rhiannon and Samson are complex characters. Rhiannon is independent and career oriented but she can really be frustrating at times. Samson on the other hand is too perfect for my taste. I enjoyed the romance but I liked them more seperately than together. I liked that the author has raised awareness about CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy) and how it affects the athletes and their families. I will still definitely read the second book, Girl Gone Viral.

Ruby Huber

I liked this, it was diverse, it has a main character who is messed up but in a really believable way like you probably know her. The dating app industry is a fun place to set a romance, there was a lot of fun surrounding terminology and also consent.

I really hate to be like this but my main complaint is that there was too much mature communication. Like. It’s awesome at first but by the end I was like ok come on he can’t be THAT emotionally secure?? Ugh

Lisa W.

I liked this book much more than I thought I would. There wasn’t a dull moment and I was thankful for it. Of course parts of it were predictable but that’s to be expected.

Mollee Clingenpeel

I liked the idea of this book, but put into practice it was just okay for me. I think that I much prefer slow burn romances, and I enjoy watching the couple fall for each other and realize that they like each other which this was not that. It also just wasn't memorable to me. It's been less than 2 weeks and I already don't even remember the ending.

Cassidy &
The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai

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Cassidy &The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai

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Cassidy &
The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai