Ever since the death of her husband, former model Katrina has been keeping to herself, secretly investing in up-and-coming companies that need help. So, when an innocent moment shared with a stranger at a coffee shop is live-tweeted and goes viral with the hashtag #CafeBae, low-profile lover and prone-to-panic-attacks Katrina wants to run for the hills. Enter Jasvinder Singh, bodyguard, friend, secret crush, and the guy with the most impeccable eyebrows out there, who just happens to have a place close to his family’s peach farm where the both of them can hide out until the story dies down. Cooped up in a remote spot together, the mutual pining intensifies as the stakes heighten and Katrina has to ask herself if, after all these years of secret pining, she’s ready to let someone in again.
Katrina King loved love. Even when it didn’t love her.
Hoo, boy. I’m still here, fanning myself after that wild ride of a book. Alisha Rai certainly knows how to write mutual pining so that the reader actually aches for two stubborn people in love to finally get together. She also excels at writing characters that feel like you’ve known them forever.
Jas and Katrina have a lot of baggage to deal with on their own – Jas is having issues returning to his family home after his stint in the military and deployment in Iraq and Katrina, after years of psychological abuse from her father to be the best model she could be and the eventual saving grace of her late husband who took her in, is still dealing with the aftermath of a kidnapping that changed her view on the secret motives of people forever.
Rai does a splendid job of showing the realities of PTSD and panic disorders. Both Katrina and Jas have different methods of coping with their issue (Katrina has been steadily going to therapy and learning how to manage her anxiety and panic attacks whereas Jas has been trying his best to push his feelings down) and while they both are on the mend and working towards a healthier mindset, it was especially refreshing to see that even when you find a partner to talk these things through, panic attacks and nightmares can still occur. True, you have someone to confide in and that’s certainly great but I love how that didn’t just make their issues disappear but rather made them help realise that they should speak about what’s bothering them instead of keeping it in just to put up a happy front.
On that note, whoever said the friends-to-lovers trope was boring certainly hasn’t read a story like this yet. Jas and Katrina are friends, yes, but even as they enter a romantic relationship, they are considerate and open about their own desires and fears. Rai showcases that steaminess and sexual tension are not mutually exclusive with being open and honest about your likes and dislikes – in the bedroom and elsewhere. I loved Jas and Katrina individually and their conversations were entertaining and reaffirming the fact that needing support isn’t something to be ashamed of.
The importance the author puts on supportive friends and family was so reassuring. Both Katrina’s chosen family, a.k.a her best friends, and Jas’s family were supportive and understanding. The conflicts they had to deal with didn’t take away from the fact that these people love and support their loved ones. The secondary characters in this were also incredibly fleshed out. From Katrina’s roommates to Jas’s brother and grandfather, everyone had a strong personality that made them instantly recognisable when they entered the pages.
Also, and I cannot stress the importance of this enough, there is a dog in this book. A dog. That Katrina calls Doodles. And decides to keep. And Jas may or may not bribe the lacklustre owners at some point so Katrina can keep Doodles. Can you spell heartwarming? Because Jasvinder Singh sure can.
What else can I say? Alisha Rai knocked it out of the park with Girl Gone Viral, a vulnerable and empowering story about two people who have been through hell finding their home in each other’s hearts. A bodyguard romance that brings with it memorable characters, honest discussions about the internet giving you whiplash with its tendency to invade people’s privacy and a wholesome vibe to it all, this one is close to perfect in my books. Girl Gone Viral proves that you don’t need miscommunication to keep that angsty tension and mutual pining going and that healthy adult relationships are just as exciting as the rather dramatic portrayals that sometimes do more harm than good. A fantastic romance.
Side Note: This is the second instalment in Rai’s Modern Love series, however, you do not have to read the first book The Right Swipe in order to read this one. Yes, you might recognise some characters if you do read these books chronologically but it doesn’t take away any of the enjoyment if you decide to jump right into this one (as I did…and then promptly ordered the first one online).
Girl Gone Viral is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers as of April 21st 2020.
Will you be picking up Girl Gone Viral? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
In Alisha Rai’s second novel in her Modern Love series, a live-tweet event goes viral for a camera-shy ex-model, shoving her into the spotlight—and into the arms of the bodyguard she’d been pining for.
OMG! Wouldn’t it be adorable if he’s her soulmate???
I don’t see any wedding rings [eyes emoji]
Breaking: #CafeBae and #CuteCafeGirl went to the bathroom AT THE SAME TIME!!!
One minute, Katrina King’s enjoying an innocent conversation with a hot guy at a coffee shop; the next, a stranger has live-tweeted the entire episode with a romantic meet-cute spin and #CafeBae is the new hashtag-du-jour. The problem? Katrina craves a low-profile life, and going viral threatens the peaceful world she’s painstakingly built. Besides, #CafeBae isn’t the man she’s hungry for…
He’s got a [peach emoji] to die for.
With the internet on the hunt for the identity of #CuteCafeGirl, Jas Singh, bodyguard, friend, and possessor of the most beautiful eyebrows Katrina’s ever seen, comes to the rescue and whisks her away to his family’s home. Alone in a remote setting with the object of her affections? It’s a recipe for romance. But after a long dating dry spell, Katrina isn’t sure she can trust her instincts when it comes to love—even if Jas’ every look says he wants to be more than just her bodyguard…
