★ 02/10/2020
Rai (The Right Swipe ) riffs on the viral Twitter #PlaneBae story in this gorgeous romance. Privacy-obsessed Katrina King, a former model turned angel investor, copes with her social anxiety and the specter of her abusive father with the ample support of her female friends and sexy bodyguard Jasvinder “Jas” Singh. Former soldier Jas, meanwhile, is nursing an impossible crush on Katrina and struggling with PTSD. When a stranger approaches Katrina in a café, she flirts with him but says no when he asks her out. Unbeknown to either of them, an eavesdropper livetweets their entire exchange, along with surreptitious photos, and “#cafebae” quickly goes viral. To escape the social media frenzy, Jas suggests that he and Katrina retreat to his family’s remote farm in Northern California until it blows over. There, their true feelings bubble up. Rai handles her characters’ mental health issues with incredible care while not shying away from depicting the effects such issues would have on a relationship. Katrina and Jas’s loving, mutual support of one another is truly touching. This sensitive and sexy contemporary is sure to be a hit. Agent: Steve Axelrod, Axelrod Agency (May)
"Rai's lovely, slow-building romance between the very appealing Katrina and Jasvinder will delight readers."
"The second book in Rai’s Modern Love series, this is a romance novel you need in your life… The true takeaway from this novel is Rai's artful depiction of how, with the right communication and care, two people can work through mental health issues to find meaningful love.
Shondaland.com (Five Books to Read in April)
Rai’s GIRL GONE VIRAL sizzles with heart and family. Jas and Kat's fiery chemistry is irresistible, fulfilling every bodyguard fantasy. This book satisfies as much as Kat’s sourdough waffles.
"Rai's lovely, slow-building romance between the very appealing Katrina and Jasvinder will delight readers."
2020-01-27
Katrina King is a retired model–turned–successful angel investor. She has battled debilitating anxiety and panic attacks all her life, thanks in part to her abusive and controlling father, but became terrified of venturing far from her well-secured home after she was kidnapped 10 years ago. She has a loyal, honest, and incredibly good-looking bodyguard in Jasvinder Singh, who also helps run her many ventures. Katrina has had a deep crush on Jas for years but is reluctant to risk their friendship by making a move. She's finally ready to try some exposure therapy at a local cafe when she becomes the subject of a viral social media post. When Katrina is endangered by the ensuing publicity, they retreat to Jas' family’s farm north of Sacramento. Jas is an Army vet with PTSD from a horrifying event that left him with a busted knee and a sense of deep betrayal. Little does Katrina realize that Jas shares her feelings: “It was her small acts of kindness that had sucked him in, her clever intelligence and sweetness that had kept him hooked.” Forced proximity on the farm finally breaks down her caution and his reserve, and they give in to their desires in sexy, sweet scenes. But Jas, a man of few words not used to acknowledging his pain, must stop hiding from his military past and his family issues in order to earn Katrina's love. With so much going on, the romance can feel secondary at times, although the couple’s strong history somewhat makes up for Rai’s (The Right Swipe , 2019, etc.) slowest of slow burns.
The leisurely pacing may frustrate some, but this sweet tale of mutual longing finally expressed repays the investment.
“Rai’s GIRL GONE VIRAL sizzles with heart and family. Jas and Kat's fiery chemistry is irresistible, fulfilling every bodyguard fantasy. This book satisfies as much as Kat’s sourdough waffles.” — Roselle Lim, author of Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune
"Rai's lovely, slow-building romance between the very appealing Katrina and Jasvinder will delight readers." — Booklist
"Rai follows up The Right Swipe with a sweet and spicy romance that delves into some deep issues of mental health for both main characters (severe anxiety and PTSD), as well as the effects of social media on people’s lives. Essential for public libraries." — Library Journal (starred review)
"The second book in Rai’s Modern Love series, this is a romance novel you need in your life… The true takeaway from this novel is Rai's artful depiction of how, with the right communication and care, two people can work through mental health issues to find meaningful love.” — Shondaland.com (Five Books to Read in April)
"gorgeous romance... Rae handles her characters’ mental health issues with incredible care while not shying away from depicting the effects such issues would have on a relationship. Katrina and Jas’s loving, mutual support of one another is truly touching. This sensitive and sexy contemporary is sure to be a hit." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Girl Gone Viral is a fun, sexy rom com that's impossible to resist.” — PopSugar (25 of the Best New Books to Add to Your Reading List This Spring)
"Girl Gone Viral is a fun, addictive romance and when the layers kick in, it's a page-turner you won't put down." — NPR
"Girl Gone Viral is a fun, sexy rom com that's impossible to resist.
PopSugar (25 of the Best New Books to Add to Your Reading List This Spring)
"Girl Gone Viral is a fun, addictive romance and when the layers kick in, it's a page-turner you won't put down."
Summer Morton and Brian Pallino narrate a surprisingly sweet bodyguard romance. After unwittingly going viral, thanks to a clever hashtag, Katrina King needs to leave town. Bodyguard Jas Singh offers his family’s peach farm as an escape. Both Katrina and Jas have experienced trauma in their pasts, and Morton and Pallino are adept at teasing out its aftereffects. Katrina has anxiety and panic attacks, while Jas simply buries his feelings of guilt and shame. Both reactions are presented with compassion and without judgment. Morton and Pallino have chosen not to give Jas or his family accents, but they have clearly researched how to correctly pronounce their names. This attention to detail is appreciated. K.M.P. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Summer Morton and Brian Pallino narrate a surprisingly sweet bodyguard romance. After unwittingly going viral, thanks to a clever hashtag, Katrina King needs to leave town. Bodyguard Jas Singh offers his family’s peach farm as an escape. Both Katrina and Jas have experienced trauma in their pasts, and Morton and Pallino are adept at teasing out its aftereffects. Katrina has anxiety and panic attacks, while Jas simply buries his feelings of guilt and shame. Both reactions are presented with compassion and without judgment. Morton and Pallino have chosen not to give Jas or his family accents, but they have clearly researched how to correctly pronounce their names. This attention to detail is appreciated. K.M.P. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
