Release Day Review: The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai

The Right Swipe
(Modern Love #1)
Alisha Rai
Release: August 6, 2019
Goodreads Amazon
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

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…

Review:

The Right Swipe was one of my most anticipated books of the year, so of course I had to start reading the second I got my hands on it. Even though it was four months before release day.

I think I was expecting a Rom Com, either because of the cover or because of the setting in the world of online dating. And it does have its moments - eccentric aunts are good for comic relief. But I had forgotten how intense Rai's books are and that she weaves important issues into the stories, in this case concussions in football players and sexual harassment in the workplace. (I'm not sure how I forgot that. The mental health issues she addresses in the Forbidden Hearts series all came back to me as soon as I started to think about it.)

I was already intrigued by Rhiannon after meeting her in Hurts to Love You, which is her brother Gabe's book. (He makes an appearance in The Right Swipe as well, though you wouldn't need to read the previous book to follow the story.) Rhi turned out be just as strong and independent as I was expecting, but with a lot more baggage. She has serious trust issues. Samson has some issues of his own though they're a little more subtle, but he's a great book boyfriend. I loved them together right from the beginning, even though it takes a while for Rhi to give him a chance

What struck me most though is the found family elements of the story, as opposed to the actual family drama in the previous series. I love the supporting cast, which has me excited about where the series might go next. There's even another character set to crossover from Forbidden Hearts. I can't wait!

    

4  stars

For more on the Forbidden Hearts series, check out my RTFB post.