whitneydaniell

by: Alisha Rai
published: August 6, 2019
genre: Romance, Contemporary
387 pages, E-Book
GoodReads | Amazon

Synopsis

Rhiannon Hunter has built her empire one swipe at a time. As the powerhouse behind a top dating app, she’s laser-focused on success—romance is just a side gig, strictly on her terms. With a few simple rules, she keeps her heart off-limits: No second chances, no unnecessary attachments, and absolutely no room for distractions.

But then there’s Samson Lima. The former football star was a rare exception—one unforgettable night, only to ghost her without a trace. Rhi thought she’d moved on, until he reappears months later, still ridiculously charming and now working for a rival company. He swears he won’t drop the ball this time, but Rhiannon isn’t so sure.

A no-strings arrangement might be easy to justify, but when old sparks turn into something deeper, she’s left wondering: Can she risk everything she’s built for a chance at something real?

My Final Thoughts

I’ve been deep in the Mystery/Thriller genre lately, so I needed a break from all the murder and deceit. And what better way to switch things up than with a syrupy romance?

I didn’t love The Right Swipe, but I didn’t hate it either. If you’ve read any of my (rare) romance reviews—especially on Jasmine Guillory’s books—you’d know that I cannot stand unrealistic dating dynamics or the obligatory, ridiculous conflict that always seems to arise in these stories. I lean toward romance that feels real, with actual adult problems and believable stakes, which is why I enjoy Kennedy Ryan. But back to The Right Swipe.

Let’s talk about Rhiannon. She’s the textbook “strong, confident Black woman” archetype—hyper-independent, sharp-tongued, emotionally stunted, and incapable of basic communication. She takes no shit, which is great, but she also lacks the emotional intelligence to handle personal relationships like an adult. She’s basically a Tyler Perry character—no shade, just facts.

Rhi has full autonomy over her body and can have as many one-night stands as she pleases, yet when she runs into Samson at a conference, she’s shook because he “ghosted” her. Instead of handling it like the boss she claims to be, she lets her emotions derail a business opportunity and storms off. And don’t even get me started on her plan to work with a competitor on a marketing venture—it’s a terrible business move, but I guess we needed something to move the plot along.

Then there’s Samson Lima. Handsome, wealthy, former football player, comes from a dynasty, and somehow still gives off major NPC energy. Again, another Tyler Perry archetype. I did appreciate the nod to CTE awareness in his backstory, but as a character, he felt two-dimensional. His whole “I haven’t dated in a while” schtick didn’t land for me, and the fact that a 36-year-old millennial doesn’t know what “Netflix & Chill” means? Be serious. His connection to Annabelle and Matchmaker felt unnecessary—he and Rhiannon could’ve crossed paths in so many other ways without that extra subplot.

And speaking of unnecessary… let’s talk about the conflict. I hate forced, unrealistic conflicts, and this one was a stretch. In what world are multi-millionaire business owners subjecting themselves to Annabelle’s matchmaking event as part of a corporate acquisition strategy? Make it make sense. And Samson’s big “betrayal”? Not disclosing a completely irrelevant conversation? It did not warrant Rhiannon’s over-the-top reaction. I get that people, especially women, have valid trust issues in business and relationships, but this felt like the author was trying too hard to manufacture drama.

Also, why was Samson so passive with her? He never calls her out on how she treats him. Case in point: Rhi gets bad business news, frantically texts Samson to meet up, goes to his place, they bond over deep personal stories, have sex (because of course), and then she abruptly leaves—all because she found a napkin with another woman’s number. And mind you, she’s made it very clear that they’re not even dating. Does he ever express frustration or call her out on her emotional immaturity? Nope. Instead, he just stands by, patient and understanding, ready to cater to her needs whenever she decides she wants him again. I wish there had been some dialogue addressing how her behavior affects him, but no—she gets to be emotionally stunted and still walks away with Prince Charming.

Like I said, I didn’t hate it. I won’t be continuing the series, but at least this book introduced me to Alisha Rai. According to Wikipedia, she writes contemporary erotica, which… yeah, makes total sense now.