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readwithkait's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was a cute romance! I loved the premise - a chef/restaurant owner x sommelier, older (late 30s) characters, a very diverse cast.
While the plot was great, the book did fall a little short for me in a couple places. This was a fairly spicy book, but all of these scenes fall a little flat for me, based on the dialogue used that felt a little cringy. Additionally, one of the MCs felt a bit whiny at times. I also had a hard time buying into their romance - it seemed like one of the MCs just wanted anyone who would be with him, and the other MC just needed a friend. There wasn’t quite enough drawing them together for me.
Overall, it was still an enjoyable read! It moves pretty quickly and the plot flows well.
I was provided a complimentary ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
alysonalyza's review against another edition
4.0
This one absolutely blew me away. First I loved that both characters were older, it's just always a great change of pace when characters aren't young all the time. Second, I love how this book approached sex. Consent was a big factor and it was written so well, so other authors really have no excuse. Also that sex can be silly and awkward sometimes and you can still make the best of it. This was just so refreshing, made 100x better by the fact that it was queer (I don't know that I would have been as invested if they weren't).
anniekslibrary's review against another edition
4.0
When you get a new Adib Khorram book, you know you have to read it asap. This is his first adult book, and as an avid romance reader, I was so excited to dive in! And I had an absolute blast, this was such a good time.
You can't read this without getting hungry, because all the food and wine descriptions made my mouth water. They added so much atmosphere to the story.
But I mainly loved the chemistry between both of the main characters, especially since we got to spend so much time with them! I love romance books where you actually see the couple together for a good amount of time, so this felt like such a treat.
You can't read this without getting hungry, because all the food and wine descriptions made my mouth water. They added so much atmosphere to the story.
But I mainly loved the chemistry between both of the main characters, especially since we got to spend so much time with them! I love romance books where you actually see the couple together for a good amount of time, so this felt like such a treat.
jaelyn7's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 - I would highly recommend I'll Have What He's Having to romance readers who like real-world issues interwoven into an open door romance story. I loved the protagonists and their respective journeys, but I felt like both the romance and central conflict needed more development.
What Worked for Me
Representation in the book was done so authentically! A lot of care was put into building both David and Farzan's identities, and I learned a bit about Iranian culture. Khorram did a good job highlighting Kansas City's strengths, which is not a location I'm familiar with. I enjoyed the comedic moments in the story, starting with the meet cute! I found myself laughing out loud at many points, especially the flirty banter between David and Farzan. Overall, I'll Have What He's Having was realistic, and I would not want the main storyline to change at all.
What Didn't Work for Me
Romance: While there were some scenes between David and Farzan that showed a relationship deeper than FWBs, I felt like dialogue surrounding passion, connection, and love centered almost exclusively around the sex scenes. I would have liked to see more of a balance, especially after they became official. Some of the issues discussed in the end should have been discussed earlier in the relationship, especially to really love someone. I felt like I was told multiple times about how much David and Farzan loved each other, but I prefer to see it to believe it.
Conflict Resolution/Ending: Regarding the conflict itself, this connects back to my previous point. If you're picking up the love of your life from the airport and you both have major life updates, why would you sit in the car in silence?! That aside, I liked the message of Farzan leaning on his friends for support and David realizing that his dream was to be with the person he loved. What I needed was more development of how we got from Point A to Point B. David only really needed a few more pages. I would have liked to see him give LA an honest try but come up feeling empty (and I would need to be more convinced that Farzan was the one). However, when Farzan broke down and started discussing how much of a failure he was, I felt like that needed MUCH more work than the friend intervention. I would prefer 1-2 sex scenes cut in exchange for more material on growth and development to give the storyline the depth it deserves.
3.5 - I would highly recommend I'll Have What He's Having to romance readers who like real-world issues interwoven into an open door romance story. I loved the protagonists and their respective journeys, but I felt like both the romance and central conflict needed more development.
What Worked for Me
Representation in the book was done so authentically! A lot of care was put into building both David and Farzan's identities, and I learned a bit about Iranian culture. Khorram did a good job highlighting Kansas City's strengths, which is not a location I'm familiar with. I enjoyed the comedic moments in the story, starting with the meet cute! I found myself laughing out loud at many points, especially the flirty banter between David and Farzan. Overall, I'll Have What He's Having was realistic, and I would not want the main storyline to change at all.
What Didn't Work for Me
Conflict Resolution/Ending: Regarding the conflict itself, this connects back to my previous point. If you're picking up the love of your life from the airport and you both have major life updates, why would you sit in the car in silence?! That aside, I liked the message of Farzan leaning on his friends for support and David realizing that his dream was to be with the person he loved. What I needed was more development of how we got from Point A to Point B. David only really needed a few more pages. I would have liked to see him give LA an honest try but come up feeling empty (and I would need to be more convinced that Farzan was the one). However, when Farzan broke down and started discussing how much of a failure he was, I felt like that needed MUCH more work than the friend intervention. I would prefer 1-2 sex scenes cut in exchange for more material on growth and development to give the storyline the depth it deserves.
readbyantonia's review against another edition
Will revisit when the book/audio releases.
bethany6788's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a fun adult debut by Adib Khorram. I’ve read all of his YA and was excited to lean into his latest work!
This book is about Farzan and David, two 37 year old men who are single. Farzan has just been dumped and David is busy studying for a sommelier test. Farzan goes to the restaurant David works at and is mistaken for a critic. They hit it off and have a one-night stand… that turns into more.
There was a lot I really enjoyed about the book but one of the best parts was that it was genuinely funny. I laughed out loud a lot. The f*cking Brandon recurring joke cracked me up every time. I loved how awkward some of their steamy time was. The stuff that happens is NORMAL and it just was great they could laugh about it. I thought they were fun together, and they really were hot for each other.
I really liked Farzan’s growth. As someone who has a lot of friends and family who are married, settled down, and far in their careers, I often feel like he does. Like I’ve messed up. Like I’m not good enough. Like the universe is against me. I thought he was very relatable.
David’s journey to figuring out his dream and home was beautiful to see. When he realizes that Farzan is his dream!? Goodbye.
The muppet references were great too, haha.
I’ll read whatever Adib puts out into the world and I hope he continues in the adult romance genre!
This book is about Farzan and David, two 37 year old men who are single. Farzan has just been dumped and David is busy studying for a sommelier test. Farzan goes to the restaurant David works at and is mistaken for a critic. They hit it off and have a one-night stand… that turns into more.
There was a lot I really enjoyed about the book but one of the best parts was that it was genuinely funny. I laughed out loud a lot. The f*cking Brandon recurring joke cracked me up every time. I loved how awkward some of their steamy time was. The stuff that happens is NORMAL and it just was great they could laugh about it. I thought they were fun together, and they really were hot for each other.
I really liked Farzan’s growth. As someone who has a lot of friends and family who are married, settled down, and far in their careers, I often feel like he does. Like I’ve messed up. Like I’m not good enough. Like the universe is against me. I thought he was very relatable.
David’s journey to figuring out his dream and home was beautiful to see. When he realizes that Farzan is his dream!? Goodbye.
The muppet references were great too, haha.
I’ll read whatever Adib puts out into the world and I hope he continues in the adult romance genre!
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