Publishers Weekly
06/24/2024
Two men pair like food and fine wine in YA author Khorram’s thoroughly satisfying adult debut. Wine expert David Curtis, who is Black, hopes getting his master sommelier license will be his ticket out of Kansas City, Mo., where he feels stifled by the lack of work and dating opportunities. Then recently heartbroken Iranian American Farzan Alavi walks into Aspire, the restaurant where David works. A reservation misunderstanding means David mistakes Farzan for a restaurant critic and treats him to a flirty gourmet meal. Flattered, Farzan takes David home for some incredible sex—and then the truth comes out. They laugh it off, but both men relegate the encounter to a one-time hookup. Then Farzan’s parents announce they are retiring and closing the family’s Persian bistro, and Farzan, who is passionate about Persian food, buys it—and turns to David for help. David agrees to swap restaurant management tips for help studying for his sommelier test and a friends-with-benefits situationship. The men grow closer, but when David is offered a dream job in L.A., he must choose between his career and what he could have with Farzan. Khorram hits on a successful recipe that combines mouthwatering descriptions of Persian cuisine, passionate, supportive characters, and realistic—and often endearingly awkward—sex scenes. This is mouthwatering. Agent: Molly O’Neil, Root Literary. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
Gorgeously sensual and gorgeously real, Adib Khorram writes the perfect romance: one that you want to gulp down all at once...and also savor for as long as you can. An absolutely unmissable read for anyone who loves spicy stories, happily ever afters, and swoons that will make your toes curl with delight. Five stars!”—Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone, bestselling co-authors of A Merry Little Meet Cute
“Clever, sexy, and charming,I'll Have What He's Having is the refreshingly relatable queer romance of my dreams! Khorram’s balance of uncorked humor and delicious spiciness is the perfect pairing. Be prepared to fall hard for this one.”—Julian Winters, bestselling author of Right Where I Left You
"Adib Khorram brings all the heart and cultural specificity he's rightly celebrated for, and adds just the right amount of romantic heat to his literary recipe. David and Farzan will warm your heart, make you laugh, and leave you hungry for more.”—Abdi Nazemian, Stonewall Award-winning author of Like a Love Story
“From first sip to last drop, I’LL HAVE WHAT HE’S HAVING is a richly characterized, sensual romance that celebrates gay men who, like the finest wines, only get better with age. Farzan and David’s sparkling connection will quench even the thirstiest of readers!”—Timothy Janovsky, author of You Had Me at Happy Hour
"This warm, spicy romance is a love letter to Persian food, good wine, and queer community. . . . [the romance is] both incredibly sweet and scorching hot while embracing natural awkwardness, making the story all the more realistic and human. A sensuous and immensely satisfying queer love story."—Kirkus, Starred Review
Library Journal
★ 07/01/2024
When Farzan pays a visit to a local wine bar, he encounters David, an employee who mistakes him for an important food critic. David proceeds to give Farzan the VIP treatment, and after an evening full of electric chemistry, they go home together and share an unforgettable night. It's only the next morning that they realize the case of mistaken identity that brought them together. They decide to embark on a friends-with-benefits arrangement, since David's not able to commit to anything serious. His ambition is to pass the master sommelier exam and leave Kansas City for a bigger city and a higher salary. So they strike a deal—Farzan will help David study for the test, while David will help Farzan manage the Iranian restaurant his retired parents recently handed over to him. But as they get to know each other, their bond grows into love, despite believing they don't have a viable future together. VERDICT With an eminently likable group of characters, a generous helping of wine and foodie culture, and an extra steamy and tender love story, YA author Khorram's (The Breakup Lists) first foray into adult fiction will warm readers' hearts.—Migdalia Jimenez
