I’ll Have What He’s Having by Adib Khorram

Publication date: August 2024
LGBTQ+ author? Queer
Setting: Kansas City, USA

This book is absolutely standard m/m contemporary romance, except the BIPOC main characters.

So many gay romance novels featured white, cis men. This book is about the romance between Farzan Alavi, an Iranian American, and David Curtis who is Black. (There is even a supporting character who is trans!)

Farzan takes over his parents’ Iranian restaurant. And David is an aspiring sommelier who works at a local wine bar. They meet when Farzan visits David’s restaurant.

What was a bit “meh”

Other than the representation you don’t always see in a gay romance, nothing really stands out about this book. The plot is entirely predictable. (David wants to move away from Kansas City to somewhere his career can take off, but Farzan can’t move. What now?!)

I don’t find predicable plots to be a problem with romance. In fact, they are comforting and cozy and a big part of why I read them. But this book really had nothing else going on. The characters even break up and get back together right on schedule.

What was interesting

There is a lot of sex in this book, which I think was well done in that it was very specific and realistic. There is after sex mess. There are awkward moments. There are vibrators and lube. There is “tidying up” in the bathroom before anal sex. Just normal people having bodies stuff you don’t always see in romance.

I will also say that the author didn’t make his main characters Iranian and Black and then do nothing with that. It actually matters. For example, you can see Farzan blush but not David’s because of their different skin tones. And David has a moment with his hair not being done. And all Farzan’s friends are his parents’ friends’ children. It’s very specific and well done.

If you like m/m romance this is a perfectly nice book to spend some time with, but isn’t super memorable.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.