This is an absolutely heartwarming story of love and finding out what you want in life. The journey of these two men is enjoyable and a reminder why I read romance
Love wins when you date to dream big. The narrators were pretty fabulous and enriched this story.

I love Adib Khorram's YA fiction but this was a miss for me.

I really wanted to like it but I just couldn't bring myself to care about either character. Well, no, there were definitely moments where I cared about both David and Farzan, but every time I was reminded of that we had yet another sex scene that threw me out of the story.

Sex scenes are hit or miss for me. I'm asexual and find them more of a turnoff than anything, so unless they're really well written and/or I really care about the characters and developing relationship, I skip them. And I tried that here. But there has to be something in between to skip *to.* Farzan and David don't have a relationship. They have no chemistry beyond the purely physical. It's just sex. Which does nothing for me.

In fact, what I found myself thinking more than anything as I was reading was that this was another of those disappointing 'YA author writes "adult" romance by cramming it full of sex and swear words' situations.

It was also really earthy in its descriptions which again is a complete nope from me. I realize that's a personal preference thing, but it didn't make me overly excited to keep pushing through the story.

I did keep pushing through far longer than I generally would because of how much I love his other works. It actually put me in a reading slump because I was avoiding reading entirely when I knew I had to pick it up. But after more than 50% I couldn't do it anymore.

I tried reading this first on audio and then after giving that up I kept trying with the ebook and couldn't do that either.

Both audiobook narrators were incredibly irritating to listen to. I don't know how much of that was the story and how much was the audio, because I disliked each equally, but I definitely will be avoiding books narrated by them in the future.

*Thanks to Forever and Hachette Audio for providing an early copy for review.

This books was so good! The vibes were right. The story was great. The characters were interesting and relatable. I kept increasing the speed I was listening to it because I just wanted to get it in my ear holes quicker.

I loved the culture and food put on display, as well as the family and community that comes along with it. The narrators did a fantastic job and I noticed that Winston James is the narrator of a book on my TBR so I might have to make sure I give that one a listen.

Fuuuuuck. The spice in this book was so good. I don’t know what made this stand out to me more than any other spicy MM book, but it did. There was open communication, laughter, tenderness, check ins, banter and just some top notch dirty talk.

Thanks to #NetGallery and publisher for a copy of this book. Add this one to your TBR!

Genre: Romance MM
Format: Audio
POV: Dual
Tropes:
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Age suggestion: 18+

3.5 stars
A very enjoyable story with plenty of steam, heart, delicious food. Certainly don't read this on an empty stomach!
The voices of the narrators really matched the characters, even if I had some trouble telling the two characters apart. But it's probably just a me thing. All in all, it's definitely worth a shot!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an advanced copy of the audiobook to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

A case of mistaken identity leads to a situationship that ultimately leads to love in Adib Khorram’s I’ll Have What He’s Having.

As Farzan Alavi drowns his recent romantic woes in fries and wine, wine director, David Curtis, mistakes him for Kansas City’s top food critic. The wine and banter flow all night, and Farzan and David find themselves back at Farzan’s apartment after dinner wraps.

Their chemistry is scorching—and Farzan wants more—but David isn’t looking for anything serious. He has his sights set on restaurants in bigger cities after he passes his master sommelier exam.

When their paths cross again, Farzan and David strike up a friends-with-benefits situation, and as these things go, the more time they spend together, the closer they become.

Prepare to be hungry while reading this one, friends. Between reading about the food and wine at the wine bar where David works, everything that Farzan whips up, and the Persian cuisine from his family’s restaurant, I was salivating.

Also, note that the spices in the food aren’t the only things bringing the heat in this one.

I liked how Farzan and David care for and support each other, how their goals and dreams evolve over the course of the story, and the found family that backs them.

I enjoyed the dual narration by Shezi Sardar and Brent Billings. I feel like they each captured their main character’s POV well. This would have been even better with duet narration, but I did enjoy the audiobook as it is.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Hachette Audio and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

A case of mistaken identity has David thinking that Farzan is Kansas City‘s most influential food critic when he comes into his wine bar. Farzan is given the celebrity treatment and at the end of the night David and him hit it off and spend the night together…

In the morning, they find out that Farzan is not who David thought he was but a connection and friendship is sparked.

So when Farzan takes a leap to take over his families Iranian restaurant, he goes to David to help him learn the biz!

Not interested in a typical friends with benefits situation, they decide to benefit each other by helping each other out, mutually, i.e. restaurant tutoring for Farzan yeah and sommelier tutoring for David.

With the spark between these two, it’s not long before their friendship goes to the next level, but they only have a limited amount of time before David passes his sommelier test moves on bigger and better things…

The story was absolutely adorable and I loved how important friendship and family was to both of these characters.

The narration by Shezi Sardar & Brent Billings was a perfect match for the characters Farzan and David. Both narrator did a great job, differentiating the characters in their sections and giving life to their specific character.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for allowing me a copy of this audio book in return for an honest review.

From what starts out as a case of mistaken identity shortly turns into friends with benefits for thirty somethings Farzan Alavi and David Curtis. But do these men, who are just about to relaunch their lives in the service industry, really have the time to catch feelings for each other too?

Both Shezi and Brent did an excellent job bringing the characters to life. I did feel some of  Brent’s renditions of Farzan’s extended family and friends were quite far off from how Shezi depicted them and I’m not sure if he’d heard Shezi’s recording first or not, or if the voice actors get to develop the characters together, but I think that should be something future productions should look into especially when it comes to accent work.

What I liked: Oh I loved these two men and their families and friends so much! Everyone was so involved in everyone's business, it was such a great big cast of characters but I only lost track of who people were to each other a couple of times and quickly caught on again. You really could feel the love pouring down on both men from those around them and even when the inevitable tragic moment hits (that always has to hit in these types of romances) I felt the support from their families cushioned the blow I always dread. Why yes I do take these things too personally! 

What didn’t work for me:  Okay it’s one of those times where I have to apologise and say it’s not that anything was wrong it just didn’t hit enough bonus points to boost it into an obsessive level I need for it to be 5 stars.

Final thoughts: A romance about starting something new, and food and wine.

Who would enjoy this: Fans of contemporary romances, mid range spice (some sex scenes - so some people seem to think there was too much, they should go see some of the reviews of the books where I’ve made this complaint, read those books, then reread this one and re-review).

Sweet and cute romance about two men, Farzan and David, finding love in their late thirties. Loved its meet cute, which was actually CUTE and sizzling. Farzan and David felt as if they were real people, the joys and woes of a big family were soooo relatable. I also liked diversity in this book, especially the representation of Iranian culture and community as well as refreshingly honest body representation and sex scenes. In addition, narrators did a great job, loved the way they portrayed MCs.

I've read most of Adib Khorram's YA novels, so I had to check out his first adult one. And I must say the vibes sure are not only adult, but jaded and almost middle aged. Which is weirdly refreshing as a reader in their late 30s, a strangely underrepresented queer POV out there. There is a beautiful balance of food and community and lessons learned and self-assuredness, especially with both protagonists being queer people of color. I always love a dual POV in romances, and this one does not disappoint in giving you a full story of two people. Be hungry while ready this at your own risk. The audiobook narrators mostly did ok, except the one narrating David made Farzan sound weirdly breathy. Otherwise, just the right QPOC cozy read I needed with so much delicious texture.

4,5 Stars

Multicultural Couple
BIPOC author

I feel like every book I’ve read recently is wine obsessed. Has there been an American reality show about sommeliers?

This is a lovely story of two dudes nearing 40 who find something they weren’t really expecting. It really highlights that goals and dreams change, families are more than blood and it’s never too late to start believing in yourself.

My partner is half Iranian and this book has really inspired me to open all the Persian cookbooks my in-laws have bought me. While much of the food in the book I’m familiar with there are some new to me dishes I’m desperate to try.

Books like this are so great at introducing people to cultures they never would have had exposure to otherwise.

The narration of the book was wonderful. The dual narration was 100% the right choice as the MCs are so different from each other. The narrators really brought the characters to life for me.

I really, really enjoyed this mistaken identity, dual POV, M/M debut adult queer romance from fav author, Adib Khorram. Set in Kansas City, this book has emotional depth, excellent diversity rep, SPICY open door scenes and relatable, likeable main characters! Great on audio and perfect for fans of authors like M.A. Wardell and Timothy Janovsky, especially his, You had me a happy hour - which also features a want to be wine sommelier. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book was cute! I loved how David and Farzan both didn’t expect to fall in love but it happened anyway. I really enjoyed how culture played a role in this book. I was also reminded of how little I know about wine. I appreciated how the MMCs were a little older and still figuring out their lives and realizing how dreams can change. I especially related to Farzan working through feeling like a failure. There was a lot of emphasis on the importance of friendships which was great to see. The narration was great and would definitely recommend listening to the audiobook!

I was about 50% into I'll Have What He's Having when I realized Adib Khorram also wrote Darius The Great Is Not Okay; it's really no wonder that I loved this book as much as I did that one, when they're both filled with so many similarities, while having two striking differences (because of their demographic).

Culture, friendship, and family provide such a strong base and backdrop for Farzan Alavi and David Curtis to explore each other and their relationship. I loved that these two characters were in their late thirties (which is as refreshing as it sounds!), with the steamy scenes plentiful and delicious (while never pushing the rest of the plot aside).

This book perfectly balanced so many plates while never feeling overbearing or becoming a muddled mess. These characters are real (with real bodies), making it such a refreshing read! Additionally, there are awkward moments bringing further life, warmth, and humour to this story. Most importantly, though, this book is filled with oh so much heart!

Audiobook narrators Shezi Sardar and Brent Billings personify Khorram's characters, perfectly bringing them to life. This is one of the easiest books to follow along with in audio format! I'm not sure why exactly, but it was as delightful and charming as it was straightforward and comprehensible (especially) in this format! Not all audiobooks are created equally, and this is one of the best!

(I can't not compare this book to another recent publication with a food/wine plot... and all I can say is that I'll Have What He's Having provided exactly what I wanted and needed, while that other book didn't.)

I can't wait to add I'll Have What He's Having to my shelf soon - because I need a physical trophy of it!

Thank you NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Hachette Audio for the complimentary copies to read and review.

This book made me buy wine, and I don't even like wine all that much.

Lightly humorous and unreservedly sexy, this romance is a joy to read. The main characters are in their late thirties and comfortable in their identities. Farzan loves cooking and cares deeply about his Persian community; David is passionate about wine and ambitious in his life plan. The two have immediate chemistry that never wavers even while it's clear they're on separate paths.

The pages are filled with mouthwatering food and a detailed love for wine. So much of the story focuses on the friends, family, and community of the main characters, which is a choice that I adore. They stress and worry like everyday people and - for the most part - communicate openly.

Perhaps I'm the only one who drew mistaken conclusions, but in case I'm not - "neither expects their paths to cross again" does not indicate a time skip and this is not a "second chance" romance several years later. The timeline of the book is continuous.

The only complaint I have is that the writing tends to be a little repetitive, and even that didn't really bother me.

The audiobook version features dual narrators (hooray!) who are both enjoyable to listen to. While one of them tends to sound a little more like he's reading than performing, the result is still quite good. I would definitely listen to the audio version again and recommend you give it a try.

This is my first Adib Khorram book, and it certainly won't be my last!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had me hooked from the first scene. It was funny and sexy and emotional. I love how Adib explored how people can show up for each other and for themselves. And I’m a sucker for books that revolve around food and drinks. The narration was done very well. Thank you to Forever and Hachette Audio for this arc.

Decent romance!

This was fun, not a new favorite but cute.

Farzan feels like the ultimate fuckup in love, family life and professional life whilst drowning his feelings in wine and fries he meets David, a waiter at a trendy bar. They instantly click but have a lot of hurdles to turn a one night stand into something more.

Farzan’s inner voice was very annoying and very relatable.
I liked both narrators for the main voices some of the side character voices were a little silly but still enjoyable.

Thanks to netgalley and Hachette audio for an alc

DNF @ 28%

I really wanted to like this, and although it wasn't inherently bad, it just could not capture my attention.

I'm the type of person who typically binges audiobooks in one sitting. I found myself repeatedly turning this audiobook off and having for force myself to pick it back up again.

The premise wasn't bad. I was intrigued by the meet-cute, but there was nothing that hooked me and caused me to care. Farzan's internal monologue was heavy on the self pity, and although I appreciated that these characters were written about folks in their late 30s, he came off as slightly immature based on his internal monologue. I did appreciate that the characters had good communication and experienced real life struggles.

The narrators were fine. But I'm not sure if their narration or the writing is what I found boring. At times it felt like Farzan's narrator was bored with what they were reading and it came across in the narration.

Overall, I think this just wasn't for me. It didn't excite me or keep me engaged long. I'm sure there will be many people who enjoy it however!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the Advanced Listener Copy.

I’ll Have What He’s Having by Adib Khorram
Contemporary diverse M-M romance. Alternating POV.
At thirty-seven, Farzan Alavi thinks his love life is a disaster after his most recent heartbreak. There are times he thinks his whole life is messed up and going nowhere. He’s not particularly happy being a substitute teacher but what are his options? When his two besties aren’t available for a night out, Farzan goes alone to the new restaurant and gets a table for one. He’s surprised by the flirting by the hot sommelier but he’s free and single and goes with it.
David Curtis is told that a famous and influential food critic is at the restaurant and he offers up a supreme bottle of wine. The two flirt through dinner and more. It’s only the next morning, both David and Farzan realize the error but they’ve had a great night and laugh it off.
When Farzan inherits his family’s bistro, he knows just the person to call to help improve the wine list and make the restaurant a destination. But their fun can only be short term. David is moving to Los Angeles. And even though they both start falling in love, their future doesn’t appear to be together.

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and an audiobook. The narration is performed by Shezi Sardar and Brent Billings who do a wonderful job with the emotional up and downs of the story. The passion, worry and heartbreak is all easy to hear and makes you feel like you are their friends and in the middle to the angst and love. I did increase the speed to 1.5 as that’s my most comfortable for reading along with a book at the same time and not be three pages ahead of the audio narration. The accents and voices really make these two men come alive. I’d highly recommend the audiobook version for this book.

Heartbreaking and sad as Farzan tries over and over to make the right choices. He’s confident in his cooking and manages the restaurant without a second thought, but doesn’t realize his impact. He knows he wants David to stay, but why would he? David has excellent prospects and a future in LA.
Don’t despair. It is a romance, but it’s going to take work and belief to come together.

I received this from book from NetGalley and the publisher Hachette Audio.

I’ll Have What He’s Having is the first book I have read by this author and I really liked it. I definitely want to read his other books now. I enjoyed both of the characters and their stories. They were great as individuals and together as a couple. Definitely would recommend to romance fans. It is a bit of instalove if you don’t like that but I think it’s enjoyable anyway!

The audiobook was great. Both of the narrators were excellent and I’d definitely recommend this format. Thank you to the publisher for doing two narrators! So frequently dual POV queer books end up with just one narrator when cis romances are more likely to get two so I’m always thrilled to see two narrators!

This book overall was lovely. I had so much fun while reading this and seeing the relationship progress and how navigating your feelings after being let down so much in life.

I loved these two so much!!!!

I got an alc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.