Well this definitely was not what I expected but that is certainly ok!! Admittedly, I am not the audience for reading MM spice and while I don’t mind it at all, I do skim over it to make sure I’m not missing something but also not getting invested in those scenes. I mention it because there were plenty of spice scenes which were very detailed. It’s refreshing to see the content in a fairly regular romance novel as many of the MM romances I have read of late, particularly from Forever Pub, have shied away from open door and descriptive sex in their MM/Achillean romances.

Anyway, one of the drawbacks was that last third of the description for the book is just not accurate. Or rather if that was the intent then that was an execution problem.
Each man is definitely going on some sort of journey within themselves but most of that the reader has to imagine as you don’t see that process on the page. There is not sense of urgency of when their vacations end or seeing Ramon try to change himself. He does worry for a hot minute at the beginning that he will be too “boring” for Noah, his high school crush but then it shifts to him not wanting to intrude on a family vacation.

I do like the care it took in writing positive relationships and boundaries as it could teach a reader a thing or two. The body positivity is also a great addition, especially from a male author.
This book comes out September 2, 2025 so if you’re looking for a fun Achillean Romance with plenty of spice and her to go along on an Italian vacation, this books for you!

I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary eARC from Forever Publishing through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My general rating system is below. Since I primarily read ARC books I rate according to how I think like minded readers will receive the book. I will round up or down depending on many factors and try not to let my personal wants affect a books ratings.

⭐️ Hated It but pushed through as so don’t DNF ARCs I have received.
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, content issues, poorly edited.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but it had something that stopped me from rounding up. Usually the book may have much more potential than what was given. I recommend it but with reservations.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I Really enjoyed it or think others will. These are solid reads that I definitely would recommend for a variety of reasons.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! These are books that remain rent free in my head for well after unfinished the book. It can be for a variety of reasons from being very well written or just the vibes that captured my mind. These books are also ones I would probably read again.

This really is the perfect summer read, and honestly, I’m a little sad it's not being released until September! 'It Had to Be Him' is bright, fresh, and bursting with everything I love in a vacation romance.

I stumbled across this one while browsing online (something I do often), and the description immediately grabbed my attention. It’s my first time reading a novel by Adib Khorram, and I was drawn in by the fast pacing, gentle storytelling, and flashbacks that sparkle with warmth and emotion. Ramin and Noah are going to pull at your heart in the lush and scenic setting of Italy.

Yes, Italy absolutely shines in this book — I’m definitely craving gelato now — and the getaway romance is as dreamy as you'd hope. But what really kept me turning the pages was the desire to return to Kansas City and see how the characters would adjust and grow after their escape.

This was such a fun, heartfelt read. Huge thanks to Forever for the digital ARC!

Thank you Forever and Grand Central Publishing for the review copy!

Adib Khorram is one of my all time favorite queer romance authors. He handles sex, masculinity, queerness, and love with immense care in every story he writes, and It Had to be Him is no exception.

I read this book in one sitting and I was captivated by the story the entire time. Ramin and Noah are such a cute pair together and it's no secret I am a sucker for a second chance romance. At the beginning of the book Ramin is emotionally damaged from a rough break up while having to fight the residual trauma of all the years he's lived to this point. Noah is a divorced co-parenting dad with childhood trauma and people pleasing tendencies. And Jake, Jake is the main character. I'm sorry I don't make the rules. I truly loved Ramin and Noah's story of reconnecting and falling in love, but it was Jake that stole my heart.

My only criticism is the cover. I loved the body positivity, fat positivity, and body dysmorphia rep in this book. Unfortunately, having a character who is described as fat or at least soft, with no visible difference from his rock hard abs counter part on the cover is a disappoint and a disservice to the representation. I honestly couldn't tell you which of the men on the cover is supposed to be Ramin.

There is a great Italian atmosphere depicted, the mood was perfectly set. Makes me want to go on vacation to Italy for the summer!

I really enjoyed the idea of old friends who had lost touch with each other and accidentally reconnecting, their happenstance encounters was cute. There was such an ease about their reconnecting, and their ability to form a deep connection quickly was nice. They had great chemistry. They really complimented each other and felt like a realistic couple that you just want to root for.

There is also character development for the side characters, so it's not just all about our two main characters, and I love that.

There is a weird amount of times mentioned about Ramin clenching and unclenching his butt, and by the third time just felt odd. And Jake is portrayed way younger than he should be, he acts more like a 5-year-old, not 9.

There's a lot of spice, which I don't mind personally.

Petition to be the 4th bestie in this trio!! I simply loved Ramin's story so much. Farzan's story was fantastic, of course, but Ramin's brought a little something extra with the travel theme to the book.

Something I love about Adib's writing is that he provides such a full-bodied experience to each character. Side characters have complete personalities and motivations that work so perfectly within our protagonist's journey. Honestly have nothing more to say besides read this book for Queer Irani rep, wholesome (and not-so-wholesome) romance, and the perfect solution to your wanderlust!

P.s. Adib, I hope the ministry of Italian tourism paid you for this because I was 2 seconds away from booking a flight to Milan this entire book.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an eARC of this novel!

Oh so spicy!🌶️ I am fairly new to the adult genre and the spiciness of this world so this book had me BLUSHING! Adib has written some of my favorite novels and I was so excited to read this one and frankly it did not disappoint! It follows Ramin a recently broken up with man who drunkenly books an Italian trip and meets hot as hell Noah! Who surprise was Ramin’s friend back in high school twenty! Years ago! Noah is on a mission of his own, he’s visiting Italy with his ex-wife and son after she tells him she’s moving to Italy. Noah and Ramin rekindle their friendship but give us more underlying feelings that resurface as well! An aspect that I really thought made this book special was Noah’s balance between new feelings and relationships and being a father. I’ve had my own (very negative) personal experiences with my father and I was he tried even a little as hard as Noah did with Jake!

If you like old friends to lovers, are European vacation, a whole lot of spice and oh no there’s only one bed then this book is for you!

After being dumped by his boyfriend for being “too boring”, Ramin decides to live spontaneously. He books an eight-week stay in Milan, Italy where he hopes to relax and reset. When Ramin runs into his high school friend, Noah Bartlett, in Milan, all of those feelings of his former crush on Noah come rushing back. Fate brings Ramin and Noah together twenty years since they last saw each other and it might be because it’s when they need each other the most.

This was a feel-good romance that I really enjoyed! The secret crush trope is one of my favorites and although Ramin and Noah didn’t understand it at the time, they definitely had crushes on each other back in high school. The flashbacks to twenty years ago painted a portrait of two boys who developed a trusting and mutually admiring friendship. I loved the sweet innocence of what they had back then.

Romin and Noah have lived their lives and gone through a lot since they last saw each other, but those experiences have helped prepare themselves for this new romance that they explore abroad. They each were navigating challenges and it was awesome that they found each other at time when they needed to feel joy and needed support.

This book was a love letter to Italy and food. Khorram painted a picturesque backdrop of Italy and its charming culture and people. The food porn in this book is so so good! All of it made me want to go back to Italy and have some pasta on the sidewalk while people watching.

Pick this one up for a sweet and sensual romance between two former friends who find love abroad!

Steam level: 🔥🔥 🔥

🩷 Second Chance
🩷 Only One Bed
🩷 Slow Burn

5/5 🌟
3/5 🌶

Add Adib to my list of insta-buy authors. This was everything it promised to be and more. Fun and adventures with deep connections and surprising feelings.

Not everyone loves realism in their spice, but this was some of the most realistic scenes I've read. It doesn't always go as planned and it certainly isn't always perfect, but that's what I loved about it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and author Adib Khorram for providing me with the eARC of “It Had to be Him”, in exchange for my honest review.
Publication date: September 2nd, 2025
Reviewed on Goodreads, June 30th, 2025

“It had to be him” is/has:
- MM Romance
- Second chance-romance
- Friends-to-lovers
- Single dad trope

Ramin and Noah attended highschool together, but lost touch after graduation.
20 years later, they are expectedly reunited when they run into each other on their Italian vacations.
Ramin is there to heal from a recent breakup with his ex-boyfriend, and Noah is there with this ex-wife and their son on a family trip.
The two seem to keep bumping into each other, until several late night-dinners and catch-up time become something more.

This book was okay!
I liked the romance between Ramin and Noah. I think they were a good match, and I really liked the way that they were able to support each other through their own individual, very different issues.
I also liked that it discussed the topic of Ramin’s body dysmorphia, and the way it effected his self-worth and his physical relationships with others. I feel like I don’t hear a lot of conversations surrounding body image when it comes to men, so I am sure that some readers out there can appreciate this.
There was a lot of good development in the side characters as well. We see a lot of Noah’s Ex-wife and their son Jake, and I feel like it highlighted some potentially very-real struggles involved with co-parenting, and the effects of divorce (although this is something I am not super versed on, so I won’t speak much to its accuracy)

What I didn’t love about this story was the amount of steaminess. I know some people love super super steamy books- so if you do, this may be the book for you.
I really don’t mind it in a story, but I just found this to be a bit much for me personally.


Overall, it is not a bad read.
I definitely think there is an audience for it, and a lot of people could really enjoy it!
It just didn’t hit all of the bases for me.

I loved this book!! Noah and Ramin’s story was so sweet and I throughly enjoyed reading it. I usually don’t go for friends to lovers books, but the reunion between these two was perfect. I hope we get the third friend’s story next!


Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the ARC.

I read most of this book on the subway, and I smiled a lot over how cute the couple in this book was. Adib Khorram wrote a pretty perfect pairing with Ramin and Noah, and I found both of them likable together and irresistibly charming when together.

First of all, I love that everyone in this book felt like an adult, and that the kid felt like a kid. There's a little miscommunication and misunderstanding on both ends from Ramin and Noah, but that didn't detract from my reading experience at all. The misunderstandings made sense, especially considering the internalized body dysmorphia from Ramin and Noah's upbringing and own insecurity issues.

I thought so many things in this book like the parenting, the body dysmorphia, the biphobia and openness about bad sex and still exploring your sexuality as an adult were done well. Without forcing things or conversations, most of the discussion felt organic and it made the romance even stronger. Though the sex scenes started happening at a breakneck pace eventually and faster than I prefer, I still can't give this book less than five stars.

The descriptions of food were also amazing and made me want to go to Italy, and I think the Eat, Pray, Love comp is suitable! Overall, just a very easy couple and romance to get invested in, and a lot of great depth surrounding dating, love, and queerness in It Had To Be Him.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for an ARC in exchange for my honest review! This review will be published on my blog (clearsummers.wordpress.com) and Goodreads on August 19, 2025.

This review will be published on my blog (clearsummers.wordpress.com) and Goodreads on July 23, 2024. It will be published on Amazon on the pub date.

🎥✨It Had To Be Him by Adib Khorram ✨🎥
🩷 Pub date: 9/2/25 | ARC gifted by Forever + NetGalley

Okay, LISTEN... 😭 This book was the ultimate dreamy summer romance and I’m still not over it!

✈️ second chance MM romance
🍦 chance gelato shop meet cute in ITALY
💔 high school friends to lovers
👶 hot DAD energy (Noah is a DILF)
🫶 body image, healing, and learning to love yourself

Ramin + Noah had me swooning from the SECOND they bumped into each other. The chemistry? The vibes? The EMOTIONAL DAMAGE? It was all top tier.

Yes, the romance is steamy (hello, train station 😳) but it’s also soft and tender and made me feel things. Ramin’s journey of self-worth and Noah’s growth as a queer single dad was truly perfect and I enjoyed their journey so much. I WAS ROOTING FOR THEM SO HARD. Not to mention, this is the perfect Pride Month book. 😉

I am also obsessed with the side characters. Farzan, David, and Arya? I would risk it all for Arya. I am begging you Adib, give us his book next! 🙏

💭 Minor critiques: I wish Noah’s relationship with his parents got more page time + we needed a bigger conversation with Angela about the possible move. However, that didn’t ruin the overall magic for me and I had such a great time reading this book.

Some of the highlights for me:
🍷 queer, cozy, Italian sunshine core
📚 steamy + emotional in the best ways
🏛️ add it to your TBR like YESTERDAY

Read this if you loved:
🏛️ Red, White & Royal Blue
🩷 The Guncle Abroad
🍝 Call Me By Your Name (but healthier and age appropriate)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 stars
I want to live inside this book. That is all.

Thank you to NetGalley, Adib Khorram, and Forever for the eARC of this book.

Another banger from Adib Khorram! I just had a great time reading this, I loved all these characters, and I'm looking forward to the Arya book.

This was the perfect summer romance, and I loved the setting of Italy! I really enjoyed seeing Noah & Ramin reconnect and their relationship grow. The romance was so swoony and I was rooting for them from their very first interaction.

The side characters in this book were also really great - I love David and Farzan and Arya so much! Begging Adib for an Arya book next

There were a few plot points I wish had been expanded on – Noah’s relationship with his parents was mentioned but entirely glossed over, and I also would have liked a bigger conversation between Noah & Angela about the possibility of her moving their family to another country.

These are minor complaints though, and overall I really enjoyed this book! It was absolutely a joy to read – definitely add it to your tbr! 🩷
Thank you to Forever & NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!
Pub date: 9/2/25

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! All thoughts are my own.

OKAY HEAR ME OUT. I did NOT expect how wonderful this was.
Steamy M/M romance set in Italy?! Single dad?! I ate this up. I loved every second of this. I hope everyone reads this book when it comes out because it is THAT good.

I didn't want this book to end - it was that good. A sweet m/m love story between two old high school friends.  I love Italy so I appreciated the setting of this beautiful country. I also loved that the author didn't shy away from heavy topics such as body dysphoria and eating disorders. The story started with Ramin proposing marriage to his boyfriend and getting swiftly rejected. Embarrassed and sad he decided on a whim to travel to Italy for two months. Noah and his ex-wife were visiting Italy to help her relocate with their son. Running into each other at the local creamery was adorable. What I loved was the love story between Ramin and Noah. They were both wonderful guys who deserved a second chance at a happy and fulfilling life together. I loved that he gave Noah a chance to be together. Their love story was beautiful. I also loved their hot sex scenes. The way they took care of each other was incredible. It was more than just sex. It was truly a beautiful connection between the two of them. Additionally, I loved Ramin's friends who supported and gave him the validation he needed. I loved how they cheered for him and wanted him to be happy. Parts I didn't like were the ex-wife Angela. I didn't care for Angela because she was taking a child away from his father. I found that very upsetting. Especially taking him to another country. I don't see many parents willing to do this. And poor Jake being in the middle was a bit heartbreaking.  Noah should have spoken up much earlier. Otherwise, this was a fantastic and beautiful love story. The ending was a chef's kiss perfect! I recommend it. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC.

I am so glad to live in a world that has queer, Iranian rom coms written by Adib Khorram.

Two former schoolmates, gallivanting around Europe and falling in love? Yes please. I’m not usually a big second chance romance reader (usually it involves divorce or cheating), but I ate this one up. What I loved about this story is that Ramin and Noah started as friends in high school. They both weren’t totally sure of their sexuality at that point, but they did know that they just really liked being around each other. They drifted apart, as kids do. Fast forward 20 years, several soured relationships, and one moody child later. They bump into each other during separate vacations in Milan, and it’s like no time has passed. But this time around, they know that the feelings they have for each other are tenderness, fondness, and love. It’s really beautiful to watch them fall in love — with themselves, and with each other. This is why I love dual POV romances because you get to see both leads through the eyes of someone who loves them.

If you enjoy wine, Italian architecture, celebrating queer love, and Iranian culture — this book is for you!

his was FANTASTIC. truly. it's emotional, sexy, earnest, and almost intoxicating. this story felt like a lived experience or a vivid memory. i keep stumbling onto these swoony romances set in Italy and i keep eating them up.

the premise of the book works really well, with Ramin on his own self discovery journey only to stumble onto an old friend from the past. the second chance romance elements are very strong and make it very easy to root for the main couple. but the overall characterization of Ramin and Noah is the selling point: their wants, their needs, their desires, and their fears all compliment each other and make them feel like real people.

the spice is also very good (whew, that train station bathroom) and it helps enrich the story and build on Ramin and Noah's connection. it feels earned and important.

i fell hard for this book and the themes of self worth and discovery. it all just felt so impactful while reading. really wonderful.

I had such a blast reading this! The story of two men who used to be friends in high school randomly running into each other in Italy and starting up a whirlwind romance was a lot of fun. Ramin and Noah were both such fleshed out characters, I loved seeing their connection with one another and their own personal journeys. This book is full of beautiful descriptions of the setting and the food and wine.

It was fun getting to see the random ways they kept crossing paths in Italy and getting small glimpses into their friendship twenty years earlier. I also enjoyed seeing the ways that Ramin connected with Noah’s son and ex-wife. There are also some really interesting conversations that come up since Noah has only previously been in relationships with women, so he isn’t used to having to be aware of his surroundings and wondering if it’s safe to engage in PDA or other aspects of living a public queer life.

The chemistry between Ramin and Noah is off the charts! I loved how they were exploring aspects of kink and introducing Noah to different things that he’s never experienced before. The steamy scenes felt very real because maybe sometime something fumbly or awkward would happen, but they’d readjust and continue.

Overall this was just a complete delight! Adib Khorram’s writing really brought these characters and the setting to life. Definitely check this one out if you’re a fan of steamy queer romances that also provide a lot of character development.

When Todd breaks up with Ramin in the middle of Ramin's proposal, he cites the fact that Ramin is "boring" as the basis for this public humiliation. Ramin finds himself searching for any way to prove to everyone - Todd, his friends, acquaintances, and himself - that he's anything but boring. This is how Ramin finds himself on a two-month trip to Italy, the location he planned to spend his honeymoon. Ramin plans to let loose and hook up with beautiful Italian men, until his high school crush, Noah, approaches him in a gelateria on the first day of his sabbatical. It turns out that Noah is there with his ex-wife Angela, and young son Jake, experiencing the country that may become Jake's future home since Angela is planning to move and take over her grandparents' wine shop. Suddenly, the attraction that neither man understood when they were young comes to the surface, and Ramin and Noah work to navigate their feelings, desires, and the potential for a future that neither could have predicted.

I was such a fan of Adib Khorram's first book in this series (I'll Have What He's Having), and was so excited to get an early copy of It Had to Be Him. And thankfully, it did not disappoint! The same heart, care, and charm that was present in IHWHH is here, complete with natural callbacks to the previous story, as well as charming interactions between the members of Ramin's friend group: Farzan, Arya, and new group member, David. Having that sense of community that was so present and well-done in the first story helped to shade in the edges of It Had to Be Him, despite the Italian setting.

I'll be honest; despite looking forward to this book, it had one immediate mark against it through no fault of its own: I am not a kid person. I'm not usually a fan of a parent trope! BUT...this book may just have made me a believer. First of all, Jake was written as a realistic child, veering between charm, chaos, and jerk behavior in equal succession. Every kid I've ever known has always embodied those three qualities, so this felt like a real human instead of some overly twee or precocious stand-in.

Secondly, this was important because of how much it helped flesh out Noah as a character. From Ramin's perspective, Noah is this perfect person, full of beauty, charm, kindness, and without many faults. Noah's parenting journey helped highlight the cracks that lay beneath the exterior, from the childhood trauma he still carries to his understandable desire to martyr himself for those around him. Noah's identity as a parent humanized him in a way that I'm not sure many other character traits would.

And Ramin...oh Ramin. I just wanted to join him on his gelato outings and protect his self-worth at all cost. There are so many issues at play that explain why Ramin has such a low self-esteem and why he has to work so hard to get to where he is now. I'm not sure all of them are as fleshed out as they could be, but you can generally read between the lines to understand why Ramin is too pure for this world. I absolutely loved getting to experience his story and his happy ever after.

I could keep raving about how much I love this (I haven't even mentioned the awesomeness that is Nonna and Nonno!), but suffice to say, highly highly recommended! Any time you can combine spice, wit, and heart in one package, it's bound to be a good time!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of It Had to Be Him! I can't wait until I get to discuss it with my book buddies.