This book was gorgeous! Please put me on a flight to Milan ASAP. The author did an incredible job painting such stunning scenery. I really felt like I was there experiencing Italy along with the characters. From the descriptive language describing the scenery, the food, and the people, to the feelings described by both characters, I was totally immersed in the story.

Things I loved:
“Older” MMCs
Men who have the hard but necessary conversations instead of bottling up their thoughts and emotions
Ramin’s instant friendship with Noah’s son Jake
Nonno and Nonna
So many of Ramin’s thoughts that made me LOL Example “he let out a moan that Ramin felt in his taint.”
Noah’s caregiving, sensitivity, and willingness to try new things for and with Ramin
The train station scene (if you know you know)

I plan to go back and read I’ll Have What He’s Having next because I fell in love with Ramin’s whole friend group and I really hope we will get to see Arya find his HEA in the future!

If you are a fan of The Guncle Abroad but looking for a spicy version, then I highly recommend you check out It Had to Be Him by Adib Khorram!

It Had to be Him is a perfect summer read. You have Ramin a 38 year old man fleeing to Italy fresh off a breakup where he bumps into his old high school flame Noah. I loved witnessing the two of them coming together again and again by coincidence and then just choosing happiness. As far as spice goes, it was extremely spicy and the spice was realistic. The only thing that bugged me was some of the sentence structure. However a deep dive into the author’s backlog reveals they used to write children’s books and it made sense why It Had to be Him reads as it does in certain areas.

I can't say enough how much I loved this book
Its was so cute and super funny. I love how much Noah adores his son and Ramin from the jump.
The descriptions of Italy made me want to travel there so badly.

The character development was done really well. And I love how open both characters get instead of shutting down. They have actual communication and are all around green flags. I also enjoyed how much Noah and Ramin got to explore each both emotionally and physically.

I enjoyed the realistic portrayal of older protagonist and they're wants and needs and thoughts as they get older and how it's not always so negative. I love Ramins reassurance of himself and his body and constant work to be better to himself. And I ADORE how much Noah helps with his reassurance as well.

The intimacy scenes well also well done, imo and I love the convo of practicing safe sex and consent.

I can wait to read more from Adib Khorram and hope we get Aryas story as well

This is a fun one.

I’m not a big fan of mm romances but I recently read a love triangle one I loved so I wanted to give this one a chance. If I enjoyed mm romances I would likely inhale this book. I think the description and summary are accurate and allow for a great reading experience.

Unfortunately, This one just isn’t for me. It is written so beautifully though with humor thrown in and excellent character development so I highly recommend this one though. I may pick this one back up at a later time but I didn’t connect with this one as much as I hoped I would.

This being said, The cover is amazing. Like, if you enjoy mm romances, get it!

Thank you for allowing me to read this ARC. I am leaving honest feedback voluntarily.

I read and loved I’ll Have what He’s Having last year and this one - set in the same world - was every bit as enjoyable!
It can be read without the first, but do yourself a favor and read both!

When his attempted proposal turns into a breakup, Ramin gets more than a little wine drunk with his friends and ends up booking an 8 week trip to Italy before sobering up
His ex convinced him he was too boring to marry, so he’s determined to become Interesting New Ramin

Noah is visiting Italy with his ex wife and their son. She’s moving to take over the family business, and they’re working out if their son will stay in the US with him or move to Italy with her. Even with as friendly/amicable as things are, this is quite an upheaval to the current custody situation and - as his life revolved around being the stay at home parent for his son until recently - his life in general

Once in Italy, a chance run in at the gelato shop is the first time Ramin and Noah have seen each other since high school - where Ramin was bullied for his build and ethnicity, but Noah was the one popular sporty kid that ran interference against the bad sorts and befriended him
After that they keep running into each other, even without exchanging contact info - a detail that vexed me until they finally did!

In addition to the present day where they’re enjoying an Italian adventure of a vacation while falling for each other, there’s also flashbacks to 20 years ago when they were in school that show this current attraction wasn’t the start of feelings

Listen, it might be rough to start a romance with a breakup but Ramin was a fav side character of mine from book one, and he *needed* better than Todd. And Noah is so smitten it had me with a goofy smile half the time. They deserve each other, in the best way

I like how - with a few notable exceptions - characters are allowed to be complex and even a little flawed and still be good at heart. It’s so much more realistic than angelic never do wrongs vs demonized evil characters. Real life is somewhere in the messy middle ground, and so are these characters.

Now can I get an Arya story? Pleeeeease?

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for the arc!

I adore Adib Khorram's books, and this one is really charming. Ramin's proposal to his boyfriend Todd ends with heartache (Todd cruelly calls Ramin "boring") so Ramin takes himself on an impromptu vacation to Italy. There, he runs into his high school crush Noah, who is there with his ex-wife and son Jake. They keep accidentally running into each other, and it's cute how much they like each other. I love the way this book has traditional RomCom elements with their adventures all over Italy, and also handles more serious topics like Ramin's body dysmorphia and Noah's custody issues. There's definitely plenty of sex in this book, and it's written in a very positive, consent-forward way. I just really loved Ramin and Noah as a couple, how much they cared for each other, and supported each other. I definitely recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the free digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review,

I laughed, I definitely cried, I swooned, and I felt like I was experiencing Italy firsthand.

I love these characters so very much. Their immediate chemistry, the way I felt so seen by both of them, and how yummy of a setting Milan was for their relationship to blossom!

The flashbacks giving extra context to their past friendship are so perfect. Even as I was deeply enjoying the way their story was unfolding in the present day, I found myself not wanting the flashback scenes to end either.

Adib’s writing is seamless, and he made it so easy to fall into this world. The characters treated eachother with so much care and respect (in the past, but especially in the present). The graceful way Noah handled Ramin’s body dysmorphia and Ramin handled Noah’s martyr tendencies was so lovely to see.

&& the train station scene???? Wow. 🥵

Finally, my favorite favorite part of this book was Jake! That kid was hilarious, observant, and just the sweetest bean! I adored any scene that had him in it.

Thank you so much to Forever Publishing, Adib Khorram, and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Safe to say, this book has made it to my top ten reads of 2025, it was THAT good.

Favorite quotes:

“Ramin had never minded getting older. Another year of life meant another year of honoring his parents. Doing things they never got to do. Honoring his queer elders, too, the ones who fought for him and the ones who hadn’t survived the fight, too. He was living for the hopes and dreams of so many people. Including his own.”

“Sitting here, staring at Leonardo’s work, Noah felt the whispered awe of everyone else who’d ever come through here. Every art lover. Every historian. Every penitent. Everyone who wanted to feel connected to something bigger than them.”

wonderful contemporary romance with great writing and characters. loved the characters being in their late 30s and dealing with life situations that felt realistic.

Thanks for the early access to read! Loved the dual POV alternating chapters and the flashbacks from past to present. The slow burn reconnection was perfectly written. I will definitely recommend!!

I loved this even more than the first book and am so glad I had a chance to read it early! I finished it within a few days because I couldn't put it down. I would definitely read more by Adib Khorram.

Adib Khorram can do no wrong in my mind and each of his book is the textbook definition of excellence to me.

This swoony second-chance romance was beautiful and moving. The Italian setting felt real, not like other writers who use Europeans settings just for kicks. The characters were wholly-realised human beings, lovable three-dimensional individuals. I feel so lucky I got to read this early and I'm looking forward to owning my own copy.

This was the best way to kick off pride month & my summer reading sprint! I loved how sex positive this book was with our MMC’s!!!

This was such a sweet, heartfelt story with a great balance of humor and emotion. I loved how real and relatable the characters felt—flawed, funny, and trying their best. The romance was tender and awkward in the most endearing way, and the family dynamics added a lot of depth to the story.

The only reason I’m giving it 4 instead of 5 stars is that I wanted just a little more from the emotional payoff toward the end. A few moments felt a bit rushed, and I would’ve loved more time to sit with the resolution.

Still, this was charming, funny, and full of heart. Definitely recommend if you’re in the mood for something genuine and feel-good, with just the right amount of romance and personal growth.

Adib Khorram is a genius. He writes amazing love stories that are rooted in reality, but feel so dreamy. The perfect follow up to his adult debut.

Here’s hoping we get Arya next! 🤞🏻

I really liked the concept of this story—two people going from friends to lovers and rekindling their connection. It’s a great setup, and the emotional foundation is definitely there.

That said, I think some parts could’ve been explored more deeply. For example, Noah having a child and maintaining a friendship with his ex-wife felt like it had potential for more development. I would’ve loved to see a stronger focus on his relationship with his son, especially in how that dynamic influences his romance with Ramin.

On a positive note, I really appreciated the way the story handled therapy and body dysmorphia. It wasn’t just mentioned in passing—it was thoughtfully woven throughout and added real depth to the character. It made his experience feel honest and relatable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC!

Sequel and a standalone, this novel transports the reader to Italy where two former high school classmates unexpectedly reconnect.

Their respective reasons for this trip are different. The similarity lies, however, in that both Noah and Ramin experience introspective emotional, identity driven passages of growth. Drawing from home state of Missouri and ethnic background, the author invents characters the reader can invest in.

Dual POV's addressing serious topics wrapped up in a solid read.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A slow burn second chance romance? count me in.
I liked the premise of the book, but it felt a bit forced to me.
All in all still a good book and I recommend it if you'd like something easy to read!

I absolutely loved I’ll Have What He’s Having and was super excited about this companion novel that focuses on Farzan’s best friend, Ramin! It definitely did not disappoint!

It Had to Be Him opens with Ramin proposing to his boyfriend, Todd, and being rejected because, according to Todd, he’s too boring. Ramin impulsively books a 2 month trip to Italy, intending to become a better, less boring version of himself. He’s surprised to bump into his high school crush, Noah, in Milan. Noah is divorced father to a 9 year old and, despite not seeing one another for 20 years, they immediately feel a connection.

There are some logistics and personal issues that Ramin and Noah have to work through, but they are incredibly caring toward one another and do a good job of communicating their feelings (it always drives me crazy when miscommunication is a major plot point in romance novels). I loved the Italy setting and getting to see glimpses of Farzan, David, and Arya throughout the book.

I’d recommend this book to fans of Anita Kelly’s Something Wild and Wonderful because they are both about two characters who fall in love on a trip (in Alexei and Ben’s case while hiking the Pacific Crest trail instead of Italy). Like Ben, Ramin has a close group of friends, while Alexei and Noah are a little more isolated and are dealing with complicated family relationships. Likewise, Ramin and Alexei both feel like they are inadequate and attempt to reinvent themselves on a trip, but find partners who appreciate them. This book also reminded me of Pansies by Alexis Hall, because, like Alfie and Fen, Ramin and Noah knew each other as teenagers but were never romantically involved. I also love how the characters in all three books want to take care of their partner and work on becoming a better version of themselves.

Noah and Ramin’s story is cute but it’s so dang unrealistic that it just irritated me so much. I also didn’t like Noah’s ex Angela at all

"It Had to Be Him" is the latest novel by Adib Khorram, offering readers a slow-burn, second-chance romance between Noah and Ramin. This story marks a departure from his YA roots, focusing on themes of growing up and gaining clarity about who we are and what we want, while also learning from our past. Set against the backdrop of Italy, it has readers rooting for our Kansas City couple.

Fans of Khorram’s work will be pleased to see recurring characters from his previous novels, such as Farzan, David, and Arya, making cameo appearances. While the book does include a happily ever after (HEA), it also addresses important issues like contentious parental relationships, body dysmorphia, consent, and more. Like Khorram’s other works, it is warm, vulnerable, and features a diverse cast along with queer representation.

I highly recommend this book, especially if you’re looking for a warm, happy beach read. Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.