June 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.
Starred review from July 1, 2024
Mistaken identity leads to love in this delectable adult debut from YA author Khorram. Farzan Alavi may be the eldest sibling in his Iranian American family, but the 37-year-old substitute teacher feels like the biggest screw-up. After being dumped by a guy he'd been dating, he decides to nurse his sorrows at a swanky new wine bar, where he immediately clocks a hot Black employee by the bar. David Curtis recently returned to Kansas City to work at a friend's new place while studying for his master sommelier test. David mistakes Farzan for an important food critic and gives him the VIP treatment. Flirtation flows naturally between the pair and the meal turns into a hookup, although David isn't looking for a relationship. When Farzan inherits his parents' bistro, he needs help from someone with restaurant knowledge, so he reaches out to David (who's realized he isn't the critic), leading to a friends-with-benefits situation. Their feelings continue to intensify, but their career ambitions have them on different paths. This warm, spicy romance is a love letter to Persian food, good wine, and queer community. Farzan and David are fully realized, relatable characters who inhabit a richly drawn world filled with distinct and charming friends and family integral to their lives. To spend time with this crew is an absolute delight, and the deliciously described food and drinks will leave readers drooling. The romance itself is also sure to stir up the senses as it's 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.
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Starred review from July 1, 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
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from March 1, 2025
When sommelier David mistakes Farzan for an important food critic, he treats him to amazing food and wine--and a healthy dose of flirting. This leads to a passionate night before they discover the error. Luckily, the attraction is real. Unfortunately, David is too driven to pause for a relationship, and Farzan doesn't do casual. They're drawn together again when Farzan asks for help taking over his family's restaurant, but their friends-with-benefits arrangement seems destined to bloom into something more. Both Shezi Sardar and Brent Billings are charming narrators, though their approaches are different. Billings, narrating David, instills a sensuality to the dialogue, particularly when Farzan is at his most provocative. In contrast, Sardar's Farzan is much less sure of his sexiness. Rather than creating dissonance, these differing approaches demonstrate that Farzan is often unaware of just how irresistible David finds him. VERDICT A scrumptious romance from YA author Khorram (The Breakup Lists). Billings and Sardar's dual narration creates a cozy and intimate listening experience, with characters who are just as delectable as the food and wine.--Matthew Galloway
Copyright 2025 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.