It Had to Be Him

Earlier this month, Adib Khorram released his second adult romance, It Had to Be Him. After getting dumped for being “boring,” Ramin makes the exciting choice to take a vacation in Milan. There he coincidentally runs into Noah, once a friend back in high school, and they quickly resume their friendship. It’s not long before both want to explore something more, but will Noah’s family (his ex-wife and their nine-year-old son) be okay with that? Will Ramin and Noah have what it takes to make a relationship together last?

What I Liked:

• Italy! Most of this book is set in Milan, and I love that we actually get to see a lot of the sites while our protagonists are playing tourist. From the famous Duomo di Milano to nearby Lake Como, readers will feel like they’re exploring Italy alongside Ramin and Noah.
• Former high school friends coincidentally reunited 20 years later. I appreciated that the characters here are older and more mature. They’ve been through some things—from family issues and the loss of Ramin’s parents to Noah’s divorce and Ramin’s recently ended relationship after a rejected marriage proposal. We get brief glimpses of their friendship in high school, which sweetens their whole reunion. (It’s not a full dual timeline, thankfully.)
• Discussions of Ramin’s body dysmorphia. He’s been unconfident in his appearance for years and has gone through disordered eating in the past. He’s aware when he has thoughts due to body dysmorphia, even if he can’t always prevent the thoughts in the first place. Both Ramin and Noah are also open about therapy, which I liked.
• Different levels of experience with other men. Ramin is gay and experienced with relationships and sex with other men. Noah is bi and was married to Angela for years. His encounters with other men have been quite limited, and I liked that he and Ramin handle their uneven experience levels well.
• Noah’s family! He’s father to nine-year-old Jack (he’s so fun!) and is still friends with his ex-wife Angela. I liked seeing this portrayal of family, how it colors his new relationship with Ramin, and how Ramin finds a place as the new boyfriend.
• Tie-in with characters from previous book. Ramin is close friends with Farzan and Arya. Farzan and David starred in I’ll Have What He’s Having, which I haven’t read yet but now want to! I anticipate that Arya will have his HEA next.

Audiobook:

Corvin King and Vikas Adam narrate It Had to Be Him, and both do a wonderful job of capturing their respective characters. They add some extra dimension to certain scenes… oh my! Both are captivating narrators who made for an engrossing listen.

Final Thoughts

I absolutely fell in love with It Had to Be Him! This such a sweet (but very steamy!) romance for anyone who enjoys traveling via books, slightly older characters (late 30s), and an HEA that includes the whole family. I’m excited to read more from Adib Khorram, starting with his previous novel, I’ll Have What He’s Having.

Special thanks to Forever, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy It Had to Be Him here – it’s available as a hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

It Had to Be Him by Adib Khorram
Series	(#2)
Audiobook Narrator	Corvin King and Vikas Adam
Audience	Adult
Genre	Contemporary Romance
Setting	Italy; US
Number of Pages	384
Format I Read	Audiobook & Ebook (NetGalley ARCs)
Original Publication Date	September 2, 2025
Publisher	Forever

Official Summary

Heartstopper meets Eat Pray Love in this swoony, spicy, second-chance romance from USA Today bestselling author Adib Khorram about two former classmates unexpectedly reuniting in Italy.
 
Ramin Yazdani’s marriage proposal has just gone bottoms up: his ex dumped him in public for being boring. Bent on proving him wrong, Ramin books a spontaneous solo trip to Italy. When he runs into his high school crush while in a gelateria, however, his resolve to reinvent himself is put to the test.

Noah Bartlett’s in a rut. Since his divorce, he’s become a bit of a homebody. So when his ex-wife insists he join her and their son on an Italian holiday, Noah reluctantly agrees. But his reticence turns to excitement when he sees his former classmate, who’s aged just like a fine wine. As a teenager, Ramin fascinated him—and since Noah now knows that fascination was code for crush—all those feelings are quick to come rushing back.  

Soon Ramin and Noah are tumbling headfirst into a relationship. Only Ramin fears Noah’s feelings won’t last without Ramin’s adventurous new persona—and Noah’s not sure he can be the supportive partner Ramin deserves. With the days counting down to the end of their trip, can their love last without the magic of Italy?