We chat with author Adib Khorram about I’ll Have What He’s Having, which is a smart, tender, vivacious romantic comedy about mistaken identities, the line between love and sex, and the way one night—and one person—can change your life forever.
Hi, Adib! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hello! I’m an author, a wine enthusiast, a Star Trek fan, a collector of vinyl records, and a French fry connoisseur.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
When I was in seventh grade, my middle school upgraded all their computers, so they put the old ones in an unused classroom and started an “after school writing club.” Me and my friends signed up, mostly writing Star Trek fan fiction. That said, I didn’t entertain any dreams of being an author. Growing up we only read books by dead white men; I literally thought you had to die before your books could get published.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: When Is Saturday? By Deborah Kovacs, Illustrated by Richard Brown
- The one that made you want to become an author: Not a book, but the television show Babylon 5
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Lio Min’s Beating Heart Baby
Your latest novel, I’ll Have What He’s Having, is out August 27th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Wine, food, friendship, gay, butts
What can readers expect?
Aside from the above? This novel has everything. French fries. Iranian American best friends. Sommelier tests. Mistaken identity. Friends with benefits to lovers. An all-queer kickball league. Kansas City. Lots of boning. Fancy shoes. The Muppets. And more.
Where did the inspiration for I’ll Have What He’s Having come from?
I once asked my agent if there was some way I could write off my wine on my taxes. (If you’re reading this at the Internal Revenue Service—I very much did not write off my wine.) But seriously: I was reading a lot of romance in the pandemic and really wanted to try my hand at it. I fell in love with romance series about tight friend groups, like Adriana Herrera’s Dreamers or Alexis Daria’s Primas of Power.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I loved writing about David’s friend, Rhett, a trans man and true agent of chaos who has the world’s ugliest dog. And I loved every time I got to write about food.
This is your debut adult novel! Can you tell us about the shift between writing your previous YA books and this romance?
In some ways, writing is writing, no matter the age group: I’m always seeking to authentically depict some human experience on the page. But writing for adults is freer in many ways. As I get older myself, there are parts of my life that are hard to translate for young readers, but that I know other adults will get.
Also, not gonna lie, it’s fun to write about wine and boning.
What’s next for you?
Well, this is the first of a trio of romances—I’m not sure how much I’m allowed to say, but in the next two books you’ll see Farzan’s friends Arya and Ramin finding their own happy ever afters.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
I very much do not like being scared, but I cannot stop thinking about Natalie C. Parker’s Come Out, Come Out, a queer YA horror novel set in the Midwest that is a little too real but that’s ultimately empowering. And early next year, Julian Winters’s debut adult romance, I Think They Love You, will be released. I sent in a blurb that said “It’s Julian F—ing Winters, what more do you need to know?” but was told they probably couldn’t put the f word on the cover. Alas.
