Isn’t He Romantic?

Isn’t He Romantic (publication day September 22, 2026) by Adib Khorram is the third book in his Love on the Vine series that features wine and wine-related businesses in each storyline. I previously reviewed his breakout YA book Darius the Great is Not Okay and It Had to Be Him (#2 in this series), and was fortunate to attend a reading he did at Indy’s own Loudmouth Books earlier this year. I own the first book so a review of each book in the series will be eventually happening when I get to it.

Although the third in a series about three queer Iranian-American guy friends based in Kansas City, I think Isn’t He Romantic could be read as a standalone. It centers Arya, the self-described slut of his friend group, who works as part owner of a full-service event planning business. He doesn’t do relationships, and so when he hooks up in Napa Valley with someone at a vineyard, he’s so sure that he will never see Ben again that he leaves without saying goodbye, though they had talked late into the night after their hookup.

Khorram alternates Arya’s perspective in the story with Ben’s, who is a professional classical cellist whose parents own the vineyard. We learn that Ben’s ex is still employed by his parents, and that after breaking up with him, Justin has been trying to get back together with Ben and can’t seem to understand that things are broken irreparably. Which is why Ben approaches Arya in the vineyard for a kiss in sight of Justin. Ben is only there for a few weeks before moving to take a tenure-track position with the Kansas City Orchestra, and while he’s disappointed Arya ghosted him since it seemed like they really had a connection, he’s happy to start over in a new city. He gets a girl rescue dog named Simon, hangs out with the other strings, and some new queer friends, and really seems to feel home in Kansas City.

Until he finds out that Arya’s company is planning the annual ball that is the Symphony’s biggest fundraiser, which he was drafted to assist with as the newest tenure-track member so he will see Arya every week. And Arya is the captain of the queer kickball team he just joined. And then Jake turns up in Kansas City, too! What is his life? But it’s clear Ben and Arya are very attracted to each other, so Ben proposes a fake dating situation with specific rules to keep Justin away.

I loved it and read it just about in one long sitting! Arya is dealing with the meltdown of his boss/business partner at work, and his father is back in the U.S. after having essentially separated from his mother and taking mistresses in Iran. And the only person who seems to help reduce his stress is Ben. But he doesn’t do relationships–he never has and doesn’t know how.

I loved spending time with the friend group/ found family for each of the guys, and how it expanded even more with the symphony and the kickball team. This was a sweet romance with spicy scenes full of consent and communication, and discussion of different sexual preferences and how those preferences can be resolved through communication.

I consider it weight-neutral with some acknowledgement and acceptance of changing bodies with age (both Arya and Ben are already or about to turn 40) but no fat characters.

And this happens to be the 350th review that I’ve posted!! It’s hard to believe that what I started during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021–posting about what I read–has grown so much, and that last month, in August, Reading While Fat had over 2400 views. It’s not big compared to most social media, but I don’t do Instagram or YouTube and just want to write my reviews and tell you if I find a book to be fat-positive, weight-neutral, or include anti-fat bias. Thanks for being here!!