I absolutely adored this story of friendship, family, love, and learning to accept yourself, even when you think you've failed to meet expectations. This one is also a clever play on a couple of well-worn tropes: mistaken identity and friends-to-lovers. 

Farzan is such a lovely character; full of charm and unconditional love for all of those around him but with so little ability to give the same to himself. I really enjoyed experiencing his journey of self-acceptance alongside him, not least of all because it came with delicious descriptions of food along the way.

David is a wonderful counterbalance. Cool, but never cold, slightly aloof as a means of self-protection, his gradual evolution into the type of friend and partner that Farzan needed (and that he himself needed to accept others into his orbit) was deliberately paced and satisfying.

I also appreciated so much of the world-building that took place. I loved the cultural references, not only related to Farzan's Persian heritage, but the soul and personality of Kansas City. This story had a wonderful sense of community and place, which made the entire book a pleasure to experience. I look forward to seeking out more from Adib Khorram in the future.