This book was so entertaining and heartfelt. The only reason my library will not be purchasing is it is currently not published in the US. Miz and Kai's relationship is so sweet. This pair of friends do anything for each other including risking fraud. The story is humorous and kept me engaged throughout. By the end, I was cheering because I was so happy these to got their happy ending. Definitely worth a read.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the Publisher for this e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I truly love Friends to Lovers because it's my husbands and my stories... but it takes specific things to make it work and this one had nothing that is needed. There is no pining, no history of attraction, no chemistry as friends let alone lovers, no conflict, no banter, nothing.. So this one was a struggle for me. I didn't really understand the basis of the book - it just completely felt flat.

I will say that I absolutely loved the Toronto references and the cultural aspects for Ethiopia. That type of diversity was really well done and kept me intrigued enough to at least finish this book.

I’m always on the lookout for more Canadian romance authors so I was really excited to read Only Because It’s You, Rebecca Fisseha’s latest novel. It was cute and I had a good time reading it but, in the end, it didn’t wow me as I hoped it would.

Here’s the book’s description:

Miz is not the marrying kind. She's more of the no-strings-attached kind. No labels, only fun. So, when she finds a diamond ring in her casual-but-very-hot hook-up’s gym bag, she immediately ends things and runs.

Kal is one of Miz's best friends, an aspiring actor who moved to Toronto from Ethiopia and is on the brink of his big break. But when he's suddenly at risk of losing his work visa—which would mean leaving Toronto forever—Miz panics. What will she do without him? What if she never sees him again?

There's only one Miz will marry Kal to become his spousal sponsor. He'll get to keep pursuing his acting career, and she'll get to keep her best friend in the city. It'll be a quick, short only-on-paper marriage between friends, followed by a quick, easy divorce. What could possibly go wrong?

Fisseha, like Miz, was born in Ethiopia and now lives in Toronto. The exploration of Miz’s culture and going back to visit her father in Ethiopia was the strongest part of the book. It’s where I felt the most, which is unfortunate when the book is a romance and I’m supposed to be feeling those feels with the characters.

Friends to lovers is usually a trope I love, which is part of why I was looking forward to reading this book. But I really struggled with the “let’s get married so you can stay in Canada” bit. It was like The Proposal without the star power (and good looks) of Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. Sure, the story (and movie) is enjoyable enough, but at the end of the day, marrying for residency is kind of icky. And, you know, illegal. I simply wasn’t able to completely suspend my disbelief to fully get into that part of the story.

I also could not get behind Miz’s reluctance to marry. It’s not even marriage that she was having a huge problem with, it was any committed relationship. And why? Because her parents were still married though her mother, living in Canada, pretended she wasn’t (though didn’t date) and her father (in Ethiopia) still wore his wedding ring? The whole thing was weak.

Only Because It’s You was cute enough and I’ll give Rebecca Fisseha another chance when she writes her next novel. If you want a quick read with a lot of love for Ethiopian culture, check it out. Otherwise, move onto your next romance.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Doubleday Canada (Penguin Random House Canada), via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

This book is an absolute delight—a fake marriage romcom with all the heart, heat, and hilariously bad decisions your serotonin-craving brain could ask for. Think: friends-to-lovers meets immigration crisis meets “oops, now I want to kiss you forever.”

Miz is the queen of chill. Zero strings, zero commitment, all vibes. But when her casual gym-bag-snooping moment reveals a very real engagement ring, she does what any emotionally unavailable person would do: she ghosts. HARD. Enter Kal—best friend, beautiful aspiring actor, and suddenly at risk of being deported. What’s a friendship without a little legally binding paperwork?

There’s so much joy packed into this story: the awkward tension of two people pretending not to want each other, the real-world weight of staying in a country you call home, and the kind of queer, found-family softness that sneaks up on you and hugs your heart. Miz and Kal are electric, complicated, and so obviously in love—even if they take a while to figure that out.

Warm, witty, and full of sparkle, this romcom will make you believe in love, chosen family, and the very real possibility that your best friend might just be your person.

Emotional, sharp, and utterly compelling 🌍❤️. Only Because It’s You is a beautiful exploration of friendship, culture, and the bonds that define us. Rebecca Fisseha’s writing is rich and evocative, weaving together themes of belonging, love, and identity with honesty and depth. I loved the portrayal of female friendship and the layers of cultural nuance that made the story feel both intimate and universal. A thoughtful, heartfelt read.

Only Because It’s You is a fun, heartfelt story about friendship, love, and figuring out where you belong. It follows Mizan (Miz), a woman who’s been a bridesmaid six times but avoids love herself. When her long-time friend Kal is about to be deported, Miz offers to marry him—just to help him stay in Canada. Of course, things don’t stay “just friends” for long.

What I really liked about this book was how naturally it blended Ethiopian culture and language into the story. Miz’s relationship with her roots—and her struggles with speaking Amharic—added a lot of charm and depth. The Toronto setting felt real and relatable too.

The book is funny and warm, with some cute romantic moments. The side characters and family drama also gave the story more flavor. At the same time, I did feel like the romance between Miz and Kal could’ve been a bit stronger—it kind of jumped from friends to more without enough buildup. Some parts of the plot also felt like they got dropped or didn’t fully come together.

Still, it’s a unique take on the fake-marriage trope, and I appreciated how it touched on immigration and identity in a light but meaningful way.

Would I recommend it?
Yes—especially if you like rom-coms with cultural flavor, friends-to-lovers stories, or quick, feel-good reads. It’s not super deep or dramatic, but it’s fun, honest, and different in a refreshing way.

I wasn't a huge fan of this book. If you are into friends to lovers or marriage of convience, I'd give it a try. But it isn't a favorite for me.

Miz & Kal have been childhood friends ever since her very first trip to Ethiopia to visit her dad. Kal eventually moves to Canada and rekindles the friendship he has with Miz. They are all but attached at the hip until Kal's work visa is set to expire. Miz steps up to marry Kal for her own "selfish" reasons in wanting to keep her friend there. We follow the developments in their relationship.

This book got a really low rating from me for a few reasons. Miz, our female main character, is bratty and unlikeable. There is a side plot involving a ring (which I found super irritating and unnecessary) that drug on the entire story.... for little to no reason. I typically am all for a marriage of connivence, but this just felt forced. For almost 50% of the book, it is building the world in the story but not really the relationship between the two. Kal is still sulking over a relationship from years ago and Miz likes to play the field. They never saw each other romantically prior to and it was just very hard to believe all these feelings bloomed out of thin air. I also hated how often both characters seemed to lie. It just felt unbalanced.

2.5 ⭐️

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute, fun book. It took me a few chapters to get in to the book, but I ended up really enjoying it!

This was a lighthearted romance book about this cute couple. def interested in more of rebecca's work!

Miz and Kai were childhood friends, Kal is set to lose his visa status and just like the controlling friend she is, Miz takes matters into her own hands and decides the best course when she can’t find the initial mate to marry him is to do it herself. Her character has to face some issues but she then learns everything is not how it seems. Some parts of the story can be taken out but it didn’t flow,( the ring aspect) but I love how the author allowed a view point of the immigration process and how love is not always wrapped in a nice bow.

Thank you Netgalley, Doubleday Canada/ Penguin Random House Canada

Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for this advance reader copy !! I mean, it was okay - but I felt like it could’ve gone deeper. It’s a quick read, and there are some enjoyable parts!

Definitely not my favorite read of the year. Apparently both of the main characters are in their thirties, but only the male character acted like it. I feel like the female main character could use some better friends. Like I understand having a trauma history with relationships due to one’s parents but like there’s so much more to life! It wasn’t the most realistic read, but I did thoroughly enjoy Mizu’s and Kal’s banter and chemistry! They did really mesh well together when Mizu wasn’t being difficult.

One sentence summary - Mizu has sworn off relationships and marriage, but when her dear friend Kal’s visa to Canada is set to expire, she will do anything to help, even marrying him!

I would recommend this book to folks who like exploring different cultures, who love a “he falls first” romance, with difficult female main character, fake marriages but real chemistry books and rocky starts to the relationships.

This was a wonderful story. about friendship. I was not expecting the plot twist with Miz's parents though!

A charming and touching romantic comedy about two best friends, a marriage-of-convenience, and taking a leap of faith to land exactly where you’re meant to be.
There was no need for anything more than the above description. This told the reader what would happen in the book. A romcom that fits all the parts that make it a beach read, love story.
I do not mind these kinds of books but this one was only okay. I know that predictability is one of the important factors and that those looking for an easy read do not care that they can predict it.
Overall, I will suggest this for all of my teacher friends who are looking for an easy read for the start of their summer holiday.

I really loved this cute little romance book! I definitely recommend this book if you love a friends-to-lovers romance!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada (Adult), Doubleday Canada and NetGalley for the ARC.

Unfortunately, I didn't finish reading this book.

This book is so cute!! It has a bit of a slow start didn’t really pick up until about 50% but it was necessary backstory to make me love the characters. Highly recommend. I also love this authors style of writing will definitely be picking more books up by her

Ｅｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ
🌟🌟🌟
"Only Because It's You" by Rebecca Fisseha is my first book by this author. While the cover art and premise are eye-catching, this story was just okay to me. Miz, the main female character, really worked my nerves with her childish tantrums; she would randomly throw them when things didn't go her way. She made it a little hard to read. But Kal kept me reading this story; he was gentle and caring, and also needed his citizen card. This is a story of friendship, hardships, and a marriage of convenience.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Penguin Random House for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

The two stars I’m giving this book are me being generous. It’s painfully obvious this is the author’s debut novel.

The FMC? Incredibly selfish. I honestly hated her. I don’t have much to say about the MMC, but let’s talk about the absurdity of the plot.

Excuse me, ma’am— how the fuck do you think that being married to your best friend, dating him, with the excuse of calling it ‘not a real marriage’ and "we're just a normal boyfriend/girlfriend couple" doesn't equal " real marriage" ? Also is your brain even working properly? You left him on your wedding day, and you expected him to just act like everything’s normal? He’s a human being. He has emotions.

This isn’t a 'girls supporting girls' issue. This is a 'basic human decency' issue. Your actions were cruel, and honestly, I couldn't get behind a single choice you made.

And I still haven't talked about her parents 🤢 they fucked up her whole love life by being shitty parents. Needless to say that the were involved romantically (with each other) secretly while encouraging her to never get married nor fall in love

Also the MC's whole relationship is a shitshow they went straight from being friends to lust no romance involved no realising their feelings. Also they never apologized to each other to solve THE problem they just forgave like........HUH?

As always thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada (Adult) for the free eARC 💕

Miz and Kal are best friends who met in Ethiopia. He ends up not being able to get his Canadian citizenship sponsored by the acting company he has been working with. Miz goes about trying to come up with ways to get him sponsored. Then she tries to find him a wife who can sign for him. After a few failed attempts, they decide at the same time that she should do it.

Trouble is that Miz has a very negative view of marriage that stems from her parent’s strange relationship. Despite her reservations, she agrees to help him and they get married. In their effort to do what they need to do for his paperwork and create a believable relationship, they end up becoming more than friends. He buys her a new mattress as a thank you gift. She invites him to test it out.

I think they both fell at the same time. Miz just has a lot of doubts about marriage being right for her. Then she has some revelations with her parents and that causes things to come crashing down for her.

I enjoyed this story. The build up of their relationship was good. The crash of their relationship made sense. I really loved the way they came back together.

One thing about me is I hate DNFing books and try to avoid doing that at all costs but unfortunately I’ve had to DNF this one.

At over 35% in, I feel like not much has happened and I don’t particularly care for any of the main characters and I’ve been trying to force myself to keep reading but it’s just not working right now.

There’s nothing wrong with the book per se, it’s just not enough to keep me reading. Might come back to it in the future (perhaps in a different format) as the premise did sound great.