Review: Only Because It’s You

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.*