i have enjoyed this book. Miz is insufferable at times. like she coulda just given the ring back and a lot of shit woulda been avaoided.
but i know she loves Kal.
thanks for the chance to review

I got a digital arc of an upcoming Canadian book? Finally! Thank you DoubleDay Canada and Penguin Random House Canada for the digital arc.

Immigration policies have recently become a hot topic, especially in Canada. For many diaspora communities it’s part of our cultural lexicon. Every immigrant has a story of how they came to Canada. So the inclusion of it in the romance genre as part of the marriage-of-convenience trope was unexpected and what drew me to Rebecca’s novel ‘Only Because It’s You’.

Set in Toronto and Addis Ababa Miz agrees to ‘marry’ her friend Kal to help him get his Canadian status. But the lines slowly blur and they truly become a partnership that experience some bumps in the road while they also navigate the immigration system. I’ve been leaning into Canadian voices this year and to have a story set in Toronto was such a pleasure.

Yes, this book references the IRCC (Canada’s immigration department) and the painstaking journey couples endure to prove to the authorities the validity of their relationship. It’s submitting evidence, and trusting that everything you’re trying to convey is understood by officers and officials that determine your future. It’s high stakes, serious, and emotionally stressful. Something not to be taken lightly. There are several instances throughout the book that were cringy because of Miz’s reckless actions (especially in front of immigration officers). I wish Rebecca took some more care with this story aspect but choices were made to help facilitate the story.

Generational trauma is also unexpectedly threaded into the novel. Miz has a skewed perception of love and marriage that comes from her parent’s disjointed relationship. As a result it manifests really badly while Kal and Miz are in Ethiopia. It’s a silent part of the diaspora experience that so many women deal with and take years to recognize. I'm glad it made an appearance here.

Overall, such a lovely read and giving this 4.5 stars! Canadian readers you don’t want to miss this. This was my first Canadian ARC of the year, so thank you DoubleDay and Penguin Random House Canada! Truly, I can't wait for publication day.

Sadly this was a DNF for me. I really liked the Ethiopian background and bits of culture thrown in, but the book moved so slowly, and with no chemistry, that I eventually got bored and stopped reading about 35% of the way through. I feel the author put too much unnecessary dialogue and musings in that did nothing to progress the story, and instead just made it slow moving

This book was so good! Miz was so chaotic. She had me cracking up the whole book. It was so fun watching her and Karl fall in love. Kal was so calm and it matched perfectly with Mizs energy. The fact that they were childhood best friends and knew eachother so well was so cute. I enjoyed this book so much!

Miz is a fun no strings attached kind of woman, and she likes it that way. One day, she finds a ring in her hook up gym bag . She panics and ends things. Kal is one of Miz's best friends, an aspiring actor who moved to Toronto from Ethiopia .. But when he's suddenly at risk of losing his work visa, they come up with a plan to marry . The book has cute moments in the book between the two friends. This was a quick , easy read.

This was your run-of-the-mill marriage of convenience romance. The two main characters didn't have much chemistry but I liked the Ethiopian rep.