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Lavash at First Sight
Sparks fly between two women pitted against each other in this delectable new romantic comedy.
Twenty-seven-year-old Nazeli “Ellie” Gregorian enjoys the prestige of her tech marketing job but is sick of the condescending Patagonia-clad tech bros, her micromanaging boss, and her ex-boyfriend, who she’s forced to work with every day. When Ellie’s lovingly overbearing parents ask her to attend PakCon—a food packaging conference in Chicago—to help promote their company and vie to win an ad slot in the Superbowl (no big deal), she’s eager for a brief change and a delicious distraction.
At the conference, she meets witty, devil-may-care Vanya Simonian. Ellie can’t believe how easy it is to talk to Vanya and how much they have in common—both Armenian! From the Bay Area! Whose families are into food! Their meet-cute is cut short, however, when Ellie’s parents recognize Vanya as the daughter of the owners of their greatest rival, whose mission (according to Ellie’s mother) is to whitewash and package Armenian food for the American health-food crowd.
Sworn as enemies, Ellie and Vanya must compete against each other under their suspicious parents' scrutiny, all while their feelings for each other heat to sizzling temps.
Twenty-seven-year-old Nazeli “Ellie” Gregorian enjoys the prestige of her tech marketing job but is sick of the condescending Patagonia-clad tech bros, her micromanaging boss, and her ex-boyfriend, who she’s forced to work with every day. When Ellie’s lovingly overbearing parents ask her to attend PakCon—a food packaging conference in Chicago—to help promote their company and vie to win an ad slot in the Superbowl (no big deal), she’s eager for a brief change and a delicious distraction.
At the conference, she meets witty, devil-may-care Vanya Simonian. Ellie can’t believe how easy it is to talk to Vanya and how much they have in common—both Armenian! From the Bay Area! Whose families are into food! Their meet-cute is cut short, however, when Ellie’s parents recognize Vanya as the daughter of the owners of their greatest rival, whose mission (according to Ellie’s mother) is to whitewash and package Armenian food for the American health-food crowd.
Sworn as enemies, Ellie and Vanya must compete against each other under their suspicious parents' scrutiny, all while their feelings for each other heat to sizzling temps.
304 pages, Paperback
First published May 7, 2024
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About the author
Taleen Voskuni
4 books365 followersTaleen Voskuni is an Armenian-American writer who grew up in the Bay Area diaspora surrounded by a rich Armenian community and her ebullient family. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in English and currently lives in San Francisco, working in tech. Her work has appeared in Cleaver Magazine, The Bold Italic, and Cal Literature & Arts Magazine. Other than a newfound obsession with writing romcoms, she spends her free time cultivating her kids, her garden, and her dark chocolate addiction. Sorry, Bro is her first published novel.
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May 20, 2024Sapphic relationship with two Armenian diaspora heroines. For me, this landed more as I guess women's fiction than romance, in that there's a lot about Armenian identity and prejudice, parents relationships, jobs, cooking competitions etc, and I didn't really get a lot of sense as Vanya as an individual, rather than another element in Nazeli's life (or, tbh, a sense of what she saw in Nazeli). That can work very well in its own right, obv, but my tastebuds were set to romance. If you're looking for a wider-ranging story, this may well work for you, I'm incredibly grumpy and wanted more romance.
January 6, 2024
This book is such a sweet and lovely look at family and identity, love and the importance of staying true to oneself. Vanya and Ellie are wonderful, fully-realized characters, and they, along with their doting parents--even when they are squabbling with each other--are a delight.
I also finished the book wanting to try, like, ALL of the fabulous food described throughout the novel! But then again, I'm always hungry. :))
I also finished the book wanting to try, like, ALL of the fabulous food described throughout the novel! But then again, I'm always hungry. :))
February 9, 2024
Lavash at First Sight is a heartfelt and dazzling love story that's good enough to eat. Taleen Voskuni deftly weaves together multiple narrative threads as loyal, intelligent, and overworked Armenian-American tech employee Nazeli sets out to woo the beautiful and charming Vanya--whose parents happen to be the sworn enemies of Nazeli's parents. A competition at a Chicago food packaging conference provides an entertaining and dramatic setting, and the themes of family bonds, generational change, and finding a healthy balance in all aspects of life add poignant layers to the story. I devoured this fun, witty, and romantic book and can't wait for whatever Voskuni writes next!
(disclaimer: I am a fellow Berkley author who received an ARC, but this is an honest review)
(disclaimer: I am a fellow Berkley author who received an ARC, but this is an honest review)
May 26, 2024
This book didn't really do it for me.
I liked the Armenian culture insights and the rivalry of the two families, but the book was so plot driven that for my taste lacked the depth of characters I am used to. There are although some funny scenes, and I hoped there would be more of them.
After a while it started being too repetitive and my attention span started vanishing.
The romance is cute, but it falls in the background to serve the plot.
The food must have been amazing to taste.
I had so many expectations from the cover.
I liked the Armenian culture insights and the rivalry of the two families, but the book was so plot driven that for my taste lacked the depth of characters I am used to. There are although some funny scenes, and I hoped there would be more of them.
After a while it started being too repetitive and my attention span started vanishing.
The romance is cute, but it falls in the background to serve the plot.
The food must have been amazing to taste.
I had so many expectations from the cover.
May 18, 2024
A true romp! So fun, so funny, and brimming with unapologetic queer joy. And as always, Taleen paints a beautiful picture of Armenian culture💕
May 17, 2025
She looks so serene, I want to kiss her face, but I won't. Not yet. I want her looking at me, to see the wildness flickering there. The fierce yes.
3.5 stars. Nothing about this blew me away, but it was a sweet simple romance full of food, Armenian culture and an exploration of familial relationships that I ended up really liking. I also liked this author's debut, but I had a few major nitpicks with it. I'm glad to say I enjoyed this quite a bit more than that. Our main character, Nazeli, is a young Armenian-American woman working in tech. She's never been very involved in the family business (traditional cuisine) but agrees to fly out to help her parents in a food competition/conference. Almost immediately she has an electric encounter with another Armenian woman that morphs into the best first date possible, but it turns out that 1) Vanya's parents are also in the competition, and 2) Nazeli and Vanya's parents are old enemies with a wicked grudge. So now they're trying to balance a budding relationship, a competition that both that families really want to win, and figuring out what exactly is the beef with their parents.
This was just one of those books that I had a simple, uncomplicatedly good time with. It kiiinda straddles the line between romance and general fiction, which I don't always love, but it worked here. It's single POV, and a fair amount of the story covers Nazeli dealing with her demanding boss and her ridiculous requests (the day I take PTO but am still expected to check into work daily and complete tasks, even from another city, is the day I quit) and figuring out if the promotion she's been aiming for is really what she wants out of life. She was also just dumped by her boyfriend, and from the outside, she's now starting to see how uneven that relationship was. And then there's her relationship with her parents, of course, and trying to help them with their business. But the romance is a big part of the journey. I adored Vanya from jump, and their chemistry is so palpable. They have a great little meet-cute, and loved them bonding about Armenian culture, having the same type of parents. and going on all these sweet and unexpected little dates. The one at the spa was SO GOOD. The romance takes place in a short amount of time, but the author did a good job of convincing me that they had that undeniable spark between them. Not QUITE love at first sight (which very seldom works for me) but close enough, and I did like it. And reading this made me so hungry; I loved all the food descriptions.
The conflict was the kind that you could see coming from a mile away, and I did kinda wish that we'd gone some other route, and that the resolution had come about some other way. I'm not a reality TV watcher or a food competition watcher, but the descriptions of the competition were all pretty entertaining. The side-plot with the parents was fine, though I did wish we got just a feeeeew more romantic scenes, to help balance things out.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Christine Mirzayan, and I really liked it! I don't think her voice is perfect for audiobooks, but there's something about the way she narrates that so... idk, enthusiastic, and I can't help but be charmed by it. Super glad to have read this and enjoyed it. Like I said, it's simple, but just really good.
August 22, 2024
Before reading this book I had seen some other reviews indicating that there ends up being more of a focus on the feuding families and food competition storylines instead of the romance. So I was able to enjoy the story for what it was since I wasn’t feeling blindsided by the romance not taking center stage.
I enjoyed getting to see the connection between Nazeli and Vanya before they realize that there’s decades old drama between their families. It was fun to see them having this cute, sapphic romance while also trying to help their respective families win a big prize for their Armenian food companies. Even though it doesn’t end up being the main focus of the book, Nazeli and Vanya do end up having really nice chemistry. And there’s a nice conclusion to the storylines with the different food companies.
I enjoyed getting to see the connection between Nazeli and Vanya before they realize that there’s decades old drama between their families. It was fun to see them having this cute, sapphic romance while also trying to help their respective families win a big prize for their Armenian food companies. Even though it doesn’t end up being the main focus of the book, Nazeli and Vanya do end up having really nice chemistry. And there’s a nice conclusion to the storylines with the different food companies.
December 27, 2023
Thank you Taleen Voskuni for writing another amazing queer Armenian story. Both Lavash at First Sight and Sorry, Bro will forever be books that I hold close to my heart, not only for the incredible storytelling but the representation as well. Never did I think I'd be able to see myself in a romance book as completely as I have here.
This was a delight to read. From the first moment Naz and Vanya meet, I was sold. Their relationship progression is great and the conflict felt real. I absolutly loved the dynamic with their parents and the cooking competition as well.
I'd highly reccommend this book to any contemporary romance fans.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC ebook.
This was a delight to read. From the first moment Naz and Vanya meet, I was sold. Their relationship progression is great and the conflict felt real. I absolutly loved the dynamic with their parents and the cooking competition as well.
I'd highly reccommend this book to any contemporary romance fans.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC ebook.
February 15, 2024
single pov, 1st present tense (did not work for me at all) and an overall boring romance arc set in a packaged foods competition in chicago between rival Armenian food makers (and others).
Barely enough time given to the romance over descriptions of Nazeli "ellie" ex-boyfriend and HR software company job, Vanya felt like a completely flat love interest and overall this was just not it for me.
thank you to LJ and the publisher for the early copy; professional review to come for Library Journal
there is some kissing and a fade to black sex scene that almost felt out of place
Barely enough time given to the romance over descriptions of Nazeli "ellie" ex-boyfriend and HR software company job, Vanya felt like a completely flat love interest and overall this was just not it for me.
thank you to LJ and the publisher for the early copy; professional review to come for Library Journal
there is some kissing and a fade to black sex scene that almost felt out of place
May 9, 2024
4.5 Stars
As Poignant as it was fun, Taleen Voskuni’s heartfelt, witty and utterly entertaining LGBTQ+ take on a Romeo and Juliet-style relationship was an absolute joy to read!
Told from the POV of Nazeli ‘Ellie’ Gregorian, who after being dumped just before a big presentation, agrees to help her parents out with a food packaging conference in Chicago (the perfect distraction to get her life and work back on track.)
Her meet cute with the charismatic and chaotic whirlwind, Vanya (attempting to talk her way into a VIP business event) is even more of a motivator for Ellie and has her even more eager for the week’s events (if only for the chance to hang out with Vanya.) Until Ellie’s parents recognise Vanya as the daughter of their sworn enemies and long time business rivals, Nora and Toros Simonian.
Now dragged into their parents heated, decades long rivalry, Ellie and Vanya must hide their growing feelings (and secret hookups) as both families compete against each other in the convention’s Superstars Award —a food branding competition that promises the winning brand a coveted spot in a Super Bowl commercial.
I really enjoyed this! The descriptions were wonderfully detailed, and really captured the vibrancy and depth of Armenian culture (in such a loving way), especially when it came to the focus on the importance of family and community. The mouth watering food references were pretty amazing as well and had me craving Hera and Hagop’s food the entire time.
But I must say the well written cast of characters, their love for their heritage and the complexity of their familial bonds (and sense of identity) were what really made this a standout read for me. It’s not often that I find it difficult to decide on a favourite character, but Ellie, Vanya and their parents were all really likeable and endearing— I honestly couldn’t choose who I loved more.
The shenanigans and one-upmanship between Hagop and Toros were an especially entertaining highlight, with the added bonus of providing the perfect amount of comic relief between some of the more emotionally charged scenes.
Ellie’s flirtatious banter and chemistry with Vanya was surprisingly swoon-worthy, and the confidence (and sense of self) she inspires in Ellie was absolutely marvellous. I did think their relationship was a bit insta-lovey, but with a Romeo and Juliet-esque premise, that did work in its favour.
Overall, a fast paced and thoroughly engaging read that Rom-Com lovers are sure to enjoy.
Also, a huge thank you to Chloe and Pan MacMillan for the finished copy.
As Poignant as it was fun, Taleen Voskuni’s heartfelt, witty and utterly entertaining LGBTQ+ take on a Romeo and Juliet-style relationship was an absolute joy to read!
Told from the POV of Nazeli ‘Ellie’ Gregorian, who after being dumped just before a big presentation, agrees to help her parents out with a food packaging conference in Chicago (the perfect distraction to get her life and work back on track.)
Her meet cute with the charismatic and chaotic whirlwind, Vanya (attempting to talk her way into a VIP business event) is even more of a motivator for Ellie and has her even more eager for the week’s events (if only for the chance to hang out with Vanya.) Until Ellie’s parents recognise Vanya as the daughter of their sworn enemies and long time business rivals, Nora and Toros Simonian.
Now dragged into their parents heated, decades long rivalry, Ellie and Vanya must hide their growing feelings (and secret hookups) as both families compete against each other in the convention’s Superstars Award —a food branding competition that promises the winning brand a coveted spot in a Super Bowl commercial.
I really enjoyed this! The descriptions were wonderfully detailed, and really captured the vibrancy and depth of Armenian culture (in such a loving way), especially when it came to the focus on the importance of family and community. The mouth watering food references were pretty amazing as well and had me craving Hera and Hagop’s food the entire time.
But I must say the well written cast of characters, their love for their heritage and the complexity of their familial bonds (and sense of identity) were what really made this a standout read for me. It’s not often that I find it difficult to decide on a favourite character, but Ellie, Vanya and their parents were all really likeable and endearing— I honestly couldn’t choose who I loved more.
The shenanigans and one-upmanship between Hagop and Toros were an especially entertaining highlight, with the added bonus of providing the perfect amount of comic relief between some of the more emotionally charged scenes.
Ellie’s flirtatious banter and chemistry with Vanya was surprisingly swoon-worthy, and the confidence (and sense of self) she inspires in Ellie was absolutely marvellous. I did think their relationship was a bit insta-lovey, but with a Romeo and Juliet-esque premise, that did work in its favour.
Overall, a fast paced and thoroughly engaging read that Rom-Com lovers are sure to enjoy.
Also, a huge thank you to Chloe and Pan MacMillan for the finished copy.
May 2, 2024
Voskuni brings another rom com centering around an Armenian American lead and a female-female relationship. I am loving this diversity! I venture to say hers are the only books I’ve read that predominantly feature Armenian characters and I’ve enjoyed learning more about their culture.
This book is all about family, belonging, culture, and of course, food. The book centers around 27-year-old Nazeli, who works in marketing for a tech company. Nazeli’s parents ask her to attend a food packaging conference in Chicago and help promote their company.
At the conference, Nazeli meets our other leading lady, Vanya. Not only are both women Armenian (something that instantly bonds them), but Nazeli can’t help but feel an ease when she’s talking to Vanya that she’s not used to. Unfortunately when Nazeli’s parents find out that Vanya is the daughter of their rivals, the women are torn apart. Nazeli and Vanya are forced to compete against one another, but they can’t deny their attraction and chemistry. Can they find love and help their families?
Nazeli seems to have been a bit westernized in some ways, particularly working with the tech bros in Silicon Valley. Vanya in contrast is more confident and comfortable in her Armenian culture. Immediately this made me root for them to work.
Their chemistry was strong and their relationship unfolds in a fun, easy way. There’s some tension, but it isn’t the driving force of the novel (at least in terms of the central couple). The tension comes more from the family pressures the women are dealing with. I found this book adorable and refreshingly light. Let their parents fight it out, these two women just want to fall in love!
In terms of romance inspiration, this had a classic Romeo-and-Juliet style romance, featuring two Armenian women and their feuding families. Heartfelt and charming!
Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.
This book is all about family, belonging, culture, and of course, food. The book centers around 27-year-old Nazeli, who works in marketing for a tech company. Nazeli’s parents ask her to attend a food packaging conference in Chicago and help promote their company.
At the conference, Nazeli meets our other leading lady, Vanya. Not only are both women Armenian (something that instantly bonds them), but Nazeli can’t help but feel an ease when she’s talking to Vanya that she’s not used to. Unfortunately when Nazeli’s parents find out that Vanya is the daughter of their rivals, the women are torn apart. Nazeli and Vanya are forced to compete against one another, but they can’t deny their attraction and chemistry. Can they find love and help their families?
Nazeli seems to have been a bit westernized in some ways, particularly working with the tech bros in Silicon Valley. Vanya in contrast is more confident and comfortable in her Armenian culture. Immediately this made me root for them to work.
Their chemistry was strong and their relationship unfolds in a fun, easy way. There’s some tension, but it isn’t the driving force of the novel (at least in terms of the central couple). The tension comes more from the family pressures the women are dealing with. I found this book adorable and refreshingly light. Let their parents fight it out, these two women just want to fall in love!
In terms of romance inspiration, this had a classic Romeo-and-Juliet style romance, featuring two Armenian women and their feuding families. Heartfelt and charming!
Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.
May 8, 2024
This one didn’t wow me. I found that all of the time spent focusing on the family aspect, particularly in the beginning, made it hard for me to really care about the romance. The “rivals” part is a little misleading because Nazeli and Vanya aren’t rivals—their families are. So I felt like that really took away some of the tension for me. Nazeli’s obsession with her job in the beginning also gave me a headache. Can you try to have some interests and personality traits outside of work pls?
When we got to the romance part, it was cute. (It’s closed door btw, which I wasn’t expecting.) The two of them do balance each other out.
thank you berkley romance and netgalley for an arc. It’s out now!
When we got to the romance part, it was cute. (It’s closed door btw, which I wasn’t expecting.) The two of them do balance each other out.
thank you berkley romance and netgalley for an arc. It’s out now!
June 6, 2024
I love a foodie romance and Lavash at First Sight was such a cute sapphic story with delicious food descriptions, Armenian food and culture, and all the family drama that comes with rivaling family businesses.
When Ellie and Anya meet at a food conference, it’s instant attraction for them both, before they realize that their Armenian families are rivals with one another.
Their chemistry was so good and I ate up their banter, and just loved the Chicago setting and all the delicious food descriptions that had my mouth watering.
🎧I read in tandem with the audiobook and loved listening to the narration by Christine Mirzayan.
*many thanks to Berkley Romance and PRH audio for the gifted copy for review.
When Ellie and Anya meet at a food conference, it’s instant attraction for them both, before they realize that their Armenian families are rivals with one another.
Their chemistry was so good and I ate up their banter, and just loved the Chicago setting and all the delicious food descriptions that had my mouth watering.
🎧I read in tandem with the audiobook and loved listening to the narration by Christine Mirzayan.
*many thanks to Berkley Romance and PRH audio for the gifted copy for review.
August 14, 2025
Y'all, I LOVE a romance that focuses on food, and Lavash at First Sight was not only a fun sapphic romance, but it made me HUNGRY. And while the romance is certainly a major part of the story, this book is equally about family and Armenian culture, it's incredibly layered and beautiful. If you love sweet meet cutes, forbidden vibes, and cooking competitions, you need to check this one out!
I'm a sucker for a meet cute, and I love Nazali and Vanya together from the moment they first lock eyes. They are both attending the same packaging conference to help out their parents' Armenian food companies. The rivalry and animosity between their families really makes for an interesting story - I was almost as invested in the story behind the family feud as I was their blossoming romance! In addition, the forbidden aspect of their relationship is something a little different - while their parents are relatively accepting of their sexuality, they are NOT accepting of Vanya and Ellie dating "the enemy." Despite all of this, their chemistry is palpable, and the dates they managed to put together around Chicago sounded super fun. I loved the cooking competition side plot and how it (eventually) helped bring their families together and helped Ellie figure things out about her own life. And while the third act breakup in this one had me WORRIED, I absolutely loved how everything worked out in the end.
I listened to this one as an audiobook, and I absolutely LOVED the narrator, Christine Mirzayan. She's a very engaging storyteller and really brought this book to life, especially all of the side characters. Definitely one worth listening to! I'm so thrilled my book club picked this one to try, I can't wait to discuss it with them.
I'm a sucker for a meet cute, and I love Nazali and Vanya together from the moment they first lock eyes. They are both attending the same packaging conference to help out their parents' Armenian food companies. The rivalry and animosity between their families really makes for an interesting story - I was almost as invested in the story behind the family feud as I was their blossoming romance! In addition, the forbidden aspect of their relationship is something a little different - while their parents are relatively accepting of their sexuality, they are NOT accepting of Vanya and Ellie dating "the enemy." Despite all of this, their chemistry is palpable, and the dates they managed to put together around Chicago sounded super fun. I loved the cooking competition side plot and how it (eventually) helped bring their families together and helped Ellie figure things out about her own life. And while the third act breakup in this one had me WORRIED, I absolutely loved how everything worked out in the end.
I listened to this one as an audiobook, and I absolutely LOVED the narrator, Christine Mirzayan. She's a very engaging storyteller and really brought this book to life, especially all of the side characters. Definitely one worth listening to! I'm so thrilled my book club picked this one to try, I can't wait to discuss it with them.
April 2, 2024
This was a good and quick read. I liked that both characters were Armenians and all the cultural references, especially the food description were so good. This is a queer romance but it's also the story of an Armenian woman in tech trying t find her way with her parent's business, and with her tech job. I enjoyed the cooking competition, family drama, and the romance for the most part. The main characters meet and have an instant connection before realizing that their parents are food rivals and don't want them together. both families are competing in a food competition and their relationship develops there. I liked the romance but I wanted more from it, it didn't feel as fully developed as I wanted it to be especially after the third-act breakup. Overall this was a nice read especially if you're looking for a quick read. Thank you Berkley for this arc!
Read for:
- Armenian Fmc's
- Queer romance
- Bisexual rep
- Food competitions
- Romcom
Rating:3.75/5
Read for:
- Armenian Fmc's
- Queer romance
- Bisexual rep
- Food competitions
- Romcom
Rating:3.75/5
April 6, 2024
I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me. I enjoyed the rival families competing against one another (although, it was a bit dry at times), The Armenian culture and the pressure to be successful explored by Nazeli. It was the romance that was lacking for me: I loved the characters and just wanted more of them. There’s a few closed door moments which I felt should have been counteracted with more on page romance. They fell hard and fast and more romance would have made their story more believable.
Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 13, 2023
YASSSS! this book was so fucking good. I loved everything about this, truly. Vanya and Ellie were just sparking with connection. I loved that the parents were so involved, which is so accurate lol. The tension was fun to read, and the banter was even better. The cover really drew me in and I'm so glad I was able to read this. This was my first book by Taleen but certainly won't be the last.
January 14, 2025
*4.75
HELLOOOO ARMENIAN SAPPHICS!
So, here's a bit about me - I'm 1/4 Armenia and 1/4 Italian on my dad's side. My great-grandmother was a direct survivor of the Armenian genocide, and her name is my middle name. I'm not as involved in Armenian culture as I'd like to be, but my grandmother makes some killer Italian and Armenian meals whenever we visit!
So when I was browsing the new releases at my library, I saw this one and thought "hm, lavash, what culture is that from?" Then I read the back, learned that BOTH LEADS IN HERE ARE ARMENIAN and instantly brought it home. Armenian sapphics, y'all!!
Oh, this was a DELIGHT! I know this isn't for everyone, but I LOVE a good romance where the struggles between the two leads come from external rather than internal factors. They like each other, they get along great, the relationship develops at a natural gait... but oh no, their families still hate each other! Whatever can be done?
I've become a bit cynical of romance stories as of late, because I think part of me only truly enjoys a love story if there's a genuine chance it won't get a happy ending. The subversion is fun for me, I guess. But oh MAN, I loved the romance in here! I was kicking my feet and giggling SO much, and I learned so much about my grandma's culture!!
Representation is SO important, y'all! Get your taste buds ready for this one!
4.75/5 stars!
HELLOOOO ARMENIAN SAPPHICS!
So, here's a bit about me - I'm 1/4 Armenia and 1/4 Italian on my dad's side. My great-grandmother was a direct survivor of the Armenian genocide, and her name is my middle name. I'm not as involved in Armenian culture as I'd like to be, but my grandmother makes some killer Italian and Armenian meals whenever we visit!
So when I was browsing the new releases at my library, I saw this one and thought "hm, lavash, what culture is that from?" Then I read the back, learned that BOTH LEADS IN HERE ARE ARMENIAN and instantly brought it home. Armenian sapphics, y'all!!
Oh, this was a DELIGHT! I know this isn't for everyone, but I LOVE a good romance where the struggles between the two leads come from external rather than internal factors. They like each other, they get along great, the relationship develops at a natural gait... but oh no, their families still hate each other! Whatever can be done?
I've become a bit cynical of romance stories as of late, because I think part of me only truly enjoys a love story if there's a genuine chance it won't get a happy ending. The subversion is fun for me, I guess. But oh MAN, I loved the romance in here! I was kicking my feet and giggling SO much, and I learned so much about my grandma's culture!!
Representation is SO important, y'all! Get your taste buds ready for this one!
4.75/5 stars!
May 31, 2024
Lavash at First Sight
Taleen Voskuni
Sparks fly when two Armenian-American women (whose parents are sworn enemies) compete against each other in a cooking competition.
Lavash at First Sight is a fun twist on rivals-to-lovers. With loads of family drama, rich Armenian culture and mouthwatering cuisine, this one is equal parts sapphic romance and contemporary fiction. Narrator Christine Marzayan's voice is easy on the ears, though I did occasionally struggle to keep the characters straight.
-- If you haven't read this author yet, try Sorry, Bro! It was a strong 4.5 star read for me. I look forward to reading whatever Voskuni writes next.
Taleen Voskuni
Sparks fly when two Armenian-American women (whose parents are sworn enemies) compete against each other in a cooking competition.
Lavash at First Sight is a fun twist on rivals-to-lovers. With loads of family drama, rich Armenian culture and mouthwatering cuisine, this one is equal parts sapphic romance and contemporary fiction. Narrator Christine Marzayan's voice is easy on the ears, though I did occasionally struggle to keep the characters straight.
-- If you haven't read this author yet, try Sorry, Bro! It was a strong 4.5 star read for me. I look forward to reading whatever Voskuni writes next.
February 21, 2024
I wanted to get lost in this book and never escape.
Voskuni does it again with another gorgeous Armenian sapphic romance, this time set in dreamy Chicago and surrounded by delicious Armenian food, the most delectable main characters, their equally sexy and adorable banter, and the delightful, entertaining rivalry of their parents. I mean, check them out on the cover—come on!
Lavash at First Sight explores staying true to yourself as a first generationer while supporting your family and not being afraid to jump on love, wherever, whenever, despite everything else. I love how Voskuni digs deep on character, bringing out all the feels we experience finding love and finding ourselves, while producing another laugh-out-loud funny book.
Cannot wait for many more from Voskuni!!
Voskuni does it again with another gorgeous Armenian sapphic romance, this time set in dreamy Chicago and surrounded by delicious Armenian food, the most delectable main characters, their equally sexy and adorable banter, and the delightful, entertaining rivalry of their parents. I mean, check them out on the cover—come on!
Lavash at First Sight explores staying true to yourself as a first generationer while supporting your family and not being afraid to jump on love, wherever, whenever, despite everything else. I love how Voskuni digs deep on character, bringing out all the feels we experience finding love and finding ourselves, while producing another laugh-out-loud funny book.
Cannot wait for many more from Voskuni!!
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May 28, 2024Ugh.... For the love of everything I really need people to stop over using the term rom-com. This is not a romance book. There is technically a romance and they get together in the end but there's no on page relationship happening. This is a family drama a slice of life competition book. It is way more about Armenian culture and cuisine and getting over family conflicts then it is about romance. Honestly this book is not good. I kind of liked it at first but the writing is just very Wattpad-y. Nothing is fleshed out and it's not super exciting. I feel like the only reason I finished this book is because I listened to the audiobook at 2.5x.
I am also a little bit hesitant about this author because of what I heard from Queer Armenian bookstagrammers about the representation in her first book. I don't know. I think this author is going to be a write-off for me and when I'm not going to read anything else from.
I am also a little bit hesitant about this author because of what I heard from Queer Armenian bookstagrammers about the representation in her first book. I don't know. I think this author is going to be a write-off for me and when I'm not going to read anything else from.
February 8, 2024
I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group; all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.
This is the second book I've read by Taleen Voskuni, and I really enjoyed it! I love the descriptions of food, of family, of culture, and of Chicago. As in the last book, Sorry Bro, the protagonist, Nazeli, is a young Armenian American woman struggling to find her place in life (be it in romance or work) while balancing her complex feelings about her family and heritage. Also like in Sorry Bro, Nazeli makes some questionable choices that lead to drama and heartache, though honestly I thought the big crisis moment would be somewhat more momentous than it was. Frankly, the fact that it wasn't was relaxing, as I had been feeling the tension of waiting for the "other shoe to drop" while reading. Also, this is not a slow burn romance by ANY stretch of the imagination, which I think for the purpose of the story is just fine. All in all, a sweet if occasionally emotionally sticky sapphic romance with a deep sense of love for Armenian American culture and the city of Chicago.
For sensitive readers, there are descriptions of a toxic work environment, racism, difficult family relationships, and some sexual innuendo with no actual graphic content (fade to black).
This is the second book I've read by Taleen Voskuni, and I really enjoyed it! I love the descriptions of food, of family, of culture, and of Chicago. As in the last book, Sorry Bro, the protagonist, Nazeli, is a young Armenian American woman struggling to find her place in life (be it in romance or work) while balancing her complex feelings about her family and heritage. Also like in Sorry Bro, Nazeli makes some questionable choices that lead to drama and heartache, though honestly I thought the big crisis moment would be somewhat more momentous than it was. Frankly, the fact that it wasn't was relaxing, as I had been feeling the tension of waiting for the "other shoe to drop" while reading. Also, this is not a slow burn romance by ANY stretch of the imagination, which I think for the purpose of the story is just fine. All in all, a sweet if occasionally emotionally sticky sapphic romance with a deep sense of love for Armenian American culture and the city of Chicago.
For sensitive readers, there are descriptions of a toxic work environment, racism, difficult family relationships, and some sexual innuendo with no actual graphic content (fade to black).
May 7, 2024
A phenomenal sophomore novel by Taleen Voskuni, Lavash at First Sight is a perfect concoction of queerness, culture, and family. Compared to Sorry, Bro, Lavash chooses to forgo explaining Armenian culture, history and dynamics and letting the characters relax into their intersecting identities without acknowledging an audience. If Sorry, Bro was a teaching moment then Lavash is the gradual release.
The story is a loose sapphic reimagining of Romeo and Juliet set in Chicago during a packaged food conference where our two families, both alike in culture and dignity, are paired to work together while also competing against each other in a cooking contest. Nazeli and Vanya's meet cute is rudely interrupted by their parents longstanding history of animosity, not that anyone's doing any explaining. With the competition as the backdrop, Naz and Vanya explore their chemistry and connection while maintaining a cordial facade in front of their parents.
A lighthearted love story steeped in adoration of family, food, and culture, this book is an undeniable stunner. Taleen Voskuni's command of characters and ability to encapsulate every immigrant family dynamic through the specific lens of Armenian families made this book so so relatable yet so individual and unique.
I LOVED IT.
The story is a loose sapphic reimagining of Romeo and Juliet set in Chicago during a packaged food conference where our two families, both alike in culture and dignity, are paired to work together while also competing against each other in a cooking contest. Nazeli and Vanya's meet cute is rudely interrupted by their parents longstanding history of animosity, not that anyone's doing any explaining. With the competition as the backdrop, Naz and Vanya explore their chemistry and connection while maintaining a cordial facade in front of their parents.
A lighthearted love story steeped in adoration of family, food, and culture, this book is an undeniable stunner. Taleen Voskuni's command of characters and ability to encapsulate every immigrant family dynamic through the specific lens of Armenian families made this book so so relatable yet so individual and unique.
I LOVED IT.
December 18, 2023
Oh my gosh, this is one of the best books I've read all year? Definitely in the top 3 of 2023! Ellie and Vanya are such beautiful characters. The plot was so funny and romantic.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!
May 8, 2024
OMG the cover is serving 😍😍😍😍😍😍
May 7, 2024
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
Ellie works a tech marketing job and is currently about to present her pitch — Operation Wolf — in the hopes of landing a promotion. She has a good team, a demanding boss, and Kyle, her boyfriend, who … really doesn’t seem to want to spend time with her. His excuse is because they both work for the same company, even though they both work on different teams and there’s nothing against lateral relationships. Today, on the day of Ellie’s big presentation, Kyle dumps her.
Ellie is the narrator of this story and, to be honest, isn’t the most likable character. She wants to be more involved with her parent’s business, but her interest seems to be in changing what they have to something she thinks is better. While she may be right, her parents are less interested in changing things than they are having their daughter be a part of their lives. Ellie loves her parents, which is evident in every moment the three of them are on page, and looks on with approval and pleasure as she sees that Vanya is just as devoted and loving to her own parents.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
4 stars
Ellie works a tech marketing job and is currently about to present her pitch — Operation Wolf — in the hopes of landing a promotion. She has a good team, a demanding boss, and Kyle, her boyfriend, who … really doesn’t seem to want to spend time with her. His excuse is because they both work for the same company, even though they both work on different teams and there’s nothing against lateral relationships. Today, on the day of Ellie’s big presentation, Kyle dumps her.
Ellie is the narrator of this story and, to be honest, isn’t the most likable character. She wants to be more involved with her parent’s business, but her interest seems to be in changing what they have to something she thinks is better. While she may be right, her parents are less interested in changing things than they are having their daughter be a part of their lives. Ellie loves her parents, which is evident in every moment the three of them are on page, and looks on with approval and pleasure as she sees that Vanya is just as devoted and loving to her own parents.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
July 26, 2025
this book was really cute! i felt like the more central plot point was more to do with Nazeli and Vanya’s parents and the relationship between the families than the romance though. i really enjoyed how this book discussed Armenian culture and food, i thought that was well done. Nazeli’s boss was god awful and i really felt for her during the book, im glad she quit her job in the end. i felt like romance between Nazeli and Vanya wasn’t super developed, because much of the book was spent on the cooking competition, but what we did see of them was really sweet, and i liked the parts with the rainbow cupcakes and the spa.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2024
Enjoyable Sapphic romance of two daughters and the rivalry between their parents, unknown to them.
Nazeli - deep in a work project with the hope of an impressive promotion, joins her parents at the annual PakCon in Chicago. She meets Vanya - also from the Bay area, yet they have never met. But their parents seem to know each other.
The women get to know each other while their parents sling cheap shots, both families desperate to win for their own reasons.
I really enjoyed this story!
Nazeli - deep in a work project with the hope of an impressive promotion, joins her parents at the annual PakCon in Chicago. She meets Vanya - also from the Bay area, yet they have never met. But their parents seem to know each other.
The women get to know each other while their parents sling cheap shots, both families desperate to win for their own reasons.
I really enjoyed this story!
May 8, 2024
THIS BOOK. If you love enemies to lovers, both funny and sexy banter, and competitions - this sapphic Armenian romcom belongs on your shelf.
And the way Voskuni writes highly relateable bisexual fmcs has my heart. Her books have both made me feel seen.
But did the ex really need to be named Kyle though? Did me and Nazeli really have to have that in common???
*sigh* It’s okay, Taleen, you had no way of knowing.
I enjoyed reading this book so much and I’m super excited for its release May 7th! 10/10 recommend.
And the way Voskuni writes highly relateable bisexual fmcs has my heart. Her books have both made me feel seen.
But did the ex really need to be named Kyle though? Did me and Nazeli really have to have that in common???
*sigh* It’s okay, Taleen, you had no way of knowing.
I enjoyed reading this book so much and I’m super excited for its release May 7th! 10/10 recommend.
August 3, 2024
There was so much to love in this book!! It was a fast read, cute, rompy, the stakes were high, and the plot was solid. It was so full of queer joy, bi rep & of course Armenian touches that just really did it for me.
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