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Sorry, Bro
An Armenian-American woman rediscovers her roots and embraces who she really is in this vibrant and heartfelt queer rom-com by debut author Taleen Voskuni.
When Nar’s non-Armenian boyfriend gets down on one knee and proposes to her in front of a room full of drunk San Francisco tech boys, she realizes it’s time to find someone who shares her idea of romance.
Enter her mother: armed with plenty of mom-guilt and a spreadsheet of Facebook-stalked Armenian men, she convinces Nar to attend Explore Armenia, a month-long series of events in the city. But it’s not the mom-approved playboy doctor or wealthy engineer who catches her eye—it’s Erebuni, a woman as equally immersed in the witchy arts as she is in preserving Armenian identity. Suddenly, with Erebuni as her wingwoman, the events feel like far less of a chore, and much more of an adventure. Who knew cooking up kuftes together could be so . . . sexy?
Erebuni helps Nar see the beauty of their shared culture and makes her feel understood in a way she never has before. But there’s one teeny problem: Nar’s not exactly out as bisexual. The clock is ticking on Nar’s double life, though—the closing event banquet is coming up, and her entire extended family will be there, along with Erebuni. Her worlds will inevitably collide, but Nar is determined to be brave, determined to claim her happiness: proudly Armenian, proudly bisexual, and proudly herself for the first time in her life.
When Nar’s non-Armenian boyfriend gets down on one knee and proposes to her in front of a room full of drunk San Francisco tech boys, she realizes it’s time to find someone who shares her idea of romance.
Enter her mother: armed with plenty of mom-guilt and a spreadsheet of Facebook-stalked Armenian men, she convinces Nar to attend Explore Armenia, a month-long series of events in the city. But it’s not the mom-approved playboy doctor or wealthy engineer who catches her eye—it’s Erebuni, a woman as equally immersed in the witchy arts as she is in preserving Armenian identity. Suddenly, with Erebuni as her wingwoman, the events feel like far less of a chore, and much more of an adventure. Who knew cooking up kuftes together could be so . . . sexy?
Erebuni helps Nar see the beauty of their shared culture and makes her feel understood in a way she never has before. But there’s one teeny problem: Nar’s not exactly out as bisexual. The clock is ticking on Nar’s double life, though—the closing event banquet is coming up, and her entire extended family will be there, along with Erebuni. Her worlds will inevitably collide, but Nar is determined to be brave, determined to claim her happiness: proudly Armenian, proudly bisexual, and proudly herself for the first time in her life.
354 pages, Paperback
First published January 31, 2023
330 people are currently reading
24062 people want to read
About the author
Taleen Voskuni
5 books384 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,187 reviews
January 20, 2023
I wrote this book!! I poured my Armenian-American soul into this manuscript, and had the best time ever writing it, so I hope readers will enjoy it too. Edited to add: this book is a little more "a woman's journey" than it is a classic romance.
It has:
+ Queer characters (f/f)
+ Like at first sight
+ Family drama
+ Armenian FOOD! Dancing! Brandy tasting!
+ Grappling with identity
+ A flirty scene involving Armenian coffee
If this sounds up your alley, I hope you'll check it out!
It has:
+ Queer characters (f/f)
+ Like at first sight
+ Family drama
+ Armenian FOOD! Dancing! Brandy tasting!
+ Grappling with identity
+ A flirty scene involving Armenian coffee
If this sounds up your alley, I hope you'll check it out!
April 27, 2023
first: this is the most insane title of any novel i've ever seen in my life.
second: actual book stuff.
the armenian culture in this was fascinating, deftly entwined in the story, and wonderfully written...but unfortunately, the other parts didn't work for me.
the romance fell flat, and i couldn't root for our main character, who was constantly lying, borderline cheating, and putting herself above everyone else. i thought some of the things she did were unforgivable, and she was very easily forgiven, with essentially no character development.
also, i don't like authors who post about reviews. i just don't.
bottom line: not for me!
2.5 + thanks to the publisher for the e-arc
second: actual book stuff.
the armenian culture in this was fascinating, deftly entwined in the story, and wonderfully written...but unfortunately, the other parts didn't work for me.
the romance fell flat, and i couldn't root for our main character, who was constantly lying, borderline cheating, and putting herself above everyone else. i thought some of the things she did were unforgivable, and she was very easily forgiven, with essentially no character development.
also, i don't like authors who post about reviews. i just don't.
bottom line: not for me!
2.5 + thanks to the publisher for the e-arc
October 4, 2022
EDIT: Because the author found my review and decided to subtweet it and misrepresent what I was trying to say, I want to take the time to clear some things up. And also to reiterate that reviews are for readers, not authors, and this is a sure way to make sure I never pick up a book from them again. When I say I thought the book felt heavyhanded, I did NOT mean that it shouldn't have discussed the Armenian genocide. Of course there should be a place for important topics like these in romcoms. All I meant was that it should still feel like a romcom when it's marketed as such, and to me, it didn't, because almost every interaction and relationship in this book felt really tense, and I felt like the book was really dragged down by that. I wanted to point this out because I want people to go in with the right expectations.
Original review: This book sounded SO good, but in the end it's one of those books I should have DNFd when I wanted to. I kept hoping I would start to enjoy it more, but I unfortunately didn't. Mainly that's because this book has a very different tone from what I personally want out of a romcom. I read romance and romcoms to relax and feel happy, but this book only made me feel tense and bored. Which is not to say that a romcom shouldn't be allowed to discuss more serious topics, just that I felt like everything felt so heavyhanded, even the parts that could have felt more lighthearted. I also didn't like how the third act conflict was resolved. I wouldn't say I thought the reason for the conflict was completely unforgivable, but it could have been, because it was BAD, and I just felt like it was resolved way too easily.
Original review: This book sounded SO good, but in the end it's one of those books I should have DNFd when I wanted to. I kept hoping I would start to enjoy it more, but I unfortunately didn't. Mainly that's because this book has a very different tone from what I personally want out of a romcom. I read romance and romcoms to relax and feel happy, but this book only made me feel tense and bored. Which is not to say that a romcom shouldn't be allowed to discuss more serious topics, just that I felt like everything felt so heavyhanded, even the parts that could have felt more lighthearted. I also didn't like how the third act conflict was resolved. I wouldn't say I thought the reason for the conflict was completely unforgivable, but it could have been, because it was BAD, and I just felt like it was resolved way too easily.
February 28, 2023
this book was tough. i LOVED the Armenian culture included and i loved the family and side characters, they made the story feel richer for sure. but the romance? and the main female protag? hard to like.
not every character has to be perfect but i do need to be able to understand or sympathize with their decisions. but Nar had some big dumb ass moments that didn't seem to gel with who she is supposed to be. like afraid to stick up for herself but also defies her boss in a big way? idk felt inconsistent. and the way she treated her love interest... good lord. cowardly and fucked up.
and at moments i rooted for the romance but the majority of the time i was confused. Nar wanted to date this girl SO BAD and then we see pretty much no relationship development. something that seems pretty normal for traditionally published romance. there's like maybe a date or 2 but that's it.
the ending tho was incredibly satisfying. i did get mildly emo. so i have no idea how to rate this one so i'll settle on a 3.
not every character has to be perfect but i do need to be able to understand or sympathize with their decisions. but Nar had some big dumb ass moments that didn't seem to gel with who she is supposed to be. like afraid to stick up for herself but also defies her boss in a big way? idk felt inconsistent. and the way she treated her love interest... good lord. cowardly and fucked up.
and at moments i rooted for the romance but the majority of the time i was confused. Nar wanted to date this girl SO BAD and then we see pretty much no relationship development. something that seems pretty normal for traditionally published romance. there's like maybe a date or 2 but that's it.
the ending tho was incredibly satisfying. i did get mildly emo. so i have no idea how to rate this one so i'll settle on a 3.
Read
February 27, 2023A contemporary romance with two Armenian-American women. Nareh's father wanted to assimilate and distanced her from her Armenian heritage, but she has enough cultural weight pressing on her that, despite living in San Francisco and being a moderately successful reporter, she's weighed down by her mother's expectations of heterosexuality, marriage, and kids. The book starts with her white preppy US boyfriend (who has a weird German cultural fetish) proposing to her. Erebuni is a proud Armenian who works in genocide education, trying to make people learn about and acknowledge the Armenian genocide of the early 20th century--which, the book shows powerfully, an amazing number of people don't want to hear about, including Nareh.
Nareh needs to embrace her bisexuality and her cultural identity, but she's not prepared to risk anything she's got (her boyfriend, her mother's approval, her job in a news station that really doesn't care about Armenian issues) for what she wants. Unfortunately, when she gets together with Erebuni, she's also not prepared to risk their wonderful new relationship by telling her the truth about being kind of engaged.
This one was a bit of a curate's egg for me. I loved the depiction of Armenian culture, and the history. Erebuni's work is fascinating and the interrupted lecture scene by genocide deniers is intense. The sense of being part of a reluctant diaspora is brilliantly done, and in general the physicality and sense of place are great. Nareh is a flawed character, very convincingly so, screwed up and vacillating, desperate to please and very much needing to pick a side. We don't get so much sense of Erebuni except through Nareh's adoring eyes (it's single POV) but she's passionate and extremely, almost excessively understanding. The romance is quite slow burn and closed door, which is fine, and it's all going great ... until Nareh does something that I found 100% unforgivable.
This is one of the shittier moves I have seen a romance character pull, and I honestly didn't want them to get back together afterwards; I didn't think any of the things Nareh did afterwards constituted proof she wouldn't throw Erebuni under the bus again. Others will disagree. We absolutely see Nareh realise she has to sort herself out and start working on herself. Erebuni forgives her. Plus I don't come from a culture where it's imperative to please parents at all costs, and I can well imagine this sequence landing entirely differently with people whose emotional scales are differently weighted. But, for me, in a book that's all about the need for community and mutual support and loyalty to survive a deeply hostile world, Nareh's instant 'blame her, not me!' sat really uncomfortably.
YMMV. A really interesting chewy read, in any case, which I'd recommend if you like romance that makes you think and can live with disagreeing. (I have no idea why it's being marketed as a rom-com though, except that apparently everything is a rom-com these days. Publishers.)
Nareh needs to embrace her bisexuality and her cultural identity, but she's not prepared to risk anything she's got (her boyfriend, her mother's approval, her job in a news station that really doesn't care about Armenian issues) for what she wants. Unfortunately, when she gets together with Erebuni, she's also not prepared to risk their wonderful new relationship by telling her the truth about being kind of engaged.
This one was a bit of a curate's egg for me. I loved the depiction of Armenian culture, and the history. Erebuni's work is fascinating and the interrupted lecture scene by genocide deniers is intense. The sense of being part of a reluctant diaspora is brilliantly done, and in general the physicality and sense of place are great. Nareh is a flawed character, very convincingly so, screwed up and vacillating, desperate to please and very much needing to pick a side. We don't get so much sense of Erebuni except through Nareh's adoring eyes (it's single POV) but she's passionate and extremely, almost excessively understanding. The romance is quite slow burn and closed door, which is fine, and it's all going great ... until Nareh does something that I found 100% unforgivable.
This is one of the shittier moves I have seen a romance character pull, and I honestly didn't want them to get back together afterwards; I didn't think any of the things Nareh did afterwards constituted proof she wouldn't throw Erebuni under the bus again. Others will disagree. We absolutely see Nareh realise she has to sort herself out and start working on herself. Erebuni forgives her. Plus I don't come from a culture where it's imperative to please parents at all costs, and I can well imagine this sequence landing entirely differently with people whose emotional scales are differently weighted. But, for me, in a book that's all about the need for community and mutual support and loyalty to survive a deeply hostile world, Nareh's instant 'blame her, not me!' sat really uncomfortably.
YMMV. A really interesting chewy read, in any case, which I'd recommend if you like romance that makes you think and can live with disagreeing. (I have no idea why it's being marketed as a rom-com though, except that apparently everything is a rom-com these days. Publishers.)
September 24, 2022
trigger warnings: alcoholism, car accident, death of parent, grief, sexual content (not explicit), sexual harassment mention, homophobia and biphobia, workplace sexism and misogyny, infidelity
How to succinctly explain my feelings about this without breaking down in public as I type this...maybe I will simply have to accept that I will be that person today.
Taleen Voskuni's debut novel, in my frank opinion, reads like a contemporary classic. Emotive, introspective, something that sticks in your mind for months after finishing, and with just enough kick to spike your curiosity and send you down a research rabbit hole. It's because of this book that I've been actively looking into Armenian culture and the Armenian Genocide. It's a real pitfall of the American Education system and my own resources that topics like this aren't given the light of day or easily searchable without knowing exactly what to look for. Well, I'm here now and I'm doing my due diligence in keeping myself informed.
Pivoting back to the book, as the reader I was sucked in from page one. It's a combination of some spectacularly gripping writing and the ubiquitous nature of overbearing (said with love) ethnic parents that I saw myself in this story immediately. It wasn't the bisexuality or the living at home bit, although those certainly played their part. Reading about a mother who Needs To Know everything and about a tight knit cultural community where you simply Have To Appease the elders is such a relatable aspect of ethnic communities. I was able to feel Nareh's love for her culture, affection and irritation towards her family, and the emotional limbo of being Other in the context of your own culture and in the USA.
This book felt like me. It felt like home. From the dramatic mom to the hidden queerness. Out to a select group of people who feel like a whole universe apart from the closet that you shove yourself in at home.
Nareh is perhaps one of my favourite adult closeted queer characters EVER. Her struggle is so relatable. She wants to be the dutiful daughter but doesn't know if coming out will upset her family. She wants to succeed at work but it's a tussle between doing as she's told or reporting on the stories that revive the passion she had for her job. She wants to be happy with Erebuni but the known cultural stigma against queer people is scary. She's used to comfort, familiarity, and routine and breaking the mould in multiple aspects of her life is a gamble between happiness and loss off things she holds dear. Her entire character arc is the foundation of the book and the story unfolds painfully and beautifully around it.
Erebuni is such a compelling love interest. I understand this book toes the line between romance and literary fiction (evidenced by the fade to black smut which...coming back to certain details of the aftermath had me SCREAMING at the loss). So it makes complete sense that she didn't get a POV but my GOD did I want to read her side of things so bad. I think that's a mark of a solid book that you're left yearning for more. Not because it felt like pieces were missing but because you want to dunk yourself in the book like it's a vat of melty chocolate.
The book beautifully balanced Nareh's time with Erebuni, her family, her workplace conflict, and cultural immersion. Storylines didn't feel overwhelming. It was just the perfect amount of detail to be satisfied while also leaving enough to the imagination that the story lingers beyond its pages.
Lastly, I wanted to take a moment to talk about books like this that are steeped in culture and history that are not represented everywhere you turn. It's evident that the author put a lot of love and her own painful experiences in relation to the Armenian Genocide into the book. While I cannot review those aspects as a cultural outsider, I can educate myself further. Sorry, Bro isn't and mostly importantly shouldn't be your one and only interaction with the Armenian genocide. As a work of fiction, this book serves to reflect one of many experiences. It's for Armenian people to see themselves and feel understood. It's for non Armenians to enjoy and understand. It is NOT your one stop shop for learning. I think perhaps the most respectful thing to do would be to expand your own knowledge of Armenian history beyond this book. I hope that if you decide to pick up this book, that you do some research as a reader.
TLDR: amazing book, very emo, do research and don't exploit.
How to succinctly explain my feelings about this without breaking down in public as I type this...maybe I will simply have to accept that I will be that person today.
Taleen Voskuni's debut novel, in my frank opinion, reads like a contemporary classic. Emotive, introspective, something that sticks in your mind for months after finishing, and with just enough kick to spike your curiosity and send you down a research rabbit hole. It's because of this book that I've been actively looking into Armenian culture and the Armenian Genocide. It's a real pitfall of the American Education system and my own resources that topics like this aren't given the light of day or easily searchable without knowing exactly what to look for. Well, I'm here now and I'm doing my due diligence in keeping myself informed.
Pivoting back to the book, as the reader I was sucked in from page one. It's a combination of some spectacularly gripping writing and the ubiquitous nature of overbearing (said with love) ethnic parents that I saw myself in this story immediately. It wasn't the bisexuality or the living at home bit, although those certainly played their part. Reading about a mother who Needs To Know everything and about a tight knit cultural community where you simply Have To Appease the elders is such a relatable aspect of ethnic communities. I was able to feel Nareh's love for her culture, affection and irritation towards her family, and the emotional limbo of being Other in the context of your own culture and in the USA.
This book felt like me. It felt like home. From the dramatic mom to the hidden queerness. Out to a select group of people who feel like a whole universe apart from the closet that you shove yourself in at home.
Nareh is perhaps one of my favourite adult closeted queer characters EVER. Her struggle is so relatable. She wants to be the dutiful daughter but doesn't know if coming out will upset her family. She wants to succeed at work but it's a tussle between doing as she's told or reporting on the stories that revive the passion she had for her job. She wants to be happy with Erebuni but the known cultural stigma against queer people is scary. She's used to comfort, familiarity, and routine and breaking the mould in multiple aspects of her life is a gamble between happiness and loss off things she holds dear. Her entire character arc is the foundation of the book and the story unfolds painfully and beautifully around it.
Erebuni is such a compelling love interest. I understand this book toes the line between romance and literary fiction (evidenced by the fade to black smut which...coming back to certain details of the aftermath had me SCREAMING at the loss). So it makes complete sense that she didn't get a POV but my GOD did I want to read her side of things so bad. I think that's a mark of a solid book that you're left yearning for more. Not because it felt like pieces were missing but because you want to dunk yourself in the book like it's a vat of melty chocolate.
The book beautifully balanced Nareh's time with Erebuni, her family, her workplace conflict, and cultural immersion. Storylines didn't feel overwhelming. It was just the perfect amount of detail to be satisfied while also leaving enough to the imagination that the story lingers beyond its pages.
Lastly, I wanted to take a moment to talk about books like this that are steeped in culture and history that are not represented everywhere you turn. It's evident that the author put a lot of love and her own painful experiences in relation to the Armenian Genocide into the book. While I cannot review those aspects as a cultural outsider, I can educate myself further. Sorry, Bro isn't and mostly importantly shouldn't be your one and only interaction with the Armenian genocide. As a work of fiction, this book serves to reflect one of many experiences. It's for Armenian people to see themselves and feel understood. It's for non Armenians to enjoy and understand. It is NOT your one stop shop for learning. I think perhaps the most respectful thing to do would be to expand your own knowledge of Armenian history beyond this book. I hope that if you decide to pick up this book, that you do some research as a reader.
TLDR: amazing book, very emo, do research and don't exploit.
September 27, 2024
I have never laughed out loud more reading a book than when I read SORRY, BRO. From the first sentence, Nar draws you in with her wit and then lets you loose on the wild ride that is the perfect Armenian American f/f romcom. Voice! Poignant commentary on the first-gen experience! Hilarious cast of characters! ALL the Armenian aunties! Can we get a “yes, bro”?
And yet. And yet. It’s not just the comedy. As an Armenian American, or any first generation 20 or 30 something, it hits on the ever present question of identity, of navigating a new world against old traditions, of family and loyalty combating self interest and ambition, and of course, love. Swoon.
Voskuni’s craft is sparkling and sly, and you will not be sorry to pick up SORRY, BRO. (Unless you stay up way too late reading.)
And yet. And yet. It’s not just the comedy. As an Armenian American, or any first generation 20 or 30 something, it hits on the ever present question of identity, of navigating a new world against old traditions, of family and loyalty combating self interest and ambition, and of course, love. Swoon.
Voskuni’s craft is sparkling and sly, and you will not be sorry to pick up SORRY, BRO. (Unless you stay up way too late reading.)
February 7, 2023
Sorry, Bro drew me in with the beautiful cover, engaged me with the rich descriptions of Armenian culture and history, but Nareh’s decision making absolutely lost me.
I think the narrator did a great job trying to narrate this into a romcom (she had dynamic timing and enthusiasm), but I don’t think there was enough comedy to mention it in the marketing copy (provided by the publisher in the summary).
The Armenian culture was thoroughly interesting because like Nareh mentioned in the book, I learned absolutely nothing about Armenian culture or the genocide in school. I also really liked Nareh’s journey with her sexuality, and coming out later in life. While she didn’t handle some situations in productive ways, the book did a good job showing just how pivotal coming out was for Nareh’s identity, but also how nuanced and challenging it was at times.
…But that’s where my interest ended. I was actively anticipating the third act break up because Nareh needed to face the consequences of her wild actions. She responded to events in ways that just…made no sense.
Nareh made just about every wrong decision she could have and the plot was a flat line. There were weird blurred infidelity lines and she was horrible to Erebuni. **see spoiler below**
She also made illogical professional decisions? I think there were steps to do with HR and she would’ve totally been right to quit, but she published articles to her work’s website without permission ??? And posted about it on social media??? In terms of wanting to get hired somewhere else I just cannot imagine doing that?????
Overall, the narrator was great and very emotive, but this just wasn’t the book for me. If you draw the line at infidelity or a very unbalanced breakup that is horrible to one character with minimal groveling and accountability from the other…then it’s probably not for you either.
⭐️⭐️.25/5 🌶️*/5
*The book was closed door in the most abrupt and random way. I thought they messed the audiobook up lmao. It was pretty early in the story and just so unexpected. It also did that thing where it shut you out of the sex but wanted you to know just how GREAT the sex was. It wasn’t a slow burn, it was just very fricken random.
**Spoiler: She literally allowed her mother to spread the rumor that Erebuni kissed her without consent and was trying to come on to her. And then she denied it to Erebuni’s face when she literally overheard the entire conversation. I can’t believe they actually ended up together because that’s horrible. She’s the one who said they should kiss in the Photo Booth!!! And Erebuni was like are you sure??? And Nareh was like yeah! And then immediately threw her under the bus. While I understand she wasn’t ready to come out and shouldn’t be forced, I do think she should’ve thought about that before taking the photos. That’s what I mean about her decision making; she was just so impulsive and thought little about how her actions could harm others/herself. **
I think the narrator did a great job trying to narrate this into a romcom (she had dynamic timing and enthusiasm), but I don’t think there was enough comedy to mention it in the marketing copy (provided by the publisher in the summary).
The Armenian culture was thoroughly interesting because like Nareh mentioned in the book, I learned absolutely nothing about Armenian culture or the genocide in school. I also really liked Nareh’s journey with her sexuality, and coming out later in life. While she didn’t handle some situations in productive ways, the book did a good job showing just how pivotal coming out was for Nareh’s identity, but also how nuanced and challenging it was at times.
…But that’s where my interest ended. I was actively anticipating the third act break up because Nareh needed to face the consequences of her wild actions. She responded to events in ways that just…made no sense.
Nareh made just about every wrong decision she could have and the plot was a flat line. There were weird blurred infidelity lines and she was horrible to Erebuni. **see spoiler below**
She also made illogical professional decisions? I think there were steps to do with HR and she would’ve totally been right to quit, but she published articles to her work’s website without permission ??? And posted about it on social media??? In terms of wanting to get hired somewhere else I just cannot imagine doing that?????
Overall, the narrator was great and very emotive, but this just wasn’t the book for me. If you draw the line at infidelity or a very unbalanced breakup that is horrible to one character with minimal groveling and accountability from the other…then it’s probably not for you either.
⭐️⭐️.25/5 🌶️*/5
*The book was closed door in the most abrupt and random way. I thought they messed the audiobook up lmao. It was pretty early in the story and just so unexpected. It also did that thing where it shut you out of the sex but wanted you to know just how GREAT the sex was. It wasn’t a slow burn, it was just very fricken random.
**Spoiler: She literally allowed her mother to spread the rumor that Erebuni kissed her without consent and was trying to come on to her. And then she denied it to Erebuni’s face when she literally overheard the entire conversation. I can’t believe they actually ended up together because that’s horrible. She’s the one who said they should kiss in the Photo Booth!!! And Erebuni was like are you sure??? And Nareh was like yeah! And then immediately threw her under the bus. While I understand she wasn’t ready to come out and shouldn’t be forced, I do think she should’ve thought about that before taking the photos. That’s what I mean about her decision making; she was just so impulsive and thought little about how her actions could harm others/herself. **
July 22, 2022
I absolutely adored this book. I fell in love with the characters and the vibrant Armenian community Voskuni depicts. I raced through this, needing to know what happened next. It’s one of those books that you just want to escape into and live in the world of the book. It’s a must-read and I’ll be buying copies for friends!
July 27, 2022
I was lucky enough to read Sorry Bro early and it was such a treat! Taleen has written a funny, touching book that is clearly a love letter to her Armenian culture and roots. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Nahreh is a heroine you can't help but root for. On a journey of self-discovery, she has to figure out who she is and have the courage to live life as her full authentic self. Nar struggles to balance the expectations placed on her by her family, her community versus what she wants, and battles her own fears and insecurities in the process. I found Nar to be such a relatable character and the evolution of her relationship with Erebuni is touching and sweet. And not without its moments of sheer hilarity and absurdity (in the best way possible!) The secondary characters are also well crafted.
My only criticism (if you can call it that) is that all the descriptions of the food made me SO hungry!
Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Sorry, Bro when it comes out Jan 31, 2023!
Nahreh is a heroine you can't help but root for. On a journey of self-discovery, she has to figure out who she is and have the courage to live life as her full authentic self. Nar struggles to balance the expectations placed on her by her family, her community versus what she wants, and battles her own fears and insecurities in the process. I found Nar to be such a relatable character and the evolution of her relationship with Erebuni is touching and sweet. And not without its moments of sheer hilarity and absurdity (in the best way possible!) The secondary characters are also well crafted.
My only criticism (if you can call it that) is that all the descriptions of the food made me SO hungry!
Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Sorry, Bro when it comes out Jan 31, 2023!
October 5, 2022
This book made me both laugh AND cry, and I don't know how Voskuni managed to do that but I'm going to need to find out her sekrit and use it for myself. I fell in love with SORRY, BRO from the very first line. I was expecting a fluffy, light read, but what I got was a heartfelt, sometimes heartbreaking, a lot of the times hilarious, and above all ROMANTIC read and a deep dive into Armenian culture. The characters are so lovable, I just want to be best friends with all of them. I knew nothing about Armenians going into this and found the book so educational in a very accessible way. This is such a hugely important book, and Voskuni wrote it with so much love and respect and aah!! I just want to hug everyone in it!!
June 29, 2022
If I detailed all the reasons I love SORRY, BRO we’d be here for years, so I’ll do my best to keep it brief.
This is truly one of the most un-put-downable books I’ve ever read! I laughed out loud from page one, and it only gets better from there. Nar has such an engaging and hilarious voice, and her swoon-worthy romance with Erebuni will make you want to abandon everything just to find out what happens next. Nar’s family (especially her mom!), and the beautiful exploration of Armenian culture are the cherries on top of this perfect debut!
tldr: this is an incredible book, and I can’t wait to read all of the other stories Taleen puts into the world!
This is truly one of the most un-put-downable books I’ve ever read! I laughed out loud from page one, and it only gets better from there. Nar has such an engaging and hilarious voice, and her swoon-worthy romance with Erebuni will make you want to abandon everything just to find out what happens next. Nar’s family (especially her mom!), and the beautiful exploration of Armenian culture are the cherries on top of this perfect debut!
tldr: this is an incredible book, and I can’t wait to read all of the other stories Taleen puts into the world!
August 26, 2022
A poignant, sentimental story of love and finding yourself. Nar is a first-rate character and I eagerly enjoyed her journeys of cultural, familial, and self-acceptance. Erebuni's warm compassionate nature touched my heart. And Nar's relationship with her mother really hit home. Top-notch writing and bonus points for the adorable cover.
January 18, 2023
A love story to Armenian culture and that's about it...
Nareh is an Armenian-American woman living in San Francisco. After a botched proposal from her long term boyfriend and frustrating roadblocks at work, Nar is letting her mom set her up on a series of dates to find the perfect Armenian man and take control of her life, but when the woman behind the events catches Nar's eye, well life gets a bit more complicated...
I wanted to love this one! It showcases the vibrant Armenian culture as well as the tragic history in a personal way. It also shows the beauty of coming out on your time, in your way.
...but it's not enough to save this one.
What I Struggled With:
- Pacing. Nothing happens for the beginning 80% of the book. It's a lot of back story of Nareh's work, her mother's solitude, her father's death, and her cousin's wedding. Rinse and repeat. It leaves very little room for romance or to truly get to know any of the characters including the MC. Due to the off pacing, the last 20% is where (obvious) conflict (lying/cheating) is present and then immediately resolved. It made for an overall boring read early on that you makes you just want to get to where you know its going.
-The Main Character. Even after more than 300 pages in her head, I don't feel like I truly understood Nareh or any of her actions. Jumping from relationship to relationship. Having no backbone in the beginning to suddenly having one in the end. Having ZERO friends outside of the ones she randomly makes midway into the book. And just overall kind of a forgettable character. I can't say I was rooting for her, because I didn't really know her past her long hair and questionable dating habits.
- The Romance. There is little to no romance/tension for the first half of the book. And due to that, we barely get to know Erebuni (the love interest) at all, which again is frustrating because who am I rooting for if I don't know anyone?? That's what makes it weird when it goes from one or two heated glances to a kiss to BOOM in bed post s*x in the matter of one chapter?? Another reason this romance doesn't work and I don't buy into it is because Nar's boyfriend, who she doesn't truly cut ties with post proposal, is still hanging in the back of her mind as an option too! The back and forth plays into the really gross stereotype surrounding bisexual people being promiscuous and having your cake and eating it too.
- Plot. Too much going on. Positioned as a romance, we get too much about Nar's dad's gruesome death, her dad's internalized issues towards his culture, her mom's solidtude, her cousin's wedding planning, too many named side characters we see once or twice, Trevor being in Germany, her Nene's past life, etc. Too many side plots and back stories that the main plot/romance feels like an afterthought that play catch up to in the back end of the book.
-Title. The title makes zero sense. No relation to anything that happens in the book except that she chooses a woman instead of a "bro"?? Idk. It's a stretch.
I may be an outlier here, so check this one out if you're interested!
Thank you Berkley Romance for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
Nareh is an Armenian-American woman living in San Francisco. After a botched proposal from her long term boyfriend and frustrating roadblocks at work, Nar is letting her mom set her up on a series of dates to find the perfect Armenian man and take control of her life, but when the woman behind the events catches Nar's eye, well life gets a bit more complicated...
I wanted to love this one! It showcases the vibrant Armenian culture as well as the tragic history in a personal way. It also shows the beauty of coming out on your time, in your way.
...but it's not enough to save this one.
What I Struggled With:
- Pacing. Nothing happens for the beginning 80% of the book. It's a lot of back story of Nareh's work, her mother's solitude, her father's death, and her cousin's wedding. Rinse and repeat. It leaves very little room for romance or to truly get to know any of the characters including the MC. Due to the off pacing, the last 20% is where (obvious) conflict (lying/cheating) is present and then immediately resolved. It made for an overall boring read early on that you makes you just want to get to where you know its going.
-The Main Character. Even after more than 300 pages in her head, I don't feel like I truly understood Nareh or any of her actions. Jumping from relationship to relationship. Having no backbone in the beginning to suddenly having one in the end. Having ZERO friends outside of the ones she randomly makes midway into the book. And just overall kind of a forgettable character. I can't say I was rooting for her, because I didn't really know her past her long hair and questionable dating habits.
- The Romance. There is little to no romance/tension for the first half of the book. And due to that, we barely get to know Erebuni (the love interest) at all, which again is frustrating because who am I rooting for if I don't know anyone?? That's what makes it weird when it goes from one or two heated glances to a kiss to BOOM in bed post s*x in the matter of one chapter?? Another reason this romance doesn't work and I don't buy into it is because Nar's boyfriend, who she doesn't truly cut ties with post proposal, is still hanging in the back of her mind as an option too! The back and forth plays into the really gross stereotype surrounding bisexual people being promiscuous and having your cake and eating it too.
- Plot. Too much going on. Positioned as a romance, we get too much about Nar's dad's gruesome death, her dad's internalized issues towards his culture, her mom's solidtude, her cousin's wedding planning, too many named side characters we see once or twice, Trevor being in Germany, her Nene's past life, etc. Too many side plots and back stories that the main plot/romance feels like an afterthought that play catch up to in the back end of the book.
-Title. The title makes zero sense. No relation to anything that happens in the book except that she chooses a woman instead of a "bro"?? Idk. It's a stretch.
I may be an outlier here, so check this one out if you're interested!
Thank you Berkley Romance for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
September 8, 2022
I can't believe that I have to try to put my love for this book into writing... Taleen's debut sapphic Armenian love story was everything I didn't know I needed in my life. This book was solid gold, no literally. The notes that I took while reading consist of the following:
- Food. Oh my god the food. SO Much food. I need to find an Armenian restaurant ASAP.
- Gold and floral vibes on every page. Lavish and lush
- apricots and pomegranates - already my favourite now I love even more?
Erebuni and Nareh are two of my favourite characters that I've ever read. The passion that Erebuni has for their shared culture and history was so inspiring and I can't imagine how meaningful this book will be to Armenian readers because it was for me. Taleen's love for her culture shines through in every page of this story and definitely inspired me to look into the history of Armenia.
The exploration of sexuality and coming out was so meaningful to me as well. I think Taleen handled it with so much care and as messy as it was, it was real and beautiful.
I adore this book with every fiber of my being and I hope that everyone loves this as much as I did.
CWs for this book: internalized and externalized homophobia and biphobia, coming out, mentions of genocide, sexism in the workplace, death of a parent (past) and debt.
- Food. Oh my god the food. SO Much food. I need to find an Armenian restaurant ASAP.
- Gold and floral vibes on every page. Lavish and lush
- apricots and pomegranates - already my favourite now I love even more?
Erebuni and Nareh are two of my favourite characters that I've ever read. The passion that Erebuni has for their shared culture and history was so inspiring and I can't imagine how meaningful this book will be to Armenian readers because it was for me. Taleen's love for her culture shines through in every page of this story and definitely inspired me to look into the history of Armenia.
The exploration of sexuality and coming out was so meaningful to me as well. I think Taleen handled it with so much care and as messy as it was, it was real and beautiful.
I adore this book with every fiber of my being and I hope that everyone loves this as much as I did.
CWs for this book: internalized and externalized homophobia and biphobia, coming out, mentions of genocide, sexism in the workplace, death of a parent (past) and debt.
July 23, 2024
When her All-American boyfriend subjects her to the worst proposal possible, Nareh Bedrossian realises that she’s not living the life she wants. After kind of breaking up with a man her father loved, she decides to give her mom’s way a try and agrees to attend the Explore Armenia events, checking out all the men her mom vets for her. It’s not a man who catches her attention, however.
I have to admit I know almost nothing about the Armenian people and culture, much less Armenian Americans, and Sorry, Bro opened a door that I probably wouldn’t have found otherwise.
Nar is a people pleaser, which makes her conflict-averse, creates impossible situations at work—she’s a junior journalist with a local TV channel—and with her family that sometimes have dramatic repercussions on her love life. She’s frustrating at times, but what makes it okay is that she’s frustrated with herself as well. She’s a work in progress, she allows herself to grow, to right wrongs, to do better. Erebuni is way ahead of her when it comes to accepting herself, to being out as queer, and also to feeling comfortable with her cultural background, the old country, her community.
She’s also understanding and kind. And it feels as if she would be even if she wasn’t falling for Nar.
I was so invested in the two of them that I cried “no!” out loud at one point (it’s so hard not to spoil!). However, even though I love Nar and Erebuni, Nar’s mom and grandma stole the show for me. A widow, Nar’s mom is a very loving and strong woman, and I could relate completely to her daughter’s worry about disappointing her.
I loved this story and one reason I enjoyed it so much is the narration. I had to speed it up a little (once again I blame my inability to focus), but I love the warmth Christine Mirzayan injected, the different voices, all of it. The narration really does justice to the love and tenderness the author clearly feels for her characters.
As soon as I finished listening, I added the author’s next audiobook to my list and I hope to listen in the near future. 4.5⭐️
Video review: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9FUyV...
Read all my reviews on my website (and please get your books from the affiliation links!): Jude in the Stars
May 19, 2023
Bummed to report, kids, that we have another stinker on our hands! This one might possibly, if I'm being extra generous, rise as high as 2.5 stars, but that's really the best it can hope for, because oh my goodness what a whole entire mess.
First, the writing style of this is deeply obnoxious, full of little asides about Taylor Swift being this woman's mortal enemy (which, ??? I'm not a Taylor fan myself but don't you have better things to do???) and how a university campus looks "academic" (which, a. what does that even mean and b. is followed by a witty little aside about "well, it IS a college, so good job," so hope the author didn't strain her arm patting herself on the back for that one) and how the love interest is four whole years older than her but it's okay because their brains' risk centers have solidified (which ... barf, oh my god, please get out of age gap Twitter discourse ASAP, it's for your own health I promise) and just ... so many other random unrelated notes that feel like a stream-of-consciousness blog post rather than a published book. And because it's first person, it made me like the narrator less because this is ostensibly her own voice.
And speaking of which, I sure didn't need the help to like Nareh any less! She's 27 but she's so wishy-washy and passive that she reads way younger. So much of the conflict is set in motion entirely by her not taking action on things she really, really should -- it's a little more understandable with her job, but she never fully breaks up with Trevor or decides firmly that she's not going to marry him, then she doesn't properly commit to Erebuni, then she panics and blows things up with her family because she can't tell them the truth about anything ... like, jesus, woman, I understand being indecisive but holy fuck you are letting time and other people fully run your life! It is not even remotely sympathetic! By the time The Big Thing happened I had fully tipped over into finding her unbearable, and even the ending came about largely through the kindness and goodwill of others, very little because of her own finally taking charge of her life. So, so obnoxious. (I will say that Erebuni is an absolutely delightful love interest and I adored her, but as usual when something like this happens, I had absolutely no idea what about Nareh would even begin to appeal to someone as cool and interesting as she was, and actually thought a little less of her for being so into Nareh, ha.) (Also, it was so wild to me that this only took place over, like, two weeks?? Talk about your U-Hauling, lmao. Things got SO INTENSE SO QUICKLY and so little of importance was brought up!!) (Also also, I'm throwing a bunch of critiques in here because they don't fully merit their own paragraph, ha, but it made me nuts that Trevor was actually mostly decent, if somewhat annoying and a little inconsiderate, on page, and all of the worst parts of him were things we just heard Nareh remembering about him. That's not the way to get me to think this relationship is terrible and doomed! It was SUCH a clumsy way to discredit him as a romantic interest.)
Otherwise, this was decently readable and centering it around an Armenian cultural event series was a great way to smoothly incorporate so many aspects of Armenian culture and history, and I appreciate reading from a point of view I don't see very much about. But ugh, the narrative voice and the unsympathetic protagonist are simply too much for me to fully get over. By about halfway through I knew this wouldn't be more than 3 stars; by the time The Big Thing happened (and seriously, oh my god, what the fuck), it was fully down to 2. This was not a good book.
First, the writing style of this is deeply obnoxious, full of little asides about Taylor Swift being this woman's mortal enemy (which, ??? I'm not a Taylor fan myself but don't you have better things to do???) and how a university campus looks "academic" (which, a. what does that even mean and b. is followed by a witty little aside about "well, it IS a college, so good job," so hope the author didn't strain her arm patting herself on the back for that one) and how the love interest is four whole years older than her but it's okay because their brains' risk centers have solidified (which ... barf, oh my god, please get out of age gap Twitter discourse ASAP, it's for your own health I promise) and just ... so many other random unrelated notes that feel like a stream-of-consciousness blog post rather than a published book. And because it's first person, it made me like the narrator less because this is ostensibly her own voice.
And speaking of which, I sure didn't need the help to like Nareh any less! She's 27 but she's so wishy-washy and passive that she reads way younger. So much of the conflict is set in motion entirely by her not taking action on things she really, really should -- it's a little more understandable with her job, but she never fully breaks up with Trevor or decides firmly that she's not going to marry him, then she doesn't properly commit to Erebuni, then she panics and blows things up with her family because she can't tell them the truth about anything ... like, jesus, woman, I understand being indecisive but holy fuck you are letting time and other people fully run your life! It is not even remotely sympathetic! By the time The Big Thing happened I had fully tipped over into finding her unbearable, and even the ending came about largely through the kindness and goodwill of others, very little because of her own finally taking charge of her life. So, so obnoxious. (I will say that Erebuni is an absolutely delightful love interest and I adored her, but as usual when something like this happens, I had absolutely no idea what about Nareh would even begin to appeal to someone as cool and interesting as she was, and actually thought a little less of her for being so into Nareh, ha.) (Also, it was so wild to me that this only took place over, like, two weeks?? Talk about your U-Hauling, lmao. Things got SO INTENSE SO QUICKLY and so little of importance was brought up!!) (Also also, I'm throwing a bunch of critiques in here because they don't fully merit their own paragraph, ha, but it made me nuts that Trevor was actually mostly decent, if somewhat annoying and a little inconsiderate, on page, and all of the worst parts of him were things we just heard Nareh remembering about him. That's not the way to get me to think this relationship is terrible and doomed! It was SUCH a clumsy way to discredit him as a romantic interest.)
Otherwise, this was decently readable and centering it around an Armenian cultural event series was a great way to smoothly incorporate so many aspects of Armenian culture and history, and I appreciate reading from a point of view I don't see very much about. But ugh, the narrative voice and the unsympathetic protagonist are simply too much for me to fully get over. By about halfway through I knew this wouldn't be more than 3 stars; by the time The Big Thing happened (and seriously, oh my god, what the fuck), it was fully down to 2. This was not a good book.
August 8, 2022
This review was first published on Korey B.
Taleen Voskuni’s Sorry, Bro is a witty, engaging story of love, identity, and balancing the needs of family and community with a desire for true love.
There’s much to enjoy about Sorry, Bro. The characters are charming, the culture is deep, and the romance is touching. Voskuni’s lively tale of Nar finding love, both with her partner and herself, is humorous and heartfelt. The author’s liberal application of her Armenian heritage breathed new life into some familiar rom-com tropes, especially the overbearing mother, and my family/community doesn’t accept me elements. By focusing as much on Nar finding herself and her community as it is on finding love, Voskuni crafted a delightful tale that is more than your ordinary girl-meets-girl romance. Nar is an endearing character, and her journey of discovering what her Armenian heritage means was fascinating. Voskuni’s sparkling prose was chef’s kiss.
This book contains extensive mentions of war and genocide. There is also homophobia/biphobia, sexism, and mentions of the death of a parent.
Taleen Voskuni’s Sorry, Bro is a witty, engaging story of love, identity, and balancing the needs of family and community with a desire for true love.
There’s much to enjoy about Sorry, Bro. The characters are charming, the culture is deep, and the romance is touching. Voskuni’s lively tale of Nar finding love, both with her partner and herself, is humorous and heartfelt. The author’s liberal application of her Armenian heritage breathed new life into some familiar rom-com tropes, especially the overbearing mother, and my family/community doesn’t accept me elements. By focusing as much on Nar finding herself and her community as it is on finding love, Voskuni crafted a delightful tale that is more than your ordinary girl-meets-girl romance. Nar is an endearing character, and her journey of discovering what her Armenian heritage means was fascinating. Voskuni’s sparkling prose was chef’s kiss.
This book contains extensive mentions of war and genocide. There is also homophobia/biphobia, sexism, and mentions of the death of a parent.
October 5, 2022
There were things about this book that I really enjoyed and admired, and others that didn't work as well for me. I guess I'll start with the former and then talk a bit about the latter.
In terms of what I enjoyed, first and foremost is the representation of the Armenian community and culture. Almost everything presented here was new to me, and I sincerely loved reading and learning about it. You could feel how much love and care was put into this element of the book. I especially enjoyed all the Armenian words and phrases used throughout, though I wish the editor had been a bit more consistent about whether and how they were going to be glossed (this is a very personal bugbear of mine that will probably bother nobody else).
The cultural rep was integral to the central conflict as well, in a way that felt unique. The story opens as the POV protagonist Nareh is being surprise-proposed-to by her (non-Armenian) boyfriend Trevor. She's not thrilled about it, and the two of them put the relationship on ice for a bit while he heads off to Germany for work. In the meantime, Nareh realizes that dating Trevor has made her feel alienated from her family and her Armenian culture, and that she might be able to rekindle that connection by dating an Armenian. Luckily (lol) her mother has LOTS of ideas about Armenian men she could date. While Nareh is cycling through a list of increasingly dire prospects, she meets and falls in love with Erebuni, an Armenian woman.
Watching Nareh struggle with the idea that dating an Armenian might bring her closer to her mother and her broader community, but that coming out as bi and dating a woman might not be accepted by them, made for a fairly compelling conflict. I mean, for me personally, "wanting to date to please your parents" is, like, 0% relatable or important, but the book entirely sold me on why it was important to the characters, which is what matters. I obviously cannot speak to the accuracy of how homophobia in the Armenian community was portrayed here but... it felt to me like the book avoided caricaturing an entire culture as intolerant, while still being honest about how homophobia is experienced differently across different cultural backgrounds. In particular, the contrast between Nareh's mother and her (deceased) father did some interesting work. Nareh's mother has some heteronormative ideas about her daughter's future that are tied to meeting the cultural expectations of the Armenian community, while her father (who wanted very much to assimilate to American culture) wanted his daughter to adhere to a heteronormative version of the American Dream. Nareh really has to climb out from under the expectations of both parents, one whom she's trying to get closer to and one whom she's trying to grieve. There was clearly a lot of thought and detail about how heteronormativity gets culturally coded here, which was impressive for a book that had a lot of other things going on.
Still, there was a lot about this book that just didn't work for me. Most of which I would describe as elements that were uneven, which might come down to a combination of needing stronger editing, and being a debut. The prose style struck me as inconsistent- there were times where Nareh did this very voicey "I'm talking directly to you, reader" thing, but it was infrequent enough that every time it popped up I got borderline startled by it. The pacing was off as well: very little happened to move the plot forward for the first 70% of the book, and then in the span of one chapter . ONE CHAPTER! And there was nowhere near enough time to deal with the fallout, some of which had to be pretty emotionally intense.
The characterization of Nareh and Erebuni also felt weak. Nareh was a blank slate outside of her feelings about her family: I didn't know what else she liked, what her personality traits were, if she had hobbies or friends other than her cousin, what she cared about. We're told that her job as a reporter makes her good at talking to people, but in social situations she seemed to largely just create awkward moments for plot reasons? I never felt like I knew her in any specific way. Erebuni was also vague, though I was willing to put up with that more because we weren't in her POV.
The book is closed door, which worked fine for the mood and tone of the book except... every time the door "reopened" Nareh was bragging exaggeratedly about what a mind-blowing sex goddess she is (despite the fact that she's supposed to be quite inexperienced with women). In general, even when sex isn't on the page, what is reported (or not) about it does important character work, and I'm not sure what was accomplished by "we've never once had to communicate about sex, I just have inherent sex superpowers."
There are a few CWs I would mention for potential future readers. There were times this book came down on the side of "no matter how intolerant your family members are, you have to love them unconditionally." This isn't how I feel personally, and I know intimately how heavy the social pressure to just accept the intolerance of family members can be. Those moments were hard to read, so take care if that might be hard for you too. The other thing to mention is that, in part because Erebuni is an activist and educator about the Armenian genocide, that topic is discussed extensively. I thought the author did a great job of explaining why it's so important not to just leave that topic in the past, or to act like it can't be discussed. As such, its inclusion in an otherwise lighthearted book still felt warranted. However, there is a very intense scene where aggressive genocide deniers show up at a lecture Erebuni is hosting and Nareh is attending. Again, do take care if you might find that hard to read.
Other CWs include: homophobia, sexism, workplace microaggressions, death of parent (in past), threat of forced outing (mostly averted in the moment)
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
In terms of what I enjoyed, first and foremost is the representation of the Armenian community and culture. Almost everything presented here was new to me, and I sincerely loved reading and learning about it. You could feel how much love and care was put into this element of the book. I especially enjoyed all the Armenian words and phrases used throughout, though I wish the editor had been a bit more consistent about whether and how they were going to be glossed (this is a very personal bugbear of mine that will probably bother nobody else).
The cultural rep was integral to the central conflict as well, in a way that felt unique. The story opens as the POV protagonist Nareh is being surprise-proposed-to by her (non-Armenian) boyfriend Trevor. She's not thrilled about it, and the two of them put the relationship on ice for a bit while he heads off to Germany for work. In the meantime, Nareh realizes that dating Trevor has made her feel alienated from her family and her Armenian culture, and that she might be able to rekindle that connection by dating an Armenian. Luckily (lol) her mother has LOTS of ideas about Armenian men she could date. While Nareh is cycling through a list of increasingly dire prospects, she meets and falls in love with Erebuni, an Armenian woman.
Watching Nareh struggle with the idea that dating an Armenian might bring her closer to her mother and her broader community, but that coming out as bi and dating a woman might not be accepted by them, made for a fairly compelling conflict. I mean, for me personally, "wanting to date to please your parents" is, like, 0% relatable or important, but the book entirely sold me on why it was important to the characters, which is what matters. I obviously cannot speak to the accuracy of how homophobia in the Armenian community was portrayed here but... it felt to me like the book avoided caricaturing an entire culture as intolerant, while still being honest about how homophobia is experienced differently across different cultural backgrounds. In particular, the contrast between Nareh's mother and her (deceased) father did some interesting work. Nareh's mother has some heteronormative ideas about her daughter's future that are tied to meeting the cultural expectations of the Armenian community, while her father (who wanted very much to assimilate to American culture) wanted his daughter to adhere to a heteronormative version of the American Dream. Nareh really has to climb out from under the expectations of both parents, one whom she's trying to get closer to and one whom she's trying to grieve. There was clearly a lot of thought and detail about how heteronormativity gets culturally coded here, which was impressive for a book that had a lot of other things going on.
Still, there was a lot about this book that just didn't work for me. Most of which I would describe as elements that were uneven, which might come down to a combination of needing stronger editing, and being a debut. The prose style struck me as inconsistent- there were times where Nareh did this very voicey "I'm talking directly to you, reader" thing, but it was infrequent enough that every time it popped up I got borderline startled by it. The pacing was off as well: very little happened to move the plot forward for the first 70% of the book, and then in the span of one chapter . ONE CHAPTER! And there was nowhere near enough time to deal with the fallout, some of which had to be pretty emotionally intense.
The characterization of Nareh and Erebuni also felt weak. Nareh was a blank slate outside of her feelings about her family: I didn't know what else she liked, what her personality traits were, if she had hobbies or friends other than her cousin, what she cared about. We're told that her job as a reporter makes her good at talking to people, but in social situations she seemed to largely just create awkward moments for plot reasons? I never felt like I knew her in any specific way. Erebuni was also vague, though I was willing to put up with that more because we weren't in her POV.
The book is closed door, which worked fine for the mood and tone of the book except... every time the door "reopened" Nareh was bragging exaggeratedly about what a mind-blowing sex goddess she is (despite the fact that she's supposed to be quite inexperienced with women). In general, even when sex isn't on the page, what is reported (or not) about it does important character work, and I'm not sure what was accomplished by "we've never once had to communicate about sex, I just have inherent sex superpowers."
There are a few CWs I would mention for potential future readers. There were times this book came down on the side of "no matter how intolerant your family members are, you have to love them unconditionally." This isn't how I feel personally, and I know intimately how heavy the social pressure to just accept the intolerance of family members can be. Those moments were hard to read, so take care if that might be hard for you too. The other thing to mention is that, in part because Erebuni is an activist and educator about the Armenian genocide, that topic is discussed extensively. I thought the author did a great job of explaining why it's so important not to just leave that topic in the past, or to act like it can't be discussed. As such, its inclusion in an otherwise lighthearted book still felt warranted. However, there is a very intense scene where aggressive genocide deniers show up at a lecture Erebuni is hosting and Nareh is attending. Again, do take care if you might find that hard to read.
Other CWs include: homophobia, sexism, workplace microaggressions, death of parent (in past), threat of forced outing (mostly averted in the moment)
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
August 17, 2024
This book was a trainwreck but not... a bad one? I loved how messy it is and I loved how the MC was struggling with coming out, especially at a "later" age. I feel like the exploration of that is lacking in romance, or at least, I haven't come across it often. But it did get frustrating at some points with just how messy it got. Overall, I did enjoy it, and the fact that it touched on Armenian history, which is so very little talked about. The romance was also cute, but I feel like we got too little of them actually being together and developping those feeling, so I couldn't get properly invested in it. Another thing that I think might have helped a lot is having Erebuni's point of view. She is such an interesting character and I would have loved to have her voice on page.
July 1, 2022
I regularly interview authors, as part of my (one of three) day jobs. And when I come across an author who is resoundingly warm and kind and generous, I take notice. Taleen is all the above, but add to that incredible talent. Her writing absolutely sings. There’s warmth. There’s humor. And it hustles and bustles with the beauty of life. I highly, highly recommend any and all things written by Taleen Voskuni. 🥰
August 22, 2022
After turning down a marriage proposal from her boyfriend, Nar decides it’s finally time to listen to her mother and try to find an Armenian husband. Conveniently, Explore Armenia is currently going on with events full of eligible men (as determined by Nar’s mom and her spreadsheets). However, it isn’t one of her mom’s bachelors that captures Nar’s heart, but rather a woman named Erebuni. Nar isn’t openly out as bisexual nor is she especially active in the Armenian community- but both of those things might change with her new relationship.
One of my favourite things about this book was the inclusion of Armenian culture and getting to see Nar connect to her heritage. I also found Nar to be quite witty which made the single POV work for me. Although I would have loved to see Erebuni’s POV and get to know her character more!
I did agree with the flaws pointed out by a few other reviewers. I found the pacing to be off at the end of the book and thought some of Nar’s reactions to situations came off as immature. I also think that there could definitely be a better title for this book!
All in all, this was a very enjoyable read and I look forward to seeing what Taleen Voskuni writes in the future!
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the advanced reading copy in return for my honest review!
One of my favourite things about this book was the inclusion of Armenian culture and getting to see Nar connect to her heritage. I also found Nar to be quite witty which made the single POV work for me. Although I would have loved to see Erebuni’s POV and get to know her character more!
I did agree with the flaws pointed out by a few other reviewers. I found the pacing to be off at the end of the book and thought some of Nar’s reactions to situations came off as immature. I also think that there could definitely be a better title for this book!
All in all, this was a very enjoyable read and I look forward to seeing what Taleen Voskuni writes in the future!
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the advanced reading copy in return for my honest review!
February 3, 2023
A charmingly witty and emotionally heartfelt rom-com that, despite delving into some pretty deep subject material (e.g genocide, misogyny & biphobia) still manages to deliver an entertaining and utterly compelling story that I genuinely couldn’t get enough of!
I’ve seen this compared to My Big Fat Greek Wedding, only with Armenian culture/ heritage instead of Greek and I have to say that’s pretty spot on—except loveable protagonist Nareh unlike Toula (from My Big Fat Greek Wedding) doesn’t really want to get married (at least not right now), and would much prefer to date the woman organising the festival she’s attending, than use it to look for a potential husband. But, if you loved the community and culture-centric themes of MBFGW then you’re definitely gonna enjoy this!
I’m not overly familiar with Armenian culture (or the experiences of Armenian Americans in general) so it was really interesting to explore and learn about this rich and vibrant community from the POV of someone who was raised within it. It's also encouraged me to do a little more research into Armenian history and culture.
The descriptions are really well written and most of the characters are all soo endearingly full of personality and life (except Mark, he sucks!) I especially loved Nar’s Nene, who was just so fabulously feisty and had soo many interesting stories (I can definitely see potential for a sequel centred around her.)
It’s also clear to see the love and appreciation Taleen Voskuni has for her community (and heritage) which really shines through in her writing, I honestly loved every exquisitely detailed second of it!
I loved our MC Nareh, whose journey to self-discovery and the struggles she has in regards to accepting both her heritage (which she’s long shunned) and her conflicting feelings surrounding her bisexuality (and the fear surrounding her families’ judgement) was such an emotional experience.
Though I really must admit, I might’ve loved Erebuni just a teeny bit more. She’s an incredibly confident, talented and compassionate person whose love of their shared Armenian culture and really allowed Nar to reevaluate her own relationship with that pet of herself and fall back in love with her heritage. Plus, the romance was just the right amount of swoon-worthy for me to get behind!
I do suggest checking TWs before picking this up, but overall this was a really enjoyable (and emotional) read that romance lovers should definitely check out.
And a huge thank you to Chloe over at Pan MacMillan for the finished copy
I’ve seen this compared to My Big Fat Greek Wedding, only with Armenian culture/ heritage instead of Greek and I have to say that’s pretty spot on—except loveable protagonist Nareh unlike Toula (from My Big Fat Greek Wedding) doesn’t really want to get married (at least not right now), and would much prefer to date the woman organising the festival she’s attending, than use it to look for a potential husband. But, if you loved the community and culture-centric themes of MBFGW then you’re definitely gonna enjoy this!
I’m not overly familiar with Armenian culture (or the experiences of Armenian Americans in general) so it was really interesting to explore and learn about this rich and vibrant community from the POV of someone who was raised within it. It's also encouraged me to do a little more research into Armenian history and culture.
The descriptions are really well written and most of the characters are all soo endearingly full of personality and life (except Mark, he sucks!) I especially loved Nar’s Nene, who was just so fabulously feisty and had soo many interesting stories (I can definitely see potential for a sequel centred around her.)
It’s also clear to see the love and appreciation Taleen Voskuni has for her community (and heritage) which really shines through in her writing, I honestly loved every exquisitely detailed second of it!
I loved our MC Nareh, whose journey to self-discovery and the struggles she has in regards to accepting both her heritage (which she’s long shunned) and her conflicting feelings surrounding her bisexuality (and the fear surrounding her families’ judgement) was such an emotional experience.
Though I really must admit, I might’ve loved Erebuni just a teeny bit more. She’s an incredibly confident, talented and compassionate person whose love of their shared Armenian culture and really allowed Nar to reevaluate her own relationship with that pet of herself and fall back in love with her heritage. Plus, the romance was just the right amount of swoon-worthy for me to get behind!
I do suggest checking TWs before picking this up, but overall this was a really enjoyable (and emotional) read that romance lovers should definitely check out.
And a huge thank you to Chloe over at Pan MacMillan for the finished copy
January 28, 2023
Let me preface this by saying I’m a white queer woman so my privilege might be giving me some blinders that I’m unaware of when it comes to Armenian culture and family dynamics. I can say that the fact that the main character, love interest, the MC’s family, and many of the supporting characters are Armenian or Armenian-Americans isn’t what ticked me off about this book by any stretch. But still, take my review with a grain of salt.
Anyway maybe I’m just an old curmudgeon but I was at least moderately enjoying this until about the 80 percent mark. The conflict REALLY didn’t sit right with me. When you paint your love interest in a bad light to save face with your potentially homophobic family - that’s just…ick. And again, this is coming from a privileged POV. When I came out to my family, I didn’t get kicked out or ridiculed so it’s been a long time since I was nervous about how someone would react. Also the MC is in her mid twenties but what she said and did so her mom wouldn’t freak out reeked of teenager behavior. Are adults immune from stupid decisions? No they aren’t, but this one felt super over the top and reactionary. Again, I could be missing some cultural nuances here and I acknowledge that big time. For clarity, it would bug the shit out of me if a white character did what this character did. Skimmed the rest after 80 percent, but I had lost all empathy after that 80 percent mark.
Also it’s the year of our lord 2023 - WHY ARE WE STILL DOING CLOSED DOOR SAPPHIC ROMANCES? I’ve read YA books with more steam, damn.
Anyway maybe I’m just an old curmudgeon but I was at least moderately enjoying this until about the 80 percent mark. The conflict REALLY didn’t sit right with me. When you paint your love interest in a bad light to save face with your potentially homophobic family - that’s just…ick. And again, this is coming from a privileged POV. When I came out to my family, I didn’t get kicked out or ridiculed so it’s been a long time since I was nervous about how someone would react. Also the MC is in her mid twenties but what she said and did so her mom wouldn’t freak out reeked of teenager behavior. Are adults immune from stupid decisions? No they aren’t, but this one felt super over the top and reactionary. Again, I could be missing some cultural nuances here and I acknowledge that big time. For clarity, it would bug the shit out of me if a white character did what this character did. Skimmed the rest after 80 percent, but I had lost all empathy after that 80 percent mark.
Also it’s the year of our lord 2023 - WHY ARE WE STILL DOING CLOSED DOOR SAPPHIC ROMANCES? I’ve read YA books with more steam, damn.
February 14, 2023
Tons of potential, but it fell short for me.
I found the discussion about the genocide and how one can have sympathy fatigue very interesting, but I disliked the main character too much to completely enjoy the story. It was a very accurate portrayal of someone who seeks their familys approval at all cost, I just don't like those people.
I found the discussion about the genocide and how one can have sympathy fatigue very interesting, but I disliked the main character too much to completely enjoy the story. It was a very accurate portrayal of someone who seeks their familys approval at all cost, I just don't like those people.
July 12, 2023
two stars for armenian and bisexual representation. i just couldn't enjoy this novel. nareh is borderline cheating, her fiancé/ex-boyfriend is a god awful disgusting person that no one would spend four and a half years with, and she throws erbuni (her love interest) under the bus without a second fucking thought when their queer relationship comes to light. it all wrapped up too nicely. nareh felt so bland, like she could not have been more of a blank, boring person. erbuni is wonderful, but she forgives nareh far too fast with far too less of an apology. the form is like any other romcom book ever.
and the title? i get it's supposed to be ironic, or whatever, but it doesn't make sense. the title could be literally anything else and it would be better.
and the title? i get it's supposed to be ironic, or whatever, but it doesn't make sense. the title could be literally anything else and it would be better.
January 25, 2023
(3.5)
check out my review here!
Rep: Armenian American bi mc, Armenian American bi li, Armenian & Armenian American side characters
CWs: discussions of genocide
check out my review here!
Rep: Armenian American bi mc, Armenian American bi li, Armenian & Armenian American side characters
CWs: discussions of genocide
February 22, 2023
The main girl frustrated me so much. Like I fully understand where she’s coming from but you watch her make these decisions you KNOW are gonna cause problems and you’re just screaming at the book.
August 3, 2022
What really made this book shine for me was Nar's self discovery and self acceptance. This book felt so real in a way that I can't explain beyond italics.
The raw emotion felt by both Erebuni and Nar was well done, and felt very true to not only the characters, but the plot. I think the only thing that was "lacking" for me was some more spark between the characters. It was clear that there was attraction but some more tension or longing between the characters would've propelled this to an easy 5 star for me. BY the same token, maybe this book was less inclined towards the romance, and more in line with a character's self discovery through their romantic and sexual attraction towards the other character.
All said, really enjoyed this one.
Thank you to Edelweiss+ and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own
The raw emotion felt by both Erebuni and Nar was well done, and felt very true to not only the characters, but the plot. I think the only thing that was "lacking" for me was some more spark between the characters. It was clear that there was attraction but some more tension or longing between the characters would've propelled this to an easy 5 star for me. BY the same token, maybe this book was less inclined towards the romance, and more in line with a character's self discovery through their romantic and sexual attraction towards the other character.
All said, really enjoyed this one.
Thank you to Edelweiss+ and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own
December 10, 2022
adored all the cultural tidbits and nareh and erebuni's relationship <3 rtc!
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