thank you to netgalley and berkley publishing group for giving me an e-arc in exchange for my honest thoughts :)

sorry, bro was the kind of book i stumbled upon accidentally and just wanted to read it so bad. the idea of a closeted Nar secretly pining after and eventually falling for Erebuni while her mom is trying her hardest to set her up with an Armenian man during the Explore Armenia was just so fun!! taleen voskuni really has a real talent for making her mc so real and lived. Nar was the kind of messy queer person that we need more of!! she struggled and hurt and ultimately came out. her story was just so beautifully done.

Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni is a debut pitched as a heartfelt queer rom-com. While Sorry, Bro definitely had loving layers of Armenian-American culture and heritage folded into every page, it read more like a dramatic fiction coming-of-age story than a rom-com. There were also some character moments that made it hard for me to buy into the romance after they happened.

After turning down a proposal from her long-term boyfriend, Nar’s mother convinces her to attend a series of events called Explore Armenia, all with the aim of meeting an Armenian man. But Nar finds herself drawn to witchy Erebuni, who works as an educator about the Armenian genocide. But Nar isn’t out as bisexual, and eventually, her worlds will merge—one way or the other.

Romance can absolutely deal with heavy subjects; in fact, some of my favourite romance novels do. However, the romance in Sorry, Bro felt overshadowed by Nar’s journey of embracing her bisexuality and reconciling her queerness with her Armenian identity. Don’t get me wrong—this was a beautiful journey and one of my favourite parts of the novel. Her struggles and triumphs felt very real as well as the authenticity in centering the complex nuances of her experiences; it’s messy and imperfect and therefore so very human.

Erebuni was also fantastic and incredibly compassionate (though sometimes TOO compassionate) as a love interest. Her measured behavior, emotional intelligence, courage, and connectedness leaped off the page through Nar’s eyes. My challenge was that the romance between Erebuni felt rushed and, furthermore, Nar does some pretty reprehensible stuff to Erebuni that I would find very hard to forgive.

I still recommend picking this one with the caveat that, in my opinion, it is not a rom-com at all. But if you want a thought-provoking, complicated, discussion-generating romance read, Sorry, Bro fits the fill.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

This book felt like a celebration of Armenian culture wrapped up in a standard romcom storyline. I loved reading all the little details about food, language, and coffee, and I thought the author did a good job of addressing more serious topics within the narrative. The romance itself was a little bland to me. Erubini was too perfect to be interesting and they fell in love too fast for me. However, I still think this is a good book that’s worth reading. Just don’t go into it expecting the romance to be the most compelling thing about it, because it really takes the backseat compared to the cultural and familial aspects of the story.

Ever come across a book that you have such mixed feelings about that you can’t decide on a rating?

Sorry, Bro was definitely that kind of book for me! On one hand, I loved learning more about Armenian culture and having this kind of representation is amazing and important. On the other hand…Nareh was not a great main character. Sure, she was complex and struggling with family pressure to marry a man while falling for a woman who might be the one, but some things she did were just downright shady.

The first thing that made me go ??? was that it wasn’t really clear in the beginning that her and her bf were actually broken up/taking a break. It seemed more like a “ok you just said no to my proposal so we’ll talk more when I get back from this convenient business trip”. In the end it didn’t matter, but it just felt weird.

The second (and most important) shady thing was how she was absolutely ready to let everyone think Erebuni was some kind of predator when her family caught them together. I get that she wanted to cover for herself and wasn’t ready to come out to her family, but it was truly messed up that she just agreed to their plan of telling everyone Erebuni came onto her and that she wanted nothing to do with her.

Erebuni was a redeeming factor of this book because she is honestly too pure for this world and deserved better than Nareh (even after all the character development, I’d still be holding a grudge tbh). She was incredibly understanding about Nar’s hesitancy to come out as bisexual and supportive the entire time, even when Nar betrayed her.

But it was still funny and cute and full of Armenian culture so I didn’t hate it!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this arc!

This one is was a slow burn, closed door, queer romcom. Is that a thing? And I just couldn’t with the main character. She frustrated me almost the entire way through - and I felt like her love interest deserved more. Truly was a 🥴 moment.

Yes, character growth was a main attribute in this story. And it focused heavily on Armenian culture (which we love to see culture live through stories)! But it’s hard to be fully in, when the character growth doesn’t happen until like 94% of the book being done. And even then, was it even character growth and development?

Representation is huge. For culture (like the way it focused on the Explore Armenian events), minorities and racism in the workplace, personal growth, and the LGBTQ+ community. This book does a great job at highlighting those issues and uses the platform in a great way. But I just wanted more from our main character here.

Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni is a tender and empathetic story of identity, family (found and by blood), love, and truth. I absolutely adored the relationship and found myself sighing at how soft and tender they were to one another.

I had a really difficult time with this book. I loved the representation of Armenian culture and the MC really exploring what it is to be an Armenian-American and how she was able to connect with her culture. Where things fell flat was the lack of relationship building and character development. Also the third act conflict almost had me DNFing the book. I had to set it down for a while before I returned to finish the book. I felt as if the MC was forgiven too quickly and I just couldn't move on from the constant lies. Nareh claims to want to be with Erebuni so bad but lies to her at every turn. It wasn't the denying of the kiss and how she reacted to being outed that upset me but the constant lies to the person that you want to have a relationship with, No relationship can be healthy when its built on a foundation of lies.

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”?

i really, truly enjoyed the armenian culture aspect of this book. i thought it was well-done, fun to read about (as opposed to didactic), and absolutely fascinating.

unfortunately, the other parts didn't work for me. the romance fell flat for me, 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.

i'm sad this one didn't work for me!

I absolutely adore this -- not only because it is a blend of multiple elements I enjoy and rarely get to see together in one protagonist and their story, but also because it is so uniquely droll and lively while it does so.

I was originally so excited about this title, but unfortunately, I find that I can't even bring myself to finish it. The story is dragging and I'm not enjoying reading it. I am interested in the characters but I the plot is not pulling me in. This may also be a case of wrong timing to read it.

Can we please stop calling every romance novel with a cute cover a ROM COM!! This book is not funny and to call it a rom com really does it a disservice. In part because the reader's expectations are not met (I thought I would be LOLing or at least smiling more), but also because this book does a really lovely exploration of Nar's relationship to her Armenian culture and calling it a rom com doesn't indicate how much page time is going to be spent on the topic.

This book has a heavy focus on the Armenian genocide and our MC, Nar, starts to advocate for the history to be remembered. This was the best part of the book. I loved seeing her learn more about her culture as an adult and reframe her relationship with it after her dad's death (he tried hard to assimilate and forget the past).

I did listen to this one on audio and the narrator really made the book for me. She was great and made me interested in what was going on because I was pretty checked out from the relationship. It was fine, but I was more interested in Nar's relationship with her mother and her culture than the romantic relatonship.

I hated the third act break up and some of the things that happened there which made me knock off half a star and have me questioning if this is going to laugh!! But, I did love Nar's coming out post and the conversation with her mom/grandma.

LMAO AT THE TITLE DROP

I would recommend this one to those who would like a closed door romance novel that focuses on culture and some heavier topics.

TW: discussions of genoicide, death of a parent (car accident; drunk driving), grief, homophobia/biphobia, racism/microagressions

This book was absolutely fantastic! I live near San Francisco so I adored the setting! For most of the novel, I found myself frustrated with Nareh and her indecision,, but the novel di such a beautiful job of illustrating what has made her this way and how she faces the challenges of her upbringing.

This was really warm and lovey! It's all about figuring yourself out in your 20s, and how messy that can be. It also reads like a love letter to Armenian culture, and it was really lovely to get to spend time with this community of people in San Francisco. Fun and heartfelt.

I truly adored this book! This was so sweet and cute. I raced through this, needing to know what was going to happen next. This is one of those books that takes you into another perspective, and someone else's culture that was so nice and I really enjoyed that. The journey that the main character takes is so special and heartwarming which made this book so endearing! I love story lines about the MC who is on a journey of self-discovery and learns to love themselves for who they really truly are. You will not be "Sorry, Bro" if you read this book promises!
Thank you #NetGalley and to Berkley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

I was SO surprised by this novel by Taleen Voskuni. I went in expecting a lighthearted queer rom-com and I got a serious Armenian history lesson, and I'm not even mad about it! The blending of romance & difficult topics is becoming more and more mainstream - romance is not just for the fluff any longer - but Sorry, Bro was done in such an impeccable way. This is also one of the few novels that seamlessly mixed in words/phrases from the authors native language, and it worked so well and became more prevalent as the MC became more comfortable with her new friend group and her family. This novel tackles a lot - coming out as queer to a community that doesn't accept difference easily, dealing with parental expectations, owning up to what you really want in life when it goes against what you feel you had been raised for, and even the aftermath of a parental loss. The romance is surprisingly well developed but I could have used a little more time around the conflict resolution because it was done with Nareh and Erebuni apart and then a quick recoupling, so it felt fairly rushed by the end. At the end of the day? This was stunning debut romance in the vein of Beth O'Leary & Mhairi McFarlane with a whole lot of Armenian flare and soul. I loved it and I cannot wait to see what is next from Voskuni.

This was...okay. A little disappointing, to say the least.

The themes and concepts incorporated in the book are important, especially with how it's an OwnVoices novel. I never thought the book got "too political" and whatnot, with information on Armenia and its culture, as well as political influences regarding the country and its people. I also am a fan of authors advocating for themselves through their writing, and this is an example of one. I think one's enjoyment in the political aspect of this story is how much you can relate to it, or how much you might agree. For me, it was not only relatable sometimes, but interesting. Adding on to that, Nar had a lot to prove of herself for the sake of others, such as not disappointing her mother and finding ways to prove herself in her career. It went to show how much development Nar would go through as the story progressed. Nar became a pleaser for herself; someone who would make her own choices and become an uplifter for herself as well. Not to mention, I simply love it when authors are able to bring in their authentic selves into their writing and make it personal. It makes it feel more real and lyrical, incorporating personal struggles that can be related to many, even if they aren't a part of that community.

I also thought the relationship between Nar and Erebuni was quite cute. There are some awkward and fumbling moments Nar goes through, but it went to show how common it is when you have little to no experience with someone of the same gender/sex. I thought some of their moments were cute, showing a solid progression of the relationship growing through moments they had together and moments they had with their other friends. The romance is not the entire focus of the book, even though it does take a big spotlight of the book. Regardless, there was an even balance between the romance and the plot.

However, one of my biggest issues was Nar herself. Sometimes she felt too childish, not only for my liking but for how she was supposed to come off as. Her relationship with Erebuni was understandable, but I thought the author tried to make the story a little too...modern, adding slang and too many references to modern society. This could definitely be just a me thing, but it really faltered my reading experience. Sometimes I had to remind myself how old Nar was, what career she was in, what she was doing, etc., in order to forget how she was acting. The way she acted came off as childish on many occasions. She made some foolish decisions that could have saved future conflicts. There's your traditional miscommunication trope here, all because Nar didn't communicate early and properly, which could have been avoided and helped the relationship significantly.

Overall, the story had some enjoyable moments, although a bit over the top on some occasions, especially with the main character. There are still many things to appreciate about this though, especially themes of many firsts, finding yourself, accepting yourself, and, most importantly, loving yourself.

I always like to read from new authors in any genre. They have something different to bring to the book community. And I am more than ready to read from Taleen Voskuni with her newest book: Sorry, Bro.
Sorry, Bro is a new debut queer romance book from Taleen Voskuni. It features diverse characters who are trying their best to fit their family expectations, yet they are ultimately drawn to each other.
Nar is definitely feeling her messy life after her non-Armenian boyfriend proposes to her. She truly knows that she is not meant to be with him since they don't share the same culture and traditions. So she regrettably asked her mother for help in finding Armenian men at the upcoming Armenian conventions in town. But it's not Armenian men that she becomes attracted to; it's a woman named Erebuni.
I definitely feel for Nar. She never came out to her family about being bisexual. It's not really accepted in the Armenian community, just like the Hispanics community as well. So I fully understand the hardship that Nar feels whenever she is conflicted about opening up about her true self. It's hard to do when it's not fully accepted, but something you have to be true to yourself first. And it's something Nar will navigate in Sorry, Bro.
If you love coming-out romance with messy family drama, then you are going to enjoy reading Sorry, Bro. Be sure you check out trigger warnings before reading.

Sorry, Bro is a truly delightful debut novel from Taleen Voskuni. It follows an Armenian-American woman’s journey to find her voice & follow her heart.

When we first meet Nareh (Nar), her boyfriend is proposing to her in the loudest, most obnoxious restaurant possible and has invited, of all people, Nar’s work nemesis there to film the proposal. Nar realizes this guy is wrong for her and breaks off her engagement. She seeks out advice from her mother, who convinces her to attend the Explore Armenia events in their city. Mom says it’s a great way to meet new friends, and to rediscover her Armenian roots.

When Nar arrives at the first event, she meets a young woman named Erebuni and is drawn to her immediately. What she doesn’t realize is how truly life changing meeting Erebuni will really be!

I adored both Nar & Erebuni. Nar struggles at the first event because of how little she has embraced her Armenian heritage in the past, in part because of her late father. I appreciated how open and honest she was about her lack of knowledge, and I loved how Erebuni gently calls her out on it but also jumps in to teach her about Armenian culture & history, and also introduces her to what will become a fabulous & supportive friend group. I loved how nurturing Nar and Erebuni’s relationship was, but also how cute it was since the women were clearly attracted to one another.

I enjoy stories that do a great job balancing those fun, flirty moments with more weighty issues & this author strikes that balance beautifully. Nar not only finds love & rediscovers her Armenian roots, but she also faces the challenges of coming out as queer to her family & community, battles sexism in her workplace, & she learns the important lesson that just because something happened in the past & is considered history, doesn’t mean that it still isn’t relevant today.

Sorry, Bro is a moving & heartfelt #ownvoices story that left me eager to read more from Taleen Voskuni.

2.5 rounded up

I wanted to like this book so much more than I actually liked it. I had high expectations but unfortunately found the main character so insufferable that I didn’t want to finish. The MC lied and cheated on both her girlfriend and fiance (depending on how you view the situation), and I could not root for her at all.

Also, the MC literally had one single friend who was her cousin. Probably because she was insufferable and no one else wanted to be her friend, but god.

Also the conflict? Literally just because the MC lied and her lies finally caught up to her. The resolution of the conflict? Very very fast. The girlfriend literally leapt at the first chance to put this behind them.

I did like the mom and Nene tho.<3

Overall, I just don’t think this book was for me and that’s okay. I hope others like it more than me.