Thank you Berkley Romance for the free book and PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

Ellie agrees to join her parents at a food convention in Chicago to support them in growing their Armenian prepared food business. She quickly meets and starts flirting with Vanya, only to learn they are both bisexual Armenian women from the Bay Area. But their parents forbid a relationship because of a longstanding family feud.

Much of this book focuses on the amazing Armenian food Ellie and her parents make. There's a reality TV style competition as part of the food convention. I enjoyed the insight the food provided into both the Armenian culture and more specifically, the family dynamics in the book.

I especially enjoyed the multiple scenes of celebration for Ellie and Vonya's sapphic relationship. Random people on the street and in bars applauded them and were encouraging. It felt more aspirational than authentic, but in a lovely way.

Christine Mirzayan narrated Lavash at First Sight, just as she did Sorry, Bro. I am fast associating her voice with Taleen Voskuni's work. She does a great job voicing both female main characters distinctly.

I was pleased to read this. I quite preferred it to Voskuni's debut novel. I felt the pacing and tension were well done, and I liked how the book ended. Now I need to go buy a meze platter.

There was a lot of potential but Nazeli jumping from Kyle to Ellie seemed like a missed opportunity to unpack her desire to have a romantic relationship. Also managing family expectations could have been a key plot point to unpack. We got glimpses of things but nothing really flushed out. I did appreciate the Armenian American experience woven in since that's not a population I often get to read about on romance.

I was obsessed with the descriptions of Armenian food in this one, and highly recommend not going into it hungry. Most of the action in this one takes place in McCormick Place, the convention center in Chicago, which was amusing to me as I've been there and had a great picture of it in my head- but picture any convention center and you'll have the idea. I loved that the bonds and expectations of family and culture were clearly understood by the main characters and the fuel that added to their relationship.

This was really cute. There was definitely instalove, or like, 'I just met you but you're perfect for me', but it was balanced with 'buuuuuut our families hate each other so I guess we have to sneak around' which is a dynamic that I really enjoy.

Nazeli was so committed to her life in the tech world that she didn't see how unhappy it was making her and how it was constraining her. The weekend with her parents at the food convention, and with Vanya, opened her eyes to possibilities she hadn't considered. It was such a joy to watch her blossom and start to realize what horrible, horrible people her coworkers were.

The family feud was absolutely hilarious and I found myself grinning as I read most of the book. I also flew through it in one day because I was so into it I couldn't stop. I also really love that as much as it finally ended up bringing the two families together, it brought Nazeli closer to her parents so they could finally appreciate each other and what each had to offer.

I loved all of the Armenian Lebanese foods - they sounded absolutely delicious - and phrases and bits of culture that the author brought into this book. It really gave it that extra something that made it so much more engaging than your standard family feud book. Even the way Nazeli and Vanya's parents spoke and treated their daughters felt very authentic to immigrants to the US.

I love when an author includes a different culture *and clearly knows what they're talking about.* The culture really permeates this book and you can't separate it out.

I also love the way Taleen Voskuni wrote about San Francisco and Tech culture (which I am somewhat familiar with, and it was definitely recognizable) and also the way she wrote about Chicago. It made me want to explore Chicago when I'd previously had no desire to do so.

I would absolutely read more about Nazeli and Vanya and their romance and their adventures with their families. I've had Sorry Bro on hold at my library for a while now - I actually hadn't realized this was written by the same author - so I'm excited to dive into that one now.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an early copy for review.

Sparks fly between two women pitted against each other in this delectable new romantic comedy by Taleen Voskuni, Lavash at First Sight.

I’m a Chicago girlie so I’ll never turn down a book set in Chicago! It seems like a lot of the contemporary romance books set in Chicago have a food or culinary theme (or at least a heavy presence) and you know what? It’s accurate. We have amazing food here and overall it’s more affordable than other foodie cities like NYC or LA.

Taleen Voskuni made a splash last year with her first novel, Sorry, Bro. In her newest book, Voskuni brings another rom com centering around an Armenian American lead and a female-female relationship. I am loving this diversity! I venture to say hers are the only books I’ve read that predominantly feature Armenian characters and I’ve enjoyed learning more about their culture.

This book is all about family, belonging, culture, and of course, food (I do find food to be a common theme in books that celebrate different cultures, particularly middle eastern ones, and I love it!) The book centers around twenty-seven-year-old Nazeli, who works in marketing for a tech company alongside her ex-boyfriend. Nazeli’s parents ask her to attend a food packaging conference in Chicago and help promote their company.

At the conference, Nazeli meets our other leading lady, Vanya. Not only are both women Armenian (something that instantly bonds them), but Nazeli can’t help but feel an ease when she’s talking to Vanya that she’s not used to. Unfortunately when Nazeli’s parents find out that Vanya is the daughter of their rivals, the women are torn apart. Nazeli and Vanya are forced to compete against one another, but they can’t deny their attraction and chemistry. Can they find love and help their families?

Nazeli seems to have been a bit westernized in some ways, particularly working with the tech bros in Silicon Valley. Vanya in contrast is more confident and comfortable in her Armenian culture. Immediately this made me root for them to work, because it seems that Vanya could help Nazeli accept her heritage as an amazing part of her, and not one to push aside.

I enjoyed seeing Nazeli’s journey of self-acceptance, and how Vanya played a role in that. Their chemistry was strong and their relationship unfolds in a fun, easy way. There’s some tension, but it isn’t the driving force of the novel (at least in terms of the central couple). The tension comes more from the family pressures the women are dealing with. I found this book adorable and refreshingly light. Let their parents fight it out, these two women just want to fall in love!

In terms of romance inspiration, this had a classic Romeo-and-Juliet style romance, featuring two Armenian women and their feuding families. Neither family was painted as the “bad guys” and the other as the “heroes”, and that made the story feel more authentic. I loved the ending and that it gave the reader a happily-ever-after (expected), and some other unexpected little twists.

Heartfelt and charming!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.

Look at this stunning cover! I absolutely love the orange.

This is an enjoyable sapphic romance that centers around family expectations and food. This gave modern Romeo & Juliet vibes, which worked for me. I enjoy a forbidden love story so I liked the romance between the main characters. There's plenty of drama surrounding the couple to keep things interesting so the story never felt slow. I also liked learning about Armenian culture.

This book will make you hungry so make sure you have snacks while reading.

This was such a sweet read! This was not just a cute romance it was also so much about staying true to yourself and your family and your roots and finding those things again when you get a little sidetracked! And I love a little competition based romance?! And a little sneaking around?? And a lot of Armenian food!! So much happened in just a few days and I thought the pacing was so great, and the writing was good! The banter between everyone was hilarious. I loved seeing Nazeli and Vanya’s parents arguing and then sort of getting along?? And Nazeli and Vanya’s CUTE banter was perfect.

I thought Nazeli and Vanya were SO CUTE! The way Nazeli was ENAMORED with Vanya!? Like she was so smitten!!! Even on their date at the ridiculous restaurant?? And trying to figure out whether parents were enemies?? I love two cutie girls finding each other and falling in love so easily!!

I loved Nazeli and her parents! You could feel the love coming off the page between them. Even when her parents were scolding her, or she was feeling exasperated by them, you could still tell they loved and cared so much for each other.

Truthfully I would have loved this story from Vanya’s POV?! While the families seemed to have similar stories, I found Vanya herself a little more compelling than Nazeli?!

Needless to say I’m going to have to go back and read Taleen’s first book and I can’t wait for whatever is next!

Thank you so much to Berkley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A fun read about two people who have so much in common but then discover that their families are long time rivals. Sound familiar in the outline? Sure, it's a great trope going way back in time but unlike some of those stories, this blends Armenian culture, food, and a sapphic romance in a light and entertaining way that made me smile. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I usually really love romances with a cooking competition element but sadly this book wasn't it for me. The book focused so heavily on the competition and rivalry that the romance seemed to just get lost. I felt like this could have been a really solid book if that romance had just a bit more time to flourish. I was sadly just disappointed by this one.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed Taleen Voskuni’s first book, and I had high hopes for her follow-up, Lavash at First Sight. Sadly, all hopes were dashed, and it’s a severe case of sophomore slump. And while, typically I’d DNF books if I felt they would be this bad, I inexplicably chose to stick this one out to the bitter end.
The writing is serviceable, and perhaps the only thing that kept me going. It’s not the best thing ever, but it’s not a grievance the way other aspects of the book are. Again, I have no idea what compelled me to keep going with this book.
The protagonist, Ellie, frustrated me. I can understand having complicated feelings about your heritage, and I can’t speak to what it is to be Armenian, but I still found her rather insufferable to spend the book with. There was a lot of drama with her ex and her job, and that also contributed to my dislike.
And Vanya was…there? Was this a romance? You could practically delete Vanya and it would make almost no difference.
And for a book with such a punny food title, I didn’t even get the large presence of food and family-restaurant rivalry to the extent I feel was promised.
It was just all-around bland and flavorless, and while I’m clearly in the minority, I suspect a lot of the people rating this highly might not be avid romance readers. I’d encourage anyone who’s interested to go through the reviews and/or read the book for themselves to come to their own conclusions.

Enjoyable Sapphic romance of two daughters and the rivalry between their parents, unknown to them.
Nazeli - deep in a work project with the hope of an impressive promotion, joins her parents at the annual PakCon in Chicago. She meets Vanya - also from the Bay area, yet they have never met. But their parents seem to know each other.
The women get to know each other while their parents sling cheap shots, both families desperate to win for their own reasons.
I really enjoyed this story!

This was such a fun read! It really has everything - food, culture, humor, family drama, reality TV-esc shenanigans, and ofc a swoon worthy sapphic romance!

Nazeli or “Ellie” is a rising star at her tech company and just landed a project that could catapult her to the director position she has been eyeing. But with a relentless boss, a workplace “ex” and a seemingly never ending workload she takes her parents up on an invite to a food packaging conference in Chicago to not only help promote their Armenian food company but to compete for an ad spot during the Super Bowl. What she wasn’t planning to do was meet Vanya. Another Armenian who just happens to be the daughter of Ellie’s parent’s decades old rivals. As their relationship and the competition heats up, so does the family drama.

The chemistry between Vanya and Nazeli was undeniable and their banter was perfection! I also enjoyed the food conference setting, and learning about Armenian culture! The ending was also super cute!

I went into this story thinking it would be a romance and I was pretty disappointed to discover that the romance plot line took a back seat. I could be mistaken about this being a romance and that would be on me to level set my expectations.

I can discuss the story outside of the romance because I did enjoy that. The convention and Super Bowl commercial competition aspect was unique. Add some family rivalry set in one of the best cities in the world (Chicago), and you have yourself a novel that is not only about family but about prioritizing ones self and family.

There is no denying how family centered this story was. As somebody who comes from a close knit family, I could relate to Nazeli and Vanya in how they support their family. I would say that this was the true heart of the novel with the romance between Nazeli and Vanya coming in second.

Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me. As much as I adored learning about Armenian history and culture through food, Ellie is so caught up in her heartbreak (with a guy who obviously didn't deserve her and wasn't worth the mental energy she gave him). That makes it all too difficult to connect with Ellie. Her exposition is awkward at times, too, with the addition of unnecessary details or commentary that drag the pacing. There was too much tell and not enough show. That only made her exhausting as a FMC, especially since the story is written in first-person.

Unfortunately, this isn't a romance as advertised, but more focused on the drama and competition. I was really hoping for so much more.
* Rival Families
* Queer / Sapphic Romance
* Bi & Pan FMCs
* Cooking Competition
* Banter
* Third Act Breakup

Thank you to Berkley Romance and Netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

After Ellie is broken up by her workplace boyfriend before a major presentation, she decides to travel with her parents to Chicago to help them market their Armenian food brand to a wider audience. Part of the conference they attend involves a competition whose grand prize is a Superbowl Commercial spot. At the conference, Ellie meets Vanya and they discover that their parents actually already know each other and are rivals. Though her mom forbids her to date Vanya, Ellie can't quite seem to let her go.

Read this for:
- Learning some Armenian history
- Queer Romance
- Cooking Competition
- Midwest setting (Chicago)
- Banter
- Insta Lust

My main complaint about this book is that it's being marketed as a romance and it just...really isn't. It's a family drama/women's fic with a romance in it. And that may seem like a minor difference but the romance girlies will know that it's not. But I do think it set me up with some expectations that just weren't met. Our two main characters barely spend any time on page together in the first 60% and most of the time they do throughout the book, it's with their families there as well. We get basically no depth from Vanya and honestly I feel like I couldn't tell you a single thing about her. For me, there's ultimately just too much focus on things outside of the relationship to call this a romance.

I was throughly entertained by this family feud romance. Will make you crave Armenian food and a trip to Chicago.

So MUCH fun!

I loved everything about this book. Usually I'm a little wary of sophomore novels, but Voskuni hit all the right beats for me here. Rival families, bi/pan Sapphic women, food competition - I devoured every page.

I adore the cultural immersion and the way both families strive to keep it present in America. The romance is really cute, and the competition was fun to read. I can't wait to read Voskuni's next novel!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review!

One of my favorite romances of 2023 was Sorry, Bro. I was beyond excited to hear Taleen was back with another Queer Armenian story.

Ellie works in tech, exhausted by her ex who she works with and her relentless boss she decides to say yes to her parents invitation to attend a food packaging conference, in need of her to help promote their families company with hopes of gaining an ad spot in the Superbowl. What she wasn’t planning on was meeting Vanya also an Armenian from the Bay Area whose family is in the food industry also competing for ad space. To add to the fun… the families have been rivals for years but Ellie and Vanya’s attraction for one another is undeniable.

I was so looking forward to another SF setting but then quickly realized Taleen was taking us to Chicago and oh how wonderful does she paint the city through Ellie and Vanya’s time together. This book was so fun! I loved loved the the whole food conference/competition… Taleen’s food writing is mouthwatering and I enjoyed reading/learning more about Armenian culture. I adored Ellie and Vanya they had great chemistry, and banter! Oh and the last TWO chapters!!! Perfect ending.

I did win an ARC copy of this one but also had the pleasure of listening to a bit of the audio narrated by Christine Mirzayan and her narration was perfection!

Thank you Taleen for the giveaway arc win as well as Berkley & PRH audio!

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I lovely follow up to Voskuni’s wonderful debut! I very much enjoyed the banter, the setting, the family dynamics and the very relatable feeling of working at a job because it’s “impressive” instead of your passion. Nazreli’s boss suuuuuucked so hard but that was relatable as was the feud between the families. She and Vanuatu had great chemistry and I loved them together. Highly recommend

When I was thirty-nine pages in, I realized I was pre-sad that Lavash at First Sight would end in 188 pages.

The banter! The mother-daughter relationship! The hot dog eating contest! Once again, Taleen Voskuni has created a relatable, beautifully rendered narrative that was a damn delight to read.

Thank you to Berkley for sharing the ARC with me.