Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni

Reviewed by GGGinny

What I drank: Im on vacation! I drank a lovely pinot noir with a truly delightful meal

Goodreads Overview:

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.

Drunk Overview: Nareh gets publicly proposed to and isnt about it, so quasi-breaks up with her boyfriend and asks her Mom to find her a date. She goes to a bunch of Armenian events (her heritage) and instead falls for Erebuni, the hot lady, organizer.

Drunk Thoughts: i listened to this as an audiobook and this is a really minor note that has been bugging me for so long, but the narrator should have swapped Nareh and Erebuni’s voices.

• Just the way the characters were described should have been different.
• Do you ever read a book and not entirely understand why the two characters are interested in each other?
• Like. Honestly, Erebuni is really interesting, but I wish Nareh had more going on with her life
• Erebuni had friends and a lot of hobbies and was really passionate
• Nareh basically just had work (where she was a doormat)
• I just wish that had been a little more balanced
• This book also utilized my least favorite trope which is lack of communication causing most of the problems
• It happened to the point I wasnt sure Nareh understood what consequences are. Literally every choice had obvious consequences that were bound to happen
• And I guess there are some people who disregard that in real life, but I find it frustrating in a character in a book.
• But I did like the ending. When Nareh decided she had to make it up, they didn’t just talk through it, Nareh took som concrete actions.
• And I feel like that can be missing in a lot of books.
• I also really enjoyed the small insight into Armenian American culture; the food and the family dynamics and how the genocide has affected people.
• It was one of my favorite things about the book
• And it gave a really interesting way for the main character to show her growth, from not really caring about the history to understanding its impact.
• Going back to a different point, I would have liked this book to switch POVs. I would have enjoyed Erebuni’s inner monologue.
• This book also handled friendship well. I’ve read one too many books recently where each main character had only one friend of note, which didn’t ring true to me.
• Don’t get me wrong, there are absolutely people who have one person, but I know so many people with varied friend groups.
• This book allows Erebuni a group of dynamic friends. Friends that Nareh meets and has to learn about. That she has to try to fit in with.
• The dynamics are so much more interesting when that’s the case.
• I do think the ending happened a bit quick. Nareh could be such a doormat that it felt like things moved with such abrupt speed
• Also I have questions about the coworkers
• And the ages may have been a bit wonky. Nareh def read as younger than she was intended (though that may have been the very swoony inner dialog – or the narration of the audiobook)

What it Pairs With: coffee with Jameson. Something warm and nutty with a kick.

Rating: 3.75/5