Lavash at First Sight

April 1, 2024

After being dumped by her coworker, who insisted they keep their months-long relationship secret, Nazeli "Ellie" Gregorian agrees to return home to Chicago to work her parents' booth at a food packaging conference. Using her skills to help Hagop's Fine Armenian Foods raise their profile and win a competition for a Super Bowl ad spot sounds less stressful than trying to perform at her tech marketing job alongside her now ex-boyfriend. When Ellie literally runs into a beautiful woman during at the conference, she's thrilled, especially since they're both Armenian and both queer--and wow, the sparks! After they share a lovely day and some kisses, Ellie finds out the woman is Vanya Simonian, the daughter of the owners of the Green Falafel--Ellie's parents' rival. Competing business philosophies, snide remarks, and suspicious parents turn Ellie and Vanya into competitors instead of lovers, and they'll have to overcome their families' feud to be together. VERDICT Voskuni (Sorry, Bro) writes a heartfelt, fade-to-black sapphic romance that focuses on Ellie's Armenian-diaspora and queer communities.--Elizabeth Gabriel

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April 15, 2024
Nazeli "Ellie" Gregorian thinks her Bay Area life is on track until her boyfriend Kyle dumps her, and her boss starts hinting that Ellie's new project had better be perfect, or her career is toast. Attending PakCon, a food and packaging industry conference in Chicago, with her parents, who own Hagop's Fine Armenian Foods, seems like a good way to take a break from everything else going on in her life. Meeting the captivating and charming Vanya Simonian there promises a different kind of distraction for Ellie. Until Ellie discovers that not only are they competing for the same conference prize but also that their parents have been bitter enemies for years. After wowing romance readers with her splendid debut, Sorry, Bro (2023), Voskuni is back with another fun and flirty rom-com that insightfully illustrates the importance of family and the universality of love while celebrating the food and heritage of Armenia and highlighting the joys awaiting visitors to Chicago.

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May 1, 2024
Two women find themselves falling for each other despite a long-held grudge between their families. Even though Nazeli "Ellie" Gregorian has made a name for herself in the San Francisco Bay Area as a marketing expert, she has to prove herself again and again to the tech bros who run the company where she works. Things are even more complicated now that she's been dumped by a co-worker who wanted to keep their relationship under wraps. Between nursing her broken heart and trying to handle the pressure of an upcoming presentation, it isn't a good time to step away from work--but then her parents ask her to help them at an upcoming convention in Chicago. Participating in PakCon could put her parents' Armenian food company on the map, especially since one company will win an advertising slot during the Super Bowl. Ellie can't say no, and she could use the mental break from work, anyway. She's prepared to handle a week with her parents, but what she doesn't expect is to meet the most stunning woman she's ever seen. Vanya Simonian, who is unlike anyone Ellie knows, seems like her perfect match in every way--but then Ellie's parents recognize Vanya as the daughter of their biggest rivals, who also happen to be competing for PakCon's grand prize. Suddenly, Ellie's forced to keep her burgeoning romance with Vanya a secret while facing off against someone she might be falling in love with. Voskuni brings welcome depth to her latest romance with her keen focus on Armenian culture, along with descriptions of food that will leave your mouth watering. Although Ellie and Vanya's romance sometimes takes a back seat to the competition, Ellie's journey as she comes to terms with her commitment to her family is a poignant thread to follow. A delectable contemporary romance that revolves around family and culture.

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