Sorry, Bro

Voskuni debuts with a bighearted queer rom-com uniquely inflected with Armenian American culture. People pleaser Nar Bedrossian is in a tepid but happy relationship—until her white boyfriend proposes in a way that makes it clear he doesn’t understand her at all. Nar’s mother, delighted to help Nar find someone who will, builds her a spreadsheet of every eligible Armenian man in San Francisco and sends her off to the city’s Explore Armenia festival. It’s the perfect opportunity to reconnect with her roots, and maybe make a real connection with one of the men on the list. Except that the first person she meets is a fascinating, witchy, and gorgeous woman named Erebuni. Amid cooking classes and traditional dances, Erebuni sweeps Nar off her feet, and suddenly her long-hidden bisexuality can no longer be ignored. She’s finally found someone who loves her for all of herself—but can she find the bravery to disrupt her family’s image of her as the dutiful, “straight” daughter and let them see her true self? It’s entirely believable that Nar falls head over heels for the effortlessly cool Erebuni because readers will, too. The stakes and tension are relatively low, but it’s easy to invest in the characters and the Armenian American cultural details add charm. This is a treat. Agent: Katelyn Detweiler, Jill Grinberg Literary. (Jan.)