Lavash at First Sight - by Taleen Voskuni (Paperback)

About the Book

"Sparks fly between two women pitted against each other in this delectable new romantic comedy by Taleen Voskuni, author of Sorry, Bro. Twenty-seven-year-old Nazeli "Ellie" Gregorian enjoys the prestige of her tech marketing job but hates the condescending Patagonia-clad tech bros, her micromanaging boss, and her ex-boyfriend, who she's forced to work with every day. When Ellie's lovingly overbearing parents ask her to attend PakCon-a food packaging conference in Chicago-to help promote their company and vie to win an ad slot in the Superbowl (no big deal), she's eager for a brief change and a delicious distraction. At the conference, she meets witty, devil-may-care Vanya Simonian. Ellie can't believe how easy it is to talk to Vanya and how much they have in common-both Armenian! From the Bay Area! Whose families are into food! Their meet-cute is cut short, however, when Ellie's parents recognize Vanya as the daughter of the owners of their greatest rival, whose mission (according to Ellie's mother) is to whitewash and package Armenian food for the American health-food crowd. Sworn as enemies, Ellie and Vanya must compete against each other under their suspicious parents' scrutiny, all while their feelings for each other heat to sizzling temps"--

Book Synopsis

Sparks fly between two women pitted against each other in this delectable new romantic comedy by Taleen Voskuni, author of Sorry, Bro.

Twenty-seven-year-old Nazeli "Ellie" Gregorian enjoys the prestige of her tech marketing job but is sick of the condescending Patagonia-clad tech bros, her micromanaging boss, and her ex-boyfriend, who she's forced to work with every day. When Ellie's lovingly overbearing parents ask her to attend PakCon--a food packaging conference in Chicago--to help promote their company and vie to win an ad slot in the Superbowl (no big deal), she's eager for a brief change and a delicious distraction.

At the conference, she meets witty, devil-may-care Vanya Simonian. Ellie can't believe how easy it is to talk to Vanya and how much they have in common--both Armenian! From the Bay Area! Whose families are into food! Their meet-cute is cut short, however, when Ellie's parents recognize Vanya as the daughter of the owners of their greatest rival, whose mission (according to Ellie's mother) is to whitewash and package Armenian food for the American health-food crowd.

Sworn as enemies, Ellie and Vanya must compete against each other under their suspicious parents' scrutiny, all while their feelings for each other heat to sizzling temps.

Review Quotes

"Lavash at First Sight is a heartfelt and dazzling love story that's good enough to eat. Taleen Voskuni deftly weaves together multiple narrative threads as loyal, intelligent, and overworked Armenian-American tech employee Nazeli sets out to woo the beautiful and charming Vanya--whose parents happen to be the sworn enemies of Nazeli's parents. A competition at a Chicago food packaging conference provides an entertaining and dramatic setting, and the themes of family bonds, generational change, and finding a healthy balance in all aspects of life add poignant layers to the story. I devoured this fun, witty, and romantic book and can't wait for whatever Voskuni writes next!"--Sarah Hawley, author of A Demon's Guide to Wooing a Witch

"Lavash at First Sight is a hilarious and heartwarming romance about finding your authentic self while celebrating where you came from. The chemistry between Ellie and Vanya sparked and sizzled--they were an absolute joy to read. Filled with forbidden love, family rivalry, and cooking competition shenanigans that will leave you with serious food cravings, I adored this deliciously sweet sapphic romance!"--Tori Anne Martin, USA Today bestselling author of This Spells Disaster

"A joyous celebration of Armenian Lebanese culture and cuisine set against a Chicago backdrop, Lavash at First Sight is a dazzling and transportive delight! Amidst family rivalry, clever competitions, and dreamy first dates, Taleen Voskuni expertly crafts a gorgeous love story that sizzles with heat. I fell so hard for Nazeli and Vanya that I could not put this book down!"--Courtney Kae, author of In the Case of Heartbreak

"A beautiful story rife with food and family rivalry, Lavash at First Sight is smart and sexy, inspiring readers to go after their heart's desire. A dazzling romance."--Ashley Herring Blake, USA Today bestselling author of Iris Kelly Doesn't Date

"Lavash at First Sight is a wonderfully lighthearted and loving look at family and identity, love and the importance of staying true to oneself. I just ate it up!"--Jenna Levine, USA Today bestselling author of My Roommate is a Vampire

"I love Taleen Voskuni's voice so much--the way she can craft a beautifully descriptive sentence and then follow it up with a sly bit of humor. Lavash at First Sight is Voskuni at the top of her game with clever, flirty banter between Nazeli and Vanya even while they have to deal with the very real pressures from their feuding families. I feel like I could've spent hours with them enjoying a cocktail and sparking off each other on a Chicago rooftop bar, and I wanted to eat every single food item described on the page. What a delight of a book!"--Alicia Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of With Love, from Cold World

"Voskuni writes a heartfelt, fade-to-black sapphic romance that focuses on Ellie's Armenian-diaspora and queer communities."--Library Journal

"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...A delectable contemporary romance that revolves around family and culture."--Kirkus Reviews

"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."--Booklist

"Voskuni brilliantly balances common characteristics of Armenian families (dare I say stereotypes) with exaggeration and comedy--the overly involved families, limited acceptance of difference, passion and pride for cooking and eating, and stubborn competitiveness, with a dash of elitism. I was pleased to see the acceptance from the families of their queer daughters, laughed out loud at their overbearing nature and rooted for the parents to eventually see how they were more alike than different."--The Armenian Weekly

About the Author

Taleen Voskuni is an award-winning writer who grew up in the Bay Area Armenian diaspora. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in English and currently lives in San Francisco, working in tech. Other than a newfound obsession with writing rom-coms, she spends her free time cultivating her kids, her garden, and her dark chocolate addiction. Her first novel, Sorry, Bro, received starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist, was named an Amazon editor's pick, and was favorably reviewed in The New York Times. Sorry, Bro is also winner of the 2023 Golden Poppy award for best romance. Lavash at First Sight is her second published novel.