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imjustbeinghumble's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Racism
Moderate: Outing, Genocide, and Misogyny
cozyscones's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Outing, Homophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Genocide, Alcohol, Car accident, and Sexism
auudrey's review
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Sexism
Minor: Genocide
thebookpaiges's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Death of parent, Outing, Grief, Racism, Genocide, and Homophobia
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Alcoholism
naddl0r's review
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, War, Colonisation, Death of parent, Biphobia, Sexism, Outing, Grief, and Alcohol
bookswithca's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide, Death, Homophobia, Outing, Car accident, and Alcoholism
town_scar's review
emotional
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The emotional core of this book is solid. The plot, at times, was a little all over the place. The writing was a bit too casual/informal for my liking, and unfortunately did distract me from the story itself a few times. But it's still worth reading. I will be curious to read more from this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria, Alcohol, Sexism, Racism, Homophobia, Misogyny, Outing, and Biphobia
Moderate: Classism and Cursing
Minor: Rape, War, Alcoholism, Hate crime, Genocide, Death of parent, and Car accident
bookcasey's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a beautifully written book about discovering or reclaiming your identities. In many ways, the romance is secondary to this theme of loving yourself.
Unfortunately, this is one of the many recent releases where the title is based on an insignificant, throwaway comment and makes no sense. It is, most assuredly, not about obnoxious Bay Area bros (okay, maybe one or two), so don’t let that turn you away.
Do check the content warnings, but don’t let that scare you off. Nothing is graphic.
Unfortunately, this is one of the many recent releases where the title is based on an insignificant, throwaway comment and makes no sense. It is, most assuredly, not about obnoxious Bay Area bros (okay, maybe one or two), so don’t let that turn you away.
Do check the content warnings, but don’t let that scare you off. Nothing is graphic.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Outing, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, and Genocide
Minor: Rape, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, Colonisation, Fatphobia, Grief, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, and Sexual content
Consistent reference to the Armenian genocide with very brief references to rape and murder. Contains a lot of baby gay angst. Fade to black romance, some vague sexual references.ehmannky's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
When taken as a whole, I liked this book. I liked that Nareh is so messy, that the crux of the book revolves around her embracing her whole self as the descendant of the survivors of genocide, as a queer woman, as an adult struggling to be her whole self. I thought labeling it as a romcom was a bit misleading, as there just weren't a lot of laugh-out-loud moments and it was a lot more tense given the pressure Nareh was under.
My main issues with this book was that Nareh was honestly a little too adorkable at times for my tastes, some of the asides were just silly (for example there's a whole paragraph where Nareh learns that Erebuni is a whole 4 years older than her but she reassures the readers that this ~giant~ age gap is totally fine and I can't imagine anyone but the most TikTok-rotted brain thinking a 28-year-old dating a 31-year-old is problematic), and honestly Erebuni was almost too put together for my tastes. She's not an unrealistic love interest, she just reads like someone who's incredibly well-adjusted and is just real healthy and there's just not a lot of room for growth on her part because she's already good. If I'm being honest, Erebuni was such a catch and like sound in her identity that I was a little baffled that she would take Nareh back after all the bullshit she pulls.
My main issues with this book was that Nareh was honestly a little too adorkable at times for my tastes, some of the asides were just silly (for example there's a whole paragraph where Nareh learns that Erebuni is a whole 4 years older than her but she reassures the readers that this ~giant~ age gap is totally fine and I can't imagine anyone but the most TikTok-rotted brain thinking a 28-year-old dating a 31-year-old is problematic), and honestly Erebuni was almost too put together for my tastes. She's not an unrealistic love interest, she just reads like someone who's incredibly well-adjusted and is just real healthy and there's just not a lot of room for growth on her part because she's already good. If I'm being honest, Erebuni was such a catch and like sound in her identity that I was a little baffled that she would take Nareh back after all the bullshit she pulls.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Outing
Minor: Genocide and Death of parent
booksdogsandcoffee's review
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Thank you Berkley for an arc in exchange for an honest review
A beautiful story about what it means to accept yourself within your sexuality and community.
Not only we’re tough topics discussed, the love story that was interwoven was brilliant. Nar has to learn to be herself. Her boyfriend of five years, and the man her father would have wanted to marry proposes to her in the worst way possible. Which makes her realize this isn’t what she wants.
Telling him they need to go on a break while he is away for a month, her mom convinces her to participate in a month long celebration called Explore Armenia that only happens every 3 years, to set her up with men from her community. On the first night Nareh meets the enchanting Erebuni. She helps her navigate the men at these events. But what Nar doesn’t expect is to start falling for this bewitching woman who is helping her both accept her sexuality and her Armenian heritage.
Voskuni tackled tough subjects like assimilating into American culture as immigrants, the genocide in Armenia and resulting diaspora, what it means to be a woman in a man dominated work place, and so much more. You see Nar go through being a part of her culture but also feeling so outside of it because her dad wanted more for her. This was done with such care and passion for her culture and tradition.
Cw
Genocide discussed
Outing
Homophobia
Misogyny
Biphobia
Alcohol
Grief
Sexism
Sexual harassment
Mild sexual content
Death of a parent off page
Toxic relationship
A beautiful story about what it means to accept yourself within your sexuality and community.
Not only we’re tough topics discussed, the love story that was interwoven was brilliant. Nar has to learn to be herself. Her boyfriend of five years, and the man her father would have wanted to marry proposes to her in the worst way possible. Which makes her realize this isn’t what she wants.
Telling him they need to go on a break while he is away for a month, her mom convinces her to participate in a month long celebration called Explore Armenia that only happens every 3 years, to set her up with men from her community. On the first night Nareh meets the enchanting Erebuni. She helps her navigate the men at these events. But what Nar doesn’t expect is to start falling for this bewitching woman who is helping her both accept her sexuality and her Armenian heritage.
Voskuni tackled tough subjects like assimilating into American culture as immigrants, the genocide in Armenia and resulting diaspora, what it means to be a woman in a man dominated work place, and so much more. You see Nar go through being a part of her culture but also feeling so outside of it because her dad wanted more for her. This was done with such care and passion for her culture and tradition.
Cw
Genocide discussed
Outing
Homophobia
Misogyny
Biphobia
Alcohol
Grief
Sexism
Sexual harassment
Mild sexual content
Death of a parent off page
Toxic relationship
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Outing, Sexism, Homophobia, and Misogyny
Moderate: Genocide, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual content