Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni is a debut pitched as a heartfelt queer rom-com. While Sorry, Bro definitely had loving layers of Armenian-American culture and heritage folded into every page, it read more like a dramatic fiction coming-of-age story than a rom-com. There were also some character moments that made it hard for me to buy into the romance after they happened.

After turning down a proposal from her long-term boyfriend, Nar’s mother convinces her to attend a series of events called Explore Armenia, all with the aim of meeting an Armenian man. But Nar finds herself drawn to witchy Erebuni, who works as an educator about the Armenian genocide. But Nar isn’t out as bisexual, and eventually, her worlds will merge—one way or the other.

Romance can absolutely deal with heavy subjects; in fact, some of my favourite romance novels do. However, the romance in Sorry, Bro felt overshadowed by Nar’s journey of embracing her bisexuality and reconciling her queerness with her Armenian identity. Don’t get me wrong—this was a beautiful journey and one of my favourite parts of the novel. Her struggles and triumphs felt very real as well as the authenticity in centering the complex nuances of her experiences; it’s messy and imperfect and therefore so very human.

Erebuni was also fantastic and incredibly compassionate (though sometimes TOO compassionate) as a love interest. Her measured behavior, emotional intelligence, courage, and connectedness leaped off the page through Nar’s eyes. My challenge was that the romance between Erebuni felt rushed and, furthermore, Nar does some pretty reprehensible stuff to Erebuni that I would find very hard to forgive.

I still recommend picking this one with the caveat that, in my opinion, it is not a rom-com at all. But if you want a thought-provoking, complicated, discussion-generating romance read, Sorry, Bro fits the fill.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.