Introducing LOVE AND PAKLAVA
Preorder the ebook & sign up to read an advanced copy!
The third time’s the charm! I feel like I’ve been working on this project forever, but after six months of drafting and five months of revisions, I’m stoked to introduce you to Love and Paklava, coming June 17.
Love and Paklava is the hometown story of my heart. It’s quintessentially Californian, and as someone who was born and raised in the Central Valley and now lives in the Bay Area, I’m always here to celebrate all the best coast has to offer.
And in case you think I spelled baklava incorrectly, let the record show that this book is my Armenian bakery romance.
If you don’t already know, I’m a quarter-Armenian on my mom’s side (her maiden name is Shirinian). I can’t wait to share my love for my culture and heritage, with delicious foods galore.
Here’s the full description:
She’s betting big. He’s playing for keeps.
The odds are stacked against Tori Townsend. She loves her life in San Francisco, painting nails by day and playing jazz by night. But now that she’s a bridesmaid in the wedding of one of her best friends, it feels like everyone is pairing off, and she can’t find a seat in a game of musical chairs.
When a last-minute errand forces Tori to book a caterer two hundred miles away in Fresno, she meets a burly Armenian baker with an offer she can’t refuse. Vahe Derderian is used to big-city folks dissing his hometown, so when Tori runs her mouth about California’s heartland, they make a bet. If she can prove San Francisco is superior to the Central Valley, he’ll cater the wedding for free.
The catch? If Vahe’s victorious, Tori’s promised to lose her shirt—and her pants. She’s never shied away from a casual fling, so one more hookup shouldn’t faze her. But Vahe sees past her bravado, breaking down walls she’s spent years fortifying. She’s always believed that letting people in leads to heartbreak—so why does losing to him feel like winning?
As their wager turns into something real, Tori must decide if love is worth the gamble—and whether their relationship can go the distance.
Whether you’re living in a skyscraper or the suburbs, you’ll love this opposites-attract rom-com that celebrates culture, cuisine, and finding a place to call home.
And now for the up-close look at the cover reveal:
I threw a lot of ideas at my brother Nick Jarrett, and he DELIVERED with this design. My friends in the 559 will recognize the Fresno arch, and fellow Armenians can appreciate the color palette of red, blue, and orange from our ancestral flag.
Tori is my most complicated heroine yet, and I loved how Nick brought her to life. With her half-shaved head, tattoos, facial piercings, ear gauges, and finger claw rings, she’s my punk-rock princess.
And if a man brought me baked goods on a silver platter like Vahe, I would fall head over heels too!
I asked my beta readers to describe Love and Paklava, and one put it perfectly:
“A badass sex-forward aesthetician who has sworn off love struggles to figure out how she fits into her evolving found family when she meets a hot baker who is a lover boy with a quirky grandma.”
Fresno’s tagline is “the best little city in the U.S.A.,” and Love and Paklava is my love letter to cities, both big and little. As I wrote in my acknowledgments, where we live says a lot about who we are.
Small-town romances may get all the hype, but suburbs and cities—and the people who live in them—deserve love too. I hope you find yours, along with perfect sunny days and a parking spot whenever you need one. Thank you for joining me on this amazing journey.
Sign Up for an Advanced Copy
The ebook of Love and Paklava is already available for preorder on Amazon, but if you want to get your hands on a copy before its release on June 17, now’s your chance.
Fill out this form to request an electronic advanced reader copy (ARC), and if you’re selected, you can read Love and Paklava for free.
And no worries if you haven’t read my backlist. While this book is the third installment of the Glam Fam series, each can be read as a standalone. If you’ve read Casey and Tania’s stories, you’ll appreciate reconnecting with them, but you can jump right in with Tori and Vahe without missing a beat.
Here’s the TL;DR on how you can support the launch:
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Make sure you’re subscribed to this newsletter for the latest updates, and follow me on Instagram for even more book tidbits and teasers. Stay tuned because I’ve already ordered my swag, so once signed print copies hit my Etsy store, you’ll be the first to know.
The cover will be revealed on my Instagram tomorrow, but since you VIPs got to see the goods first, please drop me and Nick a comment, and tell us what you love about the design the most. We appreciate any and all support :)
Your Moment of Sunshine ☀️
Every month, I share the things I loved most to bring a ray of warmth wherever you are.
(Note: All links, where available, lead to Bookshop.org. If you make a purchase, you’ll support local, independent bookstores, and I’ll earn a small commission as an affiliate. It’s a win-win!)
Reading 📖
Maybe In Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
One of my reading goals this year was to complete TJR’s backlist before her next book, Atmosphere, is released on June 3. This month, I crossed that goal off my list after finishing Maybe In Another Life and Forever, Interrupted.
TJR’s greatest strengths are her ability to create high-concept hooks and play with time. Maybe In Another Life has both of those in spades. It’s two stories in one: when the protagonist Hannah reconnects with her high school sweetheart, the book follows both possibilities—her getting back together with him and her turning him down.
If you’re a fan of the multiverse or just asking, “What if?” then this is the women’s fiction for you.
Watching 🍿
My Fault: London on Amazon Prime Video
I don’t typically consume New Adult romances because I would rather watch fully fledged adults falling in love than 18-22-year-olds (can you tell I didn’t like college?).
But then this screenshot went viral on Threads, and I can’t resist a down-bad man on his knees:
The 2025 British film My Fault: London is a remake of the 2023 Spanish film based on Culpa Mía, the first of a trilogy published on Wattpad by Mercedes Ron. It definitely has the same vibes as the After series by Anna Todd, but I was pleasantly surprised by how fun it was.
No one is watching this movie for Oscar-worthy performances, of course, but as a sexier version of The Fast and the Furious, it kept its promise.
Listening 🎧
My Love & Paklava Playlist
As I’ve explained before, one of my favorite parts about marketing a new book is building its playlist.
Because Love and Paklava features Tori, a part-time jazz pianist, music plays a big role. So you’ll notice on Spotify, I’ve included a little bit of everything: pop divas like Britney Spears and Lady Gaga, Armenian singers Cher and Surisho, and even some songs that are mentioned in the book (you’ll have to find out which ones 😉).
Give the Love and Paklava playlist a listen, and let me know what else I should be reading, watching, and dancing along to. Leave your recommendations in the comments!
This sounds so good!! Cannot wait!!
Congratulations! This cover is absolutely beautiful! I seriously cannot waaaait to read!