Leave and Come Back

I devoured this debut novel by Lavanya Lakshmi in practically one sitting. I was enchanted by everything about it: its fantastic characters, its intriguing plot, its wonderful depiction of a seemingly true to life, messy, hyper-involved, extended, Indian family living in the United States, and its lengthy, intricate account of a traditional, two week long, Southeast Asian wedding ceremony. It’s a love story not only about romantic love but of familial love as well — between siblings and cousins and parents and aunts and uncles and neighbors who become like family. It’s also a story about grief and resentment — a cautionary tale that says it’s better to address one’s grief than ignore it till it festers into an inconsolable, gaping wound. It’s also an anthem for honesty — you’ll never know how a person will react to the truth until you give them a chance to do so. You might be wonderfully surprised.I received this book as an advanced reader’s copy. My review is voluntary. I cannot wait for Ms. Lakshmi’s next project. I’m sure it will be fantastic.

Simran Gopal’s cousin—more like a sister growing up—is getting married. But there’s just one problem: Simran has been on a seven-year break from her family. In that time, she’s fallen in love with Leo, her roommate and best friend’s brother.Still carrying past hurts, unresolved grief, and deep emotional wounds, even agreeing to attend the wedding is a stretch. And when Leo shows up—full of well-meaning but cringe-worthy missteps—Simran insists they pretend to be strangers to avoid upsetting her family.Borrowing a page from their favorite Bollywood rom-com, Simran and her meddling cousins hatch a plan to help Leo win over her strong-willed, tradition-bound aunt. As the festivities unfold, Simran finds herself caught between honoring her roots and forging her own path—and realizing she may need to heal her past before she can fully open her heart.Filled with deception, family drama, long-buried wounds, and a few shocking surprises, this story unfolds against the backdrop of a lavish, days-long Indian wedding. With vivid imagery, laugh-out-loud moments, and plenty of heart, Leave and Come Back will have you wishing you had an invite—and a plus one.

ARC ReviewGosh, this was such a stunning debut. Lavanya is now going to be an auto-read author for me.The prose was stunning and so beautifully woven together. I feel like I highlighted so many parts of the book. She made third person present feel so intimate and grounded and it felt reminiscent of Jessica Joyce and Rosie Danan in the best way possible.Simran and Leo’s romance was really swoony while also being real. We start the book with them finally kissing after having crushes on each other (Leo for much longer) and yet there is still tension. I was so giddy every time they interacted. Everyone talks about yearning and this is yearning at its best from both of them. But I liked that each one of them wasn’t perfect and they both had things to work on because it just isn’t as interesting when one of the characters is flawless. I want messy but mature love and this was it.At its core, to me, this book is about love in all of its forms, especially the love we have for our family and the love we still have as we grieve. Simran’s parents passed away when she was a teen and that led to a complicated dynamic with her aunt who became her caregiver. I could 100% understand why their relationship had morphed into what it did and my heart broke for Simran. At times I felt so frustrated for Simran but it was cathartic in many ways to read the conversation that Simran and Veena auntie had.The wedding hijinks were fun and I appreciated that there was reasoning behind them all but truly I was bought in. Was some of it silly? Sure! Did it lead to interesting tension and plot? Yes!Highly, highly recommend checking this book out. It has so much heart and fun and you’ll be giggling and kicking your feet.You will probably like this book if you like:⭐ Romcom family drama⭐ Exploration of the immigrant experience⭐ Wedding hijinks⭐ Exploration of grief⭐ Best friend’s brotherThank you Viking Penguin | Pamela Dorman Books and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.Publication Date: June 16, 2026

What a lovely debut! I read this ARC in 2 days. While it had some heavier themes of grief and handling familial expectations, there was a light and enjoyable quality that made it hard to put down! The characters were easy to root for and the story resolved in a pleasing way. The character dynamics made me reflect on aspects of my own life and where I could show more grace instead of avoiding assumed conflict. The culture, language and traditions were a huge part of the story and gave it lots of life and color. The title resonated as well, along with it's origin within the story. This is one I made leave and come back to later. Thank you NetGalley and Viking!

This story is a full-on submersion into Indian culture in the States. The clothing and ceremonies were described so eloquently that you could visualize the colors and ambiance. Leo, being an outsider to the family and culture, is the perfect excuse to lay out the foundation of the traditions and Simran's family dynamic. While the story has a comedic element, it is a more serious look at how a family was split by stoicism and pride, and the healing nature of marriage (or family celebration in general). My favorite characters were Leo and Kavitha because I could really relate to both. Overall, I enjoyed the different personalities of the family members. I didn't enjoy the competition between the Mothers, but I do realize that this likely is a realistic factor. Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the ARC of this heartwarming story!