Review by Kayleigh
Leave and Come Back is the perfect summer read that will have you laughing, crying and dancing around your living room with joy.
Favourite Quote:
Last night, she’d practically floated up to her apartment after she and Leo had parted ways, but this morning, she’s back to longing. The time between a first kiss and a second one is a liminal space. It happened once, but will it happen again? First kisses are about acknowledging. Second kisses are about choosing.
Book Synopsis:
For the first time, Simran Gopal is living out her own swoon-worthy romance to rival the beloved Bollywood films of her childhood… until she receives her cousin’s wedding invitation. Now, Simran finds herself returning to the family home she’s been avoiding for the last seven years to take part in a two-week long Indian wedding.
Family drama is already at a high when Leo Bridgers, Simran’s new boyfriend, accidentally crashes the engagement party. To avoid full crisis mode and provoking the ire of Veena perima, Simran’s aunt and judgmental family matriarch, the cousins need to rally. Commence: Operation DDLJ.
Following the lead of their favorite Bollywood movie, they need to trick Veena into adoring Leo. In a mess of misdirection and hijinks, Leo must prove himself to be the most charming, helpful wedding guest imaginable, and he certainly can’t give away that he’s ever met—let alone is currently in love with—Simran.
For Simran, being back with her family also brings up memories of the difficult years after her parents died. As old grievances and new secrets arise—with nosy aunties always watching—Simran must find a way to heal her wounds or risk losing her happy ending with Leo and her family.
Charming, tender, and hilarious, Leave and Come Back asks what it means to open up to love, what makes a family, and how to honor the past while embracing the present.
Review:
Leave and Come Back is a sparkling debut that is currently in my top five favourite reads of 2026. It’s tender, funny, swollen with emotions and charged with energy. One of my favourite movies is My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I’m a sucker for huge messy families who fight, love and care for each other in big, bold passes. Leave and Come Back is filled with a funny cast of characters who are trying to get through a wedding. The (self-selected) black sheep of the family, Simran, is back in New Jersey, where her cousin is getting married in a massive Indian wedding. Simran lost her parents when she was a child, and her aunt moved her from her home in India to the suburbs of New Jersey. Simran has always felt like an outsider and never worked through her grief. As soon as she could, she left her family and the country to go to school and then live in Toronto. She hasn’t spoken to her family in years.
When her favourite cousin Kavitha threatens to actually never speak to her again if she doesn’t show up, Simran gives in. However, she’s just finally broken the just friends barrier with a friend’s younger brother, Leo. Their relationship is fresh and new and exciting, and through a series of events, Leo accidentally crashes one of the lead-up to the wedding events. The problem? Simran’s aunt is very traditional and instantly dislikes him for her family. Simran lies and pretends not to know him, and suddenly her cousins have rallied around her, not only including Leo in the wedding events but also are convinced they can make her Aunt fall in love with Leo and accept him as Simran’s partner.
Hilarity ensues. Seriously. The plan is based on one of Simran and Kavitha’s favourite Bollywood movies, but mixed in with modern-day issues and quirks. Leo finds himself on top of a roof, going for daily walks with Simran’s taciturn Uncle and eating the spiciest food he can barely tolerate, all to prove his love to Simran. Seriously, Leo is incredible. He’s caring and funny and strong.
Simran has layers. She hides her true self under snark and rules she’s made up to allow herself the capability to survive without actually addressing her emotions. Over the two weeks the cousins and Leo spend together, Simran rediscovers how to live again, even though sometimes living means enduring pain. This is a story about love, grief and the memories we carry from people who are no longer alive. I loved watching Leo discover all that Simran can be, and their love story is sweet, satisfying and full of fist-pumping moments (there are run-through-airport scenes that I’m such a sucker for). However, my favourite relationship to watch develop was with Simran and her family, especially her aunt.
Leave and Come Back is a riot of a good time.
Thank you to Doubleday Canada for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
