Rani Deshpande Takes the Wheel coming May 19th, 2026 from Wednesday Books; 320 pages
About the Author: “Arushi Avachat is a writer from the Bay Area. She studied English, Political Science, and South Asian Studies at UCLA, where she was often found sipping caramel lattes and pretending to be productive at Kerckhoff Coffee House. A 2024 Marshall Scholar, Arushi received her MSt in English and American Studies at Oxford University. Arushi loves dark chocolate, Jane Austen books, and California winters. She is the author of Arya Khanna’s Bollywood Moment (Wednesday Books, 2024) and Rani Deshpande Takes the Wheel, which will release in 2026” (Bio from author’s website).
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Rani Deshpande plans to spend the months before transferring colleges rebuilding her confidence after a rough freshman year. Determined to get her life together, she fills her summer with plans: a competitive internship, time with her closest friend from back home, and finally learning how to drive so she can stop relying on everyone else for rides. The catch? Her instructor ends up being Kush Khanna, the family friend she grew up with—and the boy she once had a crush on. In their close Desi community, Kush appears to have everything figured out while Rani constantly feels like she’s one move away from sinking under the pressure. Their personalities clash from the start, and being forced to spend hours together in a car only makes the tension worse. But as the lessons continue, Rani begins to see a side of Kush she never noticed before, and what started as an awkward arrangement slowly turns into something far more complicated than either of them expected.
I found Rani to be an incredibly relatable main character, especially when it came to her struggles after a difficult freshman year and the pressure of trying to figure out adulthood at nineteen. Watching her try to balance expectations, friendships, and family responsibilities felt very real, and I especially loved reading about her relationships with the people around her. Her family dynamics were a highlight for me, and I honestly wish we got to see even more of them—her brothers, Sanju and Nabhi, and grandfather were such fun additions whenever they appeared. Rani and Kush were very cute together, though I do think their romance could have used a little more development rather than leaning so heavily on misunderstandings. I was disappointed to learn this was another case of miscommunication that prevented them from pursuing each other in the past. Still, the smaller moments between them—like the driving lessons, the terrace moment at the party, and the dinners with their families—really showed their chemistry. The epilogue was also unbelievably adorable and felt like the perfect way to wrap up such a sweet story. I loved seeing a romance where both main characters share the same cultural background, since so many books tend to pair one Desi character with someone from a different culture. The feuding aunties also had me laughing more than once. Overall, Rani Deshpande Takes the Wheel is a charming story, and a great read to pick up during AAPI Month.
Rani Deshpande Takes the Wheel releases on May 19th, 2026.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Wednesday Books for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Vanshikha Vij, Pine Reads Review Writer and Website Manager