Rani Deshpande Takes the Wheel
A Novel
by Arushi Avachat
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Pub Date May 19 2026 | Archive Date Jun 02 2026
St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books
Description
Rani's summer checklist didn't include falling in love in this sparkling romance for fans of The Summer of Broken Rules and Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute.
Nineteen-year-old Rani Deshpande is on a mission to reinvent herself the summer before transferring to her new university. After a challenging freshman year, Rani can’t help but feel like she’s playing catch up. To that end, she’s crafted a packed summer to get back on track: a dream internship, adventures with her hometown best friend, and regular driving lessons so that she can finally lose her passenger princess reputation - even if it means learning from her aggravating family friend (and childhood crush), Kush Khanna.
Kush and Rani grew up together, but they couldn’t be less alike. Within their close-knit Desi community - a Jane Austen style cast of ridiculous, meddlesome families - Kush is the beloved model son; Rani is more the black sheep. Kush is pre-med; Rani plans to teach elementary school. Kush is cool and collected, bordering on reticent; Rani couldn’t keep her mouth shut if her life depended on it. So when their mothers first force the pair to drive together, the arrangement feels like a recipe for disaster. As the lessons progress, however, Rani discovers there’s more to the boy she’s known her whole life than meets the eye.
In Arushi Avachat's Rani Deshpande Takes the Wheel, Rani must learn to course-correct, no matter how bumpy or windy the road – and even if it includes a detour right into love.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781250895905 |
| PRICE | $14.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 320 |
Available on NetGalley
Average rating from 21 members
Featured Reviews
This was such a fun South Asian YA romance! I have missed young adult books that are lighthearted and fun, and this was just that. Nothing too serious, just a girl learning to drive and her hot driving instructor. This book was filled with romance and also stressed the importance of family, making new friends, and finding your footage in a new college. I loved this book, and can't wait to recommend it all of 2026!
This story was beyond adorable. I was fully invested in romance from the very beginning.Definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a sweet swoony rom com.
A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewer 1667177
THIS WAS SO GOOD. It was actually funny and relatable (I personally, could not drive until recently either) and it was just a good romance book. It checked all the boxes- it was thoroughly entertaining, it wasn't basic, her friends were the best, good side plots. I am so glad I read this.
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