Fake NOT Dating: A Bollywood-Inspired Romcom Debut | Lavanya Lakshmi

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

A debut romcom inspired by Bollywood, built around one of the most delicious twists on fake dating you'll ever read — fake NOT dating. If you love big Indian weddings, chaotic families, and slow-burn tension between two people who desperately want each other but have to pretend they've never met, this episode is your sign to add Leave and Come Back to your TBR immediately.

Debut author Lavanya Lakshmi joins the show to talk about her journey from Twilight fanfiction to landing a publishing deal, the Bollywood film that inspired her novel, and why she made the bold choice to get her characters together at the start of the book. We also dig into her reading life and the books she returns to again and again — including a romance she calls her holy grail.

📚 Books Mentioned

Leave and Come Back by Lavanya Lakshmi — Buy on Amazon | Romcom / South Asian Romance | Audio ✅

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance / Literary | Audio ✅

The View Was Exhausting by Mikaellla Clements & Onjuli Datta — Buy on Amazon | Celebrity Fake Dating Romance | Audio ✅

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin — Buy on Amazon | Literary Fiction / Women's Fiction | Audio ✅ (highly recommended on audio per guest)

Summer Sisters by Judy Blume — Buy on Amazon | Women's Fiction / Coming-of-Age | Audio ✅

Refuse to Be Done by Matt Bell — Buy on Amazon | Craft / Writing

Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance | Audio ✅

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance | Audio ✅

It's a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance | Audio ✅

Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance

⏱️ Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome & introducing Lavanya Lakshmi

[00:01] Growing up across 4 countries & life in Toronto

[00:02] Writing journey: from casual writer to Twilight fanfiction

[00:04] Getting an agent early — and walking away from writing

[00:05] How a best friend's publishing deal reignited the dream

[00:06] Leave and Come Back — the "fake NOT dating" concept explained

[00:07] Why the characters get together at the START of the book

[00:08] The Bollywood movie that inspired the story (DDLJ)

[00:10] Building an Indian wedding timeline & structuring the plot

[00:12] Lavanya's reading life — what she reads and why

[00:13] Summer Sisters by Judy Blume — a summer re-read tradition

[00:14] Book recs begin: Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

[00:16] The View Was Exhausting — celebrity fake dating & public life

[00:18] Craft tip: retyping your draft to change POV (first → third person)

[00:19] Refuse to Be Done by Matt Bell — a craft book recommendation

[00:20] Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

[00:22] Annabel Monaghan — and how she got a blurb from a favorite author

[00:23] Where to find Lavanya online + wrap-up

Join the Conversation

Subscribe to our Substack for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com)

Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog | YouTube: What to Read Next

Subscribe & leave a review!