Lallan Sweets by Srishti Chaudhary - Book Review

Some books are entertaining while you’re reading them. And then there are books that make you feel like you’ve temporarily stepped into another time and place. Lallan Sweets was that kind of book for me.

Set in 1995 in the small fictional North Indian town of Siyaka, the story revolves around Tara Taneja, her family, and the famous sweet shop, Lallan Sweets, owned by her grandfather, Lalaji. Tara works at the shop while also running a mathematics tuition centre, and she is determined to prove that she deserves her place in the family business.

The real adventure begins when Lalaji decides to retire. Instead of simply handing the shop down to one of his grandchildren, he decides that they must earn it. Tara and her cousins, Rohit and Mohit, are given a challenge: they must find the secret ingredient behind Lallan Sweets’ legendary laddoos. Whoever discovers it first will get to run the family business.

And then there is Nikku Sabharwal, Tara’s childhood friend and longtime crush, who has returned to Siyaka after years away. He joins Tara on her quest, and what begins as a search for a secret ingredient turns into a journey involving family secrets, old feelings, unexpected dangers, food, travel, and plenty of chaos.

What I absolutely loved about this book was the 90s nostalgia. The story brought back the charm of a much simpler India: Kinetic bikes, tuition classes, landlines, Bollywood references, roadside food, small-town conversations, and the warmth of family-run businesses. The setting isn’t just a backdrop; it gives the entire story its personality.

And the food!

Reading this book while hungry is honestly a mistake. The descriptions of sweets, snacks, paranthas and all those little food moments made the story feel incredibly Indian and familiar. There is something comforting about a book that can make you feel the atmosphere of a place through its food.

Tara

Tara was one of my favourite parts of the story. She’s ambitious, independent and determined to prove herself in a family where being a woman makes that fight even harder. Her relationship with her family, especially her grandfather, adds another emotional layer to the story.

I also liked that her journey wasn’t simply about winning the sweet shop. It was about understanding what she actually wanted from her life and where she belonged.

Nikku

Nikku was such a fun character. His humour and banter with Tara brought a lighter energy to the story, and their relationship felt like more than a straightforward romance. They already had years of history between them, which made their interactions more interesting.

The childhood-friends-to-something-more dynamic worked beautifully for me, especially because their journey gives them the opportunity to rediscover each other.

What made this a 5-star read for me

The biggest reason I loved Lallan Sweets is that it doesn’t try too hard to be complicated.

It’s a story about family, love, ambition, food, nostalgia and finding your place in the world. The writing is simple and accessible, and the Hindi phrases and Bollywood references make the story feel distinctly Indian.

I also loved the adventure aspect. What initially sounds like a simple competition to find an ingredient takes Tara and Nikku beyond their familiar surroundings, with the journey becoming just as important as the destination.

There is humour, family drama, romance, mystery and adventure, but underneath all of it is a story about legacy: what we inherit from our families, what we choose to carry forward, and what ultimately makes a place feel like home.

Final thoughts

Lallan Sweets felt like opening an old family album while someone was making fresh laddoos in the kitchen.

It made me smile, made me hungry, gave me a little romance to root for, and most importantly, gave me that warm feeling of being transported somewhere familiar even though Siyaka itself isn’t real.

Is it a complicated, twist-heavy story? No.

Is it the kind of book I would pick up when I want something warm, nostalgic, funny and comforting? Absolutely.

For me, this was a 5/5 read because sometimes a book doesn’t need to completely surprise you to be memorable. Sometimes it just needs to make you feel something.

And Lallan Sweets made me feel like I was sitting inside that little North Indian town, surrounded by family, food, old memories and one very tempting box of laddoos.

Would I recommend it? Definitely, especially if you enjoy Indian settings, family dynamics, childhood friends-to-lovers romance, food, adventure and 90s nostalgia.

Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️