Title: Of Curses and Kisses
Author: Sandhya Menon
Type: Fiction
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Retelling, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Simon Pulse (Simon & Schuster)
Date published: February 18, 2020

A digital copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Will the princess save the beast?

For Princess Jaya Rao, nothing is more important than family. When the loathsome Emerson clan steps up their centuries-old feud to target Jaya’s little sister, nothing will keep Jaya from exacting her revenge. Then Jaya finds out she’ll be attending the same elite boarding school as Grey Emerson, and it feels like the opportunity of a lifetime. She knows what she must do: Make Grey fall in love with her and break his heart. But much to Jaya’s annoyance, Grey’s brooding demeanor and lupine blue eyes have drawn her in. There’s simply no way she and her sworn enemy could find their fairy-tale ending…right?

His Lordship Grey Emerson is a misanthrope. Thanks to an ancient curse by a Rao matriarch, Grey knows he’s doomed once he turns eighteen. Sequestered away in the mountains at St. Rosetta’s International Academy, he’s lived an isolated existence—until Jaya Rao bursts into his life, but he can’t shake the feeling that she’s hiding something. Something that might just have to do with the rose-shaped ruby pendant around her neck…

As the stars conspire to keep them apart, Jaya and Grey grapple with questions of love, loyalty, and whether it’s possible to write your own happy ending.

⤖ My Review ⬻

Since “Beauty and the Beast” is my favourite fairytale, I’ve read a number of retellings of it over the years. It got to a point where it got a little too predictable for me and I wanted to take a break. Something about Of Curses and Kisses‘ cover and synopsis really intrigued me, though! I’ve also read every one of Sandhya Menon’s books published so far, so I decided to have faith one of my fave authors and requested a copy!

And I’m so glad that I did that because Of Curses and Kisses turned out being one of the more unique “Beauty and the Beast” retellings that I’ve ever come across! I really enjoyed a lot of the tropes that were used and I also enjoyed the characters. I’m especially excited to see which characters will be featured in the second book of this series and how that will look. But back to this book, and the start of the St. Rosetta’s Academy series. I enjoyed Grey’s broodiness and I enjoyed Jaya’s fire and determination.

I also wanted to note that I audiobooked some chapters from this book while driving, running errands, and while at work and wanted to say that it was very well done! There were different narrators for Jaya and Grey’s parts which was great, and both voices really matched how I saw and felt about the characters.

This was definitely a fun read for me, and like I said, I look forward to the next St. Rosetta’s Academy book and where Menon will take the overarching story! I recommend this book to those who enjoy contemporary YA romance with a dash of magic!

⤖ About the Author ⬻

Sandhya Menon is the New York Times bestselling author of several novels with lots of kissing, girl power, and swoony boys. Her books have been featured in several cool places, including on The Today Show, Teen Vogue, NPR Book Review, Buzzfeed, and Seventeen. A full-time dog servant and part-time writer, she makes her home in the foggy mountains of Colorado.

⤖ Purchase the Book ⬻

⤖ Let’s Chat ⬻

THANK YOU FOR READING MY REVIEW! HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK? WHAT DID YOU THINK? AND IF YOU HAVEN’T READ IT YET, DO YOU WANT TO, OR NOT? HOW COME? LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS!