Sandhya Menon is one of my favourite authors. I love the stories she writes so much. They make me all warm and fuzzy and smiling. Of Curses and Kisses was no different in this, but I still felt a bit disappointed. The thing is, I liked this book (a lot), but something felt a bit off to me.

Let’s just start with me saying that I absolutely adore fairytale retellings. Especially Beauty and the Beast ones because it’s usually enemies-to-lovers and that is a thing I will never get enough of. And mix in a bit of high society youth and drama à la Gossip Girl? Great combination! So I loved the premise. And Sandhya Menon’s writing. It was as great and fun to read as always.

But then there are the characters. I liked Grey the most. He grew up alone, isolating himself because he is sure to be cursed. So he’s broody and grumpy and never really talks to anyone to keep them away and to save himself from getting attached. I understood his motivations and his goals and he goes through the msot changes during the story.
I had my problems with Jaya. While I understand the things she does, I’m not always okay with how she does them. She’s straight forward and impulsive on one hand, but on the other she’s the perfect princess she has to be. Jaya often comes across as really rude, controlling and doesn’t seem to care about anything else except her family. That isn’t a bad thing necessarily but she was supposed to be friends or at least kind of close with other people in this story. But I never really felt like it.
I did like Jaya and Isha’s relationship. They’re sisters and I understand why Jaya feel like she needs to control Isha to some extent. I would have liked to shake her at some points or others, but in general, I liked how protective and loving the two were with each other.
The other important relationship, the romance, was great as well. I liked how it developed from where it started and where it ended and how both characters grew with it and their feelings for each other. I think that they both learned a lot through the other which was nice to see.

But then the other relationships? Mh. They all seemed a bit rushed. I mean, they have this sort of insta-friendship that isn’t ever really explained. And while I do like fast friendships, there still has to be a reason for that friendship? Or at least getting this close has to have an important event or something. And there wasn’t any, really. I just wish those relations would have been a bit more extensive.

I did love the setting of St. Rosetta’s Academy though! The subjects, the students and teachers and the general surroundings with the mountains and Aspen. I’m really excited to explore the school further with other characters and romances!

This was such a cute, enjoyable read. It has been a little while since I've got my teeth in to some YA contemporary romance, but this book reminded me that I'm definitely partial to it. It had some great girl power weaved throughout, with the message of be who you want to be and not what society expects of you.

Of Curses and Kisses is a retelling of Beauty and The Beat. We follow Jaya and Grey as they navigate who they are in relation to their families, society and their ideas of who they want to be. In the past, their families were intertwined and are now enemies of each other. It is believed that Jaya's great-great-grandmother cursed Grey's family, who now believes he carries the full weight of the curse. Jaya is still deeply holding the wrongdoings of Grey's family against him, but as she plots revenge and spends more time with him, she can't ignore what her heart is telling her.

The book is in multiple POV and I felt like this really worked well as we needed the inner monologue of both characters to really understand both Jaya and Grey's motivations. I know not everyone loves this style of writing, but I generally quite like it and it is definitely to the benefit of the plot and character development in this book.

I loved Jaya's character. She could be a bit mean sometimes, but is also the sort of loyal friend you would want by your side. She also likes books and reading YA romance - so we would definitely get along. She is a feminist without really realising she is one and can be totally sassy, despite trying to be a perfect daughter of Indian royalty. I have a particular love for imperfect female protagonists and Jaya fit the bill perfectly. There's some really nice themes of love, friendship, sisterhood and self love in this book. I found it positive and uplifting.

Grey comes across as a typical alpha overbearing kind of guy, but actually he's sensitive, possible more so than any of the other characters in this book. He speaks up for what he believes in, despite feeling broken inside. I liked that about him.

I really couldn't decide if this book was 3.5 or 4 stars. In the end, I went with 3.5 because at times I felt like we got stuck in little traps of repetitiveness where a character would go over and over the same thing and the entire plot would stall whilst they justified the reasons and motivations for their actions. It happened enough times to bother me, but it didn't stop me from enjoying this book.

I'd definitely recommend if you enjoy retellings, cute YA romances and little hints of fantasy. I am really glad I read it and would encourage you to add it to your TBR.

"He spent so much of his time in silence. She got the feeling he was completely comfortable being quiet, just watching the world."

I know you must be thinking, another Beauty and the Beast retelling. But trust me, this one is definitely worth reading. We have an Indian main character attending a boarding school, so a lot of the problems with the beast in the original tale are solved, since Jaya is not trapped in the school by him. Plus, boarding school settings are the best. It was refreshing to see this alternate take on the classic story.

There are many aspects i loved: the family, the friendships, the rich people antics, but most of all, the romance. Jaya and Grey are so adorable together, especially since they're both innocent and new to relationships/love. It is sort of a hate to love situation, and Grey starts off as the grumpy but soft-on-the-inside love interest, two of my favourite tropes!

I highly recommend Of Curses and Kisses if you love fairytale retellings, and particularly if you want more diversity within these. The only thing i had a problem with was the pacing - it was very good for most of the book, but got quite rushed towards the end; it would have been nice to have the ending a little more fleshed out.

IN SUMMARY: Charmingly sweet, fun, and vibrant, OF CURSES AND KISSES is an exciting start to a new series. This is a book that makes you feel warm to your core.

MY THOUGHTS:

I'm a sucker for Menon's work, I really am. Her contemporary romances are whimsical and wonderful and full of charm, and 'mysterious boarding school' happens to be one of my favourite tropes ever (thanks, Harry Potter), so seeing Menon fuse this with her work in a series of modern fairy tale retellings, I was thrilled beyond hope.

OF CURSES AND KISSES definitely plays into all the clichés, all the cheese, all the corniness that comes with the trope... and I loved every moment of it.

Set at St Rosetta's Academy in the Colorado mountains, Princess Jaya Rao plots revenge against long-time family rival Duke Grey Emerson for publicly humiliating her sister, where she will make him fall in love with her and then ruthlessly break his heart. You can imagine how well that works out. The characters are inspired by the fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast; Jaya is Beauty, Grey is Beast, and the text makes references to this throughout the novel.

There was something about the emotion of this book that made me thoroughly enjoy every moment reading. It has a feel-good, charming, almost nostalgic feel. I can't quite relate to kids rich enough to wear Alexander McQueen to school dances, but somehow Menon makes all the characters so wonderfully loveable.

Jaya and Grey were great. Jaya's arc was a little on-the-nose, as I'll talk about below, but I loved her personality: her determined nature to prove herself, her resolute belief in family and duty, and her kindness to people who may not deserve it. Likewise, I thought I wouldn't like Grey, since he sounded textbook Broody McBrooderson, but he surprised me with an equally with a hidden depth and compassion to his character.

You can also rest assured that though the prose writes Grey with his beastly counterpart in mind, using words such as 'feral' to describe him, he isn't problematic or misogynistic, and treats Jaya and all the other characters respectfully.

I did also really like the side characters, who were wonderfully diverse and varied. There's a subplot that occurs about one side character involved in a cheating scandal, and it was so interesting to read how the characters navigate their way through this. For once, I should add, the characters we were supposed to root for were not on the moral high ground here, which was at once refreshing and a stark reminder that even the best of people make mistakes. I'm excited to see where the whole cast will be taken next as the series progresses.

Unfortunately one of Menon's weaker points is her lacking ability to convey nuance. It's especially fraught in OF CURSES AND KISSES. There are many notable instances of the metaphorical anvil of The Moral Message being dropped on our heads, or stating something directly when reading between the lines is enough, particularly nearer the end.

But that said, OF CURSES AND KISSES is in hot contention for favourite of the year (and it's only the beginning!). This is a delightfully warm novel perfect for readers looking for something light and fluffy.

WILL I READ ON? Yes!

This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I was so excited when I received a Netgalley ARC. I have previously enjoyed all of Sandhya Menon's past work so I was intrigued to see how it would translate into this new world. Ultimately, I was slightly disappointed but that was entirely my own fault. Whilst I loved so many aspects of this novel, I realised quite quickly that I'm not a huge fan of Beauty and the Beast retellings. I just felt like in this book, like in most BATB retellings, the romance was very quick and also the main love interest was quite bland. I didn't see the attraction at all. That being said, I loved Jaya as a character and her feistiness was amazing. I loved the relationship between the two sisters and also the exploration of the idea of doing whatever is best for your family. I also really enjoyed the friendship circle and the drama that comes with a boarding school full of rich people. The Gossip Girl vibes made me very happy. Overall, this book was good but just not my cup of tea. I will definitely carry on with the series though to see what the other books are like. - 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I was sold at Sandhya Menon, but Menon and a Beauty and the Beast retelling? I knew this was a story for me! I read Of Kisses and Curses in two days (and would happily have sat and read it in one if I could have gotten away with it!) Here are three reasons I love, love, loved this book (and why it's the perfect book for Valentine's Day)

1. Of Kisses and Curses made me smile so much. The romantic storyline is very much at its heart and while the outcome always feels certain (given its fairytale origins) that doesn't mean that Jaya and Grey's relationship is predictable or dull; there are still plenty of twists and turns and lots of drama. It was great to have the story told from both character's perspectives, and I really liked watching them misunderstand each other and misinterpret the other's motives.

2. I loved how well developed all of the side-characters storylines were (and really hope we see a few of them again in future books!) Menon puts a really interesting twist on the stereotypical mean girl, and it was great to see the female characters coming together to help each other, rather than trying to tear each other down.

3. There was A LOT of glamour in this story - lots of money, plenty of designer labels, and some really great parties. It was really fun to read about a boarding school for the elite, famous and titled. Throw in mountains and snow and you have a pretty perfect location. St Rosetta's is definitely a setting I would like to return to, so I'm looking forward to the future books in this series!

{review will go live on blog on 14/2/20}

I was super excited to read this book as it has been on my wishlist for a while! And guys, I love it!
Grey is such a sweetheart and so broken, I love him so much.
Jaya was a bit stuck-up and her judgement of her sister's actions and cruel plan at the start did get on my nerves, however, I was super happy with both Grey and Jaya's character growth! The ending was super cute and heartwarming.
Also, I'm so happy with the female relationships in the book, super glad Jaya didn't dismiss any of the other girls as bitchy no matter how mean they acted towards her.
Overall, really easy and quick read with a sprinkle of royal snobbery.

Seeing so many positive reviews about Of Curses and Kisses, I am very sorry to say that I could not finish this book. It was very hard for me to get into this story. I couldn’t get into the characters or put together the story.
I felt like the writer was dumping lots of information and it did not feel like a linear storytelling. I did not get the Beauty and the Beast vibes except for the rose necklace – because it was mentioned almost every chapter. I did not like any characters, and I did not like how diversity is portraited with simple stereotypes. For example, the constant ‘oui oui’ of the French guy, or the high-end designer clothes of the Italian characters… this aspect, I didn’t digest it very well

I was intrigued when I first discovered this book, I love Beauty and the Beast so I was curious to see how Of Curses and Kisses would compare.
The story follows Princess Jaya Rao and her sister Isha as they are forced to move, amid scandal, from their Royal Family home in India to an elite boarding school in the states. When Jaya finds out that Grey Emerson, an Emerson family Heir, also attends the academy.. she wants revenge. Their families have been feuding for centuries and Jaya thinks Grey is responsible for the scandal that forced them to move.

I enjoyed the very descriptive, fairytale style writing of this book, the pacing was good and it was easy to read. However, this book just wasn’t for me.

I absolutely adored Of Curses and Kisses, Sandhya is one of my favourite authors and her new book has taken the #1 spot officially.

I have so many emotions after just finishing reading this book my heart feels all sorts of ways right now, I cried, laughed, felt anger but most of all felt a lot of love for Jaya and Grey. I found myself constantly attached to the book wanting to know what happens next as it never falls down your typical romance plot holes which is amazing.

I adore that fact that all of Sandhya's books follow multicultral representations. Other than Sandhya I haven't read many books that focus around Middle Eastern/Indian culture. It really hits any misconceptions but it is also showing us about the fight for equality and modernization.

Having St. Rosetta set as an international academy is going to be amazing, I can't wait to see how the series continues and what cultures/retellings we see next.

Now, to talk about the retelling side.... I LOVED IT!! I adore Beauty and the Beast so I instantly knew that I had to read this. But I adored how it wasn;t your typical cliche retelling. Sandhya added so much more to this. Yes, we had our princess and our beast, but it was all played out so well.

I can't wait for the book to be released so I can buy a finished copy to go with my ARC on the shelves, I also need to see the maps for Rosetta and the academy IMMEDIATELY!

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

This book, I mean, was just simply amazing. As soon as I heard that Hodder would be publishing this book in the UK, I quite cheekily emailed and asked for a copy, and ended up first on the list. Waiting for the copy to arrive was a bit of a struggle, but when I got home on the Friday before Christmas, having broken up from work for the holidays and free to read as much as I wanted without feeling guilty, my copy was waiting for me to dive right in.

Of Curses and Kisses is a new view of Beauty and the Beast with a centuries long curse going back to the time of British rule of India. The Emerson family once stole a sacred ruby from the Rao's, and the matriarch of the royal family cursed the Emerson line. Since then, a feud has been rifting between both families, and they despise each other. Jaya is the heir apparent and princess of the Rao dynasty, and when her sister Isha is targeted by someone she believes to be linked with the Emerson's, she vows revenge, and Grey Emerson, a student at St. Rosetta's, seems to be the perfect target.

Grey, on the other hand, knows of the fated curse since his birth. Blamed by his father for his mother's death in child birth, he has been shunned by the family and told he was cursed from the get go. Never wanting to make any connections or unnecessary relationships with people when he believes he will die by the time he turns 18, when Jaya appears at his school, and seems to want to get close to him, and has with her items he believes vital to the curse, he can't help letting her in. What once might have been a tale of revenge, soon becomes a tale of love, but with familial expectations and the weight of reality hanging overhead, both Jaya and Grey don't know whether they can trust themselves, and each other, to truly let go, and give into their feelings.

I love retellings, but sometimes you find that they're all very samey. However, that definitely was not the case here. This retelling was unlike anything I've read before, with Sandhya's signature writing style and lyrical approach coming through on every page. Both the main characters had their own PoV's, which really helped me, as the reader, to understand them even more Neither Jaya nor Grey were perfect people, rather they both had worries, flaws, and imperfections. I adored each character in their own right, though Jaya's love for her sister and willingness to give up a part of herself and her happiness to best serve her people did endear her to me slightly more. Even so, all of the characters, from Isha, and the group of friends, Rahul, Daphne, and Leo, and even some of the other secondary characters were all fleshed out properly, and weren't just there for decoration.

The romance was simply phenomenal. Even from the first time they meet, when they don't fully understand who the other person was, the sparks were flying, and whenever both were on page together, you could just see the emotions flying. Yes, there are angsty moments, and times when I wanted to scream at them just to kiss, but nothing was done unnecessarily. The pain and the heartbreak was needed to fully encompass the story, and I was that hooked, that I flew through the book in less that a day.

All in all, Of Curse and Kisses was everything I needed it to be. From fantastic characters, to an amazing plot, I couldn't have asked for better, and now I need everyone else to read it, and then I also need to have book 2 ASAP!