Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon

Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon
Release Date - February 18, 2020

Publisher Website - Simon and Schuster Canada

Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages -  384 pages
My Rating - 3/5
**received from the publisher for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi comes the first novel in a brand-new series set at an elite international boarding school, that’s a contemporary spin on Beauty and the Beast.

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. 

Ever have a book that seemed, on paper at least, to be exactly everything you love in a book only to read it and not be as into it as you expected to be? That is, sadly, exactly what happened when I read Of Curses and Kisses.

Those who love Sandhya's other novels will be happy to hear that her writing style is carried over to this novel. The romance really is well done with a bunch of sweet moments woven into the story. There is also a lot of humour tossed in and some interesting side characters. I do think that those who have loved her previous novels will find a lot they like within these pages. What stumbled for me was the world building. I didn't feel like I got a full realized picture of the castle that is going to be the setting of this series, and I wish it had been more prominent.

Jaya was the strongest part of the story for me. I loved her desire to protect her family and sister. I appreciated her character growth and how she had to find her own voice and make her own path. Even though this is written in the vein of a modern version of a fairytale, the elements that worked the best in the story were those where Jaya was struggling with not disappointing her family and yet being true to what she wanted for her own life. I think that is relatable for a lot of people growing up and fit nicely into this version of the Beauty and the Beast tale.

The part of the Beast's story that I always gravitated to is that he has to learn something. He has to grow and change. There is some sort of transformation that he has to go through. I felt that was missing from Grey's story arc. He doesn't start out as the enraged jerk that we know the Beast to be. He, in fact, seems to be the opposite. He keeps people at a distance, and is a little abrasive, but he does things that would be considered a kindness. The growth his character typically goes through was missing for me. I actually felt Jaya's character goes through a lot more growth. His character didn't feel as fleshed out as I would have wanted and that left other elements lacking for me.

There are some great nods to the inspiration from the beautiful rose shaped ruby pendant that plays a pivotal role, to a sweet, snowy romantic moment that will delight fans. These nods are integral to making this story feel like a retelling and I think that part was mostly successful. I wish that some of the other elements had been included though.

I ended up feel not really strongly either way about this one. There are elements I enjoyed and others that I didn't connect with. This will undoubtedly have many others who love it so I encourage you to check out those reviews as well. I, perhaps, would have enjoyed this one more if I hadn't gone into it expecting a Beauty and the Beast retelling. I think it works better just as a charming modern fairytale with any of expectations.