Of Curses and Kisses

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? {goodreads summary}

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 Curses and Kisses 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 Curses and Kisses 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!

I received an eARC of this story via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.