Of Curses and Kisses Blog Tour: Review + Mood Boards

Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon

Rating: 5/5

Publication Date: February 18th, 2020

Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon is a contemporary retelling of Beauty and the Beast set at an elite boarding school in the mountains–think Beauty and the Beast meets Gossip Girl! It’s out February 18th, 2020 and even has a *map* in the hardcover. Featuring an Indian princess and a misanthropic British aristocrat, it’s immersive, glamorous, and full of smoldering kisses! I hope you guys will order it wherever you get your books! Read on for the official description from the back of the book…

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.

Buy links: Amazon | B&N | Indies | BOOK STORE LINK

Author bio: Sandhya Menon is the New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi, Of Curses and Kisses, and many other novels that also feature lots of kissing, girl power, and swoony boys. Her books have been included in several cool places, including the Today show, Teen Vogue, NPR, BuzzFeed, and Seventeen. A full-time dog servant and part-time writer, she makes her home in the foggy mountains of Colorado. Visit her online at SandhyaMenon.com, on Twitter @smenonbooks or on Instagram @sandhyamenonbooks.

I received an e-ARC from the author but this doesn’t change my opinion about the book!

So as a part of Sandhya’s Sweethearts (her street team–click on the purple button on the side!), I got an eARC of the book and Y’ALL HAVE NO IDEA HOW EXCITED I AM. I love all of her books and they just get better every time! This was obviously different from her usual contemporary since this is a Beauty and the Beast type retelling, but it still had classic rom-com elements WHICH I LOVE.

I did a buddy read of this with my friends Monica and Astrid (follow their instagrams because they’re amazing! @treatyoshelfbookclub and @bookloversbookreviews ) so that made this even more fun and special!

We’re all suckers for Beauty and the Beast retellings, right? I don’t care what setting it is, I’m guaranteed to pick a book up if it’s a retelling of a tale as old as time! I love picking up parallels between the original and the retelling and I loved the way elements of the original tale were scattered throughout the story while also remaining unique!

Jaya was an incredibly relatable character, especially because she was an older sister that felt like she had a lot of expectations on her from her family. Her overprotectiveness and ‘controlling’ nature–I use this lightly because I can’t think of a better word– was something I see in myself with my own family. her sense of duty and responsibility to keep up her family’s reputation had me feeling attacked to be honest haha! I loved seeing her *chef’s kiss* GROWTH!

I really loved that this wasn’t just about Jaya and Grey’s love story. It was so nice to see a loving sibling relationship that had its ups and downs. The whole relationship between Jaya and Isha was really realistic (I would even go as far as to say it mirrored my sister and my relationship?) and it was nice to see that!

Now, Grey… at first, I was laughing because, wow… he’s REAAALLLYYY dramatic. But then you see his layers and then you’re like “noooo someone give him a hug!!!”. I loved getting to see his character open up more especially with Jaya around *smirks*.

When it came to Jaya and Grey together… I was rooting for them and anxiously waiting for the drama to unfold and everything to go downhill but waiting for that happily ever after too. I loved the way the story was told in alternating POVs and seeing each side of the story, especially with the way the whole curse was set up!

And of course, I loved the ‘side characters’ whom I reallllyyy hope get their own story featured in this St. Rosetta’s series! While I’m writing this review, I can already see some really great stories waiting to be told! It’s sure to be magical! Plus, I saw a few references to other stories if I’m not mistaken!

If you’re a fan of boarding school drama, really rich teenagers trying to show off their incredible amounts of wealth through fashion, oh-so-juicy drama, love and betrayal, beautiful relationships, absolutely magical character development, a brilliant use of curses and roses, and fate, definitely check out this book!