A charming, diverse retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
I am a big fan of Sandhya Menon's contemporary books. Although this one is a bit more of a fantasy it still had her signature style. However, I found that this one may be best for a younger audience, and that is OK! As a teen librarian, I am always looking for romance for middle and young high school students. This hits that mark! I already know a few people I will recommend this too. It has so much tweens will love- a cursed necklace, a long-standing family feud , a boarding school setting complete with a ski trip, and a romance you just know is going to happen. Grateful for the advanced e-galley. I will be purchasing for our collection.

Of Curses and Kisses is Sandhya Menon's latest YA novel and the first in the St. Rosetta's Academy series. It will be released on February 18, 2020. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for sharing a digital arc with me. All opinions are my own.

Princess Jaya Rao has always put her family first, so when a scandal involving her little sister lands her in the same boarding school as their family's archenemy she jumps at the chance to punish the boy she holds responsible for her family's pain. Her plan: to make him fall in love with her and then break his heart. Grey has always shied away from forming relationships because he's cursed. His mother died in childbirth and his father has always blamed him and believed in the family's curse that says Grey will die on his 18th birthday. Unable to handle this, he dumps his son at St. Rosetta's at the age of six and then basically cuts him off. Due to this, Grey is used to pushing people away. However, there's just something about Jaya and her ruby rose pendant that pulls him in. Will the princess be able to save the beast?

I have really enjoyed Menon's previous books and this one did not disappoint me either. It is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but Menon masterfully makes the tale her own. I love the re-imagining and how she reinterpreted some of the characters. For example, Jaya has a love for libraries like Belle does, but overall I found Jaya to be a much stronger character. She has determination and drive (even if it is at times misdirected). I also like that the character of Maurice was recast into Jaya's robot and mechanics loving little sister, Isha. The book also tackles the topics of women's roles in society and reputations. Jaya does what she is expected to because of her gender, birth order, and station in life even if it directly goes against what she herself wants. Ultimately, she learns to put herself first and she discusses how they didn't even have a chance because they're bombarded with messages about what they should be before they're even old enough to process those messages. This is something I believe a lot of female readers will be able to connect to. The story flowed nicely and though a retelling, it wasn't completely predictable.

3.5 stars

A modern retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" with diverse characters set at a boarding school?! YES!

I love the concept here and am excited that this appears to be the start of a series. Having read everything else written by Menon, I came into this with the expectation that this work would contain some of the characteristics I like best in her writing: engaging ruminations, challenging dynamics between parents and children (often based on cultural expectations and a sense of duty), and a knack for romance. I found all of these areas to be particularly successful in this work (as I have in the predecessors).

Overall, I wished that there were about 100 fewer pages. Some sections of the novel drag unnecessarily. The connections between Grey and his beasthood were a bit heavy-handed. I think the point is made in the first few examples; we don't necessarily need repeats of his "lupine eyes" and hands that are almost like "paws," for example. Fewer references of this kind would have been great. Also, I hoped for more relationship development between the sisters. Jaya invests so much of her time and identity into caring for Isha, but it's hard to figure out why beyond a sense of obligation. It felt odd to me that readers did not get to see more of their interactions throughout the novel (and that we had to wait until the end to really see them TALK).

My favorite aspect of the entire work is the twist on the curse. I really loved how Menon modernizes what the curse is and how it is resolved. The final scenes improved my overall sentiments about the work.

This is an enjoyable read for all fans of this author (and there are many of us!) as well as aficionados of fairy tale retellings.

RATING: 3.5/5 STARS

OF CURSES AND KISSES is a Beauty and the Beast retelling with an Indian MC. The diversity of the characters drew me in, but the sweetness of the story kept me reading. I enjoyed how Jaya and Grey's relationship unfolded as they got to know each other. The themes addressed in this book aren't very serious, and the story itself is not that realistic, but that's the fun of it. If you're looking for a lighthearted, modern retelling, I'd recommend this one. I'm a fan of Menon's WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI as well, and wholeheartedly support her books because we definitely need more Indian rep in YA!

A sincere thanks to NetGalley and Simon Pulse for providing an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I've enjoyed Sandhya Menon's work in the past but this one didn't really work for me. I found the main characters mostly irritating and the secondary characters not overly engaging (one of the friends seems to have a personality almost entirely consisting of "I'm French") and the writing seemed awkward and often riddled with cliches. (I especially felt as if every time Jaya or her family talked about "the kingdom" or "the palace" or said something like "our people are in uproar!" it came off as incredibly stilted and kind of unbelievable.) The book didn't suffer exactly from an insta-love problem (it starts off more enemies to lovers than anything) but the feeling I got from that angle is similar: although it happened toward the middle of the book - just around the time the pace finally picked up a bit - I didn't find the basis for a relationship particularly strong at that point. I think the modernized Beauty and the Beast concept is interesting - especially with that dash of Pride and Prejudice thrown in - but I'm not sure the execution was quite there.

I adore fairy tale retelling and Sandhya Menon has brought it in Of Curses and Kisses. Set in a boarding school with her spin on Beauty and the Beast. This story is swoony and suspenseful with her touch of humor. I adored it and you will too.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

I have read three of Sandhya Menon's books prior to Of Curses and Kisses. I generally have loved the stories albeit not always being head over heels for the writing or ensemble of characters. This story definitely suffered a little from that writing style and unlikable characters that I have seen in a few of the others. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what it is, but it's almost as if the characters react and act in ways that don't make sense as to what real life people would do and that's jarring. This story in particular is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast so you know where the story is going. I just found myself rolling my eyes at the characters. They were kind of ridiculous and cheesy at times. I did enjoy the general premise and I think that there were some good characters and moments in there. It's not an unreadable story by any means. I went back and forth between a 3 and 4 star rating. So even though I have issues with the book itself, it's not a bad read. I didn't struggle to get through it or anything like that.

This was an adorable take on Beauty and the Beast using a diverse cast and a fun new way to tell the story.

Thanks to a generations long curse, the Raos and Emersons hate each other, but after an attack on Princess Jaya's younger sister, Jaya decides to pay back Grey Emerson by making him fall in love with her. However, the more she learns about Grey, the less the curse seems important.

The action takes place at a boarding school with a diverse and fun cast that make this a delight to read. I look forward to the next book in the series, and I think young adult readers will really enjoy this book.

A fun, quick read! While the story alludes to Beauty and the Beast, don't expect any singing teapots. Instead, sit back and enjoy life in an exclusive boarding school filled with royals, aristocrats and high society who may not always get along.

2.5 stars

I really wanted to like this book more! I've liked Sandya Menon's other books so I was excited to read her retelling of Beauty and the Beast. However, I was let down a bit. All the characters seemed very one-note. They all had their "thing" and that was about all to them. I didn't get into the plot very much. The best redeeming quality about it is the diversity of the characters.

All in all, I think there are better retellings of Beauty and the Beast.

Sandhya Menon writes the best YA romances. She blends different cultures and people so effortlessly that her books look like the world around us. She doesn't shy away from the problems facing teen love stories and makes her worlds rich and interesting. They might be taking place in the world we know, but the characters are both new to us and feel like old friends. After reading this I am excited for the rest of this series and hope we get to see these characters again and again.

I am a fan of Sandhya Menon’s writing and really loved her Dimple and Rishi series so I expected a lot from Of Curses and Kisses. It was a fun and cute read but sadly I had hoped for more.

Menon’s main characters are always strong young women who are trying to find balance between family tradition, societal expectations and their own wants and needs. That’s what I love about her characters and I felt that Jaya was similar but was so entrenched in doing what was proper for most of the story that I didn’t connect with her as much as I hoped to. I would actually really love to read a story about Jaya’s younger sister Isha because she pushes the boundaries of expectations more than Jaya. I will say that I adored the brooding Grey and really did enjoy the interactions between him and Jaya. Overall, this was an entertaining contemporary Beauty and the Beast retelling.

Jaya will do anything to help her family, including cozying up to her sworn enemy, Emerson. When Jaya starts to see Emerson in a different light, will she be able to overcome her loyalty to tradition?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book; if you're looking for a fun, fairy-tale based story, this is a solid choice. The characters are well-thought out, diverse, and it showcases empowered women. The plot is paced well and you'll want to keep reading.

However, calling Of Curses and Kisses a retelling of Beauty and the Beast is a big stretch. The book certainly has a fairy-tale feel, but if you're looking for a story that parallels the original Beauty and the Beast, you will have to look elsewhere. Jaya had a ruby rose necklace that lost "petals" like the original story, but that's basically where the similarities end.

This is the first in what appears to be a trilogy, so I'm excited to see where the author goes from here and what characters she focuses on next. There were several background characters whose stories I'd be interested in reading, which is the sign of a solid writer.

Sandhya Menon books usually speak to me, her characters are true individuals who stand out on the page and suck me in as a reader. Of Curses and Kisses, a spin on Beauty and the Beast, follows the story of Princess Jaya Rao and Lord Northcliffe aka Grey Emerson. Jaya Rao is does what she needs to do in order to protect her family from outside evils while Grey works tp protect himself from the evils within his. I was disappointed that this story did not suck me in from the first page, or even from the 50th page. I had trouble getting invested and believing in Jaya and Grey’s story. All the characters felt like caricatures and I did not really believe in their growth. Of Curse and Kisses tried to stay too true to the fairy-tale elements of Beauty and the Beast and because of this the characters in the story were unable to break out of the mold and become their own people.

It was a struggle to get through this one. I didn't like the pacing, the chapters were way too long for me. I could not connect to the characters or the story. I kind of wish that the characters were older or it wasn't set in modern times? Idk, but something about this did not work for me. The retelling element was okay, parts were really solid and others lacked.

I will say that I am kind of in a reading slump and this could have just been a me thing. But, unfortunately I really did not want to ever pick this up and skimmed the last 100 or so pages.

I love Sandhya Menon's contemporary romances, and so I was excited to read this one. As promised, it veers into the realm of fantasy, but not necessarily how I expected. The characters were so immersed in the world of wealth and status, and that is where I felt like the real fantasy was - with the more traditional fantasy element only somewhat interwoven. If that's your thing, this book will definitely be enjoyable for you; if not, consider this a caveat.

This book is going to be a hit. It hits all the big story lines right now with boarding schools, Royals, and scandals. I know this will do well. I do think it could’ve be written a bit smoother but I liked all the same.

This was such a cute book! I thought the modern day Beauty and the Beast retelling was so creative. It was definitely different and had the elements of the classic in its own way. I loved the diverse characters. I loved the setting of the story and also really liked Jaya and Grey together. This is my first book by Sandhya Menon and I really enjoyed it. I look forward to seeing what else she does with the series and also to reading Isha's story.

I think this one gets 4.25 stars. It was so freaking cute. I loved the contemporary spin on Beauty and the Beast, I loved the characters, I loved the plot.
The whole family rivalry between the Rao’s and the Emerson’s was such a fun way to get into this plot. The curse was done in such a unique way, cursing someone generations down the Emerson line. I loved the small nods to Beauty and the Beast, like the ruby rose necklace that kept losing rubies instead of petals.
The characters were all so amazing. I especially loved Isha and Jaya’s group of friends. While I did like Jaya, she was a little bit annoying, always trying to make sure she acted how her parents wanted and trying to make Isha act the same way. And Grey was supposed to be the beast, but despite the leaked pictures of Isha, he never seemed like a “beast.” I kind of wish he had acted more like a beast in the beginning and then it would have been a more dramatic change as he got to know Jaya.
There was something that I felt like was supposed to be a plot twist, but I figured it out at the beginning of the book. It wasn’t super disappointing because it was still really fun to see how everything played out.
The only thing that kind of bugged me was that there were several large words that I had never seen before and I didn’t know what they meant (I guessed with the context). I stumbled over them and felt like it would have been much better to just use a more common word.
I was really excited to read a contemporary retelling since retellings are usually fantasy, and it definitely did not disappoint!

I read this book early thanks to #NetGalley

I adore Sandhya Menon's writing and this book was no exception! Boarding School, Princesses, and an age old feud, what 's not to love? The characters were fun and believable, and I read it all in one go. I highly recommend this book!