Of Curses and Kisses | Review

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Synopsis

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.

Review

This book was…okay? Maybe I just had too many expectations going into it since it’s written by one of my favorite authors, but it wasn’t great. It wasn’t the worst book I’ve ever read, but definitely missed the mark for me.

First, I expected more magic and adventure to be involved. Part of the title insinuates the involvement of magic, but there really wasn’t any. There was one small magical object that could only barely be classified as magical, but other than that, none.

Second, there was never really a peak in action. It all just moved at one steady pace. Nothing exciting. Nothing not exciting. It just kinda was. This really made things a little bland in my opinion.

Even the relationship between Jaya and Grey fell a little short for me. They had their moments, but it didn’t seem to flow like I hoped it would. I did appreciate all the characters we were able to meet and I can’t wait to get to know some of them better in subsequent books.

I just expected there be more in general. More magic. More romance. More adventure. Even the “secrets” revealed in the book didn’t feel very surprising or secret.

Overall, this book was just okay. I’ll probably read the second because I’m a big fan of Menon, but this one won’t be one I’m recommending.

Rating

To check out my other reviews, click here. Or to check out more books by Sandhya Menon, go to her GoodReads profile or her website.