Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Review: Of Curses and Kisses (St. Rosetta's Academy #1) by

 
Title: Of Curses and Kisses (St. Rosetta's Academy #1)
Author: Sandhya Menon
Published by: Simon Pulse
Released: February 18, 2020
Source: Library
 
Synopsis: The first novel in a 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. (Synopsis from Goodreads)
 
My Thoughts: This book was cute and I enjoyed it. I liked this Beauty and the Beast inspired tale. Grey made a good beast and Jaya made an okay Belle. I liked Grey more than I liked Jaya, but she did grow on me as the book progressed.
I didn't really like Jaya's motivations. They were all about revenge for dirty dealings that happened years ago between their families. It just seems a very cruel thing to trick someone into falling for you just so you can break their heart. It's not Belle-like behavior. She is also all about family honor alllll the time, which she embraced in such a severe way. I won't say I understood that totally.
I enjoyed the incorporation of the rose brooch, but I didn't think it made the most sense for Jaya to wear it everywhere, especially when it had rubies constantly falling out of it. 
I liked the setting of St. Rosetta's. It seemed like a fun place to go to school, if you are rich enough for it.
Grey was the character I sympathized with the most. He's a very sad and lonely soul. I liked seeing his journey. He did mope a lot, but considering his past and present family stuff, I'll give him a pass.
This was a sweet book, very cute. I'd definitely read more in this series. It's just kind of fun and easy.
 
 BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5
It's Cute 

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