The retelling is unique enough to grab my student's attention, and it's low enough to get their attention and hold it without being too hard for them to read. I'd recommend this to them if we had it in our library.

This was sweet and an entertaining Beauty and the Beast retelling. This is the second read in a row for me though where I feel like the magic element didn't really need to be there but it was cute and fun to just binge so I could definitely see myself picking up more books in this series.

I love Sandhya's writing, and this book was no reception. The plot did feel a little predictable to me, but was enjoyable nonetheless.

I was bored for most of this book. I just was not a fan of Jaya. Her character was so frustrating and judgmental of everything and everyone around her, especially what doesn't fit her conservative view of the world. While there is character development, it took so long to get there. Grey was a bit more interesting but not by much. I liked the boarding school setting but that didn't really play a role in this story sadly. Overall,  this book had flat characters, an extremely slow pacing, way too many clichés and a plot that only picked up towards the last fifty pages of the book.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a unique twist of beauty and the beast. We are centered around jaya and grey in a nice private school! It almost had a romeo and Juliette feel for a second with the revenge against each other and not supposed to be liking each other but I really enjoyed seeing them together and their story. It was a good ya contemporary and wrapped up nicely!

I was happy to be given an early access edition to this title, especially as I have enjoyed other books by this author. However, several months after publication, I still have not been able to force myself to finish this book. It is well-written and full of engaging characters, but unfortunately the two main characters are not among them. They were each as unlikable as the other, and I could not muster up enough enthusiasm to root for either one of them. I would have enjoyed a story following the younger sister miles before I could have cared about Jaya. I put this book down well before the end and do not plan to pick it back up again.

If you're a fan of YA retellings then this may be a good one for you. This is fun twist on the classic Beauty and the Beast story set in a boarding school. The modernization, the diversity, the wit, the friendship, and the many family connections were all very well done.

Something about the writing didn't work for me with this one, despite having enjoyed Menon's realistic YA fiction in the past. There was something too juvenile and cutesy for me, so in future I'll stick with her realistic contemporaries. I do think teen readers may enjoy this diverse, lighthearted take on the Beauty and the Beast story.

Everything Sandhya Menon writes is amazing! Of Curses and Kisses is the story of curse-crossed love with a "Holes"-like spin. At first I didn't like the female main, but as I read I really got to understand her and just kept hoping she'd hurry up and realise how amazing he was!

Sandhya Menon has done it again! I loved this book with all my heart and could not put it down. Swooney, adventurous and addicting! Cannot wait to see where the rest of the series goes!

Retellings are always tricky, and this one missed the mark for me. I like the South Asian representation, and some of the aspects about royalty in India were drawn out. Nowadays barely anyone cares about royalty in India, and it’s nowhere near to what Queen of England has, but this book made it seem like that. Typical YA but I wish it had a better drawn out storyline.

I couldn't really get in to this book but I did enjoy the premise of the book.The pacing of the book was nice. I typically love a good boarding school setting but this one missed the mark for me.

4 stars. Very much enjoyed this especially because of the Indian representation, specifically South Indian rep. I really resonated with Jaya as an older sister and found Grey and the supporting characters likeable despite the use of cliches and tropes. This was a fast, enjoyable read that is along the lines of usual YA romance. The plot/retelling aspects was genuinely interesting and the references to the original tale/movie were so creative. This was my first Sandhya Menon book and hopefully not my last!

Of Curses and Kisses was a fun read - but it reminded me of everything BUT Beauty and the Beast (the fairy tale on which it was based.) Yes, there was the rose, and yes, they described the male main character as a beast - but it reminded me more of:

1. Romeo and Juliet - Family feud, forbidden romance
2. Pride and Prejudice - Female character misjudges male character, learns that someone she thought was good was bad
3. Anna and the French Kiss - Boarding school
4. Never Have I Ever - An arranged marriage in a modern Indian family with characters living in the US and trying to balance their heritage with the US culture

That being said, I think that Beastly was a better reimagining of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale - but I enjoyed Of Curses and Kisses as a romance more than Beastly. It just depends on what you're looking for.

This was such a fun read! I am such a sucker for any book set in a boarding school. And Sandhya always develops such diverse and interesting characters that I felt like I knew them all personally.

I enjoyed reading several aspects of this book! The pacing was wonderful, characters were well drawn, and the reading experience on the whole was delightful.

Not really my cup of tea. However I think there are many readers who would enjoy a Beauty and the Beast retelling set at an elite boarding school. I’m just not that reader.

A fun romance novel with a great interpretation of the Beauty and the Beast myth. I like that the plot and characters tackle "what makes a beast"--is it a person's looks? Their actions? Their family? And of course, the beast is not always what it seems.  I really loved seeing how the characters developed individually and grew to better understand the world around them, rather than relying only on Youtube videos (as Jaya does!).

Thank you so much @SimonTeen & @NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 18 February 2020)

SYNOPSIS | There is a centuries old feud between the Rao & the Emerson families over a stolen ruby, however when Princess Jaya Rao finds out that the Emerson heir is attending the same elite boarding school as her she plots her revenge on him & his family.

WHAT I LIKED:
- Alternating perspectives between Jaya & Grey

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- I genuinely didn't understand why Jaya's "revenge" was to make Grey fall in love with her and then break his heart... how on earth is that justification for his ancestor stealing a ruby?!
- I wanted more familial storyline between Jaya & her sister. The majority of the book was Jaya being overbearingly protective, Isha is then absent for the entire middle of the book and then at the end of the book Jaya suddenly changes her mindset and encourages Isha to take robotics.
- Grey... i like broody boys (Edward Cullen started this love), but Grey was just bland.
- I like elite boarding schools (thank you Harry Potter & Gossip Girl), but this story could have literally been set anywhere.

I wanted to love this book. The authors YA RomComs are some of my favorites and I was really looking forward to a Beauty and the Beast retelling by her. After 5 chapters I was still struggling to find a connection to the characters or determine what the plot was. I may try again at another time.