In this dreamy, sassy confection of a romance, Sandhya Menon (From Twinkle, with Love) sweeps readers into a modern-day fairy tale set among blue bloods in an exclusive boarding school.
Indian Princess Jaya Rao of the Imperial House of Mysuru enrolls for her senior year at St. Rosetta's International Academy in Colorado with a plan: win classmate and English noble Grey Emerson's heart, then shatter it. Not only do their families have a longstanding feud over a stolen ruby, Jaya is furious that Grey allegedly leaked scandalous information to a tabloid about her little sister, Isha. Grey, in turn, is spending his senior year believing that the stolen ruby's curse will kill him on his 18th birthday. He has shut himself off from friendships and love and knows better than to trust a Rao. But vibrant, strong-willed Jaya leaves him longing for connection. Jaya doesn't realize her plan could backfire until she's already falling for the enemy.
This gossipy, lighthearted romp takes its cues from a classic. Manon prefaces the story with a quote from Disney's Beauty and the Beast and adds other nods to the fairy tale: Jaya wears a possibly magical rose pendant, and Grey has a habit of wasting away in the lonely tower of the school's West Wing. Frothier than Manon's previous down-to-earth romances, Of Curses and Kisses still explores her touchstone themes of self-discovery and independence. Funny, extravagant and satisfying, this love story should delight romantic hearts and anyone who relishes juicy boarding school antics. --Jaclyn Fulwood, youth services manager at Main Branch, Dayton Metro Library