Sandhya Menon

Caterina is desperate to gain back the popularity she once held at Rosetta's Academy, while Rahul, desperate for a chance with Caterina, discovers hair gel that turns him into suave RC, Caterina's dream boy.

Of Princes and Promises

Jelke Lenaerts

I really adored book one and was very excited to get to this book. Especially because I already fell in love with Rahul in book one. To be honest, on the romance departement this book didn't dissapoint at all. I really loved Rahul and Caterina. They both went through some amazing developement throughout this book and I really liked the story each got. I really felt for both of them. Their romance was also amazingly developed. I really liked the interactions between the two of them. There were a lot of really cute moments. The romance really had me swooning. However, this book also introduced a sort of antogonist to the plot and I wasn't a fan of that. It just felt a bit cartoonish and over the top. It took me a bit out of the story and overall I just don't really think this book needed that. So yeah, I had to knock down a star for that but I still really had a great time with this book. I also just love the side characters in this series and can't wait to find out who the next book is going to be about (I have some hopes).

Ashton Reed

3.5/5 stars

(review originally posted on Under the Covers book blog)


  ”Most people wouldn’t say I have a heart, and most people wouldn’t say you’re easy to talk to,” Caterina mused. Her brown eyes glittered. “It sounds like most people don’t know us.”


This was a sweet YA romance with some really great themes and characters, but there was something missing; I wanted the story to go to the next level but it never really got there.

In this sequel to Sandhya Menon’s Of Curses and Kisses, the trademark mean-girl-queen-bee at St. Rosetta’s Academy, Caterina LaValle, has only one thing on her mind: her plan to show everyone how untouched she is after her boyfriend, Alaric, cheated on her. She’s Queen Cat, and to stay on the throne, she needs a hot date to the Hindman Foundation Gala - one that will shock the smug looks off of Alaric and his rebound model girlfriend for good.

Rahul Chopra is head-over-heels in love with Caterina, and has been for a long time. And he can’t stop thinking about the night they danced together at the winter formal, when Caterina looked so hurt after Alaric’s betrayal. Rahul is socially awkward and feels no confidence in his own skin, but he still holds onto hope that Caterina remembers that dance between them, too. And so the only plausible answer when Caterina asks him to go to the Gala with her is yes. The next two weeks, Caterina begins Rahul’s makeover into RC, the hot prince on Caterina’s arm at all the high society functions. But what happens when Rahul likes RC better? And does Caterina really want Rahul to change?

Of Princes and Promises has so many great aspects to talk about. When I started reading, I didn’t jive with either of the main characters, but I especially didn’t relate to Rahul’s perspective; he’s so awkward that he comes off as unnecessarily cruel to his friends, and it was hard to read in his perspective at first. However, he is also easy to empathize with, and Menon does a good job of showing why he acts the way he does. 

Both Rahul and Caterina have interesting character arcs, and it makes for an interesting main conflict I was not expecting; Menon took a fresh look at the “character changes himself” trope and I liked being surprised at that. At first, Rahul doesn’t feel right in his own skin, but it’s amazing to see his true transformation into someone comfortable and confident while still being himself. And Caterina learns that pretending to be invulnerable only hurts her in the end. Their romance rises to the occasion because of this interesting conflict twist, and I’m really glad they could find their happy ending (that’s not a spoiler, you definitely already knew they’d get together 😉).

In all honesty, perhaps my problem is that I didn’t read Of Curses and Kisses first. As soon as I started reading, so many characters and settings were introduced and I could tell I was supposed to have a familiarity with these people already. That could have been the barrier between me liking the book and me loving the book. However, this book still didn’t take the leap into the plot, and I think I could sense that hesitation throughout the entire read. It was all surface-level, never really diving into big conflicts or extra tense moments. In the last 20%, it gets close to that next level as everything comes together in the climax, but I really wish there had been a deeper plunge throughout the rest of the book.

Also, my understanding was that there would be a little bit of magic in this book, so I never grasped the purpose of the little hints of magic since I don’t think anything was actually magical? There were characters I suspected as soon as I met them, yet their conflicts were completely realistic. And most of the plot revolves around a bottle of hair gel that seemingly magically completes Rahul’s transformation into RC, yet I don’t think it ever ended up being magical? There needed to be a lot more explanation there because its purpose to the theme and the character arcs is never fully explained and that left me very confused by the end.

Ultimately, this book is a sweet romance with some great themes and an interesting twist that will take you by surprise. However, for me, I wished there was more depth because I never felt truly immersed in the story. I recommend this book to YA romance readers who want something quick and heart-warming to entertain them!

FishStick 

Siddhi Jain

Eileen

Daniëlle

From the New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi comes the second instalment in a brand-new series set in St Rosetta's Academy. Caterina LaValle is determined to show she's still the queen of St. Rosetta's Academy. Sure, her crown may be slightly askew after her ex-boyfriend, Alaric, cheated on her, but she's a LaValle. She'll find a way to march right back in there, her hands clutching the strings to the whole puppet show. This time, she's going to be untouchable. Rahul Chopra knows that moment he shared with Caterina LaValle at the winter formal meant something. Surely she feels it, too. He's a little uncertain how someone like him (socially inept to a point way past "adorkable") could fit into her world, but he's loved Caterina for years. He knows they'll find a way. When Caterina finds out Alaric is taking a supermodel to the upcoming gala, she knows she cannot arrive without the perfect date. But the thought of taking another superficial St. R's boy exhausts her. The solution? Sweet-but-clueless Rahul Chopra and a mysterious pot of hair gel with the power to alter the wearer into whatever his heart desires. When Rahul tries it, he transforms instantly into RC-debonair, handsome, and charming. But transformation comes with a price: As Rahul enjoys his new social standing, the line between his two personas begins to blur. Will he give up everything, including Caterina, to remain RC? Or will this unlikely pair find their way back to each other? _________________________________________________ Praise for Sandhya Menon's work: 'Pure, fantastical escapism with a tiny critique embedded in the privilege that it so joyfully describes' Financial Times 'One of the great rom-com YA writers' Paste Magazine 'Adorable, joyous.' BuzzFeed 'Anytime your soul needs a hug, pick up a Sandhya Menon novel.' Book Riot 'There's something irresistible about Sandhya Menon's novels: the romances are sweet and winning, the humour is cheerful and sly, and the families are warm and complicated.' Stephanie Perkins

Of Princes and Promises

Reviews