ARC Review: Of Princes and Promises (St. Rosetta's Academy #2) by Sandhya Menon
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Series: St. Rosetta's Academy #2
Author: Sandhya Menon
Published June 8th 2021 by Hodder & Stoughton
Goodreads Synopsis
From the New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi comes the second installment in a brand-new series set an elite boarding school that’s a contemporary spin on fairy tales, this one a delightful, romantic twist on The Frog Prince.
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?
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
After being humiliated by her cheating boyfriend at the winter formal, Queen of St Rosetta's, Caterina LaValle is determined to reclaim her crown, and not show the hurt. But when Alaric reveals he has started dating a super model, and will be taking said model to a prestigious social event - one where the cameras will be looking at Caterina's reaction, she knows she needs to find an escort, and fast. Rahul Chopra may be the son of the Indian finance minister, but he's clueless when it comes to social interaction, and wouldn't usually be Caterina's first choice. But, he kept her secret at the formal, and is more than willing to do anything to help her, so Caterina takes him under her wing, and with a little help of a magical pot of hair chair, he is transformed into RC, a debonair and handsome guy, but one with a cost. As the pair grow closer, will they be able to overcome their old prejudices, or will RC overrule Rahul, and ruin the day?
Now, as soon as I finished Of Curses and Kisses, way back in December 2019, I was just blown away by it, and desperate to read more. Well, obviously the pandemic happened, but when my copy of Of Princes and Promises dropped through my letterbox, I dropped everything to read it. I'll start by saying that I really enjoyed it, but didn't love it anywhere near like I had with book 1. I'm not too sure why, but Caterina and Rahul's story, and relationship, just didn't grip me as much as Jaya and Grey's had. Caterina had definitely had a life of luxury since her childhood, and was very loved, but used the power she got from her position to help her. I didn't immediately warm to her, but by a few chapters, I loved her. She had a public persona - one perfected for the cameras and the red carpet, but once you saw her softer side, she was someone you could really like. Rahul was always a softy, but as RC, I really disliked him. I'm not too familiar with the source material of the Frog Prince, but I felt like RC's persona somewhat ruined the appeal of Rahul, and that may be part of why I didn't adore this book. Rahul and Caterina were really good together, but RC just added a bit too much drama than I would've wanted.
I did, however, love the mystery aspect, around the new friend who appeared, Mia, and Oliver, the owner of the store that sold Rahul the magical hair gel. I was close to the truth about it all a few times, but never actually got there until the big reveal, and it definitely helped to engage the audience. All in all, this was a good book, but after my love of book 1, I was left wanting slightly. I'm hoping book 3, with I think with be DE's book, will be amazing!
Dates Read:
June 3, 2021
Rating
4 Stars
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