Sophie Reads YA: Sandhya Menon

Waiting On Wednesday: Of Dreams and Destiny (St. Rosetta's Academy #3) by Sandhya Menon

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2019 Beat the Backlist challenge

ARC Review: From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon

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From Twinkle, with Love
Series: None
Author: Sandhya Menon
Published May 31st 2018 by Hodder & Stoughton

Goodreads Synopsis
An aspiring teen filmmaker finds her voice and falls in love in this delightful romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi.

Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy-a.k.a. Sahil's twin brother? Dream come true x 2.

When mystery man N begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it's Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she's fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorkable Sahil.

Twinkle soon realizes that resistance is futile: The romance she's got is not the one she's scripted. But will it be enough?

Told through the letters Twinkle writes to her favorite female filmmakers, From Twinkle, with Love navigates big truths about friendship, family, and the unexpected places love can find you.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Twinkle Mehra has always wanted to be a filmmaker, so when the upcoming Summer Festival is announced, she decides to work with fellow film lover, Sahil Roy, to create something to be aired during the festival. Working with Sahil is great, though they do clash at times, but the fact that his twin brother. Neil, is the person she's been crushing on for years, this could be her chance to get close to him. When anonymous letters and emails start coming in, signed off by N, Twinkle immediately thinks it could be Neil, and is overjoyed; but spending more time with Sahil makes her soon realise she might've been crushing on the wrong twin all along.

I love Sandhya's other books, so when this one became available to request, I knew I had to do it. And though I liked this book, I didn't like it as much as the others. Twinkle just wasn't a character I really warmed too, as I felt she was very immature and vain. She was neigh on obsessed with the idea of popularity, and it just got annoying the more she went on about it. I did like Sahil, and it was obvious he had a crush on Twinkle from an early part of the book. I liked their chemistry together, but the obsession over Neil, even though Twinkle knew it was hurting Sahil, detracted from it all. The filmmaking plot line was original, and I did love how we really saw how Twinkle and Sahil cared about their future and about films. All in all, a middling read.

Dates Read:
August 9-11, 2019

Rating
3 Stars

2021 New Release challenge

ARC Review: Of Princes and Promises (St. Rosetta's Academy #2) by Sandhya Menon

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Of Princes and Promises
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

Of Princes and Promises

Waiting On Wednesday: Of Princes and Promises (St. Rosetta's Academy #2) by Sandhya Menon