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Grimbaud #2
Love Charms and Other Catastrophes
Sometimes love comes gift-wrapped…literally.
Aspiring love-charm maker Hijiri Kitamura was excited to come back to Grimbaud for her sophomore year—until she learned about the upcoming charm-making competition. She, along with her friends and fellow rebels, had worked too hard to free the town from Zita’s tyrannical love fortunes to allow some other charm maker to move in and take over. The only solution is for Hijiri to win the contest herself.
Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done, especially when Love itself has decided to meddle in Hijiri’s life. Concerned that its favorite charm maker has given up on finding a love of her own, Love delivers a very special gift—the perfect boyfriend, specially crafted just for her.
Aspiring love-charm maker Hijiri Kitamura was excited to come back to Grimbaud for her sophomore year—until she learned about the upcoming charm-making competition. She, along with her friends and fellow rebels, had worked too hard to free the town from Zita’s tyrannical love fortunes to allow some other charm maker to move in and take over. The only solution is for Hijiri to win the contest herself.
Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done, especially when Love itself has decided to meddle in Hijiri’s life. Concerned that its favorite charm maker has given up on finding a love of her own, Love delivers a very special gift—the perfect boyfriend, specially crafted just for her.
360 pages, Paperback
First published May 17, 2016
19 people are currently reading
1538 people want to read
About the author
Kimberly Karalius
7 books231 followersKimberly Karalius is the author of LOVE FORTUNES AND OTHER DISASTERS and its sequel LOVE CHARMS AND OTHER CATASTROPHES. If you gave her a wish bone, she would wish fervently for snow in Florida. Living in Florida certainly has one big perk: going to Disney World. Which she does. Frequently.
Kimberly holds an MFA in fiction from the University of South Florida. Her fiction has appeared in literary journals such as Luna Station Quarterly, The Medulla Review, and Hogglepot. Her chapbook, POCKET FOREST, was published by Deathless Press in August 2013.
Kimberly holds an MFA in fiction from the University of South Florida. Her fiction has appeared in literary journals such as Luna Station Quarterly, The Medulla Review, and Hogglepot. Her chapbook, POCKET FOREST, was published by Deathless Press in August 2013.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
December 19, 2016
I didn't think it was possible but this book was even cuter than the first in the series and I adored every minute of it! I was quite pleased to see the same cast of characters returning and facing new challenges. I particularly enjoyed seeing Hijiri evolve and grow into the amazing charm maker she was clearly meant to be. And I just adored the twist that Love threw in and seeing how that played out! I really loved everything about this book, the concept is just the cutest and the magic and charms added in make it the perfect love story to curl up with and get lost in!
August 2, 2017
I want more than this. I love this world so much.
Long story short this book follows where book 1 left off. Now the town needs an official charm maker so they hold a competition.
This duology just feels like a hallmark movie. So cheesy, the writing isn't amazing, but it's adorable. I love it and think they're so cute and fun. I definitely wish there was another book but there's nothing left to write in the world and overall I just adored this. Possibly more than the first one honestly.
I recommend them but don't expect too much.
Long story short this book follows where book 1 left off. Now the town needs an official charm maker so they hold a competition.
This duology just feels like a hallmark movie. So cheesy, the writing isn't amazing, but it's adorable. I love it and think they're so cute and fun. I definitely wish there was another book but there's nothing left to write in the world and overall I just adored this. Possibly more than the first one honestly.
I recommend them but don't expect too much.
November 6, 2017
2.5 stars
Love Charms and Other Catastrophes was… unexpected in many ways. I enjoyed the first book in this series to a certain extent but companion sequels can be either a hit or a miss. In this case, I think keeping Karalius’ debut as a standalone would not have been such a bad idea! I just did not connect to the characters as much as I would have liked and I really, really struggled to get on-board with the romance.
I think my entire problem with this story stems from my problems with the romance. While I was not a die-hard Fallon and Sebastian shipper in Love Fortunes and Other Disasters, their romance was still entertaining and it weaved into an overarching plotline that captured my attention. In this, however, Hijiri and Ken’s relationship was just… odd. I understood Love’s need for Hijiri to take over the love-charm making in Grimbaud. I can even see why Love believed making her fall in love would consequently help her to understand her own heart and make her a stronger love-charm maker in return, but I didn’t quite understand how that translated into bringing Kenato into her life. I really did not like the fact that he was in love with her before they had officially met. His affection for her felt entirely fake. How can you love someone without knowing them? I never for a second believed that Ken’s love or even personality was genuine… which is obviously a massive problem. Why would I want to ship Hijiri with - what we are led to believe is - a fake/charmed boy? It didn’t make sense to me and even now, after finishing this book about five minutes ago, I still have no idea what Love was trying to achieve by putting Ken and Hijiri in this situation. It probably didn’t help that I was just not a fan of Ken in general. He was defined by his love for Hijiri and that bothered me. I think I could have warmed up to him more if he was actually lovable as a character but that was just not the case.
Hijiri’s obsession with her “small heart” did not help this. All it did was confuse me further! Was it meant to be a metaphorical/literary thing or did she truly believe her physical heart was literally smaller than average and, hence, it was stopping her from falling in love? If that’s the case, why the heck would she think that? I understand she had never fallen in love before - or even been interested in a boy - but she’s a teenager in high school… that’s hardly a big deal! You’ve barely meet anyone or been exposed to that many types of people at that age. You haven’t even had the time to pursue your career path or find out about yourself at that age (and I feel qualified to say this not as a judgy adult reader but a teenager myself). I just did not understand why Hijiri was so caught up on this and so adamant she was unable to fall in love.
If the romance and Ken’s characterisation had not been so messy, the plotline could have made the overall storyline really shine. It was silly and random at times but I did really enjoy the whimsicality of Grimbaud and I am still in love with the idea of its magical system (which we got to explore in much more depth this time around). The competition storyline would have been right up my alley if there had been apt levels of suspense and tension but sadly, it was a little underwhelming for the most part. While the competition was not as frightening or deadly as the Triwizard Tournament, it was still crucial to the town’s recovery and I would have liked to see Karalius capture the almost terror-like emotions of being involved in such a crucial competition like Rowling did. The pressure on Hijiri to win the competition and not allow another Zita-like charm maker gain influence in her town did not quite translate onto the page as I would have liked. It would have also been good to explore how Hijiri’s anxiety affected her performance in the competition and to focus on really making sure readers felt her desperation. The final round was incredibly disappointing. I would have liked that to been expanded on and not have been quite convenient as it felt. I did like that the charm-making aspects answered some of my questions from the first book as well.
Overall?
Love Charms and Other Catastrophes was a mostly disappointing companion/sequel. I think the idea of this romance was a little too weird for me. Ken was not a particularly likeable character due to his intense instalove for Hijiri. It made their entire relationship feel one-sided and off. The plotline was fun but I would have liked it to have been way more intense and tension-filled. I think I enjoyed the first book as a whole a lot more and am so glad that Karalius has decided to move on from the Grimbaud world in her next book.
Love Charms and Other Catastrophes was… unexpected in many ways. I enjoyed the first book in this series to a certain extent but companion sequels can be either a hit or a miss. In this case, I think keeping Karalius’ debut as a standalone would not have been such a bad idea! I just did not connect to the characters as much as I would have liked and I really, really struggled to get on-board with the romance.
I think my entire problem with this story stems from my problems with the romance. While I was not a die-hard Fallon and Sebastian shipper in Love Fortunes and Other Disasters, their romance was still entertaining and it weaved into an overarching plotline that captured my attention. In this, however, Hijiri and Ken’s relationship was just… odd. I understood Love’s need for Hijiri to take over the love-charm making in Grimbaud. I can even see why Love believed making her fall in love would consequently help her to understand her own heart and make her a stronger love-charm maker in return, but I didn’t quite understand how that translated into bringing Kenato into her life. I really did not like the fact that he was in love with her before they had officially met. His affection for her felt entirely fake. How can you love someone without knowing them? I never for a second believed that Ken’s love or even personality was genuine… which is obviously a massive problem. Why would I want to ship Hijiri with - what we are led to believe is - a fake/charmed boy? It didn’t make sense to me and even now, after finishing this book about five minutes ago, I still have no idea what Love was trying to achieve by putting Ken and Hijiri in this situation. It probably didn’t help that I was just not a fan of Ken in general. He was defined by his love for Hijiri and that bothered me. I think I could have warmed up to him more if he was actually lovable as a character but that was just not the case.
Hijiri’s obsession with her “small heart” did not help this. All it did was confuse me further! Was it meant to be a metaphorical/literary thing or did she truly believe her physical heart was literally smaller than average and, hence, it was stopping her from falling in love? If that’s the case, why the heck would she think that? I understand she had never fallen in love before - or even been interested in a boy - but she’s a teenager in high school… that’s hardly a big deal! You’ve barely meet anyone or been exposed to that many types of people at that age. You haven’t even had the time to pursue your career path or find out about yourself at that age (and I feel qualified to say this not as a judgy adult reader but a teenager myself). I just did not understand why Hijiri was so caught up on this and so adamant she was unable to fall in love.
If the romance and Ken’s characterisation had not been so messy, the plotline could have made the overall storyline really shine. It was silly and random at times but I did really enjoy the whimsicality of Grimbaud and I am still in love with the idea of its magical system (which we got to explore in much more depth this time around). The competition storyline would have been right up my alley if there had been apt levels of suspense and tension but sadly, it was a little underwhelming for the most part. While the competition was not as frightening or deadly as the Triwizard Tournament, it was still crucial to the town’s recovery and I would have liked to see Karalius capture the almost terror-like emotions of being involved in such a crucial competition like Rowling did. The pressure on Hijiri to win the competition and not allow another Zita-like charm maker gain influence in her town did not quite translate onto the page as I would have liked. It would have also been good to explore how Hijiri’s anxiety affected her performance in the competition and to focus on really making sure readers felt her desperation. The final round was incredibly disappointing. I would have liked that to been expanded on and not have been quite convenient as it felt. I did like that the charm-making aspects answered some of my questions from the first book as well.
Overall?
Love Charms and Other Catastrophes was a mostly disappointing companion/sequel. I think the idea of this romance was a little too weird for me. Ken was not a particularly likeable character due to his intense instalove for Hijiri. It made their entire relationship feel one-sided and off. The plotline was fun but I would have liked it to have been way more intense and tension-filled. I think I enjoyed the first book as a whole a lot more and am so glad that Karalius has decided to move on from the Grimbaud world in her next book.
Read
February 8, 2016Karalius triumphs in her follow-up to Love Fortunes and Other Disasters!
Here's what I loved about this one:
1) Karalius' personification of the human heart. I've decided this is my favorite aspect of this work, probably because Karalius does it so magnificently. And I mean, she's right. In so many ways, our hearts ARE individual beings, with desires and intentions completely separate and apart from our own. She illustrates this so beautifully and creatively!!!
2) The romantic relationship in this book is heartbreakingly tender and gentle. My soft spot for Kentaro developed instantaneously.
3) Karalius GETS romance. "There's something mesmerizing about rain. I think it's the eyelash-dripping that does it. Have you ever looked at someone's eyelashes when they're caught in the rain? The beads of water that pool on their eyelashes. It's mesmerizing." Mesmerizing indeed.
4) The way Karalius conceptualized and brought to fruition the various love charms demonstrated in the multiple rounds of competition. It was a sheer delight reading about what the different competitors would pull out of their hats next. Hijiri's were the best (obvi!) and the creative thought given to her elaborate charms is truly impressive.
5) The personalities and group dynamic of the students of Grimbaud's charm theory club. I thought Karalius struck the perfect balance between giving Hijiri a story of her own and including the side characters we'd already grown to know and love. (The twins are my favorite!)
Indeed, romance is still alive and well in Grimbaud in Karalius' second novel, and I dare you to walk away without a wistful dreamy smile on your face. And a hankering for still warm Belgian waffles drizzled with chocolate. No seriously. I want a waffle.
Here's what I loved about this one:
1) Karalius' personification of the human heart. I've decided this is my favorite aspect of this work, probably because Karalius does it so magnificently. And I mean, she's right. In so many ways, our hearts ARE individual beings, with desires and intentions completely separate and apart from our own. She illustrates this so beautifully and creatively!!!
2) The romantic relationship in this book is heartbreakingly tender and gentle. My soft spot for Kentaro developed instantaneously.
3) Karalius GETS romance. "There's something mesmerizing about rain. I think it's the eyelash-dripping that does it. Have you ever looked at someone's eyelashes when they're caught in the rain? The beads of water that pool on their eyelashes. It's mesmerizing." Mesmerizing indeed.
4) The way Karalius conceptualized and brought to fruition the various love charms demonstrated in the multiple rounds of competition. It was a sheer delight reading about what the different competitors would pull out of their hats next. Hijiri's were the best (obvi!) and the creative thought given to her elaborate charms is truly impressive.
5) The personalities and group dynamic of the students of Grimbaud's charm theory club. I thought Karalius struck the perfect balance between giving Hijiri a story of her own and including the side characters we'd already grown to know and love. (The twins are my favorite!)
Indeed, romance is still alive and well in Grimbaud in Karalius' second novel, and I dare you to walk away without a wistful dreamy smile on your face. And a hankering for still warm Belgian waffles drizzled with chocolate. No seriously. I want a waffle.
January 16, 2016
I went into Love Charms and Other Catastrophes already knowing I'd enjoy it, since I LOVED Love Fortunes and Other Disasters. I was NOT prepared for the sheer FORCE of my love / panic for sweet, adorable Ken, and his *otherworldly* appearance in Hijiri's life. Can a PERFECT boy actually be the right one? (insert meta post on all too-good-to-be-true YA protagonists here) It appears that K. Karalius has proven that YES. THEY. CAN.
A delightful, magical romp into the world of Grimbaud. I loved it!
A delightful, magical romp into the world of Grimbaud. I loved it!
June 7, 2016
4.5 stars!
This book was so magical and beautiful and I loved it more than I loved the first book, and I didn't even think that was possible. I loved reading about Hijri. I found her to be so interesting in the first book and was so excited to see that this book would be more about her and her charms and her story. She's so easy to relate to and she's such an all-around interesting character, despite the lack of personality that she seems to have in the first book. I think that's what drew me to her in the first place - she seemed to on edge all of the time and so uninterested in everything around her unless it was something that involved charms or her friends, and I just found that so interesting because usually those broody and moody characters are so irrelevant, but I could just tell that she was so important to the story and that she had a story to be shared.
This novel was so cute and again, I don't know how to not use the word cute in regards to this series, and I think it was so fantastically well-written and well-done. I wasn't expecting to love or relate to Hijri as much as I did, and it was so much fun to see the gang all back together again, this time solving their own cases of love crimes. They're such a fun group of characters and they're all so weirdly different from each other but they fit together so well, and they love each other so much and it was just so much fun to see them back in action.
I'm really sad that there isn't going to be another book in this series, and I really, really hope Karalius changes her mind about that because this is such a gorgeous little world that she's created, and there's still so much more that's yet to be explored. I adore this series and think it's home to one of the cutest, most charming, and most well-written characters I've read about.
This book was so magical and beautiful and I loved it more than I loved the first book, and I didn't even think that was possible. I loved reading about Hijri. I found her to be so interesting in the first book and was so excited to see that this book would be more about her and her charms and her story. She's so easy to relate to and she's such an all-around interesting character, despite the lack of personality that she seems to have in the first book. I think that's what drew me to her in the first place - she seemed to on edge all of the time and so uninterested in everything around her unless it was something that involved charms or her friends, and I just found that so interesting because usually those broody and moody characters are so irrelevant, but I could just tell that she was so important to the story and that she had a story to be shared.
This novel was so cute and again, I don't know how to not use the word cute in regards to this series, and I think it was so fantastically well-written and well-done. I wasn't expecting to love or relate to Hijri as much as I did, and it was so much fun to see the gang all back together again, this time solving their own cases of love crimes. They're such a fun group of characters and they're all so weirdly different from each other but they fit together so well, and they love each other so much and it was just so much fun to see them back in action.
I'm really sad that there isn't going to be another book in this series, and I really, really hope Karalius changes her mind about that because this is such a gorgeous little world that she's created, and there's still so much more that's yet to be explored. I adore this series and think it's home to one of the cutest, most charming, and most well-written characters I've read about.
May 19, 2016
I love the Grimbaud world!
Hijiri was such a tough and reticent character who slowly came out of her shell in this book. Omg Ken is the best - love him and his devotion to Hijiri so much. And the competition was so fun!! Alright review to come.
Hijiri was such a tough and reticent character who slowly came out of her shell in this book. Omg Ken is the best - love him and his devotion to Hijiri so much. And the competition was so fun!! Alright review to come.
April 5, 2017
HIJIRI MY BB
February 14, 2017
Love Charms and Other Catastrophes was a good sequel that simply left me feeling light-hearted and satisfied. While it was a cute story filled with wacky (and unrealistic) situations and lovable, quirky characters, it still managed to dig a bit deeper with the idea of the complexity of the human heart (literally and unliterally). (If you have not read Love Fortunes and Other Disasters, beware of spoilers about the 1st book!)
Plot
I am not going to lie. It took me a while to get into the story. It was exceedingly slow. The plot of Hijiri entering into a love-charm-making contest with her fellow club members was an interesting enough concept, but it was quite predictable in its outcomes (not a bad thing exactly to be predictable) and simply not enough to keep my attention throughout the book. However, the underlying conflict Hijiri was going through was not merely overcoming her shyness and insecurities to compete in the competition, but also learning about love and about her own heart. In the previous book, she formed friendships and learned to cherish and support them, but in this book, she believed her heart to be incapable of fitting love (of the romantic kind). Obviously, someone had to prove her wrong - that person being Love (personified), who brought a present to her door: a boy (literally gift-wrapped and everything). Thus, there ended up being two main conflicts: 1) the competition 2) Hijiri learning to confront her heart about this boy who appeared to be made for her. These two conflicts were both moving super slow, but I believed it was worth it because by the last 100 pages, I felt like things were clicking as Hijiri learned and developed.
Characters
Hijiri was that shy, sweet girl from Love Fortunes and Other Disasters, and I was glad that she got her own book! As she was dealing with her anxiety and her insecurities in this book. she seriously did develop some confidence and courage. She was also very stubborn at times with her belief that she could not love and she denied her heart of truly believing her feelings for Ken (the boy/gift from Love) and Ken's feelings for her were real. That was incredibly frustrating and repetitive, but at the same time, understandable. I mean would you believe a boy who barely knew you but immediately declared his undying love for you? Ha, no. Therefore, Hijiri was a bit too stubborn at times for my taste because it made the story move much more slowly, but I understood why she had to go through a few things before realizing what was in front of her.
I was skeptical about Ken, Hijiri's love interest, in the beginning. I am ALL FOR the good guys, but he was just a bit too perfect and, at the same time, bland for me. I slowly warmed up to him as Hijiri spent more time with him because he was undeniably sweet and comforting. He was indeed the perfect fit for Hijiri who was somewhat of a scared mouse, and he helped her be more comfortable and confident. He did have some secrets up his sleeve, so I think that added a bit of depth to his character. He had cute quirks too, with his amazing slingshot skills, his knack for hearth charms/his attention to furnitures, and his love for waffles.
All of the endearing characters from the 1st book were back for this one and it was nice seeing how their little club/friend group interacted with one another after the events of the 1st book. We got to see Fallon and Sebastian being an actual, VERY ADORABLE couple. Their scenes together (no matter how small) were some of the highlights of this book for me. We also got to see Nico and Martin as a couple, and they ended up going through a few hurdles with the issue of communication (besides the issue though, they also had some cute scenes together). Cheers to Karalius for incorporating LGBT as well! In addition, we saw the twins, Mirthe and Femke, who had their own problems, and we saw the very lovable Anais and Bear, who were lovey dovey as always. This amusing cast of rebels and misfits was one of the reasons why I HAD to read this sequel. The characters, undoubtedly, were my favorite aspect about the book. They, as individuals and as pairings, were hilarious, supportive, and just lots of fun.
Comparisons to the 1st Book
This book, in my opinion, was not as good as the 1st one. Part of the reason might be because I liked Fallon as the protagonist better and I liked Sebastian as the love interest better. Love Fortunes and Other Disasters was more fun and captivating. This book, on the other hand, was too slow but when the last 100 pages came, everything finally started picking up and getting really good. However, I did appreciate the distinction between the two. The 1st one focused more on the idea of love and the beginnings of true love, while this 2nd one focused more on the heart itself and how people handled the conflicting emotions from love/potential love.
Final Thoughts
I gave Love Charms and Other Catastrophes by Kimberly Karalius 4 stars (3.75, actually, but I rounded up). The world of Grimbaud, while unrealistic, was incredibly fun to read. I ended up being attached to some of the characters because they were just so quirky and funny. If you had read the 1st book, this book would be a good addition. If you had not, then you should certainly consider starting from the beginning (not recommended for people who hate fluffiness and cute romance). There were romance, character developments, a well-formed cast with friendship, and bits of magic. The ending was absolutely satisfying and, quite frankly, touching. There were some reveals, which was a relief. There were also sweet scenes and it was cuteness overload. Overall, this book was, yes, slow, and, yes, cute (these were the main adjectives in my head throughout the book), and I enjoyed reading and learning more about these fantastic characters and their love misadventures.
Things that you might want to know
Was there a love triangle?
Did any good characters die during the book?
Did you cry?
Thoughts on the cover?
Happy ending?
Should I read it? YES. Read if you like quirky characters, slow-build plot/romance, a story that not only has romance but also has FRIENDSHIPS and INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS, and fluffiness.
Any other questions, feel free to ask! :)
NOTE: I received an ARC for this book from Swoon Reads not too long ago. Thank you, Swoon Reads!
Plot
I am not going to lie. It took me a while to get into the story. It was exceedingly slow. The plot of Hijiri entering into a love-charm-making contest with her fellow club members was an interesting enough concept, but it was quite predictable in its outcomes (not a bad thing exactly to be predictable) and simply not enough to keep my attention throughout the book. However, the underlying conflict Hijiri was going through was not merely overcoming her shyness and insecurities to compete in the competition, but also learning about love and about her own heart. In the previous book, she formed friendships and learned to cherish and support them, but in this book, she believed her heart to be incapable of fitting love (of the romantic kind). Obviously, someone had to prove her wrong - that person being Love (personified), who brought a present to her door: a boy (literally gift-wrapped and everything). Thus, there ended up being two main conflicts: 1) the competition 2) Hijiri learning to confront her heart about this boy who appeared to be made for her. These two conflicts were both moving super slow, but I believed it was worth it because by the last 100 pages, I felt like things were clicking as Hijiri learned and developed.
Characters
Hijiri was that shy, sweet girl from Love Fortunes and Other Disasters, and I was glad that she got her own book! As she was dealing with her anxiety and her insecurities in this book. she seriously did develop some confidence and courage. She was also very stubborn at times with her belief that she could not love and she denied her heart of truly believing her feelings for Ken (the boy/gift from Love) and Ken's feelings for her were real. That was incredibly frustrating and repetitive, but at the same time, understandable. I mean would you believe a boy who barely knew you but immediately declared his undying love for you? Ha, no. Therefore, Hijiri was a bit too stubborn at times for my taste because it made the story move much more slowly, but I understood why she had to go through a few things before realizing what was in front of her.
I was skeptical about Ken, Hijiri's love interest, in the beginning. I am ALL FOR the good guys, but he was just a bit too perfect and, at the same time, bland for me. I slowly warmed up to him as Hijiri spent more time with him because he was undeniably sweet and comforting. He was indeed the perfect fit for Hijiri who was somewhat of a scared mouse, and he helped her be more comfortable and confident. He did have some secrets up his sleeve, so I think that added a bit of depth to his character. He had cute quirks too, with his amazing slingshot skills, his knack for hearth charms/his attention to furnitures, and his love for waffles.
All of the endearing characters from the 1st book were back for this one and it was nice seeing how their little club/friend group interacted with one another after the events of the 1st book. We got to see Fallon and Sebastian being an actual, VERY ADORABLE couple. Their scenes together (no matter how small) were some of the highlights of this book for me. We also got to see Nico and Martin as a couple, and they ended up going through a few hurdles with the issue of communication (besides the issue though, they also had some cute scenes together). Cheers to Karalius for incorporating LGBT as well! In addition, we saw the twins, Mirthe and Femke, who had their own problems, and we saw the very lovable Anais and Bear, who were lovey dovey as always. This amusing cast of rebels and misfits was one of the reasons why I HAD to read this sequel. The characters, undoubtedly, were my favorite aspect about the book. They, as individuals and as pairings, were hilarious, supportive, and just lots of fun.
Comparisons to the 1st Book
This book, in my opinion, was not as good as the 1st one. Part of the reason might be because I liked Fallon as the protagonist better and I liked Sebastian as the love interest better. Love Fortunes and Other Disasters was more fun and captivating. This book, on the other hand, was too slow but when the last 100 pages came, everything finally started picking up and getting really good. However, I did appreciate the distinction between the two. The 1st one focused more on the idea of love and the beginnings of true love, while this 2nd one focused more on the heart itself and how people handled the conflicting emotions from love/potential love.
Final Thoughts
I gave Love Charms and Other Catastrophes by Kimberly Karalius 4 stars (3.75, actually, but I rounded up). The world of Grimbaud, while unrealistic, was incredibly fun to read. I ended up being attached to some of the characters because they were just so quirky and funny. If you had read the 1st book, this book would be a good addition. If you had not, then you should certainly consider starting from the beginning (not recommended for people who hate fluffiness and cute romance). There were romance, character developments, a well-formed cast with friendship, and bits of magic. The ending was absolutely satisfying and, quite frankly, touching. There were some reveals, which was a relief. There were also sweet scenes and it was cuteness overload. Overall, this book was, yes, slow, and, yes, cute (these were the main adjectives in my head throughout the book), and I enjoyed reading and learning more about these fantastic characters and their love misadventures.
Things that you might want to know
Was there a love triangle?
Did any good characters die during the book?
Did you cry?
Thoughts on the cover?
Happy ending?
Should I read it? YES. Read if you like quirky characters, slow-build plot/romance, a story that not only has romance but also has FRIENDSHIPS and INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS, and fluffiness.
Any other questions, feel free to ask! :)
NOTE: I received an ARC for this book from Swoon Reads not too long ago. Thank you, Swoon Reads!
July 27, 2017
I loved the Grimbaud books. Charming magical realism, with realistic and diverse characters. Highly recommended for YA readers.
May 12, 2016
I received this book from the publisher/author/book tour host in exchange of an honest review.
We all know how the previous book ended, Zita (the great big evil) was defeated, and now there is this big gap in Grimbaud. No spoiler, the blurb also clearly tells that Zita's tyranny is over. :D Zita had control over the whole Grimbaud, who dated who, who did what. And the town is recovering from that. From that tyranny.
This book continues about that, about what happens next, BUT, yes BIG BUT, we also got much much more gorgeousness and loveliness lined up for you!
Unlike the previous book, this book is 100% about my fav girl Hijiri. I just love this girl, she has her fair share of trouble from parents who are never around, and also never really care what she is saying, to her heart which feels tiny, and she worries she won't have enough place for love in her heart. It makes her so much more real. Add to that her amazing love charm skill and how, even without charms, she is amazing with love (but also with friendship). She is able to figure out her friends, and she loves to help them out (though in one case (Nico/Martin) she only can use her awesome advice skills because Nico and Martin are still very much against charms (big DUH there given the first book and the middle short book)).
In this book she has more than just the love charm making (because now she can be free to do it without having to be afraid of Zita), Love is also meddling (again, that person (sorry, I am still not so sure about their gender/sex) and has given Hijiri a boy. A very cute, sweet, lovely boy. It is up to Hijiri to figure him out, see what makes him tick.
You can imagine that all this + several things that also happen in this book (I will talk about that in a bit) + the fortune contest, doesn't make it easier for her. I just wanted to hug Hijiri at times, she really needed that. Thankfully, she also has her friends who are always there for her.
Ken was really an amazing addition to this series. I just LOVED him so much, he was just so sweet, adorable, and kind. I felt sorry for him that he couldn't be honest with Hijiri (not his fault, but all Love's fault). You could see it broke him, he loved Hijiri so much, and wanted to be with her, but she wasn't making it easy for him, she didn't want to see him for who he was. She just saw a charmed boy, and not the sweet, kind boy who loved her so much.
It was just adorable to see Hijiri fighting her feelings, but seeing that she just couldn't. Slowly, very slowly, you saw her long for Ken, you saw her reach out for him, you saw her needing Ken. And when a certain event happened, his name was the first she called in the way of help.
It was just so swoony to see these two together, though I did want to shake Hijiri at times because of her attitude. Yes, girl, he might be charmed, but that doesn't make him any less real. He still has feelings, he still is definitely liking you. Can't you see you are hurting him?
But the times when they were together, and Hijiri wasn't fighting so much, I was just going KYAAA! I just couldn't wait until these 2 would truly get together.
The love charm contest was just so much fun to see, though I hated that it was a popularity contest. Hijiri should just have won, but then again, the book would probably be over way too soon then. Still I was just screaming at the people from Grimbaud for not seeing that they were voting for the wrong people!
I felt sorry for the twins, I can imagine that it must be tough for them both, knowing they have to pick something, and that they might be separated.
Then we also got an exciting event happening around the 2/3 part of the book, and I just loved that it was added, it gave some extra excitement, and it also helped several events get started. I also loved how that was solved/how that finished, it was really fun, I don't mind some action, I loved it in the previous book, and I was kind of missing it in this one.
The ending? And all that happened there? AMAZING! SUPER AMAZING! Really, the contest, the big finale, the truth about Ken? Yes, yes and more yes! I just adored it so much. And when we finally found out about Ken? I just cried. Tears of sadness, but also tears of happiness. And then the swoon started and ahhhh. I won't say more, you will have to find out yourself. :D
Now I just hope that we will get another book, because with all those things that happened at the end? There is still things that can be said, then we have the Ken thing, and sorry I just don't want this series to end!
I would highly recommend this book to everyone!
Also I love the cover, it just fits with the other covers so perfectly. I can't wait to have this book (I have it pre-ordered) and then see how they match in real life.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com
We all know how the previous book ended, Zita (the great big evil) was defeated, and now there is this big gap in Grimbaud. No spoiler, the blurb also clearly tells that Zita's tyranny is over. :D Zita had control over the whole Grimbaud, who dated who, who did what. And the town is recovering from that. From that tyranny.
This book continues about that, about what happens next, BUT, yes BIG BUT, we also got much much more gorgeousness and loveliness lined up for you!
Unlike the previous book, this book is 100% about my fav girl Hijiri. I just love this girl, she has her fair share of trouble from parents who are never around, and also never really care what she is saying, to her heart which feels tiny, and she worries she won't have enough place for love in her heart. It makes her so much more real. Add to that her amazing love charm skill and how, even without charms, she is amazing with love (but also with friendship). She is able to figure out her friends, and she loves to help them out (though in one case (Nico/Martin) she only can use her awesome advice skills because Nico and Martin are still very much against charms (big DUH there given the first book and the middle short book)).
In this book she has more than just the love charm making (because now she can be free to do it without having to be afraid of Zita), Love is also meddling (again, that person (sorry, I am still not so sure about their gender/sex) and has given Hijiri a boy. A very cute, sweet, lovely boy. It is up to Hijiri to figure him out, see what makes him tick.
You can imagine that all this + several things that also happen in this book (I will talk about that in a bit) + the fortune contest, doesn't make it easier for her. I just wanted to hug Hijiri at times, she really needed that. Thankfully, she also has her friends who are always there for her.
Ken was really an amazing addition to this series. I just LOVED him so much, he was just so sweet, adorable, and kind. I felt sorry for him that he couldn't be honest with Hijiri (not his fault, but all Love's fault). You could see it broke him, he loved Hijiri so much, and wanted to be with her, but she wasn't making it easy for him, she didn't want to see him for who he was. She just saw a charmed boy, and not the sweet, kind boy who loved her so much.
It was just adorable to see Hijiri fighting her feelings, but seeing that she just couldn't. Slowly, very slowly, you saw her long for Ken, you saw her reach out for him, you saw her needing Ken. And when a certain event happened, his name was the first she called in the way of help.
It was just so swoony to see these two together, though I did want to shake Hijiri at times because of her attitude. Yes, girl, he might be charmed, but that doesn't make him any less real. He still has feelings, he still is definitely liking you. Can't you see you are hurting him?
But the times when they were together, and Hijiri wasn't fighting so much, I was just going KYAAA! I just couldn't wait until these 2 would truly get together.
The love charm contest was just so much fun to see, though I hated that it was a popularity contest. Hijiri should just have won, but then again, the book would probably be over way too soon then. Still I was just screaming at the people from Grimbaud for not seeing that they were voting for the wrong people!
I felt sorry for the twins, I can imagine that it must be tough for them both, knowing they have to pick something, and that they might be separated.
Then we also got an exciting event happening around the 2/3 part of the book, and I just loved that it was added, it gave some extra excitement, and it also helped several events get started. I also loved how that was solved/how that finished, it was really fun, I don't mind some action, I loved it in the previous book, and I was kind of missing it in this one.
The ending? And all that happened there? AMAZING! SUPER AMAZING! Really, the contest, the big finale, the truth about Ken? Yes, yes and more yes! I just adored it so much. And when we finally found out about Ken? I just cried. Tears of sadness, but also tears of happiness. And then the swoon started and ahhhh. I won't say more, you will have to find out yourself. :D
Now I just hope that we will get another book, because with all those things that happened at the end? There is still things that can be said, then we have the Ken thing, and sorry I just don't want this series to end!
I would highly recommend this book to everyone!
Also I love the cover, it just fits with the other covers so perfectly. I can't wait to have this book (I have it pre-ordered) and then see how they match in real life.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com
August 19, 2016
Ohhhh this book was just lovely! I absolutely loved returning to Grimbaud and it's adventures! While the love stories and the supporting characters weren't as strong as they were in Love Fortunes and Other Disasters, I was still completely swept away by the charm of the story and the town. Even though the ending was sort of predictable, it still left me smiling and feeling all gooey inside! :') Mmm I just love stories like these.
May 28, 2016
This book felt more magical and I loved it more than the first book.
Mungkin penilaianku agak sedikit bias juga karena aku emang lebih suka karakter Hijiri dibanding Fallon. Tapi jujur karena si Hijiri ini seorang charm maker dan inti cerita ini memang tentang kompetisi charm, hawa magic nya itu lebih kerasa dibanding buku pertama. Selain itu si tokoh baru si charm boy, Kentaro Oshiro juga tambah bikin seru karena karakternya itu cukup unik.
Mungkin penilaianku agak sedikit bias juga karena aku emang lebih suka karakter Hijiri dibanding Fallon. Tapi jujur karena si Hijiri ini seorang charm maker dan inti cerita ini memang tentang kompetisi charm, hawa magic nya itu lebih kerasa dibanding buku pertama. Selain itu si tokoh baru si charm boy, Kentaro Oshiro juga tambah bikin seru karena karakternya itu cukup unik.
March 3, 2021
83% — 4.15 stars
June 8, 2016
This was adorable, I absolutely loved the characters! Overall a really good book.
April 5, 2017
I wasn't sure if I was going to like this sequel...but I think I may even like it even more than I liked the first one! I loved Hijiri and Kentaro's story and the connection between them. I genuinely thought Kentaro was a fake boy! And so I was pleasantly surprised when the truth was revealed at the end!
April 29, 2020
story 2,5/5
characters 2,5/5
writing 2,5/5
audio/paper Paper.
reread? Meh.
Recommend it? Meh..
Verhaal: 2,5/5
Karakters: 2,5/5
Schrijfstijl: 2,5/5
Papier/audio? Papier.
Herlezen: Meh.
Aanrader? Meh..
characters 2,5/5
writing 2,5/5
audio/paper Paper.
reread? Meh.
Recommend it? Meh..
Verhaal: 2,5/5
Karakters: 2,5/5
Schrijfstijl: 2,5/5
Papier/audio? Papier.
Herlezen: Meh.
Aanrader? Meh..
March 5, 2020
LIKE CUPCAKE WARS BUT WITH LOVE CHARMS AND HYGGE AND AN ADORABLE FRIEND GROUP
May 13, 2016
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**Love Charms and Other Catastrophes is the second book in the magical young adult series, Grimbaud by Kimberly Karalius. The first book, Love Fortunes and Other Disasters was one of my favorite books of 2015. It is the kind of book that puts a perma smile on your face, and Love Charms and Other Catastrophes is no different. You do need to read these books in order, so if you have not checked out the first book yet, you really do need to. The series is set in the magical town of Grimbaud. I love the cover of these books so much, because their whimsical feel helps me imagine Grimbaud with the same touch of whimsy. Does that make sense? The town also reminded me of the Kissing Town from the tv series The Tenth Kingdom (which is an amazing mini series if you have not watched it yet, you need to!) So the entire time I was reading, I was imagining the kissing town with love in the air, everywhere. (After I finished reading the first book, I told the author about this, and she confirmed that kissing town was part of her inspiration for Grimbaud! How exciting is that??)
Love Charms and Other Catastrophes picks up in the wake of the events of the first book. The gang has defeated Zita and all of her evil-ness has fled the town. But, in her place a whole bunch of different charm makers have taken up shop in Grimbaud. Some bad in their own way. Love starts to get a little nervous so he decides a contest is the key. Winner gets to take Zita's spot. Insert, our favorite student charm maker from book 1, Hijiri and you know where this is going.
I will admit that I was a little nervous about this story being about Hijiri. Not because I didn't like her in the first book. I did. But I just felt like I didn't really know her well. She was in the first book a good deal but I had my Fallon and Sebastian blinders on. But man, oh man did Hijiri prove me wrong. I am so happy that we had two plot lines going on. We had the love charm makers competition on one side and Hijiri's love life on the other. And getting to see Hijiri open up to love made her more personable to me. It made me like her. And who wouldn't love Ken. He was hand picked and delivered just for her! I mean come on. That is the stuff of daydreams.
Bottom line: If you liked Love Fortunes and Other Disasters you are going to love Love Charms and Other Catastrophes. It is every bit as fun and magical as the first book. I am completely loving this series. I hope I get to visit the town of Grimbaud many more times. This series is winner.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Love Charms and Other Catastrophes picks up in the wake of the events of the first book. The gang has defeated Zita and all of her evil-ness has fled the town. But, in her place a whole bunch of different charm makers have taken up shop in Grimbaud. Some bad in their own way. Love starts to get a little nervous so he decides a contest is the key. Winner gets to take Zita's spot. Insert, our favorite student charm maker from book 1, Hijiri and you know where this is going.
I will admit that I was a little nervous about this story being about Hijiri. Not because I didn't like her in the first book. I did. But I just felt like I didn't really know her well. She was in the first book a good deal but I had my Fallon and Sebastian blinders on. But man, oh man did Hijiri prove me wrong. I am so happy that we had two plot lines going on. We had the love charm makers competition on one side and Hijiri's love life on the other. And getting to see Hijiri open up to love made her more personable to me. It made me like her. And who wouldn't love Ken. He was hand picked and delivered just for her! I mean come on. That is the stuff of daydreams.
Bottom line: If you liked Love Fortunes and Other Disasters you are going to love Love Charms and Other Catastrophes. It is every bit as fun and magical as the first book. I am completely loving this series. I hope I get to visit the town of Grimbaud many more times. This series is winner.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
May 10, 2016
Love, Charms & Other Catastrophes is Kimberly Karalius's third Grimbaud-set novel following Love, Fortunes & Other Disasters and First Kisses & Other Misfortunes although the latter is a novella. It features the same cast of characters as the first two books, but this time the focus is on the absolutely love Hijiri, and her charm-boy, gifted to her from Love, Ken. I'm also 100000000% sure that Ken is called Ken because he came out of a box, like Barbie's boyfriend. And I will eat my hat if I'm wrong.
I thoroughly enjoyed Love, Charms & Other Catastrophes, it's so good to be back with the kids of Grimbaud, to see Fallon, Nico, Sebastian, Anais, Martin, Femke, Mirthe, and everyone else again, and SO good to see Hijiri get her own story because I've loved her in the previous two instalments. I love that she's a charm-maker and wants to make charms for good, rather than bad like Zita in Love, Fortunes & Other Disasters. And the whole competition idea to crown Grimbaud's best love-charm maker was fabulous! I loved seeing all the new love-charm makers go head to head, although duh, I wanted the charm theory club to win.
Hijiri is one of those characters you might struggle to love. She's very focused on her work, on her love-charm making, and doesn't really have time for friends or boyfriends, but all of a sudden she has friends! She has Ken, who wants to be her boyfriend, who loves her, but Hijiri is so skittish when it comes to feelings of any kind, she shuns him and is determined to prove he's nothing but a charm-boy brought to life by Love, that he's not real - it's all very Pinnochio. But Hijiri is a lovely person, I really connected with her, and I wanted nothing more than for her to have happy-ever-after, because literally no one deserves it more (except maybe Ms. Ward, but we'll get to her before this review is done).
One of the best aspects of these Love books is the fact the team all band together to take down someone (Zita) or win something, and they're such an amazing group of friends. This series could run and run. I desperately want books for Mirthe and Femke, the twins, and Ms Ward deserves a book. I thought we were SO CLOSE to getting her some romance and it still didn't happen! I was so frustrated on her behalf.
This was yet another fun read. I would love if the town of Grimbaud was real because it sounds utterly magical. If a little prone to people wanting to take over, and with nefarious schemes, but with the charm theory club there to thwart anyone that tries, it's a win-win, really. I really hope this isn't the last Love book because I enjoy them so much, the three I've read so far have been so much fun, with lots of hi-jinks, romance, drama, laughs, it has it all really, and I loved this outing most of all.
I thoroughly enjoyed Love, Charms & Other Catastrophes, it's so good to be back with the kids of Grimbaud, to see Fallon, Nico, Sebastian, Anais, Martin, Femke, Mirthe, and everyone else again, and SO good to see Hijiri get her own story because I've loved her in the previous two instalments. I love that she's a charm-maker and wants to make charms for good, rather than bad like Zita in Love, Fortunes & Other Disasters. And the whole competition idea to crown Grimbaud's best love-charm maker was fabulous! I loved seeing all the new love-charm makers go head to head, although duh, I wanted the charm theory club to win.
Hijiri is one of those characters you might struggle to love. She's very focused on her work, on her love-charm making, and doesn't really have time for friends or boyfriends, but all of a sudden she has friends! She has Ken, who wants to be her boyfriend, who loves her, but Hijiri is so skittish when it comes to feelings of any kind, she shuns him and is determined to prove he's nothing but a charm-boy brought to life by Love, that he's not real - it's all very Pinnochio. But Hijiri is a lovely person, I really connected with her, and I wanted nothing more than for her to have happy-ever-after, because literally no one deserves it more (except maybe Ms. Ward, but we'll get to her before this review is done).
One of the best aspects of these Love books is the fact the team all band together to take down someone (Zita) or win something, and they're such an amazing group of friends. This series could run and run. I desperately want books for Mirthe and Femke, the twins, and Ms Ward deserves a book. I thought we were SO CLOSE to getting her some romance and it still didn't happen! I was so frustrated on her behalf.
This was yet another fun read. I would love if the town of Grimbaud was real because it sounds utterly magical. If a little prone to people wanting to take over, and with nefarious schemes, but with the charm theory club there to thwart anyone that tries, it's a win-win, really. I really hope this isn't the last Love book because I enjoy them so much, the three I've read so far have been so much fun, with lots of hi-jinks, romance, drama, laughs, it has it all really, and I loved this outing most of all.
May 13, 2016
For full review - https://inkdin.wordpress.com/2016/05/...
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*
I absolutely loved this book! It is so adorable. And it's filled with the cutesy, adorable, smitten feeling all through the story. It starts with Hijiri, the heroine, finding a huge gift box on her doorstep. And, her gift is a boy. A live, breathing boy. Tailor made for her by Love himself. One who loves Hijiri so much already!
Hijiri, like any sane person, is befuddled and shocked at this. She can't stomach the fact that this boy is in fact a charm. And so starts her mission to solve him, like he's a puzzle and to prove to Love that she can solve him without falling for him.
It doesn't help that Ken is all sorts of charming and perfectly right for Hijiri. Of course he is. Love made him just for her. He's smart and cute. He's so sweet and caring and loving and I just ADORE HIM SO MUCH!!!! <3
The character development for Hijiri is definitely super outstanding. I love how she comes into her own as a person and as a character through the course of the story. She was a timid, shy girl who didn't really talk much in book one. Then, she made some friends and she spearheaded her friends to victory in the charm making competition and she fell in love. She's absolutely brilliant. Really. I identify with her a lot in the sense that I am always looking for Happily Ever Afters for others but I don't really believe that I have one out there. Just like Hijiri. But, her story gets a Happily Ever After and that makes me thinking that maybe, just maybe, I could to. (I'm not really holding my breath for that one. Because I'm not convinced still. Not really.) But, she did find hers and that is what is important.
All in all, Love Charms is an amazing read and definitely lives up to the expectations I'd set after reading the first one. It's love and happiness and struggling and finding each other despite all the differences in the world and just being there for your friends and your family and always, always, always opening your heart to love. It's believing that there is someone in this world, who is made just for you, no matter what else you might think, because it's true.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*
I absolutely loved this book! It is so adorable. And it's filled with the cutesy, adorable, smitten feeling all through the story. It starts with Hijiri, the heroine, finding a huge gift box on her doorstep. And, her gift is a boy. A live, breathing boy. Tailor made for her by Love himself. One who loves Hijiri so much already!
Hijiri, like any sane person, is befuddled and shocked at this. She can't stomach the fact that this boy is in fact a charm. And so starts her mission to solve him, like he's a puzzle and to prove to Love that she can solve him without falling for him.
It doesn't help that Ken is all sorts of charming and perfectly right for Hijiri. Of course he is. Love made him just for her. He's smart and cute. He's so sweet and caring and loving and I just ADORE HIM SO MUCH!!!! <3
The character development for Hijiri is definitely super outstanding. I love how she comes into her own as a person and as a character through the course of the story. She was a timid, shy girl who didn't really talk much in book one. Then, she made some friends and she spearheaded her friends to victory in the charm making competition and she fell in love. She's absolutely brilliant. Really. I identify with her a lot in the sense that I am always looking for Happily Ever Afters for others but I don't really believe that I have one out there. Just like Hijiri. But, her story gets a Happily Ever After and that makes me thinking that maybe, just maybe, I could to. (I'm not really holding my breath for that one. Because I'm not convinced still. Not really.) But, she did find hers and that is what is important.
All in all, Love Charms is an amazing read and definitely lives up to the expectations I'd set after reading the first one. It's love and happiness and struggling and finding each other despite all the differences in the world and just being there for your friends and your family and always, always, always opening your heart to love. It's believing that there is someone in this world, who is made just for you, no matter what else you might think, because it's true.
May 18, 2016
It's not often I come across such an adorable read like Love Charms and Other Catastrophes! Having never heard about the series before the Raincoast Books preview event last year, I set it upon myself to dive into the first installment in Kimberly Karalius' Grimbaud series, Love Fortunes and Other Disasters, and it's accompanying novella, First Kisses and Other Misfortunes. What I discovered was a imaginative little world that was in-love with love and a cast of adorable and relatable characters.
"Hijiri had two problems already this school year: solving Ken and preparing for the impending love charms making competition."
Love Charms and Other Catastrophes focuses on the tale of Hijiri Kitamura, an aspiring love charm maker. As much as I adored Fallon in it's predecessor, Love Fortunes and Other Disasters, I adored Hijiri even more so! Her personality, her determination seemed to fit so well with the events in the novel, and I couldn't help feeling anxious along with her from one chapter to the next. Furthermore, can we please take a moment to appreciate the male love interest? Ken was gentle, kind, and exactly whom I would have picked as the perfect match for Hijiri! *swoon* I have no doubt that readers of all ages will love the extra dose of magic and romance Kimberly Karalius will add to their bookshelves. I'm so excited to see what she writes next!
Overall, Love Charms and Other Catastrophes was an absolute win! Romantic, exciting, and unbelievably magical, Kimberly Karalius hit the mark with her latest in the Grimbaud series!
"Hijiri had two problems already this school year: solving Ken and preparing for the impending love charms making competition."
Love Charms and Other Catastrophes focuses on the tale of Hijiri Kitamura, an aspiring love charm maker. As much as I adored Fallon in it's predecessor, Love Fortunes and Other Disasters, I adored Hijiri even more so! Her personality, her determination seemed to fit so well with the events in the novel, and I couldn't help feeling anxious along with her from one chapter to the next. Furthermore, can we please take a moment to appreciate the male love interest? Ken was gentle, kind, and exactly whom I would have picked as the perfect match for Hijiri! *swoon* I have no doubt that readers of all ages will love the extra dose of magic and romance Kimberly Karalius will add to their bookshelves. I'm so excited to see what she writes next!
Overall, Love Charms and Other Catastrophes was an absolute win! Romantic, exciting, and unbelievably magical, Kimberly Karalius hit the mark with her latest in the Grimbaud series!
Want to read
October 16, 2015Yes!
*does a happy dance and begins clapping enthusiastically*
Thank goodness there will be a sequel, or rather, a companion to Kimberly Karalius's debut, Love Fortunes and Other Disasters. I absolutely loved that book, and although I felt that it was tied up to my satisfactory, I'm excited to see what beautiful writing Kim will come up with this time!!! I'm so happy that it's release date is fairly soon- next May I believe. Hijiri Katamura also was a character that spoke to me in the book, and I'm very anxious to see how her story goes. Love fortunes and charms played a big role in the first novel, so to see how it will pan out in this one will be especially cool! Hopefully we'll get to see some of our favourite characters make little cameos throughout the sequel, and see how their impact in the first will also impact the second.
Love Charms and Other Catastrophes
*does a happy dance and begins clapping enthusiastically*
Thank goodness there will be a sequel, or rather, a companion to Kimberly Karalius's debut, Love Fortunes and Other Disasters. I absolutely loved that book, and although I felt that it was tied up to my satisfactory, I'm excited to see what beautiful writing Kim will come up with this time!!! I'm so happy that it's release date is fairly soon- next May I believe. Hijiri Katamura also was a character that spoke to me in the book, and I'm very anxious to see how her story goes. Love fortunes and charms played a big role in the first novel, so to see how it will pan out in this one will be especially cool! Hopefully we'll get to see some of our favourite characters make little cameos throughout the sequel, and see how their impact in the first will also impact the second.
Love Charms and Other Catastrophes
June 26, 2016
I loved this book even more than the first one! While I enjoyed seeing Grimbaud from Fallon's POV in the first book, I really loved Hijiri's POV because we got to see how love charms are actually made, which I found fascinating. Every love charm-maker creates them in a different way, so I like that Hijiri used symbolism for hers. And we get to see all of the old, adorable characters, but now they have a new mission: helping Hijiri win the love charm competition.
Ken is just too cute for words and while at first I wasn't sure if his insta-love was endearing or annoying, I really grew to like him and I think he really is the perfect companion for Hijiri; and she for him. He lifts her up and she grounds him. And I really want one of his hearth charms!
I want a third novel so badly from the POV of Bram! I find his anti-love outlook so fascinating in a town obsessed with love, and I want to see him find love in the next book (maybe with a certain teacher *winky face*).
Ken is just too cute for words and while at first I wasn't sure if his insta-love was endearing or annoying, I really grew to like him and I think he really is the perfect companion for Hijiri; and she for him. He lifts her up and she grounds him. And I really want one of his hearth charms!
I want a third novel so badly from the POV of Bram! I find his anti-love outlook so fascinating in a town obsessed with love, and I want to see him find love in the next book (maybe with a certain teacher *winky face*).
July 17, 2016
I received this book via a Goodreads giveaway courtesy of Fierce Read.
The first book was good but this one was great! I loved that this was Hijiri's POV. She was such an interesting character and I'm glad we got to see her story. I loved Ken! Oh my gosh I was really cheering him on he's such a good guy! (I'm still waiting on Love to drop a really cute and great guy off in a ribbon wrapped box on my doorstep!!)
This book had so much packed into it but it was really easy to keep up with. Learning more about the different love charms was really cool after seeing Zita's crazy form of them.
In the end this book made me happy and gave me all the feels. I'm so sad that Kimberly Karalius has no plans on taking us back to Grimbaud for more love and fun. Please, please, please reader Gods give her the inspiration to write another one!!!
The first book was good but this one was great! I loved that this was Hijiri's POV. She was such an interesting character and I'm glad we got to see her story. I loved Ken! Oh my gosh I was really cheering him on he's such a good guy! (I'm still waiting on Love to drop a really cute and great guy off in a ribbon wrapped box on my doorstep!!)
This book had so much packed into it but it was really easy to keep up with. Learning more about the different love charms was really cool after seeing Zita's crazy form of them.
In the end this book made me happy and gave me all the feels. I'm so sad that Kimberly Karalius has no plans on taking us back to Grimbaud for more love and fun. Please, please, please reader Gods give her the inspiration to write another one!!!
March 29, 2017
WOW. JUST...WOW.
I never expected this book to do this to me. I felt silly because of all the magic, the third person narration and my heartbreakingly-erratic reading time, but damn if I didn't end every reading session loving Hijiri and squealing over Ken.
This was very much enjoyable and up until the Tunnel of Love thing, I didn't even expect I'd feel thrill. Like suspense kind of thrill, y'know? This has everything. And tears! Of course when I finally knew the truth about Ken, damn ninjas be cuttin' onions.
I don't think there'll be a third book (sadness T_T) but one can hope.
5 stars and favorited! lol
I never expected this book to do this to me. I felt silly because of all the magic, the third person narration and my heartbreakingly-erratic reading time, but damn if I didn't end every reading session loving Hijiri and squealing over Ken.
This was very much enjoyable and up until the Tunnel of Love thing, I didn't even expect I'd feel thrill. Like suspense kind of thrill, y'know? This has everything. And tears! Of course when I finally knew the truth about Ken, damn ninjas be cuttin' onions.
I don't think there'll be a third book (sadness T_T) but one can hope.
5 stars and favorited! lol
April 22, 2016
First of all, thank you to the lovely people over at Swoon Reads for sending me an arc to review!
Maybe I should've reread Love, Fortunes, and Other Disasters before I started this. Haha, it's all good though. I missed the Grimbaud world! This was such a great sequel to LFAOD. I absolutely loved Ken. He's sucha cutie and is super sweet. I sort of missed the story being told in Fallon's POV, but reading in Hijiri's POV was great. I thought Hijiri's problems dragged on for a bit too long and got a bit bored in the middle. Other than that, everything else was great!
Maybe I should've reread Love, Fortunes, and Other Disasters before I started this. Haha, it's all good though. I missed the Grimbaud world! This was such a great sequel to LFAOD. I absolutely loved Ken. He's sucha cutie and is super sweet. I sort of missed the story being told in Fallon's POV, but reading in Hijiri's POV was great. I thought Hijiri's problems dragged on for a bit too long and got a bit bored in the middle. Other than that, everything else was great!
January 15, 2016
I love Kimberly's writing style and the town of Grimbaud so it was great to return and see what the town and characters from the previous book are up to. Although Hijiri's love story wasn't as compelling to me (her stubbornness when it comes to Love's gift for her is a bit frustrating), I still devoured this book and would gladly pick up any future adventures in Grimbaud. If you liked the previous book then I highly suggest the sequel.
May 22, 2016
FULL REVIEW SOON.
August 24, 2021
One of my favourite romance comfort book that I have re-read it at least twice. Although Love Charms and Other Catastrophes is the sequel to Love Fortunes and Other Disasters, this book can be read as a stand-alone book. Even though there might be some references to the first book in the series, readers will not be completely lost in this book.
I love the character development of Hijiri, how she started off as someone who wasn't confident in herself to seeing her gain that confidence and slowly open up to the prospects of love. The book is written from Hijiri's perspective and seeing her open up, I can't help but root for her. The author doesn't shy away from portraying Hijiri's flaws and strengths.
Even though this is a romance book, I like how there are other smaller plots ongoing throughout the story.
Overall, this is a heartwarming romance that would make you fall in love with not only the characters, but the small town Grimbaud as well.
I love the character development of Hijiri, how she started off as someone who wasn't confident in herself to seeing her gain that confidence and slowly open up to the prospects of love. The book is written from Hijiri's perspective and seeing her open up, I can't help but root for her. The author doesn't shy away from portraying Hijiri's flaws and strengths.
Even though this is a romance book, I like how there are other smaller plots ongoing throughout the story.
Overall, this is a heartwarming romance that would make you fall in love with not only the characters, but the small town Grimbaud as well.
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