Cover Image: A Friend Called Alfie

A Friend Called Alfie

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Member Reviews

I'm sorry I haven't got around to reviewing this title yet. It is so old, I wondered if it was worth it in any case. Therefore, I'm rating it now without reading it, so won't be sharing it anywhere, but I won't give a low or no star review to a book I haven't even read yet, so it's getting 5 starts on NetGalley only.

Apologies.

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Another great book about Alfie the cat but this one is a festive read.
I adore the characters in this book. It’s such an uplifting read.
Can’t wait for another book in this series. .

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It was fun returning to Edgar Road and reading another Alfie book.
We get to meet all Alfie and his son's family and friends and there are a lot of them.
A gentle, easy going fun book and we get to meet some new characters as well in this story.
The Alfie books are a fun and charming read.


Published October 17th 2019 by Avon
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

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I love the Alfie books and this one didn't disappoint. Don't understand those who said they didn't finish it. It's similar to previous Alfie books

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I struggled to get into A Friend Called Alfie. Perhaps I could have persevered but to me it fell short Of the Christmassy feel I was expecting. I guess I can’t love every book.

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An enjoyable read, heartwarming, humorous and uplifting, with a festive twist.

A delightful blend of community and family life, seen through cats' eyes. For those, who share their lives with cats, there is much they'll recognise, about cat behaviour. Even if, you've had little experience of cats, this book will charm you. It's full of contemporary issues and engaging solutions. Amongst the commentary on human and animal life, there are amusing animal antics and poignant moments. between animals and humans.

The sixth book in the series, it reads fine as a standalone, I haven't read the previous books, there is enough backstory to position the characters and events, to make this easy, entertaining reading.

A lovely story, full of the true meaning of the festive season, something to enjoy whenever you read it.

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I absolutely love this series! The story is all told from the point of view of doorstep cat, Alfie. His family continues to grow in this one. In addition to his kitten, George, and his other human families, he is now joined by - gasp! - a puppy! A cute puppy named Pickles, but a dog just the same. But Alfie has to set a good example for George by making friends with Pickles. Which is hard to do when you don't like dogs and even harder to do when you are still grieving over the loss of your best friend. But Alfie considers it his highest calling to keep his ever growing family happy. Such a wise kitty! A pure delight.

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A Friend Called Alfie
Alfie the Cat Series - Book 6
Disclaimer - This is Not a Romance Genre Series
By Rachel Wells

Avon - October 2019

Fiction


Life is never simple on Edgar Road, and that was exactly the way Alfie liked it. His newest challenges were enough to keep Alfie hopping, or at least not taking as many cat naps as he would like. Alfie was a cat, he had an adopted son, George, and lots of family, consisting of both humans and felines. But this, well, this was going to take all of Alfie's patience and ingenuity.

A dog had joined their ranks. A dog named Pickles. He was a puppy still, and it was up to Alfie to teach him. Unfortunately, memory seemed to be short for Pickles, and he didn't remember to follow the rules. One Pickles scrape after another, and one would think that would be all Alfie was expected to handle.

But no. George had become determined to find a job of his own. It wasn't that Alfie didn't trust his son, but well, he was responsible for him and wanted to know what George was up to. So Alfie needed to find a way to either get George to tell him, or he'd have to find another way to uncover the truth.

So two big assignments for Alfie to conquer, but life wasn’t done with him yet. That was fine though. Alfie liked helping his family and friends and coming up with plans. That was his job. He would succeed as only a cat could.

A Friend Called Alfie was a fun return to Edgar Road. Whereas Alfie In The Snow had been a tear jerker, this was much more lighthearted and an adventurous romp. George convinces Pickles to try to become a cat, and Pickles' plans to succeed were entertaining. There were some surprises guaranteed to please fans of the series. I hope to return again to Edgar Road and see what Alfie plots next.

Kathy Andrico - KathysReviewCorner.com

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Omg this was such a cute and sweet book, I do suggest you read the previous books as there seems to be a lot of references to them but other than that I thoroughly enjoyed it

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A Friend Called Alfie is a cute cat series, but I did feel like they picked on the puppy and made him seem like a idiot.

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I have no idea where to begin with this review other than saying this is a purrfect festive read, that is incredibly funny but also full of an important message about being lonely at Christmas.

I loved the new addition to Alfie and George's family, Pickles the Pug. Pickles is determined to be the best cat he can be which leads to all sorts of hilarious antics, and fabulous lines. He really isn't the smartest of puppies, and is just that bit mischievous too, without really intending to be.

Seeing the cat's friendship group essentially adopt a dog is so amusing.

And then there is George who is growing up before our very eyes and now has let's just say a close friendship with a female cat which is so cute to see, as well his determination to get a job. I loved George's job, I had guessed what it might be and the section leading up to Alfie discovering what his son is up to was so amusing.

These cats have such human qualities to them, and are far smarter then their humans, although all the 2 legged people in this book are great too, and I enjoyed catching up with them.

Then there is Alfie's own love life, which seems complicated, and the fact he is forever being tasked with puppy sitting!! I mean a cat looking after a dog, when have you ever seen that before, but yet it felt so believable.

There are so many subplots and threads running through this book, it was like watching a tv series but being able to binge watch it so you didn't miss a thing!!

I adore Alfie, George and the rest of the felines (both real ones and the pug), and this has cemented itself to my mind as a series I need to continue to follow forever as I love the characters and writing so much.

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

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I wasn't aware of this series, and I love stories like these! I understand it can be read as a standalone, so I guess it's as good a place to start the series as any! I love stories like these, though I thought the puppy bits were a bit disparaging. How can the kitten's shown as intelligent while the puppy is little more than an idiot?!? Other than that, I enjoyed the book and will be looking for the other books in the series in the future. I think older kids will enjoy this story, and likely teens and adults, too.

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Yet another great Alfie story written by Rachel Wells. You can really feel as though you are living with these cats and their friends. Clever as always and helping others along the way. I can't wait for the next book in the series. Rachel knows how to make Alfie and his friends come alive. This is a 5 star book and I recommend it to everyone.

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Princess Fuzzypants here: I fell in love with Alfie the Doorstep Cat. After a wonderful life with an older woman, he set adrift as a homeless cat until he takes matters into his own paws and adopts not one but three families. Alfie brings people together and is the true definition of a friend.
He is pretty pawsome.
Alfie’s happy world is rocked by the arrival of a new family next door. They are a bit strange but they have a beautiful white cat for whom Alfie falls head over paws in love. This does not sit well with his best friend Tiger and the lady cat in question is anything but welcoming of his attentions. Alfie does not give up. When he sees someone for whom he cares suffering, he feels obliged to make it better. And he has an amazing track record with bullies of which this story abounds. While he may not be able to understand the complexities of human relationships, he has a knack for problem solving. And he has an enormous heart. His persistence is rewarded.
These are charming and entertaining books with wonderful kitty and human characters. They also explore some common social issues but the message is gentle and loving. Just like Alfie. I would be proud to call him friend.
Five purrs and two paws up.

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Not read these types of books before and struggled a little with the fact it was written as if the cat was writing it. I am a crazy cat lady myself, but found it a bit odd.

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I used to love the Alfie books, but I ended up DNF'ing this one.
Why? Here's my list of reasons:
- i am both a cat and dog lover, so I don't appreciate the dog being represented as an idiot and seeing how the cats abuse him. I.E. George laughing because the dog believes he can because he sees the cats. Dogs raised with cats still know they are dogs and can't do certain things.
Plus, a puppy is not retarded as the author oftens pictures Prickles. Had she done the same with George when he was a kitten I would maybe think is her way to show they don't know better, even though she is clearly belitting them. But nope, the cat wasn't portrayed lile that.
- What's with Claire telling Alfie she has to babysot the dog and train him to do things right? Excuse me, we get he is an special cat, but there's no way he can take care of a puppy and train/educate him
- what's with George wanting a job? Alfie tells him he is a cat and needs no job, but Georgie replies with "you take care of people so i want to have a job too". Okay... what's the use of having a book about cats if the author is going to antrophormize them so much? They take care and raise puppies, and work "jobs"? Too much. Taking care and worrying about their humans I can get, being humans themselves in cat bodies nope.

Maybe those can be silly things to other people, but when I read books about animals I expect them to act like their true natures and not as humans. That extends to not have puppers being represented as idiots and cats wanting jobs.

Animals are already our betters as they are, we need not to humanize them.

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I'm a fan of Alfie and George and was more than happy to meet them again and enjoy their adventure.
Pickles, the puppy, is a lovely addiction and it made me smile and remember when I had puppies in my life.
The story is sweet and heartwarming as usual and it was great to read about the developments in the life of the cast of characters.
A well written, engrossing and entertaining read, I can't wait to read the next instalment.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

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This is my first Alfie book and it's a good one. I knew this wouldn't be high lit, but as a cat lover, I enjoyed this and suspect most cat fans will too. It has a fun plot and includes some humor.

I really appreciate the advanced copy for review!!

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I loved reading this book. Love meeting Alfie George and pickles plus rest of the gang off cats. This is such a heart warming love story. Love when Alfie and George meet pickles for the first time and tried to teach him to be good and George teaching him to be a cat. Can't wait to read more from these guys

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Alfie is a doorstep cat who has many families. He lives with Claire and Jonathan and their children. Polly, Matt and their children, Sylvie and her daughter, and Marcus and Harold are their neighbours and Franceska and Tomasz and their children are former neighbours. All the families are very good friends with each other, thanks to Alfie. Alfie is the adopted "dad" to a cat named George.

Polly and Matt add Pickles, a pug puppy, to their family. Because Claire is a stay-at-home mom, she volunteers to take care of Pickles during the day, which means Pickles spends a lot of time with Alfie and George. George, being young, amuses himself by trying to teach Pickles about how to be a cat. Alfie takes his responsibility as a puppy sitter seriously, though it is exhausting trying to keep Pickles out of trouble.

George and Harold are close so George is quite concerned when the elderly man is hospitalized. That's when George realizes his mission ... to ensure no one is ever lonely alone again.

This is the sixth and latest in Alfie series and I liked it (I've read them all). Though it's part of a series, it works as a stand alone. It is written in first person perspective in Alfie's voice. We can see the conversations he has with other cats and now Pickles. Plus he understands the conversations of humans around him (rather than "blah blah blah blah blah Alfie blah blah blah). Though he can't talk back to them in their language, he does try to communicate in cat-talk and expressions. As a head's up, though the story is about cats, it does have mature themes.

I look forward to reading others in this series.

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