A truly wonderful and heartfelt book about cats. Prepare your tissues - you are bound to cry at some point through this read. Any cat lover will truly relish these tales.
Warning, though - if you just lost a fur baby or anytime recently, then this will absolutely break your heart

I read this over a quite long period as my elderly cat passed away and new kittens arrived in my home. Of course it made me cry, but that was more about me than the stories. They vary a bit in quality, unsurprising with such a diverse range of contributors, but are generally kind spirited. A couple of the stories were overly religious, which I did not like and should have been edited better. I doubt I would have paid for this, the standard of writing is quite low, but as a collection of almost magazine columns it works quite well to show the diversity of cat personalities and the range of rescue stories. I'm always surprised how and why people care about breeds and colouring, even in this context. When grieving it was nice to read about others who "got it".

A Cute book that gives insights into owning a cat and stories from owners. This was a wonderful read, that distracts the reader from all the wrong in the world and showing that there is some fun, love in owning a cat.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love cats!!!

Such a heartwarming book, which would make an ideal present for any cat lover. I love that the book is made up of individual stories, which made for short quick reads.

This book was an excellent read. I loved the heart warming stories about cats and their caregivers. It made me appreciate my fur baby all that much more and how I rescued him.
This book gets five out of five stars from me

Second Chance Cats: True Stories of the Cats we Rescue and the Cats Who Rescue Us by Callie Smith Grant- Editor- is a 2020 Fleming H. Revell publication.

No need to explain why I wanted to read this book. I love cats and am always a sucker for the second chance theme- and happy endings!!

This book is a collection of true stories told in first person, by a variety of contributors, from all walks of life. Each short essay explains how a cat entered their lives, some only briefly, and some for long periods of time, and what impact the cat had on them. Some stories are a little bittersweet, some are inspirational, and some are just sweet stories about a cat that touched the writer in a special way or came to be a permanent part of their family.

As the title suggests, the cats featured in these stories are ones who were rescued, something passing through the person’s life on their way to a longer term residence, and sometimes the writer is able to provide a permanent home for the cat. Yet, very often these cats are the ones doing the rescuing, help to heal and comfort their humans in times of stress, grief or illness- and everyone knows cats are good for our general well being.

I like to tell people that all my cats found me, not the other way around, and that is mostly true.

I have plenty of similar stories, dating back to my childhood, when cats just seemed to find me and stick around. I have tamed feral cats, rescued abandoned kittens, and even shared ownership of a cat with a neighbor once. As an adult, I only owned dogs for a long time before once again adopting a cat. Now, my cats outnumber the dogs- and the stories of how they came to live with us are as special to me as the ones printed in this book. It is for this reason, this book resonated with me, and I found myself nodding and smiling along, knowing how easily felines can worm their way into our hearts and lives.

There is nothing especially fancy about this compilation- the stories are short, told by real people, and are straightforward and simple, but always very heartfelt and sincere.

It goes without saying that cat lovers will not be able to resist these heartwarming stories featuring some very special feline friends.

Princess Fuzzypants here: I read a book this week about pets and humans and how we animals improve the health of our people. It was an interesting book but it lacked passion and failed to move me. I am looking for a book that inspires. I want one that will make me laugh at the antics and perhaps shed a tear or two. I want to be invested in the stories so vicariously I share the experience with the authors.

This book nails what I seek. It is filled with stories of cats who were rescued from some terrible situations and returned the favour by rescuing the humans. Sometimes it is as dramatic as stopping a suicide. Sometimes it gives the human purpose and meaning. Sometimes it just soften the blow or salves the loneliness. All the stories remind us, cat and human alike, just why we have this special relationship and what we bring to each other. These are truly heartwarming tales.

If you are a fan of these stories, as I am, you will love this collation. Five purrs and two paws up.

As a cat lover and we have always had cats. At present we have three. This was the perfect read for me. The stories are heartwarming and filled with so much love. I could relate to how having a cat enriches somebody's life. A gem of a book.. The perfect book for those who love cats.

I highly recommend this book for all cat lovers and all who have rescued cats. This is a collection of short stories about rescued cats , their rescue and the humans who rescued them. It is a lovely heartfelt love story of cats. It would make the perfect gift for all cat lovers.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own.

This would be a good book for either cat lovers or those who are looking at getting a companion animal for therapy. While I thought it was great, I don't see a huge need for it in the library unless it just gets purchased as a novelty book. I would, however, recommend it for the readers that fall under the aforementioned types.

Second-Chance Cats is a lovely anthology collection of stories that feature rescued cats. It'll make your heart swell if you love those fluffy and furry friends. It sure made me have all of the feels! It's a great feel good animal set of stories to light up your day. Protect those babies, they deserve all of the love!

Three out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Revell for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

This book is full of heartwarming stories about cats who have been rescued and adopted by people who have loved them fully. Each story was a short read and felt very "Reader's Digest"-ish in style. As someone who, in just the past couple of years, has become a cat person and taken in two cats of my own...I've not only rescued two cats, but they've rescued me in many ways. These stories were just what I needed to read after a long hard day at work. Coming home and cuddling on the couch with my cats and this lovely book made for a great evening.

Second-Chance Cats by Callie Smith Grant is a cozy read for anyone who loves animals especially cats. Like all compilations, some stories are better than others, but it is filled with heartwarming tales. I recommend this book to any cat lover and fans of Chicken Soul for the Soul type books.

Second-Chance Cats by Callie Smith Grant would be the PURRFECT gift for cat lovers as the author has shared a collection of cat tales that would make any cat lover happy to read. My favorite story was The Gift as I could easily identify with Andi Lehman's story about her cat Grungy as I had a similar experience.

Overall, this is a thoroughly delightful book that was a quick read.

Recommend.

Review written after downloading a galley from NetGalley.

I have two cats in my home. The neighbor's cat is also regularly eating and playing with them. I love them to pieces. I do not need any assurances by others that the adoption of these furry babies was the good thing for them and for me. Still I wanted to read this book when I saw it on NetGalley, and I must thank the publisher for making it possible for me to read.

While cat (and dog) lovers are not probably the target audience, it still may make them feel warm and fuzzy for other people's happiness with their furry adoptees. If someone has doubts about the same, they definitely should read these thirty-something warm stories about how animals changed their lives for better.

The care for animals is never an easy and smooth ride, but that's not the point, just like no one has a family just for sake of checking one box in their to-do list. Animals have their own personalities, and it shows in these stories, how each is different, as are different the life situations of the storytellers. And yet it is so easy to relate to all of them. It is interesting to note that some storytellers are involved with non-profits in their region, meaning that it is not all about cats they adopted, but also about their lives that were deeply influenced by that cause.

I would highly recommend reading this book. People who already have animals in their lives would definitely like to read stories of like-minded people. Those who are thinking about an adoption or two, in the near of far future, should also read this, to confirm to themselves that they are planning to do the right thing. Well, even those who can't think about having animals in their lives at all, may simply enjoy in beautiful warm stories about ordinary humans and silly animals in their lives. The yearning afterwards may hurt them, but the book is really that much interesting.

As a life-long cat lover, when I saw this title, I just had to read it! People who are not cat lovers don't seem to understand the concept of rescuing cats and them rescuing you back, but it is so true.

My mother wouldn't let me have a cat at home (would make the house dirty, you know?) so I patted other people's cats wherever I went. At one point we lived in a cottage which had a barn attached to it. The people who lived in the barn had cats and I spent many happy hours with them. It was an absolute joy to be able to have my own cats, once I had left home and was in stable housing and I currently have 3, all of them rescues. I could have written one of the stories in this book myself :) All of my cats have their own stories to tell, as do past kitties who have now crossed over the rainbow bridge. I have definitely gotten much more from my kitties than I have given to them, no doubt, and I thank all of them for giving me their unconditional love every day, in their own special ways.

This book is a beautiful collection of stories in which cats do rescue humans, in a variety of ways. So many different scenarios and all of them touching, poignant or heart-stopping in some way.

Loved it!

This was such a wonderful collection of short stories on rescue cats. This just shows the joy and companionship for both cat and their human. Each story is told by the cat’s rescuer and I hey are all heartwarming. Some of the stories were more lighthearted and made me laugh at the antics. Definitely a wonderful book for any cat lover!

I have spent my life with cats of all kinds. Mostly all rescues, strays and adopted. I currently live with five, two who are one-eyed and one who is not only one-eyed but the victime of a horrible hoarding criminal situation. This book made me laugh and cry at the same time, the stories were so well-written and from the heart of the authors. Animals can truly teach us humans so many things about unconditional love, survival and getting along with others (especially dogs and other cats).. If only we could learn about those so important values and share them with our fellow humans the world would be a better place. I highly recommend this book to all animal lovers and thanks to Net Galley and Baker Publishing Group for granting me the privilege of reading this wonderful collection of stories.

Thank you Netgalley and Revell for access to this arc.


The stories here are lovely. Some are funny and reminded me of cats I’ve been privileged enough to have or of what friends have told me about their cats. Some are moving in how cats can improve the lives of the people they choose to live with. Some of them made me cry happy tears. Thank goodness the backstories of some of them aren’t known or aren’t told as I’d be crying other kinds of tears but each winds up on his or her feet with someone who loves and adores them.

I’ve owned dogs and loved them dearly but cats own my heart and always will. That deep purr – which I consider the healing sound of the universe – and a head butt from a beloved cat can make any day better for me. Thank you for compiling this collection from people who obviously feel the same. B+

This wonderful book of short stories will appeal to anyone who loves cats or is thinking about adopting a rescue cat or kitten! Each story is told by the person who became the cat’s owner or even just a companion for a day. Some stories are sad, some are funny, and all are heartwarming and uplifting.

At times I found myself wondering if it was the cat or the person whose life was saved! These stories show that it’s the simple things in life that are often the most cherished, and that trust, patience, kindness, and love for our pets can bring joy and meaning to life.

I loved reading the stories and think that I’ll be buying several copies of this book to give to some of my cat loving friends!

Thank you to NetGalley, Revell (a division of Baker Publishing Group), and editor Callie Smith Grant for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of this very enjoyable book.