I came for the cats and the romance, and I got the cats and the romance. But I also got friendship, family, an a dual POV slightly spicy story of 2 characters I absolutely adore! You should know by know how much I love cats so as soon as I saw the title of this book, I knew I just had to read it.

This book follows Paige, an event manager in Whitman Street Cat Cafe, and Josh, a first year lawyer. Josh needed to get some volunteer work for his job and luckily his sister loves animals and was able to get him into a neutering project for cats. Paige, being the animal lover she is, is going to the same project. As soon as they meet, the feel a connection and spend the night together. In the morning, Paige realizes that Josh is her boss/best friend's brother.

I loved the cat cafe and Brooklyn as the setting for this story. It gave Josh and Paige a lot of things to do as they skirted around being friends and being in a relationship. The friend group in this book, specifically Paige's, is perfect for continuing this series. Which by the way is the 2nd book in a series and I had no idea! Both main characters are at big points in their lives. Paige moved from a corporate job to event planning for a cat cafe while Josh is drowning in responsibilities as a new addition to a law firm. The friends in this book are so supportive and funny. They made this book so much better!

I will be honest, I didn't like the approach of the best friend's brother trope. In almost all cases, I think it is best to be upfront and not hide it because in the end hiding it makes it hurt more. There was also insta-love which was balanced out by the rest of the story. But like I was expecting, the cat parts were my favorite. This book is full of relatable cat quotes and I totally saved them for posting

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I was smiling the whole time. While the trope wasn't my favorite, I expected it and so it doesn't bring down my opinion of the book. If you need a cute short read to maybe get you out of a reading slump/after you just read a super sad book, read this one!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I really wanted to like this book. The cover is cute and so was the idea. I guess the banter between the main characters just didn't feel very real to me and I didn't care enough about all the characters. I probably won't submit this review online.
2.5 stars

If you're looking for a fast paced, semi-instant love, and predictable read then I would TOTALLY recommend this book. There's nothing wrong with looking for those things in a book, sometimes that is exactly what you need. While I did enjoy this book, some elements just fell super flat for me. The love was almost TOO fast (like literally one page). Also, the main problem was that Paige didn't want to risk her friendship with Lauren because she wanted to date her brother but I didn't feel friendship between the two of them at all. They were written more like colleagues (boss/employee) so it was hard to sympathize with Paige on that. Over all I am glad I read it because it was a light read and a palate cleanser to help me get over the last book I read (which was more on the heavy side). I'll keep the first book of this series in mind (you can read them as standalones) the next time I need something light and quick to read.

What the Cat Dragged In by Kate McMurray and is a great contemporary romance that is the second book in the Whitman Street Cat Cafe series. I liked this one.
I really enjoyed this contemporary romcom involving an adorable cat cafe (cafe / cat adoption business), beyond adorable cats, and a couple - Paige and Josh - destined to be together.

I absolutely judge books by their cover and this cover is adorable! I discovered that this is the second book in the series so I quickly read the first—super cute, loved it—before I started this one. The story itself was just as adorable as the cover, perfect for a fast, fun read! I can’t wait for the next in the series! I listened to the audio version and the narrator was perfect!!

I really enjoyed the first book of the series so my expectations for book 2 were quite high. I´m happy to say I was not disappointed.
"What the Cat Dragged In" can be read as a stand-alone, but I would probably just buy/read both to get to know the cat café even better.
While you still get lots of feline charme in book 2, something I noticed was the love for Brooklyn. One scene in the book where the protagonists are taking a stroll through the neighborhood comes to mind, I was able to picture the surroundings quite well. That was really enjoyable.

Just as book 1, I would recommended this book to anyone that enjoys a cute romance with a HEA and lots of banter.
Also ...cats! Do I need to say more?!

Thank you NetGalley, Kate McMurray and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The cover is cute and definitely eye catching which is a big reason I wanted to read this one. But I had no idea it was a sequel. I didn’t see anything in the blurb or on the cover indicating that this one was a sequel and I wish I had otherwise I would have read the first book before reading this one.

Cute, contemporary and with a side of fluff, What the Cat Dragged In was a fun and simple read.

Josh is a complete sweetheart. He's charming and funny and had me quite smitten. Paige is strong and independent, she has her life together and although she came across a little too indecisive for me, I loved her and Josh's interaction, connection and rapport.
With a great Brooklyn backdrop and of course, some absolutely adorable cats, this is a fun contemporary romcom.

4 stars and a Darth Vader cat toy

This was such a cute story. I'm a cat lover, so a story based in the vicinity of a cat cafe is a must read for me.
I haven't read the first book in this series- so this can definitely be read as a standalone. ​
I did wish there was a little bit more to Paige and Josh's interaction so we could see more of why they developed feelings for each other. I really did enjoy the introspection in both of these characters. I especially related to Paige in that she was almost scared of jumping into a relationship that had the potential to work out because she had gotten use to her pattern of failed dates.
I'm looking forward to going back and reading the first book

What The Cat Dragged in is a fun, mildly cliched, but overall enjoyable romance read.

I love cats so I was instantly compelled by the title of this book alone. Paige is an event planner at a Cat Cafe who falls for her bosses brother. While the story does follow the very classic contemporary romance structure and trajectory, I did thoroughly enjoy reading my Paige and Josh’s story. Some may say that the writing is simple, but to me the dialogue between the two felt real, it felt like a conversation I would have with someone I was getting to know. Although if you are one of those people who can’t stand pop culture references in books… watch out.

Paige goes on perhaps more of a personal journey in the book than Josh (his journey is more career oriented). Paige’s story is one that I think a lot of people grapple with, the is this relationship worth the risk. The “what if it falls apart” mantra before giving it a chance. Her journey is one that I believe a lot of readers can relate to.

I would like to say that SPOILER in the epilogue when it mentions they have moved in together I think we needed something about ado moving their cats in together to bring the cat piece of the story full circle.

Huge shoutout though to the full passage that discussed Matt Bomer without actually saying his name. For a second I thought my thoughts had been taken from my brain and put in the book.

I've been on a romance kick lately, and I've been chasing that warm, fluffy feeling. I was drawn in by the cover (and cats). However, this book just didn't do it for me. I really disliked Paige -- her reasons for not wanting to date Josh were stupid and unfounded and she went about the whole thing so poorly that I actually wanted Josh to leave her at more than one point. She was immature even though she was "mature" in her life. Ugh. Beyond that, I wasn't a fan of the writing, especially the dialogue -- it was too stilted and forced. This book just wasn't for me.

As a cat lover and romance reader, Kate McMurray’s books always call to me - love the covers, love a set ups. However, I unfortunately wish the follow-through was as good as the premise.

WHAT THE CAT DRAGGED IN was indeed cute, but that’s pretty much the main thing this book had going for it (beyond the cats, of course). The characters were fine, but I wasn’t attached to them. I think this would have been a stronger story if told in first person, as opposed to third. The writing was fairly elementary and I felt pretty distant from the plot and our narrator’s emotions. I’m rounding up my star rating because again… CATS. But I do wish I loved this one more.

Cute!

This is the second book in the Cat Café series by Kate McMurray and it's filled with cute cats!! And lots of romance too! This book was definitely cute, I loved the beginning and the pace it was going, the middle was just moving too slow and got a bit boring and Lauren from the first book was not my favourtie character (loved Caleb though, but the ending was sweet!

Also, isn't the cover the cutest?? Totally mesmerized me into reading this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCESBOOKS for the earc in return for an honest review.

My reviews are copied from my book Instagram @katebrownreads
I listened to What the Cat Dragged In by Kate McMurray (eyyy cool name) this week. I mean like I read the synopsis of this (shocking I know I literally never read them) and I saw this was about a girl who works at a freaking cat cafe and I immediately requested this book. It was very cute! I enjoyed it and all the cats with Austen names!
The trope in this book is best friends brother. Definitely insta-love. I’m usually skeptical of siblings friend or friends sibling books because there is always so much pining and that makes me want to claw my eyes out. To clarify that was not the case here.
There was pining but not to the point I was annoyed. It was a cute and in my feels amount.
What I’ve done with this book is something I HATE which is reading a series out of order so now I have to go back and read the first book. I already bought the ebook so I’ll get to it eventually. Again, how could I not love a book about a cat cafe. Literally a dream.
This is a very cute very sweet book. Read it if you need a little pick me up. I certainly did after all the dark stuff I read this week.
Thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, DreamScape Media for the advance copy of this book! It comes out fairly soon on December 7th! Check it out!

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I was instantly drawn in by the backdrop of a cat cafe and charity, but this unfortunately didn’t work for me.

I couldn’t connect with the characters and they felt pretty one dimensional. The text kept telling me they liked each other without any showing. It felt shallow and the actual conversations and interactions that would build the chemistry and connection between them were skipped past. It’d been five minutes and this dude is thinking “this, all the time, forever”. What?! The sex scenes were also quite awkward and stale.

The main conflict wasn’t believable for me either and it really dragged on. Their reasons for not giving a relationship a shot just felt too contrived.

Why was everyone okay with Paige not telling her best friend that she slept with her brother? What kind of best friends they are that Paige thinks Lauren will pick a side if they break up? Josh is “too overworked for a relationship” yet keeps finding time anyways?

I also have to say, this was marketed like it would stand alone but too much of the first book was included for that. It added to me feeling disconnected and disinterested.

We’ll that escalated quickly. We’ll look at what the cat dragged in.. pun intended! From the minuet Paige and Josh met there were flames! Everything is all fun and flirty until Paige realizes exactly who josh is all bets were off. Will things continue to steam or sizzle out?

DNF @ 11%

From the very beginning the characters felt very one dimensional and I could not get into the plot. Once I read the other reviews and saw it wasn't going to pick up I made the decision to set this one to the side.

I was so excited to read this because of the synopsis but unfortunately the writing and romance didn't click with me so it took me forever to finish the book. I found the story to be repetitive and dragging even with it seeming to be fast-paced at the same time. Nevertheless, What the Cat Dragged In is still a pretty cute romcom that would be good as a killing-the-time type of read.

actual rating: 2.5/5 stars, rounded up
thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was an ok romance, but it didn't meet the high expectations I had going into it based on the synopsis and promised cat-heavy content. I didn't fully click with the writing--it was fine, but it didn't immerse me in the story the way I want a romance or rom-com to. And the characters were a bit bland for me, unfortunately.

3.5/5 stars, This is the second in the Whitman Street Cat Café Series. I had not read book one, and it seems these are more companion novels, than a series.

I think this was the book I needed at this time. I needed a fluffy novel, and this fit the bill. I really liked the cat café setting for this book and loved all the cats in it. Josh and Paige definitely have chemistry in this book, from the first meeting you can tell that they are good together. It just takes them a while to realize it. This book was realistic in looking at the facets of dating when you have a really busy career and I like that Paige didn't get frustrated with Josh about it.

The banter between Paige and Josh was great, it really kept me wanting to read and see what was coming up next. What fell flat for me was the pacing. In some places it picked up and in others it just dragged out to much, really not finding the perfect balance. That aside, I did enjoy the story and the feline companions in this book.

If you are a fan of secret dating/dating your best friends sibling and keeping it secret, check out this book! Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an open and honest review. All opinions are 100% mine.