I DNF-Ed this book at 21%. I loved the premise of Ben and Kara's relationship and all the cute cats
But the execution of the story and character writing was absolutely cringeworthy.
There was no flow to the story, the characters felt really one dimensional.
Also there was an odd number of Boston clichès that felt REALLY outdated? Yes, we say "wicked" a lot, but nobody calls drinks "tonics" anymore???

As much as I love a Christmas romance and enemies to lovers, A Cat Cafe Christmas just missed the mark for me. I personally didn't love that Kara essentially bullies Ben into taking care of a kitten at the beginning of the book, when he really has no experience with it. And I also can't imagine a PR firm not talking to a business before running promotions for them, because that felt so disorganized. And while I get these are things that are supposed to drive plot and tension, it just made me dislike each character.

While I'm glad Kara got some closure with her ex in the end, that conflict (which ran throughout the entire book) was wrapped up really quickly, which made it feel less important overall. I think those inconsistencies with understanding what we were supposed to care about and what ended up getting resolved too easily made the book a bit frustrating to read at times.

I did enjoy all the kittens though and their many different personalities, so that was a plus.

I didn't quite enjoy this enough to rate it 4 stars. It just felt like it dragged on way longer than it needed to be with way too many side plots. The cat aspect was cute, but as a dog person, it wasn't necessarily my cup of tea.

This is such a fun and cozy read filled with my favorite things: Christmas, coffee, and cats! Kara Ingalls opens a cat cafe and is struggling to keep it out of the red. She meets marketer Ben Reese who is annoying, but also smart. He comes up with a plan to help the Meow and Furever Cat Cafe stay open. I really enjoyed this story, especially for Christmas. It has all the cozy vibes someone wants to read about during the holidays.

This book was a wholesome strangers to friends to lovers closed door romance! I’ve always wanted to go to a cat cafe as there aren’t many around where I live and am now inspired to encourage my fiancé to drive us to the closest city that has one 🥰 I loved the little descriptions of the cats at the beginning of each chapter. The progression of the romance also felt fairly realistic and I appreciated how the characters confronted their issues and were transparent with each other with it!

Really loved this book. It was a fun read and enjoyed the narrator. It was fun and whimsical and was perfect read for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I want more romance books with cats.

This was such a cute romance book about a veterinarian & cat cafe owner! I loved that the MC has ADHD and seeing her being valued as a neurodivergent person. I love when we win in romances. Also, the cats were shining stars in this book. Every book needs more cats.

Such a pleasant book!!! I, myself am obsessed with cats and used to work in a vet clinic setting so it was so fun to find parallels with myself. I just adore these two and their complementary dynamic. Holiday reads are such a treat and this one was endearing and heartwarming. I can totally relate with not understanding how not everyone is in love with every cat they meet. Can't wait to read another Codi Gary book!

This is a truly sweet holiday tale. The fact that I adore cats was a bonus. The characters were super relatable and I loved the romance! I’ll definitely be reading more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was not a fan of this book. The writing felt stilted, it did not flow well at all. It was a chore to get through.

I'm a fan of Codi Gary's small town romances, so I was very happy to read this. Though it's always a bit weird to review a Christmas book when it's not Christmas. Like I read this book as soon as it arrived, but I think that was late spring, early summer. So I held off on reviewing the book... and oops, it's been a long time.

This is a cute small town romance between Kara, a veterinarian with a small secret (that could have huge professional ramifications) in her past who is trying to save her cat rescue cafe, and Ben, a marketer trying his best to get a promotion for a job, so he needs this campaign to be successful. The two clash at first, but with the help of Chaos, the cat that Ben finds and ends up fostering, the two form a relationship.

I wouldn't call this enemies to lovers, or even adversaries to lovers, but I will say that Ben and Kara didn't start off on the right foot. However, I do love how they overcame initial opinions to help each other in much needed situations.

Also, the book has the cutest chapter headings and descriptions.

This book is for someone looking for something cozy to read in order to prep for the the lead up to the Christmas season.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

First of all I absolutely LOVE the cover!! It is so cute and cozy! How many holiday romances feature a cat cafe?! Not many! So I was very excited to read this book. I really liked both of the main characters, Kara who is a vet and has a Cat Café and Ben who finds an abandoned kitten. They meet and I would say this reminds me of a Hallmark movie. They don't really hit it off at first due to them both having trust issues but then slowly I feel like the chemistry starts.

There isn't much spice in the book which didn't bother me. Overall I really enjoyed A Cat Café Christmas and if you are looking for a fun, cozy, holiday romance with cats in the mix this one is definitely for you!

A Cat Cafe Christmas by Codi Gary combines descriptions of adorable kitties, an independently owned coffee shop and a story about learning to trust after heartbreak and betrayal. Despite it being centered around the Christmas holidays, I enjoyed the story in the middle of springtime. This was my first Codi Gary novel but I’m excited to read more from her.

I have tried to read this book at least 5 times and for some reason I cannot make it past chapter 5. Mind you, this doesn't mean that the book is bad or anything like that, it is just not my cup of tea. While I adore cat cafe's, Christmas related romance novels, both combined did not do it for me.

Kara is the owner of a cat cafe with more cats available for adoption than customers and she needs help. Lucky for her, Ben comes up with a marketing plan to get the cafe actually making a profit by Christmas. As they work together to build business and get the cats to all have homes by Christmas, the attraction starts to build despite their differences.

My favorite part of this book were the blurbs about the cats in the cafe at the beginning of each chapter. The story itself was not my favorite but if you like cats and sweet Hallmark holiday movies it might be a win for you. While I liked Kara and Ben as individuals, I just didn’t feel their chemistry as a couple.

Thank you to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Oh my goodness, I want to live inside the world of this book forever. What a charming, sweet, and lovely holiday read. This book is pure magic and I cannot recommend it enough!

An absolutely well done “opposites attract” romance. This book was so funny! And who doesn’t like cats?

This quick Christmas read was another book that reminded me of a Hallmark Christmas Movie. A quirky scene with quirky moments, isn't that what we all love in our Christmas movies? This one is a clean romance, so don't expect any spice in this one. Even without the spice, it is a super sweet read.

Grumpy/sunshine is one of my favorite tropes. The cat cafe is an intersting premise for the women running it, and they are creative in figuring out ways to bring in money to keep the cafe afloat.

‘A Cat Cafe Christmas’ by Codi Gary was absolutely adorable and as a proud cat lady, I can safely say it’s become a favorite. The romance was heartwarming, the little adoption ads for the cats at the beginning of every chapter made the book more immersive (and me more emotional), and there was just enough drama to keep things interesting. This book is perfect not only for the holidays, but year-round too, and one I will definitely be rereading in the future. Highly recommend!