If your looking a cute romcom this holiday season, then keep A Cat Cafe Christmas in mind! It’s a cute, festive book with lots of adorable cats!

Kara’s cat cafe is struggling financially. Ben just moved to town and started a job at a marketing firm after a messy breakup. After Kara convinces Ben to foster a cat, he finds himself invested in the future of the cat cafe and in Kara.

The first few chapters were a bit rough, in my opinion, but the book did eventually find its feet. Overall I though the book was cute and fun. A great holiday romance for any cat lover!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC!

This one was pretty cute! It had a lot more potential, in my opinion but I’d still recommend it to my friends!

3 stars

Bring on all the Christmas books!!

I’m a firm believer that you can read holiday books any time of year just to feel that holiday joy, and this book definitely put me in the spirit, and also made me want to get a cat!

This was a sweet slow burn that started with hate to friends to love at the end. Both characters had their share of baggage from the past that they worked through together.

And let’s not forget about the cats!! I adored the little cat illustrations with their names with each chapter header!

Thank you to NetGally and Forever Pub for the earc in return for an honest review.

As a romance lover, Christmas fanatic, and crazy cat lady myself I really wanted to love this book, but it just did not live up to my expectations unfortunately. The highlight of the book for me were the cat introductions at the beginning of each chapter. It was so fun to read about the different cats available for rescue. This book is a cat lover's dream!

What I liked:
- The small business, Meow and Furever, was a super cool concept.
- All the cat dialogue was funny and entertaining.
- Set in a small town during Christmas time with lots of good holiday vibes.

What I disliked:
- Overly dramatic main character (Kara just wasn't that likable for me). By the end of it, I could not believe she was still denying a serious relationship with Ben.
- A weak attempt at enemies to lovers that turned out to just be insta-love (not my favorite).
- The side story family drama was too much. All of Ben's family ended up being pretty annoying.

This has lots of Hallmark movie vibes and will be perfect for many readers who like an easy read, cheesy romance, and dramatic plot lines. Unfortunately it just didn't hit the mark for me!

Rating: 3 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love cats and I love Christmas. It’s still early for this particular holiday but I was excited to dive into this one!

It reminded me of Like Cats and Dogs and What the Cat Dragged In by Kate McMurray with the fun setting! I wanted to cuddle my kitties immediately while reading and also have a nice hot cocoa!

I also liked that Kara was an adult woman with ADHD. We need that representation!

Our love interests were both gun shy when it comes to relationships with INSANELY good reasons. I was irritated with the family/support systems for not giving their feelings validation and respecting boundaries. Especially with Ben’s situation.

I didn’t feel the chemistry between these two all the time. It was definitely an enemies to lover / opposites attract situation to begin with, but then casual to serious real quick. I wanted more growth between them I guess.

I loved that each chapter had a kitty bio. Made me cat lady heart so happy!

I’ve read other books by this author as Codi Hall and I think I preferred that series. But I’ll keep an open mind to her in the future!

A holiday themed romance featuring a cat cafe? It's like this book was written for me. And yet, I was dissatisfied by the end.

Kara and Ben have a little frenemy meet cute, and even though both are kind of awkward, their banter was fun and they seemed to eventually become real friends. They both have relationship baggage but I appreciated them talking about it and working through it...mostly.

Now, my main feeling of "meh," came from something that is entirely petty, so I think most people will read A Cat Cafe Christmas and not even care about this part. But Ben's main baggage is that his fiance broke up with him and then immediately started dating his brother. ET TU BRUTE??? And his family just wants him to "get over it" because she and the brother are in love and it means that she and Ben were never right for each other. Maybe I read too many relationship stories on Reddit, but this one got to me and ruined the mood of the book for me.

If you take out that "meh" part, the rest of A Cat Cafe Christmas is adorable and sweet and full of fun kitties and happiness.

Thank you to Forever Publishing for the review copy.

The purrfect lighthearted romance! I finished this book so quickly, and really enjoyed the main female character. Each chapter began with a picture of a cat and an adoption bio - it was very well done. Easy read, relatable characters, and an enemies to lovers trope. Although part of the story happens during Christmas, it was not Christmas heavy like most holiday books (which was nice).

I received this as an ARC, but definitely check it out when it’s published on 10/4/22. A huge thank you to NetGalley, author, and the publisher!

Having recently adopted two utterly adorable kittens, I was excited to read A Cat Cafe Christmas. The story starts with Kara and Ben's first meeting, and they got off to a rough start in which their attraction isn't enough to prevent the sarcasm and annoyance from coming through. Kara struggles in social situations. With generalized and social anxiety as well as ADHD, Kara finds it hard to connect to others. Ben, on the other hand, has put up some emotional walls after a bad end of his engagement. However, Ben is a fixer and likes to help people that he cares about. As these two opposites spend time together, they are able to work through their emotional issues.

This Cute Christmas Rom-Com features cats and coffee. Two of my favorite things. There is also a cute trouble making kitten named Chaos, best friends Charity and Schwartz., and lovely cat bio's complete with personalities.
The story is shelter cat positive and in addition to being a cozy romance, it highlights how great adopting a rescue can be.

Thank you Netgalley and Forever Publishing for the review copy.

In this sweet opposites attract, holiday romance filled with the best furballs, selfless gestures and self healing.

Kara is a vet, trying to make the world a better place for all cats. Her past relationship left her betrayed, lied to, and forced to start fresh. She opens up a cat cafe, that doubles as a rescue and hopefully a future low cost clinic. In comes Ben, a marketing genius also looking to start fresh who takes on the cafe as a project to help succeed. The fumble their way from mild distaste, to friends, to maybe more.

The best part of this one for me was the cute cat drawings and bios at the start of every chapter. I truly wanted to adopt every single one of them. The romance was good, and the conflicts the characters went through did not feel unnecessary or frustrating.

A CAT CAFE CHRISTMAS
By Codi Gary
3/5

I requested this arc on NetGalley when I was in a big “Christmas in July” mood but got over zealous with my requests (that in turn all got approved - oops) so this one was left for a Christmas in September read. There are so many things I absolutely loved about it, and some that I just didn’t enjoy.

What I loved:
* Kara had a heart of gold and a passion for animals, but especially cats. I thought her character was just so genuinely good.
* This book takes place throughout the holiday season and features a 25 days of catmas as a marketing stunt for the cat cafe. It read like a true hallmark movie and I loved that aspect.
* Ben’s big family and it’s drama. Enough said.

What I didn’t love:
* I didn’t jive with this authors writing style. I felt like it lacked depth in some areas and did a lot of telling rather than showing in others. It made it hard for me to read.
* I wanted more action in the story line about Worthy and his criminal activities. I was invested in the scheme and it sort of fizzled out on me.
* Cats. So many cats. Which in the books defense, I should have known it would be cat heavy. I’m just not a big cat person and the cats were the feature in the story.

Read this if you love:
- books set around the holidays
- grumpy x grumpy
- enemies to lovers (but only for a little bit!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Give me all the cozy cat and Christmas books! All the cozy Christmas feelings. I loved, really enjoyed the break from the traditional small town Christmas love story. I will be posting my review closer to the Christmas season

A Cat Cafe Christmas by Codi Gary

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a cute read!! I loved the characters, they made me laugh out loud. Loved their chemistry and the story line. When one doesn’t think they are worthy of love. The purrrfect holiday read that will warm your heart.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for my advanced ecopy for an honest review.

Publish Date: October 4, 2022

This is a sweet, fun holiday romance. Cat lovers will certainly appreciate the story but you don’t have to be a cat lover to enjoy the book. While I found the third act break up reasoning a bit annoying, the end was completely satisfying.

Easily going to be one of my favorite holiday reads this year! This story was so heartfelt and full of Christmas cheer AND cats. I was rooting for Kara and her adorable rescue cat cafe the whole story and enjoyed her character development. A great cozy romance for everyone on your nice list this year.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Cats. A café. Christmas. Love. What else do you need? Seriously loved this book. I am a huge Abby Jimenez fan and found this author to have similar writing as Abby. And then I find out she has 20+ more books out there. Adding all to the ever growing tbr list.

This was a wonderful romance set at Christmas time. Just enough to get the festive feel but not that it overshadowed the story.

Kara is a veterinarian living life off the internet, trying to redeem herself after she fell for the wrong man. Ben moved across the country to get away from his brother and ex-fiancee who betrayed his trust. They start off on the wrong foot, but a kitten stuck in a heating duct helps change that.

I loved the characters in this book. They had spunk, humor, and real people issues. The writing was witty, and funny and well paced. I found myself longing of being in the social room at Meow and Furever.

I will absolutely be reading more from Codi. Thank you so much Netgalley and publishers for this arc in exchange for my review and opinions.

Veterinarian Kara Ingalls needs a Christmas miracle for the Meow and Furrever Cat Cafe. Although she doesn’t want to accept his help, marketing expert Ben Reese comes up with the perfect plan to help Kara out. And as they get to know one another more, they realize that there are some major sparks between them!

Quick thoughts:
LIKES - This book was a lovely holiday read!! The chemistry between Ben and Kara was so good and I loved how the author handled heartbreak and healing throughout the story!

DISLIKES - I felt that the main characters were a bit difficult to connect with at first.

Read if you like:
*cats!
*a strong female main character
*opposites attract
*enemies to lovers
*mental health representation
*dual POVs
*a sweet holiday read

Cats, coffee, and Christmas; what more do you need in a holiday romcom? I have so many positive things to say about this book, starting with the meet cute that totally hooked me! Both on the grumpy side, Kara and Ben share an initial conversation filled with irritation, sarcasm, bickering, and attraction. Even as they argue, the sparks fly.

Kara is a veterinarian who opened the financially struggling cat cafe less than a year ago with her best friend, Charity. Kara's character is authentically written regarding her experience and struggle with ADHD, trauma from her past, generalized and social anxiety, and a hyper-focus subject she is passionate about. Kara's passion is finding homes for relinquished cats and she also dreams of opening a low cost veterinary clinic. She has difficulty in social situations, especially connecting with new people, and believes that other than her best friend, people find her odd. As a reader with ADHD and anxiety, I see so much of myself in Kara, and although sometimes it is an uncomfortable recognition, I appreciate seeing a main character that has ADHD and anxiety and is portrayed as a highly intelligent and capable woman.

Ben is a marketing expert recently moved cross country following the end of his engagement. He has been focused on work, the renovation of the house he bought, and has become best friends with his co-worker, Schwartz. Ben is generous with his time and talents, always trying to fix problems for those he cares about, and even for people he barely knows. Shortly after their disastrous meet cute, he agrees to fix Kara's plumbing problem at her house. Later in the book, he creates a marketing plan for the cafe in his free time. Although Ben loves to create solutions to problems, he also makes some situations worse with his refusal to forgive.

Both Ben and Kara are dealing with their own brokenness, which impacts their reaction to and perception of events in the story. The secondary characters, Charity and Schwartz, are both fun, quirky, and I don't think Ben and Kara could have found their happily ever after without them! I'm hoping to see more of Charity and Schwartz in a future book.

The kitty bios at the beginning of each chapter are a stellar addition! The cat's names, references to pop culture, and the bio information are creative, fun, and always made me smile and snicker!

My only criticism of the book is that, while the background with Kara's ex is important to the story, I didn't feel that his appearance in the present context added to the plot..

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy a cozy holiday romcom, grumpy, opposites attract main characters, and cats you will want to take home with you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for giving me an ebook arc in return for my honest review.

Sometimes we just need those reads that make us swoon and restore our faith in humanity. This one was an adorable slow burn between two unlikely people.

I loved Kara and Ben equally. Ben was very nice but also a little stand-offish. He was quick to push back but also loved snark and sass and was quick to laugh it off. Kara is independant and driven but her ADHD makes her feel a little self conscious in group settings because she feels like she bounces random topic to random topic and Kara thinks it's off putting for others. They were both quirky and adorable and I couldn't help but love them

But the show stopper for this whole book were the chapter headings. There were drawings of cats along with a small blurb about why you might want to adopt them. Honestly, I wanted every last one of the cats. Their personalities were so cute and it even described their coloring (and often included a little heart near them). Ugh, it was so cute and such a great detail.

I loved the twist of the cat cafe to free or cheap cat clinic, the strive to stay open and keep on going and Worthy. The plot felt new, at least to me, as I hadn't bumped in to this particular one before. Adorable, sweet and just what I needed. I loved this one!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Thank you to Net Galley, Forever Publishing, and Codi Gary for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I’ve been searching desperately for an enjoyable Christmas romance all season and this one hit the mark! Our two MC’s have been through the emotional-wringer recently in their lives, leaving them both with emotional baggage and the need to out their minds elsewhere. The story that follows features healing, romance, a ridiculous amount of cute cats, and that comfy Christmas feeling! Plus who doesn’t love grumps learning the holiday spirit?? Perfect for the Holiday season.

“Love is about fear. You’re scared to admit it. Terrified to lose it. And afraid you’ll never find it again.”

💭 Thoughts:
This book put a big smile on my face. All my favorite things wrapped up into one big, squishy holiday hug. Cats, coffee, and romance.

I loved the way each chapter started with the description of a different cat available for adoption at the cafe. It was a cute addition to the story.

Ben and Kara are so cute together. I loved their banter and chemistry. They both have stuff to work through and they came together so well to do it. Plus, Ben scores extra points because he goes from being a cat hating grump to fostering a kitten!

I highly recommend this cute, cat filled, small town romance. It’s the perfect holiday season read! 🎄

Read if you like:
❤️ Cats
❤️ Closed Door Romance
❤️ Fun, Lighthearted Banter
❤️ Family Drama
❤️ Cinnamon Roll MMC