This was a charming, dual POV, opposites attract holiday romance full of adorable rescue cats, tons of kitty puns and a lot of heart. Kara and Ben get off to a rocky start but eventually these two start working together to try and help Veterinarian Kara save her Cat Cafe and 25 rescue cats right before the holidays. I enjoyed the banter between these characters and thought the audiobook was really well done narrated by Felicity Munroe (who did an impressive Boston accent). Highly recommended for fans of Julia London or Kate McMurray's Whitman Street Cat Cafe series. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

DNF 23%. I gave it a solid try but the only thing that was working for me with this book was the cute cat illustrations and descriptions of said cat at the beginning of each chapter. I knew this one would be rough for me when it started with an info dump of both characters. Info dumps are not an okay form of exposition unless its a short story. Neither Kara nor ben was likable. Kara's character just didn't make any sense to me. She got mad at Ben at the beginning of the book because he helped bring in business to her dying cafe and then when Ben brought the stray cat he found to her vet clinic she essentially called him a bad person because he wanted to surrender the cat he found instead of keep it when he had no desire for or a safe place to have a cat. Ben was misogynistic and constantly of the belief that his was was the best and the only way things should be done. My final straw was Ben taking it upon himself to create a full website for Kara's cafe without her or her business partner's consent or input. On no planet is that okay and I honestly don't care enough about either character to see how that endeavor goes for them.

I love Cats, Christmas and a great romance novel. This book had all three. I really enjoyed it. This book was sweet and a light, fun read. I like Ben and Kara’s connection and enjoyed reading their journey. This book was well written with good conflict to keep me reading to the end. Solid holiday romance! Huge thanks to Forever and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is a Christmas Romance. This book is so cute with wonderful characters with a ton of cats. I loved all the cats. I loved the back story of the two main characters, and their backstories kept enough drama in the book. I love the cat cafe setting in this book. The romance was so cute. I loved all the Christmas stuff in this book. This is a great cute read. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Forever) or author (Codi Gary) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

This is a Christmas romance with second chances and lots of cats. Kara lost a lot when her fiancé turned out to be a con artist. Kara is trying to get her life back on track with her cat cafe but she’s got more cats than customers. She ends up meeting a marketing genius Ben who is willing to help her and the cats. Will they be able to pull it off?

Much as I wanted to like this, I just didn’t… The background info was very frontloaded, and idk maybe I’m just reading different books, but this isn’t really a thing in romance. You sort of gradually discover what’s happened with a character, not info dump in chapter two. I think that’s why I could never really connect with either main character. Like, yeah, they’ve been through shitty things, but I don’t know enough about them outside of their trauma to care. Harsh? Maybe. But the writing style didn’t mesh with me and for all the drama and build up in the beginning, it all kind of fizzled to nothing in the end. I did, however, LOVE the cat doodles/features at the start of each chapter.

yep, the cats got me. i am a cat person. i am not a christmas person. but i thought... cats! yay!
unfortunately, not a huge fan of this one. i am annoyed by people who hate cats for no reason, but i am equally annoyed at people like the female main character who thinks people are horrible if they are unable to look after a pet or do not want one. the male main character found a kitten and brought it to her shelter, she acted like he bought the cat, decided he didn't want it, left it on the side of the road. i just don't have a lot of patience for that personally. unfortunately because that left a bad taste in my mouth, i simply didn't enjoy the book after that because i did not like the main characters. i hope other people love it, but it wasn't for me.

I got this one off of NetGalley because how could I not with cats on the cover? Plus Forever is one of my favorite publishers so win win. Overall, I thought the premise was cute. Each chapter started with a drawing of a cat and a tiny bio about them. I could have read an entire book just with that. Kara and Ben were really cute together and I loved watching them fall in love. But I didn't care for the b plots for both of them. I get that these story lines were to give us insight into the background/feelings/emotions of both characters but I just thought the backstories felt forced and it took away from my enjoyment of the story. The romance was great, the grand gestures amazing but I didn't need such detailed back stories for both of them. It's unusual for me to think that but something about them didn't work for me. They both also need therapy and lots of it.

It's not a bad book by any means. It was super cute, definitely would be a great Christmas movie and a light read. A Cat Cafe Christmas comes out on October 4 and is available for pre-order now wherever you buy books.

As a token “crazy cat lady” this title sucked me in. My husband and I have a running joke that we basically run The Home For Wayward Kitties because I seem to collect cats that are in danger of landing in a high kill shelter. This really had me feeling connections with our MC Kara, a veterinarian and co-owner of the Cat Cafe in question in this book.

The concept of a cat cafe is everything. I absolutely love it and to throw in an adorable romance along with a bunch of cats?! Yes. Please. My absolute favorite part though is the start of every chapter. It starts with a “bio” for cats in the cafe. Obviously they’re fictional but they are adorable and perfect. It really made this feel more real - like maybe these babies are there and looking for their furever homes. It makes my heart happy.

While I was much more excited about the abundance of cats over the romantic story, I gotta say that story was great too. I feel like several tropes came into play here but the plot was solid and flowed so well that even the lack of communication that normally ticks me off didn’t bother me! That says something about the story since even when the communication was struggling I didn’t roll my eyes. Not once. It’s a miracle!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this adorable romance!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

If you’re looking for a cute romance to get you in the Christmas spirit this is the book for you! Whether you’re a cat lover or not, this adorable romance will make you want to curl up under a blanket and consider adopting an animal. I would definitely consider myself a dog person, but this book made me want to go to my local animal shelter and adopt a cat. Each chapter starts with a blurb describing one of the cats at the cafe which is such a cute touch!

Now moving on to the romance, I thought they were super cute together. Both Kara and Ben had issues they needed to work through from their past relationships but it just added more depth to their characters. They’re also a great team and have some fun, flirty banter. I always love reading books about small business and this one featured the vet and animal loving side from Kara and the marketing side of Ben which I adored. There was some miscommunication which I didn’t enjoy but overall this book is so cozy and sweet and the perfect book for cat lovers or anyone who adores Christmas.

Both Kara and Ben have been through the ringer, but can a tense encounter and love of cats open them up to new love and experiences?

This was a cute and light hearted romance just in time for the holiday season! This story was filled with fun holiday shenanigans and plenty of cats. Watching these characters grow from their personal trials was so enjoyable. This qualifies as a clean romance in my book with fade to black scenes and lots of sweet moments.

This is a quick read and everything takes place over a matter of weeks. This isn't really insta-love, but everything is on an accelerated time line which I know isn't everyone's cup of tea.

What an UNEXPECTED, DELIGHTFUL, WHOLESOME, JOY this book was! If you would've told me a few months ago that I would read a rom-com about a cat cafe, and would absolutely LOVE it, I probably would have laughed in your face. But here I am saying everyone needs to have this fluffy and adorable book on their radar for the holiday season this year!

- Brief Synopsis -
Kara is a bubbly veterinarian who owns a Cat Cafe called Meow and Furrever just outside of Sacremento with her best friend, Charity. She adores animals, and it is her dream to open a low-cost animal hospital attached to her cat cafe. Due to not creating enough funds, her dream was cut short and so she settles for finding forever homes for lovable cats. However, with more cats than customers, Kara will need a Christmas miracle to keep the doors open on Meow and Furrever.

Ben is a marketing guru who moves to the west coast from the east coast after an unfortunate falling out with his brother. During renovations of his new house, Ben discovers a stowaway kitten in need of some care and a home. Not being a pet guy himself, Ben crosses paths with Kara at her Cat Cafe. She helps him with his kitten situation and he hatches a plan to get the cafe back in the "green" by Christmas,

- My Thoughts -

I know the synopsis might not sound like much, but let me tell you...this book was funny. It was adorable. It had characters with depth. It had great friendships and dynamics between characters. It had a swoon-worthy romance. Like, Ben Reese is literally my dream guy. He is purrrfect. And this book also has the cutest chapter openers.

I loved Kara so much. She was incredibly relatable and I loved spending this book rooting for her. I loved the dynamic between her and Ben. They are polar opposites and, at first, that created a fun and snarky banter between them, but as the ice began to thaw, they really complemented each other so well.

Both Kara and Ben's backstories were so tough and heartbreaking. They both dealt with betrayal from people they loved and trusted. Even though they both struggled with shame from what happened in their past, I loved that neither person judged or pitied the other, but they helped each other find a way forward towards healing and closure.

This also book reminded me of my love for cats. Cats are the best. Suck it, dog people! And I loved that Ben's little kitten clawed its way into Ben's anti-pets heart.

My one issue with the book is that I did not always love or agree with the way conflict was handled, particularly the situation with Ben's brother and family. Even though I think it was dealt with in a commonly human way, it often felt manipulative and it was not pointed out that it was manipulative. I felt like Ben's family was forcing him to heal and move on and forgive his brother, but with the situation at hand, I think that is purely Ben's choice, on his timeline, and cannot be coerced or forced. It's hard when there is a falling out in a family and, ultimately, you want to see reconciliation happen. But you can't manipulate that because the tension makes you uncomfortable.

Aside from that, there is so much goodness in this book. Part of this book is about restoring your hope in humanity when people have hurt you or taken advantage of you, and I love that. I think that is the perfect sort of story to read at Christmastime and I might even reread this book when the holidays roll around this year.

Highly recommend!

This was cute - a quick read for the holiday season that was lively and sweet. The cat descriptions at the top of each chapter was a nice touch. Overall, it didn't rock my world, but it was entertaining enough.

A Cat Cafe Christmas is a sweet and charming holiday read for cat lovers - and if you’re not a cat lover you may be by the end of this book!

This book is a sweet delight. It’s funny, charming and has the perfect villain you’ll love to hate. It also features cats. Lots of cats. We here at Romance by the Book love cats, so we’re happy to see them have a starring role. One note: there is a lot of info dumping of characters' backgrounds in the beginning of the book. It jarred me a bit from the story, but I persevered and I’m so glad I did! This is a perfect book to curl up with during the first snowfall of the season with, make yourself a cup of tea, find your own fur friend to snuggle with, and just enjoy the story. A Cat Cafe Christmas features a feline-motivated meet-cute, two main characters whose hearts have been broken in past relationships, and a cast of friends and family who will keep you smiling.

Ben and Kara are our two main characters. Both are little grumps who have lost the joy of Christmas and don’t trust easily thanks to past relationships. Ben also doesn’t like cats at the beginning of the story. What!?! Kara’s ex is a true villain who I just loved to hate. While this is a sweet and charming love story about two people not looking for love or friendship, it’s also a great story about personal development and the work we also have to do to heal from past traumas.

The crazy cats and their antics really keep the story moving. At the beginning of each chapter there’s a little summary about the cats looking for adoptions which I found utterly charming. I got excited everytime I read one and then saw that cat get adopted and go to its furr-ever home later in the story. Even though I am firmly a one and done cat mama, I was really tempted to contact my local cat cafe to enquire about new furballs after this book.

A cat cafe christmas will put you in a festive mood and may have you swinging by an animal shelter to add a new friend to your family.

This was so cute! I love all the kitties, the cute/quirky real size woman who isn't model perfect or sexy, but wants to be accepted for who she is. I LOVED that this took place in Roseville because I spent every summer in that town as a kid, visiting my cousins and grandparents.

It was relatable, empathetic, and a lot of kitty love to go around. Both MCs have been hurt & are anti-social media but while they didn't get off on the right foot, they can't seem to help being drawn to each other. Its wonderful to see a tentative friendship grow into more in this book.

It is a sweet, cozy romantic comedy that gave me all the warm and fuzzies. It is a cute read that I really enjoyed and can't wait to read more from this author.

I received this as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book gives all the cheesy hallmark vibes! If you're an animal lover, and a grumpy+sunshine fan, then I would recommend this book.

What’s better than a book about cats & Christmas!? NOTHING. The title of this book had me sold right away.

When Kara’s cat café, Meow and Furever, was featured in a trendy magazine, she almost couldn’t handle the buzz. She avoided being in the public’s eye at all costs and despised anything social media after having trouble with the law previously with ex-bf, Worthy.

Then, along came Ben, the man responsible for the magazine ad and the man who single handedly helped bring Kara’s cat café back to life.

When Ben met Kara, he immediately realized her café needed help beyond what Kara was capable of doing on her own. So what did he do? He created an entire website spread, pro bono. He created a fun Catmas business plan for the holiday and wrote an amazing PR piece explaining how Kara overcame the odds to help the community and raise money and that she isn’t a scheming thief like her ex. Keeping in mind, Kara still didn’t want to be in the public’s eye and could care less about social media.

Kara and Ben went quickly from enemies to friends to lovers. Their healbound relationship was amazing - they made a pact to essentially heal each others disastrous dating pasts. All went well until Kara found out about everything Ben did behind her back and essentially cut him out of her life which literally broke my heart. BUT THEN. *cue (MY FAVORITE THING EVER) the airport grand gesture*

This book was amazingly witty and so entertaining! It was so much more than a cat-lovers novel so if you’re not a crazy cat lady (like myself) don’t let the title steer you away. There was family drama, trouble with the law, small business entrepreneurship and so much more! This book truly just made my heart happy and I love a book that can do that.

Huge thank you to @netgalley and @readforeverpub for giving me the opportunity to read this book early. Be on the lookout for it when it comes out TOMORROW 10/04!

This is such a good cozy, comfy and feel good read for the holiday season.

Synopsis: Veterinarian and animal lover Kara opens a Cat Café to find loving homes for cats which is a dream come true but things are not going according to plan. If Kara can’t figure out some way to get the café out of the red, it won’t last past the holidays. Ben - who works in marketing offers a plan to help...but they struggle to get along. Can they set aside their differences? Will feelings change? Only time will tell...

I think if you love animals...especially cats, you will enjoy this book. There were aspects/"drama" that I didn't love but was able to overlook that for the parts that brought me joy haha

Read if you love....
- Cats
- Opposites Attract
- Holiday/Hallmark Vibes

A very cute rom com with a lot of cats! Sweet characters and a fun story. Mostly uncomplicated too. As a cat parent some of the anecdotes rang too true. One gripe is Kara had people filling out applications to adopt and taking home cats the same day. Rescues do home checks and talk to prior vets before releasing animals into the care of strangers.

3.5 Had to down star it though because apparently this is supposed to be a romance novel and it shouldn’t be labeled as such. Could have been the premise of a Hallmark movie. This was a light, fun heartwarming holiday book. I really enjoyed the cats! They all had very distinct personalities, descriptions and were absolutely my favorite part! Chaos sounds like a kitten I need. The plot of saving a new cat cafe and its clever daily specials was unique and fun to read. Starting each chapter with what was probably their rescue Instagram post was an adorable idea.

Kara and Ben went from enemies to friends to lovers but I definitely wouldn’t call this a romance book. It was nice to see their transitions but could have used more of it. I was more invested in the cats and cafe than if they actually ended up together. Their banter was fun though. I really enjoyed their besties and business partners a lot. Charity is a gem and the perfect friend to Kara.