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

Centered around the survival of an adorable cat café, this was one of my most anticipated holiday romances of the year. Seeing each chapter beginning with a brief bio of a Meow and Furrever resident, I opened my book with the biggest smile. It was an adorable addition!

Veterinarian Kara Ingalls has dreams of expanding her café to accommodate an animal hospital. But if the business doesn't attract more customers, it may not make it past the holiday season. Ben Reese, employee of Kilburn Marketing, to the rescue!

Thanks to an adorably naughty kitten, the awkward meet-cute between Kara and Ben begins to flourish into more. A bit socially awkward, I really liked Kara. Although I didn't quite feel the romantic tension between them, the banter between her and Ben had some funny moments!

But my main issue was the conflict involving the ex-boyfriend. With drama looming throughout the story, I was really surprised to see the resolution completely fizzle towards the end. I was left with a feeling of "that's it?". It's definitely a lighthearted read, but overall I was underwhelmed.

I have to start off by saying that I'm not a cat person, but I absolutely fell in love with the cats in this story. Learning about their personalities and their quirks. It almost made me want to run to my nearest animal shelter to check out the cats. But to the story...

A Cat Cafe Christmas follows the story of our two main protagonists: Kara and Ben. Kara is a veterinary who got her heart broken by a scammer ex-partner, who ruined her reputation. In order to escape her past, she decides to open a Cat Cafe with her best friend, Charity. Ben, on the other hand, is a digital marketing expert, whose brother just stole his fiancé, so he moves to California to start over. Kara and Ben have a not so great first meeting, but over time feelings emerge, and what should be considered a "rebound" becomes a "heal bound," and maybe even something more....

I thought this was cute, funny and delightful read. I really enjoyed getting to know Kara, Ben and all of their friends. The unique setting of the Cat Cafe had you falling in love with every customer as they walked through the door, and the incorporation of social media was done really well.

The banter between Kara and Ben made me smile more than once. It was refreshing to see how a relationship can slowly develop over time. This is such a fun read for the holiday season and will truly put you in the festive spirit, especially if you believe in Christmas miracles. I love that characters were flawed individuals, but not flawed to the point where they were unenjoyable.

I did think the ending dragged a little bit, but I will definitely picking this book up to add to my holiday collection shelf.

If you are looking for a fun holiday romance with interesting characters and lovable cats than this could be the book for you. Kara with her friend Charity is trying to make their café which also is for adopting cats a success. She runs into Ben who has decided to publicize the café as part of his new job. Cara at first is not happy with Ben but decides to give his ideas a chance in order to make her venture successful.

Of course as they get to know each other Ben and Kara start to become close and head towards a relationship. But both Ben and Kara have baggage in their past that they need to confront in order to move forward. Ben moved across the country to get away from heartbreak but it also affected his relationship with his family. Cara is trying to move forward after her reputation was ruined because of an ex-boyfriend.

It’s really a fun book with fantastic characters and cats. The foster cat that Kara convinced Bento take has a role in the story as well it also does lead up to the holidays in the book and all in all I think it’s a perfect Holiday romance.

his one was cute. It gave me all the feel-good Hallmark vibes.
I loved the dual POV, and I thought the little cat bios and illustrations at the start of each chapter were such a fun attention to detail. And that cover? So stinking cute.

What I would change: I would have loved a little more on the relationship side for Ben and Kara to make it feel more believable. They went from barely tolerating each other to dating so quickly! The transition lost me. I also wanted more development of the side characters. They could have rounded out the story a little better if they were a little more dynamic. Also (and this is nit picking) Kara’s ex fiancé’s nickname was Worthy and it just made me cringe every time I read it. I

4.5 stars

This book was a delight! Fade-to-black, enemies-to-lovers, CATS, anxiety rep and Christmas. I read it in one sitting and laughed & got teary-eyed.

I'll be looking for more books by this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Forever (Grand Central Publishing)!

Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. Will recommend it to everyone I know!

I don't love to come in here with an unpopular opinion, but this just didn't quite work for me. Maybe it was the premise, maybe it was the second chance vibes. I'm not quite a second chance romance girlie at this point.

The kitties, Ben, Kara, Schwartz, I loved this one.

This is a romance, but it’s also about friendship and family. And, of course, kitties.

This was just what I wanted to read, without knowing it, during a rainy cool early September weekend. Wonderfully cozy.

A Cat Cafe Christmas by Codi Gary follows two main characters Kara and Ben. Kara is a co-owner of a cat cafe that she wishes will eventually expand to having a low-cost veterinary clinic. Ben works at a marketing firm tasked with revitalizing the town for Christmas time, including increasing exposure for the cat cafe. That would be all fine and good, except Kara is trying to stay out of the spotlight after her previous relationship led to a nationwide scandal and her being deemed the "Grinch's Bride."

I wanted so much to love this story. Cats? Yes please. Christmas? Bring on all the coziness! But, unfortunately this one fell flat for me.

There were a few situations that occurred that I genuinely thought would never happen. For example, after meeting the man maybe 2 times, one of which was not pleasant, Kara's business partner brings Ben to Kara's house and then Kara decides to allow the man into her house that day and allows him to be alone in her house while she is at work on another day that week to fix her plumbing. What? I would be furious at my friend if she brought a strange man to my home without asking me first. You have no idea who this guy is! Her excuse was he didn't give off "creepy man vibes." Neither did Ted Bundy and look how that turned out! I just think this was unrealistic, especially for a character who has anxiety and trust issues and particularly since her ex-boyfriend stole personal information off of her laptop when left alone with it.

At times I honestly felt there was more chemistry between Ben and his best friend Schwartz than Ben and Kara, which doesn't bode well for the romance. The dialogue in some scenarios was also awkward, which led to me not being able to really connect with the characters and their struggles.

I loved the little portraits and descriptions of the cats at the beginning of each chapter, and I wish some of those cats were a larger part of the story throughout.

Overall, I loved the idea of this one, but it fell short on execution for me. It seems like it's a 5 star for many others so perhaps this is a me thing and not a book thing! If you're looking for an easy, quick holiday read, I still say give it a try!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever, Grand Central Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. It was cute and gives you the warm and fuzzies while you’re reading it. It’s perfect for any cat lover. You just want to grab a coffee, a cat and snuggle up in front of a fire place and read.
The characters are so loveable and relatable. I did not want this book to end.

Kara and her best friend Charity open a car cafe. Charity makes the desserts and Kara is a veterinarian in charge of intakes. Their dream is to also open a low income vet clinic in the back of the cafe however the run out of money. Enter Ben, the marketing guru and cat hater!
As can be expected, Kara and Ben bump heads especially when Ben wants Kara to ramp up her social media presence, but Kara has her own reasons for wanting to keep her face away from the media.
Can Kara and Ben work together and get the clinic open and keep the cafe up and running, guess you better pick up the book on October 4th and find out 🐱

I’m a huge cat lover so I was really excited to read this. This was such a cute Christmas read - I loved the cats, the characters and the setting. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

(4.5/5)

This book is a dual POV grumpy x grumpy romance novel that is purrfect (sorry I'll see myself out) for people looking to read about cats, christmas, romance, healing, and forgiveness all wrapped into one. It was like a hallmark movie wrapped into a book, but with the addition of cats and I absolutely loved it!

Synopsis: Kara and her best friend Charity open up a cat café x low-cost veterinarian clinic that is initially struggling to succeed due to Kara's (reasonably) distain of social media. Enter grumpy mmc (male main character) Ben who after an awkward encounter with Kara, finds a kitten in his house. unsure what to do with it he brings it to her and because of space problems he ends up fostering the cat for awhile. Consequently, he and Kara spend a lot of time together and the drama is their past traumas from previous relationships surfacing.

I truly adored this book, in many ways I feel like it was written for me - an anxiety and ADHD ridden cat lover and in a lot of ways I really loved Kara and her personality. Her care for animals hit home for me because I know when people let you down - to this animal (a pet) you are their everything. There's a lot of warm satisfaction in that and especially knowing that a cat has chosen you as their 'human' (because it is a two way street). Even Ben, his personality really warmed up to me and you can tell he is a good individual, the kind of person who doesn't do things for attention, but because it is right. Him and Kara are absolutely soulmates and their every interaction was so sweet and the way he supported her endeavours and business was very sweet. A truth about love that we often neglect is that sometimes love is the comfort of finding another person and having the ability to call them your home.

This story is more than just a romance novel though. I left it feeling a sense of contentment because it acknowledges the messy nature of healing and how past trauma's can resurface (quite literally,) the importance of friendships that can ground you, the importance of forgiveness on your own terms, and the importance of kindness and how easy it is to change someone's (or a cat's) entire life with an act of kindness. Additionally, it's about perseverance and the ability to face your fears and not let your past trauma dictate your future, which was something that resonated a lot with me.

Also each chapter starts with a photo and description of a cat and those were really fun to read. There is actually a cat cafe in my city and I've been too many times to count. Now when I go there though I will definitely remember this book and the warm feeling it left me with.

If this was a tv show/movie I just know it would be a hit! I think if anyone has watched or read dash and lily, this book gives those vibes of a cute Christmas love story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and Codi Gary for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review!