This book was overall, fine. TBH, even as a cat-lover and self-proclaimed cat lady, I felt the cat jokes, euphemisms, and word-play was over the top. Miles and Kitty felt a bit unrealistic as love interests at first, but I grew to root for them and believe in them.

Content warning for dementia, parental and child death. I really think those need to be highlighted because the topics hit hard for a romance.

Thanks to Netgalley, Forever, and Helena Hunting for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I took over a month to write this review. And not because I disliked it by any means. There was some stuff I needed to mull over after my own experiences as a caregiver of someone who had dementia. A topic well covered, honestly.

The romance slides between important to background noise at odd times. Part of that involves constant trauma dumping. Yet I really enjoyed the banter and meet cute. There was some great moments.

Smush together The Kitten Lady and Cat Daddy to describe main protagonist Kitty. Gregarious, cares about clients, knows how to establish individual relationships with various animals. Miles is the opposite, very self-contained and uninterested in niceties as he looks to make a name in the NHL. Trying to make a new position stick.

Had the book stuck to the romance plotline, it would have worked so well. But the constant high stakes near the end was exhausting. Last big kitchen sink moment was just too much. Felt more like a introduction to a later book series character.

Overall, the sheer amount of layers gave this 3.5 stars. Rounded to 3 because the stakes really threw me out along with Mile's personality. Great book for the weekend or travel.

No better way to spend the hours on the road than reading a good book.
This rom-com was cute! Even with the horrible first impression, the connection between Kitty and Miles was adorable. As much as I enjoyed them though, Prince Francis and Wilfred are the real stars! If you are looking for a light romance with some substance, some steam, but without the over-the-top drama/miscommunication, grab this one!
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
I received a free copy from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I jumped at this book because it's Helena Hunting, but even going in with an open mind because I usually like this author, I just couldn't get into it. The cat puns are excessive to the point that they override the plot, flatten the characters, and kill any possibility of romantic chemistry. The counterbalance to this over the top goofiness is a sad parallel plot of serious tragedy that hit close to home. The overall effect was disorienting, I didn't know where this story was trying to go.

🐈🐈🐈🐈/5

This book started with extreme amounts of fun and laughter! And it I might have surprised me and ended with tears. It was both emotionally heartbreaking and also adorably fun!

I LOVED Kitty and Miles individually and their meet cute was both hilarious and adorable. And every subsequent interaction after until they really dived into their “relationship” and tried to let the other in. I absolutely adored these two cool cats!

I enjoyed them connecting over their tragic pasts that they haven’t really shared with anyone before, and the current moments with Miles reliving that past with his mother made me tear up. I also enjoyed watching Kitty overcome her past and grow into this beautiful women who was finally starting to heal and no longer standing in one place due to her grief. Plus her relationship with her mother and her sister was heartfelt and perfect.

If you love cute cats and their wacky names, characters that are opposites of each other, hilarious moments, emotional backstories, characters comforting each other through sickness, kitty puns, silly banter, realistic situations with social media, and a sweet romance…then read this book!!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.
It pains me to give this only 3 stars. I will read anything Helena Hunting writes without knowing what it's about ahead of time, which was the case here. I am a dog person, not AT ALL a cat person, and I almost had to DNF early on. MC is Kitty? Best friend is Kat? And the cat metaphors....ugh. It was total cat-ness for the first 30% of the book. BUT.....it's Helena Hunting! Don't give up! It gets so much better from there. Definitely my least favorite of her books, and yet I still had to read it. That's how much she pulls me in. Be forewarned, this will not be for everyone.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me. The cheese factor and cat puns were for sure, over the top. I also couldn’t get into the male lead. There was something just creepy about the way he acted. The romance was painfully awkward as well and I just didn’t feel the chemistry. Not to mention, there was a healthy dose of repetition about past trauma (as in literally repeating things, not slowly revealing info or coming at it from a different angle) and overly detailed scenes that reached the point of distraction.

This could be cute and quirky for some, but it wasn’t the right book for me.

I would have loved to read the fun, silly, sweet and spicy rom-com described in the synopsis, unfortunately that is not the book I read. 

Instead of being light-hearted, it was grief-laden. Instead of enemies-to-lovers, it was insta-love. It honestly, brought up a lot of painful memories from situations I was not aware would be depicted: loved one with early onset dementia (present), loss of a parent (past), loss of a spouse (past), loss of a sibling (past), loss of a child (past), loss of a pet (past), cyberbullying (present), medical emergency (present). 

There is some fun cat-related humor that would make any animal lover giggle, but A Love Catastrophe is not a romantic comedy. That is a complete disappointment because I was so excited for this release and ecstatic to received an ARC from Netgalley, and thought for sure this would easily be a four or five star read for me─I mean @mycatismybookmark should say it all─but instead of feeling contentment, I'm left feeling rather melancholic.

I liked the premise, and at some points it was cute and sweet enough to make reading it worth it, but sometimes it got too cheesy and “punny” for its own good. So much so that it took me out of it. It’s a nice easy rom com, but don’t ask too much from it.

Purrfection!!! 😻

“A Love Catastrophe” is a hilariously funny and heartfelt grumpy/sunshine romcom featuring fantastic feline companions! As an animal lover I absolutely ate this up! We follow Kitty Hart and Miles Thorn - complete opposites whose lives cross over a saucy sphinx nicknamed “the gremlin“. While on the surface it doesn’t seem like they have much in common with Kitty being a bubbly cat enthusiast and professional cat sitter while Miles is grumpy hockey statistician who loves dogs - but over time they realize that there is more than meets the eye.
Filled with laugh out loud awkwardness, adorable cats, a big goofy dog, heartfelt family, soul searching and swoon worthy romance this book was seriously so much fun and had all the feels! 5/5⭐️🐾

Helena Hunting’s “A Love Catastrophe” hits shelves June 13, 2023!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely amazing read! The characters were believable. I particularly love how it was a romance novel, but the focus was also on the budding realizations and growth of the main characters. The only thing I wished has been dug into a little deeper was Kay’s hesitation about the changes Kitty was making.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were so sweet and the storyline was very well written. Highly recommend if you love animals too.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I’ve been a long time Helena Hunting fan, and this was another fun one from her. It was short and sweet, a great lighthearted romcom between heavier books that I’ve been reading. This one isn’t her *best* but it’s still a cute and funny read. If you’re looking for a light and breezy book, this is a good pick for you!

I definitely enjoyed reading about Kitty, a quirky cat loving kitty whisperer, and her crazy misadventures! She and Miles are a great pair to read about as we experience their relationship. The story was sweet with little climax from start to end. Nothing overly dramatized. It’s a cute, quick read that will fit into the “beach read” category.

Thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I’ve read a few Helena Hunting books so I was excited to have my request for her latest book approved!

In typical rom com / Hallmark channellesque / Chic lit fashion - girl meets boy - girl and boy have conflict - girl and boy start to warm to each other- girl and boy fall in love - this is the plot of the book.

This was a quick and easy read. Grab a copy and head to the beach!

I have absolutely loved Helena Hunting’s work (The Pucked series is a particular favorite, and Kiss My Cupcake in second place!), so I was really looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to the others I mentioned here.

Kitty is a cat sitter turned influencer with a successful following on social media. Mike’s works for a hockey team and needs a cat sitter for his mom’s feisty feline, Prince Francis, while she is hospitalized. Enter Kitty, a.k.a. the Kitty Whisperer. The two have a very awkward initial meeting, but find themselves attracted to one another.

There are cat puns. A LOT of cat puns. I don’t mind some corniness and I love a good, quirky character. But this was too much. The characters came off more weird and awkward than endearingly quirky. I never felt very connected to either main character and the romance seemed kind of forced. Miles and Kitty were both faced with some difficult circumstances, but it just wasn’t ever very moving for me, even though I have similar personal experiences with both scenarios.

In all, I just found the book to be kind of mediocre. It wasn’t terrible, but it’s not my favorite by far. Maybe it just wasn’t for me. I will certainly give Helana another chance—I just don’t think this was her best work. If you don’t like cats, puns, or awkward characters, I would skip this one and choose one of her others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Book Group for allowing me to read and review this ARC. This review is my honest opinion.

Helena Hunting is an author that always gets my attention, and all her books immediately get added to my upcoming releases calendar so I never miss one. When it comes to the books however, I do find her to be quite hit or miss. This one fell firmly in the middle -- it had the quintessential lighthearted rom-com elements that I needed, but ultimately the chemistry between Kitty and Miles was never quite what I needed it to be. Granted, my bar for hockey romances is quite high, but Ms. Hunting herself helped set that bar so high with her Pucked series that when I saw she was writing another hockey romance, it was an immediate add for me. Ultimately, A Love Catastrophe dindn't live up to the greatness of Pucked, but it's still a fun and lighthearted rom com that is the perfect spring or summer read! Especially if you're a cat lover like me. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

This book was absolutely adorable and I highly recommend it, as it is the romcom that you have been craving! I couldn't put it down, and I enjoyed every minute I spent with these characters!

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars
I am a huge fan of Helena Hunting, and I was so excited to read this new novel by her. And it doesn’t disappoint at all. It’s cute, it’s a great escape from real life, and it makes you smile. I would warn that this is not Huntings best work, in my opinion. However, it’s very much worth the read.
Kitty Hart is a cat sitter who has a pretty strong social media following. She’s pretty much obsessed with cats, which is great considering it’s her job—but not going to lie, the cat puns throughout the book were a bit obnoxious.
Miles is in need of a cat sitter for his mom’s cat. His mom is going through early onset dementia, and he’s struggling coming to terms with it, helping his mother, and through the guilt of not noticing the symptoms earlier (this part of the books is beautifully done).
So he arranges Kitty to be the cat sitter for his mom’s cat. It’s instant awkward attraction for both of them (both of them being awkward yet likeable people was super cute), but will Miles dislike for cats, the struggles with his mom, and Kitty’s need to grow and learn from her past keep them from realizing they’re perfect for each other?
I recommend this book to everyone who’s an animal lover, who loves HEA, and likes to giggle while reading. There were times when the awkwardness of both characters made me get second hand embarrassment (which I’m not a big fan of), but all in all this was a very sweet book.

This is a very cutesy, fluffy, cheerful, adorable story. It had a very light, chick-lit vibe, so I think I'm not right audience for it, Helena Hunting' s Pucked series is much more my style, so I will stick to those books in the future.

This one felt just a bit cringy and over the top. If there was a love story, it got lost in all the awkwardness and cat speak. Which I guess it's supposed to be hilarious, but for me it was all too much. And I drew the line when even the hero started talking in cat puns too, pawhlease.

So the story, the characters, the language were not for me. But the writing is fun and it flows easily, there's some interesting themes addressed here and plenty of self-discovery, emotional and personal growth and hopefulness to the story. I don't think there's a real plot, but if you need a light, fun, easy book with lots of LOL moments throughout and a sweet HEA to decompress at the end of the day, this may be a good fit.

***I received an ARC from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. Sorry I couldn't give it more praise :(