A black stray cat is the glue that brings five very different people together:

😻Núria aka Rainbow Lady is a catloving barista with three cats of her own. She spends her spare time looking out for the stray cats in the neighborhood.
😻Collin aka Awkward Neighbor Guy has a secret crush on Núria and Cat plays Cupid. This guy even puts a special cat house outside his brownstone to provide shelter. I especially enjoyed the notes Collin and Núria exchanged on the street where Cat got his food.
😻Pong aka Sad Bodega Man is a widower after Conchita, the love of his life, dies unexpectedly. His bodega is a daily stop for Cat and his friends.
😻Omar aka Cheery Mailman has a shadow for part of his route. Cat accompanies him to the bodega and loves the creamy treats available there. This guy needs a career change. Will hanging out with Cat and his neighbors bring some answers?
😻Lily aka Bright-Pink Person has come to NYC on a mission to find her half-sister. Will Cat be a part of the search?

At times this one moved a bit too slowly for me and there were some extra characters we could have done without. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

I was sent an advanced digital copy for review, this is my own opinion. Thanks to Random House - Ballantine | Delacorte Press for the arc!

Content warnings for the book: attempted assault, previous death of a spouse, previous death of a parent, parent/spouse abandoning their family, homophobia by a parent (vaguely worded email?), and pet injury/illness. If you want to know about the illness, I’ll talk more below. If not, don’t read below the stars.

When I was little, one of my favorite books was The Cat With Two homes, and this sounded like a grown up version of that, so naturally it’s intrigued. The cat with two homes goes to a different house for each meal? And the different families feed him and eventually meet because of the cat. Well, this is essentially what happens with Cat. And I love this for me. It was very nostalgic, despite being unlike anything I’ve ever read. I was hesitant starting it because of this, but after finding the flow of the story, I couldn’t put it down. I cried from about 80% onward.

It’s so interesting to see how peoples lives intertwine, and having all these people meet to become a found family through a cat is such a nice touch. I’m not sure what genre to put this in, but if you like reading about the connections people make and forming found families, and most especially, cats, this one is for you.





***
I’m going to mention the cat’s illness and its outcome here so if that is something you don’t want spoiled, look away.






***
Cat is a ten year old stray, and after his run in with the guy on the street he becomes lethargic and ill. It takes a weirdly long time for anyone to notice, but I guess he IS a stray. Anyway, they take him to the vet and find out he has feline kidney disease. He is alive and well at the end of the story.

This was so unbelievably sweet! I love love loved the found family element and love the reason they all found one another.
Pick this up when you need a dose of sweetness to brighten your day!

Cat’s People by Tanya Guerrero was such a cozy, feel-good read that left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. As an animal lover, I couldn’t get enough of the parts from the cat’s perspective. They were so touching and surprisingly insightful. The whole book has this laid-back, slice-of-life vibe that made it so easy to just sink into. I loved how all the different characters' lives came together so naturally, drawn in by their shared love and care for Cat.

The characters are warm and inviting, and it’s impossible not to root for them. Watching their stories weave together was a joy, and the little side plots all fit so well, adding to the whole experience instead of feeling like distractions. It’s the kind of book you reach for when you want something comforting and uplifting.

The ending was sweet and satisfying. It left me smiling long after I finished the last page. Tanya Guerrero has put together such a cozy, low-stakes story that’s all about connection, kindness, and the little moments that make life beautiful.

I absolutely recommend this one to anyone looking for a soothing, heartwarming read. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you love cats, read this book. If you love cats and socially awkward people, read this book. If you love cats and meet cutes, read this book. Cat, who goes by a variety of names that depend on who is doing his feeding at that specific time, brings a great cast of characters together. Sweet and easy read, with some angst along the way, I loved this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press/Penguin for the digital complementary ARC. This review is my own opinion.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press for this arc.

I'm a cat person and so I was happy to get a chance to read this arc. I should have loved this book but this isn't working for me. Another reviewer described it as bland and that is the perfect word choice. I see that the author's previous books are all middle grade and that is mainly what the book feels like but since all of the human characters are adults, the tone just feels wrong. The writing is too simplistic and the story is boring. I'm not interested in any of these characters or surprisingly in Cat either. The fact that Cat has multiple chapters from his POV feels weird, too. A cat can tell the difference in color shades enough to know that a room in Colin's townhouse is painted navy blue? Nope. I know this is a feel-good, heartwarming story but it's not for me.

First, thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a heartwarming and cozy story that revolves around five people living in Brooklyn who all have one thing in common-their love for Cat. And this story is definitely for anyone who has ever been fortunate enough to love and be loved by a cat. The characters were lovable and easy to understand, diverse, and each had their own unique challenges to conquer. Of course, it takes place in magical Brooklyn, New York, which is always a good time. Was it the best book ever written or the most life changing book I've read? No. But its themes of forgiveness (of others and of the self) and perseverance (all tied together by the little love bow that is Cat!) will find its audience. It may also cause random bouts of wanting to squeeze and kiss your own cat in the middle of reading, and for that, I am thankful.

This is the book I’m buying for all my family and friends who love cats. Real world problems can surely be solved by a cat. Community = cat.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cozy little hug of a book, even if it didn’t totally blow me away. Cat’s People has big indie-film energy—quirky, soft, and all about those quiet, serendipitous moments that bring people together. I loved the found family vibes and how Cat (yes, the cat) felt like the heart of the story, but I wished we’d gone a bit deeper into some of the characters’ arcs. It was a sweet, feel-good read that made me smile and crave a cup of coffee from a little neighborhood café, but it didn’t quite leave a pawprint on my soul the way I hoped it would. Still, 10/10 for wholesome cat magic and unexpected friendships.

3.5 stars

This was cute and an interesting concept. I really enjoyed getting not only all 5 people's POVs but also Cat's POV. I liked seeing how all of these strangers in the beginning became connected through the story and how Cat was involved. The romance part was cute. Sometimes the dialogue was a bit stilted or awkward and I do think some plot points could have used just a little more digging into but otherwise it was a quick little fun read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

A cute story about a black cat named Cat and his favorite people coming together.
Multiple POVs including Cat’s! New friendships, found family, figuring out what home really means.

For all those lovers of cats 🐈‍⬛ out there, this story is for you. It’s a sweet story about a stray black cat, Cat, who has survived the streets of Brooklyn with the help of different kind, generous individuals. These are his people. And he is one special cat. Told through the POVs of each of the different characters (including Cat’s!) - their lives start to collide and new friendships are made. People going outside of their comfort zones, facing uncomfortable new changes, moving forward from the past that lingers, facing fears, and putting your fate in the paws of Cat! (Kind of not really). This cute book is the perfect easy read as we jump into spring!!

Thank you @netgalley and #randomhousepublishinggroupballantine for #ARC of #catspeople by #tanyaguerrero

I cannot tell a lie! This adorable cover drew me in...

"Cat's People" is a story about a black cat stray bringing five struggling and lonely strangers together in a Brooklyn neighborhood:
* Núria - a barista who feed strays cats
* Collin - an author with writer's block
* Lily - a high school grad looking for her half-sister
* Omar - a mailman looking for a change
* Bong - a bodega owner grieving his late wife

Perhaps black cats can bring good luck, too...🐈‍⬛

"Cat's People" is told in a third-person multi-POV narrative via alternating chapters from the perspective of Cat and the five strangers. It is a great way to experience the story, and I appreciate the humor added to Cat's narrative. I'm guessing the audio format will be a big hit.

I was not surprised to discover that Guerrero is a published Middle-Grade author. The writing and story are simple and uncomplicated, and if the various swear words were removed, this could easily be for a much younger audience. However, this delightful, feel-good, easy-to-read story was just what I needed at the moment. I expected a bit more from the ending, but that is only my preference.

I am more of a dog than a cat person, but I am smitten with my daughter's two black and white magpie cats, Izzie and Gwinnie. My daughter calls me "Grammiecat," and I hold this endearment close to my heart.❤️

"Cat's People" is a fun, creative, and heartwarming story. Congrats to Tanya Guerrero on what I am sure will be a successful debut adult novel!

3.75⭐

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press and Tanya Guerrero for the DRC through NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I’m writing this review some time after having read the book and I find that I cannot remember anything significant about it.

I remember it being an okay read but nothing special.

Five strangers living in NYC, “Awkward Neighbor Guy” (Collin), Cheery Mailman (Omar), Rainbow Lady (Núria), Sad Bodega Man (Bong) and Lily (Bright-Pink Person) all have one thing in common, Cat. Cat (Cat, Gatito, or Itim… depends who’s asking), is a neighborhood stray black cat. Cat’s People tells the story of how their interactions with Cat bring them together, forging connections.

Everyone is going through it. Collin is working through social anxiety, Núria is lonely, Bong is recently widowed, Omar has some career decisions to consider, and Lily has some family stuff she’s working through. The common denominator is their feline friend, Cat, who loves them from a safe distance. He’s a stray, after all. Because of their love for cat, the lives of these strangers become intertwined. As these strangers cross paths, friendships form, and hope is on the horizon.

The themes and details in Cat’s People made me feel connected to the characters in ways that I can’t explain. The themes that our main characters go through are all so relatable. The little details such as Rainbow Lady’s Catalan name, or the description of certain things, like a shift dress I was talking about 5 minutes before with my spouse, helped me relate to the book on a random level… learning about Catalan culture on a trip to Barcelona, and recently shopping for a shift dress. While my connections are seemingly random, those details made me see myself in Cat’s circle.

Cat’s People was surprisingly deep, and nothing like anything else I’ve ever read. I loved it.

This was absolutely one of the most heartwarming books. I have read in a very long time. It’s the story of cat, the little black stray, cat, and all of the people who are in his life. Each of the five characters has such a sweet connection to this little stray cat. It was just so refreshing to read and to think about the effects we have on the animals in our world. Highly recommend.

I loved this book!

A stray cat named "Cat" and 5 strangers come together over a summer in this novel about love, family, and connection.

Núria is a single-by-choice barista and member of the Meow-Yorkers, a group that takes care of the neighborhood stray cats. Collin is a best-selling author, self-professed hermit, and lover of coffee. Lily is a Georgia native who is fresh out of high school and has moved to New York to find her long-lost sister. Omar is the beloved neighborhood mailman. Bong is a grieving widower who owns the neighborhood bodega. "Cat" is a curious and observant stray black cat.

While volunteering one day, Núria starts finding Post-It notes left by an admirer at the place where she feeds her favorite stray, "Cat". She responds and the notes continue back and forth, with a little more information given in each answer. Are they from Collin, Lily, Omar, or Bong? Of course, "Cat" knows who is leaving them.

When "Cat" falls ill, the five strangers bond together, and the desire to save him creates chance encounters that lead to love, friendship, and family.

If i had to describe this book in one word, i would say 'Delightful'. Because that is exactly what this book was! I loved the POV of cat. I find it fun and refreshing to see from a cat't POV

🦇 Cat's People Book Review 🦇

❓ Do you have any pets? What are their names?

🦇 Cat is a curious, observant stray feline who spends his days among five New Yorkers:
Núria, a single-by-choice barista who takes care of strays
Collin, a bestselling author and self-professed hermit who needs a little love in his life
Lily, a fresh-out-of-high school Georgia native searching for her long-lost half-sister
Omar, the beloved neighborhood mailman going through an early midlife crisis
Bong, the grieving widower who owns Núria’s favorite bodega
When Cat suddenly falls ill, these five strangers bond over their desire to care for him and discover that chance encounters can lead to the meaningful connections they’ve all been searching for.

💜 What a heartwarming story. Let's break it down:

✨ Characters (4/5): Each character is at an interesting crossroads; keeping a secret, struggling with grief, feeling stuck in their career. While this unites them in an unseen way, so does Cat. Each human's story was rich and well-written, but it's Cat's story, how he connects them, that makes this book special. There aren't a lot of books out there that switch to an animal's POV so much, but instead of feeling awkward or unrealistic, Cat's perspective is the glue holding the story (and his humans) together. This is, above all else, a found family story about connection, community, and possibility.

✨ Plot and Pacing (3/5): The pacing wavers from time to time, slowing the story. With an ensemble cast and multiple POVs, it's sometimes difficult to find balance.

✨ World-Building (3/5): Though the story is set in New York (which has its own, unique culture that can drastically change each time you turn a street corner), I didn't feel it much. There's so much tell in this story, but we're shown very little of the setting; a setting that should have a dramatic impact on Cat.

✨ Romance (3/5): The story's romantic subplot was cute, but the execution is a bit awkward. As much as I adore Collin's lack of people skills, the pseudo-stalking is a bit much. The letters he exchanges with Núria are sweet and show us his emotional depth, but I didn't really feel the intensity of the moment when they realize the other's identity (namely, the last coffeehouse scene). Same with the reveal between Núria and Lily; the emotional impact is missing. The one scene that DOES carry emotional weight is at the animal clinic, when the five humans come together to worry over Cat.

✨ Mystery/Suspense (2/5): I would have held off on revealing Lily's secret to the audience a LITTLE longer, if only to build tension.

✨ Tone/Prose (2/5): The prose is stilted and lackluster; all tell over show. Sometimes, that causes the pacing to drag. Unfortunately, I don't have any annotations for this book; a rare thing.

🦇 Recommended to all animal and cat lovers!

✨ The Vibes ✨
🐈‍⬛ Multi POV
🐈‍⬛ Secret Crush/Love Letters
🐈‍⬛ Uplifting Stories
🐈‍⬛ Found Family
🐈‍⬛ Cats!

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #CatsPeople

Cat was a stray who had lived his life on the street. Rainbow Lady, Cheery Mailman, Sad Bodega Man, Awkward Neighbor Guy - these were his people, and this the story of how he brought them all together.

I am a sap who loves stories about connection and found family, and those were two elements that were done so well in Cat's People. Guerrero assembled a fantastic group of characters and connected them to each other via Cat. It's amazing the way people can be part of our world but never part of lives though our paths intersect often. All these people inhabited the same Brooklyn neighborhood, but it took Cat to bring them together.

"Those were the sounds of his favorite people. As long as he could hear them, he was safe."

Each character as at a crossroads in their life (including Cat). One was dealing with grief, one with a stalled life, one with big career decisions, and others with discovering a secret. The beauty of it was how each person found strength and clarity with the support of each other. They were able to make those changes, take those chances, and make those choices because they had each other.

"he realized that home wasn't necessarily a place. Home could be people too. As long as he was with them, he would be all right. Cat finally found a home to call his own."

Not only was Cat's People a heartwarming tale, but it spoke to the power of community and connection. Overall, it was a pleasure meeting Cat's People, and I am left with so much hope and happiness for them all.Cat was a stray who had lived his life on the streets. Rainbow Lady, Cheery Mailman, Sad Bodega Man, Awkward Neighbor Guy - these were his people, and this is the story of how he brought them all together.

I am a sap who loves tales about connection and found family, and those were two elements that were done so well in Cat's People. Guerrero assembled a fantastic group of characters and connected them to each other via Cat. It's amazing the way people can be part of our world but never part of lives though our paths may often intersect. All these people inhabited the same Brooklyn neighborhood, but it took Cat to bring them together.

"Those were the sounds of his favorite people. As long as he could hear them, he was safe."

Each character was at a crossroads in their life (including Cat). One was dealing with grief, one with a stalled life, one with big career decisions, and others with discovering a secret. The beauty of it was how each person found strength and clarity with the support of each other. They were able to make those changes, take those chances, and make those choices because they had one another.

There is something about a non-human point of view that adds a little extra, too. Cat was old and wise. He experienced a lot during his eleven years, many losses and kindnesses. His observations of his people were keen, and I loved seeing him warm to this group as his trust in them grew.

"he realized that home wasn't necessarily a place. Home could be people too. As long as he was with them, he would be all right. Cat finally found a home to call his own."

Not only was Cat's People a heartwarming tale, but it spoke to the power of community and connection. Overall, it was a pleasure meeting Cat's People, and I am left with so much hope and happiness for them all.

"A stray cat brings together five strangers over the course of one fateful summer in this heartwarming novel about love, found family, and the power of connection.

Núria, a single-by-choice barista with a little resentment for the "crazy cat lady" label, is a member of The Meow-Yorkers, a group in Brooklyn who takes care of the neighborhood's stray cats. On her volunteering days, she starts finding Post-it notes left by a secret admirer in an area where her feeds her favorite stray - a black cat named Cat. Like most felines, he is both curious and observant, so of course he knows who the notes are from.

Núria, however, is clueless.

Are the notes from Collin, a bestselling author and self-professed hermit with a weakness for good coffee? Are they from Lily, a fresh-out-of-high school Georgia native searching for her long-lost half sister? Are they from Omar, the beloved neighborhood mailman going through an early midlife crisis? Or are they from Bong, the grieving widower who owns Núria's favorite bodega?

When Cat suddenly falls ill, these five strangers find themselves bonding together in their desire to care for him, and discover that chance encounters can lead to the meaningful connections they've all been searching for."

Cats are what will unite us all.