According to Cat: “People are there to serve cats.” So this is the story of one stray black cat’s people friends. There’s Rainbow Lady (Nuria), Cheery Mailman (Omar), Awkward Neighbor Guy (Collin), Sad Bodega Man (Bong), and Bright Pink Person (Lily). It’s a heartwarming, charming, feel good, slice of life story that sort of reminded me of Fredrik Bachman books (but with a cat instead of a grumpy person at the center). It’s a clever way to unite a story about kind people who also have bittersweet moments.

The central part of the book did lag and the amount of characters takes time to get used to. I think this novel will really appeal to “cozy cat mystery” fans who love the feline series written by Lilian Jackson Braun, Rita Mae Brown, Miranda James, and Laurie Cass. It’s a sweet book. 3.5 stars

Thank you to Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

Cat's People by Tanya Guerrero

The author knows cats. The majority of the cats that have spent the rest of their lives with us once we rescued them, and the cats who are a part of our family now, have been formerly stray cats that needed a home, needed help, or both. Being owned by a cat is a very special experience and being owned by a cat that was stray and very wary is rewarding in so many ways.

We meet a stray black cat who is fortunate to have lived a long life already, which is unusual for an outdoor, homeless cat. He's very street smart, he has to be street smart, because almost anything could lead to his end. But this cat has people who care about him although these people aren't aware of each other...yet.

Through caring for this cat, leaving food and water for him, talking to him, listening to him, spending time with him, and checking on him, these people find various reasons to be in the same vicinity as each other and eventually come together in one way or another. This cat is of an age that street living will not be survival-able for him much longer, it's taken a toll on him. But he has people, he has friends, he has those who love him, and the way all these people and the cat come together is heartwarming and a beacon of hope for each person and their beloved cat.

I'm very picky about reading books with animals in them because I don't want to read about animal abuse or harm. I was able to handle this story and enjoyed it. Seeing lonely, mourning, anxious, isolated people come together and help each other live better lives and seeing the cat be the center of their caring friendships brightens my day. I enjoyed reading and discussing this story with my cat loving friends, DeAnn and Jayme.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did, but the moment I saw it was about a stray black cat bringing lonely people together, I was in. And honestly? It was such a heartwarming, feel-good read.

The story follows five people in Brooklyn who don’t realize how much they need each other. There’s Núria, a barista who loves cats and spends her free time feeding strays; Bong, a bodega owner still grieving his wife; Collin, a writer with anxiety who hasn’t been able to write in ages; Omar, the friendly neighborhood mailman who looks out for everyone but himself; and Lily, a young woman searching for the half-sister she’s never met. And then there’s Cat—the black stray who unknowingly connects them all.

I loved watching their lives slowly intertwine. The alternating perspectives worked really well, and surprisingly, I cared about all five characters equally. (That almost never happens for me in multi-POV books!) Even Cat gets his own chapters, and while I thought his inner monologue was a little too human at times, I still enjoyed his dry, slightly judgmental take on the world.

Not a whole lot happens in this book, but that’s kind of the point. It’s about everyday life—grabbing coffee, running errands, crossing paths with the same people until one day, they become part of your world. It’s a story about small acts of kindness, how caring for a stray cat can lead to unexpected friendships, and how family isn’t always the one you’re born into.

It’s sweet, funny, and just the right amount of emotional. If you’re a cat person, love found family stories, or just want a book that makes you feel warm inside, Cat’s People is definitely worth picking up.

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine.

A very sweet and straightforward book about a rather diverse group of people in Brooklyn, NY and the black street cat they all know and care for. A true "found family" story, we get to know them mostly from the cat's POV - "the Rainbow Lady, Cheery Mailman, Sad Bodega Man, Bright Pink person, Awkward neighbor guy & more - and Cat brings them all together. I really LOVED the ending! Many, many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the widget for an Advance Reader's copy - most grateful & very happy I read this one!

This book speaks to the loneliness that so many people have been suffering from lately. It's about people living in a Brooklyn neighborhood and how a cat brings them together. It's a sweet story, and I read it in a day. The writing went down easy, and the characters were nice to visit.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. This was a cute story. I enjoyed Cat's point of view and I loved how Cat connected all of these people. I cannot give this work a perfect score though because I told myself if anything happened to Cat I'd stop reading. (I was invited to read this book and I never read the synopsis.) Well something happened to the cat but I didn't stop reading, I did finish the book. I'm just saying that the cat didn't need to be as sick as he was diagnosed. The characters are good and somewhat interesting but I feel like there was a lot going on with them and that it could have been a little more focused. 3.5 stars out of 5

Oh my GOD. This was so good. This book follows six perspectives, one of them being Cat (who, like his name suggests, is a cat). I loved Cat being an actual character in this story and getting his perspective. Especially towards the end, it made everything that happens that much more emotionally impactful.

The relationships that form between each character, especially after getting to know them all through their own perspectives? UGH, so good. The only reason this wasn’t a perfect 5 star is it just didn’t give a 5 star feeling, but I could not explain why. I had such a great time with this and think it was done so extraordinarily well.

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the advanced copy!

This book was SO sweet! I loved it so much! As a cat person, I loved the cast of characters who all feed , care for, support and love "Cat". I really enjoyed having each chapter be from a different character's perspective, and I especially enjoyed hearing from Cat's point of view, too! It was so fun how the group of characters all came together and connected, and how Cat touched their lives in different ways that they needed him! Absolutely would recommend for anyone who enjoys a sweet, heartwarming story (and even more to those who love cats!)

What an absolute delight! Cat's People is my first book by Tanya Guerrero, and I am completely captivated. From the very first page, I was drawn into a heartwarming and beautifully written story that tugged at my emotions in all the right ways.

The characters feel so real, and the bond between them—especially with the cats—just melted my heart. Guerrero has a way of making you feel every moment, every joy, and every challenge. I can already tell she’s going to be one of my go-to authors because this book was pure magic!

If you love stories that make you smile, tear up, and leave you feeling all warm inside, Cat's People is a must-read. I can’t wait to dive into more of Tanya Guerrero’s books!

"Cat's People" alternates perspectives between Cat (of course), a beloved neighborhood stray who has conned multiple human friends into feeding him a daily meal; Nuria, a cat-loving barista who spends her free time walking the city as a volunteer to feed a slew of strays; Collin, a best-selling author-turned-homebody who is struggling to pen his next novel; Lily, a young-adult who is new to the city and in search of a half-sister that doesn't know she exists; Omar, the neighborhood mailman who unknowingly cares for all of those around him whilst paying very little attention to his own needs; and, finally, Bong, a bodega-owner who is struggling to get through each day as he grieves the lost of his beloved wife, trying to find reason to go on without her by his side.

This novel slowly pieces together the unexpected connections between each of our six main characters while showing development of their resilience and self-awareness, as well as demonstrating the importance of connection and relationships in our lives. I liked this book straight away and several moments brought tears to my eyes. That being said, it is also more of a "light read". One slight change I would have made was from the Cat's point-of-view - Cat's perspective read as too "human-like" to me, and I felt it would have been more enjoyable or humorous to read from the perspective which I tend to imagine a cat would think, which is less "intelligent" than Cat's perspective in this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for a copy of the ARC in exchange for my honest review! "Cat's People" will be available on Apr 01, 2025.

This was really cute. It felt like a slice of life story told from multiple POVs (one of them being a cat). Each character had their own struggles to face, and I like how their love for Cat brought them all together. Overall just a really wholesome read that’s perfect for cat lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Cat's People
by Tanya Guerrero
I was drawn to this because of the cover, I have an adorable stray named Minx..
This is the story of Cat, a black stray cat that has been on the streets for 11 years, Cat brings five people in the neighborhood who need it the most together.. Such a heartwarming tale I loved it and Cat

Cat’s People is a precious story of caring, connections and camaraderie told largely from a cat’s perspective. As a group of seemingly disparate people meet and bond over a very wise cat, their lives gain meaning and love. An easy, heart-warming read - even if you think you are not a cat person.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine for the opportunity to read this sweet ARC.

This is such a warm, cozy book about finding community and family!

Cat's People definitely reminded me of other cozy Japanese novels (especially the Travelling Cat Chronicles) due to the nature of human lives and a cat's life intertwining. Each of the characters had their own personalities and I did feel quite connected to each of them and able to relate to their struggles and worries. Some of the plotlines did feel a bit rushed to me, I wish we had gotten more time to digest some of the conflicts.

All in all, though, this was such a warm book and I would highly recommend it for anyone (though especially cat people!) who is looking for a comfort read!

A sweet and heartwarming tale of a disparate group of people building the found family they needed so badly. The gimmick that brought them all together was a stray cat that they each interacted with and cared for.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

Tanya Guerrero has written such a wonderful little book about finding one’s family.

The story centers around a black street CAT who has interacted with numerous people in one NYC neighborhood. It is the cat who brings all of the people together in different ways. We start with the lonely barista who champions the cats of the neighborhood. Then to a recluse writer who is looking for someone to share his life. We also meet the friendly mailman who is looking for his life’s purpose. Then there is the widowed Bodega owner and a young woman searching for a sibling.
The author blends each individual voice plus the cat’s thoughts together beautifully. We are able to learn a lot about each character and the satisfaction of seeing them become family because of the cat.

The author’s style reminds me of a cozy Japanese novel. The writing is not overly flowery. It is just sweet, kind, and moves the story gently along.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press for the digital ARC.

A stray cat that goes by many names brings together a group of people and creates a found family in this heartwarming book. Nuria is a self-proclaimed cat lover who takes time to feed the neighborhood cats pays special attention to this hesitant cat who quickly becomes her favorite. She soon finds notes from the reclusive Collin, a best-selling author, who has taken note of her care and love of Cat. These quizzical notes have her conversing with a nameless stranger and making a connection still wondering who is sending them.
This book is told from different perspectives- even Cat’s. He is friends with the mailman, Omar, Lily, who is new in town, and Bong, who owns the local Bodega. Each of these people play and important part in his life. When he becomes ill, this brings them together to help him. This touching book about connections is one you will be thinking about long after you are finished.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

I’m a dog person more than a cat person but I really loved this sweet book. It’s about Cat (he goes by different names) who is a stray cat and five human lives that are intertwined with his. The POV is told from Cat’s as well as the human characters that come across Cat. While the characters could have been fleshed out more- it was still a cute, light book perfect when you need a palate cleanser or uplifting. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine/Delacorte Press for the advanced reader copy.

Are you a cat lover or perhaps curious what life would look like from a cat’s perspective?

Meet Cat - a loveable black stray cat who's seen a lot in his 11 years on the streets of NYC. He’s also met a lot of people like The Rainbow Lady (Nuria) who brings him food every day, Awkward Neighbor Guy (Collin), whose alley Cat lives in, The Cheery Mailman (Omar) who he accompanies on his delivery routes, The Sad Bodega Man (Bong) whose wife used to feed him treats before she died, and Bright-Pink Person (Lily) - Nuria’s sister. They’re all wonderful characters who stole my heart!

The magic of this story is the way Cat brings these five together in the most unexpected ways and how they, in turn, return the kindness to him, each in their own ways. The ending was particularly touching and might just bring a tear to your eye. It’s sweet, charming, heart-warming and a nice dose of kindness and compassion in a time when that type of message seems to be sorely needed!

It’s a slower, slice-of-life type story with fairly simple writing. That’s not a criticism - I only mean that it doesn’t get bogged down by flowery language or overly detailed sentences. It’s told in omniscient 3rd person and is simple and straight to the point, as would seem appropriate since the story is being explained at least in part from a cat’s POV. I’m not surprised to learn that this is Guerrero’s first venture into the adult market coming from a kidlit background.

This isn’t primarily a romance, though there’s a thread of it here. My only minor complaint is that it was a little insta-love for my taste, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment.

If you need a quiet, feel-good book featuring an adorable cat and an eclectic found family - this is a sweet choice. It definitely makes me want to go get another cat! 🐈‍⬛

★★★ ½

As a dog person, I went into this books hoping to enjoy it but definitely not expecting to love it. The premise is unique and well-executed. This book follows Cat, a stray in NYC, and the 5 people who interact with him. I adored each of the characters and their stories. Their stories weave together throughout the book and we watch their lives collide through their own perspective, as well as Cat’s. This story was bittersweet and heartwarming in equal measure. I would have liked a little more resolution for a few of the characters, but that’s understandably difficult to achieve when there are so many. Nonetheless, I highly recommend this read for cat and dog people alike!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC provided in exchange for my honest review!