In New York City, a streetwise stray cat simply called Cat keeps watch over a small group of people. Núria, a barista and volunteer stray cat caretaker feeds Cat every day. Reclusive author Collin observes Núria through his window and starts developing feelings for her, and starts to fall in love with Cat, too. Omar, the friendly mailman, Bong, the kind but grieving bodega owner, and Lily, a young girl from Georgia with a secret, also have soft spots for Cat. One day, Cat falls mysteriously ill, and all five strangers step up to care for him—and find the connections among themselves, too.

This is such a sweet story, and the magic lies in five seemingly random strangers finding solace in each other through one precious cat. Each character’s story is charming and heartwarming, and if you’re a cat person like me, Cat will have you hugging your own pets a little tighter.

The writing reminds me of many cat-centric books that I’ve read that have been translated from original Japanese. It’s simplistic and perhaps juvenile, and while it is very sweet, it lacks real emotional depth that I would expect for a book written for an adult audience. This author has previously published middle grade, so that might be where that comes from.

There were also a few times when I was confused with choices to include profanity. Curse words themselves don’t bother me (I talk like a sailor myself), but in a book written with simpler, “quaint” prose, the random f-bombs are totally out of place and unnecessary.

Overall, a sweet read for cat lovers and for readers who enjoy slice-of-life fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an e-ARC! Cat’s People publishes on April 1, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. The publisher offered this to Ms to review early based on my previous reviews. I love animals, but admittedly am a dog person (have never been around cats much). If anything, this book makes me want to be around cats/have one!
There are 5 strangers whose lives become intertwined. Nuria is a barista who feeds the neighborhood stray cats and takes this job very seriously. She starts receiving post it notes from a secret admirer left by the feeling spot of her favorite car, Cat. Collins is a best selling author who keeps to himself. Lily is a newbie to the neighborhood and trying to find her half sister. Omar is the sweet mail person, who looks out for everyone on his route. Bong owns the neighborhood store and feels lonely after the death of his wife. Cat somehow brings all of these strangers together in a really sweet story.

Cat's People
By Tanya Guerrero
Release Date 4.1.2025

Thank you @penguinrandomhouse for the e-ARC of Cat's People. When the publisher sent me this claiming that they recommended it based on other books I have recently enjoyed, I had my doubts. As a non cat person, I was worried that I was not the target audience. I also had concerns of the story turning out cheesy when I heard that Cat had their own POV. This was simply not the case. I enjoyed it very much and the POV worked!

A black stray cat who lives his life in a Brooklyn community spends his days interacting with the same five individuals. None of which seem to have anything in common or know one another. The one thing they do share is a love for Cat. They all refer to Cat by different names but are all positively affected by my home.

I'm a sucker for a found family story especially when it's multigenerational and multicultural. The true kindness of strangers is not a dead art form and makes you feel so good.

This is more than just the story of a cat bringing people together. It's about seeing people as they are, not fitting them into a social norm. Finding oneself and it never being too late for your calling in life. There are also subtle stories of characters experiencing grief and loss. This was a short fast read that will leave you smiling.

Sometimes, you just need a really sweet book to read. My life has been wildly chaotic lately, and this book gave me everything I needed to just recharge and get away from that chaos. This is a lovely book about Cat, a stray black cat in Brooklyn, who manages to bring together a disparate group of people in his neighborhood: Nuria, the barista who feeds him, Collin, the best selling author who is really shy, Omar, the mailman who wants a change in his life, Mrs. Lewis, an eldery widow soon to move in with her daughter in Boston, Bong, the widowed owner of the local bodega, and Lily, who comes to NY to find her sister.

As Cat goes about his day, and comes across each of these people, he changes their lives and brings them together in a way that helps them create a sense of family.

I just loved this sweet book. It was so easy to read, and get into their lives and all because of a single animal. I loved the idea of Cat having his own chapters and being far smarter than anyone gives him credit for.

I feel like we could all use more books like this to bring us balance and a little bit of joy.

"Núria and the Meow-Yorkers" offers a sweet, feel-good story with a charming premise. The cat-centric community aspect is a definite highlight, and the mystery of the secret admirer keeps you turning pages. However, the multiple perspectives sometimes felt a bit rushed, preventing deeper connection with some characters. While the ending is heartwarming, it felt a little predictable. Overall, a pleasant, light read, but not particularly groundbreaking.

4.5 ⭐️

This was truly such a sweet story. I enjoyed this read so much I devoured it in a day! It was lighthearted and entertaining and cozy in all the right ways.

I think my favorite thing was that we got Cat’s perspective as well as all of his human friends. Parts of his story did make me sad (as his story is the reality for a lot of stray city cats) but he had his own reasons for staying outside and enjoying his freedom which did make my empath heart feel better. I loved that he would do things to nudge the characters in the right direction and that he found his way eventually. And his little nicknames for his humans were so stinking cute. I loved the underlying message of “sometimes our cats adopt us, not the other way around”(which I’ve found true with every cat that’s been part of my family).

There was a lot of heart and played on connection between humans and our lives. I loved that each of the characters was connected to each other and also connected to Cat. He brought everyone together and that was beyond sweet! We had a little found family, a little romance, a little friendship, a little career exploration. There truly was a lot in this novel but it never felt overwhelming!

This was easy to read and I really enjoyed the author’s writing style. The pacing was also great, I didn’t feel like it was too slow or too fast. It was the perfect pace for your latest cozy read.

The ending had me in tears (in a good way!) but I do feel it’s important to note Cat doesn’t die (I had a lot of anxiety about this and was thankful someone else posted it so I felt good about reading it).

This story was a feel good, heartwarming, positive ray of sunshine! Perfect for spring time! Even if you aren’t a cat person, any animal lover would adore this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House- Ballentine/Delacorte Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for a complimentary early release copy of Cat’s People by Tanya Guerrero.

Cat’s People was a bit of a slow read for me but I still found the story to be heartfelt and interesting. I enjoyed reading from each of the perspectives in this story especially from cat’s perspective, it was such a unique aspect to read from the cat’s perspective. I liked that we got to see what cat thought about certain characters and how he behaves as a street cat, it was cute to see the little nicknames he has for each character and the little interactions he has with them are adorable.

I enjoyed the romance between Nuria and her mysterious post it note leaver! It was a cute slow burn romance and I was routing for them the entire time. I liked the side story elements it definitely kept the story interesting, I really enjoyed spending my time following these characters, all of their story lines were thought out well and I’m pleased with all of their endings. I’m glad that Cat brought all of these people together, these misfit strangers pair well with each other. Overall this was a wholesome heartfelt story about lonely people and how a stray cat brought them all together! As a side note I would really like to see a footnote or extra page that gives the translations for some of the conversations in here.

This review will be posted on BookwormishMe.com & goodreads.com today.

Call me a cat lady, or an animal lover, but I adored this novel. Told from multiple points of view, the best were the cat’s point of view. There were times Cat literally had me crying. So moving were this little stray’s words. Honestly I loved this one.

Cat is a stray on the streets of Brooklyn. He lives near a hedge where a really nice lady, he calls Rainbow Lady, comes to feed him and talk to him daily. Rainbow Lady is Núria, who volunteers to take care of strays. She has three cats of her own, and her paying job is as a barista. She adores the cats though.

Next door to Cat’s hedge is Collin. Collin is a bestselling author with no ideas for his next book. He sees Núria visit Cat everyday and takes notice of her. She is the bright spot in his life these days even though they’ve never met. There’s also Omar, the mailman who has a smile for everyone, including Cat, who makes the delivery rounds with Omar.

Add in Lily, the checkout girl from the grocery store, and Bong, the owner of the nearby bodega, and you’ve got a group of people who all care about Cat. And vice versa. Cat is very intuitive and brings such a spark of life to these people’s daily lives. He is a very special cat. Somehow his relationships with all of these humans brings the entire story, and this group of random people, together. He gives a story to remember.

Yes, I cried. I cannot remember the last time a book made me actually cry, but this one sure did. Cat’s commentary was the key. His sadness, joy, exuberance, pain, and love were so real. Honestly, if you’re a cat person, or maybe if you even like stories that make you feel good, you will like this one.

Cat's People by Tanya Guerero

I’ll begin with the fact that I am more of a dog person than a cat person. With that said, I’ve been blessed, as an adult, with two dogs and three cats. If you think animals don’t have abundant personalities and individuality, you may as well stop reading here.
I assumed I would be writing a negative review about this book when I started to read it, and boy was I wrong. I loved the darn book. The main protagonist is a cat with many names. Many names for the impact he has on many people.
Cat, a stray, impacts those around her, including a bodega owner, a barista, an award-winning author, a mailman, and a precocious niece.
That is the gist of the book: relationships and how each person showed themselves to a shrewd judge of people, the cat!
If you like animals, not just cats, you really should read this book. It was delightful!
I strongly recommend it.

Cat is a black stray cat, and the story is centered around him. Before I started reading the book, I wasn't sure if I would like the book, but once I started reading it, I loved it. This isn't a spoiler but, the reason I loved it, is the people who became connected over taking care of this stray. I learned so much about each one, and each one had different personalities, problems, jobs, but their common ground was the cat. I saw them grow, learn, change, and how their connections got stronger.
Cat's People is a perfect name for this book, and I really enjoyed it. I received an ARC from Delacorte Press through NetGalley.

This cozy cat book made my heart happy! I am a huge cat lover and found this story to be heartwarming and captivating. It made me smile, laugh and cry tears of happiness. This is my first book where I am reading about the cat’s point of view. I loved every second of it!

Cat’s People is a beautifully written novel that is about a black stray cat that brings completely different strangers together. One person is a mailman, named Omar. The second person is a barista named Nuria. The third person is a grieving guy named Bong. The fourth person is Lily, who works at a grocery store. Lastly, the fifth person is a writer named Colin. The way that this stray cat brings all of them together is a truly beautiful story

I recommend this book to anyone that loves cats and reading a cozy and happy story. I give this novel a 4.75 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to NeGalley, author Tanya Guerrero, Random House Publishing Group, and Ballantine | Delacorte Press for this digital advance reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review of this book.

Cat’s People is set to come out on April 1, 2025! I have published this review on Goodreads, LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram and Fable on March 6, 2025 and I will be publishing my review on Amazon and Barnes and Noble when it is released. If you have any questions or comments about my review, please reach out to me via email at TheConnieFox@gmail.com. Thank you to everyone for reading my review!

I DNF this book, I just couldn’t get into the story. Too slow moving for me. I have tried to read it two different times. Therefore, I will let other reviewers who enjoy this book promote it, so I will not be posting on social media or reviews on retail sites. That way, this book gets much deserved attention from those reviewers who loved it!

A heartwarming, feel-good story about connection, helping others and love. Cat is a stray who brings together five people. I really liked that Cat’s POV is included too.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I gotta tell you guys, Cats People is by far my favourite book of 2025 so far. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into the book but I was invested right away and absolutely loved every page. Fellow cat lovers will swoon over “Cat” and the humans who come into his life. The author did an amazing job nailing the unique personality of a cat and I got a few giggles in while reading “Cats” chapters. The story follows several different people who don’t initially know each other but quickly become connected because of Cat. I was initially a little worried that having 6 main characters would be confusing but the story is written so seamlessly that each chapter flows from one person to the next and you quickly start to see how they will eventually connect. It was a pleasure to read and I’m actually sad it’s over.
Cat has always lived on the streets and gotten used to being alone. Rainbow Lady feeds him every morning and Mailman lets him tag along on his route, bodega man has the sweetest treats and Awkward Neighbor Guy seems just as skittish as he is. He’s always just been happy with what he has but lately it seems like things are looking up for him. All these new people seem scary at first but Cat realises that they just want to help. Núria, Collin,Omar, Bong and Lily all come into each other’s lives at a time they are each going through something. None of them could ever imagine how their lives will change because of a stray Cat.
Funny, smile worthy, even a little tear jerker at times. Loved it!

This is a cute and sweet story. All the human characters are centered around this one cat character. The cat plays an important role in all the humans lives and connecting them. I loved how the Cat was his own character and was central role in the book. It was unique. It was charming. It had found family, romance, and of course the undying love that you can only have for the stray cat you share with complete strangers.

thank you, NetGalley for the e-arc. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

The synopsis of this story dragged me in. It was so unique and so sweet and cute. I absolutely adored it. This book center is around a stray cat, and the five people that he brings us together. I haven’t read anything like this before and every time I think of it, I will smile!

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Be still my heart.

This was the exact book I needed right now-- heartwarming, charming, and so wholesome I think I gained back two years of my life. CAT'S PEOPLE was a really lovely intertwining story, written from six different perspectives but all centering around Cat. An eleven-year old stray, Cat knows his way around the block, and he also know's who he can and can't trust. Becoming a part of his inner circle is difficult, but the five people who have are all important in their own special way; just as they are all important to each other in special ways.

I'm not sure what I was expecting with this story, but all I know is CAT'S PEOPLE exceeded everything I thought it was going to be. It was tender, and loving, and very sweet-- and it was a beautiful reminder (especially in today's times) that each of us has a layered and complex story, and we all deserve love and acceptance (even if it enters our lives in unusual ways).

This was a cozy and warm read that reminded me of how important the need for connection is, whether it be feline or human, communities are so important to building that sense of belonging and connection.
I enjoyed the diversity of characters in this book. I also liked their personalities and characteristics, I was rooting for each and every one of them throughout the book.

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. Simply stated, this book is about people and how the can be brought together by the shared admirable for animals. I very much get this! While very simple in its delivery, this novel provides a low-stress and thoughtful read that is purrrrrfect (had to) for cat lovers everywhere! I really enjoyed this book.

One of those slice-of-life books, centering around the lives of several people cat knows. He's technically feral, but has adopted a number of people and becomes an important part of their lives. Quiet, well-written, nothing surprising.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.