Really a super cute book! Cat lovers and romance come together to make this incredible book. A light hearted read.

Cat’s People was a cozy feel good read that brought people from all ages, cultures, and walks of life together via their relationship to a lovable stray black cat named: Cat, Gatito, or Itim depending on the person. Told from the perspective of each person and the cat, the story follows the threads of each character arc as the find the intersections of each being arranged and orchestrated by Cat.

This book was almost so cozy it felt slow paced the first 30% of the way through, but then the story took off and was the perfect amount of cozy and feel good with challenges enough to keep the story moving but not so emotionally intense it veered outside of the bounds of a cozy read. I enjoyed the connections and friendships weaved through each character arc.

I would like to thank Random House and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A very delightful story of a street cat bringing together five people, all of whom need something. Nuria is a street cat feeder for a local humane society. She is bothered by her mother’s over concern. Colin is an introverted author falling for Nuria even though he has only seen her from his apartment window. Bong runs the local bodega and is grieving for his deceased wife. Omar is the mail carrier who longs for a different job. Lily is Nuria’s unknown half-sister. All of them journey toward friendship through Cat.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is a charming tale of different types of people connected by their affection for a stray cat in NYC. I enjoyed the chapters told from the cat's perspective, and his opinions on the strange behaviors of people.

I loved this book. It was a sweet story but dealt with some heavy topics. I loved that part of the story was told through Cat's POV. All of these very different but loving characters were taking care of this stray cat in some way. I love that through Cat they are forged a bond and friendship. However it wasn't a light an fluffy read. It dealt with grief, abandonment, toxic family members, and struggling to find out who or what you want to be. I loved that all of these flawed but loving characters were able to become friends and help one another.

I would highly recommend this book. Even if you don't like cats, you are sure to love Cat.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press for the ARC of this ebook. All opinions expressed are my own.

Cats People by Tanya Guerrero is a heartwarming tale about a stray cat who plays a pivotal role in the lives of the people he interacts with, bringing them together and helping them forge connections they desperately need.

The story is told through alternating points of view, offering insight into the lives of several characters: Nuria, a compassionate barista in her thirties working with Trap/Neuter/Return programs and animal rescues; Collin, a socially anxious, struggling author; Omar, a cheerful mailman unsure of his life’s direction; Bong, a widowed bodega owner deeply grieving his loss; and Lily, a young woman who has come to NYC in search of the half-sister she just discovered she had. And, of course, we also get chapters from the cat’s perspective!

The novel beautifully weaves together these characters’ stories, showing how they find solace and healing through the unexpected connections they form, all thanks to the stray cat who brings them together.

If you’re a cat lover or simply in need of a heartwarming story, Cat’s People is an absolute must-read!

As an animal lover and a regular recipient of gifts from the mysterious cat distribution system, I can confidently say this is one of the best cat-centered stories I’ve ever read. Guerrero weaves together a vibrant cast of characters, each grappling with personal struggles, who take time to show kindness to a stray cat in New York. In turn, that cat gives them something even greater—courage, love, bravery, and the sense of family they didn’t know they needed.

This book is a perfect fit if you love:

Cats: The cat’s personality, humor, and clever perspective make him unforgettable.
Explorations of the human condition: Through slice-of-life moments, the story shows how small acts of kindness can transform lives.
Comforting, feel-good reads: The tone reminds me of translated Japanese fiction, with its subtle yet profound charm and sense of connection.
Cat’s People is a beautiful reminder that even the smallest gestures—like feeding a stray cat—can create ripples of change. For anyone who’s ever been lucky enough to receive a cat from the universe, this story will feel like a warm hug.

A wonderful read from start to finish!

A perfect warm bowl of soup type of book. Cat’s People will make you have faith in people again. It will make you laugh, cry and hug your fur babies very tightly. Guerrero crafts a diverse pallet cleanser of a book that will definitely lift your spirits. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley & Random House- Ballantine for the E-ARC! Really enjoyed this. Fun concept & characters. A very interesting read.

This was a sweet, easy read. I love a story that takes place in New York and I am surprisingly into animal narrators, more so than I thought. Even though the premise was simple - a cat connecting five New Yorkers - it was still fun to be in their world.

A cute, heartwarming book about a cat who brings people together unexpectedly. A little corny and slow at times but overall I enjoyed it

I can honestly declare this is one of the best books I have ever read in my life - I loved every page and would have read it in one sitting if I didn’t have a toddler that needed my attention. I truly cannot string together the words to properly express my deep obsession with this novel.

We follow the POV of 5 strangers and 1 stray cat in present day Brooklyn, NYC. Each stranger has a unique relationship and pull toward this stray cat & eventually they become connected with one another. There’s a lot of satisfying dramatic irony and the cat POV is so perfect - I loved the nicknames the cat had for each human and hearing about his day to day life. Cat has really brilliant perspectives and a terrific sense of humor - he is the best character of course.

Nuria is “Rainbow Lady” my favorite character after the cat - she’s pushing 40 and a VEGAN barista with 3 cats of her own. She faces her own trauma and has paved her own way after going through life being abandoned by her father. Nuria feeds Cat every single day & he saves her life later on in the book!

Bong is “Sad Bodega Man” he is a Filipino bodega owner who recently lost his wife and is dealing with that grief while trying to keep his store running and find joy in day to day life. As a Filipino-American I really was excited for this character. Bong gives Nuria paper plates for her to feed Cat.

Omar is “Cheery Mailman” - the mailman everyone loves !! he has a romantic partner named Carl and loves being a mailman even though he sometimes wonders if he should be doing something else with his life. He always gets creamy treats for Cat at the bodega & has deep conversations with him. He bumps into Nuria one day while hanging with Cat and agrees to take a selfie with her so she can tell her mom she has a boyfriend!! He has such a big heart & makes himself available to Bong after noticing he’s going through a tough time.

Collin is “Awkward Neighbor Guy” - he’s a best selling author but somehow his mom is still disappointed in him. He builds a house for Cat and starts leaving love notes for Nuria to find when she feeds Cat. He starts visiting her at work but is too shy to admit who he is.

Lily is “Bright Pink Person” & Nuria’s long lost sister who moved from Georgia to New York to find Nuria. Nuria befriends Bong at the cemetery when he’s visiting his wife. Lily is too scared to introduce herself to Nuria properly even though she works as a cashier at Nurias grocery store and sees her often.

They all have their own separate relationship with Cat and are mostly strangers to one another until slowly friendships begin to form and eventually they all end up together to help Cat when he needs them the most… Cat had never wanted to be domesticated, he liked being a stray and thought being locked in a home would be a prison to him… but he starts to realize that maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world.. there are people who love him that he can trust.

I would highly recommend this book to cat lovers - and to folks that just enjoy a good heartwarming story of interwoven perspectives and individuals navigating different seasons of life.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! I’d love to read more from Tanya Guerrero in the future!

I loved Cat's People! The concept was automatically interesting to me as someone who loves found family trope and cats. It reiterates the importance of connection-- how we are all seeking to love and be loved. My favorite perspective was Núria's and seeing her growth throughout the novel was really lovely. I thought the middle went somewhat slowly, but picked up at the end!

If you love cats and are looking for a heartwarming story, you can’t go wrong with Cat’s People!

As a lover of animals and a regular recipient of gifts from the cat distribution system, I feel like I know a good cat story when I read one, and this is far and away the best one I’ve found! Guerrero brings together such a fun group of characters, all struggling with something personal, who take time to be kind to a stray cat in New York. In return, that cat brings something they need to them— courage, love, bravery, and a family of sorts.

If you love cats, explorations of the human condition, and slice of life stories, this book is for you. If you need the reminder that small gestures of kindness make a difference, this is for you. If you’ve ever received your own cat from the universe and counted yourself lucky, this is for you. The way Cat’s People is told reminds me of a lot of the translated Japanese fiction I’ve been reading— there’s just something comforting about these reads, and I love them.

Wonderful read from beginning to end!

Thank you NetGalley for sending me a copy of, “Cats People” by Tanya Guerrero! You will not want to miss this book coming April 1st, 2025! Wow—to say I was surprised by this would be an understatement. I was hooked from page one and this is a book with characters that will stick with me. I loved Cat, Núria, Collin, Omar, Bong, and Lily. I was so impressed with how Tanya had us navigate each character and perfectly bring them all together, because of “Cat”! ❤️❤️

Sometimes you just need a sweet, heartwarming, content book to read - and this is it. Five New Yorkers who all share a special bond with a stray cat each get to tell their side of the story in this debut book. Cat even gets chapters which I loved. It wasn't overly sappy and frankly there were some chapters that were downright sad.

I loved how very diverse people each got their say in this book and how Cat really drew them all together. I have to say I am a dog lover - but I still really enjoyed this book - and they do even have a dog make appearances in this book.

Loved the ending of this book too.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tanya Guerrero, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book found me at the perfect time. It is a wholesome, feel good story about a stray cat and the way he brings people together. As a cat lover, I loved reading a book where cats are painted in a positive light. I highly recommend this story of friendship, community and humanity (with a feline thrown in!).

(ARC review)

This was such a heartwarming story and really captures the heart of Brooklyn - sometimes we find community in the most unexpected ways, and in this novel that was through a stray black cat. I loved seeing all of the characters’ individual stories converge as the story unfolded, and would definitely recommend this book it comes out!

Cat's People is about strangers in Brooklyn brought together by a stray cat. The story included six POVs, including the cat. Overall, it was a very cute story, I appreciated the diversity in the characters and their stories, but I did find the writing to be a bit rough, specifically in relation to the cat's POV.

Deciphering what the cat does and does not understand took up more time than it should have while I was reading this story. It seems the cat knows what cabinets are, understands what a kitchen is, but does not know how a doorway works? He also states in one chapter that he does not approach humans, then about three chapters later it states he's doing circles around a woman's legs. Maybe not a huge deal, but it certainly takes me out of the ability to actually envision it as a cat's POV. It's also stated the cat doesn't understand love or money, but he understands the concept of minutes, which simply does not make sense to me. I did enjoy the explanations of why the cat is hiding and how it investigates smells and things, but overall it just did not read like it was actually coming from a cat's perspective.

Again, very cute story. If you are interested in a cute read about a stray cat and some lonely people, it's worth a shot!

This was such a cute, heartwarming story… and was unlike anything I’ve read before. This book is unique in that we get multiple POVs including Cat’s as we learn about his interactions with his people throughout NYC. We learn about each person’s backstory and how their lives interconnect with or without them knowing about it. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing-Ballantine for the eARC.