This is such a cute and heartwarming book about a community coming together to take care of a stray cat named Cat. It is a simplified story that captured my heart through several POVs and had me tearing up. Cats are dear to my heart. Growing up we had cats and cared for neighborhood strays. My heart feels sadness for all the ones that do not have compassionate families to love.
We do not have a cat now after the last one disappeared, but I miss the sweet purrs, sassy temperament and leg rubs for attention and approval.
Five strangers come together in their everyday lives in Brooklyn, NY due to a cat's needs and with his own personality and POV he joins the group, and has a name for each character.
Nuria, a barista and dubbed the "crazy cat lady" brings Cat food daily, but to him she is "Rainbow Lady"; Collin, an author and hermit leaves love notes to attract Nuria after visiting her coffee shop, but to Cat he is known as "awkward neighbor guy" bordering his alley; Bong, who has lost his wife that used to feed him, is known to him as "Sad Bodega man"; Omar, the mailman, known as "cheery mailman"; Lily, Nuria's sister, is known as "bright pink person".
This is a sweet, comforting story with emotion and warmth. Those of you who love cats will adore this one. Just maybe the ones who are not cat lovers will appreciate the author's creativity and find it inspiring to take care of a stray.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Cats People is story about perfectly imperfect people and how a wonderful cat brings them all together. This was an incredibly sweet, funny, and charming story centered around a cat. If you’re a cat person I think you’ll enjoy this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Between 3 and 4 stars.

This was a fine book, but if I had to compare it a heartbeat monitor, the plot is mostly flat with maybe two or three small peaks. It’s low stakes, mostly comforting, but also a bit uneventful.

In New York City, Cat (known by many names depending on who’s referring to him) is a stray black cat who spends his days looking for food and observing the people who live or work around his territory. Núria is a thirty-something barista who cares for stray cats and whose mother wants her to get a husband or a better handle on her life. Omar is the cheery mailman who feels unfulfilled by his job but not really sure what he wants to do. Collin is a bestselling author suffering from writer’s block and social anxiety but is crushing on Núria. Bong is a local bodega owner grieving the recent death of his wife. And Lily is a girl from Georgia who’s come to the city looking for her half-sister who doesn’t know she exists. With Cat bringing them together, connections (some complicated) start to form between this group of people.

So I guess it’s an ensemble cast and every person has a problem they have to get through. It is reminiscent of the recently translated comfort reads from Japan and Korea, with cats, but without any speculative elements. Maybe this book wasn’t quite for me. The characters were all normal people with normal, relatable problems, and nothing that dramatic ever happened, except for one attempted SA that felt very out of place in this otherwise comforting book. I feel like they could have thought of something else to replace this incident if they tried, and it really took away from the warm, gentle vibes of this book.

The writing was fine, and it might just be me, but I could kind of tell that this writer wrote mostly for children before this book; there was something about it that felt like it tried to make sure things were explained clearly, without letting readers make their own conclusion or giving as much introspection as I would have liked. The romance had vibes of an early 2000s romcom, and I really do think this book’s best audience are cat-loving millennials who have lived in the big city.

The chapters from Cat’s pov were maybe the highlight, a bit reminiscent of Remarkably Bright Creatures, but I don’t think it quite balanced making Cat realistically a cat while making sure the human audience understands what he’s talking about and his emotions. It just felt weird reading how Cat swallowed a lump in his throat (do cats do that?) or is aware what a thigh or mailman or a potential assault is, but then also acted like a cat.

The chapters were short and the writing was very readable, and I think the connections between the people and how Cat brought them together was well done. But it is mostly low stakes and pretty flat in terms of plot, so I think it might not be for everyone. I really do think cat-loving millennials would like this.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Even though I am decidedly not a cat person, this was a cute book featuring a cat very heavily. The cat is even one of the character's telling the story. This was a creative way to intertwine people's stories and that made it enjoyable.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

This follows the life of a stray black cat in New York and the lives he impacts.

There are six different POVs which surprised me. I was expecting this book to be strictly from the POV of the cat, I don’t know why, but I did. And it turned into a sweet story.

As a huge cat lover, I of course loved this book. The cat’s reaction to people and distrust is understandable after what Cat had gone through in the past. The Cat had street smarts and even kind of “spoke” like a human 😂

I loved how a CAT brought people together. I don’t think cats get enough attention. They’re such amazing animals and I love that a cat brought these people together, a bunch of random people who became friends, found family and even found love and romance. It was sweet and even had realistic issues between the humans that could be relatable.

It would have been neat if this was similar to The Art of Racing in the Rain that follows the POV of a dog, rather than have human POVs, but that’s just made this a more unique story.

If you’re a cat lover, then read this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love a found family, and this one was a super cute story! I’m notoriously not a “cat person,” but this story was super sweet. I loved how the people come together, though there are some elements lacking in some of them. There are 2 main-ish characters that I love the most, but don’t want to spoil anything. All together, it was a perfectly lovely story and an easy read

Cute story of a cat, who doesn’t love cats that brings 5 people together. It’s a romcom but it’s more towards the audience of young adults so I got bored and slipped through some chapters. But the ending was good!

Cat´s people. By Tanya Guerrero.
4.5 stars round to 5.
As a cat lover, obviously I´ve picked this book by its cover and it was a very pleasant surprise. The story is told in third person but with a multiple POV and this made the writing very friendly and unique, kind of simple but in a very beautiful way
There are five charming and very likeable characters:
Nuria, (The Rainbow Lady).
Collin, (The Awkward Neighbor Guy).
Omar (The Cheery Mailman).
Bong (The Sad Bodega Man).
Lily (The Bright Pink Person)
Each of them have an uncanny and bittersweet story to tell. I had too much empathy for all of them. And of course…there´s Cat.
Cat has its own POV and the most eloquent way to tell the story. I loved the way Cat intertwined the lives of all those beautiful characters. I wanted to adopt Cat the whole time while I was reading this book. What a beautiful soul.
This was such a heartwarming, feel-good story!
Thank you NetGalley, thank you Delacorte Press Penguin Random Hause Publishin Group for this ARC.
And many thanks to the autor Tanya Guerrero for this unique story.

I have never been much of a cat person, but this book almost made me want to go out and rescue one. I will have to wait to go visit my daughter's cat(who basically ignores me until she meows for food at her eating place).
This is Guerrero's first adult book, and it is quite wonderful. Told from the point of view of a black street cat, it is heartwarming as we see 5 lonely people brought together by this cat.
The setting is a neighborhood in Brooklyn and is anchored by a Bodega and a local coffee shop where the characters unknowingly all visit and interact.
Collin, whose first book was a bestseller, his second a flop, and now he has writers block. He is one of the most adorable shy characters I have ever read, and Cat calls him Awkward Neighbor Guy.
Collin has a crush on Nuria, a cat rescue lady who feeds Cat every day as Collin watches from his window. Nuria, a barista and proud of it, is called Rainbow Lady because of her colorful clothes.
There are several other wonderful characters who interact with cat on a daily basis, Cheery Mailman, Omar who is empathetic and helps others, though he himself is at a crossroads, Bong, the widower bodega owner who is still mourning his wife, and Lily, Bright Pink Person, who has a secret.
As these people begin to interact, they slowly become a family.
This book is not only a must-read for cat lovers, but for all readers who want a book to make them feel good, a great need in today's world.
The author herself is a cat rescue person, and her love of cats shines through this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the EARC. This is my honest review, and I hope many people read this book.

I loved the way strangers got together to tend to Cat, a black stray, when he suddenly became ill. In fact, Cat may have orchestrated the way in which some of the characters were brought together. But in the end, the grieving widower, the cheerful mail carrier, the barista, the writer, and the young woman searching for her half-sister all become friends, united in their care for this beloved creature.

4.5 stars rounded up

This is such a wholesome, cozy book. The book alternates between 5 characters and they are all brought together by a black stray named Cat. I really enjoyed the chapters from Cat’s POV.

I definitely recommend this book for all cat lovers and anyone who likes a feel good story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

Do you ever wonder if cat's can truly understand us? Do you feel like cat's choose us rather than the other way around? Cat's People is a wonderful story about a black stray cat who earns the love and affection of all of those he encounters. Guerrero does a wonderful job of balancing multiple viewpoints, including the thoughts of a quirky feline companion throughout the course of the novel. While initially confusing trying to keep each character straight, their slow interactions to one another revealed a small community in the big streets of New York. The read itself was cozy and a feel-good story for cat lovers and cat enjoyers alike.

Geared towards an adult audience based on the main character ages, Guerrero's "cozy tail" could easily be adapted to a young adult audience. With one awkward romance and navigating finding oneself, the themes in this novel hit adults of all ages - young and young at heart alike.

A spoiler right off the bat: THE CAT DOES NOT DIE. With that out of the way, this book was such a beautiful story of connection, unlikely friendships and kindness. I loved the way Cat brought these five people together and seeing their friendships grow was so wonderfully done. I especially loved Bong and Omar’s friendship so much. And I LOVED that Cat has his own point of view in the story. His chapters were my favorite! There are mentions of animal death and cruelty, but it’s not graphic. I think any animal lover, especially ones who rescue, will love this book so much. I cried several times (all happy tears!) and I’m so glad I read it. This was an absolute warm hug of a book and I highly recommend it.
CW: mentions of animal death and cruelty, sexual assault, death

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an advanced digital reader’s copy!

I didn't know quite what to expect when I started reading Cat's People. Ms. Guerrero uses a cat to tie together the lives of five different people in Brooklyn. Nuria takes care of stray cats. Lily comes to New York to find her sister (long story and explaining more would give away too much). Omar is the friendly mailman. Bong owns the neighborhood bodega. Collin is the famous author. How Ms. Guerrero ties together these very different characters and related plot lines makes this novel all the more enjoyable. And of course Cat is the theme, the string that ties all items together. Well done!

This is an adorable book and so good for a feel-good read. Cat (or Gatito, as the mailman calls him; or Itim to the bodega owner) is a stray, and he'd like to stay that way, thank you. But somehow he manages to charm and bring together a handful of people.

Apart from Cat, the other main characters are Nùria, a barista; Omar, a mailman; Collin, a blocked author; Bong, the recently-widowed bodega owner; and Lily, the supermarket checker. Each one needs something that the others can give, and it’s got to be Cat that brings them together.

It sounds a little corny but it really is charming. I'm not particularly a cat person, so I don't think you need to be to enjoy this book. Its not exactly a romance, but it's not exactly not either. It reminds me a little bit of 84 Charing Cross Road. My recommendation is to get this book and just enjoy the heck out of it. Feel, don’t think. Smile.

"Cat’s People" by Tanya Guerrero is a beautifully woven tapestry of love, friendship, and family, masterfully narrated through multiple perspectives. The novel explores the intricate dynamics of human relationships with a poignant and heartwarming touch that stays with you long after the last page.

Each narrator offers a unique voice, providing a multifaceted view of the storyline that enriches the reader's understanding and connection with the characters. Guerrero's ability to capture the essence of human emotions is truly remarkable. Her prose flows effortlessly, inviting readers into a world where love and family are at the heart of every twist and turn.

The themes of love and friendship are delicately intertwined, demonstrating the profound impact these elements have on our lives. The characters are well-developed, their interactions authentic, and their journeys resonate with truth and compassion.

"Cat’s People" is a testament to Guerrero's storytelling prowess—a must-read for anyone seeking a story that is as touching as it is unforgettable. Five stars for a novel that gracefully portrays the complexities of the human heart.

Cat's People is a sweet story about a New York black stray feline and the five people who feed him, love him and ultimately save him. It's one of those novels that every cat lover will want to reach for. It's short and charming, although not a masterpiece. The plot hit all the right points, but the writing was a bit burdened by too much tell. The fact that we dive into 6 different POVs (including cat) also didn't allow me much time to become attached, or get to know very well any of the characters. Lilly and Bong got short shrift and I think the novel would have worked very well without Bong and Omar to be honest. Nuria, Lilly and Collin plus Cat may have been enough to carry this story. The ending was incredibly sweet though. And the cover plus dedication are 10/10 stars. Would highly recommend when you need a low stakes cozy contemporary novel to unwind.

Simple and sweet! Strangers are brought together only by their adoration of Cat, until all of their lives begin to mingle and intertwine in new, sometimes life changing ways. This was a very fast read, and had many heartbreaking and equally heartwarming moments. A perfect cozy read for crazy cat ladies or fans of warm, slice-of-life writing.

“I don’t know how, but that damned cat somehow stole my heart.” A quote from this book-but could have been my dad talking about Brody!

Cat spends most of his life hiding in the hedge. Unless one of his trusted people comes by, he knows that people can be terrible, specially to a stray kitty, and a black one at that. Over time, his people start to meet each other, and while each has their own troubles, the friendships begin to grow.

Not me reading this on a walk crying at only 11%. Cat, Gatitio, Itim, reminded me so much of my Brody and made me miss him all the more. This book has Clare Pooley/Steven Rowley vibes, and if you know me you know that is the best kind of book I could ever read! It obviously helps if you are a cat lover, but honestly, even if you hate cats you will still enjoy this book! I just adored our cast of characters, and naturally Cat was the best! I stayed up way too late reading this one because I just adored it so much!

Thank you to @delacortepress for my gifted copy of this book!

This is such a cute story! I loved the POV chapters from the cat’s perspective and I loved how one of our main characters was vegan!
If you enjoy light-hearted, feel-good stories with characters who have lives that intertwine, this book is for you. I found it to be a similar style to cozy Japanese fiction, so if you’re a fan of that sub-genre, you might like this one.
I did want to see a bit more of Cat’s story and a bit less of the characters crushing on each other, but that’s a personal preference. I also felt like the pacing was a bit off, with the story starting and ending strong but dragging a little in the middle.
I know it’s a little cliche, but I’d also have preferred if this book did more showing and less telling.

Overall, I liked this book and I’m so grateful Megan reached out and offered me an ecopy for review! Thank you!