I had high hopes based on my love of O’Porter’s other novels, but this one missed the mark for me. Just like the others, there were some laugh-out-loud moments and the overall story was pretty inspiring. However, there were too many truly miserable parts that just weren't for me. It got so depressing about 80% of the way through I nearly left it unfinished! I powered through, and whilst I felt some of that female empowerment I wanted come back, it wasn't enough for me to rate this one any higher than 3 stars.

Having not read previous titles by the author, I didn't know what to expect. The main character has depth and a troubled story and has a certain likeability. I am not personally and animal/pet person, but I did identify with the deep connection that she has with her cat. Some scenes seemed incongruous with the rest of the book and appeared placed to shock, but I guess had a believable nature all at the same time.

Like other readers, I found the placement of Mother's Day on a weekday and the changing pronouns of the cat distracting in their clumsiness.

Overall, an easy read and it held by interest throughout, not your typical chic lit.

This book is absolutely brilliant.
Once again Dawn O'Porter delivers on a superb piece of fiction..
I shall be telling everyone to please read Cat Lady immediately!

I thoroughly enjoyed the story, with strong character development it evoked a rollercoaster of emotions in me.
I teared up at the end.
I laughed throughout.
Simply put it's a triumph of a read.

Thank you to the publisher for my review copy.

I love Dawn O’Porter’s style of writing, she always deals with subjects with the perfect blend of humour and seriousness. This book is no different. I adored Mia and her connection to her cat and the ending was perfect. Thank you so much for this arc.

A very different book to those I normally read, but I was intrigued by the book description, being a cat lady myself. Still not sure if I loved it or hated it, guess it was both at different times. Would definitely recommend that you give it a try, something different is often a good thing.

This will probably be one of the most challenging reviews to write. Because the things I liked, I really liked. But the things I didn't enjoy really made me wonder how much I actually enjoyed this book.

I have to start by saying that I thought this would be a fast read and it was. Here I was in the middle of a reading slump and I read this book in a couple of days. The writing is very easy to follow and the comedic moments, if they can be called that, really help with the flow of the story.
However, I also thought it would be the perfect book for all of us cat ladies (and gents) and...I'm not so sure. The novel centres a lot on the idea of grief and how we approach it in different situations. I loved that. A lot. I'm someone who has a cat and who has found comfort in the company of animals for years. And I'm also someone who has lost a cat and knows the pain that comes from it. And that's why I found parts of this book to be incredibly hard to read. To some, it might be therapeutical to read what comes after those scenes. To me, it was unnecessary pain being brought back. At points, it felt a bit exploitative and I didn't enjoy that.

As I already mentioned, grief and trauma are two big topics in this book. Also, not being accepted for who you are and being judged by people who don't really know you. That's something that happens to our protagonist and also something that our protagonist does to others. There are so many nice messages that come from these pages.
But my issue isn't that we are reading from the point of view of a sometimes unlikeable character. It's that some of her actions were too much for me. I get it's fiction and that it makes for funny and deep moments in the book, but I couldn't find myself enjoying moments like that in any way. And, also, for someone who cares so much about her cat, she put her in danger quite a few times. That got on my nerves.

At the end of the day, the book is about a woman who is treated badly and judged and who has to learn from that. And the resolution to that issue I didn't find to be incredibly satisfying. At points too easy. And maybe I'm petty but there are things I can never forget so seeing a character doing so...

The biggest problem with this book is how hard it is to recommend. I don't really understand what its audience is and I don't think it's been advertised correctly.

I have loved Dawn’s previous writing – fiction and non fiction – and would consider myself a fan, following her on Instagram and subscribing to her Patreon page. So when I saw she had a new book out, I jumped at the chance to review it – and Net Galley sent me an advance review copy.

Here’s the blurb:

“CAT LADY [n.]
Single, independent, crazy, aloof, on-the-shelf, lives alone . . .
It’s safer for Mia to play the part that people expect. She’s a good wife to her husband Tristan, a doting stepmother, she slips on her suit for work each morning like a new skin.
But beneath the surface, there’s another woman just clawing to get out . . .
When a shocking event shatters the conventional life she’s been so careful to build, Mia is faced with a choice. Does she live for a society that’s all too quick to judge, or does she live for herself?
And if that’s as an independent woman with a cat, then the world better get ready . . .
Fresh, funny and for anyone who’s ever felt astray, CAT LADY will help you belong – because a woman always lands on her feet.“

Now I have to say that I got off on the wrong foot with this book for a couple of reasons.

Firstly – I am allergic to cats. It’s not that I don’t like them – but I can’t go near them without feeling really poorly. There is a paragraph basically dissing anyone who doesn’t adore cats – so I was immediately defensive.

Secondly – very early in the book it is ‘Mother’s Day’ – but Mia is going to work and her stepson to school – which clearly doesn’t happen on Mothering Sunday in the UK where the book is set. I did give Dawn the benefit of the doubt as I know she lives in the US and I wasn’t sure if Mother’s Day could be on a weekday over there – but having checked, seemingly not. Therefore this is just a straight error. It seemed really odd that neither the author or editor would have picked up on this? It’s not 100% fundamental to the story, it could easily have been tweaked to still fit in the plot lines without it having to be changed. I initially thought I was being petty – but it would appear many other ARC readers on Net Galley felt the same!

So – a few pages in and I didn’t have high hopes – however, I did get more into the book as it went on and so am not going to be totally negative about it I promise!

Mia is clearly struggling in many aspects of her life – and all of them seem quite compartmentalised – her role as wife and step mother at home (although she doesn’t share a bedroom with her husband, as she prefers to sleep with her cat ‘Pigeon’), her work – where she loathes her ‘boss’ and appears to dislike most of her staff, her relationship with her sister (and non existent relationship with her brother in law), and her attendance at a pet bereavement group – despite Pigeon being alive and well.

I have to say I didn’t particularly like any of the characters – so I wasn’t Team Mia – but equally wasn’t Team Anyone Else. I would also say the overwhelming feeling for me wasn’t ‘fresh, funny’ but actually probably ‘unusual, sad’.

The story skips along – and has the standard SHOCK moment that I’ve come to expect from Dawn’s fiction books.

The second half of the book I found quite odd. Like chapters had been written at completely separate times and didn’t really link properly. It was just a bit weird and I felt didn’t flow.

As well as the whole Mother’s Day debacle, there are loads of homophone errors throughout the book that hopefully will be picked up before printing.

I didn’t hate the book – and wanted to keep reading to see what happened – but it’s definitely not my favourite Dawn O’Porter book and I guess I had high hopes. It’s out in October 2022 if you’re interested in ordering it.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

Cat Lady explores the stereotype in its title and turns it on its head. Main character Mia seemingly has it together until things start to go wrong. As the only member of a pet-bereavement group where her pet hasn’t died, Mia finds a connection with grieving individuals. Not sure why her life has ended up the way it has, with the socially expected husband and successful career, her only certainty is that her cat Pigeon saved her life. Cat Lady was not what I expected, sadder and more poignant in parts as Mia does her best to show that she is not a crazy cat lady. Funny and uplifting, Dawn O’Porter challenges and unpicks what it truly means to be a woman who loves cats.

I didn’t start off enjoying this book. My review was going to say that you don’t need any imagination as everything is written down graphically for you, however, the story grabbed hold of me and it resonated in a way I wasn’t expecting.
Pet grief is a very real thing. These animals worm their way into your heart and when they leave us it’s devastating. Dawn O’Porter has written about a difficult subject in a humorous way.

This was a fun and fast holiday read - not something I would usually pick up - so I struggled with aspects of it (some of the characters are not very convincing) but good if you're after something pretty light that you can talk to your friends about.

A hilarious rollercoaster, but one that wore out its welcome rather quickly. Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the advance copy!

This book was intriguing to me from the start being a crazy cat lady myself and I couldn’t wait to get started. At the beginning I found myself relating to her and would find myself smiling at her relationship with her cat. Then if I’m honest, and it’s the reason I marked it down, it all got a bit extreme and intense and I found it a bit hard to believe. It was still an easy read but it then started to become more comical for me. I would still definitely pick up another book by this author but maybe wouldn’t recommend this one.

Mia has a seemingly perfect life, so why does she attend self-help meetings for those whose cats have died, when her cat, Pigeon, is very much alive?

I‘m torn with the rating for this one - I hate giving low stars but in this case I think it is truly me, not the book.. I think it‘s the author‘s style that just doesn‘t quite work for me; her books are very LOUD and busy, with no light and shade and I didn‘t find it funny at all. It almost seemed to be making light of mental illness in places. Mia's background is not delved into deep enough to make you care about her and it's never explained why she goes to the support group in the first place.

Also, I‘m well aware I was reading an ARC, but I‘ve never seen so many errors. Draw instead of drawer, ‘here, here‘ for ‘hear, hear‘, cullots for culottes. The funniest was a barrister machine, instead of barista. Coupled with Mother‘s Day being on a weekday, when it‘s always a Sunday, it all just started to grate on me.


2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

This book is beautifully written and takes you through the roller coaster of emotion. Mia has rebuilt herself after a childhood of loss and pain. She thinks she has her life sorted, she’s ‘married’, has a good job, and is in control everything is controlled at arms length. But is she living? Her home life is strained and dysfunctional - her husband’s ex wife swans in and out of their house showing no respect for Mia - her husband is oblivious and weak. Her work is a constant battle of balancing the sensibilities of the Companies figurehead and owner with what needs to be done. The only place she is free to be herself, care and nurture for others without risk of hurt is at a Group for grieving pet owners, to her beloved lifesaver cat, Pigeon and to her stepson Oliver.

Then it all starts to fall apart - dramatically in one day and the life she has built has gone.

The book understands how in the modern world when you share your life with animals they have your heart. Losing them is hard, as they know you, they don’t judge so you are completely yourself. You understand completely how Mia feels when her world is rocked - and you get to follow the journey when she learns to live. Allows others in, but chooses her new ‘family’ to be kindred spirits.

I really enjoyed this read and devoured it in one sitting. Thank you Dawn O’Porter for being one of us animal lovers (I wouldn’t say pet as who owns who?) and thank you NetGalley for the privilege of reading the book prior to publication.

With a good job and a lovely home where she lives with her husband, stepson and cat Pigeon, why does Mia feel the need to attend a Pet Bereavement Group when her life seems perfectly sorted and her cat is not actually dead? In a darkly funny and emotional story, it soon becomes clear that things are not what they seem on the surface. Pigeon is the only creature Mia can turn to for love and comfort, and while she may not seem the typical cat lady, it's easy to understand why she dreads losing her beloved cat. Because as her life spirals out of control, Pigeon is the one constant she can rely on, unless she can learn to trust her fellow humans again - and the way some of them behave, that doesn't seem very likely.
I really enjoyed this story. Though Mia is not a typical cat lady, an elderly unloved spinster surrounded by cats, I very soon understood and appreciated the relevance of the book's title, and found myself increasingly drawn to its heroine. She seems so strong and sorted on the surface but her vulnerability reaches out to touch your heart.
A clever, emotional, irreverent and at times a laugh-out-loud then cry-out-loud read.

I firstly want to thank Harper Collins and Netgalley for sending me an E-Arc this book to review. My review is left voluntarily and is completely honest.

I am slowly trying to break out into new genres and being a self-proclaimed Cat Lady I was intrigued by the premises of this book. It was nice to see a protagonist who was a little older but who showcases that even when you get older it doesn’t mean that life is less complicated or chaotic, quite the opposite.

While I did enjoy a lot of the book I just could not quite gel fully with Mia. I am not sure if it was the age difference or her personality but certain parts of the book rather than seeing as quirky or funny I found a bit like what was happening. I can certainly see why a lot of people would love this book but it just missed the mark for me, of being a fantastic read. Further more with one particular event which meant I had to take a break for a while from it.

That said the writing style flows and is easy to follow, it’s a quick read and one you can easily get through with, as I said, bits and pieces that are relatable. It just didn’t quite do it for me but I rounded up my 3.5 to 4 stars because I know this will be enjoyable for a lot of people.

As an admirer of Dawn O’Porter I was excited to read this book, and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a very readable story, I finished it in one sitting - I couldn’t put it down! I enjoy O’Poter’s writing style and sense of humour. I’m already looking forward to the next!

Cat lady proof don't judge a book by its cover. How I am glad I gave this book a chance otherwise I would have missed out on such a great book. I actually laughed several times throughout the story. It's very funny and serious at the same time. At first I wasn't too sure about Mia but by the end I was sad to say goodbye to her. Mia loves her cat Pidgeon more than anybody it seems and when things start to go wrong in her life that is when we see Mia start to really transform. The wit in this book was just perfect. If you like fleabag pick up this fabulous book.

Mia may be me- I’m not sure that Dawn has ever met me be there’s too many similarities for it not to be about me haha.

This is my first Dawn O’Porter novel and I think the real beauty of Mia’s story is that we all have parts that we can identify with! To be very clear I do love cats, I’ve owned cats but my relationships with those cats have never been quite like Mia’s.

This book is a car crash in the best kind of way, it’s chaotic nature reflects real life so vividly- we see Mia at her highs and lows.

It explores really big themes and feelings with humour, and such a considered and gentle approach at times.
I loved the sex positivity, massive tick for that!

Did I laugh? Yes
Did I cry? Yes
Did I shout at the page Mia- what the heck are you doing? Yes
Did I love it? Yes

This is a book to remind us all that we’re doing the best we can and sometimes that looks messy, ugly and raw!

This won’t appeal to everyone but from this human thank you for writing the book that this middle ager needed to read.

Raw, funny and full of feline love, this is a story of how easy it is to spiral downwards from having it all to having nothing but how happiness can be found in unexpected places. Mia is an amazing character who has created order from chaos but finds it slipping away. Great read.