Cat Lady by Dawn O’ Porter, a NetGalley review. Mia seemed to have the perfect life, but she’s not being the woman she really wants to be. This is a new author for me and one that I will be reading again. The more I read this the more I loved it and the more I loved the character of Mia, probably one of the most lovable characters I read about this year. To begin with this book isn’t what it seems, a book about a lady that likes cats and if you judge this book by it’s cover you will truly be mistaken it thinking it’s a light and fluffy read because it’s so so much more than that. It’s a little bit saucy in places, it’s raw, it’s honest, it’s not scared to face tough subjects face on, yet it’s also incredibly funny and a loveable read. At the beginning Mia comes across as a little bit strange especially her whole marriage situation but as you read on you realise this couldn’t be further from the truth, she’s actually a woman struggling, who’s trying to conform to what she thinks society things she should be. I also got the feeling that she also thought she somehow wasn’t worthy of peoples friendship or love and even though she’s married, Mia is obviously lonely. Mia it’s very clear has mental health issues and this very clearly goes back to her childhood. It’s very clear that in the beginning Mia’s safe space where she is truly herself is at home in her bedroom with her cat, every other part of her life it’s like she’s wearing a mask of who she thinks she should be. However when her life starts to spiral and when it could really effect her mental health, she finds strength, she finds friends and she finds family. Mia’s character has so much depth that she feels like its someone you could know and the sad truth is, is that it could quite possibly be. I started off feeling sorry and sad for Mia yet by the end I admired her for her strength. This book will give you the feels, you will laugh and in parts you will be close to tears, but this book has the biggest heart and I will be recommending it to everyone. Everyone page is proof of the authors talent and I can’t wait to read the other books from @hotpatooties some of which I already have on my shelf. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I adored this book. It was such a light read but was a rollercoaster of emotions. There were moments where I laughed out loud, but at other times I found myself welling up.

I highly recommend.

Really enjoyed this story of Mia and the cat who saved her from her unhappy childhood. Despite some thoroughly unlikeable characters and cringeworthy sex scenes, it was truly moving and very funny.

Wow what a read! This was my first Dawn O'Porter book and it definitely won't be my last! It's beautifully written and just one of those books that manages to make you cry, laugh and feel good all at the same time. Feel like I know Mia personally and thats when you know you have completely connected with it.

Highly recommended and well deserves the 5 stars.

Thank you Netgalley.

A rollercoaster of a read. Beautiful, complicated, unusual characters, hard hitting, emotional, hilarious writing and a novel storyline combine into a must read.

Loved this book. I loved relating to my own cats. My emotions went from laughing out loud to sadness, however I wouldn’t change a thing. Definitely worth reading

This is a fantastic book to make you cry. Whether it’s from laughter or sadness, Cat Lady will do it. Mia is a completely relatable character, especially with her truly happy state being at home with her cat. The writing is honest and heartfelt, and will guarantee to win you over.

As a cat lady myself I absolutely loved this book. It's so beautiful and I've shed quite a few tears reading it. It is also classic Dawn O'Porter in that it is very quirky and funny. My husband came to check on me whilst I was reading it as at one point I was laughing so hard.

Thank you Dawn for understanding the importance of pets in our lives and for writing this wonderful book.

TW// mention of suicidal thoughts and attempts, mention of cancer, racism and pet death

May contain spoilers

Mia, managing director at Isabella May Jewellery, regularly attends a pet grief therapy session, despite the fact her sixteen year old cat, Pigeon is still very much alive. At a party full of Mia's husband, Tristan's friends and ex-wife, Mia finds herself being consistently berated and the brunt of many a joke, for her adoration of cats and persistence at keeping Pigeon as an indoor cat. These comments of course lead to chaos, drama and hilarity, when Pigeon vomits all over Tristan's ex-wife's pavlova in sheer, unadulterated malice. Thus begins our journey as we see Mia navigating the world, through loss, heartache, laughter and happiness, all with her trusty Pigeon along for the ride.

This story highlights some very poignant and powerful topics including sustainability, and racism. The erasure of black culture was shown in this story towards Fliss, one of staff members at Isabella May Jewellery, despite her being an integral part of keeping the brand alive, her boss Isabella is too invested in becoming the top dog, over making statements and showing off Fliss's incredible creativity, which was really degrading towards her, and absolutely enraging to read, but a thought-provoking and important reminder, that this world is still not doing enough to embrace everyone and everyone's creativity.

Mia is career driven, but often comes across as very controlling and pernickety, but is easily upset and disgruntled by small aspects of the other members of staff. She's incredibly forthright with her life, which at times was very hilarious to witness. At some points she's quite childish and annoying, it seems at times like she's more invested in shooting people down than lifting them up, and being supportive. Definitely more of a pessimist than an optimist. However, she does seem to find some semblance of companionship and acceptance within the pet grief group. It's clear that she feels like she has to put on a mask everyday to be the diligent wife to her husband, and feels quite isolated, losing pieces of herself along the way. This anguish of feeling like she had to suffocate her true self to fit a mould was really palpable, especially after she had such a difficult childhood witnessing her mum doing something similar to appease her aggressive and volatile husband. It's clear how dependent Tristan has become upon Mia for the smallest of things, which was infuriating and would demean anyone, but especially someone who feels separated from their true selves.

Fliss and Liz were by far my absolute favourites though, they both emanate such warmth and love for others it was just so wholesome and heart-warming. I enjoyed seeing the dynamic between Mia and her sister Liz play out, and how differently their childhood trauma manifested, as with everyone, trauma is unique and individual to each of us, with Liz and Mia it led to them being complete polar opposites in personalities. Liz is very loving, caring and extra compassionate with others, maybe often to a fault of naivety, but she's an incredible support for Mia, helping her come to terms with who she is and embracing it, their relationship was just so wholesome and sweet to read.

I loved seeing Mia grow into her confidence, and allow herself to be who she truly is beneath all the facades she shows everyone. Finally allowing space for those she loves to get close to her, and coming to terms with her past, whilst not letting it define her or suffocate her anymore. It was a truly empowering story, she has a lot of strength and bravery in her, and it was beautiful to see her finally flourishing.

The pet grief group really emanated and highlighted the companionship, love and happiness pets can bring to your life, how important and vital they can be, particularly in times of heartache and distress of bringing some peace, relief and brightness to the hardest of days, when all seems lost. I also loved the emphasis on how valid every grief is, it doesn't matter whether it's grief of a dog, hamster, rabbit, cat etc. it's all completely valid and important, and not to diminish these feelings just because other's have an opinion. It's such a beautiful and meaningful reminder to take with you.


Overall, it was a heart-felt and thought provoking read, that has some truly beautiful and profound messages of accepting who you are, and not letting your past define you, your feelings and thoughts are valid, and so are you.

Mia is a great modern protagonist, refusing to be pigeonholed into the role of a woman obsessed with motherhood, friendships, and shopping. She is career focused and obsessed with her cat, a stepmother, who puts up with her husbands ongoing friendship with his ex-wife. Mia belongs to a pet bereavement group, which compromises a wonderful eclectic mix of characters. These are my favourite scenes. Why belong to a pet bereavement group when her cat is alive? The cat kept her alive at a time when Mia felt suicidal. Whilst there are many light-hearted and laugh out loud moments, there are heavy references to mental health issues, and Mia's life begins to implode from all angles. At her lowest, she clings to her cat and her sense of humour. There are some major traumas. This is one of Dawn O'Porters more sober dark comedy fictions.#catlady #dawnoporter #darkcomedyfiction #netgalley

I don’t know if I’m hormonal or what but this book hit me in the feels!!! It manages to be just the right amount of funny, cringey, emotional and feel-good.
Towards the end I was on the verge of happy tears for most of the rest of the book.
I’m yet to read a Dawn O’Porter that doesn’t make me smile.
Loved it!

As a dog person I loved The Cat Lady. It makes you think about what is important in life. I cried tears of laughter. Refreshingly honest.

What can I say, Dawn does it again with another fantastic book. I just love her unique writing style and she never fails to make me laugh out loud whilst reading her books.

This books does deal with some heavy topics such as grief, mental health and childhood trauma. But as always Dawn balances out the ‘serious’ with the ‘funny’ in the most perfect way!

I loved Mia as a character and was fascinated to see how someone can go from what appears to ‘having it all’ to rock bottom so quickly, just shows you the fragility of life. I also loved how Dawn challenged the stereotype of ‘crazy cat lady’.

Thanks Dawn for an other brilliantly witty book and to Netgalley and to for the advance copy.

As always, Dawn O'Porter writes unforgettable, quirky characters and stories that stay with you, for both good and bad reasons. But the good far outweighs the bad.

The bad being, really random, and at times, graphic scenes (looking at you pencil/sharpie scene). The first half is a bit of a slow build up, with some really random descriptions that feel a bit forced, but they are a quick way to characterise Mia, the main protagonist. We quickly realise that she is a very unique person, with a difficult upbringing.

The second half was my favourite, the pace picks up as things begin to unravel, the randomness fades away and is replaced with sisterhood, loyalty and love. Dawn is able to write with such raw emotion which comes to the fore here. She perfectly captures the unique love we feel for our pets and the terrible grief we experience at their loss. I stayed up late to finish it and cried so hard at parts.

I enjoyed this one, if you're already a fan of the author's writing, you'll love it. If you like quirky characters and some bizarre, laugh out loud scenarios, then you'll also love it.

Note: If you are currently struggling with the loss of a pet (like me), I'd approach this carefully and be gentle with yourself.

I think it is fair to say I am a fan of Dawn O'Porter's books as this is the fourth book of hers that I have read. The characters feel so real and you do wonder if you could have a conversation with one or two of them some time. The characters in this narrative are no exception. This story unapologetically looks at our close relationships with our pets and how much they mean to us.

Once again Dawn delivers another laugh out loud read. I demolished this in two sittings. It follows a few days in the life of Mia with twists and turns as she decides what she holds dear. A brilliant read

My favourite book of the year so far. Funny, rude, real and sad. (I actually shed a tear, don’t often cry at books). Loved it and yes though I’m married with kids I am a Cat Lady.

Cat Lady is a quirky, original, enjoyable and ultimately emotional read.

The chapters are grouped into sections beginning with a snippet from the past. Part one is entitled Mother, part two Career woman, part three Animal, part four Wife and part five Cat Lady. We are taken through elements of Mia’s life, and her past, in sections which all run together.

Right from the beginning I was drawn in by the chatty ease of main character Mia. She is honest and interesting, and I thoroughly enjoyed her perspective and following her life. There were quite a lot of similarities between Mia and Eleanor Oliphant which I found fascinating, as she is an equally unique and intriguing character.

The focus around pets and the normality of their passing and even the dedicated pet grief therapy made everything feel extremely natural. The treatment of her cat as a family member and her love for Pigeon is relatable and nicely written.

The development of Mia’s character as the novel goes on is really wholesome and her growth as a person as she realises what is right for her, which is not necessarily conventional, is quite empowering to read.

There is a lot of wonderful characters and brilliant friendships in the novel but alongside this there is also quite a lot of sadness and grief. Mia’s family history is especially sad and there were many points in the novel where I wanted to reach out and give her a hug!

There was a lot of sentimentality to the novel and a lot of love lost and found in unlikely places. It was a truly original and enjoyable, if heartbreaking, novel.

This book is a must read for anyone, but particularly any cat owner. It is hilarious and relatable to every woman that prefers her cat to most people!! Be prepared though, I cried so many ugly tears. My husband thought something serious had happened! Overall, a brilliant book that I couldn’t put down!

My first book by this author and a refreshing read.

Witty, thought-provoking and quirky story of having the courage to live your own life.

Mia is a very put-together career woman, managing director of a jewellery business, and maintaining a well organised home life with her husband, step-son and her beloved cat, Pigeon.

Beneath the surface, Mia tries hard to shirk the stereotypical "cat lady" label, conforming to the life she believes she is expected to lead, despite her difficult childhood. She doesn't really have friends but she feels she has found her tribe amongst a pet bereavement support group. Her cat isn't actually dead but her fear of losing her is palpable.

Just when everything seems to be going so well, suddenly every piece of her life begins to fall apart, and she is adrift without the blanket of organisation she has woven to protect herself.

Hitting rock bottom, she reassesses what she wants from life, also realising others don't have the perfect lives she'd assumed either.