I’ve tried, really I’ve tried. Sometimes you’re just not in the right frame of mind for a book so you put it to one side and pick it up at a later date. But sometimes, no matter what you do, you just can’t finish a book and enjoy it. This is that book, I really don’t think this is the right author for me.

Cat Lady is another triumph by the diamond that is Dawn O’Porter. Its wickedly funny and unapologetically frank, while also being tragic and heart-felt.

Mia approaches life in a functional mode, operating as society expects her too – the perfect wife, loving stepmother, competent and controlled career woman. All framed by complex human relationships, none of which seem to bring her much happiness. There is however, nothing truer in life than the love of a pet. Her cat Pigeon is the love of her life.

When she makes an unlikely group of friends through a pet bereavement group, she feels like she’s found her tribe. However, love goes hand in hand with loss, and Mia’s world starts to unravel…

Oh dear, sorry but this one wasn’t for me and I found it a struggle to finish. The main character Mia wasn’t very likeable in my opinion and there were some weird parts to it where the humour fell flat and was more weird than funny. I’m not sure I found any of it actually funny but I guess humour is subjective!

I wasn’t entirely sure how I was going to feel about this book when I started it, despite loving Dawn O’Porter’s other books. However, I really enjoyed it. There’s never any soft approach to Dawn’s writing, it’s very real and I love that. I connect so much more with the characters. Really recommend - 4 stars****

I'm usually a huge fan of Dawn O'Porters work so I couldn't wait to get my hands on this. I like to read her work in between Crime/Thrillers for a nice change, but unfortunately on this occasion it just didn't work.

I usual find her work so witty and actually laugh out loud at things (and that's normally me!) but this time I just didn't find it funny at all. I persevered as I hate to DNA a book, and the second half did seem to change tempo and was a lot easier to read, but overall I felt a bit let down i'm afraid,

I didn't connect with the characters very well, Mia warmed to me a bit towards the end but it was all just a bit odd, and I feel awful saying this.

Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Mia is a self defined cat lady – she loves her cat, pigeon, more than anything. As she stumbles through marriage troubles, job troubles and general life problems, the one consistency is her cat. She has met a new group of friends at a pet bereavement group, and is slowly finding peace in the world. But then everything tips………

Over the course of the story, we learn a lot about Mia and her past which contribute to her being the way she is. Her label of Cat Lady, even though she is married, with a good job, is hung relentlessly onto her. But is that a bad thing?

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.

Blunt and unapologetic yet engaging and sentimental. This is the first book by Dawn O’Porter that I’ve read and I’ll be reading her others.

I have read and loved all of Dawn O'Porter's previous novels so was very keen to read this one too. I enjoyed the love of animals that ran through this book but I found it difficult to connect with the humans. It was hard to see how the main character was the way she was, she didn't feel entirely believable to me. I did enjoy the writing and the social commentary throughout the book but it's not my favourite novel by the author. I am still looking forward to whatever she publishes next though.

Such a wonderfully clever book with such well-rounded characters.
I felt every mishap and every learning curve. I cried, I laughed.
Another great read from this author.

Brilliant , sharp , whitty , whilst also having you sob’ Showing how everyone needs someone and life can go on after the toughest of times in your life!

I am a cat lady, which is why I chose this book. This is also my first book by the author and I have heard many good things about her previous novels.

This was very nearly a 2 star review, however, the novel saved itself at the end. Rather than being an independent, strong cat lady, I found the protagonist to be quite weak - why on earth did she allow her husband to treat her the way she did?

This wasn’t the lighthearted read I was expecting, Mia is dealing with trauma and loss and clearly needs counselling and is struggling to deal with her problems in her own way. I completely understand her intense relationship with her cat - I have always found that pets are reliable and honest, where as people are not so much….

Worth a read.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

It took me a little while to get into the book but once I was invested I raced through. This was comical and sad and I'm so glad of the ending.

Thank you for the arc.

A solid four star read for me as I wasn’t blown away but also I enjoyed this book a lot. It did take me some time to gel with Mia and understand her relationship with her cat, Pigeon. This book touched on a lot of very dark topics so please read the trigger warnings and be careful if you expect this book to be heart-warming and cosy!

Dawn O’Porter never misses. Every book i read of hers instantly becomes one of my favourites.

As a woman who does not want kids this was such a breath of fresh air to read about a main character who wasn’t obsessed with children and wanting the “standard” “normal” life that is forced onto women from such a young age.

Some characters i HATED but i’m pretty sure that was the whole point. Mia was such a loveable character throughout the book and i miss her. lol.

This book needs to be read by everyone who is sick of being asked “when are you having kids” or “why don’t you want kids?”.

Okay so first off DO NOT read this if you have just lost a pet, are spending your first night alone in your new house and are feeling particularly emotional and miss your two cats on top of that.

However, do read this if you just love pets. Doesn’t matter what kind of animal, just a lil furry (or non furry if you’ve got snakes or whatnot) buddy who you love with your whole heart. This book is an homage to that special kind of relationship you have with your pets, and a big fuck you to anyone who has ever sneered at pets and insinuated that it’s not real love between human and animal.

As I’ve come to expect from Dawn O’Porter, she writes in a way that captures the funny and the sad, sometimes in the one sentence. She finds the heartbreaking moments of everyday life and makes you feel how much they can break you while also bringing a smile to your face. It’s like she truly sees people.

This was a brilliant book, I absolutely loved it! Heartwarming and pleasing, a gem ❤️

SINGLE – INDEPENDENT – ALOOF – CUNNING – AGILE – CANNOT BE TAMED

We’ve all known a cat lady – and we’ve probably all judged her too. But behind the label – the one that only sticks to women – what if there’s a story worth nine lives

I really enjoyed this book, not only because I am a 'Cat Lady', but also because of it's humour, warm and wit, whilst giving us the sense of belief and believing in ourselves. Life is too short for putting up and shutting up.

When humans let us down, it’s our pets that are the ones who hold us together. In Dawn O’Porter’s Cat Lady, relationships are examined through Mia, a woman clearly forcing her way through her marriage to be the perfect wife, stepmother and boss. All while doting on her cat, Pigeon, who is clearly the love of her life. Mia is clearly unravelling, unable to deal with her grief so she goes to a pet bereavement group, despite Pigeon being very much alive. This book opened strong, but I found there was so much that I could’ve happily skipped, before ending strong which was disappointing for me. However it’s heartfelt and poignant and I cuddled my cat extra tight after reading it,

Mia is the misfit character in this book - she gives the outward appearance of having the perfect life, but look a little closer and you see how carefully choreographed everything is, all so she can remain in control. The only time she allows herself to relax is with her beloved cat and the support group she joins.

As the book progresses we learn more about Mia's past and how this has shaped her life. It's not an easy read; the book deals with grief, mental health and traumatic life events. However, Mia is an endearing character who I really rooted for and as chinks in her armour are made, hope really shines through. She allows herself to open up and in doing so takes steps towards a more positive future for herself.

As a self proclaimed proud cat lady (I have six of my own) I completely recognised the deep love and comfort you experience when you adopt a pet into your life. I would also like to point out that this also made some parts of the book VERY difficult to read, and I'm not ashamed to admit I cried my heart out.

The cherry on top of this is definitely the book cover - how much do I want that as a print on my wall!

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

As someone who hates cats, I didn't expect to cry as much as I did at this book.
This book had an interesting look on people dealing with grief, relationships with friends and family.
I did find her relationship with the cat odd at times but as I said, I don't like cats.

I had mixed feelings on this because while I really enjoyed the social commentary, the writing was very blunt and I found that quite jarring at times.

The main character wasn't easy to like, although I understand that was probably the point. I also would not recommend reading this book if you're in a bad place with your mental health. It's described as "funny" but I found the opposite. It was sad and it made me feel frustrated and angry.

It's the kind of story where you either connect with it or you don't and unfortunately it wasn't 100% for me.

Dawn O’Porter is a great writer, and if you haven’t read one of her novels yet, this is a good one to start with. Her insights into life for women in 2022 are accurate, and hilarious. Her characters are easy to like, even when (because?) they’re a little extreme, and her storytelling is tight and funny. Cat Lady brings us Mia, tightly contained and carefully buttoned-up, until infidelity and disloyalty start to pull on the threads that bind her. When she loses her precious cat, Pigeon, her world comes tumbling down, and her compliance with acceptable behaviours does too...