Hehehehehe. Good god I love Dawn O'Porter. Granted, I would read this woman's shopping list because I love her that much but it helps that her work so just so damn funny.

Mia is a quirky individual. Married and a stepmother, she is also a cat mum and she bloody loves her fur baby. However, people seem to be offput by her behaviour and she seems to be a bit of a fish out of water. The only place she finds comfort is a pet bereavement group she attends…the only problem is that her cat is very much still alive.

In Cat Lady we see her try to navigate the confusing and complex world.

Cat Lady is laugh out loud funny and if you have liked her other work then you will love this.

Cat Lady by Dawn O'Porter is available now.

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I recently read "Cat Lady" by Dawn O'Porter, and I was pleasantly surprised by the heartwarming and humorous story. The novel follows the journey of Bea, a young woman who is struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss of her beloved cat, Mr. Binks.

Bea is a relatable and likable protagonist, and O'Porter does an excellent job of capturing the grief and confusion that comes with losing a beloved pet. As Bea navigates her grief and begins to move on, she meets a cast of eccentric and endearing characters who help her to find joy and meaning in life again.

The writing in "Cat Lady" is sharp and witty, and the characters are well-developed and engaging. O'Porter has a knack for creating relatable and realistic dialogue, and the story is full of laugh-out-loud moments. Overall, I highly recommend "Cat Lady" to fans of heartwarming and humorous fiction, and to anyone who has ever loved a pet.

Losing a pet is heartbreaking and if you experienced the loss you cannot help being moved to tears when you read this book.
There's some very funny moments and some others that made me cry. Heartbreaking and funny at the same time.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I found this one a bit of a mixed bag.
On the plus side, an easy read and some funny moments
On the down side, too weird for me in places and I found the messaging contradictory. Which I won't go into detail to avoid spoilers but the messaging about it's ok to be a single cat lady falls down with some of the plot lines.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dawns writing has a contemporary feel to it, and she is one author i return to for reliably modern tale of women coping with life and being female. Perhaps an author overlooked and one that i recommend to friends regularly. the title i would say is a misleading, and perhaps should be reconsidered.

Anyone who follows Dawn O’Porter knows how much she loves her pets. So a book centred around a main character dealing with pet grief will be no surprise to anyone. And that’s the strongest aspect of this book. O’Porter illustrates perfectly the horror and heartbreak of losing your furry friend. And the listlessness that comes after. The rest of the book? It’s enjoyable but I’m yet to read a book of hers that I enjoyed as much as The Cows.

CAT LADY is out now. My thanks to @netgalley & @harpercollinsuk for my copy. This is, as always, an honest review.

I think Cat Lady might just be my favourite read of 2022.

The writing in this gorgeous novel is sublime - achingly funny one moment - reducing me to tears the next.

Mia is a complicated and traumatised soul. But the one thing she has that always comforts her, is her cat Pigeon. He calms the chaos. And brings unconditional love.

And despite him being very much alive, Mia joins a group for grieving pet owners. She wants to belong. And with this bunch, she finds her tribe.

There is sooooo much more to this story, but it's so wonderful that I don't want to spoil anything. Just find some time away from the world, settle.in with a cuppa and a pet if you have one, and enjoy every second of this hilarious (the scene with Ajay and the doctor's appointment 😂) and heartwarming book.

Absolutely loved this book written with the usual flair and wit of O'Porter's previous novels. I love how she packs in so much emotion into her stories that cover serious topics with great humour.

Incredibly funny and insightful. "Cat Lady" strikes the perfect balance between humor and a discerning commentary on what it is to have life fall apart around you. This book covers a myriad, from the breakdown of a perceived perfect marriage, to navigating relationship and making friends in middle age. One of the leading themes is the navigation of grief after the loss of a pet, which is dealt with both sincerity and just a hint of comedy.

There were moments where I was solidly in stitches and on the verge of tears at the same time. O'Porter has the rare ability to write with a voice that speaks to the universal experiences in life. Mia is not a particularly likable person but as a character I couldn't help but warm to her. The narration around the family and indeed the stand-off in the house was perfection. Mia's relationship with Pigeon is one that anyone who has ever loved and lost a pet can relate to, I thoroughly appreciated how well that relationship was written (as someone who has heard the "they are just a pet" line more than once.)

Overall an insightful, joyful, read, that I would be happy to recommend to people.

Absolutely loved this book. Will be recommending friends and family to read. Thank you net galley for a copy of this title in exchange for a review.

Ok I won’t lie, I absolutely love Dawn o Porter books, they’re not your run of the mill read and this certainly lived up to that expectation. I didn’t think Mia was that likeable until the last few pages (they really got to me) and in some places the book went into a fairly weird way but overall I enjoyed it.

I can honestly say, I enjoy all Dawns books - this being no exception. She has the ability to take what should seem bizarre and make it totally real and relatable and heart-warming. In this one, she takes the stereotypical cat-lady (reclusive, creepy, peculiar) and turns it on its head.

Mia has it all - a devoted husband, active sex life, successful career and a ready-made family. But central to her life is her beloved cat, who literally saved her when life was at its darkest. To everyone else, she is a bit stiff and unrelenting. She has learnt to create this façade. But when life begins to spin out of control, it does so at a rapid rate, the façade begins to crumble and she is forced to question who she really is after all.

Dawn creates flawed characters and makes you fall in love with them. There is always personal growth, and the message that you cant judge a book by its cover. She grabs you from the first word and never lets the pace relax. It feels like I'm reading my favorite gossip column - with all its attention grabbing deliciousness. So addictive. Love her casual observations of people and the characters she builds, warts and all. Their little habits feel familiar and real, and each one comes alive no matter how peripheral. The story is original, and while you know how it will end, the journey is always unpredictable and often hilarious. A deft storyteller who knows how to entertain while subtly imparting a message.

So Cat lady by Dawn O’porter reminded me slightly of the work of Sally Rooney. However with this author I enjoyed it slightly more. Mia had a difficult start in life, and on the outside she seems to have it all. At job, a house and a husband and stepson. Most of all she has her cat Pigeon who has got her through her darkest points. This book is very quirky, original and looks into stereotypes of the ‘cat lady’.

This book had me in tears and also horrified at the actions of Mia towards the end of the book, I would recommend caution if you are a cat lover and are triggered by pet death.

Have loved all of Dawn's books so far and this one was no different. An honest representation of how pets are an enormous part of your life and are incredibly important. Also had the all important 'Ewww' moment that Dawn is adept at adding to all her books.

A bizarre story that wasn't really to my liking. I expected it to be a light read about someone who loves cats. It was a bit depressing if I am honest. Mia has so many issues, I wanted to shake her. Not for me.

Cat Lady by Dawn O’Porter

Mia is a dutiful wife, doting step mother and efficient boss, but lurking underneath is a so called ‘crazy cat lady’, and it takes one catastrophe (get it!) event for her to reveal herself.

At times uncomfortably shocking and others heartbreaking, I love how the author reflects how women are judged in our society.

Not for those who are easily offended (let’s just say I won’t be lending this to my mum!! 🫣) but if you’ve read and loved Dawn’s previous books you should pick this one up!

'No such thing as just a pet'

Pet grief is real, for all those who have never owned a pet and don't quite know what it feels like to people who have a lost one, this a good read.

As usual Dawn O'Porter evoked quite a rollercoaster of emotions. I'm sure I chuckled, gasped, cried and cringed at various points in the book and as usual several moments of awkwardness too, with a bit of a shock factor.

I think I was on the fence with this one and will give it 3.5 stars rounded to four because I did enjoy it, but maybe not as much as I've enjoyed her other books.

I loved the fact that the author has dedicated the book to pretty much all the pets in her life and her friends lives.

Thankyou to NetGalley, HarperCollins, Dawn O'Porter for this e-ARC.

‘Rather than society acknowledging women who are struggling & helping them, they put firm hands on our shoulders & push us into the darkness’

I’ve always been a fan of Dawn O’Porter’s work & her newest novel may be her most nuanced yet. Cat Lady is a darkly comedic, irreverent, feminist drama & I really really enjoyed it. It takes a lot of talent & sharp societal understanding, to write a protagonist in a way that has the reader judging & potentially scoffing in the the beginning, but then feeling like a horrible, small minded arsehole when cheering them on wholeheartedly at the end 👏🏻

In a world that puts women in boxes, this story was a breath of fresh air screaming BE YOURSELF or, perhaps more forcefully, FUCK EM. Like what you like, embrace your emotions in all their rollercoaster glory, be proud of your quirks, love shamelessly... & never EVER settle!

If you have read any of O'Porter's previous books, you will know that she has a way of writing that is funny, unapologetic, at times a little crazy and OTT, but full of astute observations - and her latest book, Cat Lady, is all of these. It will make you laugh, make you cringe and even make you tear up - it’s one of those books that has a little bit of everything.

Mia is “crazy cat lady” - married with a stepson and a good job, it is her cat Pigeon who she loves above everyone and everything and who keeps her sane through life’s tribulations. And she has made some new friends in a pet bereavement group, a group she attends despite the fact her pet is still very much alive. But when Mia’s life begins to fall apart she has to deal with her difficult past and decide who she is and who she wants to be.

It is a book that covers relationships in many forms - romantic, familial and the bonds we form with our pets. There is humour and there is sadness and it is another fun, quirky read from O’Porter, even if you’re not really a cat person!

I knew I had to read this book. Firstly, I have been meaning to read one of O’Porter’s books for some time and this seemed like a great opportunity. Secondly, I am a huge cat lover, so it had to be done.

From the blurb I was expecting an easy,  light hearted read. It was definitely easy to get into and was lighthearted in places, but it was a lot deeper than I anticipated. The book begins with Mia, the protagonist, attending a pet Bereavement group. We learn that Mia’s cat, Pigeons, is still very much alive, so why is Mia in the group? The other attendees are an eclectic bunch and it’s enjoyable reading about them.

Mia, appears to have her life fully sorted and organised. She has a job she’s good at, a husband she appears to have a good relationship with initially, and a stepson she loves. As the story progresses things start to unravel for Mia and we learn more about her life and her journey. There are some upsetting parts when we learn about Mia’s history and childhood and some bits that made me angry as Mia’s husband starts to show his true colours.

Throughout everything Mia has Pigeon, with whom she has a really special bond. I am a huge cat lover and have rarely been without one in my life, so I fully identified with all the cat related bits of the story. There is intimate detail about sharing one’s life with a cat and the negative views of the anti feline population.

Whilst there is a humorous angle to the book it has a real depth and raw honesty about it that elevates it. There are themes of death (parental and pet), grief, emotional abuse, suicide, infidelity, identity and loneliness alongside friendship, self preservation, reconnection and hope.

There are some very detailed descriptions of sex which may put some people off, but I found the frankness refreshing. There are some really poignant moments and on the whole although there is real heartbreak I found it to be uplifting with an overarching theme of hope and recovery.  I devoured this book and definitely recommend it.
A solid 4/5  from me