I'm already a bit of a Dawn O'Porter fan so couldn't wait to get my claws into this one ..
Mia, who would appear to have it all, a wonderful job, lovely house, great husband and step son but she is clearly not ok and the only thing in her life that seems a genuine source of love and comfort is her cat, Pigeon.
Sadly Mia is about to go through some more dramatic changes in moments that will make you laugh and make you cry in equal measure. I loved the humour throughout the book and the sad moments really got me. Actually the sad moments literally reduced me to tears .. I was not prepared for that!
There were a couple of moments that were a little .. cringey perhaps but it didn't put me off the book overall as it is a great, fast paced story looking at love, loss, grief and finding friendships in unexpected places.
Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Collins for the early copy!

There's an enticing mix of humour, poignancy, politics and sex in this story that explores labelling, life, loss and love. Mia's less-than-idyllic childhood has made her shun emotional intimacy, she married, but her marriage is unconventional. Yet it gives her the solitude she seeks with her cat, Pigeon. Each part begins with a life-changing event in her childhood. Then the reader follows Mia's current adult life as it implodes. Mia hits rock bottom, but that isn't the end.

Diverse and sometimes unlikeable characters define this story. It flows between happiness and sadness and is often strange. I like Mia and empathised with her grief. It's a story of loss and love, family and friendship and it's entertaining to read.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Despite really enjoying Dawn O'Porter's last two books I've had to put this one down at approx. 35%. The book is written in first person and the main character is too irritating. I cannot deal with the ridiculous relationship her partner has with his ex-wife. Belinda is probably the most annoying book character I've read in a while.

I generally enjoy dislikable characters but these guys were so irritating I could not enjoy the book.

In O’Porter’s latest novel we meet Mia who has it all, fantastic house, fantastic husband, fantastic step kid and a fantastic job. However all is not well and Mia is carrying some demons around. Her 16 year old cat, Pigeon saved her years ago and Mia in turn adores her.

She needs to talk about her demons and so finds a support group filled with animal lovers. Perfect for her to discuss her woes accept this group is for grieving animal parents and Pigeon is very much alive.

This book was right up my street! I related to all the cat lady comments and assumptions. There was no big plot twist, just a series of events. I fell in love with the characters in the support group and I loved Mia. This story had me chuckling at times and crying with sad tears at others but ultimately it was a big hug in a book. It was a slow burner but it helped me invest in all the characters. Ajay turned out to be underrated! Bless him.

Once again, Dawn O’Porter has managed to deliver another book that literally made me laugh out loud. At first I struggled to like Mia but ended up loving her. A great story showing just how important friendship is to get you through the rubbish parts of life!

Whilst there's some questionable use of Marmite and a Sharpie in this book, I adored it. I sobbed like a baby (and I'm a dog person!)

Mostly character driven and focusing on Mia's relationships with those around her, it was a fast paced read that once I got into, I couldn't put down.

Brilliant read, love Dawn O’Porter and this new novel is excellent.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this title in exchange for my feedback.

I’m really not sure what I expected from this book, but this was different. I struggled with the first half as Mia was difficult to empathise with, but I’m glad I stuck with it. This is a story of owning your truth and realising that conformity isn’t the answer, be your true self.
Mia’s story is a traumatic journey, she judges those around her by her own impossible standards, and she’s unable to form healthy relationships.
Fortunately her love for her cat, Pigeon, helps her to reach out to other like minded people and she starts to find her place in the world.

Mia has struggled to connect since her early childhood but has found love with her cat Pigeon. She leads a very ordered life and always remains in control. She cares for her husband and stepson but is always glad when she can have alone time to snuggle with her pet. However, things start to slowly unravel. ... Dawn O'Porter slowly reels you into Mia's cat lady life and I felt quite emotional as we learned more of her story. Funny quirky and thought provoking.

Funny, heartwarming, Dawn O'Porter does a great job of giving us an inside look at the life of a woman who appears to have it all, But behind the power suits and glossy looks, Mia's hold on her life as wife and step mum all depends on her cat, Pigeon. And when one thing starts to unravel, so does everything else.
Told with humour and empathy, this book is a great story. Imagine what if there was a support group for bereaved pet owners? Who would be there, and what would happen if one or two of the attendees were there under false pretences.
A joy to read.

Mia is happy, she is married but still independent, as she sleeps in her own room, has a successful job as a MD of a jewellery brand and is about to pitch to Selfridges and loves her cat, Pigeon.
But she has not really dealt with her childhood trauma and she is never really herself.
Until she starts going to a supporting group for people who have lost their pets, things change.

I found this book funny at times and interesting in the thematics explored, but did cringe reading about some of the aspects of Mia’s attachment to the cat…

i really enjoyed this book, it was both heart warming and heart breaking at the same time. The story made me both laugh and cry and in some areas was abit cringe. There is an exploration of mental health and grief . Also elements of trauma and the abuse of power. As an animal lover i loved how the story explores the unconditional love we have for our pets.

Cat Lady
Hmm. I’m really undecided about this one. It’s the first of Dawn O’Porter’s books I’ve read. The cover appealed to me, and the fact that I am a cat lady. This book really reiterates the crazy cat lady stereotype. It reiterates it and takes it to a whole other level. Mia’s life is a big battle for control and order. Things like enjoyment and personality fall by the wayside. She lives with her husband, his son and her cat Pigeon. Add in her husband’s ex wife and their friends and it’s a very unusual set up. Mia’s life starts to unravel and with it so does everything she has fought for. Some of it I found out very, very strange, the language, the situations and some of the plot if I’m honest. There were some moments that were funny, some that were heartbreaking and some that were just plain weird. I read it quickly and I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened. However parts of the book will stay with me and wonder what in heaven’s name the author was thinking.

As a self confessed cat lady I had to read this and having not read this author before I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but it wasn’t quite what I got - I’m not saying that was a bad thing! It was quite a pacy read centred around Mia with three main threads: her married life, her support group and her work life with flashbacks to her childhood and the effect it had on her life. Well written and plotted with plenty of humour in this emotional and warm read. Obviously the cat(s) were central to the story but be aware it’s not all happy and I might have had a sad tear.

Briefly, Mia leads a regimented life, at work and at home, even her sex life with husband Tristan is fitted into her schedule. The most important thing in her life is Pigeon, her cat. She thinks she is happy, with the perfect life, until everything implodes…

To me Mia exhibits all the signs of OCD but then as her past life is gradually revealed you can see how her emotions have been restricted by her childhood and teen years. Personally, I didn’t think all the fairly explicit sex scenes were necessary but that aside this was a good read and I finished it in a day. A fun, emotional, sad and happy read. Enjoyable.

We all know the negative stereotypes that the term “cat lady” conjures. But Dawn O’Porter’s latest work is a heart warming tale that looks beyond the label at one particular cat lady.

The book follows Mia who on the face of it is living a wonderful life - she is married and has a successful career. However, she has separate rooms from her husband, a difficult relationship with his ex-wife, she can’t always connect with her step-son as much as she’d like to, she has very challenging relationships with her work colleagues and a troubling family history. The one constant in her life (and the love of her life) is her pet cat Pigeon. But what happens when she joins a support group for those who have lost their pets, even though Pigeon is very much alive? Without saying much more about the plot, it sparks events which lead to Mia’s life unravelling but will she find her way in the end?

This is a story told with a lot of warmth and humour and it is very perceptive too. I found it entertaining and would recommend it to others. I haven’t read O’Porter’s other books but I will be seeking them out!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

What a journey of a read this book is. It's both heart warming and heart breaking, making me laugh, cry and in some places, cringe. I love Dawn O'Porter's writing style, it's blunt and unapologetic and quickly draws you into the story and characters. I found Cat Lady to be a pacey, easy read, even when dealing with emotional subjects.

I am most definitely a cat lady and I saw parts of myself in the main character, Mia. She is trying to fit in and conform to what society tells her she needs to be in order to be seen as successful. She has a nice home, a husband, career and of course her beloved cat companion, Pigeon. But when her life falls apart she has to deal with her past and discover who she really is.

This book delves deep into loss, relationships, childhood trauma and bereavement. Anyone who has lost a pet, especially one you have a special bond with, will understand the grief you feel when you loose them. Cats in particular leave their pawprints on your heart and most definitely aren't "just a cat". Dawn O'Porter tackles this type of grief in a frank and witty way.

This was a thought provoking read and will stay with me for a long time. The lesson I'm taking away is to Be More Cat. They do not conform and are always their own weird selves which is what we should unapologetically be.

You know you're in for an entertaining read when the author is Dawn O'Porter and this was hugely entertaining! Mia is a cat lady, but she plays the part of Company MD, wife and stepmum, putting up with her husband's ex-wife being ever present too. Something has to give - Mia realising her elderly cat's demise is pending, joins an animal bereavement group. The group is supportive, and oh so diverse. Between the group, work, the ex-wife there are moments of genius and real laugh out loud parts. As I did, in public, siting by a pool. The crabs! The stationery! There's also sadness, real life and past traumas to deal with. All in all, a fabulous read. #netgalley #CatLady

I found this quite a sad read, only redeemed by the second half of the book when the main character moved from pretty unlikeable to someone with a story. By the end it was quite an emotional read.

It’s probably the first book I’ve ever thought unnecessarily crass at points as I’m not usually bothered by a bit of rudeness.

Mother’s Day is on a Sunday not a week day - it is quite literally Mothering Sunday. What’s that part of the story about?

Thanks to Netgalley for the preview in return for a review. There are a number of typos that I hope will be fixed by the time it’s released, particularly my most hated - draw instead of drawer and the entertaining barrister instead of barista.

I’d like to thank HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Cat Lady’ by Dawn O’Porter in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Mia is the managing director at Isabella May Jewelry, she has a husband Tristan, stepson Oliver and indoor cat Pigeon who rules the household. She finds it hard to make friends, puts up with Tristan’s ex-wife Belinda, and attends a pet bereavement support group although Pigeon is very much alive.

From the description I expected ‘Cat Lady’ to be a hilarious account of Mia, her life and her cat Pigeon, but apart from the odd occasion that made me smile such as when she accidentally (on purpose) dropped Belinda’s pavlova at the dinner party, I found it very sad. The sex-related parts were unnecessary to the story and I thought Mia deserved a medal for putting up with Belinda and Tristan’s friends who treated her shabbily. This is a novel that readers will either love or hate, I can’t say I hated it but there again I didn’t love it either. I notice it has lots of readers who do love it and have given it great reviews but unfortunately I’m not one of them as it didn’t grab me enough to want to read it in its entirety and I found myself jumping chapters so I could get to the end.

I really enjoyed this novel. I wasn’t expecting to but it got funnier and the content deeper as the story evolved. There were a few typos such as using draw instead of drawer which makes my eye twitch, but that’s really an editors mistake. Overall, charming and a lovely read. Four stars.