Tabby uses an inheritance from her beloved nanna to create a cat cafe with her boyfriend Leon, however he leaves her in the lurch at the last minute. Fortunately friends and family help her finish setting it up, however there is someone determined to ruin it for her. Added to this she suffers from health issues which sometimes makes it impossible for her to fully give her time to the cafe. Will she manage to overcome these issues and make a success of this?
I hadn't heard of cat cafes before reading this book, however it is the kind of place that I'd love to visit. I'd also heard very little about Fibromyalgia, but it sounds like a debilitating illness. Sometimes having something in a book helps others such as myself have at least some understanding of what others go through, but it is treated very well and, although it is a central part of Tabby's story it doesn't define it. There is, naturally, romance involved but this also goes through ups and downs so you just have to keep your fingers crossed for things to work out. In summary a book that made me think but was still positive and I can therefore happily give it 5*.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

It was lovely to be back on Castle Street amongst some of the gorgeous shops and characters that Jessica has previously introduced us to. However, this story reveals some new characters starting with Tabby. As a lifelong cat lover, with my own collection of 5 furry treasures, I immediately identified with Tabby’s character and felt that I completely understood her compulsion to surround herself with cats and to share that experience with others.
Of course, Jessica has sold over a million copies of her books and that doesn’t happen by churning out stories that have no substance to them, so I was prepared to discover that there were hidden layers to this story. Tabby’s health issues are tough to read about, and I was in awe of the delicate manner in which her condition was handled. There’s so much that needs to be learned about how debilitating it can be to live with pain, and I’m aware that there by the grace of god…
So, there’s an overview of the warmth and angst that I have come to expect from this fabulous author. The character development was masterful yet gently introduced, a slow introduction to them coupled with back stories that added flesh to their bones. I’m determined to avoid spoilers but as it’s mentioned in the synopsis, Tabby is really let down by her boyfriend, Leon. His behaviour cast him in a seriously dim light, and I was relieved when she found the courage to continue alone with her dream.
Despite the fact that the odds seem stacked against her, Tabby had a phenomenal support system. Made up of friends, family, and extended family, it’s easy to get an understanding of how incredibly special Tabby is.
Throughout the entire story, there is a question of whether the cat café is the right solution for Tabby, and that question is thoroughly explored. Not everything is plain sailing as the café opens and there are some pretty challenging situations for Tabby to deal with, but she shines when under pressure.
I do hope that we meet Tabby again at some point, but I’m warmed by the perfect conclusion to this book and hope that I have conveyed quite how special it really is.

This is a welcome return to the Castle Street community in Whitborough. Old favourites pop up but this is really about Tabitha , her dream and her love of cats.
I am going to put it out there now, I prefer dogs. Nothing against cats, we have two from next door who visit on a regular basis, especially if we are out in the garden. They are good company, low maintenance and zero food and vet bills, very affectionate but I still prefer dogs.
That said, I loved reading about the cat cafe. I always wondered how they operated and wether I would visit one; I think I may in the future.
I enjoy Jessica’s style of writing, comforting, easy to slip into the character’s lifestyle and become involved in their decisions.
A comfortable easy read.

I am not a cat lover and had I not been a massive fan of Jessica’s writing I would have passed on this one ….. I am so glad I didn’t as usual I was straight into the story and really enjoyed the way the characters evolved ….. I didn’t know anything about the illness suffered but as usual it was a sympathetic telling and I understand it more …… I loved the setting and all the other shop owners and hope we do revisit this series …. I was not disappointed…… pick up this book and enjoy

I’ve read several books by this author and loved them all.
It’s been Tabby’s dream to own a cat cafe and it’s finally coming true. Of course life throws some curve balls her way and messes with her plans. This is a lovely story which deals with some real life issues. I would love to go to a cat cafe, play with cats and eat cake. Sounds perfect.

I love the books by Jessica Redland and this one is no exception.
A story involving Christmas, romance, friendships and cats what’s not to love! It had the added extra of dealing with a chronic illness and all the trials and tribulations which was covered in a light manor.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Cats, chronic illness, break-up, childhood friends to lovers. It sounds like a perfect mix for something great, right? However for me, it was lacking chemistry. It was feeling too slow at most times and the spark between the MCs was almost non-existent for me - it’s worth mentioning that the actual romantic plot only started at like 60% of the book.

I loved the chronic pain illness representation, but in the very beginning it just felt like description of only the illness itself and it didn’t feel natural.

Overall, I didn’t hate it but I also didn’t enjoy it very much.

As a self-confessed crazy cat lady, it was a bit of a no-brainer that I would choose this book to read. I have read several books by this author before, so that came into it as well, because I had enjoyed those too.

Tabby is a young woman who finally has her dream of running a cat cafe. She has a LOT of cats and has a background in pastry making, which comes in handy in this instance. Unfortunately, her boyfriend abandons her just when she needs him, and her fibro is making things very tough indeed.

Enter Tom, a young man who grew up as one of Tabby's grandmothers foster kids. Tom is an accountant who works with Tabby's parents, but when things get tough for Tabby, he steps up and is there for her.

Now, I was anticipating a bit of a romantic Christmas story, light-hearted. It wasn't quite like that. This was an interesting book because it was so real. Tabby had a chronic health condition that impacted her with everything she did. As someone who has been dealing with OA for the past 20 years, I can relate! I liked that she had to make some difficult choices along the way and that her family and the other traders in Castle St were so there for her. Obviously, there were some rough patches along the way and that added to the depth of the book.

So, not light and fluffy but a bit more of a thinker, which I liked, actually. It was still romantic and positive overall, though.

Of course, the highlight of the story was all the cat-related references. Loved that!

5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books.

This was a fun christmas read and as a daughter of someone who has fibro, this was great to see representation in that community. I just thought it was missing a few things to make it an awesome book. It lacked major Christmas magic as well. I do really love cats but feel maybe all the cat talk would be bothersome if you're not a fan. I felt it was a tad little long length wise. Overall I would give it a 3.5/5

Loved it!!! I'm pretty sure this book was written specifically for me. Just switch out Fibromyalgia for migraines/headaches. I would never own sixteen cats, the amount of fur everywhere would be crazy. I would have to hire someone for the litter boxes. This was a very cute story, except for the Free the Cats person. This person was definitely a bit crazy and needed help. She/he went to such extremes to ruin the café. I found Tabby to be a little wishy washy about her career choice. All she wants to do is open a cat café, but she always finds reasons for it not working out. She depended on Leon too much and never wanted help from anyone. I'm pretty sure she could have found someone to be the baker and run the café, then there wouldn't have been so much pressure on her. I really don't think she thought everything through. Everyone needs a Tom-cat in their life. He was wonderful and would do anything for Tabby. Castle Street seems like such a magical place, all the shop owners are lovely and always willing to help one another. I pretty much want to live in Whitsborough Bay and become friends with everyone.

Definitely recommend the book. I loved the characters, story and writing style. Hopefully there's more books about Whitsborough Bay or Castle Street. Are any new stores opening? Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Boldwood Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a fun quick Christmas read—a great representation of the fibro community. Brothers best friend to lover is one of my favorite tropes and who doesn't love cats?

I Loved how Christmas at the Cat Cafe showed how your dreams can change and THAT IS OKAY. Depending on where you are in life your needs can change and you should not worry about that. Not only is it okay to change your mind about your happily ever after, but asking for help can actually help you make you truly meant to be, become a really. Even the strongest of us needs help sometimes.

And cats, who can resist cats. I could just lecture each and every one and how each one of their personalities shone.

I thought this was a lovely and touching story. And I really loved reading about a main character with a chronic illness. Representation matters.

But for a book with Christmas in the title and holiday decorations on the cover, there was very little holiday magic. This is also being marketed as a romance when the real hints of the story going that way don't start until well after the 50% mark. I would have set my expectations differently had I known.

I think if marketed more honestly, I would have enjoyed it more. Instead of the cutesy, perhaps a little silly, holiday rom-com with a lot of cats, I got a drama with very little romance. There were a lot of cats though.

Another sweet book from Jessica Redland. This is going to be such a fun gift to give all my car loving friends. Such a lovely, original story. The perfect cosy day by the fire book.

A 100% buy-today-read-tonight delight.

Thanks to a great author we have warmth, wisdom and emotional intelligence, this book was a huge pleasure to read! A fabulous, really enjoyable read.

Sorry but did not like this at all. I felt the first part of the book was a medical lesson in fibromyalgia which I did not like at all. The concept of a cat cafe did not sit right either. Really disappointing as I like Jessica Redland.

Read this if you like:
small town vibes
cats
family who sticks together
chronic illness related stories
baking

The blurb immediately caught my attention, a book about cats combined with christmas: could there be a better combination? And it’s never too early for a Christmas themed book isn’t, as we reached the ‘ber months now.

At first I was a bit overwhelmed by all those cats (16!!), they are all individually described in appearance and by name which is a lot of information to absorb and to remember. So I had to put the book aside for a few days to let everything sink in. When I picked it up again I immediately regretted not continuing before, because this book is SO relatable for me and I connected with Tabby immediately (I’m a catmom myself and also chronically ill for about 15 years now with multiple illnesses).

The story contained a lot of relatable quotes, lessons and educational information. Both for people who are chronically ill and for people who would like to try to understand what life is like as a chronic ill person.

The story taught me to adapt your dreams to your situation, and not to give them up. You can achieve a lot with the help of your loved ones and your environment, even though asking for help is not always easy as well as being honest about your situation and not minimizing things.

Back to the story: Tabby faces a lot of challenges which keeps you on your toes while reading and rooting for her. The story is never boring, and I loved the cozy small town vibes and the heart warming shop owners in the same street as the cat café. The only little thing that was a bit awkward for me were the real life/emotional conversations Tabby had with her cats, as she also responded on their behalf in all different kinds of voices and accents.
It’s a perfect read in advance of Christmas as 90% of the story takes place in October-November.

Cats, blooming love, a heartwarming village-residents-family and Christmas vibes? Perfect combo to snuggle up and start reading this book!

Thank you @netgalley & @theboldbookclub for this ARC.

4,5 ☆

I loved this book. Tabitha (Tabby) was a likeable character as was Tom. This is the main reason I love Jessica's books - her characters are so relatable and the kind we'd all like to be our friends. Tabby's chronic and painful Fibromyalgia is a huge obstacle in her dream of owning and running a cat cafe and she faces many trials along the way. I don't have cats but loved reading about the various quirks and characteristics of the 15 that belong to Tabby. I had to laugh at the way she gives each one a voice and an accent in her head as I do this with my dogs! I thought I was the only one....haha I feel much better knowing that I'm not. I learned more about fibromyalgia and the extent of its impact on a person's life. This was an absorbing, thought provoking, sometimes funny, sometimes sad but lovely book. The only extra thing I'd like to have read about would be the day to day goings on in the cafe and the customers etc but that's just me as I can never get enough of Jessica's books and am always wanting more. Her books can never be too long for me. An absolute delight. My thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood books for an ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The beginning of this book was okay, not too interesting. The middle was absolutely boring. There was nothing to keep me interested. I was reading thinking "where is the romance? I thought this was romance." I double checked and it is a romance. We don't see a romance until basically the end. It feels like it is thrown at us. The ending was cute but it would be better if there was more leading up to it.

In the spirit of full disclosure I will tell you that I am not a cat person and never will be. So it shows what a fan I am of Jessica Redland that I picked up a book where everyone (well, almost everyone) loves cats and the main character has more than a dozen of her own. I liked Tabby a lot and enjoyed following her story of finding her own happiness. On a side note, I was also so excited to have Allison make some appearances - I loved her story in another novel by Jessica Redland and was so glad to find out what happened to her after the end of that book. Back to Tabby - I appreciated that the author used this book to also educate readers on a health condition (fibromyalgia) but I thought sometimes she had Tabby completely defined by her condition. I thought that the way in which Tabby and Tom realized their feelings for one another were changing was really well done. And totally understood why they got a little nervous about how others would accept them as a couple after the way her brother reacted when it was even suggested there might be something going on. I'm glad that Tabby was learning from all of her experiences across the course of this book that the best thing to do was to be honest with the people you love - even if that might change how they view you. I thought the parts involving Amelia were not really necessary to the story - she was almost over the top nuts and I don't believe that she wouldn't have done something to Tabby years ago.