Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

Omg I fell in love with this from the beginning and the love story that follows is beautiful. I love that all of the cats have different personalities and my heart went out to Marmalade. Leon is a bit of an arse but I am so glad Tabby has so many friends and family to help her achieve her dreams. I also love the fibro stuff I don't have it but it's fascinating reading about it and if it helps someone else feel better about it then I think that's amazing. It was warm purrfect and absolutely brilliant
5 stars

Live & dream cats? Tabby does!🐈

3.5🌟 stars
Jessica Redland is on my shortlist of favorite cozy women's fiction, but I just could not feel the usual love for this one. Redland made me fall for hedgehogs in her Hedgehog Hollow series, but I found this story was too low-key on the romance for my taste and too focused on the health challenges of Tabby, the cafe owner and central character. The story was a bit of a miss for me but that won't deter my eagerness to read the next novel Redland has in store.

And, though the chart at the book's start listing all of the cats, their age, breed, etc., was a good idea, there were just too many to keep straight. I felt her furry friends would have been more impactful and able to capture my sympathies if there were less of them and more attention could have fallen on each. Smudge and Marmalade did stand out but more is not always better! The cats themselves get some drama, sad times and an interesting Christmas twist near the end but are largely an army of interchangeable bit players.

Tabby was not a character who I could relate to and had so many coping issues that she was a bit of a downer.
Considering her fibromyalgia that lays her low on a regular basis and that she's downplayed for her family and friends for so long, I just found the whole idea of her starting and managing a business like this, even with a helpmate, and caring for so many cats, unfathomable.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

I don’t know how Jessica does it but she just does. Another fantastic book.
I love Christmas and what more is there to love than Christmas on castle Street. Tabby and her partner Leon are opening a cat cafe in Castle Street when I change of heart sends all plans into a spin.
When Tabby’s family rally round can they make Tabby’s dreams come true.
Filled with love and Christmas a d a whole lot of cats this is a magical book revisiting all our favourite Castle Street traders.
A must for Christmas and Animal lovers alike. A festive five star book.
Thank you NetGalley, Bold wood Books and Jessica Redland for an ARC of another great read.

This was a Christmas book that very well can be read anytime in the cozy season. The plot spans a couple of weeks approaching Christmas, so I loved to have opened the season with this book. I find it very interesting that Jessica chose to have her FMC represent the chronic illness of fibromyalgia, which I have not come across in another book yet. I learned about this condition and found that very interesting. Aside from that learning aspect, the story also was very cozy and a great read.

Tabby as a character is a very likeable and nice FMC. I liked her attitude towards her illness and how she still managed to fulfil her dream of having a cat cafe. In addition, Tom is a very kind and humble MMC. I liked him a lot and how he treated and supported Tabby. Both of them were a great leading team for the book and I kept reading and reading to learn what will become of the cafe as well as of the two of them.

To summarise, what I liked specifically is that the book touched the topic of fibromyalgia. I’ve never read a book with a chronically ill MC (by coincidence, not choice) and I think that is such a great thing about this book. All in all I will start reading more of Jessica's work, as the writing was great and the story as well.

(a version of this review will be published on my Goodreads as well s instagram account @anns.book.chronicles on pub day)

I've enjoyed a lot of this author's books but I'm afraid this one wasn't for me. I like cats but this was over the top - 15 cats! I mean, seriously! - 15!

Sadly, this book simply didn't live up to my expectations of a fabulous romantic escape. There wewre times when I felt I was being lectured to about the condition and this distracted from the story.

I didn't particularly take to the heroine, and I felt guilty because she has fibromyalgia which a friend of mine suffers from - so I know how badly that condition affects her - but I just couldn't engage and I struggled to continue reading.

It was rather slow and predictable for me, but it's well written.

What a cozy little novel for the holiday season! I loved watching Tabby and Tom’s love blossom throughout the book and I loved reading about Tabby’s fur family!

I received an ARC from Netgalley and Boldwood Books.

So Christmas and cats are probably two of my favorite things, and if I could own a cat cafe, it would be an absolute dream. I expected a lot of warm fuzzies from this book and it was very different from what I was anticipating.

Pros:
-Loved the cats-also loved that there was a list at the beginning of the book giving details on each of the cats in the book.
-Loved the concept of a cat cafe-baking and owning a cat cafe are some serious life goals.
-Appreciated the background of Tabby and her having to come to terms with her debilitating fibromyalgia-I always enjoy when the main character is facing something that is not just a superficial problem and you get to see how they learn, develop, and grow.

Misses
-Lacked any significant Christmas magic. And I don't mean the book has to have actual magic in it, but it was lack the festive quality of a Christmas novel and really the book could have taken place at any time of the year.
-Hatred toward the cat cafe-This could be because I am from the US and not the UK, but cat cafes in the US are adored by the public. They feature cats up for adoption, so the concept of using your own cats for a cat cafe was kind of lost on me.
-The cover gave me lots of warm fuzzy feelings, but the book had a lot of very depressing moments for me. Based on the cover and description, I expected more of a feel-good book and it was not really that for me.

Overall I have mixed reviews of this book. I think if it had matched my expectations more or if I had known going in what to expect and may have enjoyed it more. It was my first Jessica Redland book, so I think I will read another, but go in with different expectations.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review!

When I saw the title, I immediately wanted to pick this book up because I LOVE cats!!! The descriptions of all the cats early on in the book was amazing, I felt like I was there meeting all of them myself!

I read this book in just over 24h (including a night's sleep). That doesn't happen often for me, not when the book is over 300 pages long. I've been keeping a running list of likes and dislikes about this book, and I don't want to give away many spoilers, so I'll keep it short, starting with my one dislike: Leon. However, everything happens for a reason, and none of Tabby's story would've happened if it wasn't for Leon making the decisions he did!

As for my likes... There's a whole lot more. Just to mention a few:
- Short chapters
- Chapters that alternate between the past and now
- Being introduced to new cats throughout the chapters
- Talking about fibromyalgia and the daily struggles for fibro warriors
- Tabby talking to the cats and then talking back in voices and accents
- The family's support around Tabby's fibro
- All the other business owners helping after... Incidents.
- Tabby following her dream despite her fibro and figuring out how they fit together and what it is that she wants
- Shelleythecatqueen
- Kittens!!!!!
- The ending ❤️

If you're a person looking for tropes, here's a few: chronic illness, brother's best friend, friends to lovers, HEA, cosy Christmas setting

I loved everything about this book and it's a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for me!

This was a really warm and wholesome read! This book follows the MC, a woman with a chronic illness (fibromyalgia) who opens a cat cafe with the help of her family and friends after being left in the lurch by her ex (who was supposed to open the cafe with her) - the book is wonderfully full of cats and people's love of cats, and a slow-burn relationship between the MC and her childhood friend who helps her with the cafe. This book toed the fine line between sadness and melancholy and wholesomeness, I really enjoyed reading it ❤️

There's also a lot of representation of the trials of having fibromyalgia, as well as the steps the MC takes (with the help of family and friends) to accept her illness and get to to a stage where she finds the best balance between her dreams and her illness.


TWs - death of a pet cat, owner abandoning their cat (NOT the MC, dw), underhanded professional sabotage

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

Just enough Christmas and just enough cats for me! I'm not an animal lover in general, but I'm a huge Jessica Redland fan, so when I was given the opportunity to read and review this book I embraced it. This continuation of the Castle Street Whitsborough Bay series is great, the book also works as a standalone. The story follows Tabby as she opens a brand new Cat Cafe and the drama that comes along with that and also the story of her health condition and learning to cope better with that. There's heartbreak and a new romance too and lots of cheeky cats and kittens along the way. A great read to get ready for the colder months!

⭐⭐⭐

I had high hopes for this novel, and it was pretty cute but honestly a little boring and not what I expected. It was less about the actual cat café and more focused on the main character's personal drama, such as her boyfriend leaving her and her trying to establish a new relationship with her brother's best friend, who was basically a part of her family growing up from age 9. I predicted this as soon as he started helping her by staying in the flat above the café. I must say, my favorite part of the novel were the cats and my heart was broken for Smudge. The chronic illness, specifically fibromyalgia representation was wonderful and as someone who does not have a chronic illness, it certainly was enlightening on how a person can visually look normal but live in excruciating pain. I also thought the spoon theory was a great way to illustrate her fatigue level. Overall, this was a cute book but I definitely got bored at points and it was not what I expected.

I loved this one from Jessica. It was very sad but it also had alot of happiness thrown in. Along with romance. I hope there will be more in this series as I would love to find out what happens next. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Yes, it is September and no I don't feel the slightest bit guilty about enjoying a Christmas read when it's still warm and sunny(ish). I am trying my hardest to write this without giving any hint or spoilers, It's proving difficult because all I want to do is talk about this book to EVERYONE. From it's gorgeous concept, short chapters and cosy artwork on the cover, I loved it all.

My first impressions of the book within the first few chapters were WOW, this main character is my kind of person. Tabby, I want only good things to happen to you and all your beautiful cats.

One of the sweetest books that I have read in a while- heart warming read that covers many different important topics. The way that the author has tackled the topic of illness and invisible illness is insightful, educational and perfectly sensitive.

My only struggle that I was having with this book, I kept falling in love with all the different cats. New favourite every other chapter.

Thank you for letting me read this brilliant book, I will be looking into more books by this author now.

I’ve loved all books by Jessica and this one is no exception. Lovely characters, great storyline and interwoven with info on a serious medical condition. Perfect gift for the secret Santa box

Awww, I loved it. The idea of setting up a cat cafe really interested me, I love cats and miss having one snuggle next to me. Reading this was like they were all right there with me. I loved their own individual personalities and how well they and their mannerisms were described.

Being back in Castle Street was great too, seeing lots of familiar faces, and the Christmas lights tradition. Tabby and Tom are great characters and I was rooting for them to be together ever since they used their nick names for each other. Learning about Tabby’s condition and how it affected her life and how she had to change her mindset about everything was very interesting and enlightening. Very well researched and written.

I’m hoping we get to see more of Tom and Tabby in their new rescue centre as they meet new friends.

Oh my. Jessica does it again. This is a beautiful, heartwarming story. Well researched with a good understanding of fibromyalgia that evokes empathy not pity. The cats make you smile and you just want to be able to visit the cafe. Find a comfy chair, a hot chocolate and plenty of time because you won't want to move until you've finished this lovely book!

TW: death of a pet, chronic illness

Don't be fooled by the cute and cozy cover like I was. This book is 100% women's fiction (ie - heavy subjects, sad events). I did enjoy the book a lot but it wasn't what I was expecting -- which is totally my fault as the book is clearly listed as women's fiction but I was distracted by the cover.

As someone who deals with chronic health issues, I do not want to read about them for fun. That being said, I do appreciate the explanations the author gave and hopefully it will help all those healthy folks to have more empathy and understanding towards those who suffer from chronic conditions. And, honestly, all of us could stand to be more empathetic and understanding towards everyone we meet.

So this was a much heavier book than anticipated but I still recommend it. Just make sure you're in the right headspace for it.

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

Christmas at the Cat Cafe by Jessica Redland

I'm a new cat lady - lol, without being biased, I absolutely love this book. It really speaks about mental health and the ability to move on and find "you" before "you become us" and this book really speaks about breaking through stigma and barriers. And yes, if you're a cat person, this is definitely a book for you.

10/10

This was a delightful book to read - heartwarming and moving at the same time. I liked the protagonist, Tabby, and the way she connected with the other characters. This did also remind me of Melissa Daley's cat cafe books, which I really enjoyed.

If you love cats, you will probably enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.