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.

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Soon as I saw the title of this I requested straight away- Cats and Christmas... what's not to love.

Part of me thought it was the perfect cosy read. I loved the cats and I loved the little romance. However a part of me in the first part of the story felt almost like I was reading a leaflet for Fibromyalgia. I loved how the author included a life long condition as someone who used to work with someone who had it I did find it interesting, but I felt it was just abit too many facts thrown in.

That being said I did really enjoy this, it had me smiling and brought tears to my eyes. I will be checking out the authors other titles.


4/5 stars, a nice easy read for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

When I first saw this book I wanted to pick it up right away because I love cats. Believe it or not, this is the second book I've read that was set in a cat cafe during Christmas!

Overall this was an okay read for me. I enjoyed reading about the cats, the creativite interior design at the cafe, and about fibromyalgia (in particular the process of accepting the diagnosis and limitations). It did, however, feel like I was being taught about fibromyalgia at times. It didn't always feel natural. The plot was somewhat predictable, until the one part, which did make me audibly gasp. I liked the romance and thought it was sweet.

I would have liked to hear more about the day-to-day of the cafe, more descriptions of the food and drinks, and different customers to up the cozy factor.

I'd recommend if you're a cat lover or interested in reading about or learning more about chronic pain/illness.

Tabby has always been a crazy cat lady and her diagnosis with Fibromyalgia and recent breakup with her long time boyfriend threatens her dream of opening a cat cafe. Forging ahead with the help of her friends and family, especially her brothers best friend, she encounters resistance from an unknown source who wants to shut her down.. Can Tabby persevere to realize her dream or does she realize her dream is something and someone else entirely .

I had such high hopes for this book, just on the title alone. Christmas and cats? Sign me up. Two of my favorite things. But while the book was a very easy read, I struggled to connect with the FMC, even though we’re both cat lovers. The premise of the story is that Tabitha, fittingly called Tabby, is just about to open a cat cafe, which is her dream. But her long term boyfriend has just broken up with her and she has fibromyalgia, so she was really relying on him to pull weight in what she thought was his dream too. Without him, she’s unsure of her future.

Here’s what I did like:
The setting was gorgeous. I could easily visualize the cafe on a street with many other local small businesses and the detail written into the descriptions of the locale was impeccable.
Tabby’s parents were wonderful. For secondary characters, they were well written, and I felt like I would be warmly welcomed into their home if they were real.
There was a small plot twist of sorts that I only saw coming a page or two ahead of time that was very well done. It was the most compelling part of the story, and I really enjoyed reading that section.
Being American, I also really enjoyed the British slang. I had to look a few phrases up, but most everything could be figured out using context clues. I would 100% read more Brit Lit!
And obviously, I enjoyed the cats. (Duh.)

And here’s what I struggled with:
Tabby was so whiny. And I’m not talking about her fibro here. If you have a debilitating health concern that affects nearly every aspect of your life, I would expect complaints. But Tabby always seems to throw herself a pity party for even the most minor of inconveniences. It made it difficult for me to like her as a character. However, I was still really rooting for her to succeed, so there’s that.
The amount of cats Tabby has was off-putting. I get that she added to her number because she was opening a cafe, but she literally has 15 cats. I love cats more than most people but that’s just… a lot.
The random Celine Dion references were weird. I get how they added to the story but it felt like it was the author’s favorite song and she needed to have it in the book and was willing to do anything to have that happen.

If you want a Christmasy feeling book and you love cats, this would be a good one for you! I feel like this book is for people with a very niche interest, but it was certainly enjoyable.

I was slightly surprised to find myself getting really involved with the story, because at first I did find the writing a little too didactic: another reviewer said it was like reading a textbook, and I could sympathise. I do feel, however, that this was a worthy attempt to inform through the medium of fiction, and that this book could make a real difference for someone who has just has a diagnosis of fibromyalgia or another condition causing chronic pain or fatigue. Or perhaps it might just make a reader empathise with anyone suffering an invisible disability - and heaven knows, we need more of that! Tabitha's reluctance to tell people just how incapacitating her condition can be is all too familiar to other sufferers and the widespread support and sympathy she gets would be little short of miraculous in the real world; here, the vitriol she attracts is because of her cat cafe, and not because she's sat in the priority seat on a bus or parked in a disabled space - problems faced daily by people with fibro or CFS, for example. So, if there's a little too much time spent explaining the unpredictability of fibro, or the "spoons' model which helps people to cope, it's done with the best intentions, and may help newly diagnosed sufferers and/or their families, to understand what can be overwhelming life-changes.

It helps if you're a cat lover, too, because they figure largely in the story, which is set against the background of a community the author has used before, Whitsborough Bay. If you like familiar settings and returning characters then you'll enjoy seeing a handful of familiar faces amongst the Castle Street shopkeepers. And there's Christmas to look forward to, of course, with the sense of family and celebration that it brings.

My 4 star rating is partly in appreciation of an author who is tackling a difficult and not particularly glamorous subject. It may be a rather optimistic view, in the end, but for people in need of hope and support, that's not necessarily unhelpful.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for a review copy.

Jessica Redland books never disappoint and this one was no exception. It’s Christmas and Tabby has always dreamed of opening a cat cafe. As well as struggling with all the stress of opening a new business, the main character Tabby has to struggle with coping with fibromyalgia. Coming clean to her family and close friends about how bad it actually was was described really well, as well as information about the condition itself. Tabby then has to deal with boyfriend Leon deciding that the cafe and relationship are no longer what he wants. She has to decide whether to carry on with her dream or not. Relying on family and friends she opens but there is negativity from some. Has she got the strength to carry on? There was a real sense of community and family support in this. The other characters were all believable and I loved how there was a bit of everything in the story; friendship and romance alongside revenge and heartbreak. Even if you don’t particularly like cats this is still a great festive read. Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

Cats, Christmas and a cozy cafe, what's not to like??

This book was everything that I thought it would be. It was a cute story and I liked that it linked in a disability as well.

I found the first half of the book to be a bit too strictly educational when it came to fibromyalgia. While I loved learning more about Tabby and her struggles, it felt there was too much focus on it when I was looking to get more into the cute, cozy story that I came for.

I pushed through and I'm glad I did, because it was a great Christmas read and if you love cats, this one is definitely for you!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a copy of "Christmas at the Cat Café" in exchange for my honest review.

This book combines three fabulous things: Christmas, cats and a café. The story is heartwarming and I must admit may need some tissues in certain parts. The story takes place in Whitsborough Bay and we are introduced to Babushka, Boo, Freyja, Heathcliff, Jupiter, Marmalade, Sybil, Viking, Winnie, Blinky, Cloud, Effie, Marmite, Pebbles, Rubix, Ruby and Smudge - otherwise known as the cats of the café. Each one has a unique personality and brings such warmth and joy to the story. Their human is Tabitha Walsh - known as Tabby to everyone. Her nanna encouraged her to follow her dreams to work with cats in some way. When she passed away, she left a sizeable inheritance to Tabby with which to pursue her dreams. She was a pastry chef at The Ramparts Hotel where she met Leon Dexter who would become her boyfriend and planned business partner. Marmalade belonged to Leon but he had no problem leaving him and Tabby behind to pursue his own dreams.

While most of the story is told in the present there are a few chapters devoted to the past which fills in all the blanks about how Tabby came to this point and time in the present. We learn how Tabby adjusted her dreams to Leon's schedule only to be hurt in the process. Tabby is a most fortunate character to have a wonderful family who cobbles together furniture and housewares so that she can move out of Leon's house and into the flat above the café.

A good deal of the story is devoted to Tabby's diagnosis of Fibromyalgia. There is a lot of solid and accurate information about the disease and how it can affect a person's day to day life. I believe the author sharing the "spoon" theory is very helpful to those possibly reading the book and either suffering from this disease or supporting someone that has it - it certainly helped me understand how difficult it must be when you've run out of "spoons" for that day and may have already used up what you borrowed from tomorrow. It also highlighted how important it is to ask for help, to not feel guilty and to be really grateful if you do have a wonderful support system in place.

Tabby and her friend Tom Headley who has been a part of their family since she was 7 and he was 9 realize that they have something special together. How wonderful to realize that your bestfriend is also your soul mate.

The story also touches on how horrible trolls on social media can be and how not everything that you read about is actually true. Mean and vicious posts by someone hiding behind a screen are not okay.

The book wraps up beautifully with the past, present and future coming together for Tabby and Tom. Tabby realizes that her dream is still her dream, she just needs to shift the focus a bit. This is the perfect Christmas read for anyone who loves cats and the holidays.

I've read a lot of Jessica Redland's books and I love them.
A Christmas book by Jessica, set around a cat cafe, what's not to like?
Tabby is the main character and is realising her dream of setting up a cat cafe. There are a few battles along the way, including opposition from some animal lovers, an angry ex and Tabby's personal battle in coming to terms with a fibromyalgia diagnosis.
There were a few too many cat references for me, but this is still a lovely, cosy Christmassy feelgood book.

Christmas at the Cat Café by Jessica Redland is the first book I've read from her. I love Christmas and cats so I took the chance to request this book. I wasn't disappointed. This is such a cozy book. I read it with some chips, brownies and iced chocolate. This book is absolutely heart warming!

This book made me smile and tear up. I relate a lot to Tabby in the sense that I usually don't like to ask for help. I like to do things independently. I am just as stubborn as her. I adored Tom so much. Tom should be every girl's standard. He raised the bar so high. I also adored the cat puns. They were on point!

This is more than just a romance book. This has educated me about fibromyalgia. I didn't know about this chronic illness before and now I am educated and I even researched about it myself. The author did really well in describing what it was and making the readers understand how difficult it is to have it.

This book also showed that despite losing the "love of your life", there is still so much more out there. You have your family and friends to be with you and that you can always meet new people and make new friends.

The only reason that this wasn't a 5 star for me was that I felt that it was dragging a bit. I do understand the author's intention of educating and emphasizing fibromyalgia, however at times I felt like it focused on that too much. But again, overall this was such a good read and I would definitely recommend this!

I normally love Jessica’s books and was so excited to read this one. I love cats and I love Christmas so what could possibly go wrong?! Sadly I just didn’t like the main character and the book just fell very flat for me. I had to drag myself through a lot of it. I found the constant reference to the main characters fibromyalgia quite draining after a while, I felt like I was reading a textbook about the condition at times. I highly sympathise with anyone that has the condition but I just didnt expect it to be the primary focus of this book in such an in depth way. No Christmassy warmth to be found amongst these pages for me sadly.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

The only downside to reading this was reading it during some of the hottest days of the summer. This would be the perfect book to curl up with a mug of hot chocolate by a cozy fire during the middle of winter. Disclaimer, I am a cat lover. I also have a dream of someday opening a cat cafe. This book was adorable and I loved the descriptions of all the cats. I wanted to take them all home with me. I appreciated the consideration given to Tabby with her illness and how it worked with the story overall. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves cats.

As someone who loves cats, this story is for you! And if you happen to suffer from fibromyalgia like the main character, or want to learn a lot about this autoimmune disease, I highly recommend this book. You will learn so much! It's also fun that it's a love story, too.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really cute book. I liked how it wasn’t just about the cats you got to see her struggle with her mental and physical illness. But the cats are a plus. Thank you guys for letting me read this before release day it was so good

#ChristmasattheCatCafé #NetGalley is the first book I've read by Jessica Redland, but it won't be my last.
This story will touch all of your emotions, so be prepared to be happy, sad, and mad!
Tabby has had a dream of opening her own cat cafe, and after several setbacks, her dream is coming true.
The downside to this is Tabby gets dumped, she comes to terms with her diagnosis of Fibromyalgia, and finds herself the target of someone's hate crimes.
The story is well written, the author certainly did her research, and Tabby's love of her cats shines through in the description of each one.

As an older woman who has lived with Fibromyalgia for 7 years, I relate to the anger and frustration Tabby deals with in her life.
The fibro fog, the overwhelming fatigue, and constant pain is something we all deal with, and learning to live with it is a challenge. Having to admit that something as simple as sweeping the floor can send me to a red flare in a matter of seconds is hard to accept.
I love how she uses colors for her flare stages. I'm currently at a light amber flare, but in two hours I must motivate myself to get up and go to work.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.
I am definitely recommending this book to others.

From the opening page of the book I knew it would be special. And I don't mean the first page of chapter one, I mean the explanation of who all the cats are and which real cats they are based on. It was such a special touch, and introduced us instantly to the care and level of detail, plus specialness of how the fur babies would be depicted in this story.

And it is becoming incredibly apparent that Jessica Redland is a massive animal lover, not just a hedgehog fan, as whenever there are this many animals in one of her books, you just feel the affection and care for them.

I loved the idea of a cat cafe, and loved seeing how it was all set up and explained how it would work.

But what really makes this book even above our feline friends, who I totally loved, all of them, is the depiction of Fibromyalgia that our main character Tabby has. It is clear a lot of research has been put into this and explaining what its like to live with a chronic pain condition, in such a sensitive and empathetic way, is eye opening.

It's eye opening and such a special book in so many ways. Plus it was amazing to back in Whitsborough Bay, back on Castle Street and getting to catch up with even briefly with the lives of other shop owners that have featured in previous books was such a joy for this massive Jessica Redland fan.

A totally amazing book, I couldn't read it fast enough, I even went to be earlier than normal so I could read for a long while undistracted, and made any excuse to pick up my kindle to make sure I devoured this.

Just brilliant!

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I'm not one to read about Christmas in August but I'm glad I did!

This story is definitely for the cat people and I ate it up. I love how much we got to learn about Tabby and her fibromyalgia. Her story read like you were talking to a friend and watching her progress through the Cat Cafe steps made me so emotional. All the characters and story line will stand out to me for a very long time and I can't wait to buy a physical copy or two to drop off at the local Cat Cafe in my town.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC and Jessica Redland for the beautiful story I will be revisiting.