For someone who loves Christmas and cats, Christmas at the Cat Cafe by Jessica Redland was right up my street, I loved it. Devoured it in one sitting, I was hooked. I must admit not sure I could live with 16 cats but still I loved the book. It was interesting that it was woven into the main character having a chronic illness and the support she required from her family and friends alongside her love of cats. Can’t wait for Jessica’s next book.

This is all I wanted in a holiday read! I loved the premise of this book the first time I read it and I was not let down. I know want to read more from this author and I have told all of my friends to read this one. It is such a pick-me-up and the perfect read for when it is cold outside. Loved!

Christmas at the Cat Cafe is a punny, feel good holiday romcom that hits the spot for kitten cuddles, a great book, and hot cocoa in front of a fire this winter!

Wow! What a brilliant story. Being a cat lover myself, I've visited a few cat cafes, so this was a great insight into how it all works. I also have a friend with Fibromyalgia, so it gave me more of an insight into what her daily struggles can be.
Alongside all of that is a heartwarming and lovely story of Tabby who loves cats and gets her dream of a cat cafe, her supportive family and friends who help her, and a cast of adorable cats.
The story made me both smile and shed a few tears, I loved it from start to finish.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. Cats, Christmas, and books are three of my favourite things, so this seemed like a no-brained for me to read. It was an enjoyable book and I was engaged with Tabby and her story, even though elements didn't sit well with me. Redland wrote well and the Castle Street setting was lovely.

A feel-good romantic and festive read. Cats and Christmas is a winning combination although living with 16 cats would not be for me. How did Tabby not recognise that Tom had feelings for her when he willingly cleaned out litter trays for her....litter trays for 16 cats!! 😂

There is a lot of information in the story about fibromyalgia (maybe a tad too much?) as Tabby has frequent flare-ups which seriously impact her quality of life. The author also explains the concept of spoons in relation to how much energy Tabby has in her reserves for everyday tasks and socialising. It was interesting to read about a main character with a chronic illness. It showed how important it is to have an understanding support network and ask for help when it's needed.

Tom and Tabby are childhood friends and completely at ease in each other's company making it easy to transition from friends to something more. The build-up was sweet, funny and completely believable.

The mystery of who was responsible for the vandalism at the cat cafe added more drama but the revelation really took me by surprise. I was not expecting that little twist. The people on Castle Street are a close-knit and friendly bunch who don't hesitate to chip in and help each other out when times are bad. I really liked that small town community feel which will no doubt lead me to reading more in the series.

Having discovered Jessica Redland last Christmas and enjoyed her books since, I was keen to jump into this book about Tabby setting up a Cat Cafe, which seems a novel concept. Unfortunately just before opening her partner deserts her and if that isn’t enough she also is suffering from the debilitating condition of fibromyalgia. There also seem to be people around her that want to stop the cafe opening.

I loved this book as much as her previous books and do enjoy the writing style of her books, and the romance style of them. I do feel it’s good that people write about people suffering with medical conditions, and I learned a lot about fibromyalgia in this book which will make me understand it better, but I can see how this might put some people off who read books for escapism. However I have to say I felt this was written very well into the book, and only added to the reading experience and the story for me.

I felt the story was very well written, and in particular the slow burn of the developing relationship in Tabby’s life, and found myself rooting for them. I loved the main characters and was very glad to spend some of the Christmas season with them. I’m not particularly a cat person, but despite that I did love the story and the unique cat part of it, although I’m sure I wouldn’t spend the extra money to go to a cat cafe. Just a word of warning if anyone is a cat lover there is one part of the story that could be upsetting. However, even that I feel was very well written in the story.

Overall if you enjoy these romance style of books I would definitely recommend this book, and gave it five stars. There isn’t one book by Jessica Redland that I haven’t enjoyed very much, and look forward to reading more books by her.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Tabby has loved cats since childhood and thanks to her grandmother's inheritance cheque, she can now finally realise her dream of opening a cat cafe with her boyfriend Leon. However, just before opening day, Leon takes off and Tabby can't possibly run the cafe alone due to her debilitating fibromyalgia. To make matters worse, some people are opposed to cat cafes and are making things difficult. Thankfully. Tabby has her friends and family to help make sure the cafe is up and running for Christmas.

I adore cats and cosy romance novels, so this should have been my favourite festive read ever. However, I was hugely uncomfortable with the romance. Although there's no biological connection, Tabby and Tom were raised as almost siblings and they started off having that very real sibling-esque dynamic. Therefore, I cannot feasibly believe that they'd reach their mid 30s and suddenly fall in love. Even if this did actually happen, it's really icky and definitely not something I could ever support.

I also had an issue with the heavy-handedness of the fibromyalgia message. I am fully aware of how hard it can be to live with a chronic pain condition but it didn't need to be mentioned as often as it did. A couple of conversations between Tabby and her cousin about the realities of it would have been fine. It didn't have to be constantly used to explain why Tabby couldn't do things.

The final straw came when one of the kittens died. I was not expecting any kind of darkness in a book like this, let alone something as dark as a DEAD BABY CAT. There didn't seem to be any need for it either. Why couldn't she just have found them all?!

Overall, it was a disappointing read full of missed opportunities, cringeworthy dialogue and unnecessary gloom.

What a book! My absolute favourite festive read of 2023!

I couldn't stop reading as I just loved the characters and felt totally connected to the story due to my teen also being a massive cat lover who is so similar to Tabby.

I really hope we'll get to revisit the lovely Tabby as she is a character that has really stayed with me and I have loved recommending this book to read over Christmas 🎄

This was such a cute story. Tabby is getting ready to open her cat cafe when her boyfriend who was supposed to help her dumps her and abandons all their plans. She is left to figure out how to move forward with her 16 cats and new business while also dealing with intense pain from fibromyalgia. The writing was pretty cheesy at times and a bit more in depth with descriptions than I wanted (this cat sat here, that cat sat there, etc) but overall I was fully engaged and I learned a lot about fibromyalgia and how tough of a disease it is to live with! I also thought the romance in this book was super sweet and clean which I appreciate! Plus… I love cats so there’s that.

Video review coming to my YouTube Channel soon.

I want to start by saying Jessica Redland is an amazing author. I left a star review only on Goodreads, but wanted to explain why I couldn’t finish this book. I did not know that illness would be such a heavy presence in the book. Although I love the representation, I was not in a place to read that content in this season of life. Having read Jessica Redland before, I know this book is spectacular and will be such a joy for others.

This is a perfect, feel-good, cosy up with the fire and Christmas tree lit behind you kind of book. Perfect Christmas read, simple and easy! This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3 Meowy Christmas stars!

Tabby is finally about to open the cat café of her dreams with her boyfriend. Then said boyfriend ghosts her and the fur flies. Now, left to open on her own, Tabby must admit to her health issues to her family and ask for help. She still might need a Christmas miracle to pull this off.

This was adorable! Loved all the cats (pretty sure there were over a dozen). There were some fun side characters and shenanigans and tons of Christmas cheer. I feel that Tabby’s health issues were treated respectfully and explained very well. Especially if someone had no experience with it prior to reading this.

The main issues I had were length (could have cut out at least 25%) and sometimes the writing style came off as repetitive, but that’s a personal opinion. The romance aspect could have fleshed a bit more.

Overall this was really cozy and cute and perfect for the Holiday season!

Check it out Now!

A big thanks to the Publisher & NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

As a general rule, I'm always a big fan of more representation. And that brings me right to the thing I appreciated most about this book. It shows the nitty and gritty, the long road it so often takes to really accept what might make you different - and especially: the small and (often unexpected ways) in which you might be confronted with that.
So, while I didn't find myself to be particularly invested in the romance in Christmas at the Cat Café, it was altogether a pleasant read. And one that genuinely opened my eyes to a whole different perspective.

I love how this main character has Fibromyalgia. It was refreshing to see a character with the illness. The slow burn romance was also sweet. I really enjoyed this book.

Favorite Quotes:

I thought I knew him so well, but so much of what he’d done this year bewildered me. Perhaps I shouldn’t be mourning my loss. Perhaps I should be celebrating a lucky escape.

This is my big dream but, right now, it feels more like a nightmare.

I was planning to do the classic stereotypical man thing of shopping on Christmas Eve and panic-buying rubbish gifts.

My Review:

Christmas, cats, frequent mentions of baked goods, and Jessica Redland’s writing, I knew I’d like this one since I’m a kitten rescuer myself. The characters were gentle people and their storylines focused on real-life issues and were chaste enough for my elderly mother’s book club and easy to follow, although ever so slowly paced. I found myself growing impatient with the repetition of her health concerns, although understandably, dealing with a chronic illness can be all-consuming. There were a few surprise turns, a slow-burn romance, and a bit of a mystery to solve before ending with a much anticipated and appreciated HEA.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this arc.
Christmas at the Cat Cafe was a cute and cozy read. You can read this over the weekend.

I did not finish this book and it just wasn't for me.

If you LOVE cats, then this read is for you!

Christmas at the Cat Café

by Jessica Redland

Author Jessica Redland slowly builds a captivating romance in the Yorkshire setting she is so familiar with. Tabby, with the nickname of Tabby-cat, is an ailurophile, a cat lover, whose dream is to own a cat café. I had to do an Internet search and discovered that there are examples of this kind of business all over the world, played out in various ways. In general the idea is to have a place for patrons to relax and enjoy being around cats. A baker by trade, Tabby quits her job at a restaurant to establish her special world in a multistoried building with an inheritance from her grandmother who has always encouraged her to follow her dreams. Her boyfriend Leon is also a chef and the intention is for him to run the café with her.

There are multiple problems in the execution of this plan from romance to health issues. I don’t want to insert too many spoilers, but I will reveal that Tabby has fibromyalgia. I learned so much about this condition that I did not know. In some ways it was difficult to read about Tabby’s struggles, but it was fulfilling to see her determination.

Initially I labored to visualize all of the different cats and remember their types and names. I have rescued a few cats over the years, but have spent more time and energy on dogs. I really don’t know all of the different breeds of cats. I soon realized that all of that background knowledge is not necessary to understand the plot, appreciate the characters’ motivations and enjoy this book.

There is a mystery woven into the plot of Christmas at the Cat Café when someone tries to ruin the café in various ways. The other shop owners on Castle Street are welcoming, and Tabby’s family is very supportive. I like Tabby so much as she tries to learn her limits with unpredictable fibromyalgia. Another main character, Tom-cat, was fostered by her grandmother, is a partner in her parents’ business, and has always seemed like a brother. He is handsome and likable and he and Tabby-cat have always been good friends.

Read this book to learn about cats and cat cafés. Read this book to become more aware of fibromyalgia and how you can help those who have it. Read this book because it has a fantastic plot with believable complications and great characters!

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Romance, Women’s Fiction

Notes: clean other than a very few expletives

Publication: September 15, 2023—Boldwood Books

Memorable Lines:

I realised that if I didn’t get to grips with my fibro, this could be me—angry, bitter, hating the world and everyone in it. That scared me more than a lifetime of pain…

“Fibromyalgia is so unpredictable that it’s not worth investing any energy into worrying about a flare-up. Fibro flares can be triggered by so many things such as stress, over-exertion, illness, changes in the weather and temperature, but sometimes those things don’t trigger a flare, and other times you can have a flare and none of those things are present.”

My heart was pounding and the nervous butterflies in my stomach were chasing each other and doing somersaults. I was excited, but also terrified.

I love a cute Christmas story. The icing on the cake was cats! A cute and light hearted holiday read. I liked the cat cafe premise, but it was a little too similar to Codi Gray's cat cafe Christmas book that I read last year. Still would recommend it because it was cute!