This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

I had a hard time with this one and perhaps because I hadn't read any of the previous books in this series. I had zero connection with any character and they all came off as immature. The plot didn't pull me in either so I didn't care what happened at the end. Just not my kind of book, I guess.

This is a sweet story about two people in their late fifties falling for each other; there's absolutely no angst, and no real sexual tension or physical intimacy between the protagonists, but it was a soothing, easy read.

Beware: casual fatphobia; cancer; loss of parents; grief.

The first chapter is absolutely fantastic; it reveals Raven's character beautifully and generally sets the tone of the narrative. In the second chapter, we get Lance's point of view, and with it, most of his life's story, mostly through internal dialogue exposition. And when they meet, thanks for a rescue cat making a run for it (and into Lance's camper), we get most of Raven's life story.

It sounds more awkward in my summation than it is in execution, but it's there.

At any rate, both of them notice the other's attractiveness right away, but are wary of acknowledging it even to themselves; he's relatively fresh from a divorce, and she's still smarting from hers--a good fifteen years before.

But of course, the community in the small town of Sunshine Bay, from Lance's aunt Betty to Rhett Butler, the bookstore's cat, gently conspire to bring them together. The story only covers a few weeks--hence the happy for now ending--and it flows gently from conversation to revelation, as both protagonists heal from past trauma and grow closer to each other.

There's a bit of a side plot with Lance's younger daughter and his ex-wife, which helps the reader see him continue to grow into a more contented person, and her to grow up and accept that sometimes things happen, and that not every story has a villain.

In the same vein, some of the main characters' reactions felt a bit young for their supposed age; at one point, Lance gets angry at something Raven says, in a "how dare you doubt my honor!" kind of way. However, he gets over himself pretty quick, and gets some perspective--after all, Raven barely knows him, her reactions are not personal insults.

Raven has some unresolved anger over her ex-husband, and there's a bit of projection with Lance, because the two men are physically similar.

I do have a few quibbles, starting with the whiteness of the cast--there's only one character who may not be white, given his first name, but there's no way to know for sure. There are no Indigenous characters anywhere, and the same "cities are always bad, small towns are inherently good and safe" that plagues many a small town romance is present here, if toned down. I also raised an eyebrow over the "he's a tradesperson, therefore he's a good person" vibe.

This is generally not my kind of romance, but I nonetheless read it in one sitting, so take that for what it's worth.

The Bookworm and the Cat's Meow gets a 7.75 out of 10.

Thank you Netgalley and to Littleford House Books for approving my arc request.

I hate to say but this one isn't working for me at all. I can't say I care for either MC. At the halfway point, there is no romance whatsoever. I also dislike the duress that Aunt Betty puts Lance under in order to allow him to buy the bookstore. I understand the reasoning but for her to let him upend his life to move there and not have given him a heads up about these details annoyed me. However at least Lance takes everything into consideration and seems willing to give these projects a go.

But what was the final straw for me was when Raven arrives to speak to Lance, Aunt Betty and another about her joint project with the bookstore. Lance is there for the meeting and Raven leaves in a sour mood because why was he there?! Why does he get a say in what is done to his store window, what paint color will be painted on his window frames?? Why did he have to loom over her?? Why did he need to consult a marketing person?? Well Raven, maybe Lance wanted to be there because It's His Store Now. And he's a tall man. And he wants an opinion on whether this will work. Also Raven might need to know that when feeding three week old kittens, you also need to potty them.

I also thought there is far too much telling. Yes, talk about what's involved in the store hand over but we didn't need to go over every project in such detail. This is a short book and I wanted more relationship and less legal paperwork. DNF

This is Book 5 in the Shops at Sunshine Bay series, but I've not yet read any of the previous books and that didn't seem to matter. I'm sure that characters from the other books must have made an appearance, but not knowing them already didn't mar my enjoyment.

Lance and Raven have a catastrophic first encounter, on a ferry, but both behave in a commendable adult fashion. Lance is taking over the bookshop on the island and Raven runs the cat sanctuary. Since Lance detests cats, there's no way they'll ever get together........

Whilst there are the previous books on the series to read, I'd really like to know more about Lance and Raven's story, so I hope there are more books about them to come.