Cover Image: City Kitty and Country Mouse

City Kitty and Country Mouse

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Horrible title aside, I ended up enjoying Kitty and Lucy's romance. Then again, my dream has always been to leave the rat race and start a homestead with my friends.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to the publishers for sharing this one. It was a lovely, warm fuzzy read. My full review appears on Weekend Notes.

Was this review helpful?

This was a nice book. Wasn't explosive, but had a nice romance with two workaholics from different lives. One, Lucy, is from the country and Kitty is from the city. This isn't a slow burn romance, as they get together pretty quickly into the book, but is more about how do they - as a couple - survive their jobs and distance.

I really appreciated that Lucy was Chinese. I haven't seen that much in lesfic, and it was refreshing. The characters also didn't have a lot of baggage from previous relationships, so if you're coming from a very angsty book, this is a good one to go to.

Also as a side note, all the mention of delicious fruit and good Chinese food had me hungry!!

Overall, a nice read.

Was this review helpful?

This was a cute feel good romance. After one of the best Valentine’s Day I ever had, I was in the mood to read something sweet and romantic. I must admit I had some mixed feeling about this. It wasn’t really looking like the story I was hoping for, but as the book went on I definitely started to enjoy it more.

Was this review helpful?

City Kitty And Country Mouse is a sweet, organic, farm-to-table foodie romance between Kitty, a city lawyer, and Lucy, an organic farmer, who aren’t actually as different as they think.

I wouldn’t say City Kitty And Country Mouse is an opposites attract love story. While Kitty is from the city and has a high powered job, the minute she steps on Lucy’s farm, she feels at home and her heart recognizes that these people, this place, and this food is where she wants to be and what she wants to be doing. The rest of the book is just her head catching up.

Things move at a lightning pace once Kitty visits Lucy at her farm for the first time. The two quickly go from acquaintances to lovers, have their first overnight sleepover, and decide to open a pop-up restaurant together. It all seems kind of fast, but I guess when you know, you know, you know?

I really enjoyed this book. Yes, Kitty and Lucy’s relationship seemed to develop fast, but it felt organic and not forced and it worked. The descriptions of dishes were really appetizing and simple enough that I kept thinking I wanted to try my hand at making them (I’m pretty much a simple 5-ingredients or less cook). I would definitely pick up books by this author again.

Was this review helpful?

This was a cute read, that follows the romantic beats and tropes very well. That's not a criticism by the way, sometimes you just want a feel good read that is comfortable and familiar.

It's a case of opposites attract, with a busy city lawyer type and a chilled country type, both of whom long for something more. Something I did really appreciate was that Lucy was disasporan chinese, and some of her interactions with her mom was so good for me to read as a diasporan asian myself.

All in all, a cosy read for those of us stuck in self-isolation or quarantine.

Was this review helpful?

I've never read anything from this author before, but I enjoyed her writing style and will be looking for other works in the future. The premise of the book and the cover was what drew me into reading it and I wasn't disappointed. This is definitely not a slow burn novel. There is an immediate attraction between the main characters and not long after there is acting on that attraction.

It is an easy read and for a sweet romance, it is a good choice. It is one that I might pick up if I am just looking for a feel good story.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Was this review helpful?

I can’t remember reading anything by this author but now that I know what kind of writer Ms Palmer is I’ll be sure to look.
Lucy Shen likes her life, what’s not to like. Besides her sculpture she also has a farm where she grows a variety of produce that makes their way to her table. Her only complaint is trying to get her goods from her farm to the table’s in restaurants where even more people will be able to enjoy her produce. Everything is going great on her ‘Country Mouse Farms’ where among other things she also grows Blackberries.
Kitty Kerr’s career as a lawyer but she also loves to cook and anytime she can get her hands on some fresh produce makes the experience even more enjoyable. When she finds Blackberries grown on Lucy’s farm she’s hooked. It doesn't take before she’s also hooked on Lucy too.
The big question is how to make their relationship work with one in the city and the other firmly entrenched in the country. Simple love story with two very nice women. Good dialogue and nicely paced. Not what I would call a must read but if you find yourself with some free time and don’t want a heavy read this should fit your plans perfectly.
ARC via NetGalley/Bold Stroke Book

Was this review helpful?

Review excerpted from my blog post over at Pan/Cis LGBT2SQ+ Romance Reviews (https://pancis.wordpress.com/2020/02/28/city-kitty-and-country-mouse-by-alyssa-linn-palmer/)

Overall Rating: 4.0 stars

Library recommendation: Recommended for public library LGBT2SQ+ romance collections.

Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.

______________

Number of titles I have read by this author: 1

Love story speed: Insta-attraction; fast burn

Relationship dynamics: The Farmer (h1) and the Big City Lawyer (h2)

Sexual content: Oodles; “on-screen” and explicit

Gender Identity: Cis (h1) / Cis (h2)

Sexual Identity: Lesbian (h1) / Lesbian (h2)

Triggers: Anxiety-inducing work stress levels

Acceptance Rating:Image result for gold starImage result for gold starImage result for gold starImage result for gold star (4.0 stars)

Acceptance Rating Explanation: Some descriptions of parental disapproval of lesbian “phase”

Grammar/Editing: My ARC had a few typos, but nothing major

Review: This is an incredibly fast-paced novel set in Calgary, Alberta and the foothills. There are a lot of very Canadian references which, as a Canadian, I very much enjoyed. The author is clearly a Canadian who knows the area very well. It should be noted that American readers may end up having to look up some references to understand them.

Lucy and Kitty are the main characters of this book. They are both “40-ish” and well established in their careers. Lucy is a farmer of mixed Chinese-settler heritage, and Kitty is a corporate lawyer of full settler heritage. Their story begins with intense attraction and keeps up an intense pace. There is never a doubt for the reader where their relationship is headed, even though they both begin having no idea whether or not they “bat for the same team.” There is very little relationship conflict in this novel, and it is introduced so late in the novel that it feels artificial. The supporting characters are both funny and encouraging. They are well-enough developed to suit the narrative, but not so much that they overtake it. Overall, a quick, satisfying read although, for me, most of the satisfaction is derived from the lovely Canadian feel of the novel.



Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange of an honest review*

I wanted to read this book because I thought it was going to be some fresh and easy reading, which was the case... until some point where I got lost between infinite food descriptions and a kinda boring plot. The book follows Lucy and Kitty, two women who met at some Farmer's Market and immediately fall in love with each other, despite barely knowing each other. Lucy has a farm and Kitty is a lawyer and their lives are very different... but both of them love food. That's going to be the most important thing in their relationship, to be honest. Out of nowhere, they're gonna have this very great idea where they start a really important project together and they start flirting and dating and doing things that I don't think any lady in their fourties would do.

Basically they felt like some teenagers with enough money and confidence to carry out whatever they want. It didn't feel like a book about two grown women at all. But it is well-written and it's entertaining and makes you want to read more to know what crazy idea they're gonna have next.

About the ending... I don't get it. I don't understand why the author felt the necessity to add some drama to the plot all of the sudden. I think the characters would have arrived at the same point without the necessity of what they live at the end of the book.

In conclusion, it's kinda fun and really cute at some points, it has plenty of bed (without a bed) scenes between two women, which is nice, and I hope you have tons of food with you when you read it because it's gonna make you hungry.

Was this review helpful?

While many f/f romance has some slow burn, this book goes from 0 to 60 in no time. Kitty and Lucy meet at the farmers market and weeks later they are planning to open a pop-up restaurant together. Even tho Kitty is a lawyer working 80 or more hours a week to make partner she decides to start this partnership with Lucy.

Both are juggling their jobs, relationship and the restaurant. Eventually, Kitty works come between them while Lucy has to deal with a medical emergency.

This book is a nice read, especially if you like cooking.

Was this review helpful?

3.5 stars. This is definitely a foodie story. Cute and simple.
I found the writing structure a bit off putting. It was basically written in 1st person structure but from each main characters thoughts. I had to read a few sentences, in each paragraph, to figure out who was talking. If talking about "mama" I assumed it was Lucy. If talking about work, I assumed Kitty. Also, the cadence felt like "early days Amy Tan". Sort of an Asian abruptness to it.
The romance starts hot and heavy immediately. So you miss that slow burn. The remainder of the story revolves around Kitty coming to the realization that she hates her job, tries to please everyone, and loves to cook.
The love scenes are hot and mostly in the hot house or welding shed. A bit odd.
The ending is very predictable.
I had a hard time finishing because I kept putting it down. It wasn't holding my interest. Not enough happening. The most exciting part was when Kitty and Cindy were called into the bosses office. But I knew that would work out favorably also.
Great book for foodies.

I was given this ARC in return for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

'ARC provided by both NetGalley and The Publisher in exchange for an unbiased review'

**'In the most silent hour some writers should ask themselves this: Should I even write this book? Because if their mechanics are lousy, then so is the story...'

Expectations may play a role in how few interested readers respond to 'CITY KITTY and COUNTRY MOUSE' -- I think only because of how Ms.Linn Palmer pushes her unique premise and storytelling to such an extreme. My very first book by this author and i'm tittering on not making my perspective come off too negative because i'm sure there are many other enthusiastic readers hoping to read this book. There are some parts and sections of certain chapters where the storyline were okay but then on the other hand some paragraphs and lots of sentences were a bit more tedious to get through. For instance, before anyone can say hello! -- the two leads are already in a romantic relationship.
At the start of this storyline, readers might be prompt to keep on turning the pages because of the many mention of a list of some delicious mouth-watering fruits and might even have that imaginative taste for those sweet juicy blackberries hinted ever so often through out the story -- revealed as a favorite fruit of one of the leads.
As to the romance, I cannot say if the chemistry between them felt expressive because there was no genuineness. That quick move from saying hello then suddenly straight into a relationship with no development was a cause for me to pause. Both (Kitty & Lucy) did have their own struggles dealing with some personal issues -- then add to this were their views on either living situation --- one being from the city while the other living in the countryside which even cause a bit of that push/pull problem but at least both got positive support from family and friends.
The ending might seem rushed with those different side stories but the tale at the heart of this book is a love story.

Was this review helpful?

3 Stars for this romance, City Kitty and Country Mouse by Alyssa Linn Palmer. First off – Luscious cover. I wasn’t familiar with the author so it was the cover that drew me in.

The two main characters at first glance are very different from each other. There is thirty-eight year old, Kitty (Katherine) Kerr – an associate lawyer for a large firm specializing in corporate mergers in Calgary, Canada. She spends most of her time working if not at the office or courtroom, she is working from home. She works 7 days, probably 80 plus hours per week. Her mantra is that she is “very close to making partner” at her firm.

Lucy Chen (Ming Nhon is her Chinese name) is a farmer and is slightly older than Kitty. Her mother was born in China and her father was half white and half Chinese (so she is one quarter white, three quarters Chinese). Her percentage mixture (though not ethnicity) is similar to mine. My Mom married my dad who was Filipino, so I’m one quarter Mexican and three quarters Filipino. So, IMO Lucy’s mixed heritage is not that unusual. Sorry, back to Lucy… it sounded like her farm grows small crops in greenhouses and perhaps smaller fields such that she grows a variety seasonal small fruits (berries and the like) and vegetables which she sells at Farmers’ Markets. Unlike large farms which will grow single crops. It is at the Calgary Farmer’s Market where Kitty and Lucy first meet.

Before I go on – can I ask, is “Kitty” (a nickname) an appropriate name for a corporate lawyer (almost partner) whose clients are probably billion dollar or at the very least multi-million dollar companies? Kitty? Her clients, boss and co-workers all call her Kitty. Her real name is Katherine, but she said it would be weird to be called that. You get used to it! My family calls me by middle name and I used it in school until Middle School when I “changed” it and for the first time, went by my real first name, Lucia. Now only my family and old family friends call me by my middle name, everyone else its Lucia. I’m convinced the author picked that name just because she liked the clever title of the book.

To get her out of the office, Kitty’s assistant, Cindy drags Kitty to the midweek, Calgary Farmers’ Market. Cindy stops at Lucy’s County Mouse Farms stall to pick up fruit and we get a meet cute when Kitty swoons over Lucy’s fresh Blackberries. Lucy and Kitty’s chemistry is off the charts. When Kitty runs out of blackberries, she calls the Farm. Lucy isn’t there but is told by Lucy's mom to feel free to drive to the farm to pick some up. When Kitty arrives at the farm she is invited to lunch and Lucy gives her a tour.

This is where the romance/relationship/partnership develops at supersonic speeds. Sheesh. They have their first kiss and climax before the farm tour is even over! It’s different if it is a quickie hook up at a bar because generally in most stories the rest of the relationship develops over time. Kitty spends the night and after sex they discuss food and cooking and Lucy suggests they should open a restaurant together. Lucy supplies the produce and Kitty would be the chef. (Kitty worked as a chef in college). Kitty thinks it would be fun. The next day they start making plans. They decide to open a pop-up restaurant (open for one night only). Together they begin to test recipes, decide on a menu, venue, logistics etc. Within a few short months they open their Chinese fusion pop-up restaurant, called Ming Kitty.

Can we talk menu here? I wasn’t impressed. Soy Sauce honey chicken, tofu with broccolini, steamed fish fillet and ginger beef. Relatively, simple dishes and IMO not that special. I grew up eating a sweet Soy Sauce chicken (granted without truffle oil) and ginger beef. They were regular dinner meals, simple and cheap to make. We did not have the steamed fish fillet and tofu wasn’t eaten in our house. Yes. I’m also spoiled living in So. California with an abundance of Asian restaurants – practically every ethnicity and style. So I guess, in a small farming town in Canada, the menu was exotic.

Although I had some problems with this very fast burn romance and I admit I was nitpicky on some of the details, overall, it was very readable. I did like both main characters – the author made them more than just a farmer and a lawyer. The side characters were also well done especially Kitty's assistant Cindy and Lucy’s mom.

Was this review helpful?

this is cute book, Personally I did not connect with it. but I loved some parts nevertheless. What bothered me the most was, the speed , she fell in love with her fruit in like a day ! she got attached to her in few chapters. I wanted to tell them many times to slow the hell down.

Was this review helpful?

I liked this book. It’s easy to read, all the characters are very likeable and the setting of the book is good.

Kitty is a lawyer on track to become a partner at a firm in Calgary. One day her assistent/ paralegal Cindy drags her to a farmers market. Cindy is a regular there for fresh produce from Country Mouse farms owned by Lucy and her neighbour Alice. Kitty is taken by the blackberries, it’s written in a super sensual way. I a mean, come on, it’s blackberries, it isn’t sexy, at least not to me. Kitty is so taken by it and Lucy that she hops of the farm to find some more of her favourite fruit. And boom relationship is born, they get into it way too fast for my liking, but it sort of fits. It doesn’t rub me in the wrong way, but it is just a lot at once. They barely know each other and talk about starting a restaurant, and what’s more, even do it. They bond over food, so there is a lot of talk about food. It actually made me hungry at times. I like all the farm to table talk, but I imitate some people mind find all the food and produce talk a bit dull. The drama is in the later chapters of the book, with something going wrong at Kitty’s firm and the hospitalisation of Lucy’s mom. But the drama is really short, and not really intense.
I do feel the author touches on some sore subjects, mainly with Kitty, but they never really get worked out. I think I would have appreciated some of that.

All in all a sweet read.

Was this review helpful?

3.50 Stars. This was a cute feel good romance. After one of the best Valentine’s Day I ever had, I was in the mood to read something sweet and romantic. I must admit I had some mixed feeling about this. It wasn’t really looking like the story I was hoping for, but as the book went on I definitely started to enjoy it more.

I’m not one for always reading book blurbs. One of the reasons I picked this out was for the author. While I have one of her books in my library, I haven’t read it yet so I wanted to try Palmer’s writing. I also figured from the cute title that this would be an opposites attract story. What I didn’t realize, and I should have from looking at the cover, was that this really was a foodie romance. While I do cook some, or at least attempt to, I have trouble with foodie romances. All the talk about the different types of food, usually so detailed, will put me to sleep. Luckily while this was mostly farm to table, it was Chinese-Western fusion so it was nice to hear about foods I don’t have much access to in my little state. While I could tell my eyes were tempted to glaze over a few times, I got more interested in the food and the pop-up restaurant as the book went on.

When it came to the romance I thought it was slightly above average. I felt like the characters had decent chemistry and I liked them as a potential couple. However, the characters got together way too fast for my tatses. It was literally first kiss then let me stick my hand down your pants. It wasn’t like two tipsy people leaving a bar either, instead it happened sober, in the middle of the day and on a farm. Let’s just say it was definitely a surprise to read about. Unless your character is a player or someone who prefers sex over relationships, I rather see the main characters build a connection and then have the sex scenes used to further that connection. The sex scenes themselves were pretty good. They were steamy and enjoyable but they just started off too fast for the type of romance this book was about.

When I say a feel good romance, that also includes this book having very little angst. I can be quite picky about angst. Normally I want either none or a ton, but here the angst was little and I didn’t think it was enough. There is only one real angsty moment but the characters see each other after only a few pages. It felt forced and then it fizzled so I was wondering why bother? And because this was a slower paced book with lots of food details, some fun drama and angsty moments could have kept my attention a little better.

What helped me though the book besides being interested in the restaurant itself was some of the secondary characters. Lucy’s mother, her farm business partner, plus Kitty’s paralegal, really helped the story. These three women were very fleshed out for secondary characters. They stole their scenes and I enjoyed the friends and family dynamics with them. Although, I do have to mention a missed opportunity with Kitty’s parents who had a small secondary role. Kitty was so concerned about her parents, made them into such a big deal, but in the end nothing happened. I think that was a missed opportunity for some drama, but the rest of the secondary characters were well done.

As you can see I had some issues with this book but overall none of my issues are that huge. It was a much slower paced book than I normally prefer but there was something about the characters that just kept me reading. I’m much more of a character driven reader than a plotter so I think that’s why I can still give this a 3.50 rating. I would recommend this to people looking for a cute foodie romance that is low on angst. This book had a similar feel to Aurora Rey’s Recipe for Love. They are different stories for course, but they have a similar vibe so chances are if you liked Rey’s book, you will enjoy this one too.

Was this review helpful?

Kitty is a busy lawyer, she doesn't have time for herself, much less a new relationship. But her carefully organized life is thrown on its head when she meets Lucy Shen and her blackberries. She's unable to resist her desire for blackberries and the gorgeous Lucy. The two women grow closer as Kitty helps Lucy make her dream restaurant a reality, but are their lives too different for the attraction to turn into something more?

This book just didn't click with me. I think the flow at the beginning was too rushed in terms of moving from attraction to acting on it. I never had the chance to connect to the characters individually or to their connection before things took off. I found myself pretty disconnected for the whole book unfortunately. I was really excited to see another part of Canada showcased, and the idea for this book was really unique. I loved Lucy's mom, I feel like she was the character we got to know best. Also the cover is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. I'm sure other's will enjoy this sweet and sexy romance, but it just wasn't for me, maybe I'll try again some day.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I'm giving this book 3 stars because while the storyline is sweet and fresh, I absolutely hate the first person present tense writing style and could barely finish the book. For me, this book could have been a real winner had it been written in the classic third person past tense. I know lots of readers don't mind or even like the first person present tense style so this book will be quite enjoyable for them. If this author writes another book I'll give it a shot. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This has been a really sweet story, which I enjoyed greatly.

It is set in Canada. There is a bit of racial diversity, since one of the protagonists has Chinese ancestry. The two main characters are in their maturity, around their forties. There is a bit of a city/countryside clash since one of the protagonists is a lawyer with aspirations to become a partner of the firm she works for and the other owns a farm where she produces fresh and natural foods that she sells in traditional markets.

But from the first moment they meet, attraction and desire are more powerful than anything else that can separate them.

And another thing that also unites them, is their passion for cooking, so they decide to venture into a food business. Of course, this extra work will cause conflicts especially with the lawyer and that is where the story is complicated with some tense moment and some drama.

The book has enough ingredients to make it a good romance. The two protagonists are nice and you can't stop loving them. The story has a good pace and does not exceed doubts or extra internal scrutiny of its protagonists, with this I mean that there is enough communication between them, which I liked a lot. It has of course hot and passionate scenes, also a favorable point for me. And it is well finished.

All in all, a really good read from my point of view.

Was this review helpful?