It’s an unusual premise - a woman joins a pet bereavement support group, despite the fact that her beloved cat is very much alive, just because she wants to feel like she belongs somewhere. But in doing so, Mia finds her people as well as herself.

I loved this book! I got absolutely absorbed in Mia’s life, and raced through this book because I was so desperate to know how it was going to pan out. I never thought I’d get so emotionally attached to a fictional cat, but here we are.

Mia was a well developed character, and the little insights into her past gave gradual hints at why she was the way she was, without giving it all away at once. Her relationships felt well written and genuine.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

Having read Dawn's previous women's fiction and found them really funny, I was looking forward to getting started with Cat Lady. While it was a nice, easy read, not a whole lot happened. As a dog lover, I could appreciate where she was going with Mia's devotion to Pigeon but it did border on slightly disturbing at times. Regardless of this, Mia is still relatively likeable and learning more about her past and childhood helped me to understand her more as a person. I do think her relationship with Tristan needed fleshing out as I found it unbelieving how they had been together as long as they had without any major issues given the circumstances! I also think it would have been interesting to know more about generally. Overall a decent enough read covering a variety of topics but sadly not up to par with the authors previous work.

I adored it! I hadn't read anything by Dawn O'Porter but liked her character building and humour so much. I understand how some people found some aspects disturbing, but I do have to say I read those bits with lots of irony and humour. A light novel with an inspiring message!

I was interested to read this book as I've tried reading other books by the same author with limited success but O'Porter is often recommended. I found this one a bit better than others I've read in that I could relate to some of the characters but bits I found a bit far fetched - but that could be due to life I lead.

Another great read full of the usual Dawn Oporter humour, some sexual adventures and believable real life situations.
I really enjoyed Mias character and felt all emotions alongside her.
She’s become an auto buy author for me

An easy read by Dawn O’Porter but I wouldn’t say I loved it! I don’t know if you need to be a proper cat lady to understand Mia’s behaviour - sleeping naked with your cat cause you love the feel of it’s fur on your skin is one thing that actually felt uncomfortable to read, so I did struggle to connect to her a bit. And there are very few actually likeable characters in the whole novel. But it’s a quick read and I’m sure those with deep connections to their pets will understand the mindsets more than I did!

Anther wonderful book by Dawn O’Porter I loved the characters the writing the storyline.I laughed out loud asI turned the pages and had a smile on my face as I finished the last page.#netgalley #harpercollinsuk

Mia lives with her cat, her stepson and her husband; and that’s the order of how important they are to her, for you see, Mia is a cat lady. Not only is she a cat lady, but her whole life would be organised around her cat Pigeon if she could, although she has manage to carve out a successful career as a managing director of a jewellery company. Dawn O’Porter’s latest novel follows Mia trying to juggle being a strong boss, a dutiful wife, stepmom and cat mother, while also dealing with her husband’s nightmare ex-wife, a stubborn boss and an interesting group of possible friends she’s made at a grief counselling group for pets.

I think for this book to really resonate, you have to be a cat person, because honestly, there were bits in it that were mildly disturbing. I love my pets as much as the next person, but I’m not sure Mia’s overly dependent relationship with her cat is fully healthy.

That being said, the novel is still enjoyable and an easy read. Although it’s billed as humour, I don’t think it reads any funnier than a normal chick lit, and actually, some of the parts were incredibly sad and moving. It’s definitely not as laugh out loud as I was hoping for.

There are some unnecessary parts in the novel though, and I think it was done to shock and be funny, but I just found it uncomfortable to read and a little bit odd. There are also some silly mistakes that I’m surprised haven’t been picked up, such as Mother’s Day being on a school day.

Mia is an usual character; she’s quite cold and uptight at times, which means she’s hard to warm to, and at times her actions are very frustrating. However, O’Porter manages to overcome this and keep the reader engaged, probably because of the bunch of quirky supporting characters that are a joy to hear about and keep all so readable. I’d definitely pick up another book by her because they’re at least so original and different.
Overall, it’s an okay novel, but I think to truly appreciate it, you have to have a special relationship with a feline, and I’m afraid I’m more of a dog person.

Not one for me. I thought this would be a fun light read but Mia the main character is not particularly believable or likeable in any way. Some of her behaviour doesn’t ring true in any sense such as when she smears cat poo on the walls in the office.

Also the description of Mother’s Day being a week day rather than on a Sunday was jarring. The book felt like it had been written in a hurry.

Cat Lady gives us the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of Mia, a somewhat stereotypical Cat Lady but with a modern twist on what it means to be tarred with that brush. With a splash of quirky, Mia is a forty-something year old woman who sees the world in her own specific way. She is married with a stepson and ex-wife/sister wife on the scene, who’s greatest love lies with her cat Pigeon. We get to follow her through the highs and lows of her relationships with those around her, taking us along on the ride where there are tears of sadness but also laughter. Mia is a strong and independent woman who makes no apologies for who she is and the adoration she has for Pigeon.
Cat Lady was a thought provoking read for me that had me questioning my own relationship whilst at the same time knowing that I’m not alone in the way that I sometimes perceive the world. This novel didn’t disappoint and had all the Dawn O’Porter trademark sharp wit and emotional punches. With lines such as “…how funny to hear of a dog called Rover. Such a cliché, but also, so few of them around” Dawn always hits the nail on the head. I always wonder if we are getting a sneaky peak into the actual life of Dawn...the Sharpie…that’s all I’m saying!
With massive thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for this copy.

I am not a cat lover, neither have I ever read a book by Dawn O’Porter. So this book is not a natural choice for me in the bookshop. Having said that I loved it. It make me laugh and it made me cry. Mia, the protagonist, is quirky and unpredictable. A light, enjoyable read.

Another brilliant and humorous novel from Dawn O'Porter. She creates the most interesting characters and tackles life from a different perspective. I didn't exactly understand Mia the protagonist but I felt her pain and confusion as her life unravelled. The story made me consider how we view life and how our background and upbringing shapes is as adults. Quite thought provoking actually.

Absolutely brilliant. This is my second book by Dawn O'Porter and I think this will be an auto buy author for me in the future. The first novel I read was So Lucky and I needed a bit to get used to the humour in it. Different with Cat Lady I was drawn in from the start and loved every bit of it.

Mia is a character I could absolutely feel for. This was so spot on and had my emotions just there. I laughed, I was close to tears, I was angry. But seeing Mias development and story unfold was just amazing.

Dawn O'Porter just writes these wonderful empowering, badass novels with amazing female characters. Every day life struggles. Well balanced with humour and the heaviness of life.

I love this. And highly recommend it. Even when you are dog person like I am.

I had high expectations for this book, I’ve read all of Dawn’s previous books and really enjoyed them. I love cats and Dawn’s sense of humour so what’s not to like?

Unfortunately the characters weren’t very likeable and the whole book felt very sad. Mia is a “cat lady” and a control freak, it’s difficult to say what I disliked about this book without putting spoilers, I found it hard to believe some of the situations had been going on as long as they had. For instance having to put up with the ex wife for seven years would have tipped me over the edge. From the start of the book it’s easy to feel for Mia as she is constantly being judged but some of her choices baffled me.

On the plus side once I got into the book I couldn’t put it down until I’d finished, who needs sleep anyway. Maybe I was disappointed because of how much I was looking forward to reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for my advanced reading copy

Cat Lady tells the story of the relationship between Mia and her cat, who is her stabilising influence and essentially her reason for living.

Dawn O’Porter is an extremely funny, talented lady and I really expected this to translate to her novel. Unfortunately, it didn’t. I really couldn’t get into this book. I finished it but I had guessed the very predictable ending.

I am a cat lover so that is a plus. It is highly unlikely you’ll enjoy this book if you are not so I would be inclined to give it a miss.

Mia, is strange and her behaviours were extreme and highly unbelievable at times. To say any more would mean spoilers so I’ll leave you to make up your own mind.

My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A delightfully funny but also poignant book about womanhood, what it means to both be a woman and defy the expectations put upon you. A really enjoyable read that I swept through over a couple evenings.

Going in, I expected more humour, as is usually the case with O'Porter's books. Mia's love for her cat was super relatable but I struggled with the rest of the book in general. I did like the pet bereavement element but as far as characters go, I didn’t feel like Mia was interesting enough to be the sole POV. The plot was pretty flat and a little predictable, but there were some funny moments/comments. I read it pretty quickly but it didn’t have me gripped either. That said, it was enjoyable to follow a character that is so invested in their cat (I can relate) but I found it hard to like Mia and despite everything she went through, by the end I still didn't really like her. I think you need to be a cat lover to really appreciate some aspects of the story.

I really loved this story with its quirky characters who just came to life. It made me laugh out loud, it made me weep abs ultimately left me with a huge smile! Highly recommended.

Dawn does it again! She is one of those writers who pulls the reader in and allows them to immerse themselves in the world she creates.

Mia is 45, married with a step-son, a great job and a cat. Pigeon. Out of everything in her life, Pigeon is without a doubt the most important. Just how and why this came to be the case is revealed as you read on. And why is Mia attending pet bereavement support groups when her beloved cat is still alive?

I loved this book. The cast of characters were all described vividly and kept me thinking even after I had finished it. A huge thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review, and thank you Dawn for writing another brilliant book.

Mia is a self defined cat lady - she loves her cat, pigeon, more than anything. As she stumbles through marriage troubles, job troubles and general life problems, the one consistency is her cat. She has met a new group of friends at a pet bereavement group, and is slowly finding peace in the world. But then everything tips, Mia is heartbroken and goes through one of the hardest times of her life - and is surprised at the peace and love she'll find along the way...

Dawn's books are always an absolute pleasure to read, so as soon as I saw this could be requested I tapped it and had everything crossed. I did a little dance once I was accepted to read it too!

This book had me laughing, it had me feeling emotional, it had me loving every part of it. Dawn's books are always so amazing, she's incredibly talented and one of the most amazing authors I've ever read.