I am a cat lady, which is why I chose this book. This is also my first book by the author and I have heard many good things about her previous novels.

This was very nearly a 2 star review, however, the novel saved itself at the end. Rather than being an independent, strong cat lady, I found the protagonist to be quite weak - why on earth did she allow her husband to treat her the way she did?

This wasn’t the lighthearted read I was expecting, Mia is dealing with trauma and loss and clearly needs counselling and is struggling to deal with her problems in her own way. I completely understand her intense relationship with her cat - I have always found that pets are reliable and honest, where as people are not so much….

Worth a read.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

It took me a little while to get into the book but once I was invested I raced through. This was comical and sad and I'm so glad of the ending.

Thank you for the arc.

A solid four star read for me as I wasn’t blown away but also I enjoyed this book a lot. It did take me some time to gel with Mia and understand her relationship with her cat, Pigeon. This book touched on a lot of very dark topics so please read the trigger warnings and be careful if you expect this book to be heart-warming and cosy!

Dawn O’Porter never misses. Every book i read of hers instantly becomes one of my favourites.

As a woman who does not want kids this was such a breath of fresh air to read about a main character who wasn’t obsessed with children and wanting the “standard” “normal” life that is forced onto women from such a young age.

Some characters i HATED but i’m pretty sure that was the whole point. Mia was such a loveable character throughout the book and i miss her. lol.

This book needs to be read by everyone who is sick of being asked “when are you having kids” or “why don’t you want kids?”.

Okay so first off DO NOT read this if you have just lost a pet, are spending your first night alone in your new house and are feeling particularly emotional and miss your two cats on top of that.

However, do read this if you just love pets. Doesn’t matter what kind of animal, just a lil furry (or non furry if you’ve got snakes or whatnot) buddy who you love with your whole heart. This book is an homage to that special kind of relationship you have with your pets, and a big fuck you to anyone who has ever sneered at pets and insinuated that it’s not real love between human and animal.

As I’ve come to expect from Dawn O’Porter, she writes in a way that captures the funny and the sad, sometimes in the one sentence. She finds the heartbreaking moments of everyday life and makes you feel how much they can break you while also bringing a smile to your face. It’s like she truly sees people.

This was a brilliant book, I absolutely loved it! Heartwarming and pleasing, a gem ❤️

SINGLE – INDEPENDENT – ALOOF – CUNNING – AGILE – CANNOT BE TAMED

We’ve all known a cat lady – and we’ve probably all judged her too. But behind the label – the one that only sticks to women – what if there’s a story worth nine lives

I really enjoyed this book, not only because I am a 'Cat Lady', but also because of it's humour, warm and wit, whilst giving us the sense of belief and believing in ourselves. Life is too short for putting up and shutting up.

When humans let us down, it’s our pets that are the ones who hold us together. In Dawn O’Porter’s Cat Lady, relationships are examined through Mia, a woman clearly forcing her way through her marriage to be the perfect wife, stepmother and boss. All while doting on her cat, Pigeon, who is clearly the love of her life. Mia is clearly unravelling, unable to deal with her grief so she goes to a pet bereavement group, despite Pigeon being very much alive. This book opened strong, but I found there was so much that I could’ve happily skipped, before ending strong which was disappointing for me. However it’s heartfelt and poignant and I cuddled my cat extra tight after reading it,

Mia is the misfit character in this book - she gives the outward appearance of having the perfect life, but look a little closer and you see how carefully choreographed everything is, all so she can remain in control. The only time she allows herself to relax is with her beloved cat and the support group she joins.

As the book progresses we learn more about Mia's past and how this has shaped her life. It's not an easy read; the book deals with grief, mental health and traumatic life events. However, Mia is an endearing character who I really rooted for and as chinks in her armour are made, hope really shines through. She allows herself to open up and in doing so takes steps towards a more positive future for herself.

As a self proclaimed proud cat lady (I have six of my own) I completely recognised the deep love and comfort you experience when you adopt a pet into your life. I would also like to point out that this also made some parts of the book VERY difficult to read, and I'm not ashamed to admit I cried my heart out.

The cherry on top of this is definitely the book cover - how much do I want that as a print on my wall!

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

As someone who hates cats, I didn't expect to cry as much as I did at this book.
This book had an interesting look on people dealing with grief, relationships with friends and family.
I did find her relationship with the cat odd at times but as I said, I don't like cats.

I had mixed feelings on this because while I really enjoyed the social commentary, the writing was very blunt and I found that quite jarring at times.

The main character wasn't easy to like, although I understand that was probably the point. I also would not recommend reading this book if you're in a bad place with your mental health. It's described as "funny" but I found the opposite. It was sad and it made me feel frustrated and angry.

It's the kind of story where you either connect with it or you don't and unfortunately it wasn't 100% for me.

Dawn O’Porter is a great writer, and if you haven’t read one of her novels yet, this is a good one to start with. Her insights into life for women in 2022 are accurate, and hilarious. Her characters are easy to like, even when (because?) they’re a little extreme, and her storytelling is tight and funny. Cat Lady brings us Mia, tightly contained and carefully buttoned-up, until infidelity and disloyalty start to pull on the threads that bind her. When she loses her precious cat, Pigeon, her world comes tumbling down, and her compliance with acceptable behaviours does too...

Unfortunately, having really enjoyed Dawn O'Porter's previous books, I found this book too unusual for my taste, too graphic in some parts and really not one for me. Thanks for the ARC nonetheless.

Dawn O’ Porters books always have me laughing out loud, and this one did it again. It’s a heartwarming one not shying away from topics.

I loved this book. I wasn't sure what to expect going in, but I was hooked pretty much start away. It was both heartbreaking and funny. I really enjoyed the writing style, and am keen to read more of Dawn O’Porter’s novels. I'll never look at marshmallows the same way.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

Mia knows how to play the role of perfect wife to Tristan and perfect stepmother to his son Oliver. She knows how to be the smart, reliable managing director of a jewellery brand even if the CEO doesn’t quite understand how to grow the business. She also knows how to be the cat mother that her beloved Pigeon needs. But when a devastating event rocks her quiet, comfortable world, Mia learns that underneath it all, she isn’t quite the woman that she has always purported to be. So, does she give society what it wants from her as a woman in her 40s or does she give in to the independent, crazy cat lady within? Of course, I was always going to give this book a read. I enjoyed O’Porter’s So Lucky a few years ago and naturally, as a cat lover I was drawn to the striking cover on her latest. It’s both funny and tragic with a thoroughly likeable yet multi-flawed heroine. Pet grief is a central theme but it’s dealt with from the perspective of a true animal lover, so the grief is taken incredibly seriously. There is some excellent exploration of the dynamics between women which will ring true to so many female readers. There is some content that will make some readers cringe including some pretty graphic sex scenes. Ultimately, it’s a celebration of being unapologetically yourself with a lovely heartwarming ending. Proceed with caution if you’re sensitive to animal death and explicit sex.

I really enjoyed Cat Lady! For me it was a little bit of Elinor Oliphant meets The Cactus. A bittersweet but heart warming read that I finished quickly!

I don't like cats, at all. But I loved this book! Some great characters and a different premise. Well written. Recommend!

As with all of Dawn O'Porter's books I really, really enjoyed this. The same humour as in her previous adult novels with similar themes, I enjoy that difficult topics are not shied away from. Already looking forward to the next one!

I enjoyed this book, however I can see why some have struggled to get through it. It's a bit depressing and sinister in places, however there is some humour added in too to lift it up a bit. It was an okay book, but probably not one I will rush to recommend anytime soon.

I really, really wanted to like this book. I am a fan of O'Porter and have enjoyed her work for many years. But Cat Lady was not an enjoyable read. I found the characterisation flat, the prose to be humourless and it was a real slog to finish. I hope this is just a blip in an otherwise great writing career.