‘No such thing as just a pet’.

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. for an eARC for review via NetGalley of ‘Cat Lady’ by Dawn O’Porter.

I have enjoyed a number of Dawn O’Porter’s books. She dedicates her latest novel to her many pets, including a number of cats. The theme of pet bereavement runs throughout this outstanding comedy-drama. It’s an area of grief often dismissed, so I was very pleased to see it acknowledged.

As a life long cat lady, I adored this novel. Dawn O’Porter captured that sense of connection with a beloved pet.

Just a few details of the plot for context. Mia is very good at playing the roles that others expect of her. She’s a good wife to Tristan and a doting stepmother to Oliver. She even tolerates the annoying presence of Tristan’s ex-wife, Belinda. She also serves as the Managing Director of a small jewellery design company and is very good at her job.

Yet Mia feels quite estranged from it all, apart from the bond that she experiences with Pigeon, the 16-year-old cat that she found as a kitten.

I found ‘Cat Lady’ an outstanding novel. I really empathised with Mia and there was laughter and tears as well as heartwarming moments. I did worry for Pigeon when Mia had her crises as I am sure that she was distressed by her human’s behaviour. Yes, I know Pigeon was a fictional cat but O’Porter wrote her so vividly.

Overall, a wonderful reading experience. It’s certainly one of my favourite books of 2022.

Highly recommended.

I got Cat Lady by Dawn O’Porter from NetGalley for a fair and honest review.


Cat Lady by Dawn O’Porter tells the story of Mia a middle aged women who lives with her 16 year old cat, her husband stepson and a frequent visitor of her husbands ex wife.

This is a novel that it took a while for me to get really involved with Mia’s life as this novel is a typical slow burn novel, with all the pieces in the story laid out in minute detail, then once the story gets going then that is were Dawn O’Porter had me till the end.

If I had to some up The Cat Lady in a succinct way I would say Adult Disney Novel, which may sound a bit strange but bare with me.

First we Take the Childhood of Mia and her sister who also appears in the story, their mum who loved them died while they were young of cancer and their dad did not have any loving connection, her. So We now have the typical Disney main character.

We are now when the novel is set were Mia is conforming to what she thinks every one wants to be for example planning on times to have sex with her husband, and inviting her husbands ex wife to dinner parties.

But there are a number of clues about the state of Mia as she goes to a bereavement group for people who have lost pets even though her 16 year old Cat pigeon is still alive.

Having said that The Cat Lady with the way it draws you in to Mia’s life in how she is not what she want to be makes one engaging novel.

I have read most of Dawn O’Porter’s previous novels and love her witty and unapologetic awkwardness of her main characters. Although ‘Cat Lady’ seemed to be missing something that usually has me turning the pages of her novels.
There were parts where I did find myself endeared to Mia, who despite working hard in her career and her personal life still feels out of place and never quite at peace apart from when it is just her and her beloved cat, Pigeon. I’ll admit I initially found the quips about being a ‘cat lady’ and her intense pet relationship a bit odd, but once her back story starts to be told I completely understood the premise and the MC far better.
Although I was intrigued to see where the novel was going to end up, I found that the humour felt a bit forced and sometimes missed the mark for me personally. I appreciate Dawn’s honest and unflinching writing style when it comes to challenging female stereotypes, but for me this one wasn’t one of my favourites.

Loved it!! I’ve read a few of Dawn’s other books so had a feel for her writing already and this didn’t disappoint. Cat Lady has a real mix of emotions and themes, there was a real humour as well as sadness. I found this humour was right up my street, sorry that “other reviewer”. Yes ‘that’ sex scene was vulgar, it was gross but surely that’s the whole point! Dear god don’t let them read Cows!!
I found the level of naughtiness in the book just right and would disagree that it was there for shock value only.
I’m sure I’d be an honorary Cat Lady if my autocorrect didn’t keep trying to change it to Car Lady, loved the book and am sure it’ll be a great success.

This is another book that I was absolutely ecstatic to be approved for on Netgalley as I’m a big fan of Dawn O’Porter’s writing.

Initially, I was a bit concerned about the direction that this book was going to take. Some of the thoughts that Mia expressed about her cat, Pigeon, veered slightly on the inappropriate side. However, I think that these thoughts were highlighted to show the pure love and adoration that Mia had for Pigeon, and how much of her life was devoted to her cat.

I don’t want to spoil anything by giving away details, but this book explores a lot of themes that are very prevalent in peoples lives. It discusses suicide, grief, societal stereotypes, and it has real depth to the story. There are some parts which I thought were a bit farcical…such as the whole Belinda/Tristan/Mia situation, but I think that elements of farce and humour were needed in this book to break up the seriousness of the topics that were explored.

What I liked the most was the exploration of the term ‘cat lady’. It’s used in society mainly as a derogatory term to describe, usually, a single woman of a certain age who owns cats. But what is wrong with that? What is wrong with being a cat lover? What is wrong with acknowledging your own self worth and knowing that you don’t need a partner to feel fulfilled? You never hear the phrase ‘crazy dog lady’. In fact, when people express feelings of loneliness, getting a dog is often a common suggestion that is made. So why do cats get such a bad rep? Why do single, female cat owners get branded with this image? It’s an interesting thought.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, just as much as I have done Dawn O’Porter’s previous novels. I feel that Dawn O’Porter never fails to shine a light on important topics of conversation, and really unpicks and uncovers societal views and interpretations. Looking forward to the next novel that she brings out.

This was my first book by Dawn O‘Porter and it sadly fell far short of expectations. Is it chicklit? Satire? Satirical chicklit? I’m at a loss to categorize it.

The blurb bills it as “Fresh, frank and funny”. Erm, no! I found it cliché-ridden, uncomfortable to read in parts, and most definitely not a book for cat lovers, or indeed pet lovers in general.

The humor, if that’s what you call it, went right over my head. There was nothing even vaguely amusing in THAT sex scene. It was vulgar, completely unnecessary and I’m guessing “inserted” purely for the shock factor.

I won’t mention the gaff about Mothering Sunday being on a weekday, as I believe it’s been removed from the final edit. But it was another example of lack of attention to the important stuff whilst focusing on the provocative and offensive.

Not. For. Me.

On the surface, Mia seems to have it all, her husband, a good job, a nice house, a step-son that she loves, and her 16 year old cat Pigeon whom she adores. However, she prefers to share a room with her beloved Pigeon instead of her husband, and tollerates his ex-wife Belinda who seems to spend more time at their house than she does at her own. She is also a member of a pet bereavement group, despite the fact that her cat is very much alive.
Things begin to fall apart after she overhears a phone call between her husband and his ex-wife, which was accidentally dialled. Bit by bit her life unravels, and she turns to her pet breavement group for help.
She finds comfort in this group of unlikely friends, and soon discovers that she isn't the only one who had a deep relationship with their pet.
This is a book about love, loss and friendships, but above all it is about finding the real you, hidden in among all the other versions of yourself.
I loved everything about this book. The characters are diverse, and the writing was well done, with serious moments intersperced with comedy ones.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s funny, thought provoking and really unputdownable.
I love the authors unique writing style - witty, honest and authentic. I loved all the characters. It’s an easy entertaining, emotive and emotional read.
Well worth a read. Definitely recommend. If your a cat person this book is for you.
Thanks to #NetGallery #HarperCollins for an arc of #CatLady in exchange for an honest review.

The most wonderful read, I laughed, I cried and I saw a little bit of myself in Mia!

Mia looks as if she has life sorted, husband, stepson, successful career, wardrobe to die for and her beloved pet Pigeon.

But when a series of events sees her life unravel and when all that holds her together is no longer there, she has to decide which is the best path for her and face some demons from her past and deal with heartbreaking loss.

My first Dawn O’Porter read and certainly not my last, I struggled to put it down as I had to know where Mia’s journey would end.

Likeable characters who made me realise we’re all a little bit quirky and lost, and possibly all wearing a public mask, more than we’d like to admit, but in the end it’s best to be true to yourself and your tribe will find you.

Dawn says you don’t have to be a cat lover to read this book, that’s true, but after reading it, I think I totally want to be more ‘Cat Lady’.

I’ve always loved the blunt sharpness of Dawn O’Porters writing style and Cat Lady was exactly what I needed, a book I could read easily and didn’t want to put down.

This book was very entertaining but it also looks into deeper themes of loss, trauma & greif which makes it very thought provoking and being an emotional level.

If you have loved Dawns other books you are going to want to read this one! A wonderful five stars!
Thank you @harpercollinsuk @harperfiction & @netgalley for the arc.

From looking at the reviews for this book, they seem almost like marmite. You either love it or hate it. Well, I actually really loved it. It’s not a laugh out loud funny book, it’s actually quite hard hitting and heavy at times, and evoked tears at a couple of occasions. The author does amazingly well to balance small nuggets of humour whilst still addressing abuse, mental health and divorce in the seriousness as it is. I am a cat person, I have two and the thought of losing either of them is unthinkable and so I understand the reactions coming from Mia. Although I don’t think I would keep one in the freezer…but who knows.
A definite good read in my opinion, even if slightly melancholy throughout. It’s even received s five star rating from me, not sure what else I would have wanted from the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins publications and the author for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! As a fellow cat lover I could understand the attachment Mia has for her cat, Pigeon, above all others, including her husband. I can also empathise with the pet death support group where grief can be shared. Lots of poignant moments intermingled with laugh out loud episodes combine to make this a great read.

This novel is definitely slighter than a lot of what I read, in terms of its literary merit. However, emotionally it is a light but very definitely not a reductive examination of grief, the effects of childhood trauma, and the importance of being true to oneself.

Mia is 45 years old, a successful executive in a small jewellery business, married to Tristan, living an orderly life. However there are oddities. She shares her bedroom with her adored cat Pigeon rather than her husband; she attends a pet bereavement support group although Pigeon is still alive; she hints at a chaotic past thanks to her mother’s early death and the inability of her emotionally stunted father to cope or show any affection. She has clearly built a life as different to her childhood as she possibly could, and is holding it together by sheer force of will at the cost of keeping herself at arm’s length from emotional trust and closeness.

A tragic event (one which had this fellow cat lady in buckets of tears on the train home) sets the thread unravelling, and Mia has to decide whether her carefully constructed order is worth the price she has paid. It is a cat who saved her once, and cats who will save her again.

In tone this novel is deceptively light and it is an easy, compelling read which I got through in two days. Its subject matter is serious though, and beneath the lightness of touch there is a valid examination of some weighty themes. It reminded me a bit of Bonnie Garmus’s Lessons in Chemistry, but in my view this is done much better and more believably. I was expecting a bit of fluff and was pleasantly surprised by how well it is constructed and executed. If you love cats, do not read this in public…

Dawn O'Porter never disappoints me, I always adore her books.
It's witty, heartbreaking and raw. A fantastic array of well written characters. I devoured this book.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc ebook.

I had been wanting to read Cows for a while, but didn’t manage to get round to it. So I was pleased to receive an arc of this book. It was a quick, easy book to read. However, for me, I was disappointed with the story. Mia loves her cat Pigeon more than she loves her husband, partly because finding the cat had stopped her trying to take her own life for a second time. She attends a bereavement group for those who had lost pets - although hers was still alive. The book continues with Mia’s life, both home and work. I found the language distasteful and I think people do not this type of language as much in real life. For me, there were too many detailed descriptions of the minutiae of Mia’s life, nor did I enjoy graphic details of her love life. Not everyone will agree with me, we are all different. I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley fir my arc of this book.

Who calls their cat Pigeon? Well Mia the main character in the book does and I love it!
Mia is married to Tristan and has a wonderful stepson and a demanding job and not to mention Tristan's ex wife.
I believe that to fully appreciate this novel and the humour behind it you really do have to be s cat lady!
Luckily for me I am.

Full disclosure: I am not a cat person.

This book was incredible. It was gripping, it was funny, it was emotional.
The way that O’Porter has written about these characters really made me feel on a level with them, and I felt their emotions. The relatable tragedies of life were raw, but people are definitely going through these things every single day. Maybe not all at once, but this made me empathise her.
Although very emotional events appear throughout this book, there were funny moments and this really lifted the book and your heart back up again.

When I went to give this a star rating I started at 4.5 stars, and after an internal battle with myself “why isn’t this a 5 star book??” I realised I didn’t have an answer! It was absolutely brilliant and I wouldn’t change a thing! 5 stars!!

To an outsider looking in, Mia has a perfect life. Loving husband and step-son. Good job. In reality, she infinitely prefers the company of her cat to her husband, holds her colleagues in contempt and has no friends. She is incredibly unlikeable and unsympathetic.

That, for me, was the key issue with this book. Whilst a likeable protagonist is by no means a pre-requisite to a good novel, the reader does at least need to enjoy spending time with them. I found sections of the book really distasteful. The supporting cast are largely also extremely unlikeable – the ex-wife and friends of Mia’s husband are so anti-cat they reach the point of caricature . No one is that rude in real life, no matter how much they may dislike your pet. It is also possible to be a “cat lady” without despising the rest of the human race!

This book was heading towards a one-star for me, but I did think the ending was very well done. All in all, however, not a book that resonated with me.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a existing fan of Dawn O'Porter and her previous books, this new release excited me.

I was not disappointed, with relateable characters, a gripping storyline and a few laugh out loud moments I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it. I look forward to read g what Dawn writes next.

Mia is controlled in every aspect of her life, she has a good job, a nice husband and a comfortable existence. Her one weakness is her cat, Pigeon, old and loving and representing a time when Mia wasn't in control. However Mia's life starts to unravel, culminating in the breakdown of her marriage and the death of her cat. Only by confronting the past can Mia move forward into the future.
This is the sort of superior and adult 'chick lit' which forms a guilty pleasure for me. O'Porter writes with a sense of black humour which is delicious and stops even the softest parts of the novel descending into sugar. It's complete escapist fun but is a brilliant ride!