4.5* What a lovely sweet unique story. Highly recommended.

< 1 hour read. This story is funny, cute and adorable but still managed to have me on the verge of tears for much of the second half. It's a fairy story/morality tale. A fable of second chances and learning to give rather than take. The narrator, Alex, has been turned into a talking cat (a la Puss in Boots) by a witch, and he's got no one to take him in apart from his ex-boyfriend, who, as it turns out, he's still very much in love with. Ethan, the ex, is an adorable, oblivious baker, who everyone thinks has named his cat after his ex. Weird. Oh, and Alex wears clothes, which he buys himself. Well written, amusing and slightly melancholy at the same time. I did wonder why Alex had taught himself to type with his paws (he's an author). Why not just install a speech to text program.

Book – Puss in Prada
Author – Marie Jacquelyn
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 60
Cover – Gorgeous!
POV – 1st person, one character
Would I read it again – YES!
Genre – LGBT, Fairytale, Paranormal, Magic, Fantasy


** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **


Wow! I loved this one. It was just...ugh...so brilliant.

Okay, so at first I was really confused, because the blurb makes it sound like we follow Alex straight from being cursed right through to finding his ex and being a cat, but that's not what happens at all. The story starts with Alex already having been a cat for three years and maintaining a human life virtually, while living a cat life in reality.

The way that Alex continues his reclusive writing career is great. I did doubt why he had to type on letter at a time, however, when the first page shows us that he can send a text with lots of words in the space of less than a minute, which I presume means that he has speech-to-text. And I kind of wonder why he didn't use that for writing, but that's a little niggle that isn't that important.

I absolutely loved the chemistry between Alex and Ethan and how they were like an old married couple. The way Ethan took care of him – at the vet, within their life and meeting all of his emotional needs – was beautiful. It was obvious right from the beginning that Ethan seriously loved Alex in all the ways that mattered.

There were some seriously emotional parts where I cried over Alex telling the story of how he became a cat and how he thought he was an awful boyfriend to Ethan, then when Ethan talked about why they broke up. There were some truly heart-tugging moments that I loved and some parts where the banter between the pair was just so normal and reminiscent of two people who knew each other inside and out that it was just beautiful. I even loved Alex's sarcastic nature and the snark he let loose so often. Even the fight with the crow was kind of hilarious.

Overall, I just loved everything about it. The slow telling of the story through dialogue and Alex's thoughts, the talk Alex had with Hakin and the way that he put his own needs and wants aside to try to give Ethan a full, happy life. The ending was especially perfect and I'll happily read it again when I need a pick me up read.

~

Favourite Quote

““Lay off man, one wink doesn't make me engaged to him or anything. Maybe he had something in his eye. Like me. How do you shed so much?”
“I just want to share my fluffy love with the world. It's a gift that I mostly limit to you.””

“On the internet, no one knows you're a cat. No one knows anything about you at all. They don't know how quiet you house is because no one else is home. They don't know how long you've already spent pacing, wondering, waiting. They don't know that your heart is breaking.”

The plot was unique. A guy gets himself turned into a cat by an angry witch and he ends up living with his ex because he doesn't have any other options. It's low angst and a bit sweet and a bit funny. It wasn't a bad book by any means but it just didn't quiet work for me. I didn't really appreciate the humor and I didn't feel any connection/romance between the two MC's.

I think overall it was well written and probably will be a very good book for a lot of people. One of those cases of "It's not you, it's me."


**review copy provided by publisher though Netgalley**

This was an ok little story but I really didn't like the MC that much. It honestly got on my nerves but I liked his ex-boyfriend which I don't blame him for getting rid of him. But Hey everything worked out in the end.

This is an adorable little fable. It’s about a man named Alex who was turned into a talking cat by an irate witch. He’s been this way for a few years when the book begins and is living the cat life with his ex-boyfriend Ethan. Ethan was kind enough to take him in even though they were already broken up at the time because Alex was sassy, sarcastic, self-centered and snobby and an all-around dreadful boyfriend. Oh wait, he’s still all of those things! Except he’s no longer the boyfriend (that’d be too weird even for me) and now that he’s a cat, he makes good company for Ethan who prefers to stay in and watch tv after a long day of work. But Alex doesn’t want Ethan to turn into some lonely, antisocial cat man.

Not that there's anything wrong with that . . .

Still, it’s time for Ethan to put himself out there and find a boyfriend– even if the thought of Ethan with another man makes Alex a little queasy.

This story is simply delightful. If you are not a fan of m/m romances because most tend to be heavy on the angst and the sex, this is one that isn’t like the rest. It’s sweet and funny and I really enjoyed the characters. I think it will charm even those who think their heart is dead (not that I’d know anything about that . . .)

There is so much fun dialogue packed into this little novella but I think this line from Ethan describing cat Alex’s faults was my favorite.

"You also yell at the pigeons outside, watch too many cooking shows, and have a blog entirely dedicated to pictures of yourself."

Honestly, the only thing I’d change about this book is the cover. This is a book that features a talking cat who wears designer clothing and it has a generic cup of coffee on its cover? A pretty cup of coffee, sure, but seriously, what is up with that? So much opportunity squandered!

Funny, moving, with amazing character with a lot of depth for such a short story. Totally loved it.

This story was very cute. The characters were interesting and different enough (I especially loved Alex's description of Ethan's sisters). I liked the reason why they broke up because it was a completely valid reason at the time but at the same time, you cheer when they get back together! The only reason why I gave it four stars is because I thought it ended rather abruptly? A scene at the end where the witch sees Alexander again or he sees Ethan's family again would have been nice. But otherwise it was really fun to read.

I thought this was a lesfic novel and it doesn't fit the genera that I review. Sorry.

I'm not even going to lie.... I teared up a few times.
My heart actually broke a little for Ethan and Alexander.

That all being said. Alexander was adorable as a cat. With his little outfits and "regal-esque" cat ways.
The fact he got into a fight with a crow over mail and trying to get his ex/roommate to try and start dating other guys so at least one of them had a life.

I also liked his cover story and he fact that he as a cat, who wrote books..

It's super short but incredibly sweet, if not a little sad at times, with a pretty funny HEA

This is a refreshing and interesting take on love’s true kiss to end a witch’s curse. I loved the idea that true love conquers all even if you weren’t a good person prior to be being cursed. Alexander learnt his lesson the hard way but it made him into a better person in the end. He realised what he had lost and how badly he had behaved in the past. A great LGBT “Beauty and the Beast type of story with a feel good ending.

<i>*I received this book from Less Than Three Press and Netgalley in return for a fair review.*</i>

I wanted to read this short story ever since I saw it listed among the 'coming soon' stories over on Less Than Three Press' website. I wan't really sure what it was about beyond the 'Puss in Boots'/'Puss in Prada' angle and I think I knew it involved a guy who got transformed into a cat.

And so I excitedly read the story when I saw I could. And I was very happy to have been able to do so. Not sure how everyone else might feel about the story (though I saw while going to the review box that the story currently has a 5 star average rating (though that might be based on 1, or 3 ratings)), but I really liked it. Loved it.

There is one point of view and two main characters - both of whom live in the same apartment (not actually sure it's an apartment, but I'll go with that). Ethan and Alex dated at some point, as humans. But at some point before the start of this story, six months?, they broke up. Ethan runs the family pastry store and is quite good at it, at baking and stuff. Alex? Alex is a very successful writer and . . . very much a dick who didn't take care of himself and seemed destined for an early grave.

Despite breaking up about six months ago, the two currently live together. There's a reason for that, of course. And that reason is . . . . Alex got turned into a cat by a witch. No, really, a cat. Luckily for him, he can still talk and was able to get Ethan to help him. And so Alex spends his days being a cat, occasionally texting Ethan, occasionally attempting to continue be a writer (on the internet, no one knows you are a cat . . . or on the computer typing a book one letter at a time).

Alex, who at some point I should mention is the POV, and Ethan have a neat little situation going on. They are quite fun to watch together. Great characterization/dynamic.

Loved the story. Want to read more cat based stories. Would write more but this is a short story we are talking about so it's hard not to accidentally reveal everything while bumbling along in a review, so I'll cut that part of the review short.

Rating: 5.5

April 15 2017

Okay, I really don't use this word at all, but... this short story was fucking PRECIOUS.

Alex, the once-human housecat, was full of piss and vinegar. The consummate cat, nearly every word out of his mouth was pure snark. But not in a mean or hurtful way. Highly entertaining, though.

And Ethan was just a laid-back, adorkable guy with a heart of gold, content to run his bakery, take care of his sisters, and oh yeah, spend all of his free time with a talking cat. Who wears designer clothes. And wants boots for Christmas.

The writing was funny and touching, without feeling that it was trying too hard. And the scene with the crow, God, I wanted a complete blow-by-blow on that one.

Crow fight!

And when Alex convinced Ethan's suitor that the talking cat (wearing a Prada vest, thank you) is a bad-shrimp-induced hallucination... Priceless.

At only around 60 pages, I truly enjoyed every single word and wished this story were three times as long, so I'd rate this one very high, at 4.5 stars for pure, fluffy enjoyment alone.