Summary:
Jamie has devoted many years to the needs of different men: the non-committal, the self-absorbed, the forgot-to-mention-I’m-married…. it’s all left her pretty on edge about the whole dating thing.  When her mother passes, she is offered an inheritance and a once-in-a-life-time chance.  For just one year, she can stop work and spend it on her.  This is The Year of Me.  She wants to find what she is passionate about (besides guys).  She and her cat MacGyver move into a new place and get ready to really live.  Between dodging set-up attempt by well meaning neighbors, Jamie quickly finds that Mac has a problem.  Her adorable tabby is an escape artist, a thief and…. possibly a match maker?
My thoughts:
I have mixed feelings here.  The chapters are given one of several POV’s: Jamie’s, David’s and MacGyver’s.  I really liked the first two- they were well developed and flowed smoothly.  MacGyver, for obvious reasons, was less cohesive.  I mean, he’s a cat, and the author definitely did not want you to forget it.  As such, there was much talk about the “bonehead” dog, and sensing/ tasting his human’s mood (and the moods of those around him).  I understand what we were doing here, but felt like there may have been a better way.  Going into Mac’s mind was always jarring.
As far as the two main characters, there were times I wanted to shake them.  I loved them individually, and I adored their chemistry but some of the choices they made were painfully awkward- better suited to a teen than a thirty-something year old adult.  That said, they each had their issues and their romance seemed very believable and sweet.  I loved them.  I also really liked the other characters- even laughing at the “bad dates” that I was probably not meant to like.  Hud was a hard sale for me, mostly because I found him annoying…. but I feel like that was intentional.  All in all this is a four star book for me.  
On the adult content scale, there’s some of sexual innuendo and a tame sex scene.  There is, though, quite a bit of language.  I give it a four, if she was interested I would let my niece read it.  
I was lucky enough to get an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Kensington books in exchange for an honest review.  My thanks.

Talk to the Paw by Melinda Metz is a happy read where I smiled throughout the entire story.

To be honest I rarely pick stories where an animal is a main character, but this one intrigued me. MacGyver, Mac for short, is the clever cat who “macgyvers” is way through the Storybook neighborhood to play matchmaker for the human inhabitants. Melinda Metz, the author of the qwerky cat tale, has a uncanny understanding of how a cat like Mac thinks to the point of laugh out loud humor. Although the human story line is typical of a woman's chick-lit genre, the cat's narrative gives the read that something extra to entice the reader to find out what happens next.

I recommend Talk to the Paw if you are looking for a lite humorous read while bringing a little joy in your life.

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy.

Totally implausible but so so fun and cheerful! MacGyver the cat narrates most of this tale of a cat who wants to make his human- Jamie- happy. She's not had a good run with men lately so she's decided to start over and put herself first. David, her neighbor, is a baker (yum). MacGyver decides to put the two of them together and does so by stealing from David and bringing the items to Jamie. You know where this is going, don't you? Well, MacGyver makes this special. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I really enjoyed this and you will too if you're looking for a happily ever after story written with a twist. Two paws up!

Jamie Snyder moved to Los Angeles to start over and discover what she wants to do with the rest of her life. She is taking the year off thanks to an inheritance from her recently deceased mother. The only complication is MacGyver, her cat. He senses Jamie is lonely and he decides it is up to him to find her a human companion. Using his ability to pick-up the emotional scent of a person, Mac finds David, who lives in the neighborhood. Mac steals articles of clothing and brings them home believing that Jamie should be able pick up David’s scent from the items he presents to her and want to meet him.

Yes, this is a story about a ‘cat burglar’ named MacGyver and his adventures to help lonely people meet folks who will help them feel better. Mac does this by exploring the neighborhood at night and stealing articles from individuals who he knows will help the person to whom he gifts the items.

Author Melinda Metz has created a charming character in MacGyver. And the passages written from his perspective are incredibly engaging as he tries to find the scents of folks who can help those whose ‘tang of loneliness’ he has picked up. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found Mac totally believable as a character, his thoughts and actions very logical from his point of view. Ms. Metz’s descriptions of the interactions between Jamie and Mac are realistic, each frustrated by their inability to understand each other.

Talk to the Paw is an extremely imaginative story, a fun read with a steady pace, and just the right amount of whimsy. You will finish the book with a smile in your heart.

3.5 STARS

A delightful, funny story of a young woman trying to start over, and her cat MacGyver’s plans for her future.

Jamie Snyder, 34 year old high school history teacher from Pennsylvania wants a new life. Thanks to an inheritance from her Mom, she has moved to L.A. looking for a new career and happiness. She is calling it “The Year of Me.” She was lucky enough to find a bungalow in Storybook Ct. for a year, and enough money to search for herself. She has a cat named MacGyver (Mac) who is her constant companion. The neighbors are so much of the story......Al and Marie are the protectors, Helen next door immediately wants to fix her up and Ruby Shaffer, sweet kind and an over the top Christmas lover. Mac has decided Jamie is lonely and wants to make her happy, so Mac the cat burglar, the fixer and super sleuth is on the job.

David is a baker, trying to get past the loss of his wife. His best friends Adam and Lucy are doing their best to convince him it’s time to start living again. He’s happy just the way he is, thank you very much, with his lovable giant dog Diogee ...( Di O G.) and oh by the way, he lives in Storybook Ct. Mac decides to push David and Jamie into an encounter, by stealing various things from David, socks, t-shirts and underwear and leaving them on Jamie’s doorstep. Being the dumb human, she doesn’t get it, can’t she smell the loneliness on these things?

Mac is relentless, and decides the whole neighborhood needs some fixing, including the “bonehead” dog. I laughed through the whole story and was delighted with the satisfying ending. Perfect book for curling up near a fire with some tea and a smile.

I received this book from the publisher and Netgalley for review.
Pat Fordyce

I'm not much of a one for romance novels. When I do read them I like the characters to be quirky, the situation to be interesting, and the plot to be unexpected. I got all three in this delightful novel.

Set in one of those lovely bungalow courts in LA, Metz' novel has a cat, MacGyver, wanting to help his human to find a pack mate. He escapes from the house, drawn by the scent of another lonely neighbor. Not only does the furry fellow help these people but he works his magic to help many of the other folks in the neighborhood.

It all turns out well, with people and animals making new connections, discovering each other, and learning to live and love.

To be honest, this wasn't my thing at all and I didn't get very far as a result. However, I don't think that's a reflection of the writing necessarily. It starts from the point of view of a pet cat and does better than I would have thought possible in doing so. So, I would say it's worth trying in case it's more to your tastes.

I received a copy of Talk to the Paw by Melinda Metz from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued by the summary and really wanted to like this novel, but the storyline could have been pulled together better and the characters developed better.