A devastating incident can turn your world upside down. It can have such an impact that you build walls around you and you only find solace in taking care of cats and people in need.

You think you are safe in your little shell but suddenly the past you tried so hard to put behind you is thrown in your face when you least expected it. 

On the one hand you live through all the pain yet again. On the other hand it might be the start to full recovery.

The author takes us back in time so we can find out what happened. It's a heartbreaking story and things were said in the heat of the moment. Now, years later, people find their way back to each other and the healing process can start for real.

You might say you will never fall in love again, but you never know what Cupid might have in store for you ...

A lovely heartbreaking story with quite a few silver linings around the big black clouds. 4 stars.

Thank you,  Amy Miller, Bookouture and Netgalley.

TW: Attempted Suicide (graphic), Drug Use, Child Death, Bullying, Mental Health Facilities (not particularly well written)
Bechdel Test: Yes

As soon as I saw the title of this book, I knew I had to read it. I love cats and I'm not ashamed to say that I'm somewhat of a cat lady

"After calling goodbye and blowing kisses to each of her five cats, she left for work."

Nancy started of very endearing and relatable to me A woman who is battling some demons from the past which has her isolate herself from the outside world, but surrounding herself with her cats.

The general tone of the book at the start was nicely paced and started to get you into Nancy's headspace, but I felt that it lost its way about a third of the way through. The flashbacks into the past were integral to the story, however I don't feel like they were utilised to their full capacity.

It then started to fall into a "helping others will make me feel better about myself" type of book, which while I get that - from personal experience you shouldn't distract yourself with other peoples problems, no matter the parallels you can gleam and apply to your own situations. I would have liked for Nancy to have worked on her issues a bit more and not have it based around other people.

Unfortunately it was just an okay book for me. Some people may love it, but I just wasn't feeling it.

*thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.

This literary fiction novel reeled me in just by its title. A lifetime devotee to the four legged feline, my cats Rosie and Anotinette just begged me to request this arc. Well, actually, that isn't true, reading sometimes distracts from massages and feeding time. Whatever ! School volunteer, Nancy Jones, lives with 5 cats and while many around Nancy have a tendency to reduce her to "cat lady," she is actually dealing with a whole world of hurt. So if you're looking for a comedy type of book- this isn't it.

I really enjoyed Amy Miller's backstory of what inspired her to write this story and it's a book with a great message. Don't judge a book by its cover. It was a heartwarming read, but I just felt that it's a story that has been written many times before.

Goodreads Review 20/04/19
Publication Date 26/04/19

I truly loved this book. It is about family; the one we are born into and the one we choose for ourself. Nancy Jones is a divorcee who lives alone with 5 cats that she dearly loves. She has had a lot of tragedy in her past so she has isolated herself from society. Several things happens to bring her around a bit and the ending is wonderful. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to the author and publisher for allowing me to read this arc.

This past week I read They Call Me The Cat Lady by Amy Miller. This is a general fiction novel about Nancy Jones. She lives on her own in a ramshackle old house with five rescued cats. She has had trauma in her past which prevents her from getting close to anyone but a person she once knew comes back into her life, forcing her to confront her traumatic history. This book deals with many heavy themes; bullying, grief, abuse, and attempted suicide. The writing is fairly simplistic and I thought this was a debut author. After reading, I found she had written 3 books prior to this one. I gave the book three stars because while it's overall an entertaining story, some of the topics are not fully dealt with and the writing style was simple, sometimes bland.


This book will be released April 26th, 2019. If it sounds like a book for you, definitely check it out.

No matter how hard it is, sometimes facing the past is all you need to set a new path to the future.

We all have something in our pasts that we would rather keep hidden. In this book, we meet Nancy Jones, who is known as the cat lady by everyone in her town. Nancy is a kind-hearted lady, who had a tragic past that she would rather forget. These days, Nancy enjoys spending her time with cats, not humans. Nancy works part time at a school and feeds people’s cats for extra money. But, when Nancy goes to feed a client’s cat, she discovers something that brings the past back to life. Everything changes after that. Nancy’s life will never be the same.

This is one of those books that once you get into it, you can’t put it down. It’s a story about friendships, secrets, tragedies, and facing the past and learning to move forward. And, of course there are lots of cats. I could relate to Nancy’s love of her cats and how sometimes they are the only ones you can turn to when life gets tough. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good women’s fiction book and especially those who love cats.

Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was so not what I expected. I expected a story about a cat lady with way to many cats who perhaps met a young person who changed her. But this is so much more than that. What happened in her past has changed her, but this story tells you that it’s not too late to change again, for the better. You just have to find the right time. It also shows you how small the world can be, how you can connect a person to other in small steps.


This is one of the best books I’ve read this year. It’s both heartbreaking and unbelievable beautiful. I’m so glad I read this. If I had to recommend 5 books for a person to read this year, this book would be on the list. It’s so sweet, sad and beautiful. I admit to tearing up a few times. I actually have problems discribing how much I loved this book.

If you liked “A man called Ove” and “Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine” you’re really gonna love this

This book was not what I expected, in a good way. It was a relatively fast book with such an enchanting cover and that title that I expected a particular type to repeat itself. I settled down this rainy afternoon and before I knew it I was crying with it!

Nancy Jones is introduced to us as living in a decrepit house and lacking in human company. She holds down a job but her past is a mystery to us. This tale is how things start to change for her and how age-old grievances come into the open and some resolve themselves finally. Nancy is a protector of the suffering, in any form. She uses her empathy on everyone from people to animals. Her character is portrayed in such a raw manner that you do not necessarily feel bad for her, but you feel like yelling at the universe to set at least something right for her. The second half of the book, the universe will listen to you. 

We are given a parallel look into Nancy's past so that we can see how far her life has gone from what it used to be. There were a few scenes which I felt were superfluous to the emotional quotient of the story and although I saw the ending coming in one form or another, I still welcomed it for Nancy's sake. The depth of her emotions and the relationships that she thinks she has with the people around her and the ones she actually does make for fascinating reading. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a heartfelt book with heart-warming situations and a whole lot of tears.

I absolutely loved this easy addictive story about love and marriage, loss and heartbreak, forgiveness, friendship, hope and moving forward. Nancy Jones is a divorcee who works at an elementary school. She keeps to herself and does not socialize with the rest of the staff. She never goes out socially and prefers to stay at home with her 5 cats. I can totally relate to her with the way she cares for and treats her cats like humans since I have 4 cats. A co-worker suggests that she start a pet sitting service and her first customer changes the course of her reclusive lifestyle. This story is guaranteed to tug at your heart strings as the secrets of Nancy's past life unfold. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read an ARC of this wonderfully touching book. I highly recommend it.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Nancy is a wounded soul. The tragic and unexpected turns in her life have left her wanting little human connections. She does have a very big heart which is why she has rescued five cats who have become her family. Her reclusive life keeps people at bay but when she sees a child in the school where she works in clear distress, she reaches out to help him. At first he denies being bullied but with kindness and patience she learns more about what is going on in his young world.
It almost seems as if this first contact in a long while opens, slowly at first and not without some serious hitches, her capacity to care and to help others. She becomes a sort of earth mother to several other lost and needy people. Her home becomes a symbol of her heart as both start to fill with each person she takes under her wing. It also opens up her huge capacity to love and to deal with some of the demons who have haunted her for years.
It is a lovely story with characters for whom the reader feels true compassion. Most of them are people who are just trying to deal with the damages and get on with life. By helping others, Nancy helps herself the most so that by the end of the book, as she returns the injured white cat whom she saved and nursed back to health to her owner, the reader know Nancy is ready for her life to begin again.
I found myself wanting to read a bit more each time I went to put the book down. It drew me in and I can recommend it highly.
Five purrs and two paws up.

I absolutely loved this book. A woman who has seen more than her fair share of pain and tragedy keeps to herself and her cats. Cats are loyal. They love you no matter what. She is quite afraid to love anyone again, after losing her daughter. Her husband blamed her and divorced her. Women who live alone are often ridiculed for being the "cat lady." But this book explains how a woman can find herself in this position. Because she is afraid to reach out and be hurt again.

Nancy Jones has a quiet and reserved life, she loves her work, adores her rescue cats and prefers to keep her secrets and woes quietly tucked away. She’s gentle and caring, none more so than for the downtrodden at the school where she teaches, or with the gentle way she manages her five rescue cats – all named for those she had loved and lost in the past. She’s not particularly loquacious or outwardly friendly, but that is because she is both scared and ashamed: ashamed about the mistakes she made in the past, and afraid that any who learn her tightly held secrets will scorn her, increasing her pain. There’s a certain shyness that surrounds her: it’s simple fear of what could happen if she opens up that she denies herself because of all of the hurts of the past. But there’s a certain hopefulness buried deep, a hope that things could be different if she can only ignore her fear.

The opportunity to ‘try again’ presents itself with a simple chance encounter that involves a ‘cat sitting’ favor for a neighbor, and a quiet search through their house in the hopes of meeting her charge – she truly LOVES cats and they seem to love her – her quiet voice, the chatter as she talks to them, and she’s wanting to put this cat who’s owners have left on vacation at ease. Coming up short in front of a photograph that brings all sorts of memories from her past forward, Nancy is shaken to the core, and really needs to find a way to finally move forward. It’s scary and full of pitfalls, it will require she learn to open up and forgive her own mistakes, and even let go of the shames from accepting situations that others wouldn’t. Is this even possible for her after all this time? Not quite a ‘perfect’ read with some situations certainly of Nancy’s own making and her willingness to allow others freedom to treat her as they choose may frustrate some, but there is a core of strength here that comes to the forefront as the story continues.

Here is where Miller’s skill with characterization come to the forefront. Everyone who has ever owned a cat or a dog knows that conversations, while terrifically one-sided are common and often helpful: allowing you to work out a problem. But, advice is sorely lacking even if sympathetic ears are around. Nancy’s choice to name her cats after those she lost, and often conversations that she ‘wishes’ were held, or should have been, are her way of trying to work through these issues – just not necessarily to any great effect. Gently painted as a rather delicate and removed woman, Nancy is sincerely dedicated to alleviating the woes of others, from a boy at the school to her rescued cats. She’s managed for quite a while to ignore her own more pressing conflicts to fall to the side as she helps others navigate their way through difficult moments. But, Miller then pushes Nancy into situations and places where her own issues and problems come to the forefront – and forces her to make choices and decisions that finally help to lay her grief and fears to rest, leaving us with a lovely and hopeful ending, full of possibilities and cat hairs.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aog /” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

This is a charming, gentle read about a woman who has lived through many of life's tragic events and has found solace within her small, insular world with a gaggle of felines she calls family.

While I didn't find it quite the emotional punch that the blurb describes, it does have an interesting main character that readers can root for as well as a diverse group of secondary characters to round out the cast. The author smoothly introduces bigger issues into the plot, I enjoyed how the life events that have caused Nancy to shy away from the bigger world were revealed to the reader.

This is a heartwarming, fairly predictable but enjoyable, character-driven story that explores how one woman works through her personal tragedies and in doing so broadens the reclusive world she had created around herself. Thankfully, you don' t have to be a cat lover to enjoy this sweet book.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

what a fun book for anyone who are cat people. They Call Me the Cat Lady by Amy Miller was a light, quick read that I really enjoyed!
I look forward to reading more from Amy!

Absolutely LOVED this book!!! How could I resist a book about cats??!!! I'm not a crazy cat lady (yet), but I do love cats. Nancy's cats were her family. They loved her, comforted her and were always there when she got home from work. She even named them after the people she loved the most. I just loved Nancy from the start. She had a wonderful heart. She was a huge help to Alfie and his father. I can't even imagine what she went through, it was so heartbreaking. Meeting Marcie was a blessing in disguise for Nancy. She could share her grief with someone who knew what she went through and also felt the loss. Seeing William and Larry again also helped Nancy. The book is full of love, loss, forgiveness, friendship and of course cats.

The Florence Nightingale's quote in the beginning of the book was purrfect!! "Cats possess more sympathy and feeling than human beings." It was interesting to learn Nightingale had owned sixty cats.

Definitely recommend the book. I loved everything about it- the story, writing style and characters. I also loved the cover of the book. It was so simple but perfect. I can't wait to read more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Nancy is a wonderfully charming character who I loved as soon as I met her. I think she is a prime example of how people can be quick to judge and how nice it would be if everyone took time out of their busy lives to get to know their neighbours/work colleagues better.

The story involves a variety of different topics but mainly grief and bullying. Due to an incident in Nancy’s past, she has become a bit of a recluse keeping herself to herself and exists for the love of her cats which seem to grow in number as she is one of those caring souls who can’t turn away any waif’s or strays.

Alfie is another stand out character in the novel and my heart went out to him. I enjoyed the unlikely friendship between him and Nancy and it was so heartwarming to read.

They Call Me The Cat Lady is a heartwarming read that will pull on your heart strings. It is quite an emotive story of one woman’s life that I think will make an impact on anyone who reads it. Even though there is more than a handful of cats that will certainly appeal to lovers of felines, this story is so much more than that. A story to touch the heart and soul.

I really enjoyed this book! I love a novel where the characters have a lot of development and come into their own. I really enjoyed watching Nancy’s characters develop and heal. It was a little bit of a slow start, and there were a lot of characters to keep straight, and I thought some of the side characters could be a little more fleshed out. Overall though, I really enjoyed it. The ending was absolutely heartwarming. 3.5/5 stars!

Nancy Jones is known as the local cat lady, and it’s not always meant kindly. Though she has a habit of rescuing felines in need of a bit of care, most humans find her distant. But Nancy has secrets and, after a chance encounter with her past while cat sitting, they threaten to come tumbling out … but to fully tell her story, she just might have to let others in.

Much like a hesitant cat, Nancy Jones is irresistible. Troubled by a past marred by hurt and catastrophe, she’s cloistered herself in a home with cats named after loved ones. For her, it sometimes feels good just to say those names out loud— it’s almost as though they’re with her. It’s a heartbreaking sentiment, but it brings her comfort.

And yet she has such a subdued genial way about her. Author Amy Miller delicately paints Nancy as a pained individual whose role is to alleviate the problems of others. It’s no wonder she works at a local school, and her caring manner serves to protect some of the more discomforted students, particularly a bullied boy named Alfie. Nancy serves as the heart of this book, dutifully going out of her way for others.

Yet it’s the moments when Nancy finally has to assess her personal problems that this book soars. Miller carefully pushes Nancy into situations that force her to confront her past. Nancy comes across a picture of her daughter while cat sitting and it causes all the walls she’s built around herself and her past to come crumbling down. It’s uncomfortable, but there’s a pure optimism that runs through the text, softening the tension— through these baby steps, it’s understood Nancy will be happier in the end. Miller and, in turn, the reader are on her side all the way.

Ultimately, Miller has masterfully crafted a beautiful story of personal forgiveness and hope.

*Thank you to the publisher for a ARC of this book in return for a fair and honest review.
I"m so excited to find a new author of gentle, well-told stories! "They Call Me the Cat Lady" is the story of an older woman who has not been able to move beyond the pain of her past. Living quietly with her five cats and no social life, Nancy works part-time at a local school. As she begins to open her heart to others and learns to look at and reflect on the past, she becomes able to create a new vision of herself, and a new life full of friends and laughter. Very highly recommended!

4.5 Stars - I absolutely loved this story. I grabbed my blankie, hunkered down, and curled up within the pages. The story is about Nancy, a quiet, somewhat lonely woman, who lives a safe and simple life with her five cats, who she has named for important people in her life. We are told the story of how Nancy got to this point and of all the people her cats were named for, plus a few other people that play a significant role. Trust me when I say that I am Nancy, minus four of the cats and add one husband, and if anyone wants to take my huband off my hands and will raise him well, then I would glad and totally be Nancy. Happy to live my quiet, unassuming life, safe behind my own walls, only letting in those who I deem necessary. But Nancy's life got a little to small for her, a little too lonely, and she needed to share who she was with the world, because she was a kind and gentle woman with a giving heart. She suffered a horrible tragedy, heartbreak in her marriage, and she just found it easier to build up her walls of protection to get through life. I feel ya, Nancy! A heart-warming, heart-aching, hopeful, bittersweet story of love, loss, hope, and the lesson that family is really who we let circle their wagons around us.