Thank you so much to net galley for sending me a copy of this book. I wasn’t expecting to love this book as much as I did. But I am so glad I gave it a chance!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book! The title and this beautiful cover drew me in and i was excited this book. I love enemies to lovers storylines, and this one is a good one.

I didn't know if I was going to end this book because the MCs grated on my nerves as they were both quite nasty.
After a bit I got into the story and appreciated these two damaged characters who are learning to trust again.
It's a slow burning story and I appreciated the empathy of the author toward the characters.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

3.5/5 stars

If you like enemies to lovers and cheesy, sappy romance mixed in with ridiculous arguments then this is the book for you. I did find the pacing a bit slow (and took issue with the feeder fish passage (please don't use goldfish (or rosy reds) as feeders, they're high in thiaminase which blocks the absorption of thiamine and can cause a vitamin deficiency in predators). However, despite the pace, I did finish the whole book in one sitting and enjoyed reading it! The ending pleasantly surprised me, going past the easy stage of just working things out to the nicer level of wrapping up other plotlines and giving a solid epilogue for both main characters. Also huge shout-out to the solid trans rep in a way that differed from the norm (and felt more similar to my own experiences!)

I’m soft. So soft. This book made my insides gooey and melt and my heart so soft.

I have to admit I had some trouble getting into the story during the first few chapters because both of the main characters are unnecessarily rude. Don’t get me wrong, I understand where it’s coming from, but it was a bit exhausting to read. I love enemies being rude and snarky with each other but this seemed like a bit too much. I immediately took a liking to Jericho. All he wants is to remedy a mistake he made and get his sister a new cat. Harinder likes animals more than people and just wants to give them to a loving home. I do understand his motivation and it doesn’t seem to affect his business but he is just plain rude and at first I found him to be somewhat annoying. But he soon grew on me as well, the way he acts with „hopeless cases“, how he takes care of the animals in the shop, it was just sweet.

And luckily, Jericho is not a person to give up easily and so they start playing a game of being rude back and forth, both getting more and more difficult while simultaneously getting to know each other better. I got really invested in their tentative feelings for each other, how dislike turned into friendship and eventually something more. But both can’t talk about it, they’re both so awkward and have gone through a lot of shit and have problems to trust themselves and each other but oh, they have such a beautiful development. Both for themselves and their relationship. Even though they throw insults at each other’s head all the time, it turns from real to affectionate and I know I’ve already said it twice, but I have to say it again: I was so soft! The two of them were so soft.

What I enjoyed was the missing drama. And by this I mean, the story didn’t follow the „they fall in love – drama – happy end“ scheme, it was chaotic dramatic in every chapter and I loved it. I was waiting for that drama, hoping it wouldn’t come and my hopes were heard. I also really liked how sex and consent was discussed. This story is very sex positive and I loved seeing the characters asking for consent and being patient and understanding with each other.

One of the main characters is trans and I think it was really well written as well. I myself can of course only speak as a cis person, but I still think it was handled really well.

To conclude this: this book was as fluffy as the Dumpling the cat. It was wonderful and soft (Ha!) and made me smile a lot. I enjoyed this book a lot. A lot a lot!

I really wanted to like this book because the premise drew me in - hate to love trope and CATS and trans rep and a MM romance. But in the end, I was left underwhelmed. I couldn't stand Harinder at all. He's extremely rude. Not like a little rude and it could be misunderstood - he is outright terrible and condescending unprovoked. I thought I would like the pet store setting but it seemed to be more a platform for very preachy animal rights activism, which is not to say that I don't love animals and agree with some of the stuff being said. It was just a lot of the book and it was so over-the-top. The first 40% of the book was very repetitive and that's when the synopsis part where Harinder ends up homeless comes into play (finally)...at the 40% mark. Then all of a sudden, Jericho and Harinder are madly in lust/love. I didn't find it believable at all. The first 40% and the last 60% seemed like two different books entirely. This book was just not for me.

This book was unfortunately not for me. Hopefully someone else will enjoy it more. Happy reading. I may try it again in the future.

An absorbing slow burn queer romance between an Indian bi trans man and a Black Albino gay cis guy, starting with the attempt to adopt a cat which really shouldn't be as hard as Harinder makes it for Jericho. Set in America's east coast in the heart of winter, the weather and Jericho's lack of preparation feature heavily. I really enjoyed the queerness of the characters and the fact that neither had easy upbringings leading to creative ways to survive with little money in such a harsh environment. I'm not sure that I get the whole 'enemies to lovers' trope especially in this instance where they literally shout at each other and are often incredibly rude. I did enjoy that both characters were of different ethnicities and understood the racism that each other had and were facing, in that way it felt very true to life. Loved the other characters too, Jericho's sister was great and the neighbour Ms Watson with her wise knowing smile was welcome light relief.

With thanks to Net galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jericho is an albino Black male approaching his 21st birthday and he’s upset his only living relative in the world, his twin sister, Shiloh, by allowing her demon of a cat (Mephistopheles) to escape into a dark night in their nondescript East Coast suburban town. He thinks that buying a replacement will heal the rift that’s cropped up. He lives alone in a one-bedroom and supports himself since he was 17 and escaped the “loving” supervision of their abusive uncle. Jericho owns his introverted nature and is 100% socially maladroit, but he is a successful cartoonist for his own webzine and Patreon supporters. So, it can’t be that hard to buy a cat, right?

He stops at the nearest pet store to home, Aquariums & More, because shop local, right? And that’s where he meets Harinder, a small, pudgy young man who is absolutely not going to allow Jericho to adopt one of the cats in the back. No, Harinder has hoops for days that he makes prospective adopters jump through, knowing that few will bother to continue with the process through a 10-page compatibility survey, bogus community service hours requirement, and anything else he can dream up to deter folks. See, Harinder’s pretty much primal when it comes to animals and he’ll piss off eighteen dozen humans if it means not letting one unsuitable pet owner take an animal from his care.

And, care Harinder imparts. He is fastidious in his treatment and cleaning of animal cages working well beyond his clockable hours as the sole customer-facing employee in Aquariums & More. Harinder’s boss, an aging Indian man, only keeps the store as a venue to showcase his custom tank builds, and he’s rarely on-site. Essentially, Harinder has license to torment uneducated customers and is unbothered by the terrible Yelp reviews. Jericho sees through his game pretty quick and being a contrary sort regards his mission to adopt a replacement cat for Shiloh as a challenge. And Jericho aims to win.

Being self-employed gives Jericho the flexibility to enter the store on the regular and meet or exceed all of Harinder’s ridiculous stipulations. His presence and keen observational skills puts Jericho in a position to recognize that Harinder’s actually very principled and dedicated to the animals at the store, engendering a grudging respect. . He also witnesses harassment of Harinder by friends of his housemate, and is likewise present when Harinder’s tenuous living situation implodes.

The snark and walls each man has built to protect themselves from the meanness of their existence begin to crack as Jericho solicitously brings Harinder and what remain of his belongings into his own apartment. It’s sweet and entertaining, and the attraction that Harinder has tried to not acknowledge definitely blooms in this hot house. None of this is too overt. These guys are generally not impetuous, and they don’t need more than companionship, at first. Of course, having Harinder in his place means that the ruse to adopt the cat is far more complicated, especially as Harinder has a deep desire to adopt the one cat that Jericho wants–if he could house a pet, that is. The more that these two men connect, the more the deception tears at Jericho, until it becomes too much to bear–and Harinder is not happy. Things had been going so well, though, that Jericho’s quick thinking and growing affection are soon enough overcome their conflict.

This is a fun book to read, with great pacing and a delicious slow burn. There are definitely race issues at play, and Harinder’s view of Jericho’s struggles is interesting, and supportive. I rather felt as if the author was writing a book from a British English perspective, as the American details seemed a bit vague and generic. That said, the characters were engaging, the plot creative and the enemies-to-lovers trope well-executed. Expect a happy ending and a well-housed cat, or two.

Well, I realized it's hard for me to like a story if one of the main characters is so unlikeable and low-key horrible and mean to other people. I really can't get past Harinder's rudeness to everyone and he's not even doing his job right. I'm just plain annoyed the whole time reading this and just skimmed until the last part because I just don't want to read about him anymore. It's disappointing since I really thought I'm going to love this book before I even started it. I love that there are animals in here and I like the enemies-to-lovers trope (in general, but, not in this one), but this book just didn't serve what I expected from it. And I don't know how I'm going to root for these people if they're not even worth rooting for.

Cat's Got Your Heart is an enemies-to-lovers romance revolving a pet store. It follows Jericho Adams, a guy just trying to adopt a cat in an attempt to reconnect with his sister, and the bitter pet store employee Harinder Mangal, who's supposed to help him. Their meet-cute isn't cute at all, more like full of loathe, and it's the start of a petty (ha!) back and forth between the two men, that holds the adorable cat Dumpling as the prize.

This trans m/m new adult romance was a 3.75 star for me. I really enjoyed it, especially the romantic aspect. At first, I found the characters frustrating, as they also found each other to be, but I have to admit their interactions made me like them a lot more. What I liked so much about the romance featured in this novel was probably how well done the enemies-to-lovers transition was. Romances with the same trope are often not my type, because the enemies part can be so aggressive it makes me cringe thinking about it leading to a romantic relationship. However, I think this book's author executed that aspect very well, and I really rooted for Jericho and Harinder being together! Another thing I enjoyed was how the characters were flawed, making them more human, but how it wasn't romanticized, they still needed alone time to work out their issues but now had someone to trust.
Unfortunately, I didn't connect to the characters or the story on a deeper level, which is why my rating for this isn't higher. I still enjoyed myself reading this and recommend it.

I would very much like to thank the publisher for letting me read this ARC through the Netgalley site, it was a great experience!

This is a lovely story with well developed and entertaining characters. Harinder and Jericho detest each other on sight. Harinder believes Jericho should not have the cat he wants to buy and Jericho thinks the pet store employee is an ass, but he is determind to get the cat he wants.

And so the battle commences. As Jericho runs the gauntlet of Harinder's requirements for pet adoption, the two men gradually become a surprising life line for each other, helping each other come to terms with painful pasts.

I enjoyed reading this. The story has a way of growing on the reader. Although there are conflicts and difficulties, the two characters overcome these in a meaningful and realistic way. There is lots of snark and banter in the story which enriches the reading experience in an odd kind of way.

I also liked the diversity of the characters, and I thought the way the author depicted albinism was thoughtful and creative. I haven't come across albinism in a romance before. I think this is definately a book I will read again and this author is definately worth following for future reads.

Copy provided by Ninestar Press via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Cat's Got Your Heart by Jem Zero was an absolute delight to read! This a hate to love romance story between Jericho and Harinder. Harinder is the grumpy guy who works at a pet shop and has amazing love for the pets he cares for at the store. He cares about the animals so much that he's reluctant to let anyone adopt one. So when Jericho comes into the pet store to adopt a cat, Harinder puts him through a ridiculous and rigorous adopting process in hopes of scaring Jericho away. But Jericho is not so easily deterred and accepts the many challenges Harinder puts before him. As Jericho and Harinder gets to know each other an unlikely friendship forms and Jericho comes to the rescue when Harinder is suddenly homeless. With being in such forced proximity they begin to have feelings for each other that neither can deny. Their relationship is full of funny banter, they both overcome their fears and begin to trust each other. I loved the progress of Jericho and Harinder's relationship and absolutely enjoyed reading their story. The writing was a bit weird which knocked a star down from the rating.

This is a solid 3 1/2 stars for me.
At first, I was unsure about this one, as both of the heroes were as prickly as many of the animals in the novel. But as they warmed up to each other, I warmed up to them as well. After the halfway point, I was hooked and actually stayed up way too late to finish the novel.
If you are looking for an enemies to lovers romance with two characters with a lot of emotional baggage, this would be a good fit. And there are lots of animals in the story, which is always a plus for me.
I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher and Net Galley in return for a fair review.

This was so ridiculous in the best way and I loved it. I loved the main characters and their grumpy unwillingness to admit they could feel emotions. It was so satisfying to watch them peel back the layers of defenses and realize they were a perfect match.

I. LOVED. THIS. As a gay trans man, I am always on the lookout for good mlm trans books. And this one was PERFECTION. I am so in love with these characters. I related so much to Harinder, I am also very passionate about pet welfare and diss on chain pet stores so much. I loved his personality and his passion, and that the book actually educated real facts about issues with pet stores. I love enemies to lovers so much, and this one was just *chefs kiss*. I can't say enough good things about this, it was just lovely

Didnt mesh well with the writing. Had to DNF. The concept seemed different and I wanted to like it! I also didn't like the main characters. Couldn't see past that but I think that's the I point

This book is amazing! Jem achieves a wonderfully cute story that is utterly believable and definitley relatable. Most novels I've read always have that little aspect that is simply not realistic no matter how much I tried to imagine but Jericho and Harinder are utterly real. Written incredibly well, the normality of their lives feels so refreshing as it is something that we all live in. We all just go on our day-to-day basis and so do these characters. That fact is not even boring as it is simply there. A part of life.

AND THEN THE ANIMAL WELFARE! Oh my gosh! Animals are such incredible creatures and far too good for humanity. I love Harinder's passion about that and I applaud Jem for explaining the importance of having, loving and taking care of a pet for their entire lives not just for Christmas or birthday.

Jericho's and Harinder's relationship felt very natural and made me laugh out loud multiple times. They are adorable, cute, fucked up, very and definitely good with each other. I appreciated how much they love one another and how much they love to insult and mock one another.

Because of this novel, I am very interested in Jem's other books.

The blurb isn't the best but I adore this book. Jericho and Harinder are absolutely perfect together and totally hilarious. I enjoyed every second of this book and can't recommend it enough. It's emotional, funny, and the best kind of enemies to lovers. Can't wait to read more from this author.

This was absolutely adorable!
It is hate at first sight for Jericho and Harinder, but it takes a particular fluffy feline named dumpling to set their hearts in motion and bring them together.
This was a sweet, fluffy and feel good read.
The author's writing style appealed to me and flowed smoothly with the narrative.

If you like a light romance with low angst, two very stubborn men an an adorable dumpling of a cat, who brings them together, you will love this.