The purrfect lighthearted romance! I finished this book so quickly, and really enjoyed the main female character. Each chapter began with a picture of a cat and an adoption bio - it was very well done. Easy read, relatable characters, and an enemies to lovers trope. Although part of the story happens during Christmas, it was not Christmas heavy like most holiday books (which was nice).

I received this as an ARC, but definitely check it out when it’s published on 10/4/22. A huge thank you to NetGalley, author, and the publisher!

Having recently adopted two utterly adorable kittens, I was excited to read A Cat Cafe Christmas. The story starts with Kara and Ben's first meeting, and they got off to a rough start in which their attraction isn't enough to prevent the sarcasm and annoyance from coming through. Kara struggles in social situations. With generalized and social anxiety as well as ADHD, Kara finds it hard to connect to others. Ben, on the other hand, has put up some emotional walls after a bad end of his engagement. However, Ben is a fixer and likes to help people that he cares about. As these two opposites spend time together, they are able to work through their emotional issues.

This Cute Christmas Rom-Com features cats and coffee. Two of my favorite things. There is also a cute trouble making kitten named Chaos, best friends Charity and Schwartz., and lovely cat bio's complete with personalities.
The story is shelter cat positive and in addition to being a cozy romance, it highlights how great adopting a rescue can be.

Thank you Netgalley and Forever Publishing for the review copy.

In this sweet opposites attract, holiday romance filled with the best furballs, selfless gestures and self healing.

Kara is a vet, trying to make the world a better place for all cats. Her past relationship left her betrayed, lied to, and forced to start fresh. She opens up a cat cafe, that doubles as a rescue and hopefully a future low cost clinic. In comes Ben, a marketing genius also looking to start fresh who takes on the cafe as a project to help succeed. The fumble their way from mild distaste, to friends, to maybe more.

The best part of this one for me was the cute cat drawings and bios at the start of every chapter. I truly wanted to adopt every single one of them. The romance was good, and the conflicts the characters went through did not feel unnecessary or frustrating.

A CAT CAFE CHRISTMAS
By Codi Gary
3/5

I requested this arc on NetGalley when I was in a big “Christmas in July” mood but got over zealous with my requests (that in turn all got approved - oops) so this one was left for a Christmas in September read. There are so many things I absolutely loved about it, and some that I just didn’t enjoy.

What I loved:
* Kara had a heart of gold and a passion for animals, but especially cats. I thought her character was just so genuinely good.
* This book takes place throughout the holiday season and features a 25 days of catmas as a marketing stunt for the cat cafe. It read like a true hallmark movie and I loved that aspect.
* Ben’s big family and it’s drama. Enough said.

What I didn’t love:
* I didn’t jive with this authors writing style. I felt like it lacked depth in some areas and did a lot of telling rather than showing in others. It made it hard for me to read.
* I wanted more action in the story line about Worthy and his criminal activities. I was invested in the scheme and it sort of fizzled out on me.
* Cats. So many cats. Which in the books defense, I should have known it would be cat heavy. I’m just not a big cat person and the cats were the feature in the story.

Read this if you love:
- books set around the holidays
- grumpy x grumpy
- enemies to lovers (but only for a little bit!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Give me all the cozy cat and Christmas books! All the cozy Christmas feelings. I loved, really enjoyed the break from the traditional small town Christmas love story. I will be posting my review closer to the Christmas season

A Cat Cafe Christmas by Codi Gary

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a cute read!! I loved the characters, they made me laugh out loud. Loved their chemistry and the story line. When one doesn’t think they are worthy of love. The purrrfect holiday read that will warm your heart.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for my advanced ecopy for an honest review.

Publish Date: October 4, 2022

This is a sweet, fun holiday romance. Cat lovers will certainly appreciate the story but you don’t have to be a cat lover to enjoy the book. While I found the third act break up reasoning a bit annoying, the end was completely satisfying.

Easily going to be one of my favorite holiday reads this year! This story was so heartfelt and full of Christmas cheer AND cats. I was rooting for Kara and her adorable rescue cat cafe the whole story and enjoyed her character development. A great cozy romance for everyone on your nice list this year.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Cats. A café. Christmas. Love. What else do you need? Seriously loved this book. I am a huge Abby Jimenez fan and found this author to have similar writing as Abby. And then I find out she has 20+ more books out there. Adding all to the ever growing tbr list.

This was a wonderful romance set at Christmas time. Just enough to get the festive feel but not that it overshadowed the story.

Kara is a veterinarian living life off the internet, trying to redeem herself after she fell for the wrong man. Ben moved across the country to get away from his brother and ex-fiancee who betrayed his trust. They start off on the wrong foot, but a kitten stuck in a heating duct helps change that.

I loved the characters in this book. They had spunk, humor, and real people issues. The writing was witty, and funny and well paced. I found myself longing of being in the social room at Meow and Furever.

I will absolutely be reading more from Codi. Thank you so much Netgalley and publishers for this arc in exchange for my review and opinions.

Veterinarian Kara Ingalls needs a Christmas miracle for the Meow and Furrever Cat Cafe. Although she doesn’t want to accept his help, marketing expert Ben Reese comes up with the perfect plan to help Kara out. And as they get to know one another more, they realize that there are some major sparks between them!

Quick thoughts:
LIKES - This book was a lovely holiday read!! The chemistry between Ben and Kara was so good and I loved how the author handled heartbreak and healing throughout the story!

DISLIKES - I felt that the main characters were a bit difficult to connect with at first.

Read if you like:
*cats!
*a strong female main character
*opposites attract
*enemies to lovers
*mental health representation
*dual POVs
*a sweet holiday read

Cats, coffee, and Christmas; what more do you need in a holiday romcom? I have so many positive things to say about this book, starting with the meet cute that totally hooked me! Both on the grumpy side, Kara and Ben share an initial conversation filled with irritation, sarcasm, bickering, and attraction. Even as they argue, the sparks fly.

Kara is a veterinarian who opened the financially struggling cat cafe less than a year ago with her best friend, Charity. Kara's character is authentically written regarding her experience and struggle with ADHD, trauma from her past, generalized and social anxiety, and a hyper-focus subject she is passionate about. Kara's passion is finding homes for relinquished cats and she also dreams of opening a low cost veterinary clinic. She has difficulty in social situations, especially connecting with new people, and believes that other than her best friend, people find her odd. As a reader with ADHD and anxiety, I see so much of myself in Kara, and although sometimes it is an uncomfortable recognition, I appreciate seeing a main character that has ADHD and anxiety and is portrayed as a highly intelligent and capable woman.

Ben is a marketing expert recently moved cross country following the end of his engagement. He has been focused on work, the renovation of the house he bought, and has become best friends with his co-worker, Schwartz. Ben is generous with his time and talents, always trying to fix problems for those he cares about, and even for people he barely knows. Shortly after their disastrous meet cute, he agrees to fix Kara's plumbing problem at her house. Later in the book, he creates a marketing plan for the cafe in his free time. Although Ben loves to create solutions to problems, he also makes some situations worse with his refusal to forgive.

Both Ben and Kara are dealing with their own brokenness, which impacts their reaction to and perception of events in the story. The secondary characters, Charity and Schwartz, are both fun, quirky, and I don't think Ben and Kara could have found their happily ever after without them! I'm hoping to see more of Charity and Schwartz in a future book.

The kitty bios at the beginning of each chapter are a stellar addition! The cat's names, references to pop culture, and the bio information are creative, fun, and always made me smile and snicker!

My only criticism of the book is that, while the background with Kara's ex is important to the story, I didn't feel that his appearance in the present context added to the plot..

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy a cozy holiday romcom, grumpy, opposites attract main characters, and cats you will want to take home with you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for giving me an ebook arc in return for my honest review.

Sometimes we just need those reads that make us swoon and restore our faith in humanity. This one was an adorable slow burn between two unlikely people.

I loved Kara and Ben equally. Ben was very nice but also a little stand-offish. He was quick to push back but also loved snark and sass and was quick to laugh it off. Kara is independant and driven but her ADHD makes her feel a little self conscious in group settings because she feels like she bounces random topic to random topic and Kara thinks it's off putting for others. They were both quirky and adorable and I couldn't help but love them

But the show stopper for this whole book were the chapter headings. There were drawings of cats along with a small blurb about why you might want to adopt them. Honestly, I wanted every last one of the cats. Their personalities were so cute and it even described their coloring (and often included a little heart near them). Ugh, it was so cute and such a great detail.

I loved the twist of the cat cafe to free or cheap cat clinic, the strive to stay open and keep on going and Worthy. The plot felt new, at least to me, as I hadn't bumped in to this particular one before. Adorable, sweet and just what I needed. I loved this one!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Thank you to Net Galley, Forever Publishing, and Codi Gary for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I’ve been searching desperately for an enjoyable Christmas romance all season and this one hit the mark! Our two MC’s have been through the emotional-wringer recently in their lives, leaving them both with emotional baggage and the need to out their minds elsewhere. The story that follows features healing, romance, a ridiculous amount of cute cats, and that comfy Christmas feeling! Plus who doesn’t love grumps learning the holiday spirit?? Perfect for the Holiday season.

“Love is about fear. You’re scared to admit it. Terrified to lose it. And afraid you’ll never find it again.”

💭 Thoughts:
This book put a big smile on my face. All my favorite things wrapped up into one big, squishy holiday hug. Cats, coffee, and romance.

I loved the way each chapter started with the description of a different cat available for adoption at the cafe. It was a cute addition to the story.

Ben and Kara are so cute together. I loved their banter and chemistry. They both have stuff to work through and they came together so well to do it. Plus, Ben scores extra points because he goes from being a cat hating grump to fostering a kitten!

I highly recommend this cute, cat filled, small town romance. It’s the perfect holiday season read! 🎄

Read if you like:
❤️ Cats
❤️ Closed Door Romance
❤️ Fun, Lighthearted Banter
❤️ Family Drama
❤️ Cinnamon Roll MMC

Centered around the survival of an adorable cat café, this was one of my most anticipated holiday romances of the year. Seeing each chapter beginning with a brief bio of a Meow and Furrever resident, I opened my book with the biggest smile. It was an adorable addition!

Veterinarian Kara Ingalls has dreams of expanding her café to accommodate an animal hospital. But if the business doesn't attract more customers, it may not make it past the holiday season. Ben Reese, employee of Kilburn Marketing, to the rescue!

Thanks to an adorably naughty kitten, the awkward meet-cute between Kara and Ben begins to flourish into more. A bit socially awkward, I really liked Kara. Although I didn't quite feel the romantic tension between them, the banter between her and Ben had some funny moments!

But my main issue was the conflict involving the ex-boyfriend. With drama looming throughout the story, I was really surprised to see the resolution completely fizzle towards the end. I was left with a feeling of "that's it?". It's definitely a lighthearted read, but overall I was underwhelmed.

I have to start off by saying that I'm not a cat person, but I absolutely fell in love with the cats in this story. Learning about their personalities and their quirks. It almost made me want to run to my nearest animal shelter to check out the cats. But to the story...

A Cat Cafe Christmas follows the story of our two main protagonists: Kara and Ben. Kara is a veterinary who got her heart broken by a scammer ex-partner, who ruined her reputation. In order to escape her past, she decides to open a Cat Cafe with her best friend, Charity. Ben, on the other hand, is a digital marketing expert, whose brother just stole his fiancé, so he moves to California to start over. Kara and Ben have a not so great first meeting, but over time feelings emerge, and what should be considered a "rebound" becomes a "heal bound," and maybe even something more....

I thought this was cute, funny and delightful read. I really enjoyed getting to know Kara, Ben and all of their friends. The unique setting of the Cat Cafe had you falling in love with every customer as they walked through the door, and the incorporation of social media was done really well.

The banter between Kara and Ben made me smile more than once. It was refreshing to see how a relationship can slowly develop over time. This is such a fun read for the holiday season and will truly put you in the festive spirit, especially if you believe in Christmas miracles. I love that characters were flawed individuals, but not flawed to the point where they were unenjoyable.

I did think the ending dragged a little bit, but I will definitely picking this book up to add to my holiday collection shelf.

If you are looking for a fun holiday romance with interesting characters and lovable cats than this could be the book for you. Kara with her friend Charity is trying to make their café which also is for adopting cats a success. She runs into Ben who has decided to publicize the café as part of his new job. Cara at first is not happy with Ben but decides to give his ideas a chance in order to make her venture successful.

Of course as they get to know each other Ben and Kara start to become close and head towards a relationship. But both Ben and Kara have baggage in their past that they need to confront in order to move forward. Ben moved across the country to get away from heartbreak but it also affected his relationship with his family. Cara is trying to move forward after her reputation was ruined because of an ex-boyfriend.

It’s really a fun book with fantastic characters and cats. The foster cat that Kara convinced Bento take has a role in the story as well it also does lead up to the holidays in the book and all in all I think it’s a perfect Holiday romance.

his one was cute. It gave me all the feel-good Hallmark vibes.
I loved the dual POV, and I thought the little cat bios and illustrations at the start of each chapter were such a fun attention to detail. And that cover? So stinking cute.

What I would change: I would have loved a little more on the relationship side for Ben and Kara to make it feel more believable. They went from barely tolerating each other to dating so quickly! The transition lost me. I also wanted more development of the side characters. They could have rounded out the story a little better if they were a little more dynamic. Also (and this is nit picking) Kara’s ex fiancé’s nickname was Worthy and it just made me cringe every time I read it. I

4.5 stars

This book was a delight! Fade-to-black, enemies-to-lovers, CATS, anxiety rep and Christmas. I read it in one sitting and laughed & got teary-eyed.

I'll be looking for more books by this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Forever (Grand Central Publishing)!

Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. Will recommend it to everyone I know!