I don't love to come in here with an unpopular opinion, but this just didn't quite work for me. Maybe it was the premise, maybe it was the second chance vibes. I'm not quite a second chance romance girlie at this point.

The kitties, Ben, Kara, Schwartz, I loved this one.

This is a romance, but it’s also about friendship and family. And, of course, kitties.

This was just what I wanted to read, without knowing it, during a rainy cool early September weekend. Wonderfully cozy.

A Cat Cafe Christmas by Codi Gary follows two main characters Kara and Ben. Kara is a co-owner of a cat cafe that she wishes will eventually expand to having a low-cost veterinary clinic. Ben works at a marketing firm tasked with revitalizing the town for Christmas time, including increasing exposure for the cat cafe. That would be all fine and good, except Kara is trying to stay out of the spotlight after her previous relationship led to a nationwide scandal and her being deemed the "Grinch's Bride."

I wanted so much to love this story. Cats? Yes please. Christmas? Bring on all the coziness! But, unfortunately this one fell flat for me.

There were a few situations that occurred that I genuinely thought would never happen. For example, after meeting the man maybe 2 times, one of which was not pleasant, Kara's business partner brings Ben to Kara's house and then Kara decides to allow the man into her house that day and allows him to be alone in her house while she is at work on another day that week to fix her plumbing. What? I would be furious at my friend if she brought a strange man to my home without asking me first. You have no idea who this guy is! Her excuse was he didn't give off "creepy man vibes." Neither did Ted Bundy and look how that turned out! I just think this was unrealistic, especially for a character who has anxiety and trust issues and particularly since her ex-boyfriend stole personal information off of her laptop when left alone with it.

At times I honestly felt there was more chemistry between Ben and his best friend Schwartz than Ben and Kara, which doesn't bode well for the romance. The dialogue in some scenarios was also awkward, which led to me not being able to really connect with the characters and their struggles.

I loved the little portraits and descriptions of the cats at the beginning of each chapter, and I wish some of those cats were a larger part of the story throughout.

Overall, I loved the idea of this one, but it fell short on execution for me. It seems like it's a 5 star for many others so perhaps this is a me thing and not a book thing! If you're looking for an easy, quick holiday read, I still say give it a try!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever, Grand Central Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. It was cute and gives you the warm and fuzzies while you’re reading it. It’s perfect for any cat lover. You just want to grab a coffee, a cat and snuggle up in front of a fire place and read.
The characters are so loveable and relatable. I did not want this book to end.

Kara and her best friend Charity open a car cafe. Charity makes the desserts and Kara is a veterinarian in charge of intakes. Their dream is to also open a low income vet clinic in the back of the cafe however the run out of money. Enter Ben, the marketing guru and cat hater!
As can be expected, Kara and Ben bump heads especially when Ben wants Kara to ramp up her social media presence, but Kara has her own reasons for wanting to keep her face away from the media.
Can Kara and Ben work together and get the clinic open and keep the cafe up and running, guess you better pick up the book on October 4th and find out 🐱

I’m a huge cat lover so I was really excited to read this. This was such a cute Christmas read - I loved the cats, the characters and the setting. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

(4.5/5)

This book is a dual POV grumpy x grumpy romance novel that is purrfect (sorry I'll see myself out) for people looking to read about cats, christmas, romance, healing, and forgiveness all wrapped into one. It was like a hallmark movie wrapped into a book, but with the addition of cats and I absolutely loved it!

Synopsis: Kara and her best friend Charity open up a cat café x low-cost veterinarian clinic that is initially struggling to succeed due to Kara's (reasonably) distain of social media. Enter grumpy mmc (male main character) Ben who after an awkward encounter with Kara, finds a kitten in his house. unsure what to do with it he brings it to her and because of space problems he ends up fostering the cat for awhile. Consequently, he and Kara spend a lot of time together and the drama is their past traumas from previous relationships surfacing.

I truly adored this book, in many ways I feel like it was written for me - an anxiety and ADHD ridden cat lover and in a lot of ways I really loved Kara and her personality. Her care for animals hit home for me because I know when people let you down - to this animal (a pet) you are their everything. There's a lot of warm satisfaction in that and especially knowing that a cat has chosen you as their 'human' (because it is a two way street). Even Ben, his personality really warmed up to me and you can tell he is a good individual, the kind of person who doesn't do things for attention, but because it is right. Him and Kara are absolutely soulmates and their every interaction was so sweet and the way he supported her endeavours and business was very sweet. A truth about love that we often neglect is that sometimes love is the comfort of finding another person and having the ability to call them your home.

This story is more than just a romance novel though. I left it feeling a sense of contentment because it acknowledges the messy nature of healing and how past trauma's can resurface (quite literally,) the importance of friendships that can ground you, the importance of forgiveness on your own terms, and the importance of kindness and how easy it is to change someone's (or a cat's) entire life with an act of kindness. Additionally, it's about perseverance and the ability to face your fears and not let your past trauma dictate your future, which was something that resonated a lot with me.

Also each chapter starts with a photo and description of a cat and those were really fun to read. There is actually a cat cafe in my city and I've been too many times to count. Now when I go there though I will definitely remember this book and the warm feeling it left me with.

If this was a tv show/movie I just know it would be a hit! I think if anyone has watched or read dash and lily, this book gives those vibes of a cute Christmas love story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and Codi Gary for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review!

A Cat Cafe Christmas was everything I wanted in a Christmas book. Who needs the Hallmark Channel when you have Codi Gary.
It was an easy quick read with low stress and high Christmas spirit. It left me smiling.

This is a DNF for me. I really liked the premise but the execution is not there. The writing feels juvenile and the immediate premise didn't pull me in; a veterinarian who accidentally helped her ex swindle people out of hundreds of thousands of dollars and her biggest concern is someone recognizing her at her new cat café? I immediately don't empathize with this heroine and I don't particularly care about her plight. Additionally there's no realistic way she was unaware of the city's plans to help the café with marketing. She could have addressed her issues at any time but instead chose to take her frustrations out on the hero who is just doing his job. I didn't get much past the first few chapters because of the main character.

I absolutely adored this book! I was given an ARC from Netgalley & Grand Central Publishing in exchange for an honest review. These thoughts are my own opinion. ⁣
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This book is like a warm cup of hot chocolate will make you happy and warm your heart! We meet Kara who owns Meow and Forever Cat Cafe that is just opening. Her best friend runs the front of the store with lattes and bake goods and she runs the intake and adoption side of the car cafe. She is a veterinarian with a heart of gold! Sadly the Cat cafe is struggling out of the gate! In comes marketing extraordinaire Ben! There first interaction isn’t great after all he’s not a cat person. Ben finds a kitten in the house he’s working on. Ben brings the kitten to Kara at the cat cafe but there’s no room for him. Ben agrees to keep the cat until a home can be found for him. But his heart may be warming up to not just Chaos the kitten but to Kara too. ⁣
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This book was the cutest rom com ever I swear! My favourite was each chapter started with a cat and their description that live at the cat cafe and looking for their forever home! I’m going to adopt Buddy the elf I swear! I think Codi handled fade to black romance really well with this book and I’m excited to read others by her! ⁣
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Be prepared to fall in love with more then just the cats of Meow and Forever! Be sure to pick this up on Oct 4,22. You won’t be disappointed!

A Cat Café Christmas is a Christmas rom-com featuring Kara and Ben. Kara is a veterinarian and co-owner of Meow and Furrever Cat Café. She currently has more cats than customers and needs to figure out a way to get the café from red to black. Ben is a marketing wiz, who has some ideas on how to get the café in the black through the day of Catmas. Kara realizes she would be a fool to turn down his help. Ben and Kara need to set aside their differences, and trust in each other to make this a Catmas to be remembered.

The cats in this book were perfection. Each chapter featured a bio of a cat available for adoption, which were sweet and adorable. Adding to that was the healing journey that both Ben and Kara went through in overcoming the heartbreaks they had experienced and learn to trust again. Both had been burned in the past and had a lot of personal growth that needed to happen in order to be able to be in a relationship.

The chemistry and banter between Ben and Kara was perfection right from the start. Even though neither were looking for a relationship, the time they spent together was fun and exciting. I also really liked the grumpy/grumpy trope in this book, it made the characters all the more entertaining. The book was a bit formulaic, but I think that was part of the charm too. It would be a perfect book to read cozy by the fire with a cup of cocoa.

This book was an absolute delight, filled with Christmas spirit. I really enjoyed it and it would be purr-fect for cat lovers and Christmas lovers alike! Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

Absolutely sweet, soft, swoon, lighthearted second chances and opposites attract romance you may honestly enjoy in one sitting, safely cuddled into your blanket, nursing your hot cocoa ( or perfectly chilled Chardonnay like I did) !

Kara Ingalls is exhausted and heartbroken after giving her heart and password unprotected computer to her fraud fiancée who embezzled the charity funds, ruining her reputation!

After acquitting from acquisition against her, she starts working at veterinary 24/7! Then her best friend Charity who has amazing cooking skills comes with a plan: they will team up to create a dreamy concept: Meow and Fur Cafe where you can taste best bakeries of town and adopt a lovely cat at the same time!

Unfortunately their investment vacuumed their entire savings and now they are financially struggling, needing a Christmas miracle to save them!

Maybe that miracle can be a brooding, heartbroken man who has amazing marketing skills. Yes: Ben Reese who recently moved from Boston can be solution to their problems with his brilliant promotion ideas even though he can’t stand with any kind of animal. Nobody is perfect!

When Ben and Kara start working together, their chemistry is palpable. But Ben is still emotionally unavailable after his own brother took his fiancée from his hands. It seems like both Ben and Kara have to confront with their emotional baggages. Could they believe in second chances in love and Christmas miracles?
Read and find out!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Forever ( Grand Central Publishing) for sharing this lovely digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

Cats, coffee, and Christmas. What’s not to like?

Ben, a marketing executive new to LA, and Kara, a veterinarian running a nonprofit cat cafe/low cost clinic, unexpectedly find themselves in each other’s lives. Ben and Kara are both still reeling from breakups that left them jaded and maybe even a little cynical. After an immaculate meet-cute, they find solace in the cats, the rescue, and each other. Can their budding relationship survive the lingering trauma from their past loves?

I loved watching both Ben and Kara on their journeys to healing. This was a sweet reminder for me that there is no “correct” timeline for finding love and building a life with someone; life does not end at age 30, and there is always someone waiting who will think you’re fantastic. And as a self-proclaimed crazy cat lady, seeing Ben fall in love with a wild little kitten made me happier than words can say. This is such a sweet, cozy read, and I highly recommend it for romance lovers!

Need something wholesome this holiday season? Look no further! A romance novel with cats, coffee, and Christmas!? What could possibly be better? (Absolutely nothing.)

This was a delightful read and absolutely must be on your holiday season TBR. This is the perfect book to be read under a blanket on a snowy Sunday morning while sipping your second, or third, cup of coffee.

Read for:

Cats
Coffee
Christmas
(Obviously!)
Grumpy x Grumpy Romance
Anxiety rep
Hallmark vibes

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

A Christmas romance against the background of a cat rescue/cafe? What an adorable concept! With so many books featuring dogs, this was a lovely change. I loved the light breezy voice and the romance between Kara and Ben was really cute. This is the perfect book for fireplace reading with a giant mug of cocoa and a cozy blanket and it's one holiday movie I'd actually watch if it were made into a film. I'll be looking forward to more from this author.

Thanks so much to Forever/Grand Central Publishing for making this book available on NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I love Codi Gary so I would read anything she writes! This was such a great story. I want a cat cafe in my town. Kara is distrustful of people given her background. Ben just wants casual. Can they work through their problems? I need more Charity!

ARC BOOK REVIEW

A Cat Cafe Christmas
By Codi Gary

Pubslishing Day: 10/4/2022

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

( oh...meet with kitty Chloe 😀 )

Kara is a verterinarian, and co owner of Meow and Forever- a cafe she has opened with her bestfriend that takes in cats in need of adoption. She also has a dream of turning the cafe into an animal clinic.  However, her ex has tarnished her reputation and she has been dealing with the backlash ever since he was arrested. Because of this, growth has been difficult.

Kara accidentally meets Ben, ( not a cat lover, fyi) who is a marketing pro. After fostering one of the cats from her cafe ( not by choice) he feels he can develop a  PR plan to save the cafe and take the clinic from a dream to an actual possibility.  Together they plan a Christmas fundraiser. 

But will a misscommunication between Ben and Kara ruin the fundraiser and their relationship? And what about when her Con-artist ex shows back up? Will the clinic or their relationship survive the holidays?

REVIEW:
This was a super cute read. If you like grumpy characters, this is for you! If you love cats and Christmas, this is REALLY for you!

There was some character development for both Ben and Kara, but nothing I didn't see coming. Easy read to clear your mind!

It was a simple but cute story thats highlighed my favorite things- coffee, cats and Christmas! The ending was adorable and gives you the warm and fuzzies.

If you like holiday rom coms, add this to your tbr for the upcoming season!
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A big ole Thank you to @netgalley and @readforeverpub for the Arc!
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I loved this book!! It was such a cute story. Definitely not super believable but I really loved the characters. And who doesn’t love a cat story!!?

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC!

DNF at 50%. I really wanted to love this book. I am a huge cat person and I love Christmas books. I just could not get into this and I’m so sad! I do think that for the right person, this will be a hit! I just think I didn’t vibe perfectly with the writing style so it’s definitely a me thing!

An adorably charming christmas tale - I saw so much of myself in Ben (bossy, annoying, marketer - lol all me) but loved the way they were able to work together! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advanced copy.

The most endearing part of the book was the chapter titles that aligned with our shelter cats. It made me smile, and secretly wish to see them go to the right home. What a heartwarming adorable closed door romance. I had similar feelings about this book as I did with Sarah Adams book-- it doesn't always have to be spicy. It is sweet.

It was more than just a romance story, it was a coming home and learning that life is better not being alone (who can deny life isn't better with a furry friend or a grouchy marketing guy.) There we're big themes of forgiveness laced throughout, which made it tug at my heartstrings. I would compare this book to a drink frequently referred to in the novel-- a peppermint hot chocolate. It was cozy, and smooth and exactly what you want at Christmas 🎅

It was lovely. It was a perfect type of hallmark movie in book form, with a deeper meaning that a surface shows. I honestly think Codi Hall is a official go to for me for Christmas novels. Why watch a hallmark movie, when you can read the books and have hours more entertainment?

Anyway, thinking about adopting a cat now, brb!! 🐈‍⬛