Big thanks to Grand Central Publishing, Helena Hunting and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

2⭐️

Plot: 3/5
Writing: 1/5
Ending: 1/5

Basic Plot: Grumpy man falls for his awkward but cheerful cat sitter and be prepared to endure endless cat puns

My Thoughts:

One word for this one.... CRINGE. I almost DNFed multiple times. I even debated rating this one star when I exclusively save that rating for books I couldn't get through. The plot kept me interested and I liked the idea of it.... but the execution of the story, not so much. I think I honestly might have been able to endure this one if there weren't so many cat puns and so many absolutely cringey sentences....

Let's just say, if I ever showed a man my boobs and he said the words "hello there ladies..." out loud, he would immediately be kicked to the curb. Don't even get me started on what she decided to call her "bingo button" - that term should never be used in context unless there is ACTUAL bingo involved. This book felt like a high school story written by a high schooler who loved cats and decided to self-publish - not an established author. AND I LOVE ROM-COMS but this was just wayyyyyy too much.

1.5-star rounded up to a 2-star, I guess. Will I recommend this one? Paws-atively not. It made me want to actually claw my eyes out and should be called an actual catastrophe. If you think those cat puns were bad and still feel like reading this - then be prepared for about 1000 more of them that were even worse than I can give.

I could not get into this book. There was so much talk of cats in the beginning…more cats than people, and I just couldn’t get invested. Thank you for the chance to read it.

Miles Thorn is in desperate need of someone to take care of his mother’s cat while she is in the hospital after being found late at night in the streets in her pajamas, not knowing where home was. Between his new job as an analyst for the NHL, which means he’s sometimes on the road with the team, and his mother’s cat hating him, Miles knows he’s over his head. After an online search, he finds Kitty Hart, also known as the Kitty Whisperer, who has a booming cat-sitting business.

Let’s just say that there was nothing cute about their first meet. Kitty trips and the contents of her purse get thrown around his mother’s driveway. Miles is a dog person, which makes Prince Francis, his mother’s hairless Sphynx, not his biggest fan. Plus, Miles calls Prince Fracis a gremlin. Not to mention, with his mother in the hospital, there’s no one home to give Prince Francis the attention he expects. And when Prince Francis is unhappy, he makes trouble. Which leads to Miles tackling Kitty to the ground as she pulls out a water gun to correct the cat’s bad behavior. Sure, he thought it was a real gun, even though it was light blue, and that’s when the bad first impression was made even worse.

Nevertheless, Kitty takes on Prince Francis as a client, while Miles sorts out whether his mother is going to be released back to her own home or will have to be relocated to somewhere with more care. While a routine is put in place, Miles’ mother’s house becomes the place that he and Kitty meet after work, not just to talk about the cat, but to talk about life. They are an unlikely twosome… she’s sunshine and he’s like a cloudy day. But they do say opposites attract.

This book has a lot of cat puns, but it also has real-life issues like early onset dementia, family losses when both main characters were younger, both trying to figure out their lives while caring about the parent they do still have. Plus, there are young hockey players that keep trying to horn in on what Miles wants for himself, which honestly gives him the kick in the pants to go for it. In the end, Miles and Kitty’s story made me smile and that was worth staying up past my bedtime to finish this book.

Thank you to the publisher for this free galley in exchange for an honest review! This has been my favorite Helena Hunting novel so far. Quick, easy and addictive. This book would be a great read to throw in your beach bag this summer.

I loved this book! I fell for the characters and the plot flowed very well. I loved the slow burn of their romance. I enjoyed this read immensely and would recommend it to anyone!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Forever team for the advanced copy.

Miles and Kitty both have pretty complex emotional backgrounds. They have both had immense loss in their lives, and while it looks different, it's quite similar. I love their initial dislike of one another and the slow burn of seeing them fall for each other.

Kitty is a delight! Her ability to make light of many situations is quite enduring.

Miles is tough on himself because he isn't a hockey player in a hockey centered job.

His insecurities and her upbeat attitude are a combination of wonder. I enjoyed this read immensely. Highly and enthusiastically recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Forever team for the advanced copy.

This was sweet and emotional love story. These two characters were just "it" for each other. The story was just the perfect mix of funny and sad to pull at your heartstrings in the best way.

I gotta say, the beginning had me worried a little but it all worked out in the end. Lately I feel like there's been a trend of extra "quirky" fmc's that just don't seem realistic to me and I was really afraid thats where this was going with Kitty. But, she mellowed out and became more relatable once we got into the story. I'm not sure we can call this an enemies to lovers, more of a bad first and second impression to lovers? I'm usually all for an enemies to lovers trope, but maybe bc Kitty made a lot of disparaging comments about dog people I struggled to get into it (I love cats but am allergic and def more of a dog person so I felt judged) and really enjoyed that we quickly moved to friends to lovers.

Because once we got past the beginning this is really a very sweet story of two people navigating grief and great change in their life. Kitty and Miles have a lot to relate and help each other with even though their situations are very different. Grief does weird things and they are able to help each other navigate their own guilt and deal with family stuff that's been simmering a long time. Helen does a fabulous job balancing the comedic aspect of the romcom with the serious aspects, which is something that can be really hard to do.

And we cannot forget Prince Francis and Wilfred! I love animal characters and they both are amazing, especially Prince Francis! I love a pet with personality and Prince Francis has that in spades!

There are a lot of potential triggers with health issues and death so feel free to message me if you want to know more about the CWs.

I picked this up the other week because Estelle mentioned during the summer preview event that A Love Catastrophe was a slump buster, which was exactly what I needed.

I flew through this novel in less than 24 hours - thanks to things like work, and other previous appointments, it wasn't something I could read in one sitting.

Miles, a dog person, needs to find a pet sitter to watch his mom's cat while she's in the hospital, and he's on a business trip. He is able to find Kitty the Kitty Whisperer (yes, an unfortunate name for the business but she didn't realize it until after she did all her branding). a cat sitter/wrangler/influencer. Their first meeting, while not disastrous, could have gone better. Miles did get Kitty to agree to watch the cat. Through the cat caring lessons, Miles and Kitty get to know each other, and their bond cements after Kitty needs to take Miles to the hospital because of an allergic reaction.

There is comedic situation after comedic situation, which led me to fly through the book, but Hunting also tackles a few serious issues. The loss of a child/sibling, loss of a spouse, grief and grieving, early on-set dementia. I felt that while these issues were handled lightly in the novel, they were handled well. Each character processing their trauma, without making the trauma the focus.

I think there's also an underlying growth arc for both Miles and Kitty. Where if they are willing to take risks, things will happen that will lead to change. Sometimes this change is needed, especially if they've been stagnant for so long, that they don't realize it's impeding the ability to move on.

Five stars!!!!!! This story was such a cute romantic comedy!!!!!!!! I really enjoyed it! Helena Hunting can always be counted on for some good laughs in her romantic comedy stories! I definitely recommend!

When a cat sitter and a hockey nerd meet it's not exactly all roses and sunshine.

Miles Thorn is in need of a cat sitter to take care of his mom's pet while he's visiting her in the hospital. When he discovers the truth about her health it's time to call in the calvary.

Kitty Hart is an expert in managing pets and understanding who they are. A fun, quriky woman who sees beneath the layers and can connect with even the most challenging felines.

With witty banter, plenty of chemistry and a lot of laugh-out-loud moments this slow burn is the perfect summer read.

Sometimes people come into your lives for a season or reason, for Miles and Kitty they will discover that their connection is deeper than a physical attraction. If they can both let go of their past then they can unload baggage they've been carrying around.

A sweet, slightly spicy romance with great character arcs, a plot that keeps moving along, and a few extra dollops of fun will leave you one-clicking Helena's backlist for more.

A Love Catastrophe is Helena Hunting’s latest steamy romantic comedy that is hockey and cat-themed. It is an opposites-attracts story told in dual points of view. It can easily be read as a stand-alone although it may tie-in with one of her hockey series.

20-something Kitty Hart is an internet famous cat trainer, running her own cat-sitting business as the Kitty Whisperer. She is clumsy and very introverted, preferring the company of her family and best friend, Kat, and animals to dealing with other humans. She is also stuck in grief over her father’s sudden death 10 years earlier.

30-year-old Miles Thorn is a statistical analyst for a professional hockey team (think Moneyball) on a trial contract. He’s trying to prove his value to the team while also dealing with his mother’s sudden decline in health. When his mom is hospitalized and he must travel to away games, he hires Kitty to care for his mom’s demon cat. Miles doesn’t like cats and is allergic to them, Prince Francis, a hairless Sphynx. When Kitty arrives to meet him, he tackles her to the floor when he sees her pull out a water gun.

Both Kitty and Miles are socially awkward, but Kitty is worse. She takes care of Miles when he goes into anaphylactic shock while cleaning out his mom’s house, and their mutual dislike changes into like. She helps him accept his mother’s Early-Onset Dementia diagnosis and process his guilt from his younger brother’s death when he was 11. Kitty realizes that she and her mom both need to move on from their grief and quit being co-dependent.

A Love Catastrophe is a well-told uplifting story about a young couple overcoming adversity and working towards a happier future. The scenes with Miles’ mother are realistic but treated sensitively and positively. Kitty is a true animal lover and always puts their well-being first. Some of her escapades are hilarious. The chemistry and banter between Kitty and Miles is off-the-charts. I had a hard time putting this book down and highly recommend it. A Love Catastrophe contains no profanity but some graphic sexual scenes.

I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Forever/Grand Central Publishing for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A super cute book about Kitty, a cat whisperer who runs her own cat sitting business. She has a meet disaster with Miles, a dog lover who needs help with his mom’s cat. They get to know each other and become friends. Friends who are attracted to one another and later become lovers.

The parts with the cats and other animals are cute, but there is a serious side to the story. Kitty and Miles bond over family losses they experienced when they were younger and his mother’s dementia diagnosis. There were a few open door scenes and no third act breakup, which was a nice change of pace.

This was an easy read just in time for summer! Take this to the pool or the beach if you enjoy:

🐱friends to lovers
🐱cats and cat puns
🐱 grumpy x sunshine

Kitty Hart, the "Kitty Whisperer", has been slowly expanding her personal business as a cat sitter, receiving sponsorships, free treats and toys, etc. Her personal life has been stuck since the death of her father 10 years prior. She's lived at home to help her mom and enables behaviors that keeps them both from being able to move forward.

Miles Thorn is in need of some help as his mother wanders off in the middle of the night; another episode of early on-set dementia. He hires Kitty to pop in on Prince Francis, his mother's Sphynx (hairless cat). Though the two start off a bit rocky, their mutual attraction continues to bloom, and they find that they are able to help each other manage past (and present) guilt/trauma, etc. Their vulnerability with each other allows them to find exactly what they need to move forward together.

I enjoyed this book but it dropped a bit in rating for me to 3.5 stars because our cat expert suggested using a spray bottle on Prince Francis in the beginning (and a few other things later on) and it irked me because this will only serve for your cat to be scared of YOU.

Sometimes you just need a little Helena Hunting writing in your life- this goes along with her quirky, and witty mix for a rom com. Characters who seem to be mismatched wind up being the perfect match and the journey for their romance is filled with humor and quite simply- great writing. I honestly laugh out loud when I read Helena Hunting Rom Coms, and find myself sending quotes and clips to friends while reading. Love that she creates characters that are out of the norm and have something unique about them that you wouldn't expect to find in a romance book. I think that just adds to the appeal- doesn't feel like something that's been written about over and over. Unique and spunky.

My cat lady heart is so happy!

I've read quite a bit by this author and this one might be my new favorite by her. And not just because I love cats.

This was so funny. I found myself laughing out loud a bunch. Kitty and Miles were so adorably awkward that it was endearing how well matched they were.

But this book was a lot deeper and dealt with a lot harder topics that the cartoon cover might make you believe. Some trigger warnings are dementia, death of a parent, and death of a sibling.

I loved how Miles and Kitty really connected through their own losses. The connection and chemistry was on point. But that doesn't surprise me based on the author's previous books.

This is an author I think just gets better and better. I look forward to more from her.

This author could write a grocery list and I’d read it. I found myself not being able to put this down after the first chapter.

A Love Catastrophe is a fun, interesting story and I enjoyed the read.

Kitty. Sweet, loved, maybe a little stuck after her dad's death. She's close to her mom and sister in the nicest way. Miles. Sigh. Super smart and sexy, he's taking care of his mom as she's in the hospital to find out what's going on with her. He needs a cat sitter and that's how the two cross paths. Their first encounter is not a positive one. This relationship doesn't get off on a good foot. He's not a fan of his mom's cat Prince Francis or cats in general, owning a huge dog himself. Kitty's life is cats. Kitty's talent with cats is soon apparent as is Kitty and Mile's attraction.

There was enough action in the story to keep me interested. The characters were interesting and showed personal growth through the book. A viral video proves a near crisis for Kitty's confidence and business which added interest to the book. The ending was very satisfying.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was a light and easy, happy, sometimes silly love story. Miles needs a cat sitter, and her business is called "The Kitty Whisperer". I mean....you know how that sounds lol. And her name really is Kitty. Aside from the fact that she sometimes replaces words with like cat phrases(?), I liked both the characters a lot. They felt pretty real to me, especially how they sometimes felt insecure, or nervous, and were clumsy. It was relatable. And a fun read.

This was a really lovely love story. I enjoyed the premise of two hurting, stuck people (a cat lover and a dog lover), find each other at the right time. There was a nice, natural progression to their relationship. It didn’t feel like insta-love at all. I especially liked that the third act problem that came up had nothing to do with their relationship, which was really refreshing. Even though there was a bit of growing to do on both of their ends, they seemed to always have a mature, non-toxic relationship (both between the main characters and their families). The family drama was very relatable. Towards the end of the book, it seemed to imply there could be a second book with a couple of the side characters that I think would be a fun read as well.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!