I was lucky enough to get a copy of this book from NetGalley, and really enjoyed reading it.

Kitty and Miles are suddenly thrown together when Miles is in need of a cat sitter.

Miles has discovered his mom has early onset dementia and her beloved Prince Francis is in need of some care. Enter Kitty, the successful Kitty Whisperer. At first, they seem like total opposites, cat vs dog. Although they had some iffy first interactions, sparks start flying as they realize just how much they have in common.

I had a bit of a time reading about dementia, personally, but it was dealt with really well as a sensitive subject matter. The writing and flow felt very easy. Despite the emotional content, this book is lighthearted and a bit fluffy, and there is just a little spice. It all felt very wholesome.

A Love Catastrophe by Helena Hunting. Pub Date: June 13, 2023. Rating: 3 stars. I really enjoy other books I have read of Helena Hunting, so I was excited to read this new one! Sadly, it did not pack the punch that I love about Helena Hunting's books. This novel is based around a cat lady/cat sitter who befriends a man who works as an NHL analyst. His mother has memory care issues and the man needs help with his mother's cat situation. What unfolds is a lot of cheesy scenes, cute chemistry and a relationship. I liked this book, but did not love it and it took me longer to read because I did not feel as engaged with the story. Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #netgalley #alovecatastrophe

Decided to DNF @ 53%.
I can’t really pinpoint why this wasn’t working for me. It had me laughing from the start but then it just felt like I was forcing myself to keep going.

3.5 stars

This book was 100% made for all the cat lovers out there... I am not one of them so was a bit skeptical about it so heavily involving cats?

The FMC, Kitty who is a famous Kitty Whisperer and she doesn't curse.. she uses cat in it's place (i.e. oh my catness) and her best friend Kat owns a Cat Cafe. Shockingly, Kitty really grew on me throughout the book.

I loved her relationship with Miles, how they helped one another through their grief and were so supportive.

Thanks to NetGalley & Forever for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was the first one that I read by this author. I would recommend to others who like romance books. Helena Hunting writes the cutest books!

A Love Catastrophe is the next offering from Helena Hunting - due out June 2023 and I was lucky enough to score a copy early.

If you’re thinking Pucked vibes - then don’t, although the NHL is a bit of a backdrop as our MMC Miles is an analyst for an NHL team. There’s a bit said about Miles wanting to play through high school and college but not quite making it for various reasons. Miles meets our FMC Kitty, the cat whisperer when he needs her services to bring his mother’s Sphinx cat to order, when she’s in the hospital. Kitty and Miles’ meeting is far from the stuff of insta love but the pair soon bond over cats and dogs, an allergic reaction and their shared loss and grief.

This book is a gentle, wandering romantic journey. Sure there’s some occasional steam but there’s a quirky, gentle edge to it, befitting Kitty’s character particularly. She’s a little eccentric and caught in a bit of a bubble (she’s a little naive in the ways of the world, and as an unintended influencer takes things way too much to heart). She’s also stuck in the past but doesn’t really know it until she connected with Miles. Miles’ is a super nice guy, serious, analytical and responsible. He's quit the protector without the chest beating he-man vibes. It’s a romance born out of those kind, tender moments, about connection and empathy. As I said, there’s some steam but their romance is seemingly … well normal and right.

There’s a point of difference in the third act circumstances of this book (no spoiler) that’s also fitting for these two which brings the book to a nice conclusion.

For lovers of a good wholesome story and some tongue in cheek humour, this one will do it. It did for me.

What a paws-itively fantastic rom com.

So many fun cat puns & parallels between cat and dog people. I will admit - I'm 100% a dog person and some of the attributes Kitty gave dog people are spot on.

Kitty & Miles were adorable together and I loved the subtle influences of hockey and the NHL in their love story.

I love reading books with Canadian settings and this one just gave me lots of feels. I read in less than 24 hours.

Thank you Helena Hunting, Netgalley & Forever (Grand Central) Publishing for the ability to read this adorable book in advance in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book is so cute. I loved Kitty and I loved Miles. But I felt like there was a lot going on here. She's an influencer but also dealing with grief and building a business and helping Miles. He works for the NHL but also dealing with a different grief and guilt and parental issues and allergies. It just felt a little cluttered at times. Cute, easy to read, lots of fun. I also appreciated that all of the conflict was external. We need more books with people who don't break up but solve problems in life that are outside of their relationship. I loved the low drama.

Overall, this was a cute romance. I agree with some of the other reviews I've seen where the language our heroine used was a tad cringeworthy - it almost made her feel unbelievable as a character. The emotional moments were good, but didn't grip me like i've read in other romances. I did appreciate that the third act conflict wasn't between the love interests (and wasn't because of poor communication!).

** I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Miles needed assistance looking after his mother's surly cat, Prince Francis, and called on the Kitty Whisperer for help. What got off to a rocky start turned into something quite wonderful for everyone involved.

A Love Catastrophe did its job. It made me laugh, shed a few tears, and warmed my heart. This is a Hunting book, so I expected lots of laughs. Many of those came via fun and cute animal antics which is something I adore. But the book also had a bit of emotional heft.

Both Kitty and Miles were weighed down by guilt and grief, and Miles also had the extra stress of his mother's health issues. There were these parallels in both Kitty and Miles' situations that made their union seem almost fated by the universe. They were put in each other's orbits for a reason. To help and support each other, and that's sort of beautiful. Though the storyline with Miles' mother was rather heartbreaking, Hunting eased my woe in many ways while also injecting a lot of levity into the story for an overall lighter-side feel.

This book was for the pet lovers out there. There was quite a bit of time dedicated to spending time with a multitude of animals, and I was charmed by them all. Nothing like some love, pets, and toe beans to make my heart pitter-patter.

I adored watching Miles and Kitty fall for each other and appreciated the care and support they gave to each other. Animal hijinks and a super-sweet-aww-shucks ending were the icing on the cake for me. Overall, this was a warm and wonderful story that spoke to my inner cat lady and left me warm and fuzzy.

I was a bit underwhelmed by this book. I have really liked the other Helena Hunting books that I’ve read, but this one seemed a bit flat to me. I really liked that there was no third-act breakup and the emotional intimacy that Miles and Kitty created was very nice, but their interactions seemed a bit repetitive and a lot of the scenes seemed a bit unnecessary. I’m very happy that I was able to read it, and I’m hoping that the next Hunting book I read will be more to my taste!

Helena Hunting has this incredible ability to balance out the funniest, quirkiest, laugh-out-loud moments with emotionally driven moments. In this case, Miles and Kitty, a hairless cat named Prince Francis and their own respective family complexities. Kitty, the Kitty Whisperer (of internet fame) is an absolute ray of sunshine, self assured, and content. She’s hired by Miles, a rather serious NHL analyst, who must find a companion for his mother’s cat while she’s in the hospital.

First off, Miles does not leave a good first impression. He’s not exactly a grump, in the traditional sense, but in serious, awkward, and stressed kind of way. It took me a bit to sort out his character, but it works for the story because I could easily relate to Kitty and her mixed feelings about him. And the more you read, the more you can’t help but find his gooey centre.

I love all the little details in this story, like Kitty always noticing whether someone has animal hair on them, or the way Miles is a absolute marshmallow for his dog, but refers to his mom’s cat as a shaved scrotum. In fact, the hairless cat jokes were really on par. Sara L. Hudson would be proud.

I love how each chapter seems to spark a little hook - a question, something to keep you turning the page - from mystery allergies to a possible haunting.

This story will definitely take you through all the feels - sheer delight, intoxicating swoons, cathartic heartache and a levitating humor that will have you clutching your middle.

You can grab a copy of A Love Cat-astrophe June 13, 2023. Thank you to Forever Romance and NetGalley for this ARC. My review and opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 STARS

I absolutely adored Miles and Kitty's story! I loved how awkward and quirky they both were, which made their interactions more than humorous. I can easily say that I giggled quite a few times to myself and literally laughed out loud—it was delightful. Overall, I can clearly CAT-egorize this as another fun and amusingly cute read from one of my all-time favourite rom-com authors. Miles and Kitty's book is HISS-terical and a PURR-fectly light read. A Love Catastrophe by Helena Hunting is an EPIC read that will join the ranks of the BIBLIO-ARISTOCRACY!!!

This was a really fun book! We follow Kitty, who trains and cat-sits, as she takes on a new customer--Prince Francis--and his owner's son. While this was primarily a romance between Miles and Kitty, I really enjoyed all the cat puns and general cat content. Prince Francis was a quirky cat--think the parrot that always says the wrong thing at the wrong time, and you get the general idea. Miles and Kitty also had great relationship development, but there were some glossed-over moments about defining their relationship that I wish we had seen more detail into. This book also deals with loss--Miles with a brother, and Kitty with her father. Both are in the characters' pasts, but there is a lot of talk about them as they continue to work through grief and guilt. They are both handled so that they don't overshadow the relationship, and the book is not "heavy" or revolving around these events, but they are discussed a good bit between the characters. Miles's mother also has early-onset dementia, so that's present as well. If you're looking for relatable protagonists, lots of cat antics (and puns), and a sweet romance, I would recommend this one!

I love Helena - she is one of my absolute favorite authors, but this book didn’t work for me. It was too silly, too unbelievable and had way too much cat. The writing was fantastic as always, but I just couldn’t get behind the story line and the plot. I didn’t feel any sort of connection with either of our two main characters. I also didn’t like how it felt like two different books at times - one half was cute and funny and the other was family issues and dementia and it just gave me a headache. I’ll still continue to read any and every thing Helena puts out, but unfortunately this book was a catastrophe for me.

Kitty runs the Kitty Whisperer - she trains, sits, and cares for cats. Miles is a sports analyst for an NHL team. His mom is experiencing dementia and needs help caring for her cat while she’s in the hospital & he’s trying to find a care home for her. He’s a dog lover - HATES cats - so he calls Kitty. One thing leads to another and they fall in love and Miles learns that he actually doesn’t hate cats and Kitty’s business grows.

I wanted to love this book - I like Helena Hunting’s stories but this one REALLY missed the mark for me. The characters felt like they had absolutely no chemistry, the sex felt forced, the cat innuendos was way overkill, and the writing felt full of fluff and immature.

I gave it three stars and I’m wondering if I’m being super generous because I’m a self proclaimed cat lady.

However, huge thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Kitty + Miles

Miles desperately needs a cat sitter for his hospitalized mom's devil cat.
Kitty is just the right person for the job. She's a famous local cat whisperer and she's about to meet dog-person Miles for a first meet and greet with his mom's cat.

Let the fun times begin....🤣

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Adorable!

I am so not a cat person. But this was such a cute rom-com!
I didn't even mind all the cat scenes! LOL!
Kitty and Miles are so perfect for each other. Miles hates cats, but if you ignore that little fact they should just get married now. LOL!
Obviously it takes us a while to get to that happily ever after. But it is definitely worth it to read about their journey.
I just loved reading this.
Nothing much more to say. It was adorable and funny and crazy and a bit heartbreaking and sweet and full of cats (and a dog!) and hockey and family and problems. READ IT!

Arkkpfffeww - I think I still have cat hair in my throat from reading this though!

► A LOVE CATASTROPHE was such an adorable + funny + sparky + sweet + cat-ty love story! I just loved reading it! Run to your nearest book dealer for your own Miles - he'll be sold out in no time!

Honestly... not my favorite. The dialogue felt so forced and unrealistic. I still finished it, but I wouldn't read it again. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

4.5 🌟

This was a really refreshing change of pace for HH. It's a women's fiction that also has quite funny moments as well. What I enjoyed about it was the everyday situations and life happenings to a normal couple. Both had issues they have had to deal with as kids, but also in their adult life, and I adored how they helped each other through these problems. Vulnerability comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes and it's not a one fits all solution so it is all the more special that Kitty and Miles can see through the white noise and lean on each other.

Not all heroes and heroines need to be billionaires or corporate leaders, nor do they have to be extra ordinary humans, and it is still a great book when it's a fun loving cat sitter meeting a data analyst who works for a hockey team. Kitty is a little quirky and has a heart of gold and looking after cats and kittens is a dream job. Meeting Miles at his mother's house wasn't exactly love at first sight, but luckily Kitty gave Miles the benefit of the doubt. This book is not only about cute animals (the Great Dane gets bonus points from me! 😂) but it also highlights obstacles dealing with dementia, family loss, viral videos and mental health. These are commonplace dilemmas most of us have had to combat too although probably with not so many animals at one time. What you will find in this book is a heartfelt love story that was kismet for this couple.

As a lifelong cat person, I was excited to read A Love Catastrophe. A romance featuring a cat-sitter and heaps of adorable pets? Sign me up! Fittingly, I read this whole book with my own cat either in my lap or right by my side; she’s an excellent reading buddy.

Early on, A Love Catastrophe feels like a fun and silly book. Kitty and Miles are both so awkward (occasionally cringey), especially around each other, and they butt heads right away due to Miles being not only a dog lover, but a (shudder) cat hater. He doesn’t hide his disdain for felines either, which understandably rubs Kitty the wrong way. But as it so happens, he’s not so bad… and he may eventually come around to realizing how sweet and awesome cats are.

However, don’t be fooled by the cutesy premise! A Love Catastrophe goes into some surprisingly emotional directions. Miles’s mother has dementia, and a major plot point is dealing with her cognitive decline and need to be placed in a new home. Both Miles and Kitty have experienced painful losses: His younger brother died in childhood, and her father died when she was a teenager. There are a lot of heart-to-heart conversations surrounding grief, guilt, and a family’s difficulty in moving forward after tragedy. It’s heavy, so have your tissues ready. Personally, I identified with many of these themes. I’ve also lost my father and have seen a grandmother suffer through dementia, so these aspects cut close for me.

Another major theme here is Kitty’s professional journey. Later in the book, we get to see her work through growing pains as her business expands. I love seeing a woman entrepreneur experience career success, and although Kitty faces some tough circumstances, it’s overall an empowering side story.

A Love Catastrophe weaves in a lot: Family relationships and grief, career growth, and a steamy romance that goes from awkward to sweet to truly wholesome. It’s a tad cringey in parts, but the overall substance and joy makes up for those parts.

A Love Catastrophe is paws-itively delightful, both during the laugh-out-loud scenes and during the tear-jerkers. It’s a love story not just between a new couple, but also between family members and for the cats and dogs in our lives. If you love pets or family dynamics, this is a romance worth reading.