I read a lot of books with heavy subjects, so every once in a while, it is nice to have a total change of pace, a palette cleanser, if you will. The Ghost Cat was such a read for me. It was totally different than my normal fare, but delightfully enjoyable!

Grimalkin lives on Marchmont Cresent in Edinburgh. He is cared for by one of the maids of the house, Elidah, and she is the one human he has real affection for. Grimalkin gives a sardonic look at life in Victorian Scotland, with pointed descriptions that make the reader feel as if they are there. Then Grimalkin dies. But he is offered the chance to come back as a ghost cat. so Grimalkin keeps reappearing every twenty or thirty years, always in the same house. It is interesting to see snippets of history through the eyes of a cat, and even to see the changes he observes in the house's decor, as well as its occupants.

Grimalkin's voice is biting, funny, and just as critical as you would expect from a cat! I was surprised how enjoyable it was to see a century pass in bite-size bits through the view of this one residence in Scotland. If you like audio books, definitely get the audio of this. It is excellent and really elevated the story for me!

Thank you to NetGalley, Alex Howard, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Ghost Cat is such a good concept for a book. This surprised me at times and it was slower than I was expecting. Not sure why because after reading it I realized it's a slow moving book and one that is all story. I would recommend it for readers who like slower books and ones that are big on the story.

I'm not usually the kind to be a fan of historical fiction, but I picked this book merely because it's centered around a cat lol. This is a very quick read taken place in Edinburgh over 120 years and told through the perspective of Grimalkin the cat who finds himself sentenced to live as a ghost cat attached to the residents of one city tenement.

Thoroughly enjoyed this as it was a cozy read overall. I recommended this book to cat lovers and if you enjoyed books such as Before the Coffee Gets Cold or The Full Moon Coffee Shop.

I really loved the idea of this book - we get to see Grimalkin as a ghost cat. I really enjoyed his view point of life - I found this story to be funny and heartwarming and admittedly I got a little emotional!

As a cat owner, this story really hit home for me!

Very enjoyable story of a cat living out its 9 lives as a ghost. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the cats perspective of how its home had changed through out the years.

This book is a charming and heartfelt tale, narrated by Grimalkin, an old and witty house cat who has witnessed Edinburgh’s changes over the 20th and 21st centuries. His sharp, humorous commentary on the city and its inhabitants adds a unique perspective to the story. Through Grimalkin’s eyes, we experience the deep bond between him and Eilidh, the woman who rescued him, in scenes that are as touching as they are bittersweet.

Grimalkin’s love for Eilidh, coupled with his candid feline musings, creates a cozy and emotional read. Howard masterfully captures the essence of the special bond between pets and their owners, bringing warmth and nostalgia to every page. The Ghost Cat is a quick, uplifting read that will resonate with anyone who has loved a pet or felt a connection to a place they’ve never called home. It’s the perfect story for cat lovers and those seeking a heartwarming escape.

I loved the concept of this book but didn't feel the emotional depth from it that I would have liked to see, especially towards the end. Instead, it mostly read as summary of important moments in history in the last 120 years. However, there were a few special moments that made it a solid read.

did I expect a book that followed a cat to make me cry? no. but it was such a cute story and an easy read!

I did not know what to expect from this book, because it's concept felt novel to me, and I'm happy to say it did not disappoint!

Grimalkin is such a wonderful and witty narrator of the changing times in Edinburgh through the 20th and 21st centuries. His socially commentary was as cantankerous as you would expect an old house cat's to be. I enjoyed getting to know the home and the city through his eyes.

All of the scenes with Eilidh were so sweet and heartbreaking. Grimalkin's love for the person who rescued him and his returned adoration of her was so touching. I'm sure many of us cat owners recognized that special bond. I was also particularly happy to hear about Grimalkin's ginger (or marmalade) flank as I also have a dear feline with such a fine colored flank!

Overall, just a really lovely, heartwarming read that made me homesick for a place I've never lived and missing a cat that I've never met. The perfect quick, cozy read.

This book is such a fun read. I loved seeing through a cat's eyes. Alex Howard tells the story of Grimalkin and his witnessing life in a 120 year span. There are beautiful touching moments and funny moments. I love the footnotes sharing the history of the times. I would recommend this book to cat lovers, dog lovers (me), anyone who likes historical fiction with a touch of magic and whimsy
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC. All opinions are my own and I was under no obligation to leave a review.

I’m not sure if I was in the right mood to read this one at the time, because it didn’t quite vibe with me despite it having several features I’d normally love. There are definitely some heartwarming moments and moments that will make you want to cry as this ghost cat watches over his former owner and then just his former home and more over many different time periods.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

Did not finish. It just didn't hold my attention, despite the fact that I love cats and foster for cat rescues. I'm really surprised that I didn't like it.

This felt like a series of short stories that had some fun little threads woven throughout, including, of course, Gremalkin. I wasn’t really expecting it to be done the way it was which was a fun surprise. I like that he had three lives to stay, three lives to stray, and three lives to play with. And I liked that he just came back for a day at a time at random points (rather major points) throughout history. I also love that it followed him just in this one home. it was a really cool mix of fiction and nonfiction history. A lot of the footnotes made me laugh too. I love that. It ended with the author and his family moving into the home and restoring it to its former glory!
The only reasons it’s a 3.5 for me instead of a four are because some of the dialogue was a little hard to follow given my nonexistent knowledge of Scottish slang. I do also struggle sometimes with short stories, and since this felt a kin to that, I did occasionally find myself losing a little bit of interest. But that is definitely personal preference.
In my head after the end of the book, Gremalkin and Eilidh are living together in eternal bliss 😌

What a charming read! Following our main character, Grimalkin the cat, through his lives as a ghost cat in different decades of Edinburgh's history was simply fascinating. This is such a unique tale that I found myself getting lost in. I also loved Grimalkin's personality, the author does such a good job of portraying how a cat might interact with and view the world. I love that it's all from the perspective of the same location in Edinburgh, too. This was an absolutely delightful read and I found myself giggling at some of Grimalkin's antics and getting the warm fuzzies, too. If you love cats and history, this is a must read!

The Ghost Cat is a charming and whimsical story that beautifully captures the bond between humans and animals. I was immediately drawn to the enchanting illustrations and the way they complemented the heartwarming narrative. The main character's journey is both relatable and touching, exploring themes of loss and friendship.
But at times the pacing felt a little uneven, especially in the buildup to the climax, which made me wish for a quicker resolution. Still, the emotional depth and enchanting premise make it a delightful read that will resonate with animal lovers and younger audiences alike.

Thank you to Harlequin for my review copy, my opinions are my own.

Look, history told through the eyes of a ghost feline? Immediately sold. This was a sweet book filled with interesting characters, and of course Grimalkin - who is the best cat ever. I loved his story and his jumps through time to show off little slices of time of the 20th century in Edinburgh (which is a bucket list destination of mine). I started this and pretty much read it in one sitting, it's a comforting read.

Highly recommend.

I was initially drawn to this book because it's being compared to Before the Coffee Gets Cold and while I can see why that comparison is being made, I will say that the books have completely different feelings to them. They can definitely be compared in that they feature a number of connected vignettes being Grimalkin's 9 lives. I found this book to be utterly charming and cozy as Grimalkin makes his way through his lives while being a ghost cat. Though we could have used more detail and depth to each life, they were filled with intriguing personalities that I would have loved to see more of. It's understandable as everything is told through Grimalkin's eyes and voice, but the different humans he encounters could have built out with more depth.

Scotland + a time-traveling paranormal cat? Say no more. Except--say more. The premise of this book is 5 stars, but the execution for me, specifically the characterization, fell short. A cozy, speculative historical story spanning 120 years in the same flat in Edenborough, Scotland, it follows the adorable Ghost Cat, Grimalkin, and his beloved owner, Eilidh. The relationship between the two and the ethereal Cat-Sith are standouts in this novel for me. Unfortunately, most of the characters in this story were not memorable or I just couldn't connect with them. The language was often very affected and full of “slang of the day” which became grating and didn't translate to deeper representation of the characters. However, I will warmly remember the spunky Ghost Cat Grimalkin and look forward to reading other stories by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Hanover Square Press for a complimentary copy of this book for review. My opinions are my own.

Grimalkin is dead, to begin with. (The opening line to Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a gift that just keeps on giving.)

Grimalkin is a house cat, in fact THE house cat, at 7/7 Marchmont Crescent, born in 1887 and dead at the rather battered age of 15 in 1902. The thing about Grimalkin’s death that makes the story work is that the cat gods, in the person of Cat-Sìth who comes to visit Grimalkin upon the occasion of his death have to admit that they’ve fallen down on the job. As a cat, his spirit if not his body is entitled to nine lives, and he’s been shorted out of eight of them.

Something must be done in redress.

Grimalkin is given a choice even if the full measure of it isn’t clear to him at the time. He can go to his eternal sleep – or – he can have his eight remaining lives as a ghost cat. He’ll be able to experience the world, but generally not affect it – at least until his final three lives. He’ll be granted two more lives to ‘stay’ as he did in his first, corporeal life, three lives to ‘stray’ and three lives to ‘play’ as a poltergeist.

He’ll get to see how his human, Eilidh, is doing even if he won’t be able to actually be with her. He’ll get to see how the place he lived is getting on over the years. He’ll experience a bit of the world as it changes. But only for one day in each life.

His body will no longer feel pain, and he’ll be incapable of being harmed. But harm to the body isn’t half as painful as harm to the heart and the soul. There will be times when the world will have moved too fast for him to cope with. There will be occasions that will break his heart. There will be times when he’ll want to give up and go to his final, eternal catnap right meow.

But he’ll also have a few opportunities to change the world – not in a big way – but in small and important ways to make sure that a person or two gets EXACTLY what they deserve. Whether what they deserve is salvation – or damnation.

In Grimalkin’s case, the old saying proves to be absolutely true. “Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.”

Escape Rating B: First, let me admit the obvious. I’ve been picking a lot of books with cats recently because I miss Lucifer something fierce. Each person deals with their emotions in different ways – for me it’s books.

(The above comment does not apply to Junkyard Roadhouse. I’ve been following that series for four years now and would have grabbed that audiobook the minute it arrived no matter when it came. The series is totally awesome. Review coming later this week.)

Pivoting from my digression, I also have to say that I’m glad I read this AFTER the trip to Glasgow and not before – even though this is set in Edinburgh. There are a few things – like the ubiquitous presence of IRN BRU – that just had a bit more immediacy and resonance after such a recent trip to Scotland – and Britain more generally – than they would have before.

As a story, The Ghost Cat feels like a timeslip story mixed with quite a bit of magical realism as well as a touch of the musical Cats and just a hint of the cat wizards in Diane Duane’s The Book of Night with Moon.

I loved Grimalkin as a character, even though his particular existence conflicted with the laws of the universe in ways that are detailed in the rather long Reviewer’s Note at the end. Grimalkin the cat displays the feelings that we all hope that our companion animals have for us, specifically that he has chosen his person and loves her unconditionally. His primary motivation for accepting the option of ghost lives is to follow her through the years – not understanding the heartbreak that will inevitably follow.

What makes him interesting to follow is the way that he dips into time – rather like Brigadoon – but at much shorter intervals. He gets to see just a bit of the changes in the world, and it’s particularly poignant that he is present for both Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation AND the announcement of her passing. Also a tad ironic, as at her coronation he assures himself that she’ll be just a ‘flash in the pan’ compared to the eternal Victoria who was Queen for his entire life – and of course he’s so very wrong about that.

But right about many other things – not so much about eras and the increasing pace of life and what appears to be its equally increasing lack of civility and manners – but rather about his insights into the hearts of people. Human nature, for good or ill, doesn’t change all that much over a mere century or so.

In the end, Grimalkin’s story is a lovely little collection of observations and snippets, grounded in a bit of the author’s life, however fictionalized – and with additional magic. It’s a charming slip through the high points of a century, as seen through the often floor-level eyes of one very intelligent – but ultimately soul-weary – cat.

If, like this reader, you’re looking for a story that will reassure your heart and soul that the cats who leave us behind love us even from the Rainbow Bridge or wherever it is they go next, Grimalkin’s story may also serve as a bit of a balm to a wounded heart.

Reviewer’s (REALLY LONG) Note on feline genetics as applied to Grimalkin, the tl;dr version of which is that Grimalkin is genetically impossible and the story didn’t cover that over with even a bit of handwavium.

The ‘ghost cat’ of the title, Grimalkin, is very explicitly described as a rather prolifically reproductive tortoiseshell tomcat – and that is an actual, honest-to-goodness contradiction in terms. Due to the peculiarities of feline genetics as they apply to coat color and gender, tortoiseshell and calico cats are nearly always female. It is possible, but very rare for a male tortie or calico to be born – only a 1 in 3,000 or .033% chance. (That’s not 33% or 3%, that’s 3 one hundredths of one percent. In other words, the chance exists but it’s TINY.) And due to the genetic anomalies that allow this to happen, male tortoiseshell and calico cats are always sterile.

Now and very much on the other hand, the book of The Ghost Cat definitely falls into the category of magical realism – meaning that magic could make Grimalkin exactly what he is in the story. In the Victorian Era, when Grimalkin was born, science and the ‘Cat Fancy’ hadn’t yet figured much if any of this out, although detailed observation would have led to a conclusion that male torties were rare indeed. Howsomever, the cat gods or deities or powers-that-be or whatever that magic black cat with the white heart marking was could easily have known just how special Grimalkin was and commented upon it – as that cat spirit did so many other things. A mention would have taken care of the incongruity and kept it from tripping me – and probably other readers who are even slightly familiar with cat genetics – out of the story every time Grimalkin’s appearance was detailed.

I understand completely the desire for Grimalkin to possess both a tomcat’s machismo AND a heaping helping of tortitude, I just needed a bit of handwavium to get there that wasn’t present in the story.

Your reading mileage, or percentage in this case, as always, may vary.

Do cats really have nine lives? Meet Grimalkin, born in 1887. He lives in Edinburgh and adores Eilidh, his favorite human. As he passes on to afterlife, he is granted a chance to come back for eight more lives as a ghost and witness the history of his hometown over 120 years.

This was such a cute story, told from a perspective of a cat. His narrative and reactions were exactly what you would imagine a cat would say or do! My favorite part was watching real historical events and people cross the cat's path. It was the coolest thing! I enjoyed his adoration and loyalty to Eilidh and how Grimalkin searched for her in each decade he lived in. There were so many tender moments.

A bit of fantasy, mystical realism and historical fiction, this book is perfect for spooky season, cat lovers and anyone in the mood for a quick heartwarming read.