3.5 rounded up

This was a quick, charming historical fiction romp through Edinburgh over the span of 120 years as told through the perspective of a cat named, Grimalkin, who finds himself sentenced to live 9 lives as a ghost cat attached to the inhabitants of one city tenement.

Moving and insightful, this is a cozy read, that while not my particular cup of tea, is still recommended for cat lovers and fans of books like Before the coffee gets cold, Hiro Arikawa's The goodbye cat or The full moon coffee shop by Mai Mochizuki. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

DNF at 36%, I just could not get into this one. The premise sounded so amazing though! I know its reading as a cat is observing but I just wanted more from the cat.

If you put a cat on the cover of your book, you can bet I'll pick it up.

Thank goodness this one lived up to my high, cat-loving expectations. I cried, I laughed, I contemplated life and death and everything important in between. Told from the perspective of Grimalkin, we get to experience each of his nine lives in Edinburgh from 1902 to 2022. The time periods are described with perfect, timely cultural references, and the scenes were vividly depicted. Seeing the way the same locations change over time was impactful and more emotional than I expected.

This is the perfect book to cozy up on the couch with as we head into Fall, and I know I'll be recommending it to everybody!

Surprising 5 out of 5 for me. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Picked up this book on a lark because it featured a cat, but the joy I got from the book exceeded my expectations. You follow along a cat that is living through his remaining 8 lives, where for 2 he stays, 3 he strays, and 3 he plays, and you see him experience history over the course of the 1900s. The story was very whimsical and cute and cozy read. What was also interesting was as much as the story was about the cat, it was also about the house he lived in and how it changed throughout the decades with different design trends and tenants. You also get to follow some of the human occupants of the house as they grow and live their own lives.

The premise of this story was good. It was an enjoyable read, and I loved Grimalkin and his goings on through the years.
Grimalkin has come to the end of his life, but since the he only used one life he gets sent back as a Ghost cat. With eight lives left, he gets a short moment in each of the lives.
I would have liked to get a little more from some of those lives. I would have especially liked to get a little more about his time with Eilidh.
In all it was a nice, enjoyable story. If you are a cat lover, you’ll enjoy this book.

This book was such a fun read! I really enjoyed the writing style, and the little notes at the bottom were very cute as well. The plot was interesting and easy to follow, and I enjoyed my jaunt through history. All the characters Grimalkin met were memorable and felt very realistic. Grimalkin himself was so cute and I loved his character voice. Overall this was a lovely book, and this genre is one of my favourite little niches (cats as main characters in litfic). I would absolutely recommend this book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a cat lover, I enjoyed this cozy read. This book takes you on an adventure through time through the eyes of Grimalkin, The Ghost Cat. I am not big into historical fiction, but I did enjoy the sci fi/time travel element of this book. I did find the story to be a bit slow with little suspense, but I think that also adds to the comfort of the story. This is a great book for those looking for a light read. Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an Advanced Reader Copy.

Thoroughly enjoyed this mystery read! Charming and detailed account, going through the nine lives of a cat. Definitely a snuggle up with a warm cup of coffee or tea kind of book.

Well, we all have heard that cats have nine lives but do we really consider that? The author of this book did! Here is the story of a ghost cat who lives out all of its lives over the course of more than 100 years. This leads to much observation on the cat’s part and a good deal of entertainment for the reader.

This book will appear to those who enjoy cats and their points of view, history, Edinburgh and a quirky read.

This book was not what I was thinking it was going to be like, and that was a surprise, a good one. You get to follow a ghost cat, like an actual GHOST cat through his 9 lives in the afterlife, as he only used up one while he was living, so he is offered a deal to live out his rest of the lives. His little comments on clothes, entrainment, foods etc was just hilarious and probably accurate for any older citizen of this world watching everything progress. It was amazing how they took one town/area/environment and you get to go through the progression over 120 years to the present time. Not many books are able to do that but adding the element of a big magical/fantasy is adding a ghost cat keeps it within the realm of many genres but without too much for those who do not enjoy that element to still be able to enjoy this story. This was a definitely a feel book, this cat had to witness many events even tragic events and unable to comfort those he wanted to was beyond heartbreaking, but that too is reality as many of us do not know how to comfort those, or maybe do not know what another needs.

This was an interesting concept but unfortunately I could not get into it. I may pick this book up again at a later time!

This was a fun one to read – part fantasy/part historical time travel/part animal story/part supernatural ghost story. We follow the “ghost cat” through his nine lives, over time, in Scotland. It was fun to read and think about and I loved the ending. I don’t know Alex Howard from Tik Tok, but I’ll have to look him up! This book is on the shorter side, less than 300 pages, so you can get through it quickly.

Thank you for having me as part of the tour!

I'm a cat lover and fell in love with Grimalkin since the first pages. This is the story of a cat and a way to tell how morals, technology and way of living changed during more than 1 hundred years.
Grimalkin lives his 9 lives and see how things are changes. There's also loss and love.
It's well written and life affirming book, Edimburgh and history are relevant characters as our cat and human he met.
The world bulding and character development are excellent and I loved the storytelling
I loved it and it's strongly recommended.
A book I could read multiple times and always having fun, being moved as I love Grimalkin and how he faces the changes in life
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was a quiet read with a cozy atmosphere. It wasn't too long and read almost like short stories as the cat moves through history. He can't interact with the world around him (except for those lives where he plays) but he can observe. There are some interesting bumps with history and the author provides context with footnotes which I enjoyed.. There are some heartbreaking moments as the cat observes tragedies without being able to comfort those around him.

My main issue was I felt that this stayed very surface. Because we are only seeing through the cat's point of view we never really got to know any of the people or have any connection to what was going on around the cat.

This was a book I always enjoyed reading but was never anxious to pick up to see what would happen next. If you're looking for a quiet read that is light but still with a bit of poignancy and enjoy a historical twist this would be a good choice.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an Advanced Reader Copy - pub date 8/27/2024. As a cat lover and a fairy tale lover, this one charmed me. Starting at the turn of the century in Victorian Edingburgh, we are given the genteel, aging kitty named Graymalkin (naturally!) and his blissful life of comfort and his favorite human Eilidh, the maid who rescued him as a kitten and talked her master into keep him. It's a wonderful start with the vibrant, almost philosophical thoughts of Graymalkin creating the rich world around him. However, he is old and, as we all know, there are a lot of things in the Victorian age that can kill even a spry cat so we are soon sent off to the limbo world ruled by a sort of Cat God-Fairy who is dismayed that 1) Graymalkin died without him there and 2) Graymalkin has led such a comfy life that he hasn't had the chance to use any of his 8 extra lives. So puss is offered a deal - stay here in the weird misty land or go back to finish out those 8 lives according to the Cat's Rule: A cat gets 9 lives. 3 to stay, 3 to stray, and 3 to play.

Graymalkin chooses to go, hoping to be back with his Eilidh. Things don't go as he wishes, of course, but we get the better deal since he becomes our guide through 8 snapshots of history in Edinburgh. 120 years is a very long and very ambitious time to portray and Alex Howard manages to pick a mixture of big events and small events in order to give us a sweet cats-eye view of the humanity surrounding that one particular apartment in Edinburgh. Both good and bad and everything in between. The moments when Graymalkin finds Eilidh are precious and fleeting, filled with joy and a sort of bittersweet sadness, as he watches what she endures over the years. Through his eyes, I saw the beauty and kindness and pureness and fell in love a little bit with her. The assorted human characters other than her are drawn more roughly and suffer from the lack of Graymalkin's focus and interest for the most part but we still get a good sense of most of them through his quick judgements and opinions. Generally, he is tolerant and amused as most cats are. With a couple of notable exceptions, the humans come off well. The exceptions are exaggerated, unfortunately, and become noxious and utterly without any motivation other than being ugly. Ah, well. Cats. The setting and technology for each adventure was done with a deft hand and I’m pleased to say Howard always remembered his narrator was a cat. In other words, we got a lot of detailed descriptions of smells and sounds as well as sights. Plus a frequent reminder about rumbling tummies!

My only wish is that we would get more time in each life. Maybe not the second to last one with the older Keith but the others? I wanted more Eilidh and her life and love, more of the benevolent and cynical Abigail Rockefeller, more of J.M. Barrie! I wanted more time with Graymalkin because, if he was only getting a few hours every decade or so... Cat-Sith, you're a jerk!

Which, actually, is only right for an all power cat thing. Huh. Go figure. So it's a 3 plus a bit.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc of this upcoming title!

I am slowly easing into this historical/magical realism genre. It started with The Midnight Library, then Before The Coffee Gets Cold and now The Ghost Cat. To me, this was such a unique story that took the whole 'cats have 9 lives' and turned it on its axis. As a cat lover, I enjoyed this. But as a reader, I did not find myself loving this.
3 stars

The Ghost Cat is an enchanting, mesmerizing read about a special cat who has died and must throughout the years still earn its nine lives. With humor, sadness and irritation, his progression goes from the early 1900's into the 2000's. During this time, we watch this innocent cat learn about the changes, sometimes drastically which have occurred. All he really wants is the simplicity of what he lost, but unfortunately his journey only leads him into turmoil.

In 1902 Grimalkin, who resides at 7/7 Marchmont Crescent in Edinburgh, the pet cat of a woman named Elidh whom he loves deeply, falls asleep for the last time after being petted by his owner.

When he awakens, he discovers he is not really dead yet. He is told since he has never lived the nine lives of a cat but was just loved and taken care of and sheltered from harm, he must travel as a ghost and earn those lives before heading off into the afterlife.

Thus, begins Grimalkin's magical journey through the changes in time and years, his home, his beloved, as well as the incredible (but sometimes unlikable) developments in technology, human behavior and life. To say Grimalkin lives those lives to the fullest would be an understatement. He tortures himself (and others) with his unhappiness of what at times he sees. But he somehow is always learning.

Finally, and only then is he allowed to cross over to where he belongs. His final resting place. Come along with this wonderful ghost cat and witness through the eyes of a feline what life is like and what it has become. What is experienced, what he has loved and lost will be a lesson for all who sometimes take the smallest things for granted.

The Ghost Cat was a marvelous journey.

Thank you #NetGalley #HarperCollins/Harlequin/Alex Howard #TheGhostCat for the advanced copy.

Thank you so much to The Hive and Harlequin publishing for this e-arc

I thought the concept of this book sounded so cute. A cat dies and didn't get his full 9 lives so is gifted them back BUT only as a ghost. I'm a fan of Before The Coffee Gets Cold and this is pitched towards the same style of readers.
However once I started reading the story seemed very flat to me. I couldn't find myself actually caring for the cat which is kind of sad and the whole point of the story. I found some parts strange for example in the beginning when we meet the author of Peter Pan and his plot line. It felt out of place in my opinion.

I felt like I was having to force myself to continue the story..

Alex Howard writes a cozy little novel that failed to enchant me. But maybe The Ghost Cat is up your alley! Read on to find out.
It is early morning in 1902. At 7/7 Marchmont Crescent, Grimalkin is snuggling next to the charlady Eilidh who is setting the fire alight. He licks her hand not knowing this was his last day on Earth. Since he had only ever used one life, Cait-sìth decides to send him back as a ghost with eight lives. “For three he plays, for three he strays, and for the last three he stays.” Since Grimalkin used one of his stay lives. he will start again with those lives.
The novel follows Grimalkin as he witnesses the world's changes for the next 120 years. Unbeknownst to the resident of Marchmont Crescent, the cat is listening and watching the house change. The blurb says that “startling revelations about the mystery of existence, the unstoppable march of time, and the true meaning of feline companionship” are addressed in this book. I found nothing startling, but it does contain some usual plots about those issues. The feline companionship part made me want to cry. It was sad but beautiful. It was truly the best part of the book.
I was not very fond of Grimalkin. It truly hurts me to say that as a kickass childless cat lady. He became the idolization of Boomer in cat form. He complained and complained about all the changes. It wasn’t until the end that he started to appreciate new things in the eras. That is what I liked; watching him embrace the flow of time.
The eight additional lives are not actually lives. He is destined to haunt a situation for a few days max. Then he falls asleep and goes on to his next life. (I can’t blame him for waking up grumpy, but he needed to open his mind.) These vignettes are used to teach you history. Or so I assume with the footnotes. I do question some of the reasoning for the periods chosen. Because there are a few that are mundane. But there are others that are huge historical moments and well chosen.
I didn’t find any true depth in The Ghost Cat and was tired of listening to a whiney cat. I feel like this couldn’t have been longer with more time spent on the themes the author wanted to establish. But it is a simple, cozy read that won’t take long if you want to escape the world.

Early morning, 1902. At 7/7 Marchmont Crescent, Eilidh the charlady tips coal into a fire grate and sets it alight. Overhearing, Grimalkin the cat ambles over to curl up against the welcome heat and lick his favorite human’s hand. But this is to be his last day on earth…before he becomes the Ghost Cat. Follow Grimalkin as he witnesses the changes of the next 120 years, prowling unseen among the inhabitants of an Edinburgh tenement while unearthing some startling revelations about the mystery of existence, the unstoppable march of time and the true meaning of feline companionship.

As the English proverb goes, "A cat has nine lives. For three he stays, for three he strays and for three he plays". As Grimalkin had only used one of his lives, he still had 2 to stay, 3 to stray and 3 to play, so it was entertaining to watch him through the years as he went to sleep and then was re=awakened a decade or more later each time, with all of the changes that had gone on in the world. I laughed and I cried. I would definitely recommend having a tissue or two on hand when you read this...and you are definitely going to want to read this. The plethora of fun facts about history during those 120 years was fascinating. Cat lovers, actually I think any animal lover, will treasure this book. I highly recommend it!