This was a cozy and warm read that reminded me of how important the need for connection is, whether it be feline or human, communities are so important to building that sense of belonging and connection.
I enjoyed the diversity of characters in this book. I also liked their personalities and characteristics, I was rooting for each and every one of them throughout the book.

A stray cat brings together five strangers over the course of one fateful summer in this heartwarming novel about love, found family, and the power of connection. Simply stated, this book is about people and how the can be brought together by the shared admirable for animals. I very much get this! While very simple in its delivery, this novel provides a low-stress and thoughtful read that is purrrrrfect (had to) for cat lovers everywhere! I really enjoyed this book.

One of those slice-of-life books, centering around the lives of several people cat knows. He's technically feral, but has adopted a number of people and becomes an important part of their lives. Quiet, well-written, nothing surprising.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

No cats are seriously harmed or die in this book. I just wanted to post that really quick, because I hate reading an animal story and the animal dies in the end. I want a heartwarming story, not a story that will leave me weeping. This story is a multi-POV story about 5 people and one stray cat in Brooklyn, New York. The cat even has his own sassy POV, which I absolutely loved. Really the best part of the book is the Cat narrative, especially when he is pushing the human characters together.

Ultimately, this is a story about how lonely living in the city can be and the unexpected things that can bind us together. We have Nuria who is a single woman who volunteers to take care of stray cats, Collin a semi-shut-in author, Bong a widower who owns a bodega, Omar the friendly mailman, and Lily a young grocer. Each person is connected by the neighborhood they live in and the black cat, Cat, that they all sort of take care of. Of course, Cat is also taking care of them.

I've always felt like pets choose us and I absolutely love the found family of this story. The way the Cat draws them together and the way grief is woven into the story is so lovely. The only reason this isn't a 5-star read for me is because there are several phrases that are repeated over and over that I just didn't like. It felt like the author didn't know what to put, so they just used a filled sentence. Normally it wouldn't bother me, but it kind of took me out of the story.

If you're an animal lover that enjoys a good found family story, this is definitely a book for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine Delacorte Press.

Book: Cat’s People
Author: Tanya Guerro
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Delacorte Press, for sending me an ARC. This is another case where until the publisher reached out, I had never heard of this book. I was very surprised at how much I ended up enjoying this one. The story is sweet and feels like a warm hug, but somehow manages to stay away from being too cheesy.

In this one, we follow a group of five strangers, who find themselves being brought together by a stray cat. Núria, a fiercely independent barista and devoted member of The Meow-Yorkers—a Brooklyn group that cares for stray cats—has no patience for the “crazy cat lady” stereotype. But when she starts finding mysterious Post-It notes at the feeding spot of her favourite stray, a sleek black cat named Cat, she’s caught off guard. Someone has been leaving her secret messages—but who? Could it be Collin, a reclusive bestselling author with a taste for good coffee? Lily, a determined teen fresh out of high school on a quest to find her long-lost half-sister? Omar, the neighborhood’s friendly mailman facing an early mid-life crisis? Or Bong, a grieving widower who runs her favorite bodega? As Cat falls ill, these five strangers find themselves drawn together, each discovering that sometimes, the connections we least expect are the ones we need the most.

I started my review out by saying that this is sweet and it is. It’s a story of people coming together from all different walks of life and are brought together by chance. All of them are strangers, yet their lives are interwoven together and they have no idea. It’s all because of a street cat. Cat watches them and sees everything. He sees how they need each other, but cannot make themselves make that final shove to see it. All of them go throughout their day to day without even realizing how much and how often their paths cross. They see each other at their place of work, on the streets, and whenever, but they have not made the connection. That is until Cat falls ill. However, Cat is also like the humans. He is a stray and has never had a home of his own. He thinks he is fine on the streets, counting on others to take care of him. While he does let some humans get close, he never allows them to make a connection to him. He keeps his distance, just like the humans.

Yet, everyone does manage to find their way to each other. We get everyone’s point of view, which means we get all of their backstories and can see how everyone is supposed to fit together. All of our characters are awkward. They are the ones who people don’t pay attention to-, even though they do touch so many lives. If you were to pass them on the street, you probably would quickly forget about them. Yet, these are us. They are humans just trying to get through life. They have real interests, likes, and heartbreaks. They all have their story, just like all of us. By allowing us to see all of this, it gives us a chance to form a really deep bond and connection with the characters. We all can see ourselves in them.
What I enjoyed the most about this book was the sense of found family. All of our characters have had their ups and downs, but they don’t have anyone to turn to. It is through Cat that they all find each other and end up where they are supposed to be. We see the bonds of friendship and a connection that may run deeper than blood. Now, not all of the relationships are based on friendship; some of them we can see becoming a bit more. It’s a slow development that feels right. We see the natural connection of humans and it is done in a way that feels natural. It’s not rushed. Our characters do take their time to let their guard down. However, it works and it fits the story. If the author had done it any other way, the story would not have worked as well as it did.

If you are looking for a sweet story about five strangers coming together and a cat, I think you will enjoy this one a lot. It will certainly put you in a good mood.

This book comes out on April 1, 2025.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/Xn_ATjO6QBs

I didn’t care for this book at first. I really liked the cat's chapters and his perspectives on what he saw. The human characters grow on you as you continue to read but that still didn’t make me want more. Each of them had some type of insecurity they were struggling to overcome. There was too much use of foul language for my taste and it added nothing to the story. The same with the gay character, what difference does it make? The cat does bring the other characters together to form a type of family. I’m glad the cat was still happy at the end.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I adored Tanya Guerrero’s “Cat’s People.” The novel is set in Brooklyn and is about a black cat named Cat, as well as five people who take care of him or come to know him.

Núria is a barista who is also part of The Meow-Yorkers, a group that takes care of stray cats in the neighborhood. The reader also gets to know 1) Collin, who is a bestselling author, 2) Bong, a widower who is mourning the loss of his wife while running a bodega, 3) Omar, the local mailman who is having a midlife crisis, and 4) Lily, a recent George high school graduate who moved to Brooklyn in search of her newly discovered half sister.

The description is a little misleading. The reader knows from the outset who is sending notes to Núria. I enjoyed being able to escape into this novel, getting to know the characters, and discovering how the author would end things. The book was mostly hopeful and uplifting, but there were a couple realistic aspects to it that were on a little on the sad side.

Overall, I recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

**3.5/5 Stars – A Heartfelt Story for Animal Lovers**

Tanya Guerrero’s *Cat’s People* is a warm and charming tale that beautifully explores the bond between humans and animals. The writing is gentle and engaging, with a touching message about kindness and connection. While the plot is somewhat predictable, its heartfelt storytelling and lovable characters make it a comforting and enjoyable read, especially for cat lovers.

I really wanted to love this book, and was totally open to the concept. But sadly, I didn’t love it. I didn’t find myself engaging with the characters, or compelled to read their stories. I think maybe it was all too disjointed for me. I appreciate the chance I was given to read it, though.

This is a fantasy only in that a Cat's POV is included among the five humans this cat visits. It's mildly a romance, though the story is really a gentle, feel-good story about five lonely people and the stray cat who becomes a catalyst (see what I did there?) in their lives.

I read this over several late nights, and it always made me smile. For my own taste--being a SF and fantasy lover from the very first--I would have liked the cat's POV to be more cat-like and less about human concepts, but that is a very small complaint, and a lot of readers won't notice it, or give a flying fig if they do.

If you're looking for some lovely, peaceful escapism from the horrible news, you can't go wrong with this charming story.

You don’t have to be a cat lover ( though only monsters don’t like cats) to appreciate the heart in this book. Found family, budding romance, unlikely friendships all come about because of a stray cat and the people he attracts.

Thank you to the book distribution system, For helping me find this story.

This book was such a nice breath of fresh air from my usual historical fiction, mysteries and horror novels. I typically would not pick up this type of book but the synopsis and the cover of the book really pulled me in. I loved that some of the chapters were from the POV from Cat himself. I loved the themes of loneliness and found friendship in New York. I also liked how realistic it portrayed those who work for TNR rescues. I would recommend for any animal lovers!

Cat meets many different people as he lives his life on the streets as a stray. However, there are a handful of humans that are his favorites. Nuria is a barista and cat lover. Omar is the local mailman. Lily is in the city looking to connect with her long-lost half sister. Bong is mourning a great loss from his life. Collin is a bestselling author who doesn't know how to connect himself to others in the world. Somehow, Cat finds a way to bring all these people together.

Thank you Tanya Guerrero and Random House Publishing Group for this eARC in exchange for a thorough review. All thoughts and opinions shared here are mine and mine alone.

This book had great potential to be captivating and unforgettable. I loved the idea of bringing together many different people via a local stray cat. However, I found the execution to be lacking. There was a lot of explanation of scenes without depth and suspense around the characters. It made the story bland when it could have been memorable and lively. I also did not care for the short chapters as it did not give the characters and scenes enough time to grow.

All around, I think this is a fun little book, but because of some writing deficits, I cannot at this time recommend this to my target audience.

I’ve only descent become a “cat person” but even if I weren’t, I would have loved this book.

It follows five somewhat lonely and disconnected Brooklynites whose lives become enmeshed with a neighborhood stray cat and with each other. Some of the chapters are from Cat’s point of view which is impossible not to love. In addition to being downright adorable, his perspective is cute with his understanding of the world and neighbor nicknames like Rainbow Lady and Cheery Mailman.

I was very invested in the characters and definitely cried happy and sad tears.

The only bad thing about this book is that I’ve finished reading it. This is the BEST book I’ve read in a long time. I loved it so much and I REALLY hope that Mrs Guerrero writes a sequel or turns this book into a series. I would love to know what happens to Cat’s people. I would also love to see this adapted into a movie!!

Cat’s People is the story of one black cat named Cat and his people told from the point of view of not only Cat himself but all five of his people.

Nuria: coffee shop barista, who feeds stray cats
Omar: mailman who loves people and animals
Bong: recently widowed bodega owner
Collin: introverted author who is lonely
Lily: young woman new to town who’s trying to survive

The story slowly brings Cat and his people together and it’s just such a lovely story. Real. Emotional. Wonderful. I absolutely loved this book. Can’t wait to read more by this author.

Cute without veering into cheesy territory! ✨🐈‍⬛✨

When strangers share a fondness for a special stray they realize connection might be closer than they’ve imagined. The street wise cat’s portrayal made it clear this author is an experienced cat person and his POV being included alongside the human characters was a welcome surprise. One look at this cover and I needed this ARC! The black cat that holds down my profile picture more often than not was adopted from a shelter sick and weighing mere ounces. He made a full recovery on our farm and can be found sitting on his favorite horse, hiking alongside the dogs, or guarding bookshelves now. We’ve nursed many animals back to health around here, but his journey still brings tears to my eyes when I think on it.

Each character including the beloved Cat was facing challenges, but what I loved most was that they all looked past themselves to help others. Grief, loneliness, familial pressures, illness, anxiety, and undirected ambition are themes. Nùria is a barista who feeds stray cats in her Brooklyn community. One day she finds a note that throws her a curve ball. It seems she has a secret admirer. Cat accompanies Oscar the mailman on his daily deliveries. He visits Bong the widower and bodega owner. Cat meets Lily a young woman who wants to meet her long lost sister. There’s also the socially awkward author whose home borders Cat’s favorite spot.

I adored this story of a found family brought together by its furriest member.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for providing an Advance Reading Copy for review. All opinions are my own.

When you start reading "Cat's People," you know how it will end. This little stray is going to bring the five people he has regular contact with together in ways that will enrich them all. Romance will bloom, grief will begin to heal, new paths will be chosen, blood family will be reunited, and found family will grow tight. It's quite predictable. That doesn't make it any less satisfying when things fall into place. It's a cozy tale with sympathetic characters and an adorable feline.

This book was a lovely surprise. After learning of it from my book club members, I decided to check it out. I loved that multiple people were involved in the Cat's life. I loved how they all intertwined in some way- those are my favorite movies too! I related a lot to the character of Nuria- but not for the obvious reasons. I guess I have always felt a little disconnected and out of place sometimes too- imposter syndrome as they say.
Each character was brought to life so vividly but in such short chapters. It was a quick read that I just HAD to finish.

I can’t resist a book where a cat is a main character, and this was no exception. Cat’s People is a wholesome story about 5 strangers living in Brooklyn, all linked by a stray black cat known as “Cat”, who eventually brings them all together through their mutual affection for him. Short chapters, with 6 alternating points of view (including Cat’s) made this for a quick, easy read.
I absolutely loved this story.

3.5 rounded up!

This was a sweet story of 5 strangers whose stories connect through a series of events all related to a stray cat. I love when everyone’s story is related to another and it all comes together in the end.

I absolutely adored Cat and I’m glad that the author chose to include chapters from his perspective. Some parts were a bit cheesy, but overall this was a nice feel-good story.