Cat Lady: The hot, must-read Richard & Judy Book Club novel for summer 2023 from the Sunday Times bestselling author

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A shocking event will judder shockwaves through Mia’s life – but will she keep a cat-like balance, or flounder? The ending was very sweet but could only really have occurred with some kind of divine intervention! I found the special relationships that people have with their pets very moving, and how deep the grief can be when they die. She sleeps in a separate room from her husband and pencils in sex several times a week - she won't sleep with him because he doesn't want animals in their bed after a strange occurrence. In contrast to this though, others just outright disturbed me, the main being (creepy babe guy) who had a questionable understanding of what consent was at the best of times and was just straight weird.

Dawn's journalism has appeared in multiple publications and she was the monthly columnist for Glamour magazine. Mia is the dedicated step-mum and loyal wife, but most definitely devoted above all to Pigeon, her cat.She feels she is being successful at playing the many roles in her life - wife, step mother and successful career woman - but she can’t help feeling like things aren’t quite right. I promised my mother in law that she could have this book once I had read it, because she truly is a cat lady - not in a weird way. Dawn's books are always an absolute pleasure to read, so as soon as I saw this could be requested I tapped it and had everything crossed. I appreciate Dawn’s honest and unflinching writing style when it comes to challenging female stereotypes, but for me this one wasn’t one of my favourites.

Anyway, I did read read the epilogue and everything seems to have ended well, I just have absolutely no desire to take the journey to get there. As she stumbles through marriage troubles, job troubles and general life problems, the one consistency is her cat.

Sometimes however having it 'all' isn't all it's cracked to be - having to put up with her husband's ex-wife who spends way too much time at their house. I initially thought I was being petty – but it would appear many other ARC readers on Net Galley felt the same! This is a book that tries humour but its not a funny book because there is too much tragedy behind it. But I did, in one night because I got glued to it and it was such a relaxing read and there were various topics I could relate to.

I did give Dawn the benefit of the doubt as I know she lives in the US and I wasn’t sure if Mother’s Day could be on a weekday over there – but having checked, seemingly not. There isn't much of a synopsis for this novel so I wasn't sure what I was going to get but it day say 'very funny'. If you’re a big emotional softie like me then you may find the last quarter of the book either upsetting and/or heart-wrenching but also heartwarming at the same time as the conclusion to the story neared.Yet she somehow gets back into the room despite the desk barricade she has put in place preventing the door being opened! It was heading for 1-star, which is rare for me, but I’ll admit I did like the ending, which redeemed it a little - but not enough to recommend it. I’m glad others did enjoy it and get benefit from it but for me this was just too far in what should have been a very heart wrenching story of falling to rock bottom and building yourself back up. A delightful dark-ish comedy set around a "my pet has died" grief counselling group and essentially about forming and living one's best-self and not taking on a label that society expects from you. Fresh, funny and for anyone who’s ever felt astray, Cat Lady will help you belong – because a woman always lands on her feet.

Ich habe anfangs echt gekämpft mit dem Buch, es las sich wie ein Youtube Tutorial oder eine Instagram Story. The author has clearly never worked in an office - people don’t shout ‘just get back to your desk and work’ at people! Although I was intrigued to see where the novel was going to end up, I found that the humour felt a bit forced and sometimes missed the mark for me personally.Cat Lady follows Mia who starts attending a pet bereavement support group despite her cat being very much alive. Secondly – very early in the book it is ‘Mother’s Day’ – but Mia is going to work and her stepson to school – which clearly doesn’t happen on Mothering Sunday in the UK where the book is set. This is another of those books about quirky oddballs finding their place in the world that have been super popular in womens’ fiction in recent years.