Rating: 4 stars

Format: Paperback

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A Cat Cafe Christmas is the story of two people who’ve had their trust broken, trying to learn to trust again. 

Kara is a veterinarian whose ex-boyfriend used her to steal money and private donor data from the nonprofit where she worked. Now, she owns a cat cafe with her best friend and avoids any and all attention out of a fear that someone will recognize her from the news, which painted her more as co-villain than victim. 

Ben Reese moved across the country to get away from his brother, who just so happens to have married Ben’s former fiance. He crosses paths with Kara when her cafe is a local business spotlight for his company, and it is not love at first sight. But when Ben finds a cat stowed away in his new home, Kara’s the only person he can think to turn to. 

This book is absolutely adorable, right down to the cute cat illustrations and adoption profiles that start each chapter. There are plenty of cats on the page, and it’s wonderful getting to see Kara grow her confidence and her business while caring for them. 

The love story between Ben and Kara feels natural and sweet, and I like that they are both navigating similar past issues that help them understand one another. They have some quality banter, which I always appreciate in a romance. 

I also really liked that the plot had some twists and turns to it that I wasn’t expecting. Ben and Kara both had their own lives and circumstances above and beyond falling in love, which always makes for a better story in my opinion.

If I had any complaints about this book, it would be that it sometimes felt a little long. We get a lot of scenes about daily happenings in the cafe, and while they do all contribute to the plot eventually, I did occasionally wonder about the level of detail and if it slowed things down a bit too much. Then again, how can I really complain about spending more time with cats just being cats? 

In all, A Cat Cafe Christmas is a sweet romance that takes place during the Christmas season, with a few nods to the holiday. I wouldn’t say it centers the holidays, but the 25 days of Catmas promotion is more on theme than a lot of the so-called holiday romances I’ve read. I had a lot of fun reading this one and recommend it to anyone who loves cats, cafes, and love stories.