They Call Me The Cat Lady by Amy Miller @bookouture @AmyBratley1

Book Description:

You’ve seen me on the street. You’ve walked past my house, and pointed, and wondered. The cat lady. All on my own, with only my five cats to keep me company. Did no-one ever tell you that you can’t judge a book by its cover?

Everyone in town knows Nancy Jones. She loves her cats. She loves her tumbledown house by the sea. She loves her job in the local school where she tries to help the children who need help the most. Nancy tries hard not to think about her past loves and where those led her…

Nancy never shares her secrets – because some doors are better kept locked. But one day she accepts a cat-sitting request from a local woman, and at the woman’s house, Nancy sees a photograph, in a bright-red frame. A photograph that opens the door to her painful past…

Soon Nancy doesn’t know what frightens her the most: letting her story out, or letting the rest of the world in. It’s impossible to find companionship without the risk of losing it. But can Nancy take that risk again?

A heart-wrenching and heart-warming story of love lost and found, and of second chances, They Call Me the Cat Lady is perfect for fans of A Man Called Ove and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

My Thoughts:

Nancy is a wonderfully charming character who I loved as soon as I met her. I think she is a prime example of how people can be quick to judge and how nice it would be if everyone took time out of their busy lives to get to know their neighbours/work colleagues better.

The story involves a variety of different topics but mainly grief and bullying. Due to an incident in Nancy’s past, she has become a bit of a recluse keeping herself to herself and exists for the love of her cats which seem to grow in number as she is one of those caring souls who can’t turn away any waif’s or strays.

Alfie is another stand out character in the novel and my heart went out to him. I enjoyed the unlikely friendship between him and Nancy and it was so heartwarming to read.

They Call Me The Cat Lady is a heartwarming read that will pull on your heart strings. It is quite an emotive story of one woman’s life that I think will make an impact on anyone who reads it. Even though there is more than a handful of cats that will certainly appeal to lovers of felines, this story is so much more than that. A story to touch the heart and soul.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.

They Call Me The Cat Lady is available to purchase from Amazon. (Please note that link used is an affiliate link).

About the author
Amy Miller lives in Dorset with her husband and two children. The author of seven novels, including contemporary women’s fiction and wartime saga, she writes under the names Amy Miller and Amy Bratley.