REVIEW: What the Cat Dragged In by Kate McMurray

What the Cat Dragged In by Kate McMurray: Dating in Brooklyn is proving to be a lot more work than event planner Paige Danvers expected, so when her best friend and boss Lauren suggests that she sign up to volunteer at a cat catch and rescue event Paige decides it couldn’t be any worse than some of her latest dismal dates. The last thing Paige expected was to be paired up with cute new to town lawyer Josh Harlow. The pair instantly hit it off so much so that a late night drink leads to a steamy night together, but with morning comes the startling realisation that Josh is actually Lauren’s brother! Convinced that nothing more can come from their one shared night of passion Paige is determined to keep her distance from Josh and by all coat never let Lauren find out. However this proves to be a lot harder than Paige expected when her heart keeps pulling her back to Josh, the question is can Paige get the guy and keep her friend?

Josh had hoped that moving to New York would provide him with a little more time to spend with his sister and check out her quirky cute cat café, but with work as a first year associate keeping him chained to his desk Josh considers it lucky if he can leave work before 9pm let alone start up a social life! But when his boss informs him that as a part of his job he is required to do some form of community service he runs with it as a chance to bond with his sister and her love for cats, the last thing Josh expected was to find a breath of life and love while volunteering at a cat trapping event or for Paige to be so closely linked to Lauren!

A book about books and cats? You can most certainly count me in! I absolutely loved the first book in the Whitman Street Cat Café and was eager to get my hands on the next book and let me just tell you that McMurray is on to something good here! I absolutely loved the plot and that so much of the book happens while at the cat café. Also how can you not just love a best friend’s brother romcom? It was an absolute treat getting to see all the cute furry babies again and all their personalities shine through the pages. It was also really nice getting to see Lauren and Caleb again, these two are seriously the cutest couple.

I really liked Paige not only was she genuinely a nice person but she cared about how her actions would effect her friends. I really liked following her as she tired to figure out how to balance keeping her friendship with Lauren and still following her heart. I loved that she wanted to give back to the community and create these events that allowed children to interact with the cats. I did feel that she put a bit to much attention on how Lauren felt about her relationship instead of actually just following what she wanted.

Where as our boy Josh just stole my heart! I loved getting to see him try and find a balance between his work and her personal life. I really liked that he was genuinely a good person and that working for such horrible clients didn’t sit well with him. I really liked getting to see him fight to make space for his relationship with Paige and try to prove to her that their relationship is worth fighting for. Also how cute was the bit where his cat adopted him! The only thing that I did not love about this book was I just felt that there was so much unnecessary filler when it came to describing Josh’s work, this didn’t add to the book and just made it a longer read.

Overall What The Cat Dragged In is a cute romcom that will leave you wanting to adopt a cute fury baby of your own! I can not wait to see who is up next in the cute Whitman Street Cat Café series!

Book Info:

Publication: December 7th 2021 | Sourcebooks Casablanca | Whitman Street Cat Cafe #2

Set in Brooklyn (with a small-town feel in the big city), this cat café romantic comedy has tropes readers will adore:

• Best friend’s brother romance
• Forbidden romance (can’t let his sister/my best friend find out!)
• Millennial angst (my love life is a hot mess)
• Adorable rescue cats in a cozy Brooklyn café

When Paige Danvers isn’t managing events for the Whitman Street Cat Café, she is busy navigating dating disasters as a single woman in Brooklyn. Urged by her boss and best friend Lauren to find a distraction from ineffectual dating apps, Paige volunteers with a cat rescue organization, where she actually meets a guy with some real relationship potential.

Recent law school grad Josh Harlow is putting in long hours at a Manhattan law firm as he gets over a messy breakup. When his boss requires him to do some volunteer work, Josh’s sister sets him up to help capture feral cats. Partnered with Paige, Josh is insistently drawn to the dynamic event planner and sparks between them fly.

One problem: after a steamy night together, Paige discovers Josh is Lauren’s brother and dating him would be a spectacularly awful idea. Particularly considering Paige’s track record. They’re both in too deep to walk away—but if they let the cat out of the bag, it’s going to wreak havoc with friends, family, and jobs alike.