Purrfect Romances ft. Cats
ROUND UP
Here Kitty, Kitty!
We love a cat with a personality. In these books, the cats are basically a main character.
As a cat mom, I can’t help but love when I come across a cat in a romance novel. Bonus points when they bring main character energy!
Victoria Loves Cats
We love cats. If you’ve been here awhile, you know James and I have two boys, Marshall and Franklin, who are named after our alma-mater. They’re absolutely chaotic, but also the sweetest boys. Marshall likes to have his belly rubbed and falls asleep playing with his toys. Franklin loves to have his head and back rubbed, and he'll skip nap time to keep playing. They’re both main characters in our household.
Whether the cats play a big role in the plot, exist to add depth and personality to the character, provide a much needed humor break, or just bring a fun flare to with their amazing name, these are my favorite romances featuring cats.
I will say there’s a bit of a trend here: dark romance featuring hot, tatted MMC(s) who are softened by FMC with cats. I’m not sorry about it, so you’re welcome.
Keep coming back to this list; it’ll continue to be updated!
Favorite Scene
“Why do you have a cat?”
“To cook in my soup for dinner tomorrow.” She rolls her eyes dramatically. “She’s my pet! Why else would I have a cat?”
- BEG BORROW OR STEAL by Sarah Adams
Romances ft. Podcasts & Radio Shows Recommendations
CLIVE: Wallbanger by Alice Clayton (Amazon)
Cats are nosy and they know what they want, and that’s definitely the case in this neighbors-to-lovers steamy romp. This book got me addicted to the neighbors / forced proximity trope, and we gotta love when your cat decides to match-make for you.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
THE ARCHDUKE: Dukes of Forsyth University by Angel Lawson, Samantha Rue (Amazon)
Bad and dangerous — that’s how one might describe the Dukes. But that facade quickly melts when they’re around the stray their FMC brings into the loft. All of a sudden, the Archduke is sleeping on their beds and dictating their routines. Is there anything hotter than a tatted man holding a tiny kitty? Oh, yes… three men.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
MISS PRINCESS: Pucking Sweet by Emily Rath (Amazon)
Do you love hockey? Do you like the idea of having two beautiful men to love who care about you so much they adopt a cat for you? Oh, and they also prioritize taking care of said little kitty? I’m talking about an actual cat — get your mind out of the gutter. This book has it all! And if you find that you’re into reverse harem, you’ll love this series.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
MR. FITZPERVERT: Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter (Amazon)
An HoH Book Club Pick! One of my favorite books, and it may be because Mr. Fitzpervert plays a pretty critical role in drawing out the FMC towards the MMC in one of my favorite scenes in the book. You’ll have to read it and let me know if you figure out what scene I’m talking about. Whether you’re a cat person or not, this book should be on your TBR — it’s just that sweet.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
PATCHES: The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead (Amazon)
An HoH Book Club Pick! Patches is a democrat. That’s pretty much all you need to know. She’s older, grumpier, but so full of love. And when the FMC meets Patches at her mother’s animal sanctuary, it’s pretty much love at first sight… which is pretty consistent with her relationship with the MMC now that I think about it.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
MR. TUMNUS: A Jingle Bell Mingle by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone (Amazon)
An HoH Book Club Pick! This forced proximity, roommate situation results in the best experience for Mr. Tumnus when the MMC basically spoils him even though he claims to not be a cat person. We all know that guy, don’t we? And we love him more because of it.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
FRED: Lights Out by Navessa Allen (Amazon)
Picture this: a masked man breaks into your house, makes his way into your bedroom to record a seductive video that he posts on his social media (which you stalk religiously) and you learn that he refers to himself as your cat’s “daddy.” And just as much as it turns you on, you realize your yowler cat absolutely loves him. This dark, erotic romance made me question everything I thought I knew about myself…
VICTORIA’S RATING: 3.5/5
BROCCOLI: Onyx Storm (The Empyrean #3) by Rebecca Yarros (Amazon)
Who would’ve thunk that a kitty would make an appearance in this dragon-centric romantasy? I don’t think the entire fanbase could’ve seen this coming, but you can only imagine that collective celebration when it did! Broccoli is based on the orange kitty Rebecca’s son rescued. While we’re only really introduced to him in this book, we can’t wait to see the chaos he brings to the rest of the series. Give Broccoli the spotlight!
VICTORIA’S RATING: 5/5
MUFFIN: Madness (L.O.R.D.S #6) by Shantel Tessier (Amazon)
In the darkness of the LORDS series (and especially Carnage), Muffin provides a bit of a reprieve. While she plays a pretty minimal role in this story, she provides the FMC with companionship and love during this heartbreaking romance. Note: this series is not for the faint hearted and you’ll want to start with The Ritual (L.O.R.D.S. #1) (Amazon) for the best reading experience.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
CLEOCATRA: Wild Side (Rose Hill #3) by Elsie Silver (Amazon)
The FMC’s name is Tabby, but her nephew calls her Tabby Cat, and for the past year he’s told his neighbor, Rhys, about his tabby cat nonstop, only for him to respond that he’s “allergic.” And when Tabby and said neighbor become co-guardians to her nephew, she spitefully adopts a tabby cat who basically claims Rhys as his human. This marriage-of-convenience, forced-proximity romance will have you chuckling out loud and your heart melting in your chest.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
The Best of the Best: Victoria’s Top Picks
DUCKY: Beg Borrow or Steal by Sarah Adams (Amazon)
This enemies-to-lovers romance is full of cat energy. In classic Sarah form, the dialogue is crisp, the banter is witty, the quips are refreshing. Much like the town of Rome! The characters are dynamic, beautifully complex, yet insanely relatable. The chemistry is off-the-charts and their friendship makes you wish you lived in their neighborhood just so you could witness their exchanges IRL (and maybe even partake in the hi-jinx). Like I said, all cat energy.
And the best part? Their banter does sometimes revolve around Ducky. Which makes it all the better.
Read my Sneak Peek!
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
POOTER: Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez (Amazon)
An HoH Book Club pick! The opening pages of this book center around this kitty, and it’s the best book introduction. I was laughing out loud while simultaneously horrified for the cat’s experience — it was born without a butt hole, poor baby!
Read my Sneak Peek!
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
Until the next chapter!
xo, Victoria
P.S. Craving more books featuring these sub-genres, tropes, and themes? Tap the links below.
