Review: A Love Catastrophe by Helena Hunting

Title:	A Love Catastrophe
Author:	Helena Hunting
Series:	n/a
Pages:	368
Genre(s):	Contemporary
Trope(s):	Enemies to Lovers Friends to Lovers
Point of View:	First Person, Present Tense, Dual Viewpoint (H & h)
Location:	Terra Cotta and Toronto, Canada
HEA:	✔️
Release Date:	13th June, 2023

Quirky and heartfelt

I have always enjoyed the books of Helena Hunting’s that I’ve read, from the more emotional ones like her Lakeside series or Spark House series to her fun romcoms like Meet Cute or Kiss My Cupcake. This book falls into the latter category but still tackles heavy emotions and topics. While it doesn’t shy away from them, it keeps things light enough that I never felt bogged down and thoroughly enjoyed this fun read.

Miles is in a bit of a bind. He has a new job that he has to perform well at and he needs to take a business trip out of town – but his mum’s in the hospital and someone needs to take care of her demon of a cat. Enter Kitty – the Kitty Whisperer. She’s excited to take care of the hot nerd’s cat – it’s just a shame he’s such a cat hating jerk. And that’s before he tackles her to the ground.

Miles is my hero catnip. He’s nerdy but hot, slightly awkward but also strong and delicious. But the boy has layers and he’s got a lot to deal with that made him likeable and relatable. I love how much he adored Kitty and how he never quite lost his dorky moments. He turned from jerk to nice guy to boyfriend to perfect boyfriend through the whole story.

I’m always anxious when I hear there’s a Kitty type character in a story. You know, that “quirky” heroine that’s almost a caricature? Well thankfully, that’s not Kitty. Sure she’s got her quirks – and she REALLY likes cats – but she’s a very real character with, like Miles, quite a lot of emotional baggage. But she was upbeat, fun, relatable and I was rooting from her, and relating to her, right from the start. Even if I’m more of a dog person, myself.

The story of Kitty and Miles’ relationship was fun, cute and absolutely perfect for their pairing. It felt natural but there was also a delicious spark between the two. It was the kind of build-up that had butterflies flapping in my stomach with glee. And the payoff was delightful, too. Not too in your face but sexy enough to make me cheer.

“…a quirky read with great characters and a lot of fun but still with a heartfelt thread running through it.”

In the third quarter (ish) of the book, the relationship / love story takes a back seat as we hear more about Kitty and some trials and tribulations that she’s going through. Miles is still present – and helps save the day – but this takes the place of any big misunderstanding / break up before our happily ever after. It dipped its toe away from the romance at this point – which I could see why it would irk some readers – but it was still interesting and fit perfectly with the whole theme of the story which included Miles and Kitty becoming fully rounded and better people for each other.

Now as to why I think this book might not get the full 5 stars from some people. Alongside the fun, the quirky and the romance, this book has some topics that could be really triggering to some people. Or, depending on what’s going on in your life or your experiences, could cause an extreme emotional reaction in you. The things particularly are [spoilers] parent with dementia, death of a parent (and finding the body), death of a sibling, the guilt, grief and all emotions that come with loss. [spoilers end].

I was in a fairly good place while reading this book so I personally didn’t feel that anything hit too deeply or upset me too much. I did shed a tear or two but anyone that knows me will tell you I cry at the drop of a hat! Everything was handled with dignity and accuracy but if you’re not in the right mindset then I could see why some might not connect with this book as much as I did.

For me, this was a quirky read with great characters and a lot of fun but still with a heartfelt thread running through it. Ms Hunting’s writing is exemplary, as usual, and she really draws you into her stories. So much so that at times, I forgot I was reading about made-up characters and started to think of them as people I knew! I enjoyed this book a lot and would happily recommend it if it sounds like something you would enjoy, too.

*I received this book in exchange for my honest review.*

NYT and USA Today Bestselling author, Helena Hunting lives outside of Toronto with her amazing family and her two awesome cats, who think the best place to sleep is her keyboard. Helena writes everything from contemporary romance with all the feels to romantic comedies that will have you laughing until you cry.