Recent Reads: Paws in the Piazza by Jerilyn McIntyre

Source: From the Author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

 

Paws in the Piazza: Harley's Venetian Adventure by Jerilyn McIntyre 
Publisher: Bristlecone Books
Publication Date:  December 11, 2013

 

Format:  Ebook


Rating:


 



Goodreads Synopsis: 

"Back home, I was content to be just an ordinary house cat. I didn't get out much. But it's different here in Venice." How different? Harley quickly finds out after his family arrives in Italy. He takes up with a group of local cats who roam wild in the alleys and neighborhoods of Venice, and meets the mysterious Angela, a beautiful white Angora who steals his heart. Then he becomes embroiled in a fierce and ongoing war between his friends and a rival band of cats, and discovers the magical order that underlies life in the enchanting and historic city that is his new home.

Review:
This author reached out to me a few years ago with this ebook and it sat in my inbox for a while (sometimes things disappear in there and I apologize). I finally got around to reading it and I have to say it was a strange one that was not really for me.

The story follows a main character that is a cat, so from right off it was hard to relate. There were a few times when I really wanted to stop reading and not finish the book, if I am honest. It was very difficult for me to feel for Harley and in the first few pages he experiences love at first sight with another cat - again hard for me to get into. The story progresses as he learns that she is pretty much a royal and out of his league. That is when the story turned into more than just cats - it because a fantasy book, there is a magic lion and the female cat has a magical cape, and there is a guy that might be there but might be a ghost. It just lost me. It was a lot for such a short story and I think that all of these conflicts could have been more flushed out, it seemed like it could have been multiple stories that go smashed into one.

My PDF copy also had a few issues - there was a time when the pages were ordered wrong, then there were about 3 pages missing in the end of my book as well. 

All that being said, if you like a good fantasy about cats this might be for you - it just lost me from the very beginning and I found it hard to get through.