Geek with the Cat Tattoo by Theresa Weir

The Basics:
Geek with the Cat Tattoo by Theresa Weir
Belfry Press
Book 2 in the Cool Cats series
New Adult, Romance
Published Dec 20, 2013

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb:

Shy music geek Emerson Foshay breaks into a cold sweat and is rendered speechless whenever Lola Brown, the girl of his dreams, steps into his guitar shop, but once a stray cat named Sam follows him home everything changes and Emerson becomes the coolest guy in town.

Why I picked up this book:

I liked the cover and the idea of someone with a cat tattoo seemed kind of amusing.

My thoughts:

This is a novella - roughly 30K words - that features a sentient cat named Sam who can 'mindmess' with people. He usually uses his power to manipulate his environment - better food, clean litter box, etc. - but when he meets Emerson, he uses it to give the poor guy a boost of confidence around the woman he desires.

For me, the cat stuff was a little weird. The book starts narrated from Sam's perspective and I worried that the whole thing was going to be told by the cat. Fortunately it quickly switches over to Emerson and Lola, and from their perspectives the story is a fairly sweet little romance.

The conflict in the book comes from Emerson's struggle with social anxiety and Lola's caution with men after being burned by a grifter ex. I didn't love Lola - I sympathized a lot with Emerson, and thought Lola could be a wee bit more understanding. I did appreciate that Emerson does shut down and behave in a really irksome fashion, but that he also does some really sweet, romantic things of his own volition, without Sam's influence.

There was material here that I really had to suspend my disbelief for - Emerson's work, particularly his gift for Lola, seemed a little, ah, quick? And then the cat, of course.

I also wonder about the play of the title - of course my mind goes to the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and this book has zero connection to it. I'd go so far as to call it an opposite - this is a love story, a romance that shouldn't be taken too seriously.

Bottom line:

A sweet, short romance that requires a suspension of disbelief to enjoy. It had some cute moments, but overall didn't strike the right chords for me.

2.5 stars
For fans of a dash of paranormal with your romance, music and romance.