Katherine “Kitty” Stapleton is an environmental lawyer living in Washington, D.C. In the world of law, she is the cream of the crop and sophisticated as ever. Unfortunately, it’s time for her ten-year high school reunion, and in the world back home, she’s just the overachiever Kitty who could do little to please her shapeshifter parents. Once home, she runs into Sam Philmore who was the living epitome of dreamboat in high school. Kitty always carried a torch for Sam, and in a strange twist of fate, her next legal battle will be against Sam and his law office. Sam never told Kitty but he’d always held a torch for her – in addition to a pretty big secret.

Cat and Mouse is a lighthearted take on shapeshifter romances, specifically in its depiction of the more unfortunate facts of the were world, like dealing with hairballs or not always having much to do in your shifted form other than lying around, and in Kitty’s case, chasing cute mice around. Several parts of the story were laugh-out-loud funny, though I sported a smile throughout the whole reading. There was an almost situation comedy about the story, and I could see it playing out as a television show, complete with drama, crazy families, and unrequited love.

AJ Chase did a wonderful job of creating people that were human and yet very animal-like, specifically, Kitty’s mom and sister who resembled the more Siamese variety of cat, which includes temperament reminiscent of the animal breed. There are a few secrets that surprise Kitty throughout the story, though overall everything makes sense. My only complaint is that we don’t really have the opportunity to be in Sam’s head – he’s built up to be quite an intriguing character and it would have been nice to see how his gears turned a bit.

All in all, this was a very fun, lighthearted read. The length could have been a little longer but it makes for a great story with which to enjoy a cup or two of tea while reading on the couch – though I do recommend a napkin or two. I sincerely hope we will see more stories in this comically realistic shapeshifting world; after all, it’s not every day we get to read about were sea otters.

Book Stats:

• e-book, digital format
• Publisher: Freya’s Bower
• Book Length: Novella
• Language: English
• ISBN: 978-1-936222-05-6

To purchase an electronic copy of Cat and Mouse click here.