Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Shane
A cat is a man's best friend, because they can't be bought or threatened. If they don't like you, they walk away, showing you their butthole. If they stick around, it's because they find you interesting. Mimsy's stayed with me through six years and across half the country, which means I'm not a total loser. We earn our daily bread and fishy treats by busking, and sometimes we get lucky.

Like this abandoned wine-tasting place we're squatting in. California climate so we don't need heat, running water still on, all the comforts of home. Sure, there's a weird guy with mental health issues who shows up now and then, but he keeps life interesting and he's not bad to look at. We might stick around Gaynor Beach for a while.

Theo
I finally have control of my grandparents' legacy, which means I can give away all the things they valued more than me. I have enough money to live on without theirs. The vineyard's easy. I'll give it to Manuel, the guy who did most of the work while never being allowed in their showplace mansion. I love imagining his kids bouncing on Grandmère's priceless antiques.

The wine-tasting parlor's harder. I'd like to burn it to the ground, but the cops frown on arson, plus when I went to check it out there was a homeless guy living in it. Instead of being scared of me— because I admit, I was losing it a bit when he spotted me— he cleaned up the cut on my arm and listened to me ramble. He had no clue who I was and I liked that. Maybe I can turn my grandparents' showroom into a homeless shelter. Or something for homeless animals. Shane loves his little cat, and I wouldn't mind if they stuck around for a while.

 

 

Warning for past history of emotional abuse

 

Book Review

A homeless man, his cat, and a millionaire make up the beginnings of ‘Impurrfections’ by Kaje Harper, but are by no means a simple explanation for this story. Instead, this book is filled with all of the good things I’ve come to expect from this author: complex, yet simple characters, hope, realistic angst, a little drama, and fabulous animals. To be honest, this author has just about become and auto-buy for me because they hit it out of the ballpark almost every time.

 

Shane and his cat, Mimsy, are homeless wanderers and have been together for six years slowly making their way west. They make their money by busking and for those who don’t know what that means they provide entertainment for money. They put on a little show instead of simply panhandling. I have to say that many times during this read I wanted it to be a movie, so I could actually “see” the show because it sounded so unbelievably adorable. Shane left home at seventeen when he was kicked out because his mom and stepdad needed his bed. Apparently, those two people didn’t understand the concept of birth control and just continued to have babies making Shane babysit, cook, clean, and essentially parent his half-siblings. He was pretty much ready to leave when they gave him the boot. Shane has spent nine years alone convincing himself that his wanderlust is just how he is and that being settled somewhere with a regular job isn’t what he wants out of life. He’s made his way to Gaynor Beach in California and certainly January in SoCal is far better than January in the Midwest. Shane figures he and Mimsy can stay for a bit and once he discovers the abandoned wine tasting building life is looking up.

 

Thibault, Theo, might appear to lead a charmed life. From the outside, anyway. In fact, Theo had a pretty miserable abusive childhood leading to him leaving his grandparents’ home at seventeen with nothing but the clothes on his back. He made it work and is certainly in a better financial position than Shane is, but I’m not going to share the ins and outs of all of that mostly because it’s integral to who he is as a person and important to understanding him. Regardless, he is back in Gaynor Beach dealing with the estate his grandparents left him as their sole heir. He has just finished a two-year legal battle with his father—a complete and utter douchebag—and now is working on giving away their belongings. Personally, I found that whole concept fantastic and cheered him on.

 

Shane and Theo may not seem to have a lot in common at first glance, but they share quite a bit of similar pain from childhood. Now, don’t get me wrong. This story is not a downer filled with nothing but angst. However, there is enough to understand these men and where they’re coming from. Falling in love is a new concept for them both. New enough that they make mistakes and stumble more than once. Throw in Mimsy, a pregnant rescue dog, an idea to help open a much-needed animal shelter, and this tale goes from ordinary to way more.

 

Shane and Theo are the kind of men I adore reading about and watching them fall in love was an absolute joy. For me, personally, the addition of the animals just made it even better! Thank you, Kaje Harper, for another lovely book that I’ll use as a feel-good reread often.

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been purchased by the reviewer.

 

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novel, 324 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	02-April-2024
Price	$4.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Impurrfections-Friends-Gaynor-Animal-Rescue-ebook/dp/B0CSTX55P5