The cat who stole my heart

Review: Love Saves the Day

SOUTH FLORIDA – There are cat people and there are dog people.

I am not a cat person.

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I thought I'd come clean right from the start. That way you wouldn't be tempted to think that what follows are the gushings of a feline fanatic.

As an animal advocate and blogger, I welcome the chance to review books and products that animal lovers will appreciate. So, when I came across the opportunity to review "Love Saves the Day," a book whose protagonist is a cat, I figured I owed it to my cat-loving audience to scratch beyond the surface of my preconceived notions of paws vs. claws. But I wasn't as enthusiastic as if I had been asked to review a canine caper starring a delightful Dachshund Diva (more about her later).

I have nothing against cats. It's just that to me they are aloof, independent beings — nothing like the needy, clingy dogs that are so much like, well — me.

I was not a cat person. That is, until I met Prudence, the lead character in "Love Saves the Day." And I was immediately smitten. (Yes, I know, it rhymes with kitten.)

As with all affairs of the heart, at first, I fought the feeling.

"This is so wrong," I thought, as I found myself, putting Queenie, my extremely loyal 14-year-old miniature Dachshund to bed so I could sneak away to read about Prudence's latest discoveries.

"I'm cheating on my dog," I said to Prudence's sweet face on the cover of "Love Saves the Day," after a long, lazy afternoon of reading.

To make matters worse, I knew that Queenie knew. But the more I tried to make Prudence get out of my head, the more she meowed her way in. Finally, I had to give in and admit that I was completely and utterly under her spell.

And I'm sure you will be too.

"Love Saves the Day" is a skillfully crafted love story.

It's about the walls that people build around themselves, and the unconditional love that tears them down.

It's about the love between a mother and her daughter, a woman and her husband, a cat and her humans and the confusion that comes when unexpected changes are thrust upon them and loyalties demand that they take action.

The story is told through the eyes of its main characters. There are no numbered chapters — just breaks in the action told from each of their perspectives.

I found myself falling in love with Prudence, her independence, her simplicity, her ability to adapt, while still holding out hope that one day the love of her life would return.

I urge you to make "Love Saves the Day" a part of your library. And this is a particularly bittersweet time to do so.

You see, the book's author, Gwen Cooper, is also the author of another best-selling book, "Homer's Odyssey."

Homer was a blind cat who inspired Cooper, spawned a Facebook page and taught thousands of people about the importance of adopting and caring for special needs animals.

After a long illness, 16-year-old Homer recently crossed the Rainbow Bridge. But the good he inspired will live on.

From now through Oct. 27 , 100 percent of all royalties from the paperback sale of "Love Saves the Day" will be donated to Blind Cat Rescue on Homer's behalf.  The paperback edition will be released in October, but you can pre-order copies.

To order "Love Saves the Day," and "Homer's Odyssey," click here.

As for my cheating on Queenie, turns out, it's a non-issue.

I tried to ask for forgiveness, and she used my guilt as an opportunity to roll over and demand a belly rub.

In the end, she knows whose bed she sleeps in. And her unconditional love taught me that the more love you allow those you love to give away, the more love they will have to give to you in return.