Week 45 Review: The Cat King of Havana

From Goodreads:
Rick Gutierrez is . . . the Cat King of Havana! A cat-video tycoon turned salsa-dancer extraordinaire, he'll take Cuba by storm, romance the girl of his dreams, and ignite a lolcat revolution!

At least that's the plan.

It all starts when his girlfriend dumps Rick on his sixteenth birthday for uploading cat videos from his bedroom when he should be out experiencing the real world. Known as "That Cat Guy" at school, Rick isn't cool and he knows it. He realizes it's time for a change.

Rick decides joining a salsa class is the answer . . . because of a girl, of course. Ana Cabrera is smart, friendly, and smooth on the dance floor. Rick might be half-Cuban, but he dances like a drunk hippo. Desperate to impress Ana, he invites her to spend the summer in Havana. The official reason: learning to dance. The hidden agenda: romance under the palm trees.

Except Cuba isn't all sun, salsa, and music. There's a darker side to the island. As Rick and Ana meet his family and investigate the reason why his mother left Cuba decades ago, they learn that politics isn't just something that happens to other people. And when they find romance, it's got sharp edges.

My Review:
I had a pretty good time reading this book. It was one that FOMO had me requesting the ARC, not one that I really wanted to read, but it sounded pretty good, and I could get it, so why not. And I enjoyed it, but it's not one that will stick with me.

Rick's mom loved cat videos. Now that she's passed, it's basically all that he cares about, his girlfriend breaks up with him because he doesn't really do anything else. So when he goes out into the world, meets Ana, well, that's a shock to his system!

While this book has some lightness with the romance, it also deals with grief, and the different ways that we handle it. And while the way his dad withdraws, and he is all about the cat videos, they're normal, but not altogether the most healthy, espcailly given how long it's been since they lost her. 

I really enjoyed exploring Cuba, some of the history, and the culture. Rick didn't know much, about Cuba, or why his mom left, and I enjoyed watching him find out, while also having this time with Ana it was enjoyable to read! 

This was an enjoyable story, and I had a pretty good time reading it. 

Author: Tom Crosshill
Read: November 10th, 2022
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a SAC 2022 Book, WoW Book and a WTC Book!
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Published: September 6th 2016

5/5 Hearts

3/5 Books

3/5 Stars