The front cover is the first thing that made me want to read this book. A fluffy, obviously cattitude-filled, black cat is featured behind the title. Bono. A cat named Bono? Extremely awesome. Then I read that the book is based on a true experience the author had with a foster cat in New York City. Ok. Sucked in. Immediate must read.

I'm a sucker for foster cats. I've been a foster for orphaned kittens in North Carolina for several years now. Babies that nobody wants...abandoned....orphans....dropped at the animal shelter...sometimes just thrown out with the garbage or on the side of the road. They come to my house. I bottle feed them, keep them warm, clean them, and pet them for hours, telling them what good cats they are going to be and how a family somewhere needs them. Sometimes, unfortunately, I pet them and love them as they take their last breaths and bury them with much respect and sadness. Those who survive and thrive are adopted to great furever homes, often in other states. Goodbye sweet babies -- go make a family very, very happy. Live a good and beautiful life.

I had to read this book about Bono. :)

The basics: The author was having a bit of a midlife crisis and decided it was a good time to travel to New York City from Australia to promote her latest book. Her publisher told her that it would be perfect if she would foster a homeless cat from a local shelter while in NYC. She agreed, figuring she either wouldn't be able to find an apartment that would allow a cat or she would get a fat, middle aged cat that just wanted to sleep all day. Wrong. AirBnb had a studio that would allow a cat....and she was matched with Bono. Bono suffered from kidney failure and was basically unadoptable. His medical needs were expensive and nobody wanted to adopt him. The author basically was giving Bono a vacation from the shelter for awhile. Little did either realize that the cat needed Helen Brown. And Helen Brown needed the little cat. Their relationship started out shaky with much hissing, hiding under beds, and cat temper fits....but with a little bit of patience from both, the outcome is quite heartwarming.

I loved this story. I'm definitely going to be reading more by this author. The story of how she bonded with Bono is heart-warming and real. Cats can be great therapy at low spots in our lives. She rescued Bono, and in return he rescued her. Beautiful! :)

There is always time for kindness. I find that I receive much more from the tiny little kittens I foster than I give to them. There is just something joyful in saving a tiny life and sending it out into the world to bring happiness to someone I will never even meet. I get messages, emails and photos from those who adopt the babies I raise. It's totally worth the feedings every two hours, the frantic trips to the vet in an emergency and all the time, effort and mess.

As I warm the formula to go and feed the latest little one (her name is Annie after Little Orphan Annie...the only one in her litter to survive after her mother was run over and killed), I'm thinking kind thoughts about Helen Brown and Bono. It's amazing how much animals bring to our lives in exchange for just a little love and affection.

Lovely book! I highly recommend it!

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own. Adopt -- don't shop! Donate to your local humane society.** ( )

New York Times bestselling author Helen Brown writes a touching, often humorous, tale of a time in her life when she is quite unsettled. Although happily married, she has recently dealt with a bout with breast cancer, despite having a good prognosis. Sadly, she doesn't feel as if her everyday life offers much excitement. Having recently published a book, she goes to New York in order to publicize the book. It is during this trip that Helen agrees to the daunting task to foster a homeless cat. Not only is Bono homeless, he is seriously ill.

Helen will be visiting from Australia, and to her delight, her eldest daughter Lydia agrees to accompany her for part of that time. Helen has her doubts early on about taking on a cat, but Lydia is very excited about it, much to Helen's surprise. Once Helen has warmed up to the idea, she is quite touched at everyone's response to it. This turns into a self-healing time for both Helen and Lydia, even if the healing that she will undoubtedly receive from Bono doesn't happen for quite some time.

I have to be honest and say that I've not read a biographical memoir before, but I am very pleased that the publisher forwarded this book to me. My emotions went from laughing, to bawling, whether from genuine sadness or complete joy. I absolutely fell in love with Bono. Oh, there was one particular moment when his sensitivity as a cat shone through. As a woman owned by several cats, this is an emotion that I am quite familiar with. I loved that Bono's story was shared to the world. It will be in my heart for all time. I also enjoyed the personal growth that Helen achieved in this story.

Most honorable mentions go to Helen's own cat, Jonah, and her past beloved feline, Cleo. I also do not feel that my review would be complete without also mentioning two very special people that brought Bono into Helen's life, Michaela Hamilton and Vida Engstrand, both of Kensington Books, for without whom she never would have never met Bono. A truly inspirational tale for for anyone who has a love for these furry, four-legged creatures. I have already placed Ms. Brown's backlist into my Amazon cart.

Many thanks to Helen Brown and Kensington Books for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion. ( )

After a bout with cancer, Australian author Helen Brown decides she needs something more out of life than what she’s getting. She gets an invite from her editor to come to New York City for a while, for the US release of her book, Cats & Daughters. I guess I should say, she asked her editor to ask her. She has been longing for the bustle and energy of the city that never sleeps; her marriage, while happy, (her husband is a jewel) is routine, and her days banal. So it’s arranged; Brown will go to New York with her daughter (in hopes of making that relationship better). She visualizes endless shopping, art, and Broadway shows. Then her editor throws her a curveball: since Brown’s new book is about cats, why not be the temporary foster parent for a shelter cat? That’s not what the author had in mind, but she figures it’ll work. She envisions a cuddly lap cat who dozes a lot, and, besides, what are the chances of actually finding a short term dwelling that allows cats?

Neither dwelling nor cat are what she expected. The dwelling is a dump when she gets there. It cleans up well enough, though. Then she goes to get the cat. He is Bono, a black long haired refuge from hurricane Sandy. Except his hair isn’t long now- due to horrible matting, he’s been shaved except for his head, the tip of his tail, and his paws. And he seems hyperactive. And he’s a special needs cat- he needs medication daily. Not the low maintenance cat Brown had in mind at all.

The story tells the adventures of capturing the cat, getting him to take his pills, and allow human contact are part of the story. The majority of the story, though, is about Brown and her daughter’s- and later, just Brown’s when the daughter leaves- adventures in New York. There is also a good bit about Brown’s relationship with her daughter, and how it changes during their stay. In the end, the book is more about these things than it is about Bono and finding him a forever home. While the book is good, I would have preferred more cat and less relationships- or, at least, an equal amount. Four stars out of five. ( )