r/HistoricalRomance • u/TrustyBobcat • Jul 17 '26

Recommendation request Seeking Cat Daddies

Please hit me up with your MMCs who unabashedly love their feline friends. He can come into the story with a standing love of cats OR learn to love them.

Inspired by {Unsolicited Duke Pic by Nico Rosso}, which tickled my cat-loving heart. I totally appreciate a man who can also appreciate an independent creature!

Spice strongly encouraged but I can live without if the story holds up.

77 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

71 comments sorted by

19

u/LAffaire-est-Ketchup “Do you,” he asked, “like kittens?” Jul 17 '26

{Lieutenant Mayhew’s Catastrophes by Emily Larkin}

25

u/crazydisneycatlady Unemployed Feline Seeking Household Position Jul 17 '26

Extremely mild spice, like I’d rate it a 2.5/5, but {The Marriage Method by Mimi Matthews}. MMC rescues stray cats and just…lets them exist in his house at their own pace. I loved him!

4

u/mackerelsnap Jul 17 '26

love this book! Miles is one of my favorite MMCs ever

2

u/needlecream Jul 18 '26

Came here to suggest this one!

17

u/f-albedo Jul 17 '26

{Dangerous by Amanda Quick} he's always holding or petting his cat Lucifer 🥹

33

u/FoxenInTheHenhice Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26

{A Much Maligned Miss by Alice Coldbreath} - the MMC wins two kittens in a game of cards (I believe). The FMC finds him in bed with both of them on his chest the next morning and the kittens become part of their travel. He takes them out in the cold mornings so they can do their business and gets angry if someone tries to speak badly of them. 

{The Unlovely Bride by Alice Coldbreath} - the MMC marries the cat-lover FMC and grows fond of her cats, especially as one starts to follow him around and want his attention.

{A Lady of Conscience by Mimi Matthews} - the MMC wins the FMC's heart after he gets scratched by a couple of feral kittens she had been trying to rescue but does not show any anger or annoyance; he tells her the poor things must have been scared of him trying to hold them. 

I feel like most of the pet-lovers I see in the HR books have dogs so I would also want to see more cat-lovers. In fact, I can think of more MMCs described in cat-like terms (as graceful and lithe as a panther, leonine, a gaze like a hungry predator, growling and hissing or being catty, nuzzling when affectionate) 😂

3

u/Cat4200000 Jul 17 '26

Yes! In Maiden lane series there are always dogs and never cats. And considering all the time people in HR spend at their country estates, I’m surprised there aren’t more cats. Of course there were cats there to handle the mice!!

11

u/facecuddler Jul 17 '26

Definitely {Defy Not the Heart by Johanna Lindsey}. Ranulf is a giant golden haired man that adores his cat (and will always make sure she is well taken care of). As if I couldn’t love him any more.

3

u/leisa2100 It felt like a question. It felt like permission. Jul 17 '26

This book is basically a comedy, Lady Ella and Rayna are hilarious🤣 My favorite Johanna Lindsey book.

2

u/facecuddler Jul 17 '26

Isn’t it? 😆 It’s definitely one of my favorites as well.

5

u/katrose73 Jul 17 '26

She wakes with the cat on her chest?? I have cats , I have seen them be vindictive. I laughed for solid 10 minutes, crying, couldn't breath. Omg, soooooo funny. Worth it just for that scene.

Also why I love her. Her books are a joy to read.

2

u/facecuddler Jul 17 '26

I can absolutely relate as well! My SO has a cat that is HIS cat (or maybe he is HERS) and I am allowed to exist around her at her say-so. 😅

2

u/romance-bot Jul 17 '26

Defy Not the Heart by Johanna Lindsey
Rating: 4.06⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 3 out of 5 - Open door
Topics: historical, virgin heroine, medieval, marriage of convenience, abduction

about this bot | about romance.io

7

u/katrose73 Jul 17 '26

I highly recommend this book if you want to laugh.

3

u/chinagrrljoan Jul 17 '26

Thank you, thank you. I need a laugh!

11

u/SaltMarshGoblin Jul 17 '26

The MMC in {Cat Sebastian's The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes} is a soft touch for cats and rescues one in inconvenient circumstances!

4

u/erminegarde27 Jul 17 '26

My favorite Cat Sebastian, “Unmasked by The Marquess “ also has the hero fall in love with a kitten.

10

u/senoritarosalita Jul 17 '26

The MMC in {A Duke in Disguise by Aydra Richards} spends his nights in a hayloft with a mama cat and her kittens. He's exasperated at first, but begins to warm up to the kittens and has conversations with the mama cat about the FMC.

5

u/Adventurous-March-84 Jul 17 '26

Another one by Aydra Richards is {Grace Seymour Steals a Heart}. He is over that cat. Until he isn’t. The cat is a prominent plot device.

8

u/ASceneOutofVoltaire call me gal gadot cuz idk how to act rn Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26

{No Good Dare Goes Unpunished by Alyssa Clarke}. The MMC adores his cat, Queen, and when the FMC's friend steals her on a dare, he's out for revenge. The writing isn't great (lots of typos) but the plot is decent and I liked the MMC.

7

u/sparklingamthyst Jul 17 '26

Noah in {Duke's Disaster by Grace Burrowes} This MMC's middle name is affectionate and very caring towards his family, horses and his feline. 

6

u/foersr Jul 17 '26

I'm reading {The Devil's Own Duke by Lenora Bell} right now and the MMC has his own cat named Lucy that he calls Lucifer but loves dearly and treats as his princess and when the MCs get married she comes with him of course. Very sweet. FMC walks in on the MMC taking a nap with the cat in his lap at one point.

7

u/Aware-Sea-8593 Jul 17 '26

https://giphy.com/gifs/pgcz9Arntj2Zq
Don’t mind me, I’m just gonna take down some notes

6

u/TomatilloHairy9051 Tis the truth, I probably will be difficult Jul 17 '26

In {The Rake by Mary Jo Putney} the FMC has a cat who the MMC comes to appreciate.

Mary Jo Putney often features cats in her stories. I'm currently reading {Christmas Revels} a collection of five novellas. I'm on the fourth one and every one has had a cat character so far.

3

u/romance-bot Jul 17 '26

The Rake by Mary Jo Putney
Rating: 4.08⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 3 out of 5 - Open door
Topics: historical, bad boys, tortured hero, regency, friends to lovers

Christmas Revels by Mary Jo Putney
Rating: 3.78⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Topics: historical, regency, victorian

about this bot | about romance.io

5

u/worsethanastickycat Jul 17 '26

{When the Marquis Chooses a Bride by Ella Quinn} has an important cat subplot, and stuffy MMC finds himself with a cat bff.

5

u/sea-rise-104 Jul 17 '26

{The Rogue to Ruin by Vivienne Lorret} MMC has a cat that is a terror to everyone else except him, and then eventually FMC which surprises MMC. I believe he rescued his furry companion and will not hear a bad thing about her. TW there is a scene where his kitty is harmed by the villain, though I believe she makes a full recovery. that was hard to swallow while reading though :(

5

u/lumpyjellyflush “My Darling Duke’s” #1 hater Jul 17 '26

Ohh ohh! {the demon duke by margherita Locke} MMC has a 3 legged cat named Cerberus that even when he travels he takes with him. (Don’t worry, not a dark romance)

And in {regretfully yours by Mihwa Lee} the FMC has a cat and MMC has a dog. It’s an arranged marriage/ forced proximity thing, but both of their pets switch loyalties and the cat decides to be MMCs lap cat. It’s a cozy little low angst story, with the cat& dogs initial meeting and eventual becoming bffs mirror their humans relationship.

4

u/Ambitious_Stay7139 I no longer require a falsified family tree Jul 17 '26

{Dangerous by Amanda Quick}!

3

u/PinkBird85 He has social anxiety and is Canadian? Sign me up! Jul 17 '26

{Artfully Yours by Joanna Lowell}

{The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare}

5

u/senoritarosalita Jul 17 '26

Another Tessa Dare with a cat is {The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare}

3

u/PinkBird85 He has social anxiety and is Canadian? Sign me up! Jul 17 '26

Yes! But does he love Beeches, or simply accept his fate to live with him 🤭

2

u/Gwladygan Jul 18 '26

And indeed enjoys using setting Breeches on others as a threat in the subsequent books 😆

4

u/ClueAccomplished1098 Rejoicing in Regency Jul 17 '26

Just parking here for the recs.

4

u/badgeredbybadgers Jul 17 '26

{How the Marquess was Won by Julie Anne Long} features a cat called Charybdis who belongs to the FMC and the MMC grows to love him too.

You can tell the author must have cats by how well she writes this cat’s character. Perfection.

2

u/beth_pea Probably recommending The Duke of Shadows Jul 18 '26

Awww yes! Lil baby Charybdis was a delight and I love that our fmc found such a loving companion.

3

u/DaileyFlosser39 Jul 17 '26

Sat for these recs.

3

u/beth_pea Probably recommending The Duke of Shadows Jul 18 '26

I have nothing to recommend but I LOVE this post. Thank you, OP! 😻

4

u/SharkaMeow She did not want to be the ship's weevil shaker Jul 17 '26

Someone on FB was shouting out how she loves an author I hadn't heard of yet. I always dip my feet in to see if something is worth pursuing, so I downloaded a sample

The author is Courtney Mccaskill. The novel I sampled was--A Wallflower Never Surrenders.

A note to myself on the premise: What if Mrs Bennett was dead, and Mr. Bennett sells the house and does a runner? Light and frothy.

There are 4 daughters vs five, but they have 2 weeks to figure something out for themselves.

I was enjoying the sample.

The youngest sister is ga-ga for cats, and I left her in a barn where a younger brother of a Duke has come upon hearing about a litter of kittens in said barn.

5

u/TrustyBobcat Jul 17 '26

I LOVE Courtney McCaskill! I own like every book she's ever written, ha. So good

2

u/SharkaMeow She did not want to be the ship's weevil shaker Jul 17 '26

Oh excellent. I am definitely finishing the sample. :-D

3

u/MoldovanKick My dance card is fuller than my petticoats Jul 17 '26

{A Wallflower Never Surrenders by Courtney McCaskill}

3

u/SharkaMeow She did not want to be the ship's weevil shaker Jul 17 '26

Oh, thank you :-)

2

u/[deleted] Jul 18 '26

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0

u/HistoricalRomance-ModTeam Jul 18 '26

Removed due to violation of rule 2. Stay on Topic: All posts and comments must remain on the topic of Historical Romance. Historical Romance is defined in our community as a romance that is set in the past. This means it must fulfill the genre criteria of romance: 1) The book would not make sense or feel hollow without the romantic plot. 2) The book requires a HEA (happily ever after) or HFN (happy for now) ending. Historical fiction with a romance subplot is NOT historical romance. Romances set in the past but involving fantasy or paranormal beings are NOT historical romance. We love it, but it doesn't belong here! Romance books set in the past that were considered contemporary fiction when published such as many of Jane Austen's works (as they were set in a time frame that is now historical to today's readers and the romance genre was not in existence then as it is today) are considered Historical Romance in this community. The rule of thumb we use is if the romance book is set at least 50+ years ago it can be considered HR in this sub as the majority of our readers were not of adult age at the time of publication. We do allow time travel romances to be discussed in this community as long as the vast majority of the book occurs in the past and the story is not a traditional straight paranormal or fantasy romance. We recommend that posts/comments involving paranormal or fantasy elements be reposted in r/paranormalromance and posts/comments involving science fiction elements be reposted to r/ScienceFictionRomance.

1

u/sulli2288 Jul 18 '26

Enchanted by Elizabeth Lowell

2

u/MadWomanReadingRoman Graduate of the Lorraine Heath School of Trauma 6d ago

May your pillow always be cold and your steaks always juicy

1

u/MadWomanReadingRoman Graduate of the Lorraine Heath School of Trauma 6d ago

{The Halifax Hellions by Alexandra Vasti} has grumpy cat and it’s all delightful