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Team Spirit #1

You've Got to be Kitten Me

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Brad Widstrom’s human puppy left him. To keep his mind off his loneliness, he drills all his extra time into coaching his kickball team. After a game one night, he goes to a pet-play party. He doesn’t expect to meet someone who makes his blood sizzle. The thing is, the man he wants isn’t a puppy, he’s a cat. Brad doesn’t know the first thing about them. One thing is certain, though, and that’s how much he wants Harley.

Harley Silvain is used to being ignored. Owners prefer the friendlier pet—dogs, not cats—and Harley is anything but sociable. There’s something pleasing about having an owner take care of him, but he’s not sure about this new man, Brad. Harley keeps waiting for Brad to decide he’s too much work. He’s sure he’ll be replaced by a mutt.

When Brad’s friend asks him to take in a pup who has been abused by his owner, Harley hates the idea. It’s one step closer to Brad dropping him, and he’s not willing to let a canine in the house. No matter how many times Brad reassures Harley he’d never leave him for a dog, Harley doesn’t believe it. If they want to make this relationship work, Brad will need to help Harley past his insecurities, or it’ll implode before it even begins.

221 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 21, 2020

96 people are currently reading
240 people want to read

About the author

Ki Brightly

91 books716 followers
I spend most of my days writing, editing, and perfecting the craft of storytelling.

A note to readers: I don't hang out on Goodreads or social media, so if you have any questions about my books, please check out my website, which I host with M.D. Gregory.

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5 stars
184 (31%)
4 stars
221 (37%)
3 stars
144 (24%)
2 stars
29 (4%)
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11 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
Profile Image for Kati *☆・゚.
1,293 reviews688 followers
January 2, 2025
* ☘︎ :・゚TOP 10 READ 2023 :・゚☘︎ *


re-read October 2023

Revisiting my favorite kitty cat Harley and his delightful attitude. 🐾♥︎ What a treat.


4.5***** hot kitty stars


I am so in love with this book! I must say, I’m a bit excited about it over here right now *lol

I never thought I would be into reading pet-play. I only recently got more into liking Daddy kink but I discovered that the dynamic between Dom and sub is pretty similar when it comes to caring. And I love this.


Harley is a cat. A prickly one, but misunderstood a lot. He never thought he would find an owner who would really stick to him and not eventually go for a dog instead because he’s too much to handle. Brad is a dog-lover and owned pups in the past so it’s even harder for Harley to believe that this man would put up with him in the long run. He really is such a cat. 🐾

Brad is spellbound by Harley since the moment he met him on an event in a club. Skittish and feisty with all the hissing and aloofness that is so typical for cats, this beautiful man does a serious number on him. But there is purring, too. A lot of it.

Brad has to learn how to own a cat, especially this cat and Harley has to learn to trust, and overcome his insecurities towards his own worth as a pet, especially when there is suddenly a pup in need moving in with Brad that threatens to take it all away from him. Again.


This was purrrrrfect! And seriously hot. Wow.


I couldn’t wait until it was his things we were packing up to move permanently into my house, because maybe we weren’t quite there yet, but I knew someday we would be. Besides, he was a cat, so me and everything I owned already belonged to him.
♡♡♡
Profile Image for ~Nicole~.
851 reviews405 followers
May 14, 2023
Loved loved loved it!!!! You know how I said that pet play isn’t my jam? Well, it still isn’t but damn, I loved this book!
So, we have a gentle daddy who misses having a pup and who goes to a puppy play kink party to maybe find a pup for that night at least. Unfortunately all the pups there were taken and when he was about to leave he notices a gracious elegant man entering the party . Apparently the beautiful man is a kitten . A very aloof, surly and shy (and lonely) kitten who not only shoots him down but also scratches him 🤣 Brad is intrigued but also a bit wary because he doesn’t know how to treat a cat or how to take care of a kitten although he really really wants to .But Harley cat , who is a serious actuary who works with boring numbers and statistics in real life (and who needs to be a pampered kitten )was dumped by his ex master for a pup) is skittish and skeptical and a hard nut to crack (oh, and he also really hates mutts lol) . I loved their dynamics, I loved Brad’s gentle care , I loved Harley who sometimes was distrustful and jealous and impulsive and prickly. And maaan, the smut was 🔥 . This was kind of excellent and I had a great time reading it.
Profile Image for Cat the bookworm (semi hiatus ish).
921 reviews180 followers
May 13, 2023
Purrrrfectly adorable kitten-play-story.

Before I start with this: yes, I’m a cat person, my goodreads name and profile picture might have clued you in on it (although, if I’m perfectly honest here, I chose Cat as my name here because of the Night Huntress series. But I digress.)

So yes, while I like dogs, it’s cats that I love, despite (or because?) they’re independent, and refuse to be trained.

So ofc I’ve been intrigued when I read about this book, and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s not my first pet play book, even though it’s not really “my” kink. I can say that while it didn’t push my kinky buttons, it still was a very enjoyable read, and it made me understand even more why some people like to get lost on an animal state in mind.

Harley is the kitten here, looking for an owner after having been let down by previous relationships, because cats are so much more difficult to be around than dog puppies. And his personality is much like a cats: he’s prickly, keeps people at an arm’s length, and deeply jealous and possessive. Not the nicest man, you say?

Well tbh he did annoy me at times, but it was wonderful to see how he bloomed with the right man: Brad, a former puppy owner and dom, who - despite being inexperienced with cats - falls for this prickly kitten.

Is the book perfect? No, it isn’t. It all happens very quickly, in the matter of days or weeks at most, but I didn’t mind. My main focus was on the relationship, and - even though it’s not MY kink, as I mentioned before - I was curious to learn what made this particular kitten purr 😬

I listened to the audiobook, and while not outstanding, the narrator (Christopher Solon) did a solid job.

Recommended to all of you interested in pet play, low drama and a lot of fluff.
Profile Image for Nelly S..
674 reviews166 followers
May 13, 2023
“Why do you like being an owner? Is it the power?”
He pulled back and stared at me, mouth curling into a gentle smile. “No, it’s never been about the dominance or power, although I do enjoy being in charge. I like taking care of someone, being the person they rely on, making my special pet happy. I like seeing you smile, Harley cat. It’s fucking spectacular.”


This was such a fun, sexy read! I never thought I’d read a book on pet play, let alone enjoy it, but it was a real winner. Most of that had to with the wonderful MCs—especially Harley’s prickly and skittish personality—and their hot and sweet dynamic. Although I don’t have any intention of reading any more pet play kink, this was worth it.
Profile Image for Verdelite.
420 reviews27 followers
dnf
October 9, 2020
joke's on me, I only saw the title and thought this was a cat shifter book

me, about 10% into this book:
surprised pikachu face
Profile Image for True Loveislovereview.
2,851 reviews1 follower
September 7, 2020
Brad learns fast, a human pup can’t be compared with a human kitty. That’s a whole other dynamic. The beautiful kitten in de bar doesn’t even like him, it seems.
Harley despises puppies, they are loud, nosy, and uncouth in his eyes. The man with the warm generous smile is something different. In no time they are on their way to Brad’s house.
Very tentative Brad reaches out to the shy kitten, who knows exactly what he wants, Brad.

“He was poetry in motion”

Harley can’t believe Brad wants to keep him. When there a hurt puppy who has to stay at Brad’s home, Harley knows for sure Brad will choose the puppy over him.
Little does he know, Brad is so smitten with his kitten!

That was a delicious read. I loved everything about it. A lot of focus on Brad and Harley, even though there was also space for some side stories Brad and Harley stayed always main.
The attention to all the delicate subtle noises and body language was so awesome! The whimpering, the wishers, the mews, the purrs, the frowns, the haughty looks,
Harley is shy, introverted but at times quite feisty. Brad is the warm caring Master.
Adorable characters placed in delightful sexy environments! For me a winner!
Profile Image for Ki Brightly.
Author 91 books716 followers
Read
August 23, 2020
I would like to give a big thank-you to everyone who has been reading all of the books that Meg and myself have been writing in New Gothenburg. We got the idea for this book a while ago and finally felt like it was time to write it. We noticed there were a ton of puppy play books, but almost no Kitten books, so we decided to write one. <3

If you liked The Promise, I think you'll be a fan of You've Got to be Kitten Me.

I would also like to take the time to thank my friend Alex Bolla, for introducing me to the wonderful world of adult Kickball Leagues. He made it sound like so much fun, I thought everyone else might like it too.

If you're a fan of You've Got to be Kitten Me, there are a lot of books set in New Gothenburg, and there are a lot more planned. Please join me in our reader group, Gregory and Brightly's Company of Kings on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/compa...

Thanks for reading!

Ki
Profile Image for martina (the life of a chaotic reader).
788 reviews426 followers
May 14, 2022
i was honestly scared of the kitty play. i have to say i kind of enjoyed it.
the rest was the problem.
annoying characters, the same 3 things repeated over and over for 300 pages… yeah no.

2.5 stars
Profile Image for Szidi ☼.
946 reviews61 followers
August 31, 2020
It was super sweet and HOT

Oh, my, GOD! When I started reading this book, never in a million years thought this would be this amazing! This is the best kitty play book ever written! I love it from the first page to the last. It was more than amazing and I really loved every page of it.

I think the world need more kitty play book, and not just any book, it has to be this kind of awesome too. Harley was really like a cat. I'm a dog person, but holymoly, Harly was too cute and adorable, the perfect kitty ever. And I loved that Brad was a dog/puppy person but still went with the flow and played with Harley. Harley's insecurites were real, and I loved it when a story is real with real emotions and not just endless drama. Loved Harley and Brad together, and loved Kwan too. The scenes between Harley and Kwan was cute too. At some point I was afraid the book would turing to be a menage, but happily it hadn't.

I really loved reading this book, and I need more like this in my life. HIGHLY recommend it.

Profile Image for Andi.
Author 15 books250 followers
May 7, 2023
It was a cute, fast paced story with kitten play, which I found interesting. I ended up really enjoying it.

I really hope Kwan gets his own story.
Profile Image for Latecia Jennings.
2,330 reviews10 followers
January 26, 2021
**Listen to audible**

I loved this...hated to see it end. Harley was sassy and the epitome of a kitten. Brad the sweet, kind and patient master of his pretty kitty. The narration was the best...he did so well with the voices...kept it entertaining...hope we will see more of this couple and supporting characters...they need their stories too...lol
Profile Image for Kathreadsall.
482 reviews17 followers
September 3, 2020
I really enjoyed this m/m romance novel by Ki Brightly!

I'd never read a m/m romance with a pet play kink, and the author did a great job of explaining the kink as part of the story, in a way that didn't seem too wordy. I like how she focused on respect and mutual consent for play times.

Brad and Harley are so cute together!! I love how they usually wouldn't connect, but still feel drawn to each other. They are so sweet with each other, and the steamy scenes were SO HOT! There were plenty of other interesting characters that I hope to see in future books!

The one issue I had was the ending did seem a bit abrupt, though the epilogue helped to close it out nicely.

I really, really enjoyed reading this romance novel, and I will definitely be on the lookout for more books in this series!! A fun, quick read.

Thank you Gay Romance Reviews for this free ebook arc in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Ζωή Παππά.
Author 3 books29 followers
January 25, 2021
I absolutely adored this book! The main characters were so realistic and well developed! I just connected with both of them instantly. I really really loved reading about their journey and it was amazing to see them grow as people and as a couple. Loved it! I listened the audiobook and the narrator did a fantastic job bringing the story to life. I highly recommend it.
Profile Image for Trip .
904 reviews30 followers
October 22, 2021
This book was such a fun and entertaining read, there is a lot of focus upon link and the kitten play. However there is much more to the story as Brad and Harley get to know each other, not only as master and pet but as people too.

I loved their introduction and Harleys cat antics throughout are hilarious, very fitting to his personality and how he feels comfortable. I enjoyed seeing him show every aspect of who he is and learning to trust those around him, finding friendship and romance.

Brad is sweet from start to finish with his constant support of others, trying to show his scare and doing best for Harley to understand that he only wants him. The building of the tree and the den for Harley, along with the box and stockings. His just so giving and full of heart, his adoration of Harley is obvious and I adore their relationship development.

The kickball match and meeting the family, all of the side cast creating incredible moments throughout provide growth and insight into their pasts. Nicky is a favourite he just made me smile. I fell in love with Kwan and his puppy antics instantly, his adorable and I do hope get a book for him some time as he deserves so much love!

Overall a steamy, entertaining read with plenty of kink and soft comfort vibes too. Rather cute ending and very satisfying as these two look toward their future together 💕
Profile Image for Krys (spicy.spine.breaker).
1,064 reviews59 followers
July 28, 2023
Cats Rule.
Dogs Drool.
But sometimes even feral kitties can be can be turned into friendly cuddle monsters with when the right people come along.


✅ BDSM D/s Pet Play
✅ Neurodiverse MC
✅ Grumpy (in appearance) / Sunshine
✅ DV (supporting character)
✅ New Bestie Squad
✅ Adult Kickball Team shenanigans
✅ NG Universe cameos (LOVE YOU MADDEN)


FRTC
Profile Image for Ana.
762 reviews
June 3, 2025
First time reading this author-duo and I really enjoyed the story.
The kink is well written and I liked how both MC's were a really good fit for each other (even though it took Harley some time and courage to get there).
I really really need Kwan's story (and his HEA)!!
Profile Image for Emily Hernandez.
1,396 reviews19 followers
September 3, 2020
I have conflicting feelings after finishing this book. On the one hand, I loved Harley and all his pricky-but-sweet kitty ways. I thought his kitty persona was fascinating, and I loved seeing how excited he got to play with cat toys, hop in a box, and climb his giant cat tree. On the other hand, I wasn't a huge fan of Brad. I thought he was just an okay owner for Harley, and I really didn't like how sexual he kept making Harley's kitty-time. There was one moment in particular when Harley was confessing that he didn't want Brad to leave him and Brad "reassured" him by saying a pet had never gotten him so hard. I guess I can kinda see that his intent was good, but for me it felt like the wrong thing to say. In addition to my lack of enthusiasm for Brad, I had a difficult time understanding when Harley sank into his kitty-space and when he was human-Harley. Maybe it's because I'm still so new to pet play books, but I found it very surprising that Brad could always tell which Harley he was interacting with. Beyond that, I didn't love or hate the storyline. For a book of this length, it felt like not a lot happened, though I suppose Kwan did go through a big upheaval.

  **I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions. 
998 reviews36 followers
September 6, 2020
When Brad meets Harley at a party, he is not sure what to make of the man. He is attracted to the prickly young man, but Brad has never played with a cat before and is unsure of how to proceed. There is no denying the sparks between the two and if they can give it a chance love might find its way to them.

Harley and Brad’s story is a sweet one full of emotions. Harley is a man used to getting tossed to the side and he has built up so many walls around his heart. It was nice to see Brad fight to knock down those walls. Brad cares about Harley and fights hard to prove it to Harley. The two make a good couple and I enjoyed seeing the two work through everything. I loved Brad and once you see the real Harley come out, he endears himself to the reader. As the two work through things Harley himself must learn to trust not only Brad but his own feelings as well. I enjoyed seeing the two discover love and hope that this is not the last that we get to see of the characters in this world.
Profile Image for Mia.
365 reviews
October 15, 2021
4.5 stars

Narration: 5 stars
Plot: 4 stars

Narration by Christopher Solon and I loved it so much. His voices were so unique and the emotion behind his reading was just spot on. Super entertaining. Total winner for me in that respect.

Plot wise, this was such a wacky story. I have never read pet play before but I think I will again in the future! I loved Brad always having had a puppy but falling for a kitten instead and all the intricacies of the differences of owning one versus the other.

And Harley... I loved him so much. Such a complicated character: shy and introverted, but sure of himself and what he wants too. He was soooo jealous of Kwan, but then became best friends! So freaking sweet. My only complain is that I didn't get the ending
Profile Image for Aelter G.
158 reviews1 follower
October 6, 2020
Wow, so this was a surprising roller coaster. Cats are calm creatures but they are definitely known to be dramatic. So I didn't expect any less from Harley.

And because I'm very similar to him I understood his reactions and overreactions. He isn't perfect and can be unfeeling at times but those are just ways he defends himself. He is more sensitive than most so it is what it is. But I'm happy he was able to grow a bit under Brad's care.

Brad really had it rough getting to learn how to care for a kitty because dogs and cats are very different. But I'm happy he was so willing to push for their relationship even when Harley seemed intent on trying to destroy it before it happened.
Profile Image for Ankita Singh.
Author 4 books45 followers
August 24, 2020
Harley and Brad were such cuties. I adored both of them, but especially Brad. He was so sweet with Harley, despite all his insecurities and the way he let them make him rude towards others. I loved all the kitty play as well as the side characters. I wouldn't mind getting to read Boyd and Kwan's story.
Profile Image for Jenn (not Lily).
4,797 reviews27 followers
September 18, 2020
3.25 stars
I liked the clear contrast between puppy play and kitten play here, and the fundamental difference between cat people and dog people. I also like how much Brad helped Harley see how well he really fits in with others, instead of letting Harley stay aloof from everyone around him. Not my favorite story in the genre, but not bad at all.
1,547 reviews11 followers
January 26, 2021
I really enjoyed this Kitten Play book. It was cute and lots of fun.
Admittedly, I am much more a dog’s person, and I don’t love cats, at all. And Harley cat reminded me why… Harley prickly personality is absolutely feline! Brad’s got a seemingly endless amount of patience, though, and is able to get through Harley’s reservation and aloofness in just the right way!
Profile Image for Susana.
1,295 reviews36 followers
August 31, 2020
After his boyfriend/puppy left him for another master, Brad Widstrom goes to a pet-play party looking for a puppy to fill the gap. What he finds instead is an irresistible but moody kitty looking for a place. Brad does not know anything about cats, and Harley Silvain is not going to make it any easier for him. And yet, despite all the odds, it seems to work… until Brad decides to take in a stray puppy, thus breaking the balance…
This was fun. The story is well written with a balance amount of humour, angst, lots of smutty scenes and a very HEA. The problem with kinky stories is that you have to be into it to fully enjoy it, and pet-play is not exactly my thing, so I skipped most of the smutty scenes… which left me with a quite short story. But it was fun, anyway.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Jamie Lee Zonneveld.
1,682 reviews51 followers
September 14, 2020
You've Got to be Kitten Me by Ki Brightley and Meg Bawden is a MM romance with Kitten play. I really liked the story of Harley and Brad.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews

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