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Head Over Tail
Some secrets are meant to be kept, but when a life is on the line, those secrets become less important.
Living inside a bookshop might sound strange to most, but for Grace, a feline shifter, it’s the only life she knows. Cared for by a human, Grace spends her days lounging inside the warm attic with its deep windowsill while reading through the mountains of books at night. The biggest highlight of her day, however, is Marcy.
Marcy’s kind, sweet, and would open her heart to anyone else. She’s also human. She has no idea the cat she took in twenty years ago is a shifter in disguise. And Grace would like to keep it that way.
However, when Marcy gets sick, Grace might not have a choice.
Living inside a bookshop might sound strange to most, but for Grace, a feline shifter, it’s the only life she knows. Cared for by a human, Grace spends her days lounging inside the warm attic with its deep windowsill while reading through the mountains of books at night. The biggest highlight of her day, however, is Marcy.
Marcy’s kind, sweet, and would open her heart to anyone else. She’s also human. She has no idea the cat she took in twenty years ago is a shifter in disguise. And Grace would like to keep it that way.
However, when Marcy gets sick, Grace might not have a choice.
153 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 20, 2022
50 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
About the author
C.A. Hall
14 books17 followersLibrarian Note: Pen name for Natalie Brunwick and Callie Hall
I'd love to say I'm a shifter in hiding, but changing my skin isn't something I can do.
However, if I were to choose, I'd either be a wolf, a snow leopard, or a mountain lion.
In addition to writing about women who share a bit of magic of their own, I write contemporary romance under Callie Hall.
Twitter: @CallieHallbooks
I'd love to say I'm a shifter in hiding, but changing my skin isn't something I can do.
However, if I were to choose, I'd either be a wolf, a snow leopard, or a mountain lion.
In addition to writing about women who share a bit of magic of their own, I write contemporary romance under Callie Hall.
Twitter: @CallieHallbooks
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 7, 2022
Furry companion.
This is a really cute book that I picked up from Kindle Unlimited after some of the earlier reviews convinced me that it's worth the read. C.A. Hall is a new author to me and after a check on Goodreads, I realise their books are all about shape-shifters, and while this isn't something I normally go for, I was drawn to the promise of a low-angst story.
This is very light and fun and I'd call it a pure joy to read. Grace is a shape-shifter who takes the form of a cat and lives in a bookstore owned by a 53 year old human named Marcy. For years, Marcy had been oblivious to Grace's real identity until a heart attack leads to the truth being revealed. Marcy and Grace have a platonic friendship that somehow changes to romance along the way. And if you cast aside the strangeness of developing romantic feelings for a pet, don't ask too many logical questions and just go with the flow, you'd find that the depth of their friendship/relationship makes a lot of sense since Marcy has been Grace's person for a long time and Marcy is lonely.
Very enjoyable!
This is a really cute book that I picked up from Kindle Unlimited after some of the earlier reviews convinced me that it's worth the read. C.A. Hall is a new author to me and after a check on Goodreads, I realise their books are all about shape-shifters, and while this isn't something I normally go for, I was drawn to the promise of a low-angst story.
This is very light and fun and I'd call it a pure joy to read. Grace is a shape-shifter who takes the form of a cat and lives in a bookstore owned by a 53 year old human named Marcy. For years, Marcy had been oblivious to Grace's real identity until a heart attack leads to the truth being revealed. Marcy and Grace have a platonic friendship that somehow changes to romance along the way. And if you cast aside the strangeness of developing romantic feelings for a pet, don't ask too many logical questions and just go with the flow, you'd find that the depth of their friendship/relationship makes a lot of sense since Marcy has been Grace's person for a long time and Marcy is lonely.
Very enjoyable!
May 21, 2022
Lesbian Shifter Romance on Kindle Unlimited.
Just a basic, low-to-no angst shifter romance that this author is well known for. Only this time the shifter is a common cat! Only not so common, being able to shift into human form, and lives in a bookshop, with a kindly woman who loves and cares for her, deeply.... at least in her cat form. So when an emergency strikes, and it is reveal the cat has been human all along, things become a bit tense.
It's one of those stories where you just have to grin and go along, because if you think too deeply about it, it definitely starts getting weird. The "Cat" named Grace has been with Marcy for 20 years now. Marcy is early 50's. While Grace is about 33, having been with Marcy in cat form since she was 13 and abandoned by her parents. So there is an age gap, and one could argue some Mommy issues, but that isn't addressed, at all.
There's also a few details that are touched on, but don't really go into deep detail, so again it's important to know this is a casual read, that is just for a feel good, romantic, short read! Does the job, and made me smile, so I can't complain.
Just a basic, low-to-no angst shifter romance that this author is well known for. Only this time the shifter is a common cat! Only not so common, being able to shift into human form, and lives in a bookshop, with a kindly woman who loves and cares for her, deeply.... at least in her cat form. So when an emergency strikes, and it is reveal the cat has been human all along, things become a bit tense.
It's one of those stories where you just have to grin and go along, because if you think too deeply about it, it definitely starts getting weird. The "Cat" named Grace has been with Marcy for 20 years now. Marcy is early 50's. While Grace is about 33, having been with Marcy in cat form since she was 13 and abandoned by her parents. So there is an age gap, and one could argue some Mommy issues, but that isn't addressed, at all.
There's also a few details that are touched on, but don't really go into deep detail, so again it's important to know this is a casual read, that is just for a feel good, romantic, short read! Does the job, and made me smile, so I can't complain.
June 13, 2022
A cute story!
Head Over Tail has an interesting plot with an age-gap lovestory with a lot of tender feelings. Both main characters are a bit of a loner with a dark past. Don't expect steamy scenes, otherwise you will be disappointed. This was a nice read for a weekend when you want something purr-fect and easy to read.
Head Over Tail has an interesting plot with an age-gap lovestory with a lot of tender feelings. Both main characters are a bit of a loner with a dark past. Don't expect steamy scenes, otherwise you will be disappointed. This was a nice read for a weekend when you want something purr-fect and easy to read.
June 15, 2022
Read this on KU and really liked the premise of this book. The story was fun and some great feels as a cat and a human. The writing for me was choppy and the characters needed more development.
June 7, 2022
My first story by this author of many names. Or: this author, it appears, has used many names, so I think this is the first story I've read by them. Why'd I read it? Simple. I like shifter, and I like cats. And this be a cat shifter! A Lesbian cat shifter! I'd previously read and loved a gay cat shifter story, but now it's a w-w shifter story. Yay!
Right, so.
A lovely little kitten is found by a bookstore owner one day. Invites the kitten inside. That kitten becomes the store cat - and 20 years later Grace is lazing in her spot in the attic when she realizes that the store owner, her friend, Marcy, smells wrong. Shortly thereafter . . . well, this is a short story so... well, okay, book description has this part so: Marcy is ill, Grace has to help, despite, you know, being a cat. Well, a cat shifter, but Marcy doesn't know that Grace can turn into a biped human looking creature.
Right, so - book actually opens at that "20 years later" part, though there is one or two flash backs (possibly just one). Grace, unbeknownst to Marcy, is not actually a domestic kitty, but, instead a cat shifter. It wasn't explicitly stated, but Grace is around 33 or thereabouts.
Marcy is a bookstore owner, somewhere in her later 50s, and a human. Basically her whole life revolves around the book store and the store cat.
There's a comment made in a review *points randomly* about the use of the word Gran by Grace. It is, in its way, something of a red flag. Though used by Grace with someone else on the spur of the moment to explain who she is in relation to Marcy, as opposed to something Grace uses constantly and/or to Marcy. On the other hand, they are closer in age to mom/daughter, so why she skipped to Gran is problematic . . ..
Loved the characterization of both human Marcy and cat-shifter Grace. Though Marcy is more of a grumpy type than the open heart type mentioned in the book description. Also, I liked the relationship shown between Marcy & Grace, though story would probably have to have been at least twice the length for me to "accept" the romantic turn. Eh, whatever.
Basically a lot better friend story, cat shifter story, slice of life story than a romance. You can still be a woman who likes women without turning every relationship and/or story into a romance.
Rating: 4.35
June 6 2022
Right, so.
A lovely little kitten is found by a bookstore owner one day. Invites the kitten inside. That kitten becomes the store cat - and 20 years later Grace is lazing in her spot in the attic when she realizes that the store owner, her friend, Marcy, smells wrong. Shortly thereafter . . . well, this is a short story so... well, okay, book description has this part so: Marcy is ill, Grace has to help, despite, you know, being a cat. Well, a cat shifter, but Marcy doesn't know that Grace can turn into a biped human looking creature.
Right, so - book actually opens at that "20 years later" part, though there is one or two flash backs (possibly just one). Grace, unbeknownst to Marcy, is not actually a domestic kitty, but, instead a cat shifter. It wasn't explicitly stated, but Grace is around 33 or thereabouts.
Marcy is a bookstore owner, somewhere in her later 50s, and a human. Basically her whole life revolves around the book store and the store cat.
There's a comment made in a review *points randomly* about the use of the word Gran by Grace. It is, in its way, something of a red flag. Though used by Grace with someone else on the spur of the moment to explain who she is in relation to Marcy, as opposed to something Grace uses constantly and/or to Marcy. On the other hand, they are closer in age to mom/daughter, so why she skipped to Gran is problematic . . ..
Loved the characterization of both human Marcy and cat-shifter Grace. Though Marcy is more of a grumpy type than the open heart type mentioned in the book description. Also, I liked the relationship shown between Marcy & Grace, though story would probably have to have been at least twice the length for me to "accept" the romantic turn. Eh, whatever.
Basically a lot better friend story, cat shifter story, slice of life story than a romance. You can still be a woman who likes women without turning every relationship and/or story into a romance.
Rating: 4.35
June 6 2022
July 13, 2022
A different kind of shifter story
SAPPHIC BOOK BINGO: non-human character, out of your comfort zone, possibly other categories
I really wanted to like this story, but I just couldn't relate to the MCs. The concept was really good, but it seemed like it skipped over parts that would have connected/tied things together better. It was like hitting highlights without necessary building up of the dialog. Other readers might, or have, feel/felt differently about the story, but it just wasn't for me.
SAPPHIC BOOK BINGO: non-human character, out of your comfort zone, possibly other categories
I really wanted to like this story, but I just couldn't relate to the MCs. The concept was really good, but it seemed like it skipped over parts that would have connected/tied things together better. It was like hitting highlights without necessary building up of the dialog. Other readers might, or have, feel/felt differently about the story, but it just wasn't for me.
May 26, 2022
Grace shifts to human in front of Marcy for the first time after she becomes ill and after some fallout the two develop into a relationship. Its quick, quirky and fun with minor angst. I somewhat felt it was a bit unfinished would have liked it to be a bit longer.
June 25, 2022
A nice little story, but I must admit I found it a bit weird, perhaps I have read too many more conventional ‘shifter’ stories.
September 27, 2022
2.5 ⭐️ rounded up. This was just ok. The book had a lot of things going for it - sapphic, age gap, cat shifter, bookstore owner MC, but ultimately I didn’t get the connection and a lot of plot points just didn’t make sense to me. I understand the novella length limits world building but I really didn’t understand how the shifter stuff worked. That might also be due to the shifter MC being completely isolated from the community save for a random wolf who pops in. There were some sweet moments like the pasta making scene, but ultimately this one fell flat for me.
January 25, 2024
Surpringly Wholesome, and of better quality than some of the "junk food" paranomal romances out there.
The only reason i marked it down it because its 1. a bit tooooo short. I probably could have benefited from an extra half dozen chapters atleast, and 2. because this book uses the common but annoying trait of the shifter in the story treating their animal form like a seperate entity. Like "My cat is going nuts"....but you're the cat????
The only reason i marked it down it because its 1. a bit tooooo short. I probably could have benefited from an extra half dozen chapters atleast, and 2. because this book uses the common but annoying trait of the shifter in the story treating their animal form like a seperate entity. Like "My cat is going nuts"....but you're the cat????
May 24, 2022
Come on. Could this be any squishier?? Hall and her shifter fics are so darn cute and fluffy that you snuggle your animals a little closer after you read them. No steamy scenes necessary, just some sweet ladies falling in love and all the walls that must fall while secrets are ousted. I loved it. A quick read, some heart squeezes, but an HEA worth a big smile.
May 30, 2022
A cat shifter is a new king if were
A really sweet but complicated llove story. A cat shifter befriends a shop owner lives ascher cat and finally decides to tell her about herself when she sees her friend have a heart attack. It's a lovely discovery of love that I've never seen before. It was sweet and romantic
A really sweet but complicated llove story. A cat shifter befriends a shop owner lives ascher cat and finally decides to tell her about herself when she sees her friend have a heart attack. It's a lovely discovery of love that I've never seen before. It was sweet and romantic
February 11, 2023
At its core this is a cute and heartwarming feelgood romance. As per C.A. Hall's style it is light, low angst, and reasonably quick paced, the tale of a cat shifter forced to reveal herself when the human whose bookstore she has been living in has an emergency, and what happens from there. I enjoyed reading it, and it is worth noting that this is an age gap story.
May 23, 2022
What do you shift into?
A cat shifter ,stranded in a book store and a human who thought she didn't needed any help or so she thought. A sudden heart attack and her cat is calling 911 on the phone and the cat is a nude young woman. What? A Tale of finding someone to fill your heart! Enjoy!
A cat shifter ,stranded in a book store and a human who thought she didn't needed any help or so she thought. A sudden heart attack and her cat is calling 911 on the phone and the cat is a nude young woman. What? A Tale of finding someone to fill your heart! Enjoy!
May 23, 2022
That enormous age gap was too weird for me. I mean, there was one instance when Grace called Marcy gran!
Also, why introduce a character that didn't affect the story at all? That big bad wolf shifter just wanted a cameo?
Also, why introduce a character that didn't affect the story at all? That big bad wolf shifter just wanted a cameo?
November 9, 2022
Super Sweet
Thanks C.A. for very touching story. Nice pace as Gracie and Marcy got to know and love each other. Writing was good and flowed just right. I would still like to know more about Gracie's past and family but maybe that could be in a Book 2. Thanks again
Thanks C.A. for very touching story. Nice pace as Gracie and Marcy got to know and love each other. Writing was good and flowed just right. I would still like to know more about Gracie's past and family but maybe that could be in a Book 2. Thanks again
May 23, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
May 31, 2022
Fantastic storyline
Wow fantastic storyline I loved the main characters chemistry and their journey through it all to be together was outstanding congratulations
Wow fantastic storyline I loved the main characters chemistry and their journey through it all to be together was outstanding congratulations
July 14, 2022
cute
I didn’t know what to expect but this was a really cute and sweet romance and I really enjoyed it.
I didn’t know what to expect but this was a really cute and sweet romance and I really enjoyed it.
July 30, 2022
Very sweet
A very sweet little story. A little open ended but it ends happily enough that I'm not worried about that too much!
A very sweet little story. A little open ended but it ends happily enough that I'm not worried about that too much!
October 8, 2025
Cute
Cuteness overload
Love wrapped up in cat
Lost family and found home , different losses but the same love shared
Cuteness overload
Love wrapped up in cat
Lost family and found home , different losses but the same love shared
Read
June 29, 2024Romance: 2/5
Steam: 0/5
World Building: 1/5
Character Development: 2/5
Plot: 2/5
Overall: 1.5/5
This book really fell flat for me.
The premise has great promise - a cat shifter and a book shop with a sappy sapphic romance... it had amazing potential. Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. I think the progression of romance here was unbelievable. The protagonist was perfectly content remaining just a pet until her owner's life was endangered, and discovering that her pet was actually a shifter was an immediate breach of trust for the owner. The rate at which she changed from being furious and ready to never see her again to suddenly wanting her around and then falling in love didn't feel natural.
There's also the age gap - which, normally, I'm alright with. It's perfectly fine for two consenting adults to meet and fall in love with a gap in age. However, that's not what happened here. Marcy, the owner, is graying and even has a heart attack - and she refers to herself as being an old lady. Meanwhile, the shifter was taken in by Marcy in her kitten form after she was abandoned by her parents at age 13. Marcy even refers to it as adopting her.
─── ∙ ───
Marcy’s face paled. “But you were just a kitten when I took you in.”
“I was thirteen. The kitten form was something I chose so I’d have a better chance of, well, you know.”
“Getting adopted?”
─── ∙ ───
To me, the pairing felt more like an aging grandmother and doting caretaker granddaughter as opposed to a romantic bond. The few romantic scenes had minimal chemistry and were very subtle.
Unfortunately, the plot seemed rather lost. I really expected there to be some follow through with the shifter's parents since the wolf shifter is presented as some sort of antagonist, yet this plot point just falls off and is forgotten. We never really learn much of anything about her parents abandoning her despite it being the primary cause of her ending up with Marcy. I felt like the world-building with shifters just ceased and the author forgot about anything beyond the fluff.
This book ultimately just wasn't for me.
Steam: 0/5
World Building: 1/5
Character Development: 2/5
Plot: 2/5
Overall: 1.5/5
This book really fell flat for me.
The premise has great promise - a cat shifter and a book shop with a sappy sapphic romance... it had amazing potential. Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. I think the progression of romance here was unbelievable. The protagonist was perfectly content remaining just a pet until her owner's life was endangered, and discovering that her pet was actually a shifter was an immediate breach of trust for the owner. The rate at which she changed from being furious and ready to never see her again to suddenly wanting her around and then falling in love didn't feel natural.
There's also the age gap - which, normally, I'm alright with. It's perfectly fine for two consenting adults to meet and fall in love with a gap in age. However, that's not what happened here. Marcy, the owner, is graying and even has a heart attack - and she refers to herself as being an old lady. Meanwhile, the shifter was taken in by Marcy in her kitten form after she was abandoned by her parents at age 13. Marcy even refers to it as adopting her.
─── ∙ ───
Marcy’s face paled. “But you were just a kitten when I took you in.”
“I was thirteen. The kitten form was something I chose so I’d have a better chance of, well, you know.”
“Getting adopted?”
─── ∙ ───
To me, the pairing felt more like an aging grandmother and doting caretaker granddaughter as opposed to a romantic bond. The few romantic scenes had minimal chemistry and were very subtle.
Unfortunately, the plot seemed rather lost. I really expected there to be some follow through with the shifter's parents since the wolf shifter is presented as some sort of antagonist, yet this plot point just falls off and is forgotten. We never really learn much of anything about her parents abandoning her despite it being the primary cause of her ending up with Marcy. I felt like the world-building with shifters just ceased and the author forgot about anything beyond the fluff.
This book ultimately just wasn't for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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