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Verdict: A tiny, funny, zero-angst Christmas novella in which a kleptomaniac cat keeps stealing from the woman next door — pure comfort that does exactly one thing well, with just enough room for two likeable women and not much more.
Best for: Cat lovers who want a two-hour holiday palate cleanser with banter and kisses.
Heat level: Closed door (a few kisses; no romance.io steam rating)
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.9/5 — a 4.16 Goodreads average across 1,060 ratings, 3.96 on StoryGraph from 256 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 524 Amazon ratings)
Tropes: Neighbours to lovers, matchmaking pet, Christmas, meet-cute, instant attraction, novella.
A Purrfect Gift is Jae’s Christmas contemporary lesbian romance novella, first released as a free story in December 2022 and published in a revised edition by Ylva in October 2023 as book two of the Matchmaking Cats series. Lena has just moved to Freiburg with her ginger cat, Scully, who starts leaving her “gifts” — every one of them stolen from Caroline next door.
It holds a 4.16 average across 1,060 Goodreads ratings, with 79% of them four or five stars, 3.96 on StoryGraph from 256 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 524 Amazon ratings.
What Is A Purrfect Gift About?
Lena assumes the little presents on her doorstep are a friendly welcome from the neighbours. Caroline, meanwhile, cannot work out where her things keep going — until she catches a cat in the act and follows it home to its very attractive owner.
Scully shows no interest in going straight, so Lena keeps knocking on Caroline’s door to return the loot, and by Christmas neither of them minds the burglaries.
What Works in This Christmas Novella
- Scully: The star. Readers love the cat burglar, and one notes that Scully actually behaves like a real cat rather than a plot device.
- Humour: 61% of StoryGraph readers tagged it funny, and readers repeatedly call it funny and sweet.
- No angst: 95% tagged it lighthearted; readers stress there is no drama and no misunderstanding.
- Setting: Freiburg at Christmas, with German traditions, is a welcome change from the usual small-town America.
- Audio: Listeners praise Anastasia Watley’s narration.
Book Synopsis
New in town, Lena starts finding small gifts outside her door and credits her kind new neighbours. Next door, Caroline is missing things — and when she finally tails the culprit, she finds a smug ginger cat and its owner.
Every returned item means another visit, another conversation and a little more chemistry. By the holidays, a feline thief may have given Lena the best present of all.
My Review
This is a novella that knows its size. Jae sets up a meet-cute, lets a cat run the plot and fills the gaps with warmth, banter and festive detail. Readers most often call it cute, sweet and funny, and the brevity is part of the appeal: it is the kind of story you read in one sitting on a December afternoon.
The limits are the same as its strengths. There is no real conflict, and only 22% of StoryGraph readers said the characters show strong development. A couple of readers found the cat’s persistence hard to believe, though both say to roll with it, and one wished it were longer. One Paper Love fan disliked the link to that book, but most enjoyed the cameos.
My honest note: Judge it as a holiday treat, not a full romance.
| Element | In A Purrfect Gift |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Lena (newcomer, cat owner) & Caroline (the neighbour being robbed) |
| Core tropes | Neighbours to lovers, matchmaking cat, Christmas |
| Setting | Freiburg, Germany, at Christmas |
| Heat level | Closed door — kisses only |
| Length | Novella, 85 pages (Kindle listing); 2 h 5 min audiobook |
| Series | Matchmaking Cats #2, reads as a standalone — happy ending with an epilogue |
| Content notes | None submitted on StoryGraph |
How Spicy Is A Purrfect Gift?
It is not. One reader sums up the physical side as a few kisses, including in the epilogue, and nobody reports anything more. Romance.io has no steam rating for it.
StoryGraph has no content warnings submitted for the book.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you like cats, Christmas and very low stakes. It is on our feel-good and low-angst lists.
You may want to skip it if: you want depth, conflict or heat.
In short: A cat, a crush and a cosy two hours.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
On Goodreads the split is 39% five stars, 40% four, 17% three, 2% two and under 1% one. On StoryGraph, 95% tagged it lighthearted, 61% funny, 63% fast-paced and 94% said the characters were loveable. The Tantor audiobook is narrated by Anastasia Watley.
Prefer audio? Listen to A Purrfect Gift on Libro.fm — the audiobook shop that supports independent bookstores.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): Scully first. Second, the humour. Third, the zero-angst holiday mood. Fourth, the German setting.
What readers argue about and complain about: Length and depth, above everything. Second, believability. Third, the Paper Love tie-in, for one reader.
The comparison worth making first: For a longer Jae romcom, try Wrong Number, Right Woman or The Roommate Arrangement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is A Purrfect Gift?
Short. It is a novella — the Kindle listing gives 85 pages — and the audiobook runs 2 hours 5 minutes.
Do I need to read Paper Love first?
No. A Purrfect Gift is book two of Jae’s Matchmaking Cats series, but each book stands alone; the couple from Paper Love live in the same building and make cameo appearances.
How spicy is A Purrfect Gift?
Not at all. Readers describe a few kisses and nothing more.
Where is A Purrfect Gift set?
In Freiburg, Germany, at Christmas. Several readers enjoyed the German setting and traditions.
Is A Purrfect Gift on Kindle Unlimited?
Not at the time of writing — the Ylva Kindle edition was listed at $2.99. The Tantor audiobook is narrated by Anastasia Watley.
If You Loved A Purrfect Gift, Read These Next
Try Wrong Number, Right Woman for more Jae, or Christmas with Her and Yours for the Season for more holiday romance. For more, browse our feel-good and low-angst lists, or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
A Purrfect Gift sets out to be a funny, cosy Christmas short with a matchmaking cat, and it is exactly that. What holds it back is how little room it has. Worth it for the cat. Check A Purrfect Gift on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, A Purrfect Gift ranks as a good holiday short — charming, slight.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
- ✓ 4.16 average across 1,060 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 79% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ 3.96 on StoryGraph from 256 reviews
- ✓ 4.5 stars across 524 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Instant attraction
- ✓ Banter
- ✓ No conflict
- ✓ Very short
Characters ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ Scully steals it
- ✓ 94% loveable characters
- ✓ 22% strong development
- ✓ Paper Love cameos
Writing ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
- ✓ Funny
- ✓ Festive detail
- ✓ German setting
- ✓ Quick read
Emotional Impact ★★★☆☆ 3.3/5
- ✓ Tagged emotional by 10%
- ✓ Warm fuzzies
- ✓ Low stakes
- ✓ Feel-good
Heat Level ★☆☆☆☆ 1/5
- ✓ Kisses only
- ✓ Closed door
- ✓ No romance.io rating
- ✓ No content warnings
Ending ★★★★☆ 4.2/5
- ✓ Happy ending
- ✓ Epilogue
- ✓ Christmas together
- ✓ Called super cute
Re-read Value ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ Two-hour audio
- ✓ Seasonal re-read
- ✓ $2.99 Kindle price
- ✓ Not on Kindle Unlimited
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