Talk to the Paw

Jamie Snyder, the 34-year-old heroine of this whimsical standalone from Metz (coauthor of the Roswell High YA series), is fed up with dating losers, hates her job, and is worn out from caring for her ill mother. So when her mother dies and leaves her a sizable inheritance, Jamie moves across the continent to Los Angeles. Finding a boyfriend is the last thing on her mind. But her cat, MacGyver, can smell Jamie’s loneliness and knows just how to cure what ails her. Mac scours the neighborhood and finds another human, a widower named David, whose lonely scent matches Jamie’s. Mac’s brilliant plot is to steal articles of clothing from the two humans and leave them at each other’s houses. Soon Jamie and David are exchanging stolen items as well as dating horror stories, and pretending to be together to discourage well-meaning matchmakers. But Mac knows his stuff, and pretense has a way of becoming reality. Fans of cozy romances will root for these realistic and appealing characters; mystery readers should know that the crime element is limited to Mac’s thieving. Agent: Robin Rue, Writers House. (Feb.)