Book: Strange Bedfellows: A Novel by Amanda Mortlock
Reviewed by Weird | weird.reads.books
Rating: 2/5
The premise of this book had me hooked immediately. A college student who double-lives as a part-time cat, complete with sections written from the feline perspective, wrapped up in witches, hidden magic, and buried secrets. It sounded like the ultimate recipe for a fun urban fantasy, but the execution didn’t land for me.
The dynamic between witches and their familiars is so fascinating, and this book definitely explored those bonds. Cleo meets Wes at a party, kicking off a whirlwind relationship that quickly turns toxic. Fueled by age and insecurity, Cleo and Wes spend most of their time testing each other with passive-aggressive, unfair mind games. Cleo’s bitter, rebellious attitude could arguably be attributed to classic, aloof cat behavior, but in practice, it often felt like reading the angsty diary of an emo teenager.
The first act held plenty of promise, particularly the moment Wes realizes Cleo is the cat and the immediate fallout of that discovery. However, the narrative takes a nose-dive once Bailey and Ollie enter the picture. As new insecurities surface and the interpersonal dynamics shift, you're left waiting for an inevitable crash-and-burn. The plot moves at a snail's pace toward that wreck, and the romantic friction felt so unnecessarily convoluted that I found myself yelling at the book, "Just be a polycule already!"
Ollie was the ray of sunshine needed in the book. I loved reading his parts as Olliedog, and he truly has the loyal and loving personality of a dog. He really wanted everyone to get along and was the reason why incidents didn’t implode sooner.
Unfortunately, the overarching plot was thin and left me wanting. The narrative prioritizes constant interpersonal drama and spellcasting mechanics over world-building or pacing, treating the central conflict as an afterthought. While the concept was interesting, the execution missed the mark for me.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.