Review - The Cat That God Sent & The Dog That Talked To God

Anybody who knows me knows I'm an animal lover, especially for cats as I have two of them. I instantly signed up to review The Cat That God Sent and The Cat That Talked To God by Jim Kraus, which I received free of charge from Liftfuse Publicity Group and Abingdon Press in exchange for my honest review.

In The Cat That God Sent, Jake Wilkerson packed up his little belonging into his pickup truck and traveled to Coudersport, Pennsylvania, where he took the job as the pastor of the small rural church. As soon as he arrived at the church, which he'll also be living there, he is welcomed by as a sliver and black cat that came out-of-nowhere. Jake has a soft spot for animals and takes the cat in. The cat has a thorn stuck in its paw, therefore, Jake tracks down the local veterinarian, Emma Grainger, who removes the thorn and names the cat Petey.

Petey is not the typical cat as he likes to ride with Jake in the truck and listen to Jake's sermons. What Jake doesn't know is that Petey has been sent on a mission from God. The cat is not the only new addiction to Jake's life as a young runaway, Tassy, enters his life.

With the help of Petey, Jake must overcome his fears, so he can help the residents of Coudersport.

I'm a fan of the Cat Who series by the late author Lillian Jackson Braun, so I naturally fell in love the adorable Petey, though this is my first adult read that has a point-of-view from a cat. There are many quirky characters in this scattered small town. Overall, I enjoyed reading about the guardian angel-like cat. I do hope the author will write a sequel about Jake and Petey.

A Miniature Schnauzer named Rufus, the runt of the litter, finds a home when Mary Fassler adopts him in The Dog That Talked to God. She had recently lost her husband and son in an accident. Mary has been trying to get on with her life, but there is still is grieving.

Rufus is not your typical dog as he can communicate with God, who has sent him on a mission to help Mary. One night while walking Rufus, out-of-the-blue the dog talks to Mary. He continues to communicate with her, but only at night on their walks.

Friends and relatives try to set her up on dates. It has been five years since the death of her husband and son. She does want to start her life over again. She has even thought about moving, but she doesn't know what to do.

There have been countless annoying movies about talking dogs, so I hesitated about reading this book, but in the end I'm glad that I did. Mary has had a lot of heartache in her life, that is until she adopts a dog, Rufus, who can talk to God and to Mary. The talking dog plot is a bit silly, but it seems to work for this books. Though it isn't as good as the author's other book, The Cat That God Sent, I still enjoyed reading The Dog That Talked to God.

About the author:

Jim Kraus grew up in Western Pennsylvania and has spent the last twenty years as a vice president of a major Christian publishing house. He has written more than twenty books and novels, including the best-selling The Dog That Talked to God. He and his family live outside of Chicago with a sweet miniature Schnauzer and an ill-tempered Siberian cat named (of course) Petey. www.jimkraus.com

Blog Tour Link: http://litfusegroup.com/author/jkraus
Buy Links: The Cat That God Sent, The Dog That Talked To God