Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Cute. Cute. Cute!
Even though Catana Chetwynd is an Instagram sensation and a pretty famous artist, I stumbled upon her work after spotting her book “Little Moments of Love” on a friend’s bookshelf in 2020. The cover art looked cute, and borrowing it cost me nothing, so that’s how I ended up reading her adorable collection of doodles featuring, as the title suggested, adorable moments of love between her and her boyfriend. I was reminded of her work after reading “Happily Ever After & Everything In Between” by Debbie Tung a few days ago. So when Kindle Unlimited suggested “Snug: A Collection of Comics about Dating Your Best Friend” by Catana, I immediately clicked “download.”
Just like “Little Moments of Love,” this book is also a collection of simple doodles illustrating sweet, fun, and cheesy moments between Catana and her partner. It’s the kind of book that will make single readers feel single as hell and bring smiles to those who can relate to the romantic scenes throughout the pages. So you’ll see illustrations demonstrating the couple snuggling, going on walks, grocery shopping, or doing other daily activities together, but with a slight touch of sweetness and humor added to those interactions. For instance, one page is a bunch of panels showing Catana at work saying “I can’t wait to get home,” and when she finally gets off work, she hugs her boyfriend and calls him “home.”
By the way, don’t let the title mislead you into thinking that Catana and her partner, John Freed, were school, college, or work BFFs before falling in love. In an interview with ABC, Catana revealed that the two actually met on the dating app Tinder and then ran into each other again in a bar. I mention this for the ‘old school romantics’ who think apps are just for flings and steer clear of them. You never know where you’ll find someone to share a lasting relationship with, although, yeah, apps can be exhausting as hell.
Anyway, back to “Snug: A Collection of Comics about Dating Your Best Friend” – it’s a quick, breezy read if you’re looking for a feel-good book about the joys of being in a romantic relationship. A few illustrations made me miss my partner a lot (we are currently in a long-distance relationship), so I just shared one which was very relatable – it shows Catana saying, “I don’t fall for people that easily” under a sub-header titled “Me Before You,” and in the next sub-header titled “Me With You,” Catana is seen jumping off a cliff with a smile on her face. Although I’ll fall off a cliff for my partner only if we’re going bungee-jumping. He He.
If you’re already a fan of Catana’s cutesy artwork and cheesy humor, this is definitely a fun, breezy read.
Rating: 4 on 5. It’s also on Kindle Unlimited.
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