Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett
Published: February 17, 2026 by Del Rey
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Synopsis:
Agnes Aubert leads a meticulously organized life—and she likes it that way. As the proudly type-A manager of a much-needed cat rescue charity, she has devoted her life to finding forever homes for lost cats.
But after she is forced to move the cat shelter, Agnes learns that her new landlord is using her charity as a front—for an internationally renowned and thoroughly disreputable magic shop. Owned by the disorganized—not to mention self-absorbed, irritating, but also decidedly handsome—Havelock Renard, magician and failed Dark Lord, the shop draws magical clientele from around the world, partly due to the quality of Havelock’s illicit goods as well as their curiosity about his shadowy past and rumors of his incredible powers. Agnes's charity offers the perfect cover for illegal magics.
Agnes couldn’t care less about the shop—magical intrigue or not, there are cats to be rescued. But when an enemy from Havelock’s past surfaces, the magic shop—and more importantly, the cat shelter—are suddenly in jeopardy. To save the shelter, will Agnes have to set aside her social conscience and protect the man who once tried to bring about the apocalypse—and is now trying to steal her heart?
Rating:
Review:
The synopsis of this book is what sold me on it. A cat rescue acting as a front for an illicit magic shop is a perfect premise for a cozy book. I didn’t really like the name or the cover but that synopsis is absolute fire!
We start the fire with Agnes’ shelter having a crisis and they unexpectedly need to find new lodgings. She finds a very cheap place to rent and signs up. Frankly, it should have made her more suspicious than it did that the rent was so low. She is a very organized and obviously knows her surroundings. Weirdly cheap rent is a huge red flag.
This immediately became a pairing of opposites. Agnes is very organized and lives her entire life via checklist. Havelock is messy and chaotic, not unlike his magic. He insists that the story of him trying to end the world isn’t exactly how it happened but Agnes isn’t interested at first. She just wants him to stay out of her way and let her rescue her cats in peace. These two characters were brimming with personality and I loved it! The side characters are full of a unique energy and complemented our two main characters just wonderfully. Even the cats have their own personalities and I can’t even imagine how difficult that was to write. Because there are cats literally everywhere in this book. Making them unique characters must have taken a lot of time.
Agnes’ best moments were when she was with the cats. She is charming and determined and very smart. When she isn’t with the cats then she comes across as rather foolish honestly. I don’t know why she had this dichotomy but it existed and I didn’t enjoy it. She also gets very burdening when she’s around Havelock. I get it. He’s a man child and not the easiest to get along with. But we didn’t actually have much reason to dislike him. We only explore his past deeds very superficially so I never felt quite sure that he deserved Agnes’ ire as often as it was aimed at him.
The biggest failing that this book had was the romance. It wasn’t necessary. It didn’t add anything to the plot or the characters. It felt awkward and forced. Just my personal PSA to authors: It’s ok to not have romance in your book. Not ever book needs it.
So in the end it was a charming book that I enjoyed, but it was bogged down with superficially explored backstory and an unnecessary romance. Worth a read but maybe not a re-read.