Whimsical, Tender, and Full of Cats – Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter Review

Magic, cats, and courage — a cozy fantasy that purrs with heart and humor.

Synopsis

A woman who runs a cat rescue in 1920s Montreal turns to a grouchy but charming wizard to help save the shelter in this heartwarming cozy fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of the Emily Wilde series.

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?

Review

4.5 stars
Cozy Fantasy Magic at Its Most Whimsical

Thank you so much to @OrbitBooks for the gifted proof — because truly, this was a delight.

Heather Fawcett has this rare talent for taking ordinary characters and dropping them into extraordinary situations until, before you know it, they’ve become the kind of heroes who never meant to be heroic at all.

Agnes Aubert might just be my new comfort heroine. A plump, pink-cheeked widow who could model for a Christmas biscuit tin, she runs a little charity rescuing street cats alongside her sister. Her life is small but full — until a battle between magicians quite literally blows up her shop.

Forced to relocate to Rue des Hirondelles, Agnes soon finds herself in a suspiciously perfect new location… complete with strange noises from the basement and an enigmatic new tenant who may or may not be the infamous Witch King Ravenlock.

When a rival sorcerer threatens her shop (and her beloved cats) for a powerful artifact, Agnes has to think fast, ally with the very man she suspects, and outwit magicians far above her pay grade.

The setting — magical Montreal, with its sprinkle of French words and cozy cobblestone charm — is utterly enchanting. Every cat has its own personality (and name! “His Majesty,” “Ambulance,” “Banshee”… you’ll grin every time they appear). And Heather Fawcett captures cat behavior perfectly — all their aloof affection and bossy little quirks.

I also loved the slow-burn dynamic between Agnes and Ravenlock. It’s tender and believable, built on trust and shared chaos rather than instant sparks. Add in Fawcett’s dazzling magical touches — bewitched rings, magicked clothing, whole buildings that shift through space — and the result is pure whimsy with heart.

This is funny, warm, and gorgeously written — the kind of cozy fantasy that feels like coming home. The side characters were either charming or indomitable but always three dimensional. 

If you loved Emily Wilde, you’ll absolutely adore Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter.

Thanks for reading!

Sophie