Early Review – Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Length: 356 pages
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: February 17, 2026
ASIN: B0F92B9CCF
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: eGalley from NetGalley
Rating: 5/5 stars

“Agnes Aubert leads a meticulously organized life, and she likes it that way. As the proudly type-A manager of a cat rescue charity, she has devoted her life to finding forever homes for stray cats.

Now it’s the shelter that needs a new home. And the only landlord who will rent a space to a cat rescue is a mysterious man called Havelock—who also happens to be the world’s most infamous magician, running an illegal magic shop out of his basement. Havelock is cantankerous and eccentric, but not not handsome, and no, Agnes absolutely does not feel anything but disdain for him. After all, rumors swirl about his shadowy past—including whispers that his dark magic once almost brought about the apocalypse.

Then one day a glamorous magician comes looking for Havelock, putting the magic shop—and the cat shelter—in jeopardy. To save the shelter, Agnes will have to team up with the magician who nearly ended the world . . . and may now be trying to steal her heart.

Havelock is everything Agnes thinks she doesn’t need in her life: chaos, mischief, and a little too much adventure. But as she gets to know him, she discovers that he’s more than the dark magician of legend, and that she may be ready for a little intrigue—and romance—in her life. After all, second chances aren’t just for rescue cats. . . .”

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got this on ebook through NetGalley for review.

Thoughts: I really enjoy Fawcett’s Emily Wilde series and expected (given the subject matter) I would enjoy this as well. I really loved this book right from the start. This is set in a vague Victorian type of fantasy world (at least it felt vaguely Victorian to me) where magicians exist.

Agnes is trying to find a new place for her cat shelter after dueling magicians blew up her last cat shelter. She finally finds a place that seems too good to be true….and….it is too good to be true. The new location harbors a horrible evil magician. However, as events play out, Agnes and the magician learn that they can support each other and maybe even make this new situation work to their advantage.

This was very well done with an intriguing world, interesting characters, lots of cats (obnoxious and cute ones), and lots of magic. There are some politics here and some light romance as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story about a normal woman who just wants to rescue cats and ends up thrown into the middle of a magical battle of sorts instead. The writing flows well, is easy to read, and is humorous, entertaining, and heartfelt. This is a self-contained story but I would love to see more books in this world.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I really loved this story. I enjoyed the characters, the magic, the cats, and how cozy this feels. Yes, there is danger and action, but in the end this is about Agnes finding a home for herself, her cats, her employees, and maybe even an evil magician. I loved the glimpse into this world and would love to see additional stories set here. If you are a fan of cozy Victorian fantasy, magic, and cats, definitely pick this one up. I am eagerly awaiting Fawcett’s next book!