Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter
by Heather FawcettSetting: Quebec
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / Cozy, Fiction / Fantasy / Historical
Published on February 17, 2026
Pages: 368
Format: eBook
A woman who runs a cat rescue in 1920s Montréal turns to a grouchy but charming magician to help save her 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 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. . . .
My office manager is very mad at me because I rated this book three stars.
We have had the argument about how three stars isn’t bad. It means I read the whole book and it was enjoyable. But I had a very specific problem with this book which I have had to sit with and acknowledge is absolutely ridiculous.
I just could not suspend my disbelief enough to enjoy this book.
I was fine with the wizards and the magic. I was cool when he magically moved the whole store to a different location. I was ok when he moved it back. Wizards dueling in the streets was something that I took in stride. We all know that I don’t hold with time travel in my books but I let it slide in this one.
My issue was with the cat rescue aspect of this book.
I understand that the author took modern day practices of cat rescue and moved it to 1920s Montreal even though it didn’t happen back then. But it was just grating at me.
Then they mentioned the fifty year old female veterinarian who came to check out their cats. No! I wasn’t having that. I had to get the Google out to find out when Quebec started allowing any female veterinarians. (It was in the 1950s.) Then she casually dropped in that of course this veterinarian discounted all her services for the rescue. I almost threw my iPad. If I had a nickel for every time a rescue person told me that we should discount our services for rescues if we really liked animals and weren’t just in medicine for the money (I choose to work in a low cost clinic already), I’d be rich enough to afford to throw my iPad.
The character had a spay-neuter program for the rescue cats. That’s a very modern development.
She wouldn’t let a cat go home until it had its vaccines. Poor thing would have had to wait until the 1960s.
So I’ve proven to myself that I can accept all kinds of magic but not changes in medical timelines.
Do you have any weird things that you just find break your suspension of disbelief in fantasy?
