Quick Synopsis – 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.

Song This Reminds Me Of – That Don’t Impress Me Much by Shania Twain

Publication Date – Feb. 17, 2026

Bookshop Link – Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett

Content Notes – There is some violence against cats in this book, but no cats die on page or are murdered. There is an off-page death of a spouse and death of parents. There is some blood and violence throughout the book.

Rating – ⭐⭐⭐⭐out of 5

Review – Give me more books with female main characters that are over the age of 25 and do not simper! I liked this book a lot more than I liked Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries. Also, this book had every version of cat represented. Agnes does not shy away from the fact that some cats are little demons who live to cause terror to others. While other cats are dopey little sweethearts who would curl up in a warm oven simply because it was warm. Start this book for the personalities of the cats and stay for the storyline between the humans.

Agnes is not a magician; in fact she would rather have nothing to do with them. But she needs a new place for her cat shelter, so she leases a mysterious shop from an enigmatic landlord. Agnes quickly realizes things aren’t as they seem and gets roped into magical business despite her best judgement. This book was sweet and deals with topics of grief, overcoming your prejudices, and have I mentioned cats? I do wish there was a little more history of magic included in the world building. It’s a little like V. E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic series. Magicians can pull magic from another place called the Rivenwood. But pulling too deep corrupts the magician. I just felt like there could have been more history built into this story.

This book could easily be a stand-alone, but I hope it’s the start of a series. I really liked the characters, and the romance subplot was cute. Agnes is a widow and Havlock kind of seems too oblivious to have had many previous romantic entanglements. Their chemistry is awkward, but very genuine.

If you like cats and fantasy, you won’t be able to put this book down.

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the advanced copy, all my opinions are my own.