You put a cat on the cover, I read the book. I don’t make the rules. And Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter fits the bill. And it delivers on the cats don’t worry! Keep reading this book review of Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter for my full thoughts.
Summary
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
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
My heart will always have a soft spot for cats and we always need someone who is willing to take a chance on us. Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter promises a book about an intrepid cat lover who is trying to keep her shelter open and must become involved more in magical dealings than she wants. But a theme I enjoyed, which I didn’t expect, was the ways Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter explores the perceptions of magicians. We have this idea of the amazing and powerful workings, but what about those who get caught in the cross fire? The magical damage and the fear created? Fawcett’s latest release delves into the selfishness of magicians, their recklessness, and the ways in which Agnes gets to know magicians and the magic itself.
Some of my favorite elements included Agnes’s relationship with the cats and the world building of the consequences of magic. I wish it had talked a bit more about the chaos magicians can leave behind and their imperiousness, but I enjoyed the magic we see. Much with many cozy fantasies, there isn’t a lot of explanation about the magical rules per say (and a big part of the world I have many questions about), but it reminds me very much of how interpersonal issues and drama pull bystanders in and have them pay the consequences. Ironically, the romance was my least favorite aspect. It’s a super slow burn, which I did appreciate considering her feelings on magicians, but it still kind of came out of left field for me especially in regards to the love interest.
Overall,
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It’s a relatively small part of this story as it’s more fantasy than romance, but I enjoyed the cats and Agnes’s personal character development. It’s not at all what I was expecting when I heard Fawcett and cats, but it was a book that was made for my interests! Find Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon(US)(UK), Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.