Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter

By: Heather Fawcett

Narrated by: Genevieve Cocke

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • 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.

“Absolutely magnificent! Full of cats and magic, this is the kind of book you want to instantly reread. I loved every character, every cat, and every moment with all my heart!”—Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop

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. . . .

Great Story, OK Narration

I’m very pleased with the engaging story (though as I had read the blurb ages ago, it took me some time to discern the setting - 1920s Montreal - was not an alternate universe of some sort). If you love cats, magic, and a good slow-burn love story, you’ll enjoy your time spent with Agnes, Havelocke, and the menagerie. The narrator’s French accent was spot-on, but just a tad bit bland in pacing and inflection, with very little to differentiate between character voices. Not enough to drive me off the audio, but I’ve heard so very many absolutely wonderful Audible narrators in other books that it made me wish for just a bit more “oomph.”

A cozy, magical slow burn!

I loved every second of this book! The characters are charming and alluring, the cats speak for themselves, the plot has a great build up and I genuinely didn’t see the twists coming! A beautiful light fantasy romance suitable for teens and adults!

I enjoyed this

I’m not sure what Fawcett would do with a series for this, but wish I could stay in the story longer and would absolutely read a sequel. I recently started caring for the stray cats in my neighborhood so of course I found the love for all the unique cats and focus on their wellbeing throughout very relatable. I also liked the narration, it made sense for the character to me and added to my experience.

Solid cozy fantasy, stilted narrator

Well written story with just enough action, characterization, and twists to keep me interested, but still cozy and a light easy listen. Not uncommon in these stories, but the quick transition from antagonists to attraction between the main characters was disappointing. The narrator’s accent was decent, but it unfortunately made her sound stilted, as though she was reading out loud in a classroom. Not the worst I’ve heard, but it really detracted from the audio experience. I’d like to read the book and see how much of my impression was influenced by the narrator versus actual writing. For comparison, the audiobook of Spinning Silver is nearly perfect IMO - the narrator paints the story so smoothly, with careful accents to distinguish characters, she transports me completely to that fantasy world (it’s also very well written). If you’ve got a credit and really love cozy fantasy, AA’s Mystical Cat Shelter is better than average, but the physical book might be a better investment.

cats are magical

A great new storyline. of course I like cats, think we should all care about more about our 4 legged kids.