Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter

　　《艾蜜莉的精靈百科》作者海瑟．佛賽特(Heather Fawcett)最新暖心奇幻小說

　　為了守護流浪貓，她決定求助個性古怪的魔法師

　　艾格妮絲．奧伯特是典型的A型人，生活有條有理、一絲不紊，經營著一處慈善流浪貓救助中心，奉獻自己所有生活，只為幫貓咪找到新家。

　　如今貓咪收容中心急需一個新家，而願意將房子租借給艾格妮絲，是一位名叫海夫洛克的神秘男子，他是個聲名狼籍的魔術師，手上還有一間開在地下室的非法魔法商店。他個性古怪又愛發牢騷，雖說外表長得不錯，但艾格妮絲對他只有滿滿的鄙視。畢竟外界對他的負面傳聞滿天飛，還有人曾說過他的黑魔法差點就毀了全世界。

　　一天，一位魅力四射的魔法師找上門，卻讓貓咪收容中心陷入了危機。為了拯救自己的心血，艾格妮絲只好跟海夫洛克聯手。海夫洛克身上擁有一切艾格妮絲不喜歡的元素：混亂、惡作劇、一堆冒險⋯⋯然而隨著兩人日漸熟識，艾格妮絲發現海夫洛克不只是她所知道的那個黑魔法師，而且自己似乎渴望著生活中能夠有些神秘與浪漫。畢竟需要第二次機會的，可不只是流浪貓們。(文／博客來外文館)

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. . . .

Chapter 1
 
I paused on the threshold of the shop to stamp the frost from my boots. It settled on the sills and cobblestones at night now, a fine white fur, as if winter were a great beast who skulked through the city while we slept, leaving bits of pelt behind. At least the snows hadn’t arrived yet, which was some relief.
 
I removed my gloves, surreptitiously checking my sleeves for cat hair. The landlord, an older, narrow man, watched me with an expression of gravity disproportionate to the situation.
 
“It’s a good size,” I said, finally giving up the attempt at honesty. The shop was not as bad as some of the others, but even if it were, I was desperate to find something to compliment. I noticed only a little mould in the corners, and no evidence of mice, though it was perhaps half the square footage claimed by the newspaper advertisement.