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Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter
Heather Fawcett
4.3
How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days
by Jessie Sylva
Published Jan 20, 2026
Categories
About this book
Pansy, a cheerful halfling with a penchant for domestic tranquility, finds her idyllic dreams shattered when she arrives at her inherited cottage only to discover it already occupied. Ren, a prickly and reclusive goblin, claims the same property as his rightful legacy. Neither is willing to abandon their sanctuary, leading the unlikely pair to strike a high-stakes bargain: they will share the small home under the condition that whoever leaves first forfeits the deed entirely.
What begins as a test of endurance quickly transforms into a lesson in perspective. As Pansy navigates the messy, moss-covered aesthetic of Ren’s goblincore lifestyle and Ren contends with Pansy’s relentless sunshine, the forced proximity of their shared space breeds unexpected intimacy. Beneath the bickering and the cultural friction, a fragile bond forms, complicated by the realization that their differences are not as insurmountable as they once believed.
When an external threat looms over their communities, the rivals must decide if their petty war for ownership is worth more than the budding connection they have forged. In a race against time, Pansy and Ren must bridge the divide between their worlds to protect the home—and the heart—they have begun to build together.
Available Formats
Paperback: $16.78 Kindle: $4.99
What readers are saying
Lepley.AmberAn adorable adventure in homemaking
"A cute, feel good story about coming together in a community despite our differences, I think we could all stand to learn from Ren and Pansy! I hope this book finds it way to many young minds, and that we all learn to celebrate both our similarities and differences together. ["
March 30, 2026 Verified Purchase
Amazon CustomerExactly the cuteness I needed.
"This cozy, adorable sapphic romp, is exactly what the blurb promises, and more! Personally, I loved the beginning up to about 60-70% the best. The tension! The yearning! The blushy resistance to each other’s charms, while overcoming personal family issues. Perfection!!! I did not particularly love the final 30ish percent. It felt a bit rushed, a bit too suddenly high stakes while the rest was relatively low stakes. I will always prefer a low-stakes, emotional adventure over a big bad villain. I 100% adore this story, minus the villain and the “third act breakup” though it is mercifully brief. For anyone wondering “spice content”…firstly, get your spice rotted noggin in the game! This is ADORABLE SAPPHIC YEARNING!! Secondly, this is purely fade to black without even a hint. Squeaky clean enough to be YA even. Part of me wonders if that is author preference, or partly a cop-out to not give Ren any defining anatomy that might sway the reader into placing them in either binary sex’s box. I do not mind fade to black personally as an ace myself, but with so much build up, it did feel anticlimactic to have absolutely nothing happen. I kind of head canon that they’re both ace and didn’t do any hanky panky anyway. Maybe they just went in there to smooch a lot idk xD The writing is vivid and lovely!! This was such a charming read, I could not stop grinning!! This review is far too long now, I did loved this book! I just feel it ended too soon!! I wanted more Ren and Pansy in love and finally breaking through their barriers! I don’t necessarily care to read about them snogging, but I wanted the cuddling!! The heated touches post-love confession!!! I suppose for now my lurid imagination will suffice. ["
February 6, 2026 Verified Purchase
Sandy LapperOkay for light read
"The book itself was in excellent condition when it arrived. I enjoyed the story as it was an easy read, and the unlikely romance was a different approach. There were so many issues that the author touched upon that it made it a challenge for them all to be addressed more fully, and I would have liked a little more character development. As I purchased this to read for a book club, it isn't the type of book I usually purchase. ["
March 1, 2026 Verified Purchase
C.Peter AlbertsonAbsolutely wonderful!
"How To Lose A Goblin in Ten Days was such a cozy, whimsical little delight. The cottagecore meets goblincore vibe completely worked for me, and I was smiling through most of the book. Pansy and Ren’s dynamic was adorable from the start, all the forced proximity, bickering over household habits, and gradual understanding of each other’s cultures made for such a sweet romance. I loved how different they were while still fitting together so naturally. Pansy’s organized halfling ways constantly clashing with Ren’s chaotic goblin tendencies created so many fun moments, but underneath all of it was genuine care and respect slowly building between them. Their shared cottage honestly became one of my favorite parts of the story, warm, messy, magical, and comforting all at once. The story stays pretty light and cozy overall, but I appreciated that there were still real stakes when the cottage and both communities came under threat. Watching Pansy and Ren work together and try to bridge the divide between halflings and goblins gave the story more heart than I expected. The themes of community, prejudice, and finding common ground were handled in a simple but effective way. I would have happily spent another hundred pages with these characters and this world. Overall, this was absolutely adorable, cozy, funny, and sweet. If you love soft fantasy romances, cottagecore aesthetics, grumpy/sunshine energy, and stories that feel like a warm cup of tea on a rainy day, this is definitely worth picking up. ["
May 7, 2026
