This was a delightful slow burn. As always, I enjoy a charming, cozy small-town witch tale. With romance, familiars, family secrets and a hint of dark magic, what else could you want? This is the perfect book to snuggle up with on a chilly evening.
Can Kate rely on Matthew when he unexpectedly arrives at her doorstep? Can she fulfill her older sister's Halloween demands? All while staying true to herself?

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Holy cow! This was so good! I really was on board for a small town cozy mystery, but this ended up being part cozy, part romance, part horror fever dream.

I can overlook the insta-love in exchange for a book that literally had my heart racing. 4.5 stars.

🍂Thank you Netgalley,Alcove and Dreamscape for my EARC and Audio ARC🍂

-Witches
-Elemental Magic
-Covens
-Halloween time
-Dark magic
-Cozy fall vibes
-A Calling to be heard or not to be heard
-Lots of Magic Cooking involved

This is the perfect fall book you have Hecate and her snuggly black cat in her cottage as she lives as the only hedge witch in her Coven of the Atlantic Key!

She has 2 other sisters that take up different forms of Elemental magic! Its her birthday in 7 days on halloween she will be 31 and will finish her birthright of giving half her magic to the coven while strengthening her first and only magic Nature but things take a turn for the worst or the better when her first love comes into the picture and she uncovers a great toll of secrets her mother kept from her

This story has great bones as a lover of anything fall I literally cant wait to go shopping for fall things and make so many the things that Hecate made in her cottage. Collecting pumpkins and decorating for her rituals was truly mesmerizing! This is where i got the Nostalgia of Practical Magic 🧡

The greater calling of the story was very interesting to watch unfold i kind of picked up on alot of context clues so i knew most of what would happen but none the less a fantastic story that i finished in just a few days!

This is the perfect story to read or listen to while carving pumpkins, baking remarkable fall cookies or just walking through the park while the leaves change🥰🎃

I received an advanced copy of A Dark and Secret Magic from Netgalley and the publisher and am leaving this review voluntarily
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If you're looking for a cozy fall read, look no further than A Dark and Secret Magic. This book was everything I could have hoped for when I read the synopsis, with complex characters and a compelling plot. While it did take a little while to get into, I was eventually sucked in and couldn't put the book down.

I found the characters to be very well done. They were rife with emotion and depth. Kate and Matthew were an adorable couple, even if their relationship moved a bit too fast for me. The happiness and hurt they go through felt real, coming through the page to hit me like a ton of bricks. And it wasn't just the main characters with that depth. Every character that I came across had just as much thought put into them, making them real whether they graced a single page or multiple.

The plot moved at a steady pace, keeping me interested throughout the whole story. I enjoyed the witchy aspect of a contemporary town. It made everything seem more realistic while keeping its whimsical, fantasy vibe. I wish it had been longer, as I felt that some of it was rushed, and I would have liked more depth and information on what was happening.

A Dark and Secret Magic was the epitome of a cozy read, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for that type of book.

This book was cute and absolutely perfect for fall. Quite literally could not have better fall vides. It has some greek retelling hints, which usually isn't for me, but the way the other vibes washed that out was perfect. Mathew and Kate had great chemistry, and the amount of spice was well done. Will definitely be recommending this book at the store when it comes out!

I *adored* this book!!!! It has everything you'd want in a cozy, witchy, autumn-filled book. The setting of the cottage and the manor is perfect. Hecate - or Kate - Goodwin is a witch within a coven, the Atlantic Key. Along with her sisters, her late mother, and her coven, they live in what is presumed to be a small town. This book very much reminded me of another book about witches, A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES, which has similar themes and elements. This isn't a bad thing though! I loved ADOW and this book gave all the same beautiful energy. I only wished the MMC wasn't also named Matthew in this book! Nevertheless, the story was paced really well, the few twists are good, and the slow burn enemies to lovers is SO good. The magic system was really well done, too. I REALLY hope this isn't the last we hear of Kate and Matthew.

Oh this book was good. I love the magic system in this book, the complex relationships between sisters and mom, and the romance between Matthew and Hecate. This book was both cozy and serious. The description of their holiday and the celebration of Halloween was so cool, and I loved the pumpkin carving competition. I found myself giggling and kicking my feet in parts, then sobbing in others. It was just, perfection.

A lovely, atmospheric, cozy fall Halloween vibe.

Hecate Goodwin, a hedge witch, is facing her 31st birthday and her first Halloween since her mother's passing.
A mysterious man who specializes in dark magic from her past shows up on her door step seeking sanctuary.
Family secrets, lies, mysteries, heartbreak and tension follow as Hecate attempts to uncover answers.

I wasn't a big fan of the insta-love vibe between for the FMC. I also felt like a lot of the people surrounding her just got away with using her like a door mat without any repercussions,, not to mention the on-going effects to the coven and I would love to see them dealing with the consequences of the story's climax.

Gorgeous cottage-core vibes.

3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley, Alcove Press and Wallis Kinney for a chance to read this eARC

This cover caught my eye. It screamed Halloween vibes and it wasn't wrong. I loved the immaculate Fall atmosphere this story gave. The Samhain traditions were fascinating and a total vibe. I loved all the witchy magic from tarot, earth, to necromancy and shadow. Usually Hades and Persephone isn't something I enjoy but this worked. It felt just inspired without being a direct comparison. I enjoyed the sister dynamics and the family secrets at play. The romance had good chemistry with no spice which was nice. I loved the receipts and wonder if the physical book has some included, that'd be a fun tie in. Definitely an October read MUST. 4.5 STARS.

This book is everything you're looking for if you're looking for an autumnal, moody, atmospheric read around October! A Dark and Secret Magic follows Hecate aka Kate Goodwin on her first Halloween without her mother. Samhain is an important time for their coven of witches and Kate has to get everything ready for the celebrations by herself for the first time. It doesn't help that a handsome man from her past has showed up at her door or that she's having vivid nightmares about the afterlife. Or that she finds out her mom kept secrets from her and practiced dark magic that no witch in their coven would be ok with. Things seem to be culminating around Kate and she's not sure what to do or that her cozy little life is all about to change.

I loved this! Kinney does a great job of setting the scene and making you feel warm and cozy in Kate's cabin or damp and cold while taking a walk in the woods barefoot. The intrigue was perfect, a little slow at the beginning but once it got going, I couldn't put this down! Can't wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Nothing is more perfect for the fall and spooky season of the year than a great witchy book with a bit of romance, dark magic, and mystery about hidden powers and malevolent forces lurking in the night.

This book truly captured each of those elements and still seemed to hold on to the coziness of the season with references to baking and cooking, the glow of pumpkins illuminated on the side of a porch, and the crisp fall air as the leaves are turning.

Hecate Goodwin was assigned to be a hedge witch by her mother at birth, even though the rest of her cover got to chose their course of study when they turned 13. As she's grown, she's settled into her life making tinctures and foraging herbs and healing, never asking much of others but also keeping a bit of a distance from her sisters. However, 4 months ago, her mother passed and now it is her responsibility to welcome in the Halloween season and her sisters as they prepare for the holidays.

A man from her past shows up on her doorsteps a few days before the events of the year are intended to take place and his arrival also brings about questions of her own past and secrets which have been kept from her.

This book is so incredibly good and I loved every minute of it... minus how poorly her sister Miranda treats her. Right up until Miranda gets a bit of what she's asking for. Sure, it's a bit of overkill but she treats Hecate like a servant and not like a sister in any respect and it's rude and uncalled for... so, she had it coming.

This was everything my Halloween loving heart wanted after seeing the cover. It’s a book that pushes the boundaries of the cozy fantasy genre while giving us vibes reminiscent of Hades and Persephone. It felt like a love letter to all those that wait for the first hint of cool crisp air, changing leaves and grew up wishing they had magical powers. I mean just look at the gorgeous cover. I loved everything about this book especially both main characters. I really enjoyed how the MMC went full on cat dad with the FMC’s familiar. I also found the dynamic and growth between the main characters to be incredibly well done. Matthew challenged Kate in ways that forced her to rethink her outlook and what she thought she knew of witchcraft. I also thought the pacing was well done and enjoyed the countdown to Halloween. There were plenty of revelations and twists to keep me interested in the story. As someone who doesn’t read a lot of standalone fantasy books, I felt that Kinney did an excellent job taking the story from start to finish without feeling like the story was lacking in some way. I had both the ebook and audiobook. I loved Abigail Reno’s narration and felt it fit the overall vibe of the story well. I don’t think you could go wrong either way, but I really enjoyed the audio. If you’re a lover of Halloween, I would highly recommend checking this book out.

I love a witchy book and am so happy it’s finally time for some fall reading! I was wanting to love this but I had a hard time getting into it and all the jargon I didn’t understand.

“Things that need to be found tend to show up. Especially when witches are around.”

I really enjoyed this book. It has the perfect fall vibes, it was very witchy, and the food descriptions were making me hungry! The author was even kind enough to put some of the recipes mentioned in the back of the book😋

This book was a slow burn/fade to black, but I didn’t like the book any less without those things. The plot is interesting and the magic is really unique. (I would totally choose to become a book witch if I could!)

I would have chose a slightly different ending for the book, but I was still happy with it and really enjoy that this was a standalone read.

I am so pleasantly surprised by this book! It’s both cozy and spooky, which makes it the perfect October read. My only complaint is that the romance moved too fast, it would have been better if they were good friends instead.

**𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘** 𝑨 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕 𝑴𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄 𝒃𝒚 𝑾𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒔 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒚

Release Date: October 8, 2024

4.5⭐️3🌶

Hecate Goodwin, also known as Kate, has been living and fixing up the gatekeepers cottage on her family's estate. She's also a trained Hedge Witch and is a proud member of the Ipswich, MA Coven as part of the Atlantic Key network of covens . She grew up with her two sisters, and their mother taught them everything she knew about witchcraft, or so she thought. Until a necromancer witch from the Pacific Key, Matthew, comes and reveals the darker side of Hedge Magic that her mother never trained her for.

This book is full of cuddly black cats, witch covens, cozy north eastern small towns, herbal remedies, pumpkin carving, Halloween traditions, and old mansions that have been in the family for generations. I adored reading this book! It was perfect timing to read it just as the weather is changing for the fall season.

Highly recommend for all you spooky readers out there!

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#romantasy #fantasy #fallvibes #fallgirl #adarkandsecretmagic #walliskinney

Hecate Goodwin's specialty as a hedge witch was chosen for her before she was born. A hedge witch hasn't been born in hundreds of years, but she willingly steps into this role for her coven.  After her mother dies, a stranger from Kate's past who specializes in dark magic shows up, and strange things start happening.  As Kate starts to unravel how all this is connected, she unearths decades of secrets and lies. Can she come into her full power in time to stop what's been set in motion?

Thoughts 💭
This gave me a lot of nostalgic feelings since I could feel impressions of Practical Magic and a Hades/Persephone love story.  There was mystery, magic, romance, and all of the fall vibes.  This had a bit of a slow burn to it, but I didn't mind.  There was enough mystery and intrigue to keep me going.  I enjoyed the inner workings of the coven and their different types of magic.  This world was fun to read about. I LOVED Matthew and wish there was a little more of him and Kate, but I understand her being hesitant.  My heart broke for her and what was chosen for her, but I had a feeling it would be slightly tragic. It made me like the story even more. This book left me with a satisfied feeling and all the fall feels.  If you love witch stories, I highly suggest putting this on your short list to read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Going to be honest... I thought I was going to hate this book. I do not tend to read books with Witches (besides Harry Potter because I mean its Harry Potter!). I thought for sure I wouldn’t finish but man I am so glad I am wrong! One of my goals this year was to read more seasonal books. So, with Fall fast approaching I decided to start with A Dark and Secret Magic.

I now wish I had a cozy cottage in the woods with a cat on my lap in front of a fireplace as the fall fog rolls in after a long and stormy night! This book is absolutely wonderful for those who enjoy a good fall/Halloween book. I don’t even really like Halloween except for the adorable kids’ costumes. A Dark and Secret Magic is the perfect cozy fall witchy book. It has so much to offer! Magic, death, pumpkin carving, sisters, witches, lies, secrets, heartbreak, Halloween, and of course love and the lengths people will go to, to protect what they love most. Perfect quick read book to start the Fall season!

My one main issue is that I felt there were several instances that things became repetitive. Sometimes the wording was almost identical other times it was just the same sentence sad a different way. Might not bug some people which is totally fine. It just occurred enough for me to make note of it.

Thank you to Alcove Press, Wallis Kinney and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was the perfect fall read. I felt like the story was immersive, atmospheric, and entertaining. Kate and Matthew were a little underdeveloped. I wanted more chemistry between them. But overall, I was entertained.

OH MY GOSH!! I loved this book. Our underdog, Kate (Hecate Goodwin) was relegated to being a hedge witch by her mother, but seems very much the glue to her community. She has made peace with her role and mostly loves her life and especially the peace of her cottage where she controls her life. Her quiet is interrupted by the very diverting return of Matthew, a blast from her past, shows up on her door seeking sanctuary. Now everything is turned on its head and she’s on point for hosting the new year celebrations, no pressure girl, you got this. Such a fun read. I need more of this in my life. Romance, magic, such a pleasure read!!