Thank you NetGalley for the ARC ☺️
I adored this so so much. Witches, necromancy, Halloween and action all rolled into one great story.
I sped through the book within 24 hours and enjoyed every single moment!

"A Dark and Secret Magic" by Wallis Kinney is a sweet, closed-door/fade to black romance novel with a heavily influence in modern Neopaganism. It's a slow-burn story of balance between life and death, with heavy Hades and Persephone vibes. I enjoyed that unlike many other witchy books, it focused on the concept that one cannot have light without dark, and vice versa. It was a quick and easy read with plenty of little twists here and there, and will be a cute escape on a crisp autumn day with a mug of tea.

Thank you for letting me read and submit an honest review.

ARC Review-

This was a new author for me, but I was instantly intrigued with the book description. The story concept was a really interesting and fun one to explore. I did enjoy the main character Hecate, and her eventual acceptance of all that she actually was.

The actual writing was a bit clunky and awkward, but I did notice it started to flow better towards the end of the book. It does read like it is the author’s first attempt of writing a novel, but it was nice to see the author find her voice a little more as the story progressed.

I loved the magic system and the Halloween vibes from the book. I thought the magic classification was a really unique one that was easy to understand. I also loved the concept of the personal journals that each witch had. I would personally love a spelled journal that was sentient and connected to me. The love story was definitely fast, but by the end of the book I was rooting for them. I also loved that the author included the recipes used at the very end of the book. I found that to be very whimsical and clever. Overall, it was a fun quick and fun read.

I loved the cozy witchy vibes and the characters. The recipes at the end were fabulous. The only thing that let down the book was the romance - it felt a bit rushed and was missing some chemistry .

This book is an absolute must-read for anyone who loves witchy tales, especially during the cozy season of Fall. From shadow magic to sibling bonds, A Dark and Secret Magic is filled with captivating elements that kept me hooked from start to finish. The plot is a true page-turner, weaving together mysteries of the past, the discovery of magical potential, and the true intentions of characters like Matthew. Despite the presence of dark elements like blood magic, the story maintains a cozy atmosphere with steady pacing and great character development. Hecate and Matthew are wonderfully crafted characters, and the supporting cast adds depth to the narrative. While this book is a standalone, I can't help but hope for more adventures with Hecate and Matthew in the future.

This book was such a great read! It's the perfect book for the Halloween season.
I love books about witches, and this is definitely worth a read.
My only issue with this book was the romance. I wanted a bit more of that, but otherwise it was great!

I love a good Greek myth retelling. This was amazing in writing and in world building. If you like myth retellings then definitely recommend

This book is a PERFECT Fall witchy read!! Of course, I am reading it now because I absolutely LOVE books about witches. This is truly a must read if you like books with witches + swoony romance. The book is filled with shadow magic, mystery, sibling bonds, learning ones’ magic potential, an evil witch, nightmares, and strong FMC and MMC.

📖 Plot: A true page turner for me! I was caught up in what really happened in her past, the potential of her magic, why her mom only taught her half of her magic, and what are Matthew’s true intentions. I found myself trying to figure it out before the end of the book.

I found this story to be more cozy than dark though they do fight a dark witch from the underworld with shadow magic and there are aspects of blood magic in the book. The book had a steady-paced, great character development, and the plot kept me guessing until the end. This book had all the witchy aspects …a smart cat, potions, spells, Halloween, good vs. bad magic, and rival covens.

🧙‍♀️ Characters: Hecate was a smart and strong hedge witch. I enjoyed her character arc throughout the book. Matthew is a swoony-worthy powerful witch, and his character is done phenomenally. I appreciated the variety of secondary characters and the role each of them played in the story. Though this is a standalone, I feel there is much more to tell! I am not done reading about Hecate and Matthew journey!