A Dark and Secret Magic is the perfect cozy witchy read, especially for the autumn season. The story follows Hecate "Kate" Goodwin, a reclusive hedge witch who’s quite content with her quiet life in a secluded cottage. She spends her days foraging herbs, working at her apothecary, and enjoying the solitude with only her black cat for company. But everything changes when her older sister, Miranda, asks her to host their coven’s annual Halloween gathering, which also happens to be Kate's birthday. As the pressure builds for the event, Kate's carefully constructed world begins to unravel when a familiar face from her past, Matthew Cypher, arrives seeking sanctuary.

The plot is wonderfully character-driven, focusing on Kate as she’s forced to confront the dark secrets her mother kept from her, as well as her complicated history with Matthew—a practitioner of forbidden magic. The tension between them simmers nicely, and I found Matthew to be a compelling and swoon-worthy love interest. Their romance adds a great layer of warmth to the story, balancing the darker elements brought by the discovery of her mother's mysterious tome.

Despite its smaller setting—the majority of the story unfolds in Kate's cozy cottage and small town—the book delivers a rich, atmospheric world filled with magical intrigue. I loved how the plot wove together Kate's personal growth, the romance, and the unraveling of her coven's dark legacy.

Overall, A Dark and Secret Magic is an enchanting read, blending the cozy feel of a witch's life with a mystery that kept me hooked. It’s perfect for readers who enjoy stories of magic, secrets, and a touch of romance.

I thoroughly enjoyed this! It was the perfect Autumnal Halloween read, with just the right amount of scary for a wimp like me. I loved the descriptions, I loved the characters, I loved the plot - I would absolutely recommend, and will be looking out for more of Kinney’s books. I’m already looking forward to the next one, be it a sequel, or something new. But now, I seriously wish I could sample some of Kate’s Mum’s cooking, the descriptions are that good…(and I can, thanks to the bonus recipe chapters at the back)!

With thanks to the publisher, and to NetGalley, for an e-ARC to read and review.

Another perfect read for the autumn season! 🍂

In A Dark and Secret Magic, we follow Hecate, or Kate, after her mother’s passing as she takes on the responsibilities of being the last hedge witch. Her quiet life is turned upside down by an unexpected guest, the discovery of new powers, and hidden secrets about her mother that she never knew.

Inspired by the Persephone and Hades myth, this story beautifully blends cozy and spooky vibes. I especially loved learning about Kate’s duties as a hedge witch and how each member of her coven possessed unique powers that added depth to the magical world.

While the pacing was slower than I typically preferred, the cozy atmosphere made it a pleasure to linger in the story. The stakes were high enough to keep me engaged, and the balance between the magic and the unfolding secrets kept the narrative moving.

The romantic subplot between Kate and Matthew was another highlight for me. The development of their relationship was just the right mix of romance and plot, complementing the story without overshadowing it.

Overall, A Dark and Secret Magic is a fantastic Halloween read that I would highly recommend to fans of Practical Magic. It offers the perfect combination of cozy, witchy vibes with a touch of romance and mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing me with the e-book ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Another perfect read for the fall season! We follow Hecate after her mother’s death, continuing on with her duties as a sole hedge witch. Hecate, or Kate, is surprised by an unexpected guest, new powers and secrets she never learned about her mother.

This was so cozy but spooky at the same time. I loved learning about Kates duties as a hedge witch, and how each member of the coven had unique powers. It was a bit of a slow pace but I felt it lent to the cozy atmosphere, and the stakes were still high enough to keep me entertained. There was also a really nice romantic element as well. The whole book kind of gave me Halloweentown and Belladonna (by Adalyn Grace) vibes. I feel like this would also be a great audiobook, and the cover is just perfect!

Thanks to @netgalley, Kinney Wallis and @alcovepress for this e-ARC

Super cozy and sweet! I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved the writing and the world-building, especially all the different types of witches (obviously I would love to be a book witch). The only negative was I wished we got to see the romance develop a bit more. A great autumn read!

Pure spooky season witchy coziness! I loved everything about this sweet story that fans of Practical Magic especially will love. The variety of magic and witchcraft in this book is really entertaining and the entire book just has the Halloween atmosphere pouring out of it.

This Halloween is an important one for Hecate Goodwin. Not only is it Samhain, an important holiday celebration she has to host for her entire coven, it is also her 31st birthday, marking the day she must forsake all other forms of magic and dedicate herself to a craft she was forced to choose.

The week leading up to the celebration brings chaos into Hecate's quiet life with the appearance of a mysterious guest from a rival coven, a secret grimoire that bares her dead mother's handwriting, and ominous mentions of an unknown entity called The King Below. Kate has to unravel her mother's many secret and learn what it actually means to be a hedge witch.

A Dark and Secret Magic is a cozy romantasy, ultimately about the reclamation of power and autonomy in the wake of choices that were made for you, dressed up in Halloween decorations. 

When Kinney set out to write a love letter to Halloween she not only succeeded but excelled! A Dark and Secret Magic has some of the most immersive descriptions I’ve ever read! I could picture every piece of decor, every meal, and every outfit like it was right in front of me. There was so much intention *wink* on every page.

I loved the developing relationship between Kate and Matthew. It was the perfect balance of romance and plot. Cozy with just enough action to keep the pages turning, it was a quick and fun read. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves the crunch of autumn leaves, houses that go all out for Halloween, and stories that feel like the first bite of a home-cooked meal. Teaming with dark family secrets, food porn, and a sort of nostalgic charm, A Dark and Secret Magic is definitely the book to revisit every year for the Halloween season.

Hecate Goodwin, Kate to her friends, has curated the perfect life as a hedge witch, living in a secluded cottage with only a black cat for company. She spends her days foraging herbs from the Ipswich forest, gardening, and creating tinctures to sell at the apothecary she owns. Most evenings pass without her speaking to another human being, an arrangement she quite prefers.

Kate’s solitude is thrown into disarray when her older sister, Miranda, reaches out and asks her to host their coven’s annual Halloween gathering. The day marks the beginning of the new year for witches and is also Kate’s birthday. The pressure from her coven to make the evening memorable mounts as the event draws near. To complicate things further, a handsome man from Kate’s past turns up at her cottage, asking for sanctuary. It is Kate’s duty as a hedge witch to honor this request, much to her dismay. Matthew Cypher is no ordinary lost soul–he’s a practitioner of forbidden magic who’s tricked Kate once before, and her guard is up.

As she juggles Matthew’s arrival and the preparations for Halloween, Kate comes across an old tome shrouded in dark magic. She is horrified when she realizes the blood-red inscription is written in familiar handwriting: her recently deceased mother’s. Afraid to even touch the dark magic her mother secretly studied, Kate can turn only to Matthew for help. Her idealized memory of her mother begins to distort, and as she and Matthew grow closer, Kate has to reevaluate whom she can really trust.

A dark and secret magic was such a fun read and it was perfect for spooky season. It had magic, mystery, Yummy food and romance everything I want in a cozy fantasy. I really enjoyed it and if you are a fan of practical magic I think you will really like it too.

Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for the ARC!

A Dark and Secret Magic was a perfect witchy, spooky, cozy read. While the world Kinney created had cozy elements with the cooking/kitchen-witch moments, there was plenty of dark and atmospheric moments to keep me entertained. I loved the relationship between Hecate and Matthew, and I believed the trials of her relationships with her sisters. It was a beautiful book inside and out - the cover is gorgeous!

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an atmospheric, spooky, yet still somehow cozy, read. It has just a touch of romance, but the character development was what kept me coming back!

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A Dark and Secret Magic definitely has the practical magic feel as well as the hades and persephone theme. I loved this book so much that I read it within 12 hours, and I couldn't put it down until I finished. Everything from the magic system to the humor and character development was immaculate and so well written that I was left wishing for more. The ending was perfect, so I can't be mad that it ended. This book has earned a place on my shelves upon official publication.

This is the perfect seasonal read! It was cozy and yet had stakes that weren't *so* cozy but just worked with this book

Updated Review: I lack the ability to write down how much this book means to me. When I started reading this book, I had no idea that it would end up being one of my most favourite books of all time. It did and I am so utterly at loss of words.

It is my witchy dream and the warmest hug. In this book a hedge-witch lives by the woods. In her small town of her small coven, she lives in a cottage and grows her own vegetables and cooks elaborate meals. She writes down daily tasks in her herbal and knits blankets and does her best to survive on her own.

But she has other identities as well. She is the middle child, afraid of not being good enough, torn between duties and desires and an overall good person.

In her story we meet a charming man, her sisters, coven full of witches and old curse. And it’s the perfect balance of all of those. The love story never takes the front role. It’s her story and we are fortunate enough to be witness of this.

Honestly if you ask me what I think of it, the best way I could describe it might be bunch of incoherent words- woods, magic, autumn, October, herbs, foods, brown, cozy, witchy and love.

Read this book. Now now now!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this ebook and changing my life 😭 Because for the rest of my life, this is going to be what I associate autumn with.

Initial Review I will write a beautiful review for this beautiful book. For now the only thing you need to know is, I am in love with this book. I read 67 books so far this year and this is only the fourth book I gave 5 stars to. It blew me away!!!! And to think this is a debut novel!!!!! Truly magical!!!!

If you are looking for some fall witchy vibes that seem cozy, but also have some real evil stakes, A Dark and Secret Magic will be for you. Hecate was told her whole like she would be a hedgewitch, even though most of the witches in her village were allowed to choose. As she approaches her 31 birthday, Hecate feel pretty unfulfilled and aimless and has some deep resentment directed towards her deceased mothers. As Hecate gets closer to her birthday, and the ritual of containing her magic that all witches go through at this time, she starts to have questions and new faces arrive in the town. This book is a cute story of finding yourself mixed with a quest to resolve some generational trauma, mixed with a fun romance and a very very bad King of the underworld.

A Dark and Secret Magic has such an incredible cover that I was drawn to it straight away and I knew I had to read it because it sounded so interesting.
Taking place in the days leading up to Halloween this is the perfect seasonal read.
Filled with all the Halloween and Fall vibes you want including our main character a hedge witch. She lives in a cozy cottage filled with herbs and her cat's name is Merlin.
Hecate, our protagonist is always baking, cooking and making a special recipe hot chocolate, I swear I could smell the cinnamon as I read.
This is my first fantasy read and I was captivated by it. Witchy, Halloweeny vibes, black cats, cozy cottage, small town charm, a pumpkin contest I'm all in. Marvelous and I'll be looking for more like this soon.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was fall perfection. Witches, spells, love, a little bit of suspense/drama, and just ALL things Halloween and Autumn. The characters were wonderful, and I especially enjoyed the 3 sisters and their relationship. I loved this one, and if you’re looking for something seasonal, this will absolutely get you in the spirit. ✨🪄🎃

Set in the days leading up to Halloween, this atmospheric and magical tale of witches is an absolute must-read.

From the moment you start reading, Kinney’s writing style draws you in. The book is well-edited, and the plot is engaging from start to finish. The romance in the story is sweet and heartwarming, without being overly spicy.

One of the standout features of this book is its atmosphere. Kinney masterfully describes a cozy cottage, complete with mouth-watering autumnal dishes prepared by Hecate, the protagonist. You can almost taste and smell the delicious meals as you read. The small town setting, bustling with Halloween preparations and a charming pumpkin carving contest, adds to the enchanting vibe of the story.

In summary, “A Dark and Secret Magic” is a delightful read that perfectly captures the essence of the Halloween season. It’s a book that you simply must read before Halloween. I absolutely loved it.

A cozy, riveting read! The food descriptions inspired me to bake, cook, and make delicious fall tea to go along with the vibes. This is the perfect way to start your fall! The characters were realistic and felt like your friends.

This wasn't bad at all and in fact, I really enjoyed how this encompassed Halloween and the season, but I was less intrigued by 60% because I felt like it was dragging a bit toooo long and now I'm done and it was just okay.

What a lovely book for the spooky time of year. This book has a coherent magic system with enough complexity to keep fantasy readers engaged and a steamy enough romance to keep those romance readers turning the pages. Fans of Practical Magic will find much to love.