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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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.

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!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Dark and Secret Magic
Author: Wallis Kinney
Source: NetGalley
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
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A Dark and Secret Magic will be one of the fall season’s best “Witchy Woman” books. Hecate Goodwin, known as Kate, is a hedge witch. A hedge witch helps with her ability to move between this world and the spirit world. A good hedge witch helps those who have passed from life cross the vale into their next life. A hedge witch is also a healer. The story occurs during Samhain, known as Halloween when spirits can roam freely. Kate is scheduled, at 31, for a special ceremony to “contain” her magic. Enter Matthew Cypher, who comes from a different coven and practices dark witch magic. He has been waiting for this day to try to protect Kate from the hounds of hell who will rise on her birthday. They fall in love. I might sound like a lunatic, but this book is a GREAT WITCH book. I LOVED IT. I never felt like the story slowed, the writing was excellent, the climactic scene was a good type of CRAZY, and the ending satisfied me. Wallis Kinney is the author, and she has written the best start of October witch book I have read in a long time. It may be the best Fall book I have read in a while. If you like fantasy fiction, paranormal fiction, and witches this will be a super book selection for you. Bravo to Miss Kinney for a book well done. As a plus, the cover is gorgeous. #ADarkandSecretMagic @WallisKinney @NetGalley #witch #paranormal #magicalrealism #Halloween #Samhain #romance #rituals #truelove #soulmates @alcovepress
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I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel.
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Thank you for letting me read this book, I loved it so much I made sure I bought the special edition of it from unplugged book box.

I love the cover art and this book is a perfect start to the fall season especially for around Halloween. I'm a huge cozy fantasy reader so this checked off that box for me.

I would and did buy this book, and I would definitely recommend it to a friend. I would love to read more from this author.

A Dark and Secret Magic by Wallis Kinney is perfect for a Halloween read, or any time of year if you love spooky year round like I do. This was a cozy fantasy set in the fall that follows a witch as she uncovers family and coven secrets at a big turning point in her life. One thing I absolutely loved was having an older fmc. It was a refreshing change from the usual teenage or young adult protagonists. The plot was cozy and interesting but did drag at some points. The magic was fun and whimsical. The romance was swoon worthy. A Dark and Secret Magic is definitely worth adding to your fall tbr.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

If you could shake this book, autumn would fall out. What a fantastic, charming, and sexy read and Kate was such a likeable easy to follow protagonist, her LI did fall a bit short compared to her but it was still fun to read their back and forth banter. This is definitely an auto buy author!

A Dark and Secret Magic is witchy, mystical, twisty, and all things fall! I really enjoyed all of the cozy descriptions of autumnal foods and traditions as well as the bit of romance. Also love the cover, which conveys the spirit of this book perfectly. Would definitely recommend this for getting into the spirits of the season!

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Available on October 8th!

A hidden book heavy with dark magic, a handsome & charming blast from the past, a black cat named Merlin, & many different kinds of witches all set in the time period leading up to Halloween: you’re not going to want to miss this cozy & mysterious story as we head into spooky season!

Kate is a hedge witch who leads a simple life making things for the apothecary she co-owns, & she chooses to live in the gatekeeper’s cottage on her family’s property instead of the main house, Goodwin Manor. The manor has sat empty since her mother’s passing, but in light of another death in their coven Kate’s older sister is demanding she make the place presentable ASAP so they can host annual Hollween gathering. In addition to all of the many preparations she now must make, a man from Kate’s youth has invoked the right of sanctuary (a request she, as a hedge witch, cannot deny) so she has an unexpected house guest, & on top of that she finds an seemingly evil book with her mother’s handwriting in it…

I loved the many different kinds of magic (there was a BOOK WITCH!) in this book, & the cover is perfection. The fact that the chapters all have titles was something I really liked, & the recipes at the end of the book are going to keep me busy. The mystery aspect of this book & the lore around the eerie happenings was plotted in an intriguing way that had me turning pages, & I’ve already decided this may have to be an annual re-read kind of a story for me when Fall comes every year.

Thank you very much to NetGalley & Alcove Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC! Hecate "Kate" Goodwin was decided to be the hedge witch years ago, as such, she has lived a fairly secluded life, but her quiet life is through for a loop when she is tasked with throwing the coven's Halloween party, a task her mother was responsible for prior to her passing. To make matters worse, Kate is first visited by the spirit of one of the coven's older members, followed by the arrival of her first love (and the first person to break her heart) Matthew Cypher. Soon Kate is juggling her responsibilites for the party, her feelings for Matthew, and a hidden family secret that threatens to destroy everything. Weaving magic with family secrets and a forbidden romance, A Dark and Secret Magic is a great read for fans witchy tales like Practical Magic and Garden Spells.

I love how this felt both cozy and like a witchy fantasy too. We had some higher stakes than I normally experience in cozy fantasies and I liked that. All the small details with the spells and food was an adorable touch. I did however feel like I was told there was a connection between our two MC's but I didn't quite feel it (He seemed very all in though). I did think our FMC didn't get answers to her questions until the very end and I couldn't help but feel that if I were in her shoes I couldn't move forward without at least more than what she got. Although this wasn't a win for me personally, it was charming and very magical. I love forward to seeing what Wallis Kinney writes next!

Thank you so much for my ARC!

The beginning of this book is slow, and as such I found myself almost wanting to DNF it. However, I ended up really enjoying this book, and as the plot unfolded things really got interesting. I really enjoyed all the characters and fall witchy theme of this book. I also found myself hungry reading about all the recipes Hecate was making. Overall, id recommend this book, but would warn that it takes a bit to get into.

Do you love fall? Halloween? Witches? The this is the book for you. Grab your coziest blanket, a warm beverage, and light the pumpkin scented candle to devour this delightful cozy read.

Hecate Goodwin, the first hedge witch in many years, finds herself navigating her first Samhain without her mother. Life gets turned upside down when a tall dark and handsome necromancer from her past shows up looking for sanctuary. Matthew has Hecate question everything she knew, as strange dreams and shadow magic invade her life. The King Below has come - is Hecate ready to embrace her true calling?

This was the perfect read as we enter the fall season. It’s easy and whimsical, we get mystery and magic, romantic tension, and of course all the Halloween vibes! I can’t recommend this enough for anyone who enjoys some light fantasy and romance!

Perfect cozy fall read. This is now my favorite witchy comfort book. The pacing is so well done. I loved the overall story. If you are looking for modern witchy, cozy fall vibes then I highly recommend this book. Everything about it had me not wanting to put it down. I did not want this to end. I will be reading this book every fall season.

This was such a warm and cozy read! Perfect for the Halloween season.

This book follows hedge witch, Hecate “Kate” Goodwin, as her sister asks her to prepare for their annual Halloween celebrations. But things change very quickly when a man for her past , Matthew Cypher shows up and it is her duty, as hedge witch, to host him. Secrets are revealed and dark magic shows its face.

The characters are well developed and I really enjoyed how the book was set in the present and the witches just lived among the humans, unbeknownst to them. This book was easy to read, and it is the perfect read for a rainy fall day to get you into the fall season- recipes included. Merlin was also an added bonus, precious little black cat!

Would love to see a second book come from this, but even without- the story wrapped up nicely and tied up any loose ends.

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

I am very much enjoying the cozy witchy vibes this book has and it is a perfect book to cuddle up and read in the fall when weather is getting colder and leaves crunch under your feet. What really adds to the cozy vibes are the amazing food descriptions and I swear i got instantly hungry when reading these descriptions of various dishes.
Besides the cozy vibes, usually cozy fantasy books don't have quite a big mystery element to it which I really love here even if I didnt love all of the elements of it when it unfolded.

Why I took a stars off my rating, was the fact that I simply want to know more about the magical system and different witch types, mid-book I still felt like i was lacking information that the main characters just know as it's obvious them as it’s their enviroment, but definitely not to me and I just want to know more details faster so i could just enjoy the story and not try to piece together the worldbuilding things when the plot is getting more interesting and I would rather have focused on that.
The romance was cute, buuuut I was not a fan of the insta-love trope. Yes, they met years ago for a day and he fell in love and now after a week of party prepping both of them are head over heels? I think it could have been set up bit different and I would have enjoyed it more.

Overall I think it was a nice read, just not a full 5 stars for me for the reasons i mentioned but still an mouthwatering and cozy read

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC.

This took me so long to read, because I was contemplating dnfing this at the halfway mark. So much of the beginning is establishing Kate's normal state of life. Yes, it is important, but much of that was detailing every single minute of her daily routine. Even when Matt the mystery man shows up, it's still going through her normal day-to-day. After the halfway mark, it thankfully picks up, but it wasn't enough to make up for a very tedious start.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6809309730

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/33fffcc6-ba80-4499-a0be-f6778e8c46e5

Check out this review of A Dark and Secret Magic on Fable. https://fable.co/review/31e35c80-8ba4-4ad7-b29c-5a54455cc195/share

The cover drew me in!! The coziness and magic of it all. Sadly fell a little flat for me when it came to the actual story of it all but was sweet. Cozy and YA.