3.5 stars
This book was a balance of cozy witchy vibes through the body with some darker magic wielding in the second half. The writing was easy to get into and the characters’ interactions with each other were quite fun! I felt like the relationship was a bit too insta-love at first but I grew to ship them more and more as the book progressed. Recommend!
*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley

This was a cozy, low-stakes witchy read — not super memorable, but enjoyable enough while I was in it. A Dark and Secret Magic has cottagecore vibes, a splash of romance, and a classic "family secrets + forbidden magic" setup that felt familiar in a comforting way.

The writing was warm and seasonal, and the Halloween setting made it a nice little autumnal escape. I didn’t feel super connected to the characters or plot, and I’m not sure it’ll stick with me long-term, but if you're in the mood for something easy, atmospheric, and a little magical, this might do the trick.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media for the audiobook ARC!

This is a romantic fantasy that brings the story of a hedge witch to life as Kate spends her days tending to her garden. Her life dramatically changes when a man from her past appears. It was the perfect spooky Szn read, with second chance and witchy romance.

*many thanks to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

In my opinion, if the word dark is in the title of a fantasy book than it should be dark. This book was grey at best.
Overall it was fine. Nothing too special jumped out at me. It was all rather forgettable honestly. And it was disappointing that it wasn't really dark. And it was also way more romance with a dash of fantasy.
I think different marketing would help this book overall. It just wasn't giving what I was hoping it would give.
2.75 rounded up
The narration was good.

“A Dark and Secret Magic” is a romantic fantasy debut that follows Hecate Goodwin, a New England hedge witch struggling to come to terms with the untimely death of her mother and the destined loss of her magic. With her 31st birthday looming, a once lover of her past reappears not only to reveal parts of herself kept hidden by her own coven but also a darker reality she never knew she needed to face.

I genuinely enjoyed this! A bit slow at times but I found the ending very satisfying. Those who say this is a cozy fantasy is lying. This was definitely a bit more on the darker side with some elements of cozy. I appreciated that- it is really nice to have a bit more serious fantasy novel that leans into the cozy on occasions.

I wish I liked this book more. The plot had so much potential but I think it lacked a lot of world building. Stuff happened for no reason and there wasn’t even any reasoning you could infer. As someone who reads fantasy often, I don’t want everything spelled out, but there has to be some logic behind the events unfolding. I’m sure the author had that background in mind but it just didn’t transfer on the page. I probably wouldn’t recommend this book in particular but I’d be curious to read future titles by this author because I think there is a lot of potential for growth but the ideas are there.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Dark and Secret Magic by Wallis Kinney is the story of a hedge witch, misled by her coven and left to face a harrowing fate. Hecate Goodwin, known as Kate, leads a solitary life as her coven's hedge witch. She spends her days helping others and tending her garden with only her fiesty cat for company. Her seemingly simple life is upended when a man from her past shows up and demands her attention. Soon, it is clear that he knows more than he is letting on.... and feels more than he's letting on. Kate is thrust into a world she didn't even know existed. Can she survive the evils that lurk below?

For lovers of Halloween, second chance love, and all things witchy. This one is for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for early access to listen to a Dark and Secret Magic. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and I found myself stalled in my daily activities, lost in the story. Narrator Abigail Reno's voice made the story come alive, perfect match.

I loved the atmosphere in this book, I'm in my witchy dark era and this absolutely delivered on those vibes.

This audiobook was such a good time! The narrator absolutely nailed it—every character had their own vibe, and you could feel the emotions in every scene. It made the story so much easier to get into, like you’re right there with the characters.

I picked this one up to read in preparation for spooky season, and it wasn't horrible, but I've read other cozy novels that were far better than this one.

A very typical story of there being a witch who, *gasp*, realizes that the powers she has are not actually really what she thought and there is a darker plot at hand. Hecate and Matthew were fine, but I didn't particularly care about their relationship, nor the rest of the story/plot.

I gave it 3 stars because it was very average, but there wasn't really anything wrong with it either. It was just... there. The cover was cute though, so I do appreciate that (even though I listened to the audiobook version of it).

Not bad, but not a top recommendation from me!

This was great! Great for the spooky season. Audio was clean and intriguing. Great pronunciation. The story itself is a cliche witch story

I really enjoyed this book. It was the perfect mixture of suspense and mystery, mixed with a beautiful romance. I loved the very witchy elements in the books, as well watching a once hidden and shy witch recognize her true power. This story had heart, it had power, and it pulled at your heartstrings. Absolutely perfect for Halloween!

I love this book.

I am so happy that Netgalley awarded my an ARC for this magical adventure. It has magical story telling and characters you can love.

In fact, I was cheering for the main love interests the whole time! Their chemistry felt real. The journey takes Kate and Matthew from being virtually strangers in the beginning, to the final page of being so much more to each other. The interesting connections and magical world will have you enthralled to the last page.

I will be recommending this book to my friends for sure!

Cute little love story with a little magic thrown in. I LOVED the beginning of this book, very good chick flick vibes and had a great spark between the characters. I also loved the description of the setting and the overall set up - was very easy to fall into the story and go along for the ride. I did think that some of the more intense parts of the story toward the end were slightly rushed or harder to understand all of the dynamics at play - but the ending was great.

A Dark and Secret Magic follows reluctant hedge witch Kate Goodwin, who is trying to juggle her responsibilities, family, and craft after the sudden death of her mother. When her former flame blows into town with a mysterious task from the West Coast coven, Kate finds there are more parts of hedge craft than she realized. Honestly, the cover of this book hooked me first and then the description! I love witch-related books for spooky season, especially when they're related to plants, healing, and/or the kitchen. This book has all three! Sign me up! (Also a cat, which gets me every time).

It didn't disappoint! I absolutely loved this book and really recommend it to anyone in the mood for a spooky read. I really enjoyed the balance of relationships, magic, and character development that this book had. I feel like sometimes books favor one or the other, but this one really featured all of them. The magic system was also really cool! I loved learning about hedge magic. Kate and Matthew's romance also worked well for me.

I listened to the audiobook and really liked it! Highly recommend.

Overall, I highly recommend this book if you are all into witchy reads! 5 stars. Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ALC of this book, my thoughts are my own!

Unfortunately, I have been in the world's worst case of 'mood reading' and could not get into this.
I will eventually try again! The story seems amazing!!!

I loved this one!! It was probably in my top 2 of spooky season! I thought this was done so well, dark and errie feeling but also had some light moments to it. I loved the female main character and how she handled all that was thrown at her. The witchy halloween vibes were amazing, with so many little nods to both all throughout. I also loved the slow burn relationship we got and how that all played out. I loved the narrator for the audiobook and thought she made it come alive, i was never bored listing to this one!

Oh this was such a light hearted little cozy Halloween book. I wanted the story to go on and on. Great book pretty low stakes and a bit fluff filled and I loved it and have been recc-ing it to so many

3.8⭐️
Thanks to Netgalley for this arc!
This is the perfect spooky and witchy fall book, totally in season for this month. I enjoyed this book and its little twists and turns. The plot was unique and entertaining, the characters were also very fun to follow. I just hate that i am in a slump, which affects my level of enjoyment. I know i could 100% have enjoyed this book more if i was in a better state of mind. Anyway, i totally recommend this if you’re looking for a spooky fall read with dark elements and romance too!

I really enjoyed the narration of this story. It was one I hadn't read previously so listening to it was a⃣ experience. I liked how the narration was able to enchant me and bring the characters to life but also bring the conflict head on. I enjoyed this audio immensely.