I am totally all for a witchy month and this audiobook certainly got me wanting more witchy themed books. Definitely more of a cozy Halloween themed book than a creepy or spooky one for sure! And the narrator, Abigail Reno, was absolutely fantastic! She kept me enthralled with the storytelling and I didn’t want to stop listening!

I really enjoyed Matthew and Kate’s dynamic and I felt the storyline was refreshing for me. Not only did it have a strong Halloween storyline, it has all the good romance troupes too! And as per descriptions it definitely has Hades & Persephone vibes for sure!

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸…
🪦Forbidden love
🪦He Falls First and Harder
🪦Close Proximity
🪦Touch her and ☠️
🪦So Many Secrets
🪦Single POV
🪦Closed Door

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

I really liked the narration on this one! This novel got me into the fall and Halloween spirit. I liked how the romance and mystery fit together and how their specific magic was used .Would recommend.

A Dark and Secret Magic is a cozy Halloween romance. It it cute and cozy but also has a touch of dark and spooky to it. Perfect to curl up with on an autumn evening. I need this author to write a cookbook, because the food, drinks and dessert described in this book sound so incredibly delicious! The magic system was really interesting and different from some other witch romances. Its got some mystery touches to it too with times where you don't know who you can trust and who is telling the truth.

Tropes include: slow-burn, forbidden love, hot "enemy", he falls first, touch her and die, and more that I don't want to spoil.

The narrator did an absolutely fantastic job with all the different voices for the characters. At times I forgot it was narrated by just one person. I was completely swept up in the story! 5 stars for the narrator.

I really enjoyed the book, and I recommend it for anyone that enjoys cozy, spooky, witchy Halloween romance with an action-packed ending. The spice is like 1 out of 5 stars, more a fade to black, behind closed doors than actual spice.

This might be my favorite fall read so far this year.
It has everything you could want: New England fall weather, fall festivities, a cozy warm cottage, hedge magic, a handsome mysterious shadow hexan *COUGHnecromancerCOUGH*, and a cute black cat.

As Kate reaches her 31st birthday and the containment ceremony that will bind her to perform only hedge magic, she’s dealing with hosting the Samhain celebration, the still-fresh grief of her late mother, and some serious coven secrets. But when, Matthew, her old crush from the rival coven, shows up on her doorstep claiming sanctuary, she’s bound by her craft to let him in.
(But he is so obviously hiding something.)

Really enjoyed the narrator, they did a fantastic job.

A Dark and Secret Magic is an amazing audiobook. This one did take me a bit to get into, but once I did I was hooked! The story felt wholly original and I wish it would have been twice as long because I want MORE!

Cozy, witchy, and spellbinding with cuddly cats and New England autumn - perfect potion for a spooky season read. Add a touch of dark magic and romance. Sip until warmed through. I definitely could see myself as Hecate "Cate" Goodwin in a cozy cottage at the edge of the forest. I do not think I would complain if a handsome sorcerer knocked on my door and asked for sanctuary. Though Matthew's arrival is highly suspicious. I enjoyed discovering the mystery behind Cate's mother's secrets and why Hecate was never given a choice in her witchcraft. This book captured witchy vibes, the autumn season and romance so well it was the perfect book to start the season. I think the only struggle I had was the instant-love of their brief meeting ten years earlier. However, the plot and the twists were fantastic, I loved the witchcraft and tension. The fall fair and the pumpkin carving. The delicious baked goods and crackling fires. The narrator was pleasant to listen to.

Wow ! This audiobook was perfect for fall and spooky season. The cover made me want to dive in before Halloween. I loved the atmospheric writing in the book, especially when describing the cottage Hecate lives in. I adored the narrator's voice. She did such a good job bringing the characters to life. I really enjoyed the romance in this book, especially the great ending. I really liked the addition of Hecate's sisters and how they were able to work on their relationships with each other since their mom's passing. This is definitely a book I would read or listen to again. I highly recommend giving it a read if you like fantasy, especially witches and want something cozier for the fall season.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Hecate Goodwin is a hedge witch who is about to turn 31 on Halloween. It’s a birthday where magic will be contained to one specific area. When she’s suddenly tasked with planning and hosting the yearly Halloween event for her coven, a man from her past reappears, and she discovers her mother’s secret book, her quiet life gets thrown into disarray.

I enjoyed this book! The characters were interesting and it was fun discovering the secrets that Kate’s family had been hiding all these years.

This book is full of witches, pumpkins, teas, and a cute black Halloween kitty. A perfect spooky season book!

I listened to the audiobook for this and I really enjoyed the narrator!

A Dark and Secret Magic is a super fun read for pumpkin season! I really liked the worldbuilding in this one. There were so many different styles of witches and magical focuses. Plus, you can tell the author just had a great time writing this one. Things like Hexan Texans, just made me smile.

I did feel like the ending didn't quite fit with the vibe of the rest of the book, but I still really enjoyed it. Overall, a perfect read for fall. I had the privilege of listening to an audiobook through NetGalley, and the narrator did a great job bringing this magical tale to life.

Thanks to NetGalley, Abigail Reno, and Dreamscape Media for the chance to read and review. My opinions are my own.

A Dark and Secret Magic is a captivating book with a cozy, witchy vibe, perfect for the autumn season. Filled with witches, shadow magic, and delightful recipes, it creates the coziest autumn aesthetic. The magic in the book was easy to grasp, and the storyline kept me engaged. However, I wished for more depth in the romance and exploration of other magic specialties. The Halloween atmosphere in the book evoked a sense of nostalgia and cozy vibes we all love at that time of year.

It releases on October 8th!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I would like to thank the publisher for giving me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.

THIS. THIS BOOK.

Beautiful, heartbreaking, gorgeous. I can't even think right now. I have so many thoughts, so many feelings, and I don't know where to start.

Hecate "Kate" Goodwin has always been a hedge witch, but with her 31st birthday coming, she has to make a choice. With an unexpected visit from an old enemy, once friend, and her sisters, it looks like her quiet life is about to change.

There was a lot going on in such a short amount of time. But this book? Perfect for a halloween read with dark magic, secrets, and a cozy setting. However, this isn't a cozy fantasy. There's action, there's curses and blood magic, necromancers, and romance that is sweet and steamy. I couldn't get enough of Matthew and Kate. I was in tears by the end of this, sobbing at one point. The plot was fantastic, the world was wonderful, the characters were amazing... I have absolutely zero complaints about this book.

Plus, the audiobook was beautifully narrated. Overall, I highly recommend this, especially for spooky season.

4.5 ⭐️

Oh how I loved this! The perfect way to start October to get me in the mood for spooky season. At first I was super obsessed with the atmosphere AND the mysterious plot. But honestly as the book went on I wished it was just a cute cozy slice of life about the coven and them celebrating Halloween. I rarely think this but I feel like this book would’ve benefited from being a duology. The type of villain in this book works the best for me when it’s drawn out like a Voldemort-esque character reveal. Halfway through taking about the King Below it didn’t feel that urgent or scary anymore. Not to mention I feel like she defeated him so easily it was very uneventful. I also wasn’t a fan of the ending, I wish there was an epilogue. It felt like the author was rushing to finish the story.

Overall, I can totally seeing myself rereading this around the fall times for spooky vibes~

Hecate Goodwin is the hedge witch for the Atlantic Key coven. She lives on the periphery, healing and protecting those who seek out her help and offering sanctuary to those in need. One night, a man from her past shows up at her door and asks for her aid. Matthew Cypher is next in line to lead the Pacific Gate coven, and a practitioner of magic forbidden by the Atlantic Key. Hecate is struggling after the sudden death of her mother, preparing the upcoming Halloween festivities, juggling the demands of her sisters, and getting ready for the magic binding ceremony that will take place on her birthday, but she allows Matthew to stay with her and he in turn helps her with her preparations. As the two become reacquainted, Hecate discovers new magic that had been kept hidden from her and uncovers her mother's secrets as well as secrets of the coven.

This was a great read for the Halloween season with witches, magic, comforting food, and a fantastical mystery at the heart of it all. The narrator for the audiobook did a great job with the text and was pleasant to listen to. I enjoyed learning about the coven and the way they operated. Hecate was also a really interesting character to get to know. My main complaint about this book is that Matthew didn't feel like a fully formed character to me. He was fully devoted to Hecate, which was great for the romantic aspects, but there wasn't too much else going on for him. That being said, I enjoyed following their adventures and would highly recommend this to anyone who likes witchy books or is looking for a cozy Halloween read.

I really enjoyed the audiobook version of A Dark & Secret Magic. The narrator did a wonderful job reading this story. It was a totally new experience to listen, and really added an extra layer of enjoyment.

A cozy autumn witchy read, perfect for reading while snuggled up with a warm blanket, your faithful fur baby and a mug of your favorite hot beverage. I liked the variety of witches in the book and how each worked their own type of magic. The narrator of the audio version did an excellent job.

I was quite excited for this book especially since the reviews are generally positive, however, I was very disappointed. I liked the narrator and think she did a great job, but the story itself fell short.

Defining this book as a romance seems like it was mislabeled to boost sales as the romance is so miniscule. Taking out the romantic elements and simply replacing the love interest with a friend would have changed nothing about this book. Also, falling in love after knowing each other for a total of maybe 10 days is a stretch.

All the characters seemed very one dimensional which resulted in feeling like I didn't know them or have any connection to them. Hecate seems to have been inspired by a manic pixie dream girl and has pretty much no personality. Matthew feels like he doesn't even count as a character. Both our MCs feel like they have no personality aside from the few times they become protective of each other. Then we have side characters that are very contrary with little explanation. Miranda is a perfect example of this. She is a complete jerk to everyone and then suddenly becomes a super protective older sister at the drop of a hat then goes back to being a jerk to everyone. None of these characters felt well thought out.

The world building was a bit non-existent to me. I like getting information from the character about how their world works, but this wasn't the case here. This one is likely just personal preference, but I found it frustrating. I didn't understand how these covens exist in relation to humans (do humans know they exist? Are there rules about humans finding out they exist?) Also what/who are the Hexans? This is mentioned multiple times, and at first I thought this was Matthews' family name, but it's not, then they said Hexan Texans (this was fantastic), but Matthew isn't part of that coven, so why is he still called a Hexan? Then we get no information about how inter-coven relations occur in the sense of one witch marrying into another coven.

Then we get to the big issue at the end and I just rolled my eyes at how stupid Hecate was. Just poor decisions abound.

Overall, I found this book to be boring and lacking in coherent characters and world building. If you enjoy a plot-driven book with spooky elements, this will be a great book for you. For me, I found it lacking in key details that ended up taking me out of the story.

I loved this book! I think everyone needs to put this book on their fall TBR! If you like a cute cozy witchy romance with a bit of a darker magical twist pick this up! Hecate Goodwin is a hedge witch living in a cute cottage with herbs and tinctures. Her sister puts her in charge of throwing their covens halloween gathering and it was so perfect for this time of year. I loved following Hecate and Matthew as they tried to uncover her family dark secrets all while still preparing for Halloween. This aspect kind of gave me stars hollow vibes- small town community fall festivities. The stakes were higher in this book and that really worked for me since I really enjoyed the fantasy aspects. The end had me tearing up. I loved every single fall vibe this book had to offer. This was a debut and I am so excited to read more by Wallis Kinney in the future! Please add this to your October reading list!! I am thankful I was able to listen to this audio book as an arc- the audio narrator did a great job!!! and the cover alone is perfect.

I can't stop thinking about this book. I couldn't read it fast enough. I absolutely loved it. The characters, storyline, and mystery leave you wanting more. Without giving too much away, the romance felt so honest, and I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. It was a book that felt like a gift that kept on giving. I would love to know what happens "after".

The perfect spooky-season cozy fantasy to sink you into the season. Although the conflict is fairly low stakes, the topic is grim. It actually felt reminiscent of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina in a lot a ways. The characterizations of Hecate’s sisters felt so similar to those of Sabrina’s aunts in my mind. Plus the general manner of being both cute and gothic at the same time. But don’t worry, the MCs are definitely not YA. While romance takes a backseat to the mystery, it’s still definitely there. Mostly in the form of sexual tension, however, which isn’t necessarily bad, but I think we had time to develop a few more moments of emotional connection. Overall, exactly what I wanted to kick off the best season of the year.

It made me feel warm and cozy and hungry and I binged it in one sitting. 3.75 🎃

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape for this advanced audiobook in exchange for my unbiased review!

OMG this was the perfect fall, witchy read! It was so cozy, full of Fall vibes and it had love, covens, witches, curses and magic! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! This is going on my favorites of 2024 list! I totally felt the Hades and Persephone/Practical Magic vibe but I'm going to add a tiny bit of Charmed too because Matthew did at times reminded me a bit of Cole.

Hecate Goodwin (Kate), a hedge witch lives in a cottage and spends time collecting herbs and a week before Halloween, her older sister tells her she is now hosting the coven's new year event and this also marks is coming upon her 31st birthday which is on Halloween. This event is a special "containment" event to acknowledge to her coven she will give up some of her magic. But that same night when she learns she will host, a man from her past named Matthew who is from another coven which she hasn't seen in over 10 years asks for sanctuary, but it is a hedge witches duty to honor. Kate is hesitant because Matthew has lied to her and she finds out he practices in the forbidden shadow magic.

Soon after Kate finds an old tome in her house spellbound and cursed with blood magic that only states in writing that is familiar to her mothers handwriting who recently passed in which she can asks Matthew for help on getting answers as theres more to Kates magic and her past then she was ever told.

Oh man, the pining, yearning and electric spark Matthew and Kate share! I really want to read more of them. I hope theres more in this world because I can just immersive myself in this world for a long time. All of the characters were great, even Kate's other two sisters. This was a fast pace read as there were no slow points at all in the story.

The writing was beautifully descriptive that I savored each word and speaking of savory, with how many recipes were described about, I want a cookbook of recipes based from this story LOL. I loved learning the history of the Hedge witch line of from Hecate's ancestorial family.

The Audiobook was so good I highly recommend. Narrated by Abigail Reno she did a really great job and was perfect for all of the voices, even Matthew's!

I received this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.