Advanced Listener Copy Review

A Dark and Secret Magic
Rating: 🌟⭐️⭐️🌟
Clean read with mild language

Hecate is a hedge witch who is nearing her 31st birthday when all but her trained magic will be contained for the sake of her coven’s strength. But when a midnight visitor arrives her entire world begins to unravel. “Find your mother’s book and you’ll know why she made you a hedge witch.” Hecate’s mother passed away some time before and took with her many secrets about herself and Hecate. When Matthew, an old and not entirely welcome acquaintance, arrives in the days preceding Halloween and Hecate’s birthday, he challenges everything she’s taken to be true. And what is right and what is wrong begin to blur.

This was closer to a cozy paranormal read than anything else, but there is a bit of danger. I really enjoyed Cate’s and Matthew’s characters - he was actually adorable. The driving force of learning the mother’s secrets made this a very enjoyable read and my only complaint was the ending, which while happy didn’t feel particularly realistic and gave me Hades and Persephone vibes. Regardless I’d totally recommend this read

Thank you NetGalley for this ALC

If the Hallmark channel made movies for Halloween, this would be it! Sweet and hopeful, this story is perfect for anyone looking for cozy fall romance vibes.

As the blurb promised, "A Dark and Secret Magic" truly is a love-letter to those who carry Halloween in their heart all year round.

Set in the atmospheric days leading up to Halloween, the story revolves around Hecate (Kate) Goodwin, a hedge witch. As she embarks on a quest prompted by a mysterious dream, Kate seeks to uncover the truths about her unique powers. Along the way, she encounters a handsome necromancer, coven secrets, intriguing characters and mysterious magic.

This book was a delightful blend of romance, mystery, and Halloween traditions. From pumpkin carving and cemetery visits to encounters with a necromancer and a black cat, the story immerses readers in a captivating, not-too-spooky atmosphere. The narrators performance was wonderful, making this the perfect cosy audiobook to pair with your seasonal activities all autumn long.

A big thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Wallis Kinney for providing me an ALC for honest review.

I am smitten. This story was beautifully written and held my interest the entire time. I REALLY hope this becomes a series because there is so much more to grow upon with these characters.

I loved everything about this book from the cottage to the cat to the characters. I can't wait to see where the story goes and how it develops. I was enchanted from the very beginning and it's the PERFECT fall read!

Audiobook review:
Wonderful! The narrator, Abigail Reno is clearly a pro. Excellent narration and production quality! I could just close my eyes and imagine I was in a cute small town a few days before Halloween.

Book review:
Perfect fall atmosphere in a provincial New England town full of witches. While I would hesitate to call this a cozy fantasy because the stakes do get a bit dire and it's a bit heavier at times, it mostly reads as a warm and charming tale. It does incorporate many common cozy elements that set the tone for the book (and gave me some recipes I'd like to try!) which was really enjoyable for me to read.

The book is slower paced, and while it isn't terribly long and I could have finished it in a couple days, I took my time finishing it. The discovery of dark secrets, Hecate having to get over learned biases, and the general slice of life elements were some of my favorite parts.

I think Matthew saying he has been in love with her since they met may have been a bit much, but I understand how he could have felt strongly about her, knowing all that he knew and revering her before they even met. It was a cute slow burn romance and I really loved the resolution. I'm so glad I didn't read the blurb so that I didn't see the ending coming as much.

Thank you Dreamscape Media & NetGalley for the ALC!

Book rating: 4.25 stars, Audiobook rating: 5 stars

4.5/5

A Dark and Secret Magic is such a good cozy book. Perfect for the impending fall vibes. The side characters and the town feel like a real place. It's everything that I want from a small-town backdrop.

The main character is great, Hecate is a hedge witch who loves her small-town life and is grieving the death of her mother. Her romantic interest, Matthew, is one of the rare instances that makes me like the second-chance/already-in-love love interest. Honestly, with Hecate also holding a torch for him after a decade of not seeing each other and having only met for like a week or two, there was no way anyone else would do for them.

Abigail Reno did a fantastic job narrating!

After a whole month of meh reads, it's so good to remember that there are good books out there.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for this early audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Hecate Goodwin is a hedgewitch. There hasn't been a hedgewitch in a very long time. That means that she didn't have another hedgewitch to learn from. Everything she knows, she learned from her mother. Sadly, her mother died four months ago, so she's on her own.
With her 31st birthday approaching, Hecate has a lot to do. That is a very important birthday for a witch. She also has all the preparations for Halloween to deal with. To add a little more stress, her sisters call and tell her to host the annual party at the Goodwin house.
Oh yeah, a guy from her past just showed up seeking sanctuary. As a hedgewitch, she has to let him stay.
Nothing else will happen right?

This is the perfect fall book. It's so atmospheric and witchy. Kate (Hecate) is such a great character. I love the small town vibes as they get ready for Halloween. If you like Practical Magic, you should definitely check this one out.

I highly recommend the audiobook. The narrator is fantastic!

This is like the ultimate cozy fall/halloween read that I’ve read/listened to so far. It felt very cottagecore and like it had the kind of vibe similar to Practical Magic. Most of the cozy fall reads I’ve read are romcoms & this is not that. It’s very world building & sets a very beautiful scene. While there is romance it doesn’t consume the entire plot. It was amazingly well done. I really enjoyed it & I would love to see more of this world again.
The narrator did a great job. She paced the story well & reflected the emotions of the characters the way they’re described. I’ve listened to other books narrated by her & I always enjoy her voice.

Thank you NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for the advance copy.

I stumbled across this book in the Netgalley app and requested it not knowing anything about the author or story. I'm so glad I found it. I absolutely ADORED this book. The writing was superb and the character development stunning. I loved the romance and the mystery was perfection. The plot twists were so unexpected not phenomenal. I sorta hope this becomes a series! I want more of this world and these characters!

The perfect fall witchy read! I enjoyed the covens and the romance and the small town setting. The narrator did an excellent job as well. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the audio arc.

Thanks for the audio arc!

I really enjoyed the writing style of this author. It was quite peasant and easy to follow, no strange dialogue etc. I also felt that though the pace of the story was a bit slow to start, it helped me connect with the MC.

Now the story wasn't super original (see introvert falls for old flame and finds out she's special), but I found that that fact didn't take away from the method the story was told. It's a great fall read with eery vibes. We are 'shown' more than we are 'told' and to me that's what really makes a story.

Also, I liked the narrator for the story! I tend to listen at 1.5-2x speed because that's now my attention span works. Sometimes narrators sounds robotic or awkward, but this narrator did a fabulous job.

This was a very well written story and in my opinion the perfect fall witchy read. I thought that Hecate was a great character and I liked the mystery surrounding her mother choosing her discipline for her. I love settings that are an entire small town full of a coven of witches. The politics of covens always interest me and this one was really cool. I really liked the magic system and how the different magics were chosen and controlled. The surprise shadow daddy was a fun additive to the plot and I really enjoyed the banter and way that they formed a bond. Over all I think this is a book that will forever be on my list of recommendations for witch season!

I really enjoyed the narration of this book, and thought that the narrator did a fantastic job of bringing it to life.

I love the narration! I was enthralled. I must say as a "hedge witch" (crazy plant lady) with "familiars" (cats) to be careful with tea tree in any form around cats. It is deadly.
The story was lovely and fun. I enjoyed every moment. I love the romance.

When starting this book I was a touch nervous because it eases you into the world of Kate and everything that is going on pretty slowly. Once you’ve been introduced to everything and visitors start to show up the pacing definitely picks up from there.

I really enjoyed the plot, setting, and even the love story. I didn’t really expect the love to take as much of a front seat as it did, but I’m glad it did. It truly made the story that much better. This really helped to balance the darker aspects of the book - smart writing, for sure.

This was a great read for a rainy, fall day snuggled with up cookies and your favorite fall drink.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I thought this book had great spooky season vibes! It has a lot of things that I love during this season =- witches, magic, a little bit of mystery, and a little bit of romance.

Did I always totally understand what was happening with the plot? Not really! But it didn't affect my enjoyment at all. This is kind of on the cozier side but had enough plot to keep me engaged.

I liked the narration by Abigail Reno! I don't think I've listened to anything from her before.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

First of all, thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to listen to this !
The magic in the book gives and takes and there is a balance which kept it interesting. I love how there’s checks and balances that make it more believable.

Don’t want to give spoilers but it’s a must read! I really really enjoyed this book!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this Audio ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It will be great for anyone who wants to read a cozy, witchy book this fall.

3.5 ☆
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If you're looking for a cozy, witchy, October vibe book, this book will be for you! It will definitely give you those vibes. They say this book is like Hades and Persephone, um, I don't know about that. It didn't really give me those vibes. (Just my opinion, though.)
The audiobook is good. The narrator did a good job telling the story! She was easy to listen to and follow.
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Thank you, Netgellay, and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review. .