I really enjoyed this cute seasonal book (for any time of year). Perfect Halloween witchy vibe - complete with spells, cat, festive decor, and pumpkin carving! I liked the side characters and the relationship between the sisters. I liked the explanation for why the MMC was originally banished from seeing the FMC. The ending, even though somewhat expected, was still jusssst right. I even liked the recipes at the end as I was thinking during the book how neat it'd be to make some of the mentioned recipes. I am keeping this pretty light since it's still a few months until it comes out, but super fun cozy read. The only downside, if I had to give one, is that I like more spice in my usual books. Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC opportunity.

Unfortunately, it looks like this is going to be a DNF and I'm so disappointed about it. I was so excited for this book--it seemed like it would be such a fun and atmospheric read about witches and reluctant romance. However, it is pretty obvious that this is Kinney's first book and there are just some issues that I could not get past. So personal preference, I don't really like first person POV and I think that it's rarely done really well. The writing in this book is just really clunky and awkward. There are some moments with the dialogue that isn't very natural and isn't how people actually talk. There was also a lot of telling and not showing. I feel like some of the world building could have been revealed as the plot progresses not just dumping it on us all at once when there’s this littlest bit of connection to what's happening. I also think that this book couldn't find the vibe it was look for. Sometimes it was very Halloweentown-esque, especially with the recipe/spell titles, and then at other times it got very dark and spooky scary. Either vibe I would have loved, but I think in this case it either needed to be one or the other or they needed to be integrated better together. The characters also weren't doing it for me. I didn't feel any emotional connection to any of them yet, and I also didn't feel like the relationships were compelling either. Matthew and Hecate parted on such bad terms ten years ago and yet all of sudden they're ready to forgive and fall in love.
Honestly all of this could be forgivable if it weren't for the fact that I don't know what the plot is. If there was an interesting plot that I could be following I would 100% be willing to ignore the more technical issues. However, I am about 44% of the way through and there is not a solid plot yet. All we really know is that the FMC had a weird dream in which she is visited by a dying/dead witch who warns her about this mysterious being called the Under King (not sure if that's the name, but close enough). From the beginning I knew the writing was for me, but I was very interested in the premise of the book and was still interested in continuing the story. However, when it became obvious that this plot wasn't going to progress or pull me in like I wanted it to, I had to make the decision to stop reading. It also desperately needed another round of editing because there were a few spelling errors and inconsistencies with names. Maybe I just need a break and I'll pick this back up at a later date, but unfortunately I have so many other books I'm looking forward to and can't justify spending more time on this one.
I will be giving this a 1-star on NetGalley just because I have to rate it, but I will not be rating it on any other site.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Dark and Secret Magic by Wallis Kinney

Everything was in order until it wasn’t, and then things became seriously out of hand!

—

If you love reading about witches and their magic—read this book.

I love this book! I did not want it to end. (But when it did end, there was a lovely surprise which I won’t spoil for you here.)

I have enjoyed reading several reimaginings of the ancient Greek Myth about the God of the Underworld and the daughter of Zeus and I was happy to find elements of that story within these pages.

I want more of these characters, this world and its magic. I hope one day there will be more, I do, I do.

I also have to say I love the cover of the book. It’s so lovely with the moon, pumpkins, cats, crows, and the book near the bottom.

I am now very much a Wallis Kinney fan—thank you Wallis Kinney for writing this novel— and I want to add this book to my library after it is published on October 8th, 2024 by Alcove Press.

#Witches #secrets #hedgewitch #Magic #Romance #halloween
#arc #netgalley #alcovepress #walliskinney
#Brightbookreviews #Goodreads

Magia
Enemigos
Traición
Romance
Muerte
Corrupción
Lealtad


Kate es una bruja, cada bruja tiene un poder diferente el cual es elegido a los 13 años, pero ella es una anomalia porque su mamá decidio desde niña cual sería su poder, curar.
Ella se siente sola y aunque le gusta lo que hace no tuvo la oportunidad de decidir si esa era la vida que quería y ahora a una semana de su cumpleaños 31 en donde tendrá que pasar por un ritual en el cual ya no podrá hacer crecer sus poderes, descubrirá algo que la dejara perpleja, triste y correra un gran peligro. Además, Matthew, su amor de su juventud regresara a su vida, pero él también le esconderá secretos que tal vez no pueda perdonar cuando se entere de la verdad.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is such a good book. This is a 5 star read for me. The way this book was written was fabulously beautiful.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC ☺️
I adored this so so much. Witches, necromancy, Halloween and action all rolled into one great story.
I sped through the book within 24 hours and enjoyed every single moment!

"A Dark and Secret Magic" by Wallis Kinney is a sweet, closed-door/fade to black romance novel with a heavily influence in modern Neopaganism. It's a slow-burn story of balance between life and death, with heavy Hades and Persephone vibes. I enjoyed that unlike many other witchy books, it focused on the concept that one cannot have light without dark, and vice versa. It was a quick and easy read with plenty of little twists here and there, and will be a cute escape on a crisp autumn day with a mug of tea.

Thank you for letting me read and submit an honest review.

ARC Review-

This was a new author for me, but I was instantly intrigued with the book description. The story concept was a really interesting and fun one to explore. I did enjoy the main character Hecate, and her eventual acceptance of all that she actually was.

The actual writing was a bit clunky and awkward, but I did notice it started to flow better towards the end of the book. It does read like it is the author’s first attempt of writing a novel, but it was nice to see the author find her voice a little more as the story progressed.

I loved the magic system and the Halloween vibes from the book. I thought the magic classification was a really unique one that was easy to understand. I also loved the concept of the personal journals that each witch had. I would personally love a spelled journal that was sentient and connected to me. The love story was definitely fast, but by the end of the book I was rooting for them. I also loved that the author included the recipes used at the very end of the book. I found that to be very whimsical and clever. Overall, it was a fun quick and fun read.

I loved the cozy witchy vibes and the characters. The recipes at the end were fabulous. The only thing that let down the book was the romance - it felt a bit rushed and was missing some chemistry .

This book is an absolute must-read for anyone who loves witchy tales, especially during the cozy season of Fall. From shadow magic to sibling bonds, A Dark and Secret Magic is filled with captivating elements that kept me hooked from start to finish. The plot is a true page-turner, weaving together mysteries of the past, the discovery of magical potential, and the true intentions of characters like Matthew. Despite the presence of dark elements like blood magic, the story maintains a cozy atmosphere with steady pacing and great character development. Hecate and Matthew are wonderfully crafted characters, and the supporting cast adds depth to the narrative. While this book is a standalone, I can't help but hope for more adventures with Hecate and Matthew in the future.

This book was such a great read! It's the perfect book for the Halloween season.
I love books about witches, and this is definitely worth a read.
My only issue with this book was the romance. I wanted a bit more of that, but otherwise it was great!

I love a good Greek myth retelling. This was amazing in writing and in world building. If you like myth retellings then definitely recommend

This book is a PERFECT Fall witchy read!! Of course, I am reading it now because I absolutely LOVE books about witches. This is truly a must read if you like books with witches + swoony romance. The book is filled with shadow magic, mystery, sibling bonds, learning ones’ magic potential, an evil witch, nightmares, and strong FMC and MMC.

📖 Plot: A true page turner for me! I was caught up in what really happened in her past, the potential of her magic, why her mom only taught her half of her magic, and what are Matthew’s true intentions. I found myself trying to figure it out before the end of the book.

I found this story to be more cozy than dark though they do fight a dark witch from the underworld with shadow magic and there are aspects of blood magic in the book. The book had a steady-paced, great character development, and the plot kept me guessing until the end. This book had all the witchy aspects …a smart cat, potions, spells, Halloween, good vs. bad magic, and rival covens.

🧙‍♀️ Characters: Hecate was a smart and strong hedge witch. I enjoyed her character arc throughout the book. Matthew is a swoony-worthy powerful witch, and his character is done phenomenally. I appreciated the variety of secondary characters and the role each of them played in the story. Though this is a standalone, I feel there is much more to tell! I am not done reading about Hecate and Matthew journey!