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A Dark and Secret Magic
A warm, spellbinding tale about a witch and the secrets her coven has been keeping from her, with echoes of the classic Hades and Persephone story, in the tradition of Practical Magic and Witch of Wild Things.
Hecate Goodwin, Kate to her friends, has curated the perfect life as a hedge witch, living in a secluded cottage with only a black cat for company. She spends her days foraging herbs from the Ipswich forest, gardening, and creating tinctures to sell at the apothecary she owns. Most evenings pass without her speaking to another human being, an arrangement she quite prefers.
Kate’s solitude is thrown into disarray when her older sister, Miranda, reaches out and asks her to host their coven’s annual Halloween gathering. The day marks the beginning of the new year for witches and is also Kate’s birthday. The pressure from her coven to make the evening memorable mounts as the event draws near. To complicate things further, a handsome man from Kate’s past turns up at her cottage, asking for sanctuary. It is Kate’s duty as a hedge witch to honor this request, much to her dismay. Matthew Cypher is no ordinary lost soul–he’s a practitioner of forbidden magic who’s tricked Kate once before, and her guard is up.
As she juggles Matthew’s arrival and the preparations for Halloween, Kate comes across an old tome shrouded in dark magic. She is horrified when she realizes the blood-red inscription is written in familiar handwriting: her recently deceased mother’s. Afraid to even touch the dark magic her mother secretly studied, Kate can turn only to Matthew for help. Her idealized memory of her mother begins to distort, and as she and Matthew grow closer, Kate has to reevaluate whom she can really trust.
A Dark and Secret Magic is a celebration of the Halloween season and a love letter to anyone who drinks pumpkin spice in August and carries the spirit of a witch inside their heart all year long.
Hecate Goodwin, Kate to her friends, has curated the perfect life as a hedge witch, living in a secluded cottage with only a black cat for company. She spends her days foraging herbs from the Ipswich forest, gardening, and creating tinctures to sell at the apothecary she owns. Most evenings pass without her speaking to another human being, an arrangement she quite prefers.
Kate’s solitude is thrown into disarray when her older sister, Miranda, reaches out and asks her to host their coven’s annual Halloween gathering. The day marks the beginning of the new year for witches and is also Kate’s birthday. The pressure from her coven to make the evening memorable mounts as the event draws near. To complicate things further, a handsome man from Kate’s past turns up at her cottage, asking for sanctuary. It is Kate’s duty as a hedge witch to honor this request, much to her dismay. Matthew Cypher is no ordinary lost soul–he’s a practitioner of forbidden magic who’s tricked Kate once before, and her guard is up.
As she juggles Matthew’s arrival and the preparations for Halloween, Kate comes across an old tome shrouded in dark magic. She is horrified when she realizes the blood-red inscription is written in familiar handwriting: her recently deceased mother’s. Afraid to even touch the dark magic her mother secretly studied, Kate can turn only to Matthew for help. Her idealized memory of her mother begins to distort, and as she and Matthew grow closer, Kate has to reevaluate whom she can really trust.
A Dark and Secret Magic is a celebration of the Halloween season and a love letter to anyone who drinks pumpkin spice in August and carries the spirit of a witch inside their heart all year long.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 8, 2024
970 people are currently reading
44752 people want to read
About the author
Wallis Kinney
5 books345 followersWallis' largest sources of joy are science and fairytales. She tries to weave elements of both into every story she writes. She studied Planetary Science and Molecular Biology at the University of Colorado and has a Masters in Economics from Purdue University. Wallis lives in Boulder, Colorado and continually draws from the mountains to feed her creative energy. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, playing Dungeons & Dragons, and making videos on YouTube that document her writing process.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,274 reviews
May 11, 2025
In a Nutshell: An adult fantasy-romance about a witch who doesn’t know her true power. Lightly inspired by the myth of Persephone and Hades. Good enough ‘magic’, but plenty of ‘secrets’ and not enough ‘dark’. Too much of romance, not enough of fantasy. Gets a bit repetitive, though the ending works for the plot. This is an outlier review.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Bookish Yays:
🎃 Learnt a lot about hedgewitch magic. Most fantasy books I’ve read with hedgewitches show them in a cosy way, so this take was different and more fun.
🎃 The magical set-up was wonderful, with different witches holding various types of power and different covens having varying power structures. The magic itself was also interesting.
🎃 To those who enjoy Halloween, this book will deliver plenty of pumpkin-spice feels.
🎃 Merlin the black cat – wanted so much more of him!
🎃 This book is said to have “echoes of the classic Hades and Persephone” story, and it does. It isn’t a typical retelling where the relationship between the two is sanitised and romanticised. Rather, the foundation of that connection is used to build the darker aspects of this plot. Though I wanted more of this, I did like the innovative take.
Bookish Mixed Bags:
👻 As a fantasy-romance, the book promised a strong fantastical base. However, most of the scenes seem to be focussed on the romance and the fantasy feels quite diluted in comparison. I picked this up for the fantasy, so this was a bit disappointing.
👻 Great description in the food-related scenes and plenty of recipes at the end. (This might be a Yay to some, but I am not fond of extended descriptions of relatively unimportant points. Why should only food get such extensive picturesque imagery in this plot?)
👻 The world-building is quite vague. The setting seems to be our contemporary time, with the coven members referencing many ideas from our world such as blood cancer and influencers and selfies. However, the world itself feels very hazy, with only the woods that Kate loves to wander in described in an atmospheric way.
👻 Kate’s sisters Miranda and Celeste, Ginny the book witch, and Ginny’s mother Rebecca who co-owns the apothecary with Kate, are all characters with tremendous potential. But they don’t get much page space and there’s no depth to any of their arcs. I would especially have loved to see more of them, especially in terms of how their magic is so different from Kate’s.
Bookish Nays:
👹 The title uses the word ‘dark’, but most of the book feels light and cosy. Then, it suddenly takes a plunge into the dark zone, which is over before the blink of an eye. Anyone who knows fantasy knows that a book cannot strive to be dark and cosy at the same time; they are distinct genres with distinct feels.
👹 Even when there were dark magic scenes, the writing somehow didn’t grip me into full concentration. Everything seemed surface-level, with neither emotions nor characters being explored in depth except to the extent required. At times, it felt like the book was trying too hard to deliver the feels.
👹 Hecate’s character rarely acts her age. I could have put this down to her sheltered upbringing, but the turnaround in her behaviour seems to be equally abrupt, making the earlier naivete questionable. Plus, there is no spark to her personality at all.
👹 Considering that the writing is in first person, we should have got to know and connect with Hecate better. But her thoughts delve on the same 2-3 thoughts throughout the book: “Can I trust XYZ?”, “I don’t trust XYZ”, and ‘I am not good at this.’ Rarely does her mind go into other topics. She left me bored.
👹 Partially thanks to the above, and partially because the entire book has the same kinds of scenes (Hecate uncertain, Matthew reassuring her that she’s fabulous, her sisters looking at them questioningly, and tons of secrets by everyone involved), the plot feels repetitive. There’s no escaping the triad of lies, doubts, and secrets until the final few pages.
👹 On that note, there are way too many secrets in the book. Every single character except for Hecate holds multiple secrets. Needless to say, the secrets always come with their permanent plot partner: miscommunication. This combo was annoying.
👹 The romance seems to begin with the enemies-to-lovers theme but the turnaround in feelings is so immediate that it feels like insta-attraction. Again, two tropes that don’t work in harmony with each other.
👹 The plot development is terribly slack. Hardly anything happens in the initial quarter, and later, what happens is just the slow-ish revelation of secrets and more secrets, until the rushed-up climax.
👹 The climax was terribly disappointing to me. After all that build-up, I can’t believe the settlement was so quick and smooth.
All in all, while this debut work did have some *magical* moments, the over-reliance on secrets and the repetitive conflicts made me zone out of the narrative time and again. With such a title, I expected something genuinely and consistently darker. I enjoy cozy fantasies, but this books feels like a mishmash of dark and cosy while doing justice to neither.
It’s not all bad. I am relieved that the dreaded ‘kitchen sink’ so common in debuts isn’t present in this. It’s just that the book doesn’t deliver what the title and the cover promise. For an adult fantasy, the plot is too tame and the characters too bland.
Maybe this would work better with the YA-NA crowd. (Every ‘censorable’ scene except for kissing is closed door, so it just might.) Do note that I am an outlier in my opinion, so please read other reviews before you take a call.
2 stars.
My thanks to Alcove Press for providing the DRC of “A Dark and Secret Magic” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Thirty-one-year old Hecate Goodwin, ‘Kate’ to her close ones, is a hedge witch who, after her mother’s death a few months ago, lives with only her black cat for company in a secluded cottage. She enjoys the solitude sometimes, but her craving for human company makes her spend more time at an apothecary she co-owns.
When her elder sister Miranda asks her to host the annual Halloween gathering for their coven, Kate’s sheltered life turns into chaos. As the date also happens to be Kate’s birthday, she needs to ensure that the gathering lives up to the times when her mother hosted it. To add to the stress, Matthew Cypher, a ‘hexan’ from a rival coven that practices forbidden magic, turns up after many years, asking for sanctuary. As the hedge witch, Kate cannot refuse him this request. To top it all, Kate discovers an old book infused with blood magic in her mother’s room. To whom can Kate go for help? Whom can she trust?
The story comes to us in Kate’s first-person perspective.
Bookish Yays:
🎃 Learnt a lot about hedgewitch magic. Most fantasy books I’ve read with hedgewitches show them in a cosy way, so this take was different and more fun.
🎃 The magical set-up was wonderful, with different witches holding various types of power and different covens having varying power structures. The magic itself was also interesting.
🎃 To those who enjoy Halloween, this book will deliver plenty of pumpkin-spice feels.
🎃 Merlin the black cat – wanted so much more of him!
🎃 This book is said to have “echoes of the classic Hades and Persephone” story, and it does. It isn’t a typical retelling where the relationship between the two is sanitised and romanticised. Rather, the foundation of that connection is used to build the darker aspects of this plot. Though I wanted more of this, I did like the innovative take.
Bookish Mixed Bags:
👻 As a fantasy-romance, the book promised a strong fantastical base. However, most of the scenes seem to be focussed on the romance and the fantasy feels quite diluted in comparison. I picked this up for the fantasy, so this was a bit disappointing.
👻 Great description in the food-related scenes and plenty of recipes at the end. (This might be a Yay to some, but I am not fond of extended descriptions of relatively unimportant points. Why should only food get such extensive picturesque imagery in this plot?)
👻 The world-building is quite vague. The setting seems to be our contemporary time, with the coven members referencing many ideas from our world such as blood cancer and influencers and selfies. However, the world itself feels very hazy, with only the woods that Kate loves to wander in described in an atmospheric way.
👻 Kate’s sisters Miranda and Celeste, Ginny the book witch, and Ginny’s mother Rebecca who co-owns the apothecary with Kate, are all characters with tremendous potential. But they don’t get much page space and there’s no depth to any of their arcs. I would especially have loved to see more of them, especially in terms of how their magic is so different from Kate’s.
Bookish Nays:
👹 The title uses the word ‘dark’, but most of the book feels light and cosy. Then, it suddenly takes a plunge into the dark zone, which is over before the blink of an eye. Anyone who knows fantasy knows that a book cannot strive to be dark and cosy at the same time; they are distinct genres with distinct feels.
👹 Even when there were dark magic scenes, the writing somehow didn’t grip me into full concentration. Everything seemed surface-level, with neither emotions nor characters being explored in depth except to the extent required. At times, it felt like the book was trying too hard to deliver the feels.
👹 Hecate’s character rarely acts her age. I could have put this down to her sheltered upbringing, but the turnaround in her behaviour seems to be equally abrupt, making the earlier naivete questionable. Plus, there is no spark to her personality at all.
👹 Considering that the writing is in first person, we should have got to know and connect with Hecate better. But her thoughts delve on the same 2-3 thoughts throughout the book: “Can I trust XYZ?”, “I don’t trust XYZ”, and ‘I am not good at this.’ Rarely does her mind go into other topics. She left me bored.
👹 Partially thanks to the above, and partially because the entire book has the same kinds of scenes (Hecate uncertain, Matthew reassuring her that she’s fabulous, her sisters looking at them questioningly, and tons of secrets by everyone involved), the plot feels repetitive. There’s no escaping the triad of lies, doubts, and secrets until the final few pages.
👹 On that note, there are way too many secrets in the book. Every single character except for Hecate holds multiple secrets. Needless to say, the secrets always come with their permanent plot partner: miscommunication. This combo was annoying.
👹 The romance seems to begin with the enemies-to-lovers theme but the turnaround in feelings is so immediate that it feels like insta-attraction. Again, two tropes that don’t work in harmony with each other.
👹 The plot development is terribly slack. Hardly anything happens in the initial quarter, and later, what happens is just the slow-ish revelation of secrets and more secrets, until the rushed-up climax.
👹 The climax was terribly disappointing to me. After all that build-up, I can’t believe the settlement was so quick and smooth.
All in all, while this debut work did have some *magical* moments, the over-reliance on secrets and the repetitive conflicts made me zone out of the narrative time and again. With such a title, I expected something genuinely and consistently darker. I enjoy cozy fantasies, but this books feels like a mishmash of dark and cosy while doing justice to neither.
It’s not all bad. I am relieved that the dreaded ‘kitchen sink’ so common in debuts isn’t present in this. It’s just that the book doesn’t deliver what the title and the cover promise. For an adult fantasy, the plot is too tame and the characters too bland.
Maybe this would work better with the YA-NA crowd. (Every ‘censorable’ scene except for kissing is closed door, so it just might.) Do note that I am an outlier in my opinion, so please read other reviews before you take a call.
2 stars.
My thanks to Alcove Press for providing the DRC of “A Dark and Secret Magic” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
September 1, 2025
Czytajcie to koniecznie na Halloween!!
Ta książka was przytuli, ale w taki klimatyczny jesienny sposób pachnący bananowym chlebkiem, cynamonem i dyniami 🎃
Ta książka was przytuli, ale w taki klimatyczny jesienny sposób pachnący bananowym chlebkiem, cynamonem i dyniami 🎃
October 22, 2025
4.25 ★— This book struck the perfect balance between cozy and heartfelt, with an emotional plot line that I really enjoyed!
Living in a small town, Hedge Witch Hecate Goodwin, or Kate, has been living a fairly isolated existence, her witch designation marking her to forever exist on the periphery of people’s lives. Still grieving her mother’s death and haunted by strange nightmares, Kate’s carefully coordinated routine is thrown into chaos when an old crush from a decade ago reappears and she’s suddenly tasked with organizing the witches’ annual Halloween gathering.
This book really managed to juggle all its elements so well. Kate is the dutiful, people-pleasing daughter living that small-town life, trying to convince herself she’s content with the state her world is in. The story explores her grief over her mother’s death beautifully, and those feelings of isolation in the beginning of the story were portrayed with a lot of care. At the same time, the town setting is the cozy, slightly spooky place of my Halloween dreams! It's all lush, dark forests and autumnal charm with Kate living in a cottage that seemed so warm and cozy, I wanted to live in it as well!
There’s also a Halloween festival, pumpkin carving, and all the seasonally appropriate activities you’d hope for in a witchy contemporary romance.
Speaking of romance, I really enjoyed that aspect too! The MMC, Matthew, is a swoony and kind character, and his long-standing crush on Kate is clear from their first meeting after ten years. Their relationship develops naturally, and while his role in the larger plot was a bit predictable, it was still very satisfying to see it play out.
The story also touches on more serious themes, like the aforementioned grief and parental loss, but these never weighed the narrative down. They felt thoughtfully fitted into how the story’s arc unfolded.
And, one more thing I absolutely loved: the many descriptions of witchy recipes and food the author managed to add into this story. It just made it all the more atmospheric and made me hungry during my read!
This is one of those books where I’d love a sequel. Maybe one focused on one of Kate’s sisters? Just to see how the other characters fare after the ending. There’s still so much that could be explored here, and I’d absolutely love to read more of this world and the different witch covens.
Living in a small town, Hedge Witch Hecate Goodwin, or Kate, has been living a fairly isolated existence, her witch designation marking her to forever exist on the periphery of people’s lives. Still grieving her mother’s death and haunted by strange nightmares, Kate’s carefully coordinated routine is thrown into chaos when an old crush from a decade ago reappears and she’s suddenly tasked with organizing the witches’ annual Halloween gathering.
This book really managed to juggle all its elements so well. Kate is the dutiful, people-pleasing daughter living that small-town life, trying to convince herself she’s content with the state her world is in. The story explores her grief over her mother’s death beautifully, and those feelings of isolation in the beginning of the story were portrayed with a lot of care. At the same time, the town setting is the cozy, slightly spooky place of my Halloween dreams! It's all lush, dark forests and autumnal charm with Kate living in a cottage that seemed so warm and cozy, I wanted to live in it as well!
There’s also a Halloween festival, pumpkin carving, and all the seasonally appropriate activities you’d hope for in a witchy contemporary romance.
Speaking of romance, I really enjoyed that aspect too! The MMC, Matthew, is a swoony and kind character, and his long-standing crush on Kate is clear from their first meeting after ten years. Their relationship develops naturally, and while his role in the larger plot was a bit predictable, it was still very satisfying to see it play out.
The story also touches on more serious themes, like the aforementioned grief and parental loss, but these never weighed the narrative down. They felt thoughtfully fitted into how the story’s arc unfolded.
And, one more thing I absolutely loved: the many descriptions of witchy recipes and food the author managed to add into this story. It just made it all the more atmospheric and made me hungry during my read!
This is one of those books where I’d love a sequel. Maybe one focused on one of Kate’s sisters? Just to see how the other characters fare after the ending. There’s still so much that could be explored here, and I’d absolutely love to read more of this world and the different witch covens.
July 21, 2024
"A Dark and Secret Magic is a celebration of the Halloween season and a love letter to anyone who drinks pumpkin spice in August and carries the spirit of a witch inside their heart all year long. "
I defiantly think this book delivered on that! It's a gateway drug to the most beautiful time of year. So much so, half way through the book, I got out a few Halloween decorations and put a pumpkin scent in my wax warmer. I gave in, I embraced it fully.
Hecate's story was entertaining and delightful. It was more cozy than anything but that was ok. I was interested in what happened to her, Matthew and her sisters. I liked the varieties of witches in the book. There is all kinds of magics! In the blurb it says "echoes of the classic Hades and Persephone story" but the first thing that came to my mind upon finishing was the waxing and waning of the Wheel of the Year.
Anyways, I would read this again. If this becomes a series, I will read the next one and I would read more from this author. I would certainly buy this for a friend.
I defiantly think this book delivered on that! It's a gateway drug to the most beautiful time of year. So much so, half way through the book, I got out a few Halloween decorations and put a pumpkin scent in my wax warmer. I gave in, I embraced it fully.
Hecate's story was entertaining and delightful. It was more cozy than anything but that was ok. I was interested in what happened to her, Matthew and her sisters. I liked the varieties of witches in the book. There is all kinds of magics! In the blurb it says "echoes of the classic Hades and Persephone story" but the first thing that came to my mind upon finishing was the waxing and waning of the Wheel of the Year.
Anyways, I would read this again. If this becomes a series, I will read the next one and I would read more from this author. I would certainly buy this for a friend.
September 13, 2024
**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!
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!
October 21, 2024
This was adorable! Perfect witchy read for Halloween.
July 20, 2024
This is gonna be the PERFECT autumn read!
The cover just screams cozy and the writing delivers just that!
I feel like with a lot of these “cozy books” they can become a bit bland after a while but this one has a good spooky to cozy ratio.
The only thing I had a little problem with was the romance aspect of the story. Hecate and Matthew met briefly 10 years ago and during that short visit Matthew supposedly fell in love and stayed in love with her for 10 years!? I also cringed a little at how protective he was but other than that they were cute!
𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘼𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝����𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬!
The cover just screams cozy and the writing delivers just that!
I feel like with a lot of these “cozy books” they can become a bit bland after a while but this one has a good spooky to cozy ratio.
The only thing I had a little problem with was the romance aspect of the story. Hecate and Matthew met briefly 10 years ago and during that short visit Matthew supposedly fell in love and stayed in love with her for 10 years!? I also cringed a little at how protective he was but other than that they were cute!
𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘼𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝����𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬!
couldnt-finish
November 5, 2024A quarter of the way into this, I realized I misunderstood the synopsis.
This isn't a charming Halloween story about a witch finding out who she is after her dear mother's death, this is romantasy with witches.
The pain of disappointment and regret is strong in me.
This isn't a charming Halloween story about a witch finding out who she is after her dear mother's death, this is romantasy with witches.
The pain of disappointment and regret is strong in me.
October 21, 2024
I want to be a book witch
October 12, 2024
I feel like this book would’ve been so much more engaging if any of the characters had personalities.
The start of the book was so fucking slow that the actual plot became extremely shallow and were not explored well. I feel like the end with Winifred was glazed over so much and was just there to tie up that loose end. So much of the history of the coven and magic in this universe is only briefly touched upon that it makes this book lacking. I actually thought the magic system was interesting but it just wasn’t explored in depth that it kind of had no consequences. Like I would’ve liked to learn more about the other covens or even just more about the members of her coven. Idk. I just feel like we were missing a lot. I didn’t get the feeling that there was any real relationship between the sisters either. And talking of relationships, Kate and Matthew had no chemistry and they definitely weren’t in love imo. Like there was no journey of their romance that convinced in any way that they fell/ are in love. Also I hated that the book was in present tense because at the start it was so draining to be in Kate’s head and reading every single little thought she had.
The start of the book was so fucking slow that the actual plot became extremely shallow and were not explored well. I feel like the end with Winifred was glazed over so much and was just there to tie up that loose end. So much of the history of the coven and magic in this universe is only briefly touched upon that it makes this book lacking. I actually thought the magic system was interesting but it just wasn’t explored in depth that it kind of had no consequences. Like I would’ve liked to learn more about the other covens or even just more about the members of her coven. Idk. I just feel like we were missing a lot. I didn’t get the feeling that there was any real relationship between the sisters either. And talking of relationships, Kate and Matthew had no chemistry and they definitely weren’t in love imo. Like there was no journey of their romance that convinced in any way that they fell/ are in love. Also I hated that the book was in present tense because at the start it was so draining to be in Kate’s head and reading every single little thought she had.
August 4, 2025
5/5
To było….
Ta książka to mokry sen każdej jesieniary halloweeniary. Czytam dużo witchy paranormal romansów ale tutaj fabuła, klimat przejął absolutnie scenę. Było mrocznie i zabawnie. Magia i halloween są na każdej stronie tej książki, a główny bohater? GREEN flag, oddany, słodziak i omg❤️
To było….
Ta książka to mokry sen każdej jesieniary halloweeniary. Czytam dużo witchy paranormal romansów ale tutaj fabuła, klimat przejął absolutnie scenę. Było mrocznie i zabawnie. Magia i halloween są na każdej stronie tej książki, a główny bohater? GREEN flag, oddany, słodziak i omg❤️
October 24, 2025
Das war wirklich schön, obwohl es eher cosy und unaufgeregt war.
Das herbstliche Setting war sehr atmosphärisch und etwas dunkel, ohne gruselig oder schaurig zu sein. Das Thema Magie ist sehr gut recherchiert worden und es war sehr interessant zu erfahren, welche Kräuter wofür stehen.
Kate war ein eher ruhiger Charakter, Matthew wirkte ein bisschen wie ein liebestoller Welpe oder sowas und war ganz ok, aber am meisten mochte ich sowieso die Schwestern Miranda und Celeste, eine strenge, die andere quirlig.
Die Sprecherin Viola Müller war für mich die perfekte Stimme. Sie passte mit ihrer ruhigen Tonlage wunderbar zu Kates Charakter und hat der Story diese etwas düstere Gemütlichkeit verliehen, wie wenn es draußen dunkel ist und regnet und man sitzt selbst am Ofen mit Kakao in der Hand und guckt aus dem Fenster🎃🥰🥰
Die Liebesgeschichte war passend und ich mochte sehr, dass es keinen Spice gab, hätte einfach nicht gepasst.
Eine klare Hörempfehlung für den Herbst🎃🎃
Das herbstliche Setting war sehr atmosphärisch und etwas dunkel, ohne gruselig oder schaurig zu sein. Das Thema Magie ist sehr gut recherchiert worden und es war sehr interessant zu erfahren, welche Kräuter wofür stehen.
Kate war ein eher ruhiger Charakter, Matthew wirkte ein bisschen wie ein liebestoller Welpe oder sowas und war ganz ok, aber am meisten mochte ich sowieso die Schwestern Miranda und Celeste, eine strenge, die andere quirlig.
Die Sprecherin Viola Müller war für mich die perfekte Stimme. Sie passte mit ihrer ruhigen Tonlage wunderbar zu Kates Charakter und hat der Story diese etwas düstere Gemütlichkeit verliehen, wie wenn es draußen dunkel ist und regnet und man sitzt selbst am Ofen mit Kakao in der Hand und guckt aus dem Fenster🎃🥰🥰
Die Liebesgeschichte war passend und ich mochte sehr, dass es keinen Spice gab, hätte einfach nicht gepasst.
Eine klare Hörempfehlung für den Herbst🎃🎃
November 3, 2024
Congratulate me! I’ve read my first Romantasy.
I picked this up because my library recommended it and its description sounded so delightfully cozy and Halloween-y—temperatures had (at the time) started to drop, so I just couldn’t pass up the idea of lighting a candle and settling down for an atmospheric read and a hot drink. I didn’t realize the book was largely romance until the male lead showed up, but even then, the characters are in their 30s, so I had high hopes for a restrained, mature coupling.
I was really determined to give this a solid 3 stars. I love love loved the slice-of-life pace, the unfolding of seasonal routines, the attention to detail of all the kitchen activities, the fact that the 30-year-old main character led a quiet life in a cottage with her cat…. Basically MY DREAM LIFE??? The world/culture building of a witchy AU-America was also pretty interesting, I thought the author had thoughtfully built these ideas.
But oh man… I always knew romance was not for me, but it truly is NOT for me. The male lead suffers as a specimen of the mythical man-written-by-a-woman, protective and attentive to the point of absurdity, and the characters really read much younger than their age. The flirting & obvious affectations which are my usual complaints about the genre made me physically cringe. I get that these are features though, and that I just have an unfairly low tolerance for such things.
Even so, I persevered through the second-hand-embarrassment. The thing that lost the star for me was the climax & resolution. The villain was just way too cartoonish for me. “The King Below” is such a badass moniker, I thought he’d be really cool.
For the most part, loved the vibes. Didn’t love the love.
I picked this up because my library recommended it and its description sounded so delightfully cozy and Halloween-y—temperatures had (at the time) started to drop, so I just couldn’t pass up the idea of lighting a candle and settling down for an atmospheric read and a hot drink. I didn’t realize the book was largely romance until the male lead showed up, but even then, the characters are in their 30s, so I had high hopes for a restrained, mature coupling.
I was really determined to give this a solid 3 stars. I love love loved the slice-of-life pace, the unfolding of seasonal routines, the attention to detail of all the kitchen activities, the fact that the 30-year-old main character led a quiet life in a cottage with her cat…. Basically MY DREAM LIFE??? The world/culture building of a witchy AU-America was also pretty interesting, I thought the author had thoughtfully built these ideas.
But oh man… I always knew romance was not for me, but it truly is NOT for me. The male lead suffers as a specimen of the mythical man-written-by-a-woman, protective and attentive to the point of absurdity, and the characters really read much younger than their age. The flirting & obvious affectations which are my usual complaints about the genre made me physically cringe. I get that these are features though, and that I just have an unfairly low tolerance for such things.
Even so, I persevered through the second-hand-embarrassment. The thing that lost the star for me was the climax & resolution. The villain was just way too cartoonish for me. “The King Below” is such a badass moniker, I thought he’d be really cool.
For the most part, loved the vibes. Didn’t love the love.
July 4, 2024
3.5*
Firstly, I love the cover! Parts of this book really had me in the mood for Halloween decorations and foods! Pumpkin and apple spices! Yum.
Unfortunately for me the story just didn't have me very excited throughout. This was a cosy little read with cute witchy elements, which is great but for me it felt all too casual. It sailed through a still sea when it needed a wave or two! Even the more "dramatic" parts didn't have me feeling the mystical elements within it.I wanted a bit more power and magic!! More wow moments! This did however tick boxes for a slower,easier read that may be great for the younger audience.
Many thanks to the Author and Publisher through Netgalley for an ARC.
Firstly, I love the cover! Parts of this book really had me in the mood for Halloween decorations and foods! Pumpkin and apple spices! Yum.
Unfortunately for me the story just didn't have me very excited throughout. This was a cosy little read with cute witchy elements, which is great but for me it felt all too casual. It sailed through a still sea when it needed a wave or two! Even the more "dramatic" parts didn't have me feeling the mystical elements within it.I wanted a bit more power and magic!! More wow moments! This did however tick boxes for a slower,easier read that may be great for the younger audience.
Many thanks to the Author and Publisher through Netgalley for an ARC.
October 18, 2025
Just realized I never reviewed this? I'm not entirely sure what happened there, because I could have sworn I did. But alas... I did not.
This was the perfect autumnal, witchy read. It was short and atmospheric and dark and cozy all at the same time, which was exactly what I was looking for. There are some heavy topics, so I know some people may not label it as cozy. However, in my opinion, the way they were included/handled didn't detract from the overall escapism and coziness of the story. Pain and coziness can coexist, so long as the pain is handled with care and I felt it was here.
Overall, really loved this and will be revisiting in falls to come.
This was the perfect autumnal, witchy read. It was short and atmospheric and dark and cozy all at the same time, which was exactly what I was looking for. There are some heavy topics, so I know some people may not label it as cozy. However, in my opinion, the way they were included/handled didn't detract from the overall escapism and coziness of the story. Pain and coziness can coexist, so long as the pain is handled with care and I felt it was here.
Overall, really loved this and will be revisiting in falls to come.
September 18, 2025
2,5 / 5 Sterne
Das war für meinen Geschmack leider viel zu sehr auf der Romance-Schiene und auch nicht wirklich düster... Dennoch: Tolle Vibes und ein super Herbst-Feeling für gemütliche Stunden!
Meine vollständige (spoilerfreie) Rezenion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htVYi...
Das war für meinen Geschmack leider viel zu sehr auf der Romance-Schiene und auch nicht wirklich düster... Dennoch: Tolle Vibes und ein super Herbst-Feeling für gemütliche Stunden!
Meine vollständige (spoilerfreie) Rezenion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htVYi...
October 29, 2024
I was initially drawn to this book because of its stunning cover and this book was everything I’d hoped it would be!
This story follows Hecate “Kate” Goodwin, a recluse hedgewitch who is content with her quiet life. When Kate’s sister asks her to host their coven’s upcoming Halloween gathering, Kate strives to make the festival as perfect and memorable as possible, working to recreate every detail just as her late mother had done in previous years. As a hedgewitch, Kate also must provide temporary accommodations for anyone seeking sanctuary, so when Matthew, a handsome practitioner of forbidden magic, shows up at her door, Kate must juggle Matthew’s unexpected presence and her duties around prepping for the upcoming event.
When Kate begins to set up her family manor for Halloween, she comes across an old tome enveloped in dark magic... that belonged to her recently deceased mother. As she works to uncover why her mother was in possession of a tome containing dark and forbidden magic, Kate enlists Matthew’s help and Kate is forced to reevaluate who she can really trust.
I loved the atmosphere of this novel! It was the perfect read for autumn/Halloween. This is a book I will likely be rereading during future spooky seasons—the vibes were so cozy and I just couldn’t get enough of Kate and Matthew. I loved that there was a romantic element to this story, but it focused primarily on Kate’s journey of discovering the truth around her family as well as her own abilities.
If you are at all a fan of fantasy, witches, magic, cozy vibes, and romance, this is a must read.
Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This story follows Hecate “Kate” Goodwin, a recluse hedgewitch who is content with her quiet life. When Kate’s sister asks her to host their coven’s upcoming Halloween gathering, Kate strives to make the festival as perfect and memorable as possible, working to recreate every detail just as her late mother had done in previous years. As a hedgewitch, Kate also must provide temporary accommodations for anyone seeking sanctuary, so when Matthew, a handsome practitioner of forbidden magic, shows up at her door, Kate must juggle Matthew’s unexpected presence and her duties around prepping for the upcoming event.
When Kate begins to set up her family manor for Halloween, she comes across an old tome enveloped in dark magic... that belonged to her recently deceased mother. As she works to uncover why her mother was in possession of a tome containing dark and forbidden magic, Kate enlists Matthew’s help and Kate is forced to reevaluate who she can really trust.
I loved the atmosphere of this novel! It was the perfect read for autumn/Halloween. This is a book I will likely be rereading during future spooky seasons—the vibes were so cozy and I just couldn’t get enough of Kate and Matthew. I loved that there was a romantic element to this story, but it focused primarily on Kate’s journey of discovering the truth around her family as well as her own abilities.
If you are at all a fan of fantasy, witches, magic, cozy vibes, and romance, this is a must read.
Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 26, 2025
Mimo, że główna bohaterka ma już 31 lat, to historia przypomina typowe YA z motywami romantasy. Pomysł uważam za ciekawy, a jego realizacją za przyzwoitą. Nie mogę powiedzieć, żeby mnie ta opowieść jakoś specjalnie porwała. Momentami miałam wrażenie, że bohaterka ma jakieś maksymalnie 16 lat i trochę mnie irytowała. Lekka lektura, ale jeśli ją sobie darujesz, to nic się wielkiego nie stanie.
October 15, 2024
October is the perfect month to read this wonderful book. The whole book is a homage to the holiday of Halloween. If you love Halloween and all the wonderful treats, tricks, parties, and fun then you absolutely should read this book. The characters are wonderful and the setting is so delightful and charming. There is not a single thing I would change in this book. I have had the worst couple of months. My husband passed away suddenly. This book gave me a much needed escape and time away from my heartache and grief. I highly recommend this book. It's so lovely and just plain good.
October 19, 2025
3,5
Bardzo przyjemna, jesieniarska książka :) wcale nie jest tak mroczna jak zapowiada tytuł, ale też nie przesłodzona motywem cozy.
Romans pomiędzy dwójką bohaterów odgrywa istotną rolę, w żadnym razie nie zawiera spicy scen, jak to opisywały niektóre recenzje. Naprawdę podobał mi się sposób, w jaki Hecate i Matthew dbali o siebie nawzajem, szczególnie mam tu na myśli drobne gesty, którymi się obdarzali.
Kreacja świata nie jest jakoś super rozbudowana, koncentrujemy się tu bardziej na naturze magii Hecate, co na szczęście było ciekawe.
Podsumowując, po prostu świetna rozrywka 🙂
Bardzo przyjemna, jesieniarska książka :) wcale nie jest tak mroczna jak zapowiada tytuł, ale też nie przesłodzona motywem cozy.
Romans pomiędzy dwójką bohaterów odgrywa istotną rolę, w żadnym razie nie zawiera spicy scen, jak to opisywały niektóre recenzje. Naprawdę podobał mi się sposób, w jaki Hecate i Matthew dbali o siebie nawzajem, szczególnie mam tu na myśli drobne gesty, którymi się obdarzali.
Kreacja świata nie jest jakoś super rozbudowana, koncentrujemy się tu bardziej na naturze magii Hecate, co na szczęście było ciekawe.
Podsumowując, po prostu świetna rozrywka 🙂
October 8, 2025
Ktokolwiek nazwał to cosy, nie ostrzegł, że złamie mi serce. Zapamiętam sobie tę zdradę.
October 19, 2025
review soon! Audiobook on hoopla
September 1, 2024
Charming. Cozy. Witchy...
with just a pinch of dark magic and romance.
Picture this: fuzzy socks, a flannel blanket, a warm mug of "So Cozy Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate" and a furry companion joining you while you read this book... in a cozy little cabin in front of a crackling fireplace the week before Halloween. Seriously, this book is an ode to everything there is to love about the autumn season.
I enjoyed this story. While the stakes aren't particularly high, the plot is enticing, and you can't help but love Hecate our FMC and Hedge Witch. I was amused by the plot development, the little twists along the way, and the sweet romance within these pages.
Some of the characters did put a sour taste in my mouth with their treatment of the FMC - and although she pardons them in the story - I think they got off a little bit too easily. I did find there could've been a little bit more conflict resolution, and the ending is fairly fast-paced after a slow-building story, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
The included recipes and descriptions of the food were just top-notch. I may have drooled a little.
𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓸 𝓝𝓮𝓽𝓰𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓐𝓵𝓬𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓟𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓪𝓷 𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓲𝓷 𝓮𝔁𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓶𝔂 𝓱𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀.
with just a pinch of dark magic and romance.
Picture this: fuzzy socks, a flannel blanket, a warm mug of "So Cozy Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate" and a furry companion joining you while you read this book... in a cozy little cabin in front of a crackling fireplace the week before Halloween. Seriously, this book is an ode to everything there is to love about the autumn season.
I enjoyed this story. While the stakes aren't particularly high, the plot is enticing, and you can't help but love Hecate our FMC and Hedge Witch. I was amused by the plot development, the little twists along the way, and the sweet romance within these pages.
Some of the characters did put a sour taste in my mouth with their treatment of the FMC - and although she pardons them in the story - I think they got off a little bit too easily. I did find there could've been a little bit more conflict resolution, and the ending is fairly fast-paced after a slow-building story, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
The included recipes and descriptions of the food were just top-notch. I may have drooled a little.
𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓸 𝓝𝓮𝓽𝓰𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓐𝓵𝓬𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓟𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓪𝓷 𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓲𝓷 𝓮𝔁𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓶𝔂 𝓱𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀.
October 29, 2025
Peccato. Bella l'atmosfera, bella l'idea di base, ma la storia d'amore non ha il minimo senso e lui è davvero troppo scemo. Il massimo della caratterizzazione è che profuma di pioggia e cannella, e che tossisce imbarazzato.
C'è una grande minaccia che incombe e 'sti due, che manco si conoscono, passano le intere giornate chiusi in casa a cucinare e a scatarrare. L'età anagrafica è 31, ma quella mentale è 11.
Consiglio questa lettura a chi ama la cucina (credo di non aver mai letto così tante ricette in vita mia) e a chi vuole decorare lo scaffale con un'edizione splendida, perché sì, l'unica cosa che si salva di questo libro è la copertina.
🎃📚🍁
PS. Una menzione speciale va al gatto Merlino e alla strega dei libri. Voglio essere una strega dei libri.
C'è una grande minaccia che incombe e 'sti due, che manco si conoscono, passano le intere giornate chiusi in casa a cucinare e a scatarrare. L'età anagrafica è 31, ma quella mentale è 11.
Consiglio questa lettura a chi ama la cucina (credo di non aver mai letto così tante ricette in vita mia) e a chi vuole decorare lo scaffale con un'edizione splendida, perché sì, l'unica cosa che si salva di questo libro è la copertina.
🎃📚🍁
PS. Una menzione speciale va al gatto Merlino e alla strega dei libri. Voglio essere una strega dei libri.
November 5, 2024
3 stars!
this was incredibly cute, i thought that the fall vibes were impeccable. hot chocolate, pumpkin carving, being haunted and stalked by the personification of death, cosy little cottages with caramel cookies and candles...
the main characters were also good, they had a lot of page time so we get to know them quite well. the romance was also alright, the sisters a little underdeveloped, and the villain middling.
i found myself doing some skimming of pages towards the end, but the ending was actually satisfactory.
(i did laugh whenever ipswich was on the page bc it just reminded me of the uk town but the book is set in the us)
this was incredibly cute, i thought that the fall vibes were impeccable. hot chocolate, pumpkin carving, being haunted and stalked by the personification of death, cosy little cottages with caramel cookies and candles...
the main characters were also good, they had a lot of page time so we get to know them quite well. the romance was also alright, the sisters a little underdeveloped, and the villain middling.
i found myself doing some skimming of pages towards the end, but the ending was actually satisfactory.
(i did laugh whenever ipswich was on the page bc it just reminded me of the uk town but the book is set in the us)
Want to read
July 24, 2024Most evenings pass without her speaking to another human being, an arrangement she quite prefers.
October 13, 2025
4/5 ⭐️
Cozy historia z fajnym romansem 🤭🍂 Jestem zdecydowanie na TAK! ✨
Cozy historia z fajnym romansem 🤭🍂 Jestem zdecydowanie na TAK! ✨
September 20, 2025
This was quite cute and sweet, a nice departure from the darker books that I’ve been reading. Hecate, or Kate, is a hedge witch. Not sure what that is? Don’t worry, neither is she. As a witch in her coven, her powers are to be condensed on her 31st birthday, Samhain, in order to seal her craft and devote her life solely to hedge magic. However, a man from the past shows up just in the nick of time.
Hecate has despised Matthew for the past decade. After all, he lied to her and made a fool of out her in front of her mother. Now, he’s claiming to be here to help her. Something doesn’t feel right, but Kate can’t be sure if that’s Matthew or this pesky King Below whose name keeps popping up at dark moments. As she and Matthew prepare for the Samhain festivities, something becomes clear: Kate’s upbringing was a lie, and real danger is near. But she’s not sure who to trust, if anyone.
This was sweet and slow, and I loved all of the fun kitchen magic sprinkled throughout! Very cozy and fun to read with elements from Practical Magic, Persephone and Hades, and Halloween fun all around!
Hecate has despised Matthew for the past decade. After all, he lied to her and made a fool of out her in front of her mother. Now, he’s claiming to be here to help her. Something doesn’t feel right, but Kate can’t be sure if that’s Matthew or this pesky King Below whose name keeps popping up at dark moments. As she and Matthew prepare for the Samhain festivities, something becomes clear: Kate’s upbringing was a lie, and real danger is near. But she’s not sure who to trust, if anyone.
This was sweet and slow, and I loved all of the fun kitchen magic sprinkled throughout! Very cozy and fun to read with elements from Practical Magic, Persephone and Hades, and Halloween fun all around!
October 22, 2025
3.75⭐️
Bardzo przyjemne czytadełko wprost idealne na końcówkę października!
Bardzo przyjemne czytadełko wprost idealne na końcówkę października!
September 21, 2025
4,25✨
Chyba ciężko będzie znaleźć bardziej jesieniarską książkę od tej 😭♥️
Chyba ciężko będzie znaleźć bardziej jesieniarską książkę od tej 😭♥️
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