4.3 (1,298 ratings)

A Dark and Secret Magic

Name: A Dark and Secret Magic
Rating: 4.3 (1298 reviews)
Author: Wallis Kinney
ISBN: B0D8R41V1X

by Wallis Kinney

witches

About this book

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.

Publication Date: May 25, 2026
ASIN: B0D8R41V1X

Reader Reviews

The perfect fall read with a dash of magic!

September 27, 2025

I really enjoyed this book—it’s the perfect way to kick off the fall and Halloween season! The story weaves together just the right mix of romance, family, hidden secrets, and a wonderfully hateable villain. I especially loved the recipes included at the end—I can’t wait to try them out! )

Solid Autumnal read

October 4, 2025

This has all the bright and dark moments of Practical Magic and the Witches of Eastwick and a deep undercurrent of Family first as the theme. Mothers protecting their daughters and a man who will sacrifice everything he is for the woman he loves. As a standalone, I know the plot couldn't breathe as much as it could have, and the characters couldn't be as fleshed out.so it suffered a bit as a whole. But the right balance is there, and there are enough vibes to be satisfying. ) 2 people found...

Favorite cozy witchy book

December 3, 2025

Have you been looking for the perfect cozy witchy cottage core book with suspense and a touch of romance ? One with writing so beautiful that you feel like you can taste the magical meals the main character is making? And then you wish you had the recipes for those meals cuz they sound sooooo good! And SPOILER the recipes are in the back of the book!!!!!! This is it! This is my fav witchy book. I never stop recommend it and everyone Iv convinced to read it has loved it. Def check it out )...

Favorite cozy witchy book

December 3, 2025

](https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_avp?ie=UTF8&nodeId=G8UYX7LALQC8V9KA) Have you been looking for the perfect cozy witchy cottage core book with suspense and a touch of romance ? One with writing so beautiful that you feel like you can taste the magical meals the main character is making? And then you wish you had the recipes for those meals cuz they sound sooooo good! And SPOILER the recipes are in the back of the book!!!!!! This is it! This is my fav...

Interesting idea but lacking execution and flimsy plot

September 19, 2025

All the autumn vibes, little substance I wanted so much to like this book, but the writing almost feels too reliant on heavy-handed, cozy descriptions. It bogs down the plot a bit. I feel like the level of descriptions of mundane items with no plot relevance is distracting. While there is a lot described, the world building is lacking and left me with more questions than answers. As far as the romance aspect of this, there isn't a lot of chemistry between the two main characters present. I...