Read And Revel

Secrets & Spells publishes 10/16/25

When Jared is attacked by the serial killer he’d been reporting on for months, his life is turned upside down. Finding an ad for a small town newspaper position, he decides a change of scenery and the chance to discover a long sought after secret might be just what he needs. The secret he finds: an entire town full of supernatural beings, hidden away from all human eyes! There he meets Selene, a moon witch that causes his heart to stir in a way it never has before. But the secrets don’t stop there, there’s a lot more to discover in Crystal Lake. 

This story was an enormously fun read! I enjoyed the dual POV, seeing the inner workings and struggles from both of our main characters. The insta-love, and found family are both troped that I thoroughly enjoy, and the slow burn added to the romance. I like that they genuinely enjoyed getting to know one another, and built a foundation of friendship. 

I appreciate any book that takes the time to thoroughly and accurately delve into mental health and the struggles that can creep up. Especially following Jared through his anxiety from the attack, the guilt of being a man who shouldn’t show fear, though he feels it at every turn was handled extremely well. What we see from therapy sessions from multiple main characters felt genuine and showed the reality of healing from different paths. 

I loved the wide variety of beings we meet, the different hierarchies and prejudices that come from different kinds’ power structures all fitting together in their little sanctuary town. The worldbuilding was great without feeling unfamiliar or too complicated, it helps that we’re going along the journey with Jared, rather than just feeling like exposition. 

If i had any critiques, I would have loved to see a bit more of the relationship blooming between Selene and Jared rather than the small time jumps. Also, I feel like there were a few ways the tension could have escalated, with Jared being a big city reporter from the human world who could expose their secrets, or prejudices different towns people have about certain kinds of magic that could have been explored more. I also would have enjoyed seeing more of the witches powers being used whether in daily life or in the more tense moments. Overall, this was a great read that I personally think could have used a few tweaks, like any book. 

Tropes: Dual POV, Fated pair, Small town romance

Did the Book Pass the “One More Chapter” Test? Absolutely!

Number of Emotional Roller Coasters: 1 mild one

Perfect snack pairing: Cherry cupcake and a latte

Character I Would Most Like to Have a Drink With: Dove, I want her recipes!

Quote that perfectly sums up the main characters relationship: “Our story isn’t what I expected – it’s better.”

Level of spice:3/5, there were a couple of spicy scenes but concise and mildly graphic

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Thank you to Love Notes PR and the author for the opportunity to review this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.