At the start of In the Shadow Garden, you’re going to be referring back to the family trees, as you meet members of multiple generations of Yarrow’s three founding families - the Haywoods with the shadow garden, the Bonners with the bourbon distillery, and the Bakers who own the market. Happily, Liz Parker gives every character a distinct voice and POV. So once you’ve met the cast, you won’t have any trouble keeping characters straight.

Family is the heart of this book - both the warmth and love and the darker, colder sides. And how secrets can strangle. I love the relationships Addison has with the other Haywoods - even when they disagree, they’re still a family. Contrast that with the coldness of the Bonners, their manipulations and secrets.

Yarrow is a charming small town, with a tea shop, market, distillery, and of course, festivals and farmers markets. Incredibly idyllic, especially when you add in the gorgeous produce from the shadow garden.

Liz Parker’s descriptions, especially of produce, tea, and bourbon, are incredibly rich and lush. You can nearly smell and taste what she describes.

You get:

Witchy family
Multiple POV
Small town
Second chance romance
Generational secrets and feuds
Garden porn
Tea shop and tea leaf reading
Bourbon
Close family
LGBTQIA+ rep
Diverse

This is magical family perfection - generational feuds, enchanting love stories, gorgeous shadow garden, magical bourbon, tea leaves revealing the future long hidden, cloaked by lies and magic. Liz Parker’s created a town of people that it’s incredibly easy to fall in love with. Yarrow sounds utterly enchanting. For fans of Erin Sterling and Lana Harper.

I liked this one, it reminded me of Sarah Addison Allen, who I adore. But I felt that this had a few too many characters to keep track off. Still it had lovely bits of magical realism and family.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

You have to suspend some belief but I didn't feel it took away from the book.

This was a good story mixed with name themes- sorrow, forgiveness, mystery, second chances, magical realism and more. There is a whole story missing from people's memories

We have 2 families- The Haywood's whose magic runs through the women. They can take your sorrow and bury it in their shadow garden to take away pain. The Bonner's whose bourbon can make you forget memories of the past.

As a Bonner (Kaden)comes back into town and people only remember his name and a Haywood (Irene) falls seemingly quick for him, the families are at war once again. But there is something happening to the shadow garden and this summer, the families need to find a way to find one again the memories of that lost summers to put things back to rights.

Make sure to read the author's note and her basis behind the story. It says things more beautifully than i ever could.

A charming and intriguing magical realism story set in the South. Two families drive the plot -- the Haywoods, who take people's pain/sorrow and plant it in their garden, giving rise to unique items, and the Bonners, who brew a bourbon that can take away memories. There is a mystery involving a summer 20 years ago that no one can remember, and what happened back then. An interesting setting and premise, loved this.

I love being surprised.

I settled into this book and thought for the first few chapters it was going to be kind of fluffy and not my type. There was some family fueding, and one outcast witchling and i thought it was going to be a late bloomer coming of age story. I was wrong and while it definitely wasn't as heavy as most of the stuff i read-it kept me in and made me smile and i just enjoyed it. I think it needs a quick cursory run through by the editor again because there were some spelling errors and sentences that did quite make sense, but all in all it was a fun summer read.

*read/reviewed for #netgalley-thanks*

What a fantastic take on a Practical Magic style multi generational family. My only complaint was wishing we'd seen more of Addison's romance, which felt a little flat.

Books involving magic are some of my favorite types of books, and this one definitely hit the spot. Learning about the different types of magic every character had and how it worked was fascinating, along with the different types of herbs and teas used. A really wonderful and magical read.

Loving magical books I was excited to read In the Shadow Garden. Parts of the book remind me of Sarah Addison Allen and Alice Hoffman, but this book doesn’t achieve the depth they have in their books. With so many characters I understand why a family tree was included on the first page, but there are still too many people to keep track of, and I wasnt invested in any of them. The writing is repetitious making the same point over and over again, so all in all I found the book to be disappointing.

This is an absolute delight! Perfect for fans of magical foodie fiction a la Susan Crispell and Heather Webber. A recommended first purchase for most collections.

In Yarrow, Kentucky two families with magical powers coexist. They are the Haywoods, whose magic relieves emotional pain by depositing it into their Shadow Garden; and the Bonners, whose bourbon takes away memories. Twenty-five years ago, the town decided to vanish their memories of that summer without an explanation. Soon afterwards a man disappeared from town, and another was found dead. The mystery of that summer slowly unravels through a series of plot twists that kept me engaged all through the end of the story.
The author navigates the sometimes-complex relationships between family members as she presents the idea of erasing painful memories vs allowing healing through facing our memories and feelings. The writing is atmospheric, and the description of the Shadow Garden and what happens within its boundaries makes it come to life, like another character altogether. The aura and tea leaf reading passages draw the reader into the magical world of the Haywoods with ease.

The change in point of view in the flashbacks at the start of the story was a bit confusing and took me some time to get used to. However, I loved that the author included a glossary with bourbon production-related terms that clarified elements of the Bonner distillery business and their relationship with the Shadow Garden, as well as tea leaf reading terminology.
Overall, a highly enjoyable read for fans of magical realism that deals with the meaning of true healing, the journey to understanding ourselves, and the value of family love and solidarity.
Thanks to NetGalley and Imbrifex books for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Full disclosure. I received an arc from netgalley for an honest review.

This story is a small town mystery following the Haywoods. They run a tea shop in town when they do readings and sell the produce they harvest from the shadow. The story sets off when one of the exiled characters Kaden gets news of his father's death and decide to get back to his hometown to find answers about his life, his past and legacy as member of the Bonner family. The story is told through multiple perspective as we follow everyone's dynamic, grief, loss, responsibilities and reacting when Kaden comes back around. His presence sets off a series of shattered memories, unanswered questions about the summer of 1997 where everyone seems to have forgotten everything about his existence but about their own lives as well. Together the main characters Kaden, Irene, Addison and Quin partner up to dig up more about that forgotten summer of their lives. Could there be more behind the bourbon festival , their peaceful quiet lives then meets the eyes?

This was a lighthearted read, i was definitly curious about the land's flora, the various teas mentioned throughout the story and the process of the bourbon business. There was something quite rich about the descriptions on the page, how well the author was about to bring the seeting on the book alive and make you taste the environment on your own palate. If you are a plant and tea lover, you certainly might enjoy that aspect of it.

I thought the dynamic between family members was fluffly and soft, despite all the complications there was still love and support. The queer rep in this was definitely awesome and my god i couldnt write a review without gushing about Irene and Kaden. There chemistry carried the novel for me, the tenderness kept me blushing at every turn, i love them so much.

Overall it was an enjoyable read, however i felt like the magic system was a bit confusing and things wrapped a little bit too conveniently in the end, that took me out of the story. But i still think this is a cozy read. Thank you to the publisher for providing me the opportunity to read it. The cover is oh so stunning!

I rounded my rating to a 3.5 stars

3 Stars

This story was a beautiful, magical, and vivid commentary on how even the most painful memories have their place, how healing can only happen if you acknowledge the past, and how even the people who should be the most precious to us need to be held accountable. I also loved the themes of caring for the earth and reciprocity, as well as honoring a process that is more profound and older than yourself while still questioning its morality.

That being said, I could not really connect to the characters. They were interesting in a distant way, but I never felt emotionally invested in any of them, even though their storylines were pretty tragic. Maybe because there were so many character perspectives? Not sure, but I just didn't feel it. Some of the magic in this book is charming (I loved reading about the tea leaves!), but then some of the magic is just a little too convenient and at one point, pretty ridiculous.

Some of the writing was pretty profound, but then some of it felt like a lot of telling, enough so that it was hard for me to finish the last 5% of the book. Although, I did really love that last sentence.

Would you want to remove all of your memories? Or maybe remove all of the pain from your life? In the Shadow Garden tells of two Kentucky families: the Haywoods, who help people by “pulling the sorrow out of [their] heart and burying it deep in the soil,” and the Bonners, who make bourbon which dissolves memories. I enjoy magic, paranormals, and contemporary fantasy, so after reading the glowing reviews and comparisons to Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic, I thought this book would be a perfect choice for me. Sadly, I never really connected with any of the characters, and found myself unable to suspend disbelief-- I’m very disappointed. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Witches and Kentucky Bourbon? Sign me up! The BEAUTIFUL cover drew me in, but within just a couple of pages I was hooked. I devoured this book in two days (even with a 3 year old needing my attention). I cannot believe this is a debut, but I will be looking out for more from this author.

I’m not quite sure how I feel about this book. Above all, the story felt as though it wasn’t sure if it wanted to be a romance (focused solely on Irene/Kaden) or an epic tale about green witches and tea leaves (told through the eyes of Addison, a twenty-something with “broken” magic). By jumping between POVs, the story isn’t as impactful as it could have been, which is a shame because the premise is amazing.

Irene reads more like a twenty year old hallmark romance protagonist—she falls in love with Kaden quickly, with constant laughter and bickering-as-flirting serving as the backbone of their whirlwind romance. It’s obvious by Addisons first chapter that her mother sees her as a bit of a disappointment when it comes to her magic; although Irene doesn’t explicitly state it, Addison feels neglected because she doesn’t share her mothers “gifts”. Also, her divorce happened 20 years ago, but she still laments it as though it happened a year ago. Even Taylor managed to move on from Nolan, but Irene still harbors such a grudge for Nate to the point that I found it a bit too much.

I had assumed the story would be told from Addisons POV (explicitly!) but because the story focuses more on Irene and Kadens romance, Addisons story is left falling to the wayside and becomes more of an afterthought until she is needed for the climax and final confrontation with the Bronners. She is supposed to be in her twenties, but she is written like a glorified teenager. She feels less-than compared to her other family members and serves more as a reminder that she’s the “other” in their family. Her relationship (or lack thereof) with River further implies how much her “broken” magic does more harm than good, and reminds us that she is a disappointment to the Haywood name.

It is also worth noting that the title, In the Shadow Garden, suggests that the tender of said garden (Addison) would be the assumed MC, especially because she is the one the garden gives visions to.


And I love diversity as much as the next reader, but constantly pointing out the side characters races takes you out of the story, especially because the main characters are assumed to be white by default. We know the journalist is Indian, because it is mentioned every time she is on the page. A “black boy” runs across the stage at the Bourbon festival. It’s like the author either added these descriptions in as an afterthought to add diverse characters, or they aren’t sure how to include it in a meaningful way. Instead of mentioning “the Indian journalist” we as readers should be able to see her name and think “Rivers mother, journalist, of Indian descent.” It wasn’t until I went back and double checked the family tree that it occurred to me that River and Harper are mixed race. That is how much it impacts the story.

Was it good? At times. I like the premise, of a family of (for a lack of better term) witches who have a magic garden, and who read tea leaves All. The. Time. Could more be done with the magic element? Sure. I liked that the garden takes the bad memories and feelings and makes them something new, and the bourbon magic is interesting, but it seems odd that the Haywood’s are susceptible to the Bronner magic BECAUSE the Bronners get their magic from the Haywood’s. Like, that is the only reason they are able to do what they do. The bourbon itself—or the Bronners—isn’t magical, it’s the corn from the Haywood’s shadow garden that gives it the magic.

Part of me is hesitant to recommend it because the story is all over the place and there were multiple times I wanted to smack the characters (and not in a good way!) but the premise is something people would like.

In the Shadow Garden takes place in Yarrow, Kentucky and is a rich story about about family and choices we make. The story follows a family of three generations of women and their interactions/ feuds with another family in the town. Each women has the same magic except for the daughter. Her magic doesn’t work the same which adds more to the mystery. She works in the shadow garden that brings special qualities to the produce which ultimately leads to the discovery of why the town gave up memories from one summer to include deaths and disappearance.

I stayed up late finish this book, and I’m so glad I did. The writing was beautiful and the story kept me engaged. I highly recommend this book if you like Practical Magic.

An atmospheric, dreamy story that lives up to the Practical Magic comparisons. I loved the sense of place that Liz Parker creates. Yarrow felt like a real town, complete with a thick summer heat, rich bourbon, and witchy teas.

I also really enjoyed the contrast between the Haywoods’ and Bonners’ magic. Magic-as-metaphor is a favorite device of mine, and the way Liz Parker speaks to grief through it works particularly well.

What didn’t work for me quite as well for me was the ensemble nature of this novel. None of the characters ever came alive to me the way the setting did. I didn’t feel that I spent enough time with either Iris and Kaden or with Addison and River to truly know them or to grow invested in their romances.

That said, I would still recommend this to Alice Hoffman fans looking for a magical read. Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy.

I thought the whole concept of this book was very intriguing. Two families with different kinds of magic have been at odds for many years. The Haywood’s help ease peoples suffering by taking some of their sorrows and pain and “planting” it in the shadow garden. The garden grows from these emotions. The Bonner’s have a special magic in their bourbon that makes people forget their most painful memories. The problem is the dark corn in their bourbon is from the shadow garden, thus the main issue between the two families. The story unfolds in a clever web of twist, turns and familial connections. There is a family tree I. The beginning to help you stay on track though! The only thing I found a bit confusing were the flashbacks where the point of view changes. In the beginning I had trouble understanding at first, but reading the flashbacks got easier as I kept reading. All in all I really enjoyed this book!

Woah! Reading a magical fantasy debut novel in a town called Yarrow based in my home state Kentucky! Was too much fun!
And to top it off about three empathic witches! I was SOLD!
Liz Parker you have got to write more of these!

In the Shadow Garden was a perfect, unique, story.
And each character was well developed perfectly!
The pacing kept me engaged and eager for more.
Also the writing is so alluring.
The magic in this book is woven seamlessly into the story that has non-stop surprises!
A truly compelling, atmospheric debut!
I cannot say enough good things about this book.
I hope she continues to write more because I need it!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Forever,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

Wow wow wow wow, what a great read to bring me out of a prolonged reading slump. And on it's own merits, what a beautiful story about trauma, healing, and all the comfy tea you could want (rivaling my favorite Cybernetic Tea Shop).

In a Kentucky town with two types of magic, do you take the easy way out or the hard way out? Do you take the path of the Bonners, and drink some whiskey to forget? Or do you take the path of the Haywoods, and oh so slowly ease the pain with their teas? I for one, and I'm sure many others, am painfully aware of how nice it would be if the healing process could be as simple as forgetting the bad times and living blissfully ignorant. But that's not how it works, and Parker demonstrates beautifully the dangers of such a mentality, and how important it is to take the time to heal properly. As my therapist often tells me, they can help work through my pain, but I have to heal from it on my own.

Reading the synopsis, I almost came into this book expecting a more thriller-style crime novel, And while some parts were perhaps in the same vein as that genre, I truly came out of it with an unexpected commentary on how we deal with our own grief and struggles; how we fit into our families; familial conflict and reconciliation; and how strength can come from the most unexpected places. Oh and did I mention the TEA, it's like reading a hug every time the tea is described. And also the LGBTQ+ rep was unexpected, but loved that as well

A solid 5/5, I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a book about healing, a book about memory manipulation, or any tea lovers in the crowd.