I'm not sure where to begin with this one except to say that I loved it! I love stories that have a little speculative magic in them and this one really fit the mood that I was in. This story follows three generations of Haywood family who tend to the town's shadow garden where its produce can help cure different ailments. It also supplies some of the ingredients for the town's locally made bourbon which if drank on a certain day of the year can erase your worst memory and 20 years ago an entire summer was forgot by everyone in the town. Now the secrets are finally starting to be revealed and the people of the town may not ever be the same. I loved this story of family and friendships, it was filled with so much love. If you enjoy light magic in your contemporary reads about family than I would highly recommend this one! Thank you Forever Publishing for my gifted copy for review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

ARC BOOK REVIEW

In the Shadow Garden
by Liz Parker

Publishing date: 9/13/2022

Rating: ⭐️⭐️/5

Yarrow, Kentuky is a magical place. It's a town home to the best bourbon, made by the Bonner Family- this bourbon even removes your worst memory once a year. Yarrow also introduces us to the Haywood Family, who have the ability to take away your pain, grief and trauma, where it then gets deposited into the Shadow Garden. This garden isn't your typical garden- sure it grows tomatoes and herbs, but its fed and nourished by those  terrible feelings people ask  the Haywoods to strip them of.

20 years ago, a tragedy stuck Yarrow. Instead of just one memory being purged  as usual, the entire summer is erased from EVERYONES memory. There was even a murder and a dissapearence.

But when Irene Haywood reads her tea leaves, it shows that a visitor is returning to Yarrow.....will this visitor help everyone " remember" what happened 20 year ago?

Review:
This unfortunately wasn't a favorite for me. I think my problem was due to the pluthera of characters that I was unable to keep straight. This isn't a issue i usually have, but when I don't connect to the characters,  it's hard for me to remember who each person is and their role to the plot.

Since I wasn't able to keep with up the characters, it made the story difficult to follow because each chapter followed a different character.

It was a very interesting plot that I think a LOT of people will love. I was super into the description and pumped to read it, but it didn't suck me in- which is okay because we all have different palettes!

Thank you to @netgalley and @readforeverpub for the Arc!

Ok, first let’s talk about the fact that this is a debut. I am still in awe about this because the story is impeccable. This is an insane debut that reads like it's from a seasoned author. It’s an expertly crafted experience you are sure to savor.

I don’t read contemporary. It’s just not my thing, so I tend to stay away from fantasy books with contemporary vibes. With that in mind, I was a little skeptical going into this one and not sure what to expect. I didn’t have my hopes up for a five-star read. But man if this one didn’t prove me wrong! This is one of the few exceptions to my typical reading habits because I absolutely loved it.

The darker themes and heavier concepts that are explored make this story feel so real. It’s some real life shit y’all, and you’re going to feel every minute of it while you’re reading.

The magic system in this book is full of interesting sensory elements. The Haywood family can see people’s emotions and auras as different types of flowers. Colors and emotions converge to create a visually tangible experience. You’ll be hooked into the magic of it all and wishing you could get your own tea leaves read by the Haywood women.

From the start there is a creeping tension that drives our need for answers. Out of the shady circumstances blooms light-hearted romances. I was sucked into the drama and the intrigue, flat-out hooked, and I couldn’t get enough.

When I say that this story is brilliantly intricate, I truly mean it. There are multiple plot lines, perspectives, and timelines. And yet, even though that sounds like it might get convoluted, it couldn’t be more the opposite.

The flow is incredibly seamless through the events and transitions. Never once did I feel pulled out of the story world because of a jarring switch. It was a smooth ride and I was strapped in for the whole thing.

I’m glad there was a chart at the beginning of the book to show the family lineages because that definitely saved me from any confusion. This is the one aspect I needed a little help keeping track of. There are a lot of relationships (both past and present) to keep up with. And I think this added to the depth of the plot because it really spoke to the small-town theme in the story.

Again, I’m truly shocked this is a debut. You can tell this author put some seriously hard work into this story and it really shines. Just wow. This is an accomplishment to be proud of for sure. This story deserves all the hype and I can’t wait to help share the word about how good this book is.

Also, this cover is absolutely stunning! Props to the designer for creating such an accurate depiction of both the feel and content in this story.

I recommend this book to readers who love:
Strong family bonds
Witchy magic
Sinister mysteries
Multiple POV
Contemporary fantasy
Drama and intrigue
Being one with nature
Light-hearted romance
Emotional traumas and recoveries

An excellent, slow-boil of a book that unfolds into a plot that was more well-realized than I expected. I enjoyed the story being told, though I struggled to connect to the characters until later in the read.

In the Shadow Garden
by Liz Parker
Fantasy Paranormal
NetGalley ARC

There are witches in Yarrow, Kentucky, the Haywood, who eases their community's sorrow. They don't remove it, but just make it a little bit easier to heal, and they feed the sorrow to their shadow garden and in return the garden is bountiful. But Addison, the youngest, can't control her magic and takes too much sorrow from those she tries to help.

Then there is the Bonner family whose bourbon, grown from seeds from the Haywood's shadow garden, and in itself is a magical elixir, able to allow someone to forget.

But there is something wrong with the garden, its magic is fading, and the plants dying. And no one can remember what happened during the summer twenty years ago. No one knows how a person died, and they all forgot the eldest Bonner kid until he showed up for his father's funeral.

Each chapter in this book is told (in the 3rd person) from one of seven characters, but some of them only have one, maybe two chapters from their perspective. The chapter titles clearly state who the chapter is about, and stays with that character so there's no confusion when they interact with the other characters.

This is between a medium and slow-paced read, but it's a nice little story with a decent amount of descriptions so it doesn't overwhelm the reader, though it could use a little more with the characters. They are a little vague in my opinion. Good character development and the plot is one of those A,B,C types, but the pieces fit nicely.

My only issue with the story is the garden. I like the idea, but I don't think it's explained enough, so it leaves me questioning how safe this garden is to ingest its produce. That issue was touched upon with something that happened, but I would question the safety. The idea of eating a berry from the garden bothered me as I read.

3 Stars

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

I knew I needed to read this the second I saw the title and cover. From the very first page, I was caught in the story. I appreciated the pacing, and the rate at which mysteries were introduced and revealed.

This didn't read like a debut. I was grateful for the Founding Families of Yarrow family trees at the start of the book. I bookmarked it and regularly returned to it at first to help me keep track of who all the characters were. The book was written in the third person with each chapter from alternating characters' perspectives. The choice was a great one, as it helped clarify characters while also allowing a bit of a wider view than first person. And I loved that the Shadow Garden itself is a character.

This book has gardens and magic, trauma and healing, and love and loss. It's a perfect book for the transition from the hot days of summer to the early days of fall. And it's a perfect book to read with bourbon or tea.

My shade garden is the first I planted. And sometimes I swear I feel magic when I am digging the soil. So this book resonated especially deeply for me. It is magical realism at its best, where I wander outside believing I carry the magic from the book with me.

TW: child abuse, infidelity

I got this from NetGalley the end of May and have tried a few times to really get into it, but to no avail. It's just not for me. It jumped characters too many times too quickly for my brain to want to keep track of. I think I was expecting more of a Paula Brackston or Alice Hoffman vibe. It really didn't measure up to either for me and I finally decided to DNF for good on my fourth attempt to get through it.

This was such an interesting book, one I will keep thinking of long after I’ve read it. The Haywood family is a family of women who have the power to carefully pull out your painful memories and feelings. They take your pain and put it in their shadow garden, which feeds on pain and grows magical food in return. Then there is the Bonner family, a family in town who makes bourbon, which has its own brand of forgetting. The Haywood’s do not get along with the Bonner family, and they do not trust them.
This book is full of love, loss, and so many secrets. It makes you think about grief, pain, and trauma and what you would be willing to do and give up to forget. I received an ARC from netgalley, and this is my honest review.

This book was a magical adventure. I really enjoyed the hint of romance involved between two of the characters. There are lots of secrets and angst between two families. The writing was easy to read and follow. Overall, I had a really good time reading this book.

In the Shadow Garden is a gorgeous debut full of magic, mystery, romance, and family drama set in a lovely atmospheric venue of small town Yarrow, Kentucky - bourbon country. Two rival families, the Haywoods and the Bonners have been famous in Yarrow for generations. The Haywoods run a tea shop and are keepers of the magical healing Shadow Garden. The Bonners are famous for their bourbon distillery, and they actually owe quite a bit of success to the Haywoods for their contribution from the shadow garden many years ago. Christian Bonner has recently passed away, spurring prodigal son Kaden to return home after being gone for 20 years. Kaden left after a fateful night when someone disappeared, someone died, and no one remembers exactly what happened. Now secrets from that night are coming to light and the reckoning between the Haywoods and Bonners is well past due. Buckle up for a romantic, intriguing thrill ride like you've never read before. Parker nailed it with this fresh debut, which will appeal to readers of multiple genres.

like the idea of this book more than the book itself. It’s hard not to compare it to the Practical Magic series which is just done so much better. The writing in this book is much less poetic and actually seems fairly juvenille. The book reads like YA but I couldn’t find any information to confirm it was. The premise of this book is really interesting and I just wish it was written better. I ended up really liking the plot and storyline but just not how it was written.

One of the things I disliked most about this book was I felt most of the characters are not very nuanced and very surface level. Even though the book switched perspective, the characters each are lacking depth and I didn’t feel like I knew them well, even by the end of the book. The rivalry between the Bronner and the Haywood famiIy gets old too. It feels very repetitive.

Overall this book was just ok for me.

I loved this book! I found that I was reading and looking for quick books so I could increase how many I read for the year. This one made me stop and remember why I enjoy reading. I slowed down and let myself enjoy the experience and I’m so glad I did. I want everyone to read it so please pick this one!

In the Shadow Garden by Liz Parker

A Family Drama with a bit of romance, sprinkled with a whole lot of magic!

I enjoyed the magical aspects of this book and the written imagery of the shadow garden. I found those components whimsical and truly think they are a spiritual plant lovers dream!

Aside from that, I found the storyline a bit choppy and personally the writing style was not something I loved as I prefer more character development and poetic writing.

I would recommend this book to fans of Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber (a wildly popular book with a similar writing style.)

Thank you to NetGalley & Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for allowing me to read and review an Advanced Readers Copy of this book.

In The Shadow Garden is set in Yarrow, Kentucky, a town known for its Bourbon. The story follows the Haywoods, a family who uses magic to ease the pain and struggling members of the community experience. The Haywoods are at odds with the Bonners, who host a yearly bourbon festival where community members give up their painful memories from the year.

Addison Haywood is the central character followed, however this story is set with multiple view points. Normally this is not something I like, but The Shadow Garden does a good job of jumping between characters while still fluidly telling an engaging story.

The writing is clear and engaging, and while magic or fantasy novels are not typically something I gravitate towards this one was easy to get sucked into. The plot has a lot of twists and turns and things you don't anticipate, which I appreciated.

If you don't typically read magic stories but are looking to step out of your fiction comfort zone this is a great book to read.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the electronic advanced reader copy of this book!

Yarrow, Kentucky is a bourbon town like no other. It’s full of magic. The founding families date back generations. The Bonners have been a bourbon family, while the Haywoods have tended to the pain the town’s citizens feel. The Haywoods help alleviate the negative feelings of the citizens, and then those feelings are planted in the Shadow Garden. When Addison’s magic breaks and the Shadow Garden begins to suffer, three generations of Haywood women must work together to learn the secrets of the past twenty-five years after the Bonners got the dark corn from the Shadow Garden.

I adored this book! I fell in immediately. The writing is clear and concise. The characters are relatable. The pacing is quick but not rushed. And best of all, the magic works. Magic is tricky in novels, but Parker does an amazing job with both Bonner and Haywood magic. In the Shadow Garden is part mystery, part fantasy, part romance, and delightful all the way around. I can’t wait for you to read this!

Thanks to the publisher for approving an Advanced Reader Copy for me!

If you could give up your bad memories, never to remember them, would you? Or would you let someone slowly help ease the pain away, but still remember? For the people living in Yarrow Kentucky, they can do either. Give up their memory to the Bonner's annual Memory Harvest. Or visit the local Haywood women and slowly release some of the pain.

In The Shadow Garden our two founding families are forced closer together after the death of the Bonner Patriarch. The Haywoods magical Shadow Garden is suffering and so is the Bonners Dark corn field. When a visitor comes knocking on Irene Haywoods tea shop, the two families go head to head over the magic embedded in the land. And as they dig deeper, they realize how far the lies, and the magic go. And how much has been lost.

The Shadow Garden is a charming story about finding lost love in all it's forms and learning to live and work through personal grief. As an avid plant lady, I was firstly intrigued by the notion of using sorrow to grow plants. Taking something dark and making something beautiful was so interesting.

The author does the town of Yarrow justice in her descriptions of the town and the summer events. I could picture exactly the place, people, and events and got a lot of Practical Magic vibes. I would go to Yarrow!

While reading I truly had not idea where the plot was going to go. As more plot was revealed I found myself drawn into figuring it out along side the characters. The author never revealed too much, but gave enough to keep me guessing.

I did have trouble connecting with the characters. Switching from one POV to the other, while not always a bad choice, made it difficult to get a deeper connection with any single character. We touched the surface of many but never got much further. I would have enjoyed focusing on a small few rather than hearing from almost every main character and gotten to the meat of their story. But I did like the couple small chapters with the Gardens POV, that was fun!

In the Shadow Garden is one of those books that stole my heart from the first page. Told in multiple POVs, the story of Yarrow, Kentucky unfolds over past and present time lines. I have not read Practical Magic but I can see (based off the movie version) anyone who loves it to also love this story.

I have been reading a bunch of fantasy lately and this was the perfect mix of fantasy and real life. Even if you do not normally like fantasy or witch story lines I would recommend giving this one a try if you are looking for a whimsical read. I loved the family bonds and I wish Yarrow was a real spot so I could visit Irene's tea shop. I can not stop recommending this book and honestly I cannot believe this is a debut. I will be reading any books Liz Parker writes in the future.

In the Shadow Garden follows three generations of witches as they traverse family dynamics, magic and love. While I enjoyed the over all plot of the story, there was much I wish was expanded on.

The magic in this novel is one of my favorite - I love the plant/garden magic, the way it is used with tea. There are some interesting developments with the characters/plot that kept me hooked through parts of this.

The writing though was a little too clunky and much of the dialogue pulled me out of the story as it didn't feel authentic. The switch to past scenes was a little jarring as well. We follow quite a few characters and I did struggle at first knowing who was who. I think this could have worked better as either a single 1st person pov or rotating 1st person to really get to know these characters.

Overall, I loved the idea of this story and just wished for a bit more!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

The generational component of this story (and the setting - relatively small town, in an area that's not often featured in novels) made for a beautiful backdrop for the untangling and resolution of the family conflict in this story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advanced copy.

I really have a hard time writing this review. Not because the book is bad in any way, but because it was a fantastic adventure!

• Told in multiple POV; present and past. The past is in italics, so it's super easy to decipher the timelines.
• Generations of green witches.
• Feuding families.
• Magic
• 2 whole decades lost to the entire city of Yarrow.
• A garden that takes pain away.
• Bourbon that makes you feel/relive things.

There is a lot going on in In the Shadow Garden, but it was a very quick read and I enjoyed it. Very reminiscent of Practical Magic.
At points it was a little difficult to keep track of some of the characters and which family they were connected to, thankfully the author provided a family tree. The ending felt a bit rushed, but it was tied together very well and beautifully written otherwise.


Thank you Netgalley, Liz Parker and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC. All opinions are my own.