I could not finish this book. I read almost half and gave up. I'm sure it will get better, but I didn't care one bit about the characters so I decided not to waste my time.

Told in alternating voices (but mostly by Donna), this is the story of a fractured family. Donna is perplexed when her husband drops her off at Shadow Garden. Is it a retirement community? Is it a nursing/care facility? Is it a mental hospital? I couldn't figure out whether Donna was being shoved away or being gaslighted by her husband or whether she has dementia or whether she was mentally ill. I didn't see much character development or background laid for Donna, so I didn't really make any connection to the character, so I didn't really care to stick with it and find out. Edward had a few chapters, but I couldn't tell if he was a caring husband confused by his wife's changing personality or if he was just trying to get rid of her. Penelope (the daughter) was equally confusing - was she a self-serving woman who abandoned her parents or a mentally ill young woman who may (or may not) have committed acts of violence? Was she alive or dead?

Honestly, I feel this is probably going to develop into something more interesting, but I just couldn't get into it, and I have a huge TBR list so I'm going to choose something else to read. I'm giving it two stars for the premise and in the hope that it might develop into a story some readers will find intriguing.

Had a tough time with this one. It was a bit slow and I had to kind of force myself to finish reading it. I think it had potential, but I just couldn’t get into it.

This just didn't work for me. It was slow, unsuspenseful. The unreliable narrator, and family drama just didn't do it for me. I forgot most of it by now. Maybe it would work for someone who does enjoy slow burn, and the psychological aspect of dysfunctional families.

An atmospheric story with a lot of twists. I'd call it a thriller except that it just moved really slowly for me, and I confess I really struggled to stay with it. It may work for some people, but it just didn't click with me and I can't quite put my finger on why (which is frustrating.)

This book was lacking everywhere. It was very hard to start reading. The main character was overly unbelievable which made things worse. This was not for me at all.

Shadow Garden didn't work for me. I had a hard time focusing on reading it, and it took me a long to get into it. Then, I found myself skimming through it to finish it. I don't have much more to say about it.

I had a bit of a hard time with this one...
it was an entertaining story but not a believable one.
I'll leave it at that as this was my first book written by Alexandra Burt and I guess I had higher expectations based on the cover and description before diving into the book.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review. Please excuse my tardiness in posting my review as my TBR continuously grows and I keep finding so many book with so little time!

So much gratitude for this copy shared with me, always xo

With intricately created characters and an effortless writing style, SHADOW GARDEN is one compelling read. There is such a darkly haunting nature to the book which only makes the story that much richer.

I don't think I was the right reader for this one, however I believe that plenty of other readers will love it. Something was just off for me. Maybe I wasn't in the right headspace.

I liked this book, but it didn’t wow me like I was hoping. It took me quite a while to get into it, and while I’m glad I read it, I don’t think I would have kept reading if I wasn’t sent an ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

It's a slow moving/building domestic thriller that is really sad.

I didn't want to finish it, but I did.

Description
A wealthy woman suspects something is off about the luxurious complex she lives in . . . and she is right, in this riveting domestic-suspense novel from international bestselling author Alexandra Burt.

Donna Pryor lives in the lap of luxury. She spends her days in a beautifully appointed condo. Her every whim is catered to by a dedicated staff, and she does not want for anything.

Except for news of her adult daughter.

Or an ex-husband who takes her calls.

Donna knows something is wrong, but she can't quite put her finger on it. As her life of privilege starts to feel more and more like a prison, the facade she has depended on begins to crumble. Somewhere in the ruins is the truth, and the closer Donna Pryor gets to it, the more likely it is to destroy her.

This book is a good read with great twists and turns. You won’t want to put it down and at times you may feel it reads little slow and you wish it would go faster in parts. Overall great storyline and told from three people’s perspective in the book. If it moved faster, I would have given it five stars instead of four.

While atmospheric, this book moves very slowly.

It's also not really a domestic thriller.

It's a tragedy.

The book is incredibly sad. I found myself so sorry for all of the characters.

My personal tastes are for a book that's faster paced with more that simply...happens?

But it did make me very, very sad.

A mind twisting psychological thriller that will make readers feel like they’re “losing their mind” too. Took awhile to get through this book but it was worth it.

I was unable to become invested in this story. The writing was fine, but the story didn't grab me. I did give it a shout out on the socials.

Disturbing Domestic Noir....
A life of luxury is not all that it seems in this disturbing domestic noir. Donna Pryor seems to want for nothing and lives a life of apparent ease and affluence but a facade can be misleading. A slow, atmospheric burn with some surprising twists.

This was an interesting story. I liked the three different POV's used to tell the story. I think it rounded out what was happening while reading. I wasn't blown away by what was happening, and I found it a little unbelievable, but at the same time, I didn't want to stop reading. So, in my mind, it was a good book!

I would recommend this for readers that enjoy a psychological thriller!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

"Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?" Queen’s Freddie Mercury isn’t the only one to have asked this question. It’s a game that I think most people—or at least most writers—entertain themselves with at some time or another: Am I making all this up in my head, while I’m really in a hospital or mental institution somewhere? And for the past few years, it’s been an interesting subgenre in mystery fiction. The unreliable narrator doesn’t know how she (and it’s almost always a she) got to where she is. She can’t remember. She was drunk. She was in an accident. She’s bi-polar.

To read the rest of this review, click on the link below.

This book was not at all what I expected. It had a bit of East of Eden, and the evilness of the Cathy character, but never quite explained anything. It was told through each character, so the reader isn't sure who to believe.

this was an enjoyable read, I liked the mystery and the characters. The cover was what drew me in and I'm glad I did.