There's something weird going on with the memories of Yarrow, Kentucky residents. In the summer of 1997, one man died and another left home indefinitely, severing all ties with his family. And no one in the town remembers what happened.

Magic is no stranger to Yarrow. The Haywood family can take the pain from those who are suffering and then gift it to their shadow garden, which thrives on sorrow. And the local distillery run by the Bronner family (the Haywoods' natural, mortal enemies) uses corn from the shadow garden to create bourbon that can make someone forget a painful memory. At the annual bourbon festival, people can choose to give up the memories weighing them down. But why did everyone at the '97 festival agree that they wanted to erase the whole season from their minds? The Haywood women and the Bronner who got away start poking around as the shadow garden starts to ail. Through multiple POVs, we see them embark on a quest to uncover the painful truths in their collective past.

In terms of mystery, I admit that I didn't find the secrets particularly tricky to unravel, even well ahead of their big reveal. So don't expect a puzzle or a thriller. And for the relationships, multiple POVs mean that the characters snap in and out of angst with each other at warp speed to keep things moving. Two romantic subplots and a strained matrilineal bond all get resolved with a wave of a magic wand (almost literally). No one has to engage in self-reflection or personal growth to reach these ends.

The story's message about feeling your pain and not trying to obliterate your negative feelings was just ok to me. For an issue with a lot of nuance, the book presents the options in a black and white/good and evil binary. It also throws a lot of trauma at the reader only to blaze past it in the interest of keeping the story moving. Content warnings: memories of physical abuse and neglect, emotional abuse and infidelity.

Here's the thing: I didn't hate this book. I just expected to be more invested in a witchy mystery, and I always have high expectations for character growth and relationships... which this book did not meet. Despite the content warnings, I think most readers will find it an easy, breezy read because of the tone and pace.

Thank you Forever pub and netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This took me a minute to get into but once I was in I was hooked. If you just pick this one up based on the beautiful cover you will not be disappointed. This book has it all small town magic, lies, deception, romance and murder. If you drink tea, you will love this book.

I look forward to reading what Liz Parker writes next.

The premise of this initially pulled me in but the execution quickly made this drag for me. We jump around through a number of different POVs between 2 families that centers around Addison mainly. There is magic and a mystery wrapped up in missing memories.

I found Addison to be INCREDIBLY naive through the entire book and continuously fell for dumb things, but that may be due to her insecurities brought on by the amount of distrust she feels from within her family because her magic does not align with theirs. I also found that bouncing between 5 or 6 different POVs was too many and got jumbled at times who was currently narrating.

The magic itself at work here was interesting and found the garden to be the most interesting thing in the whole novel.

In the Shadow Garden is such a beautifully written fantasy. The world-building is outstanding. The story is well written with an enchanting storyline and well-developed characters that engage from start to finish. The world is atmospheric and feels real with vivid descriptions and rich imagery. I cannot get enough. Highly recommended. Be sure to check out In the Shadow Garden today.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: cheating, death of a loved one (past), family tensions, physical and emotional abuse of spouse and child (past), fire (past), murder, funeral

Gosh, the writing in this was just gorgeous. This was a beautifully written, magical read, full of family drama, returning home and just family intrigue. I was turning the page learning more about the family garden, the bourbon, and just how these three families were intertwined, each page revealing more of the mystery. There was a soft thread of romance throughout as well, but the true romance was the love of family.

I loved that this was multi POV, twisting and turning the different parts of the stories and the different experiences of each family members. The chapters were shorter and filled with just the action needed. I adored the magic and just the auras and how they tied into the flowers. The magic system was just beautiful.

Steam: 1

In the Shadow Garden is a captivating novel that falls into one of my favorite book categories, where magic feels almost palpable and entirely plausible.

The Yarrow setting is breathtakingly evocative, with its fields of corn, barrels of bourbon, and shadow garden that appears almost black at night. It's a place that feels real and could very well exist.

The magic is equally enthralling, with tea leaves and the shadow garden among the various supernatural elements that imbue life in Yarrow with an otherworldly quality. The mystery of the missing summer that no one seems to remember adds to the book's allure, as our two main POV characters, Irene and Addison (mother and daughter), slowly unravel the threads of a dark secret.

At its core, the book is about the bonds between mothers and daughters, past and present, and the possibility of love both lost and found.

Overall, In the Shadow Garden is a spellbinding novel that seamlessly weaves magic, mystery, and family dynamics together. It's a must-read for anyone looking for a bewitching tale that will transport them to a world where magic is a tangible and wondrous thing.

In the Shadow Garden by Liz Parker. Pub Date: September 13, 2022. Rating: 4 stars. If you're looking for a whimsical small town cozy light mystery with a dash of magic, then this book is for you. The novel is centered around two families who are enemies, but intricacy woven together through various romances. One family has magical abilities and has a "shadow garden" that stores memories and feelings. This family had a death in the family long ago, but no one knows who actually killed him. Told in various voices between the families, the story is propelled from different perspectives and ultimately the mystery is solved. I really enjoyed this novel and its themes of magic, love, heartbreak, second chances and family growth. Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #netgalley #intheshadowgarden

I was able to listen to this as an audiobook and if you haven't done so then you need to do so, because of how it's set up with five different narrators it makes the experience so much better ,an that's coming from someone who doesn't listen to audio books that much. Thanks to these five narrators and how their set up instead of making me feel like I was listen to an audiobook, they made me feel like I was listen to an old time radio show or even setting in on a play , which is great becaus once I started listen I couldn't put it down if I wanted to. The story as well as the magic and the characters came to life. , which give the whimsical and dark feeling that the book had a life of ots own .,And let's not forget family drama, mystery, secrets, and even a sprinkle of romance that played out through out the book.

I couldn't put it down and I didn't want to. This book lived up to every ounce of hype that I had experienced for it. This book is beautifully written; a gripping storyline with strong characters. It ticked all the boxes of my expectations. I would definitely recommend it to others.

Before this year, I probably wouldn't have considered myself a fan of the magical realism genre, but I've read a few books from this genre so far this year alone and...well let's just say it's growing on me like the plants in the Shadow Garden!

The small town feel of Yarrow, Kentucky, the secrets and family dynamics between the Bonners and Haywoods, witchy magic, and the horticulture focus of the book overall held my attention and kept the pages turning from start to finish!

I loved the whimsical and dark feel of the book, as it was filled with family drama, mystery, secrets, and even a sprinkle of romance! I absolutely loved the glossary of tea leaf symbols, bourbon terms, and auras at the end of the book! What a neat way to further clarify the meaning of imagery and symbols throughout the book!

Also, has anyone seen a more gorgeous book covet?! 😍

Bravo to Liz Parker for crafting this captivating story!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed this one. If you enjoyed Practical Magic I say definitely pick up this one.
Full of loss, love, hope and of course magic. Oh and can’t for get the bourbon.

A really immersive and interesting story that is perfect for lovers of witchy books, as I am. It was a little slow for me to get into at first, but I grew to love it! ;) Perfect for fall vibes but truly enjoyable anytime.

Liz Parker's debut creates a world of mysterious magic and complex family dynamics, weaving together the past and present to transport the reader right to the heart of Yarrow. I never wanted to leave.

This was a beautiful book, and I really enjoyed it! I thought that the characters and the plot were created with a perfect blend that made a world I didn't want to step away from!

This was such a beautifully written story. It’s starcrossed lovers, in the sense that the main characters are from families that have issues with one another. A city fall with magic hidden from others. All the characters were fascinating, and the story flowed in such a fantastic way.

🥃Book Review🥀
In the Shadow Garden
By: Liz Parker
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/4 stars

Loved, loved, loved the setting, the environment, the lifestyle of the Haywood family that are located in Yarrow, Kentucky. At the back of the Haywood property is a magical, shadow garden. This shadow garden provides natural remedies for healing to the community. The garden also provides a secret ingredient for the Bonner's bourbon that makes you forget things that are painful and traumatic.

Twenty years ago the summer was forgotten in Yarrow. Nobody remembers exactly what happened other than someone died and someone disappeared. Now memories are starting to resurface and the Haywood and Bonner families are at odds even more than they usually are. The arrival of Kaden Bonner starts a turn of events that will reveal the truth about one of the founding families and its not in a good way.

I really enjoyed this book. The only thing I struggled with was the amount of characters! I had a hard time keeping track of who went where so I'd recommend taking notes for this one!!! And btw, is that cover not just stunning?! 😍

Published September 13, 2022

Thank you @netgalley @grandcentralpublishing and @readforeverpub for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

4/5 Stars

This book was a very pleasant surprise. I didn't think I would enjoy reading this book as much as I did. I had a wonderful time reading this book. I loved getting to know the magic and how it worked. I loved seeing how it intermingled with the family and its effect on the relationships between these families and the town. The magic elements are all over this book but very subtle. I just had a great time getting to know these characters and learning about the feud between families and the troubles within those families. I recommend giving this a read if you want a contemporary but with some magic sprinkled in.

Thank you netgalley for letting me review this book.

Part mystery, romance, fantasy.

This book kept me wanting to know what would happen next. 3 witches are able to use items from their magical garden to help heal people's heartache and other health issues.

I like that every chapter was a different characters perspective. Full of twists an turns.

#netgalley #intheshadowgarden

4.25 stars rounded down to 4. A fresh take on generational magic and the consequences that can come with it. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

In a small town in Kentucky lives the Haywood family. For generations the women have been able to take away the pain of others(offered to them) and feed it to their garden. The fruit and produce from this garden are unlike anything else in the world. When the Shadow Garden begins to show signs of distress three generations of Haywood women will do their best to fix whatever is causing the disturbance....but what if more than pain is buried in the garden? And what secrets will be unearthed in their attempts?

I was pleasantly surprised by In the Shadow Garden. I got Alice in Wonderland vibes from the cover, but the description didn't fit.....however being a shameless reader who drools over covers, I couldn't let this one slip away. I truly enjoyed the story(once it got going), and found something in common more so with Irene(the motherly aged generation) than the other two Haywoods. The mystery of what was going on with the garden and town was really fun and intense, however it did take almost half the book to get the ball really moving. The payoff is super worth it if you can hang on through quite a bit of world building.

4.25 stars for In the Shadow Garden. Recommended for readers 15+ as some of the themes are geared more towards Adults. Recommended for those who loved Uprooted, Practical Magic, and other books like those.

This book is magical and captivating in every sense. I highly recommend it and have suggested it to several friends who have read and enjoyed it as well. The magical realism aspect of the story is entertaining and I found myself striving to get back to this book when I would have to put it down. I have thought about it many times since reading. It is a highly recommended book for sure!