What if you could take your feelings of sorrow, hurt, grief, loss, etc., and surrender them up? And if, in turn, the person to whom you surrendered these feelings could use them to nourish a beautiful, if capricious, garden? That’s what In the Shadow Garden explores. Liz Parker’s dark romance thriller, set in a small town in Kentucky, is about what we do with our worst memories. But it’s also about friendship, family, and who we let into our hearts. Parker’s ability to conjure up a perfect storm of emotions is impressive. However, unlike its eponymous garden, this novel didn’t end up bearing fruit for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for the eARC!

Yarrow, Kentucky. Three founding families: the Haywoods, the Bonners, and the Bakers. Except you can really ignore the Bakers, because they don’t figure much into the plot. The Haywoods are witches—most of them—and able to help ease the feelings around trauma. The Bonners make bourbon, and their distillery has never been more successful—or lucrative for the town of Yarrow—than since the Haywood matriarch allowed them to grow “dark corn” from seeds from the Haywood shadow garden. But twenty years prior to the start of this book, something terrible happened. The entire town chose to forget that summer. And now, with the death of a Bonner, everything comes back to what happened in 1997.

I love the premise and the setting Parker creates here. There are some great seeds of conflict, from Addison’s inability to wield her family magic effectively to Irene’s attraction to a prodigal Bonner son. The family dynamics, both within and among the families of Yarrow, are well done. The dialogue between family members is crisp. There’s a lot about the atmosphere of this book that made me think of Gilmore Girls for some reason—I think largely because of the grown-up mother/daughter relationship between Irene and Addison. That’s about the highest praise I can offer!

Beyond that, however, there isn’t much I can say that I enjoyed. The mystery/thriller aspects of the novel are underdeveloped. Most of the plot is predictable, the villains obvious and their motives uncomplicated. Even the secret of Addison’s parentage is obvious from pretty much the first time her hair colour gets mentioned. There’s a single red herring that is only half-heartedly dangled in front of our faces before it is hastily resolved to make way for the romance, which is tepid. Now, that’s my cup of tea when it comes to romance—but I was hoping to recommend this to one or two of my friends who enjoy romance more than I do, and I don’t think I will, simply because there’s no steam here. We get told there’s an attraction between the two characters involved, but it’s wooden (or at least, doesn’t seem distinct from any of the other relationships in this story).

The magic aspects are somewhat better off yet still stop short of truly hooking me. I love the idea of the shadow garden and the description of the Haywoods’ magic. As a tea drinker, I approve of the number of cups of tea consumed by everyone in this book! (As someone who doesn’t drink alcohol, I was less interested in all the bourbon consumption, but you do you!) Again, Parker’s descriptive writing skill is not in question—how she spins that into a story, unfortunately, is less rewarding for me.

Really all I can say about this book is that it feels full of missed opportunity, a garden planted and tended to with love yet never fertilized in a way that would let it flourish. I wish I could have been more excited by this book, because it’s a great concept. Parker could have done so much with this story. But the characters are flat, the plot overly simple, and the narrative unremarkable.

This one is a pass from me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc. This review is wholly my own.

Let's start with the beautiful cover!!!!! If that doesn't intrigue you, I don't know what will!

Magic Bourbon - - Erased Memories - - An Entire Summer Forgotten

The Haywood Witches are set to get to the bottom of these forgotten memories and exactly what happened during that summer that everyone wanted to forget.

Beautiful style of writing through multiple POVs.

Authentic & page turning. You definitely want to grab this one.

P.S. The story is just as fabulous as the book cover!

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for access to this e-ARC (and oops, I went and bought the physical copy too).

In the Shadow Garden was a dreamy, delectable story, tackling the complexities of memory and family bonds, and the pursuit of truth and self-discovery. In case it wasn’t already clear, I loved it. The magical realism elements were thoughtful and evocative, providing plentiful imagery and making me want a cup of that Lavender and Lemon Balm tea to soothe my woes. Parker writes with care and compassion for each of her layered characters, and I enjoyed the multiple POV approach that allowed for greater nuance in the unravelling of the central mystery. Ironically enough, another of my favourite magical realism novels titled When The Moon Was Ours also features an antagonistic family named Bonner. I dare say there might be a bit of magic in that name. I think that perhaps the story might have benefited from a little more space to breathe and allow us to see the interconnected relationships stretch and develop further (but hey, maybe we’ll discover more of the small moments that didn’t make it to the page from the author herself). What are you waiting for? Go grab this autumnal, mystical tale, your favourite tea, a cozy blanket, and dive in.

3.5 stars! This was a cute little magical realism generational, small town, and found family story focusing on tea and Bourbon! It gave me a lot of The Good Which Vibes, which I find that show cute and charming! In this we have two magical families fighting for the shadow garden that belongs to the haywards, and when the monarch of the bonners dies long lost son Kaden comes to town and with him comes a lot of long lost secrets. I thought this story had a few to many POV and that’s where it really lost me! It was hard to keep track of all the people, it was really more of a plot driven story I think than character driven and that’s what I really prefer is character development and I think with less POV we could of had both! A very cute story for fall season non the less!!

3.5 stars rounded up

Three generations of witches investigate where their magic went wrong as they uncover secrets that solve a twenty-two year old mystery.

This was a fun read! The perfect segue from summer into fall, not ‘spooky’ but magical and mysterious. For me, it was a little predictable, but worth seeing how it all came together in the end. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, all of whom seemed a little one dimensional for me; I was hoping to have more of a connection to them than I did. That said, it was still a satisfying read.

Pick this up if you like:
🔮 Small town charm
🔮 Gardening, tea, and bourbon themes
🔮 Witchy family drama
🔮 Many POVs
🔮 Practical Magic vibes

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for the ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #IntheShadowGarden

The intial premise and act of healing is fascinating and creative and I wish it was reality. The exposition flashback into why the Hawywoods and Bonners have a feud was clunky, but it was necessary information. And there seemed to be a lot of flashbacks and world building. But it was very much just presented without having it woven well. And I'm intrigued by the mystery at the heart of the story, but I find myself still struggling to understand who's who and what's happening. But once the action started it got really engaging really fast. The last half of the book was really good. The first half was really slow. The ending was very satisfying.

What a uniquely magical book! In the Shadow Garden was such a lovely family drama with an intriguing mystery at the heart of it. It was slow to start, but the intensity really ramps up a little over halfway through. At times even feeling like a mad dash of excitement towards the end that kept my eyes glued to the page.
I enjoyed this book immensely and highly recommend it to anyone that likes a dose of magic.

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Imagine if you could just forget a tough memory with some bourbon. Or imagine that someone could dampen the intensity of a negative emotion for you. And that the ability is tied to a garden, a shadow garden. Would you want to just forget? Or keep the memory, but have it not be as intense? Think about trauma and healing. And overlay those thoughts on this book and different ways to potentially address trauma and its impact.

I would love to discuss this book- let me know if you've read it and want to discuss . It's told from multiple points of view. There's a forgotten summer and multiple mysteries tied to that summer. There's a feud between two families. And there are signs that something's going to happen this summer.

I enjoyed the multiple perspectives and the way the author shared information (clues) about the missing summer. There were connections, new and old, and an engaging story with characters I'd like to meet and a town I'd like to visit.

Thanks to the publisher for a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

This was a compelling, witchy read that reminded me of books such as The Vine Witch and Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe. It was heart-warming with a focus on relationships, magic in nature/baking, and a mystery that needs to be solved. I really enjoyed all the characters (though there were too many and it took me a bit to differentiate them), the different powers, and their use with food, tea, and bourbon. The whole premise of the Shadow Garden was interesting, but I would have liked more background/development on how it came about and works the way it does. This was a satisfying tale with a murder mystery, romances, disastrous family secrets, and the power of a memory.

Overall, this book was not for me, I enjoyed it to finish but it was painfully predictable. It was a nice idea I like the idea of a magical garden and the characters were okay, their lack of communication with each other was kind of annoying.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The town of Yarrow, Kentucky has an interesting (and dark) past. The two prominent families in the town have their own distinct types of magic that keeps the town prospering. The only problem? They absolutely hate each other. Think Hatfield & McCoy levels of hatred. As the story progresses, you find out what happened to cause this level of enmity.

This is an extremely atmospheric read that will have you immersed in the town and it’s inhabitant’s lives in no time.

While for the most part this was a good read for me, there were a few things that didn’t quite work for me. One, the main romance was a bit to insta-love for me. However, this is explained late in the book. Secondly, I struggled quite a bit with the amount of characters in the book. There were way too many POV chapters, and it was jarring when the narrative was constantly shifting.

All in all, I would pick up something from this author in the future and enjoyed my time with this book.

5 stars

A lovely and atmospheric little book. The tea, the shadow garden, the bourbon, the small southern town, and the magic were all woven together masterfully in a well-paced and compelling story. The use of memory and healing from trauma gave the book some roots (hah see what i did there) in realism. There are chapters from several different points of view and a lot of family and other relationships between the characters but I was never lost or confused. I especially enjoyed the chapters from the shadow garden's point of view. Overall a delightfully cozy autumnal read.

This was amazing and so much more than I was expecting. You get it all - witchy vibes, mystery, romance, betrayal, and exploration of family relationships. I read it in one sitting. I could not, and didn’t want to, put it down! It was that good! The story is told in 3rd person with multiple POVs, but I didn’t experience any confusion. I enjoyed the wide cast of characters. Addison did irritate me every now and then; only because of her bad decision making skills. Definitely had a lot of “wtf are you doing?!” moments with her character; but I think that only added to the story. The ending was tied up nicely, which I loved. This one is definitely in my top 5 reads for the year!

Uhm, wow.

The magic. The shadow garden. The bourbon. The family dynamics. The tea leaf readings. The heartbreak and romance. All of it!

I loved loved loved this book! And this is a debut novel? I think Liz may just come to be one of my favourites - if there are going to be any more novels, I will GLADLY read any advanced copies! 😉

It is told from multiple POV and, in my opinion, every character that we follow is for the most part likeable, with a couple bumps along the way. At the beginning of the book there is a family tree provided which was extremely helpful to start and I loved the addition of some fun extras at the back.

The cover is enchanting and is what originally caught my eye so I am so glad that what was inside the cover was just as captivating. If you are looking for a great read with a witchy flare to start the fall season, go read this!

Thank you so much @netgalley and @readforeverpub for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well I love this book, it’s everything I wanted for witchy magic season. It’s small town, magic, romance, girl power, fall vibes (even though it’s summer), family…and love the mystery aspect. I didn’t want it to end, was really excited to pick it back up again, overall I’m giving a 4.5

A garden full of memories, magical fruits and a family who has the power to heal your trauma makes 'In The Shadow Garden' a perfect fall read. I personally loved this book a lot and will be on the look out for her books.
A part mystery, a small town story and romance, this book has something for everyone. This book is the story of Haywood women who take care of the garden and Bonners who are intertwined with them.
This book is not an easy one to read. Even with its premise of magic, the topics discussed in this book are really heavy and readers should be aware of it. As a gardener myself, I loved the author's notes where she has mentioned that her gardening is a kind of therapy for her and helps her with her own trauma. My garden helps me with my trauma as well and I relate that with her. Gardens are magic and this book captures that essence of them.

⚠️CW: Physical/domestic abuse, childhood abuse, trauma, grief, cheating⚠️

This was such a beautiful and enchanting story with lots of intrigue that kept me turning the pages. It’s a story that feels like a warm hug but also has betrayal, lost memories, family drama, and murder!

I loved the setting so much. Not just because it takes place in a small town, but also the magical aspects of the two founding families, how the magic is about loss and pain but still feels warm and hopeful, the vibes, the atmosphere… All of it created this beautiful and enchanting world within the story.

In this town there are two distinct (and magical) ways of dealing with your emotional pain. This made me think about all the different ways we try to handle our heartbreak in real life, and what really helps one “move on” in healthy ways. And even though they deal in pain, the whole book is about healing. Healing the people, the land, the connections.

The imagery in this book was powerful and filled with nature. One character’s happiness brings forth butterflies, teas with herbs and flowers can give you courage or soothe your anxiety, the garden gifts berries of visions and grows in magical and wild ways. They’re described in such vivid detail, I felt like I was there along with them, with everything playing in front of me like a movie.

The mystery in the book was also handled exactly right. Even if you foresee some of the revelations, the book still has some twists up its sleeve that leads up to an edge of your seat scene of it all coming to a head. The mystery is revealed in such a way that for most of the book it feels very difficult to put down.

This book also had: beautiful romances, fantastic and huggable characters, lots of tea leaf reading, and even more bourbon. I especially loved one of the romances, they were so cute together!

🪴Thank you, Forever Pub, Liz Parker & Netgalley for the gifted ARC & ALC.

🌿In the Shadow Garden is one of my most anticipated books this season. It’s a charming, witchy read … served with a glass of Bonner bourbon. 😉

I wanted to befriend the Haywood witches. Liz Parker creates a multigenerational family of loveable witches and…a less than savory family, the Bonners who own the local bourbon 🥃 distillery. I enjoyed reading about the past and the present from multiple Haywood women, Kaden Bonner and the Shadow Garden. As the story unfolds, the characters begin asking questions about unexplained gaps in their memories … what really happened that summer in 1997? Why can no one remember? And why can a small child Quinn Haywood still recall the summer of ‘97 when she lost her father?

Thank you SO much to Forever Pub, NetGalley, and Liz Parker for my finished copy as well as my eARC.

Friends, I loved this story of family, love, and magical realism. The idea of giving up your painful memories is such a thought provoking concept that made me think a lot about the pros and cons of it.

Read if you like:
🫖 tea and reading tea leaves
🌷gardens
✨the movie Practical Magic
⚔️ rival families
💜multiple points of view
🥃bourbon
🕵🏻a hint of mystery

I love magical realism books! In Yarrow, Kentucky there are two rival families the Bonners and Haywoods. The Bonner family bourbon makes your worst memory disappear. The Bonner family garden will cure your heartache. Twenty years ago, the town forgot an entire summer!!!! As the past starts to come back, it made for a great book! I loved the twists and the characters. I did have a bit of trouble at the beginning keeping everyone straight but once I read more it was easy. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own,