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!

Thank you to Angela Mann for providing me with a copy in return for my review!

In the Shadow Garden by Liz Parker was the perfect novel to tuck into on an autumn night with a coffee in hand. It is a story that is not light and airy. Instead, it embraces some of the darker themes of literature with a perfect blend of storytelling, the supernatural, and the strength gardeners know of plants that reach through the rich dark soil toward the light.

"Stalks of basil to keep the evil eye at bay. A head of broccoli to heal the body. A bunch of cilantro to mend the soul. Three tomatoes for passion in the bedroom. A cucumber to keep that passion from burning a relationship to the ground. The finishing touch--- one piece of fruit from the shadow garden to amplify it all."

The story is about a power struggle in a small town between two prominent families whose roots go deep. The Haywood and Bonner families could not be more different. One is a high and mighty whiskey manufacturer, the other a family of witches, and the tension between them simmers for decades. Still, this story starts with the death of the Bonner Patriarch and the return of the Bonner prodigal son after 25 years. His return is met by a community that barely remembers him, so much so that it edges on the bizarre.

The Haywood side of town can take the darkest emotions from people and settle them into the ground, essentially feeding The Shadow Garden, their garden. They are three generations of witches who will meddle if asked to. But their magic starts to go haywire as well. What follows is a "who done it and why" that delves deep into the very root of things 25 years ago and what happened on that fateful summer in 1997.

I loved the juxtaposition of this high and mighty whiskey family and this Earthy family of witches. They couldn't be more different, and their hate could not be stronger. Their stories intertwine and involve magic, gardens, history, and love.

In the Shadow Garden was a whiskey-soaked story that was exciting as it is lyrically beautiful. There are second chances to be had, even for families like The Haywoods and the Bonners.

There are strange happenings in Yarrow, Kentucky. The three empathic witches of the Haywood family are known for their shadow garden—from strawberries that taste like chocolate to cherry tomatoes imbued with the flavors of basil and oregano. Their magic can cure any heartache, and the fruits of their garden bring a special quality to the local bourbon distillery. On one day every year, a shot of Bonner bourbon will make your worst memory disappear. But the Haywoods will never forget the Bonners’ bitter betrayal. The feud leads to sinister plants and a garden that wants to take over the entire town. A strange story.

Honestly, I wasn't sure if I would like this one. But I have to say, this was a great one. There are multiple POVs, romance (not between who you would suspect) and mystery. It also tackles healing between two families and magic.

Parker does a fantastic job with the mystery. Kept me glued to my kindle. I also thought the magic system was pretty dope. Although, I do wish there was some sort of description of how it came to be. Parker's writing is impeccable. Readers should make sure to use the family trees at the beginning of the book. It definitely comes in handy. I enjoyed the family dramas and how the drama affected the town.

This book is phenomenal, and I can't rave enough about it. With outstanding writing, incredible magic and unforgettable characters, what's not to love?

Absolutely magical! This was a captivating story of feuding families, family secrets, and magic gone wrong. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down! Perfect for fans of Practical Magic. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for early access!

A lovely and uplifting read. A story about a town with a magic garden and the family who tend it. A quick read and great for someone looking for some escapism.

I really savored this book and man those last 40 pages were intense!! I didn't see the ending plot twists coming at all and my heart broke for Kaden, Addison and Irene but I hope they get many many years to make new memories they get to keep now. I cannot even imagine what the Haywoods and all of Yarrow went through but the vivid descriptions and detail really took me there. I loved this book and the spooky atmosphere, would have been a great halloween read but was just as great right after Christmas

I enjoyed this book, it was a long winding, colorful and earthy story that echoed in some ways to "Practical Magic" as we learn about an extended family of witches. The author slowly builds the present and finds an ingenious way to share the past, mixing both past and present in an ingenious way. The transition back and forth was smooth and seamless and keeps the reader engaged.

The concept of the Shadow Garden was brilliant and something new, and the interaction with the major players both antagonist and protagonist, was an interesting dynamic as well. The storytelling sometimes seemed a bit slow but the reader was rewarded by something else that was unique and provoking.

This was a great read, with a twist in the ending. Well done and worth your time.

Witches!!!!!!!!!! Right up my alley- magical realism makes my heart sing! I wasn't sure what to expect, but I saw that and I was requesting a copy immediately! I am so glad I did as this novel did NOT disappoint!

If you love witches, family drama, small town mysteries, maybe a little bit of romance and multiple POVs- this is the book for you. The book is set in Kentucky which seems like a random place for a book about witches, but it was perfect.

Another debut author for the WIN! This is probably one of my favorite reads for 2022.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my free e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This book has such a beautiful cover and is about magic, tea, and whiskey, so I knew I had to give it a try. It's a fun, lighter read and an interesting story of two feuding families. I had a hard time with the pacing and getting into the book, but fans of the Practical Magic series may want to give it a try.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to the audiobook and really found the narration enjoyable and well done. This book easily held my interest because I love a good long-time family feud situation and I was antsy to see how the story would wrap up. The characters were excellent, it felt like a great fall read with some magic woven in, and the story was well told. Will recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a bit of magical realism and romance interwoven.

You ever read a book and sit there thinking, wow this everything I love all at once wrapped up on one book? Friends, that was my experience with In The Shadow Garden by Liz Parker. This book was a DELIGHT. I loved nearly every aspect of it — to the point where I ended up giving it five stars, even though it took me a little longer to get into than I had initially anticipated. However, I love this book and am adding it to my Christmas wishlist because I want a copy for my shelf.

You ever read a book and sit there thinking, wow this everything I love all at once wrapped up on one book? Friends, that was my experience with In The Shadow Garden by Liz Parker
In The Shadow Garden is set in a magical town called Yarrow in Kentucky. There we have the Harwoods and the Bonners. The Harwoods run a tea shop and maintain the shadow garden, where they take the pain of others and ease it into the garden. The Bonners run the bourbon distillery where the bourbon tastes like nostalgia and makes you forget. Addison is in her twenties and can’t seem to get a lock on her magic – having messed up big time in the past. Her mother, Irene, maintains a strong dislike for the Bonners, but she is re-examining that when Kaden Bonner is back in town for his father’s funeral. Oh, and it turns out that everyone in town has forgotten the summer of 1997 for some reason.

This book makes me so excited for whatever Liz Parker writes next. I think that if you vibe with Sarah Addison Allen’s work, you will LOVE this book. The characters were all people that I loved except for one character and that was with good reason. I loved the plant based magic and really am realizing that is a fantasy trope that I favor. There’s diversity that doesn’t feel forced but reflective of the world we live in.

This story follows the Haywood family as they navigate changes to their healing magic and the effects that the changes have on the town and their rivals, the Bonner family.

I LOVED this book! It was so good! I really enjoyed the magical realism and cozy vibes. This is one of my favorite books this year!

I particularly liked the author's writing style. It made the story enjoyable, fast paced, and easy to get immersed in.

I also really liked the character development and different plot lines throughout the story. This book intricately wove the story lines of 3 generations of multiple families in the small town of Yarrow, Kentucky. I genuinely loved all the characters and the unfolding mystery. The small town setting with the tea shop and bourbon distillery were great, as well!

I am so excited to see what Liz Parker comes out with next! It will definitely be an auto-buy for me.

If you are looking for a book that has cozy vibes,  magical realism, family drama, small towns, or is reminiscent of a Sarah Addison Allen book, this is the book for you!

This was a 5⭐️ read for me!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book! I loved it so much I bought my own copy!