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The Official Blurb
“There’s something magical about 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.
Twenty years ago, the town gave up more than one memory; they forgot an entire summer. One person died. One person disappeared. And no one has any recollection of either.
As events from that fateful summer start to come to light, there must be a reckoning between the rival Haywood and Bonner families. But untangling the deep roots of this town’s terrible secrets will expose more than they could ever imagine about love, treachery, and the true nature of their power.”
Spoiler Alerts & Trigger Warnings: murder
If you’re looking for a story filled with witches, bourbon, buried secrets, and a touch of Southern gothic mystery, In the Shadow Garden by Liz Parker should be on your TBR. Published in 2022, this contemporary romantasy blends family drama, magic, and romance into one lush tale that fans of Practical Magic will absolutely devour. It’s my book choice for Season 2 Episode 21: I’m Also in Love with Mothman.
The Premise
Set in the fictional town of Yarrow, Kentucky, the novel follows three generations of Haywood witches and their magical “shadow garden.” The Haywoods run a tea shop called Lavender & Lemon Balm, where Irene Haywood uses her gifts to brew custom blends, read tea leaves, and — most importantly — draw pain and sorrow out of people. That pain is fed to the shadow garden, which thrives on it and grows hauntingly beautiful black plants and herbs used for both tea and produce.
But the Haywoods aren’t the only family with secrets. Their sworn enemies, the Bonners, own the local bourbon distillery. Thanks to a deal struck decades earlier, the Bonners brew their bourbon with enchanted black corn from the shadow garden. Every year at the town’s harvest festival, one sip of Bonner bourbon lets townsfolk forget a painful memory. Only … the entire town has forgotten everything from the summer of 1997, and no one can explain why.
The Characters
- Maura Haywood – the formidable matriarch, full of sharp edges and tradition.
- Irene Haywood – Maura’s daughter, tea shop co-owner, and the heart of the family’s magic.
- Addison Haywood – Irene’s daughter, struggling to master her powers and her role as caretaker of the shadow garden.
- The Bonners – the rival bourbon family with more than a few skeletons in the closet.
- The Bakers – the local grocers caught between the families.
When Christian Durant (husband of Sylvia Bonner) dies, the tenuous line between these families begins to unravel. Old wounds resurface, Addison grapples with her faltering magic, and long-buried mysteries about the missing summer of ’97 start to claw their way to the surface — along with Kaden Bonner, the son no one can seem to remember.
Romance & Spice
The story is sprinkled with romance, featuring two slow-burn love stories involving Irene and Addison separately. These relationships provide a gentle, emotional counterpoint to the heavier themes of loss, betrayal and memory. Spice level? Think green pepper. It’s definitely present (behind closed doors) but more sweet heat than fire. (To learn more about our Spicy Scoville Scale, click here.)
What I Loved
🌑 The shadow garden itself is stunningly described — lush, eerie, and utterly enchanting. I kind of want one of my own (black fruits and all).
🍵 The tea rituals, readings and magical blends added a beautiful cozy-witch element.
🥃 The bourbon magic was such a clever addition. Rituals of forgetting paired with Southern tradition made for an unforgettable hook.
✨ The twists and reveals kept me invested all the way through the final act.
Challenges
The book does start slowly. With so many characters and family ties, it took me a while to get oriented. And the pacing in the first two-thirds made it harder to sink into at first. But once the story found its rhythm, the payoff was worth it — rich, emotional and deeply satisfying.
Final Thoughts
If you love Practical Magic, witchy vibes, or Southern gothic mysteries with a hint of romance, In the Shadow Garden is a story worth sinking into. It’s about family, forgiveness and the memories we bury to survive — wrapped in tea leaves and bourbon.
Be sure to check out my other blog post with inspiration for creating your own shadow garden! Click here.
If you want to hear more of my thoughts on the book, you can listen to the podcast episode on your favorite podcast streaming service. Or click here for our in-house podcast player. I share my Romantic Reminder gleaned from the book. And you can find out if I won the episode Boobie Prize. Want to read the book for yourself? You can get it from The Ripped Bodice here or Amazon here.
Have you read In the Shadow Garden? Let me know your thoughts on this book in the comments!
