I absolutely loved Belladonna! The general concept of death is so different to anything I've read so far, it was great.

Signa is such a strong character, I really loved the character growth throughout the book and the moments where she doubted what she wanted from life and what was actually important to her. Death and Sylas were also great characters, I loved the emotional moments from Death in particular. It's a really lovely spin on mortality and the way Death's character arc was written just pulled on my heartstrings.

The plot grabs you right from the first chapter, the way it's written is very addictive and I just wanted to find out what was going to happen. The pace is consistent throughout, I didn't find it slow at any points and just wanted to keep reading. Belladonna is the perfect combination of genres too, there's fantasy, historical fiction, a murder mystery, plus a few gruesome horror descriptions - it's brilliant. If you liked House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig, this is definitely one for you!

The epilogue is so good, I'm glad there's going to be a sequel. I've actually preordered Belladonna after reading the ARC because I want a physical copy on my shelves!

4 stars.

Going into this book, I had high expectations because the concept sounded so appealing to me. I'm glad to say that this absolutely blew me away!! I was so taken in by the gorgeous writing style and worldbuilding, and I found myself falling in love with the characters as the plot progressed (especially Death - no surprises there!). Signa was such an interesting protagonist with unique abilities that I really enjoyed reading about.

Whilst I loved the characters of Signa and Death, their relationship didn't draw me in until the end of the book. I was also interested in the side characters and would've liked to know more about them outside of the central mystery.

Nevertheless, a stunning read that I absolutely loved. I can't wait to see where the story goes in the sequel - I just can't believe I'll have to wait so long for the sequel!!

Signa is touched by Death, but survives every time. When her last guardian dies, she realises she can see Death, and starts arguing with him. She goes to live with the widower and children of a cousin - but the estate is mysterious, her cousin's death has unresolved questions, and one of the family has the same mysterious disease. The mysterious stableboy who came to fetch her is by turns fascinating and infuriating, and Signa has to learn how fashionable society works alongside solving the mysteries of the estate and communicating with Death.

I really enjoyed this! Signa was a great heroine, and I enjoyed her thoughts on food and society as well as considering her place in it, and her fury with Death. The mystery was a good one and overall it was a really good read. Recommended!

I didn't know much about this book going in, but I was pleasantly surprised with the gothic, fantasy romance and the mystery aspects of the story. Signa was a great main character, we could clearly see her character development, and her taking charge when she needed to. She and her decisions moved the plot forward which I always love to see, and Death was also a very intriguing character who stole my heart by the end! Blythe and Percy and Signa's relationship (they're Signa's cousins) was so sweet I wished we'd have seen more of it! Overall a really great book, and I am highly anticipating the sequel of it that's for sure!a

Imagine Bridgerton, but with ghosts, that's what this gothic romance brings to the table. From the spooky setting ofThorn Grove, to the mysteries to be solved, to the morally grey romance, this book just brings it all. A super unique read where 'weird girl' Signa finds her home.

I had gotten myself in a reading slump and had put off reading this until the last minute. But now that I've read it I wished I had done so sooner as I really enjoyed this book!

Our main character is Signa Farrow who, after being orphaned during a mass poisoning/murder at a party which killed her mother (which isn't really delved into and the only major disappointment I had with this book), she has been unable to die and can see Death - and he can see her. Unfortunately, every guardian she's been sent to has died so far while she's been in their care, and with only a few months before she can legally access her inheritance, she's been shipped off to another guardian in Thorn Grove.

In a change of events, someone (her Aunt) has already died before she got there, and it looks like her cousin is about to go the same way - and so, beginnings this gothic mystery to discover what is killing off this family and how she can save her cousin. All while learning how to master her powers with the help of Death and be a respectable lady in the hopes of finding a husband.

The author has done a fantastic job of keeping everything in good balance - the mystery, the romance, the drama etc. I found Signa to be a very interesting heroine, especially in a Regency era setting (think Bridgeton, but with ghosts) where she has to juggle her powers, deal with her love/hate relationship with Death, and her big debut into society.

I did initially roll my eyes at the stereotypical YA romance between Death and Silas (the typical 1 female MC and 2 male romances) - but then that plot twist at the end!

I'm genuinely looking forward to the sequel, Foxglove, to see how everything plays out, because cliff hanger.

One of the best YA fantasy novels that you want to look out for this year!

Belladonna is not the kind of story that I thought I would end up loving, but Adalyn Grace worked her magic from Page One. A dark, intriguing YA Gothic Fantasy about a girl who can see ghosts but cannot die, and her strange connection with Death himself--Belladonna is equal parts coming-of-age romance and murder mystery combined in one. Here are 5 reasons you should read this book:

- An incredibly smart, strong female protagonist who is charming and hilariously relatable
- A wonderfully cast of well-developed, three-dimensional characters
- Stunning world-building set in
- Beautifully depicted themes of grief, loss, love and recovery
- Eerily unnerving hauntings, perfectly befitting a novel about ghosts
- Intriguing murder mystery with unexpected plot twists
- Just the right amount of darkly seductive, enemies-to-lovers romance...with the Grim Reaper himself.

One of the best YA novels of the year!

Signa cannot die. She doesn't know why or how but that's how things are. However, she finds out that she can see and feel Death, and he's always been around taking away the people who were taking care of her, no matter if they were good or bad. When the family of her latest guardian is in danger though, Signa wants to find out what's going on. Who killed her guardian's wife and why is his daughter on the deathbed? She'll have to work closely with Death to discover the culprit and save the only family she has ever known.

This book is full of plot twists, one after the other. You can't even phantom who the culprit is until Signa herself finds out. The book ends with a cliffhanger, and I can't wait to read about Signa's new adventure!

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advanced copy of Belladonna in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I absolutely loved this dark, gothic, paranormal, romance mystery story. From the start meeting the protagonist Signa Farrow, orphaned as a babe in arms as her mother is poisoned by Belladona, that by all rights should have killed het too, to meeting her in her late teens when once again another guardian meets a fatal end, she is an absolute charmer, displaying all the characteristics of a truly engaging character!
Plus, trying to stab Death with a dagger gives definite plus points, and trust me Death plays a massive role in Signa’s story.

This book follows Signa to the home of her latest guardian following a trail of dead guardians, that has led to Signa being dubbed a ‘cursed orphan’, but she soon encounters Death and a whole paranormal murder mystery, which she needs to solve for both her and her newly adopted family’s future.

I really wish I could tell you so much more about this book, it totally pulled me in and was the most pleasant way to manage a 5 hour flight delay! Now all I have to do is grit my teeth, bite my nails and wait for the next instalment following that firecracker of a cliff hanger at the end…Adalyn Grace how could you!?!

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars

One of the most refreshing YA Gothic Fantasy Romances that I’ve read in forever, Belladonna by Adalyn Grace centres around Signa, an orphan set to inherit a vast fortune upon reaching adulthood and thus, is subjected to being shuffled around several greedy relatives. Unfortunately for those relatives, Signa’s ‘cursed’—unable to die yet followed by death in both literal and metaphorical sense. One by one, those relatives meet their untimely end and with each demise, Death appears, either to collect waiting souls or summoned by Signa’s new suicide attempt. This, of course, causes Signa to hate Death as she believes him to be the source of her ‘curse’ which would lead to her being unable to marry (ngl, I laughed at this because I didn’t think Signa would be that type of shallow until I remembered what period this book is set in).

As Signa nears her 18th birthday, she is sent to live with her last remaining relatives: the Hawthorne Family at Thorn Grove who have their own curse as well. Their home is haunted by the ghost of Lillian, the wife of the Hawthorne patriarch, and Blythe is dying of the same illness that took her mother. Things come to a head when Lillian confronts Signa, claiming she was poisoned, and that’s when the race against time begins. To help Lillian find peace by finding the culprit while trying to prevent Blythe’s death, Signa will need to work together with Death.

The mystery aspect of Belladonna is hands down my utmost favourite thing in this book. There is just the perfect amount of tension, twists and turns, and a quick enough pace to keep me hooked. I had my suspicions but ultimately, didn’t see the final revelation coming. I loved how things turned out and was pleasantly surprised by the way Signa handled the aftermath too.

Nevertheless, I’m gonna be honest and admit that Signa is not my favourite type of heroine. As aforementioned, she’s shallow, though I understand that’s most likely resultant of the time period and her upbringing. Signa is also very impulsive and while I get that without her impulsiveness we wouldn’t have a book as quick-paced as it is, I also can’t help but wish that she would just stop and use her common sense once in a while.

Death, on the other hand, is a very sweet and understanding love interest. He’s the much better version of Greek God Hades and I really liked the tenderness he has for Signa and the souls, and the banter he shares with Signa. However, the romance between Death and Signa went from 0 to 100 very quickly. Thinking about it from Death’s perspective, it makes sense because he’s been waiting for a being like her for a long time already. But, in Signa’s, it just makes her look like a very thirsty girl, especially considering how much she hated Death in the beginning.

Also, (ngl here too) if we view Death on the same plane of morality as us humans, he has major, undeniable creep vibes (he watched Signa grow up ya’ll). So yeah, I wouldn’t recommend reading Belladonna the way you’d read a romance between humans while expecting a healthy relationship, because Death here is definitely not human.

Anyway, if you’re looking for an unconventional YA romance that also delivers what it says it will deliver (in this case, romance, murder and mystery), then Belladonna is a must-read.

DNF @ 30%

I really really really wanted to like this. I was so happy to have received an arc, but its been over a month I picked this up and I simply don´t feel like reading it anymore. I got so bored and just completely lost my interest. I´m always a bit reluctant to dnf arcs but I need to remind myself that just because I received one, I´m not obligated to finish reading it if I don´t enjoy it.

I might pick this up again in the future, but for now this will be a dnf.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this dark and spooky novel of death, society, expectations, and a murder plot disguised as an illness. Cursed from birth, Signa Farrow is followed by Death. Not just that people around her die - actually, the entity, Death, cloaked in shadows and speaking to her. Incapable of dying, Signa has been passed between a host of guardians who were more interested in her fortune than her wellbeing, until she ends up at the house of the enigmatic Hawthorne family. There, she meets reclusive Elijah, the patriarch mourning the loss of his wife, forgotten Percy, who is trying desperately to hold his family legacy together, and mortally ill Blythe, who is rapidly wasting away from the same 'disease' that killed her mother. Signa, with her ability to see restless spirits, is then motivated to solve the mystery facing her adoptive family, discover what's holding Death in her orbit, and make her debut into society. There's a lot going on here, and it's well handled. Adalyn Grace deftly weaves together the supernatural elements of investigation with the constricting obligations of society on Signa, and the restrictions that she faces by virtue of her gender. Well thought out, richly detailed, and honestly, just really interesting, I thoroughly enjoyed this, and greatly look forward to the sequel!

If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would!!! I am absolutely obsessed over this beautifully gothic story. The characters, the setting, the back story, the plot, the TWIST!!! And that ending?! Are you trying to give me an early labour Adalyn!

We’re following Signa as she is passed from family member to family member throughout her life, each one meeting Death (most before their time) until she eventually finds herself at Thorn Grove where her strange abilities come into themselves and she embarks on a deadly murder mystery adventure whilst trying to show her willingness to join society.

I need the second book please and thank you. This is definitely in my top 5 of 2022 and I can’t thank the team at Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley enough for gifting me this arc.

Go preorder now…go go go

i was so pleasantly surprised by this book. i fell in love with its gothic vibe, the whole mystery of the protagonist, of her powers and the actual mystery she has to solve. the main character is so lovely, it's impossible to not care for her, and at the same time she's so fun and practical, i really really love her. there is something magical and at the same time unsettling in her whole relationship with death itself, this pull she feels, and the poison she now carries with herself for the whole novel. i loved how this was the center of the book, more than romance or the mystery plot.

A story of death, ghosts, murder and dark secrets. An intriguing, gothic-inspired read, and the mystery was deftly plotted, although the characters could have been more fleshed out. Not without its flaws, but I'm sure other readers will love this.

I really enjoyed this, and I am still thinking about it weeks later. The atmosphere it conjures is like a wonderful dream - perhaps a little blurred at the edges, but it really made me feel. It is not perfect, perhaps technically it should be 4.5 stars, but I am already thinking about rereading it and I can’t believe how long I will have to wait for the sequel! There are various twists and turns, some of which I saw coming, and some of which surprised me, but I was happy with all of them. I loved the start of the book, but felt there was a bit of a lull 10-20% in. If anyone else is struggling around that point - it is absolutely worth persisting!

Thank-you very much to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in return for an honest review.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for an advanced copy of Belladonna.

First off, I was drawn to this because of the Dickinson vibes. You know, the Hailee Steinfeld series. And honestly I don't think I was too wrong!

Death plays a massive role in this gothic meets paranormal meets period novel.

Our main character, 17-year-old Signa Farrow is incredible. Named “cursed orphan” after everyone who adopts her keep dying one by one. Throughout the novel, we see her chewing the poisonous belladonnas to summon Death to challenge him and hopefully save her new family.

The Book Thief is my favourite novel and this also had the same eery vibes.

I just loved it! That cliffhanger however! Book two hurry up!

In Belladonna we follow Signa, orphaned as a baby and looked after by numerous relatives only interested in her inheritance, yet they all seem to meet untimely deaths. That is until she finds herself at Thorn Grove, with eccentric relatives who throw decadent parties and mourn the loss of the family matriarch.

This book has so many interesting concepts, it mixed mystery and murder, gothic and fantasy. The atmosphere was impeccable and it was such a unique read.

I was so happy to reach the end of the story and discover that this book isn't a standalone, I cannot wait for Foxglove.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the chance to read Belladonna.

𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Belladonna
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Adalyn Grace
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Fantasy, Young Adult
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Belladonna was such a delight and I devoured it! Although, I still need to mull over my thoughts after reading that ending!

𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐇:
• The pacing is on the slower side but this is a fun read with an intriguing premise and a hauntingly atmospheric writing.
• I’m usually a fan of first person POV (I know, I’m THAT reader 🙈😩), however, I found the writing engaging and the prose lyrical.
• Signa was an interesting character, as readers we understand her wanting to find herself whilst also be a part of something and I liked how we see her grow throughout the novel. Sometimes she doesn’t make the best decisions but hey, that’s common.
• I liked Sylus as a character and his interactions with Signa. Their chemistry was palatable and I enjoyed it.
• Loved Thaddeus and Gundry. I know I’m not wrong when I say they’re the best characters in the book.

𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐄:
• Wasn't a fan of the romance with a certain character (Death) as Death has known Signa since she was a baby, seen her grow throughout the years… plus, Signa had claimed to hate Death her whole life (19 years so far)?? I suppose I struggled a lot with the romance and it mainly affected my enjoyment (other than the romance part I was enjoying the book!!). It might be just a “me” thing but I just couldn’t hop on board with that. I just wished they met in adulthood or something. That aspect of the romance was unsettling for me.


𝐈𝐧 𝐚 𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:
✔ Victorian-inspired fantasy, gothic romance
✔ Murder mysteries
✔ Slow-burn romance
✔ Romancing Death

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫: fans of Kingdom of the Wicked, Uprooted, Cruel Beauty

𝐂𝐖: death, mentions of poisoning, murder, abuse


Thank you to @NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 𝐌𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠: 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐣𝐨𝐲.𝐜𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞

A dark gothic YA fantasy.
Perfect for fans of In the ravenous dark. Gallant or Lakesedge.
Death is stalking Signa Farrow. Ever since she was a baby and the untimely deaths of her parents, she has been moved from one guardian to another. But each has met an untimely end.

Her remaining relatives are the Hawthorns, plagued by misfortune and now Signa can see the ghost of the recently deceased Mother who claims she was poisoned.

Now the only chance of solving the murder and ending the curse on Signa is to work with death himself, but she finds him more and more irresistible then she imagined.