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.

This book was great. Full of romance and mystery and banter. I absolutely loved the concept and execution of this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes mystery, romance and gothic books.

A great cover. An interesting blurb. Secret investigations. Lots of poison. An absolutely loveable main character. A small pinch of death and lots of feelings. Count me in! If you love gothic romance then you definitely shouldn’t miss this book. I couldn’t put the book down for a second. It was always exciting, never boring and above all it was never predictable. Thanks to Adalyn Grace’s great and detailed writing style, the characters really came to life and I was able to understand the actions of these characters very well.

Signa and Death were such interesting characters and Signa in particular caught my eye. She has been through so much in her young life and all she really wants is to fit into society and find the perfect husband. However, her life has never been normal, as she can see ghosts and death. Signa is going through an incredibly great character growth. She learns to stand up for herself, she doesn’t allow herself to be silenced and she does everything for the people she loves. Signa is a stubborn person and she will do whatever it takes to save her cousin. At the Hawthrones, she learns what it’s like to have a family for the first time in years. Signa’s relationship with Death is very unique and the dynamic between these two was portrayed very well. In the course of the Plot we also learn what this attraction is all about, which both of them always feel. Aside from Signa and Death, the supporting characters are also very interesting and Adalyn Grace has managed that they don’t just get lost in the background.

„Belladonna“ was an absolutely interesting and awesome book that I can really recommend to everyone and it more than deserves the full five stars. At first I thought it was a standalone, but after this surprise cliffhanger I can’t wait to get my hands on the second part.

"How was it that after she'd spent so many years of her life fighting him - fighting that part of her - she now craved his touch?"

Victorian era meets playing with Death. I really didn't know what to expect from this book but it has provided so much more. The mystery element worked well with a plot twist I did not see coming, though at some points I did feel like it dragged out a bit, however, the overall pacing of the book was really good.

"He was the fire of the stars. The dazzle of the moon. The darkness of the shadows. and the caress of wind against her skin as that darkness drank her in like she was the finest wine"

I honestly found myself falling hard for Death and I do it was explored further. I think the book works well as a standalone but I find myself excited to read the next one from the cliffhanger ending!

Thank you NetGallery for this ARC! :)

Gothic Fantasy, Paranormal Spirits and a mysterious shadowed Reaper make the premises of this book perfect. The character descriptions and building were great and the love story between th MC and Death a perfect fantasy.
Some parts of the story were quessable, but the final plot twist I didn't see coming.
Of course there is a cliff hanger and another entity brought into the fold for the next installment.
A definet read for book lovers of Fantasy, Paranormal, Gothic and Spirit Relms.

Belladonna follows nineteen-year-old Signa, who is cursed to come back to life no matter how hard she tries to stay dead, and who meets Death every time she crosses to the other side. Right from the start, there is a deliciously spooky, eerie atmosphere, which deepens as Signa moves to her new foster house and is ensnared in a web of secrets at Thorn Grove.

The beginning is off to a captivating start, after which the pace slows somewhat, but the characters are captivating, their secrets tantalising, and the relationship between Death and Signa made this book a real page-turner. I just wish the setting and time period had been a bit more detailed so I could picture it better.

In summary, a dark and romantic tale for lovers of dark academia and the supernatural.

I went into this without reading the blurb and I am so glad I did, the cover caught my eye and the characters kept me reading. Helped me out of my reading slump and rejuvenated the fantasy genre for me.

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace is the first book in the Belladonna Series.

The story is set in a Victorian gothic manor and those vibes were on point and among my favorite parts of this book. In addition, Death was a character and that was so cool.

Our protagonist is Signa who grew up in different foster homes until her distant relatives, the Hawthornes, invite her to live with them. They live in this big estate called Thorn Grove and all its members whether the patriarch, the son and the daughter all have different coping mechanisms to deal with the situation. The characters were eccentric and interesting, but I couldn’t really connect to any of them. Signa also investigates a killer and I wasn’t the biggest fan of that.

Overall, if you’re looking for a story with gothic vibes, this might be for you. 3 stars.

(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

i loved this book, i was so lucky to be able to have the opportunity to read this via e-arc!! signa is everything i look for in a main protagonist, witty, compassionate and total bad ass. death made me fall in love with the character. death and signa's banter was a highlight of the book for me. this book is adalyn grace's love letter to literature and if you don't read it when it comes out you are missing out on something incredible!!

This book did not disappoint. Absolutely breathtaking. I was so excited to be able to read this arc and it left me wanting MORE. Signa and Death were devastatingly addictive and the character development was amazing, so much detail. I can’t wait to read the sequel!

Orphaned as a baby, nineteen-year-old Signa has been raised by a string of guardians, each more interested in her wealth than her well-being. Incapable of dying but set to unravel her cursed power, she often stands at the thin line between life and death. So, when a letter comes from Thorn Grove inviting her to the manor, Signa can’t help but feel excited about a new start. However, between family secrets and Signa’s own entanglement with Death and the stable boy, her stay will not be as expected.

The premise is great ‒ a romantic gothic-infused murder mystery ‒ and the prologue got me intrigued from the start. The plot is gripping as fuck. I couldn't make out at all who the murderer was (I was pretty certain it was someone, and then Signa tries to prove me right just to end up proving me wrong). I was utterly surprised. And the author also does a wonderful job at drawing me into the gothic and haunting descriptions of Thorn Grove Manor and its grounds. The writing includes some exquisite descriptions of the Victorian/Georgian type of setting.

As for the cons, I must confess I didn’t completely fall in love with Signa. I liked her cousin Blythe's personality much better. While Signa thinks often about finding a love match and settling for what probably will be a very dull life, Blythe repeatedly expresses her desire to be a free and empowered woman. Although Signa undergoes significant character development, I feel that this only happens because of a more carnal desire than anything else.

Speaking of desire, another thing that felt lacking was the development of the two love interests. I ended the book feeling that I never got to know Death and Sylas; Signa's relationship with them was limited to interactions related to the unsolved mystery and reckless flirt in between. The banter was fun, but I missed some deeper conversations. Their personalities felt a little flat: Death is just this mysterious and provocative reaper cloaked in shadows, and Sylas is an annoying but always-there stable boy.

I greatly appreciated the family dynamic between Signa and the Hawthornes. And I hope we get to see the friendship between Signa and Blythe grow in the sequel the epilogue hints at.

I received an eARC for free, through NetGalley, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

2.5 Stars

Signa Farrows life has been full of death. Signa herself can see Death and the spirits of those who have already passed. Death comes for nearly everyone around Signa. Until she ends up living at Thorn Grove.

Signa moves in with her cousins and uncle whos wife has recently passed. But theres more to her death than meets the eye. She was murdered. And Signas cousin Blythe is suffering the same way her mother did. Can Signa solve the mystery and save her cousin? And will Death help?

For me, the premise of this book was so intriguing. But the execution was lacking. The whole story felt super slow, and at times rather boring. There were more exciting parts such as whenever Signa interacted with Death, but it just wasn’t enough for me. The relationship between Death and Signa was very interesting however as they seem to be potential lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this one with high hopes only for all of them to be dashed when I learnt that the love interest was... death (who was, obviously, centuries older than her. talk about romance being dead). I admittedly was not liking the writing style which was draggy and in the nicest way, boring. The plot was, however, the only device having me hooked but that too could not ultimately save this rating. Here's to hoping the next book is light years better!

Because death is only a reprieve for the dead, Mr.Thorly. It cares little for those it leaves behind."

wow! adalyn grace's belladonna is such an interesting read—definitely not what i expected! it's giving gothic bridgerton murder mystery vibes and i was captured from the very first chapter, which i have to say, was easily the best opening to a story i've read in a long, long time. adalyn's prose is absolutely beautiful and she has a way of really capturing you in the feeling of the story. i think my only issue with this story is the romance between death and signa and that the plot twists were fairly predictable. i always feel a little weird when stories have love interests that have literally known/watched over the mc since they were babies. i like that we get to see signa's struggle between the complicated emotions of transitioning from hatred to love for death, it's nice that she's self-aware but yeah, it was a little odd for me and made it hard to be super invested in their relationship, although i do appreciate that unique aspect of the plot! would recommend for the gorgeous quotes and prose alone but definitely check it out if you dig that kind of vibe! as far as i'm aware, this is also the first in the series so i'm excited to see how this world evolves.

thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Okay, I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did, but guys, it is worth the hype that I have been seeing for it!! If this is one of your most anticipated releases for the year, I don't think you'll be disappointed!

This was so captivating; it hooked me right from the prologue and did not let me go. Adalyn Grace has a beautiful, lyrical, rich prose that at the same time is so easy to read, and I just got lost in this story, I did not want it to end! I was desperate to keep reading and to know what was going to happen. The mystery and intrigue of Thorn Grove were completely immersive. The vibes are truly immaculate. If you love gothic tales with haunted houses, poisonings, secret gardens, shadowy woods, things that go bump in the night - but in a way that isn't horror or truly scary, you should read this book.

There is a very beautiful portrayal of death and the afterlife in this book, with many different beliefs being taken into account and showing how they can all coexist; that was probably one of my favourite parts of the whole book.

Speaking of favourite parts... THE ROMANCE. I saw someone compare the romance to Kingdom of the Wicked, and while I haven't read that book yet, I do know what that romance is and I can confirm it does seem to be along the same lines. The romance between our main character Signa, and Death, was just stunning. It was definitely the guy-falls-harder trope, and you see Death, this feared, hated entity as his true gentle, quiet self, and I just loved them together. The chemistry was perfect, everything about them was perfect.

Signa is a fantastic main character. She is stubborn but protective, and desperate to find a stable home after being passed around many different guardians her entire life. You see how she is torn between being her true self and the expectations of 1800s society that she must adhere to, and then the amazing character growth as she comes to accept herself for who she is. There are many great, well-layered and distinctive side characters who you can't help but feel for and loving.

The book ends on a cliffhanger, and there are many questions left unanswered, but by the end I still felt satisfied with the answers we were given, and intrigued to read the sequel and find out the answers we don't yet know. I am absolutely desperate to read the sequel right now, and I am so frustrated to have to wait over a year for FOXGLOVE.

I would definitely, definitely recommend this book, for anyone who loves gothic romance, murder mystery, high society, and beautiful writing!

In this book we follow a young woman called Signa Farrow. She’s lived a life haunted by Death. More or less her whole family died when she was just a baby. But Signa cannot die, which not only made her the sole heir to a fortune, but gave her a connection to Death and the world beyond the living. One by one of Signa’s (very unfitting) guardians is taken by Death, making Signa more and more lonely and angry with Death. But when Signa is sent to Thorn Grove to live with her last remaining relatives, the Hawthornes, she stumbles upon angered spirits, strange illnesses, and an array of eccentric people with plenty of secrets. Soon Signa realizes that the illnesses are in fact unnatural, and that the death isn’t natural. To solve the murder and bring peace back to Thorn Grove, Signa has to make an alliance with Death himself.

So, this was an interesting read with some very good elements.

I find that the writing is detailed and at times poetic and a bit “old”, which fits the story since it takes place somewhere in the 1800s. I did find it a bit jarring to begin with though because it’s written in an almost omniscient POV. There’s a lot of distance to the main character, which I find odd and I think the story would have been better had we been closer to Signa throughout the story. Or maybe I just have a hard time with the “but what she didn’t know was that xxxx”-type of narrative. I want to be there in the moment with the character, and this book isn’t that. However, it didn’t take long to get into the style and after the first few chapters I rarely thought much about it.

The murder mystery is a very interesting plot that may perhaps not have the tension and “hold your breath”-excitement of a really good thriller/crime story, but it’s suitable for this book. And considering it’s not really the main plot either, it works really well. And the twists here had me surprised, but not chocked. Everything felt well developed and planned out, which is great.

The main plot for me in this book is more about Signa and her journey in finding herself and who she is, which also incudes romance. And Signa is a likeable character who’s easy to follow and as a reader I want to know what’s going to happen to her, and I want the best for her. When it comes to the romance, Signa and Death has great chemistry and the romance is beautifully written. I do have a few issues with the romance that I’ll get to later, but I have to say that if I disregard certain things, the romance is good and it develops nicely throughout the novel.

The core of this novel is really good, and there’s many things to like about it. I’ve read an ARC of this novel, which might explain a lot of the mistakes I found in it. This really needs a final pass with an editor because there are a lot of mistakes. Words missing in sentences, wrong name in dialogues, grammar mistakes etc. But I’m confident those will be fixed before release.

I also find that it’s too many words in it. Now, this is probably something of a personal preference too. I like fast novels that doesn’t dawdle along with unnecessary details and scenes that really don’t matter. And, well, this book has plenty of those. At least 30% of the book isn’t really necessary, and I’ve honestly skimmed large portions of it because it’s very slow. But I’m sure plenty of people would instead love the book for just this attention to detail and slow development.

So, onto the final thing. The romance. As much as I like the way it’s written and the chemistry between the characters, I can’t help but feel like this romance is seriously creepy. And not because Death is, well, Death. But because one, he’s as old as creation himself, and she’d 19, but two, she doesn’t even know what he looks like. She’s like swooning over a man cloaked in shadows that’s millennia old and she’s like “I don’t care what he looks like”.

Sure, he’s waited for her a long time and all that, and even though I don’t like the whole old man with young woman thing in YA, I get it. This woman is the first one he’s ever been able to touch. She is his only wish and he loves her. But I would have still liked to have seen his face before they get intimate. I’m perhaps superficial in this, but what if he had a decaying face with worms swirling out of his bloodied eye sockets? I mean, he’s Death after all. How romantic would it have been to wake up in bed with that face, no matter how sweet the man was? So, yes, I would have liked to see his pretty face before any intimate details.

But that isn’t really by biggest issue either. What I’m concerned about is that Death found Signa when she was a baby. A baby. He’s been watching her since she was a baby in a crib, waiting, grooming (?) and whatever until she was nineteen and then he comes and is like “you’re my everything and I love you, please sleep with me, be with me, give me your everything because you’re the only woman I’ve been able to touch, and I need you.”

Yes, I find this extremely creepy and inappropriate, and the whole thought that this man has stalked Signa since she was a baby only so he could seduce her and take her for himself as a young adult makes my stomach turn at every line of that otherwise greatly written romance. Couldn’t he at least have met her at 16 or something? This is like Twilight and Jacob and the baby all over again.

I’m sorry, but grown men falling in love with babies is wrong, even if they wait until they are adults to act on it.

But overall, this is a solid read and I’m giving it a 3,5/5 stars.