A huge thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of Belladonna by Adalyn Grace.

Belladonna follows a girl, Signa, who has been followed by death her entire life. Since being an infant people around her have died of odd circumstances, causing Signa to be passed around to various caretakers until she comes of age to inherit her estate. It also causes people to fear her and call her a witch. Little do they know that there is more to her than meets the eye.

Signa has a love/hate relationship with death. She blames him for causing her pain and suffering. But she also finds that she might have more in common with him than she thought. Luckily Signa gets sent to her cousin's house after her aunt passes away unexpectedly. She finds out that her mother's sister passed away shortly before from an unknown illness and that her cousin is now suffering with the same affliction that killed her mother. Signa realises that there might be more sinister plans afoot...

The book was really refreshing. The main character was wholly loveable and struggles with finding her place in the world that does not understand how to handle anyone that does not conform to the societal norms of the day. We see how Signa is hoping for friendship and companionship and how she finds it in the most unexpected places.

This was such a pleasure to read, and the twists come from nowhere. All of the characters are intriguing and I cannot wait for the next book to come out!

One word: WOW. This is how I felt after reading Belladonna.
It's deliciously dark with a slice of Death on the side 😉
It was toe curlingly addictive. I couldn't put it down. I read ever page , cover to cover . No page skips or end of story readings. I love gothic romances ❤️❤️
The story flow and the direction was very smooth and the male protagonists were varyingly interesting while simultaneously the being embodiment of the traditional male specimen (not all of them).
I'm not the biggest fan of this female protagonist but I did enjoy seeing her character grow and blossom. I especially liked seeing her realize her own independence ,how she didn't have to confine herself in society's norm and that she could be happy being just herself. A modern realisation unusual but definitely pleasing in a bygone era.
That twist at the end was the extra chocolate chips on top of an already delicious chocolate ice cream for sure.
I look forward enormously to reading a sequel ❤️
My thanks to @netgalley for sending me this arc in exchange for my honest review and legitimately unique opinions.
@authoradalyngrace thank you for another wonderful story ❤️

I still can't believe I got an ARC! I'm a member of Netgalley for years now but I never got approved, so I was so surprised when I had a chance to read one of my most anticipated reads this year.

I have to confess that I'm not utterly satisfied. One of my favorite tropes is Death as a love interest, and I was so excited to read Belladonna because of it. I haven't read this kind of book for years, and there are even more interesting aspects of the story: Poisonous plants, the victorian era, ghosts, and a murder mystery. Everything was given to an amazing story, but I felt that the execution was flat and shallow. Signa and Death's romance was rushed. In one moment Signa hated Death in the other she fantasized about Him. I would have liked a slower progression. (There is even a slight love triangle which I would hate if I didn't read ahead.)
The murderer's identity was not so obvious so that was nice, even though their motive was not so logical. I would have preferred a more fleshed-out story, and motive for it.
It will be perfect autumn read for many people, especially for fans of Hades- Persephone and gothic mysteries. Some parts lack depth, but I'm hopeful that the sequel Foxglove will be much better as I tend to like the second book in duologies more. And I'm eager to know more about Signa's powers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was ok, but it wasn't quite for me. I found it quite slow, and didn't connect with the story unfortunately

This is a young adult, Victorian-inspired fantasy, gothic romance and murder mystery all rolled into one.

Signa Farrow is an orphaned heiress who has moved from guardian to guardian as they have an unfortunate habit of dying. Unsurprisingly, the numerous deaths in her vicinity leads to a certain amount of gossip.
Unexpectedly, she is invited into the care of the wealthy family of a distant and deceased relative. Elijah Hawthorne, still grieving for his wife, throws rowdy, lavish parties whilst his daughter, Blythe's health starts to fail. Signa finds the illnesses in the household suspicious and starts to investigate the death of Lillian, whilst trying to keep a watchful eye on Blythe.

I really enjoyed the combination of a classic murder mystery, family drama in a grand gothic mansion along with the more supernatural elements. Signa can see spirits and Death, who she has a rather spiky relationship with, at least to start with 😉.

I liked Signa as a character- she starts off desperate to fit in with societal expectations, hating her ability to see Death and spirits, but her acceptance of her differences and also gradual understanding that not all young ladies are as financially safe as herself, is well done - although there is still a bit of "not-like-other-girls" about her. She's an active, headstrong protagonist, not waiting to answers to fall into her lap but also aware of her limitations.
I haven't really spoken about the romance, but it is a strong element in the story and will be enjoyed by those who like the Death and the Maiden trope.

A really great combination of murder mystery and gothic supernatural romance with a plenty of twists and a decadent Victorian aesthetic.
4.5/5

This book was a slow reading, one of those that you stop to taste each word, it is very richly written and paint a very deep picture, the feeling of grief, despair and love very well portrait. The mystery solving wasn't as interesting as the relationships and feelings part of the story, it was quite predictable but still very entertaining, for me it doesn't matter that I have already figured out the ending as the enjoyment of reading some amazing characters going through it. I very much enjoyed this book and would love to read the second book. I like that there is not the kind clifhanger that get you in a chock hold till you read the next book, what it does nonetheless is opening the door for a new mystery and get you in enough curiosity to wait eagerly for the next book.
The only complaint I have is the "spicy" scene, it was quite confusing and had no idea what was happening, I would have love more detailing or just skip it completely.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an eARC of this book to review.

I was so intrigued by the concept here before picking this up and now, after finishing it, the main thing I'm frustrated with is the long wait until book 2!

This was highly enjoyable and such a page turner - while some aspects of the plot were quitepredictable, it didn't take away from the fun and I found the majority of the characters incredibly likeable and well developed.

I'll definitely continue with the series and will be adding a physical copy to my shelf later in the year - I'm hoping Fairyloot or Illumicrate might do a special edition because that cover is already to die for!

A big thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with this eArc!

This was so exquisite. I need every copy available!!! Whoa!!

Sadly, this wasn't for me. The dialogue seemed often clumsy and the writing was inconsistent, the worldbuilding weak and not properly fleshed out. There were no gothic vibes or any mystery at all, and the plot sadly just wasn't very interesting. The characters were fine, but also not especially unique. This felt like something I've read several times before.

This book was one of my most anticipated reads for this year, as the story sounded really interesting and I loved the authors All the Stars and Teeth series.

Overall I really enjoyed the story, as the murder mystery with a paranormal touch was right up my alley. From the start I connected with the main character Signa and become heavily invested in the murder mystery at Thorn Grove. What I enjoyed the most with the mystery was the fact that I couldn’t figure out who the killer was until most of the puzzle pieces was in place. Which is great! Nothing is worse than an obvious mystery. The setting of Thorn Grove really came alive with the descriptions of the place, and I almost wanted to visit that strange place myself.

Moving on to Signa, the heroine of the story. From the start she was my favourite character, and she reminded me of Audrey Rose from Stalking Jack the Ripper. But with the ability to see ghosts. This likeness was further fueled by her dynamic back-and-forward banter with surly stable hand Sylas. Unfortunately this didn’t last. Signa’s ability to see and communicate with ghosts was an interesting part of the story, and this paranormal aspect added a nice companion aspect to the murder mystery. It was just really fun to read about Signas abilities and her learning about what she could do with them. When it comes to the supporting characters I really loved her cousin Blythe and her childhood friend Charlotte, both of whom I would have loved to see more of.

I was so sure from the start that this book would be another 5 star read for me. It had both Stalking Jack the Ripper and A Series of Unfortunate Events vibes to it. Well, that was until about halfway through the book it decided to take a turn I wasn’t to keen on. There had been a romantic subplot brewing through the book up to that point, but suddenly it seemed to take over the story. Which I didn’t like, mostly since the romantic interest just felt a bit off? I guess that I should have seen the relationship coming, but the way it was portrayed left me basically skipping those parts to get to the other parts of the story that I actually cared about. So I was torn between if I should give the book a 3.5 or a 4 star rating. I decided to go with that later, since most of the book was really enjoyable and the mystery kept me up well into the night just so I could finish it in one go.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.

As soon as I saw that this was a fantasy with mystery solving plus set in the 1800s I had to read it. And it was so so so worth it. Absolutely.

Signa Farrow is a young girl who has always lost everyone around her, her mother, her grandmother and many more people, and she has always blamed Death for those deaths. While growing up, Signa finds out she has the power to see spirits and Death and that she cannot die. At the age of nineteen, she moves to the Hawthornes' mansion as they are her only relatives and she still isn't of age yet: once she arrives, she meets the Hawthornes' wife's spirit who begs for her help to unsolve her murder and to save her daughter, Blythe, from the same sad fate. With the help of Death, whom she gets really close to, and Sylas, a stables boy, she does everything in her power to unravel the mystery and to finally save her cousin and her family.

This book was so good, "love" cannot even express how much I adored it. I loved how dark the story was and how Signa does her best to help the Hawthornes. I loved how she grows attached to Death and how he does anything just for her. My love for Death goes beyond this world <3 I craved for him to be in every single chapter, paragraph and sentence. I wanted him to be with Signa all the time and mostly we did get that. Hopefully we'll have so much more of Death and Death-Signa duo in book 2! Moreover, I feel like the song Until I Found You by Stephen Sanchez describes perfectly how Death feels about Signa when he sings: "I was lost within the darkness, but then I found her, I found you." Idk, I find it cute tho.
I wished we had more insights on Charlotte and her past and especially on Percy and Marjorie, I really wished the author could spend some more time on these two, focusing on what was on their mind and why the behaved the way they did.

Looking forward to book 2 as I need it ASAP, especially after the final cliffhanger. And I really want to know how Death and Signa's realtionship will evolve. If you really couldn't tell, I love these two, especially together heh.

“To me, you are a song to a soul that has never known music. Light to someone who has only seen the darkness.”

“You are what I want. I know I cannot force you to want me in return, but say that you do, and I promise that I am wholly and unequivocally yours. Say that you do, and I will make this world everything for you, Signa.”

My rating: 4.5!

I absolutely loved this book! I literally pre ordered after a few chapters! Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this book!

I will update the review with a link to our blog closer to publication date.
I'd like to thank the publisher Hodder & Stoughton and netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with this e-ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The feeling of feeling blown away by a book that I didn't have many expectations of is just so satisfying, and it's what I can say about this book.

Belladonna follows Signa Farrow, an orphan who is able to see Death since her parents' death. Expected to inherit her family's wealth when she turns 20, Signa has been living with multiple guardians, all solely interested in her wealth but every single one of them also met an untimely end. When she arrives at Thorn Grove, she discovered that the Hawthornes might be in grave danger, and decides to find out who wishes them harm.

This is an atmospheric gothic mystery fantasy that I thoroughly enjoyed for the most part. Signa was an overall satisfying character to follow, even though sometimes she was too reckless for her own good. I also love how she solved the mystery behind the murder of Lilian Hawthorne as I did not expect the plot twist (I was dead set on my theory that I audibly gasped when the twist came). Most of the elements are highly believable as the mystery was wrapped up fairly well. However, I was quite bored at the middle of the book because sometimes the story slogged a little bit.

My favorite part of this book was the relationship. First of all, I love how Signa and Blythe managed to become friends over the course of the story despite the disastrous first impression. Blythe was truly a queen and I am looking forwards to seeing her in the sequel. However, my favorite part of the book was the romance between Signa and Death. Yes, now my standards for men have come to a metaphysical dude wrapped around by shadows. At first, I thought Death was going to be like Luc from The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue but I love how Death was perfected respectful of Signa, and frankly, I adored their chemistry (remind me a lot of Kingdom of the Wicked). There were several scenes that made me screaming crying throwing up because of how sweet they are, and I am happy about that.

And the ending!! I know all too well the pain of being left off at a cliffhanger when the book is not even out yet! Needless to say that I would beg for an ARC of Foxglove because I need it right now!

So, I'm a bit torn on this one. I enjoyed reading it and it kept me interested - the pacing was good, and there's a lot of good stuff there, like the atmosphere, and I think I'm interested enough that I might read the next one.
There was a mix of tropes I like and some I don't - I felt uncomfortable with the relationship with Death, because he basically knew Signa as a baby, but I think it also has to be seen metaphorically and with the point of view of Signa, which makes a lot of the book work better actually. I like the message about not fitting in society being OK, and being yourself, but it was way too tame and didn't question the social order at all, or played on a few questionable tropes at time. There were a few inconsistencies / questions (ex, why is Death so happy to speak with Signa when apparently he can speak with the Dead in his own world anyway? Why doesn't he sound like a timeless mythical creature? Why didn't the murderer change the way they poisoned people as they knew Signa spotted Belladonna easily, is it just so the boom can keep its title? It felt a bit childish. Again, let's see the book as a metaphor and it works better)
I guess one of the main plot twist quite early, but that didn't prevent me from reading more. It just felt too tame and could have been more interesting otherwise, for example if desire/lust had been treated in a less tropey way. Some characters were brushed up too quickly and appeared in /disappeared from the story in a way that wasn't too subtle, and ultimately I failed to see why Signa cared so strongly about most people there apart from Death and Sylas. It felt a bit too "oh, instant connection because of a clever plot circumstance!" at times. I also thought there weren't enough stakes with her powers apart from the very beginning, but again, I still enjoyed the book overall.

I want to thank NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for gifting me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly five stars are not enough.
I was immediately drawn into this story from the first page. It was such an interesting concept that was tied into a murder mystery that I could not put this book down.
The pacing of the book was done right and it gave enough time to try to solve this mystery along with the main character.
I was fully invested Signa's growth through this book and once again, the pacing aiding in her self discovery and her search for an identity among high society.
I love a good murder mystery and the gothic setting and supernatural themes did elevate the suspense and a need for me to figure out who the culprit was.this was a murder mystery done right.
Signa and Death's dynamic was another enjoyable aspect-a variation of the enemies to allies to lovers trope is always a plus when I read and I love them. Death's outlook on life,death and the afterlife and his ability to teach Signa of all her possibilities and push her to really find her place really pushed the plot along and aided in her overall character development.
Overall, I loved it. Will definitely be buying a physical copy.

Part murder mystery, part fantasy, Belladonna is the story of Signa Farrow, who sees death but can't die herself. Orphaned as a baby, she had grown up in the care of guardians who have, one by one, passed away. Now she is heading to live with the Hawthornes, distant relatives who are already living under a cloud of death.

This book is an easy read with intriguing characters and gripping twists. I really enjoyed the investigation and was suitably shocked by the ending! I eagerly await the sequel.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book!
An absolutely spellbounding and mysterious tale author Adalyn Grace has woven! The premise for Belladonna is fantastic and the murder mystery really draws the reader into it, I spent the whole time reading with no clue how the story would turn out.
The characters are marvellous and Signa is a fantastic protagonist! Really excited for future releases from this author!

I just cant wait for the book to release (and the sequel too🫣) IT WAS SUCH A ROLLERCOASTER RIDE READING THIS 😭💗

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗻, 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻.

Belladonna is a lush gothic infused fantasy made only better by its compelling mystery and beautifully written paranormal romance. I gushed so hard over Signa and Death, they have truly left a mark. The 'Death and the Maiden' trope hit HARD in this one.

Set in the Victorian era, 19 year old orphan Signa Farrow has always been surrounded by death. Not only do all her relatives and guardians seem to drop dead around her, but she can see spirits, and Death himself. Signa is taken in by the Hawthorne family, her only remaining relatives, at Thorn Grove and it's there that she discovers her cousin is suffering from a mysterious illness similar to that of Signa's aunt that died months prior. Signa suspects foul play and enlists the help of a new friend: a stable boy named Sylas, and Death himself, to uncover the mystery.

When I tell you that this book is good, trust me, it's good. The murder mystery at the heart of this book is so gripping, and the author did a great job of presenting clues to the reader to solve alongside Signa. There is a plot twist towards the end of the book that blew me away; I actually gasped as it was revealed because it was so clever I genuinely didn't see it coming. This reveal was a highlight for me and just made me love this book so much more thinking back to particular scenes.

The characters are sublime; Signa is an incredibly interesting MC and I cannot wait for the sequel to see her character blossom even further into her own gifts and abilities. She's written remarkably well, with more layers unravelling as the plot develops, and her journey of self-discovery is beautiful. I loved the dynamic between Sigma and Death, not only does Death aid in her investigation, but he helps her figure out exactly who she is and in turn, accept who she is. The vast majority of side characters play a pivotal role, not one character felt unnecessary.

I absolutely loved the personification of Death. Grace's description of the darkness that emenated from him was enchanting and haunting. I feel like I could vividly imagine how he looked in both his corporeal form, as well as his intangible, ethereal form. I loved that whilst he had a strong moral identity, he also bent the rules slightly to help Signa, all the while ensuring that Signa saw the consequences of her actions.

This book is spectacular, and I feel so incredibly thankful to have been approved for this arc as this is my favourite read of 2022 to date! One I think I'll be eager to reread sooner rather than later. Very much excited for the sequel Foxglove.