Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Staughton for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Dance with me, Little Bird."

I had no real idea what to expect going into this first in a gothic romance YA duology, but I was extremely happy with what I found within it's pages.

Part The Secret Garden, part murder mystery with the same vibes as Addie La Rue, this is a fantastic story. I immediately warmed to our FMC Signa, who had been plagued by Death all her life. Every guardian she's ever had has been claimed by him, and she herself seems immune to his power, even after poisoning herself with belladonna. At almost twenty years old, Signa finds herself desperate for meaningful human connections, and it seems she might find that at Thorn Grove with her relations the Hawthornes - her cousins Blythe and Percy, one mortally ill and bedridden, the other unable to reach their father who is so mired in grief for the recent passing of his wife that he's checked out of reality completely.

The manor itself is straight out of a gothic novel, with seemingly endless and labyrinthine corridors, secret passages, strange and disturbing portraits, and things that go bump in the night. The inhabitants are all recovering from the shocking death of the Lady Lillian, Elijah Hawthorne's late wife. And Signa is the only one who is sure she hasn't quite left them behind - her immunity to Death also means she's able to see the spirits of the departed, and more often than not those who linger on the mortal plain have something they need to say.

" "You are no soft thing to be coddled. You are bolder than the sun, Signa Farrow, and it's time that you burn."

I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves a good murder mystery with a fantasy twist, and also anyone who likes a morally grey love interest because yes .

Firstly I want to say that I think the cover is stunning, it is so eye catching I really love it. The book was a quick and easy read that I finished in one sitting, it was a gripping read and reeled me in from the first page and didn't let me go. I loved the idea of 'death' as a character - I don't know why I just really like when books do that it really intrigues me.
I found the ending to be a little rushed and flat, I would have prefered a longer book and a less rushed feeling ending, but that is just my opinion and I still really loved the book. i will definitely be looking for more from this author.

Belladonna is told in third person and follows 19 year old Signa. Signa was made an orphan when she was a baby after death came for everyone. Signa is moved from guardian to guardian but they all meet an untimely end. Signa soon realises she cannot die after she ingests some Belladonna berries. Signa has a strange connection to death and has to work with him to discover a murderer. This book definitely has an intriguing presence but it didn't really deliver what was promised for me. It was a very quick read as the plot moved along swiftly. It just felt very flat and plain to me. There wasn't much that made me want to keep reading and if I didn't have this early copy I probably wouldn't have finished it.

I really enjoyed the first 90% of this book. Signa was a great character (love the name as well) and I liked how determined and independent she was. The first chapter absolutely hooked me and I grew to love the other characters as well I.e. Death, Percy, Blythe. But the ending just felt rushed and the things that happened just didn’t correspond with what the characters had previously done/said/how they’d acted. The mystery just fell flat for me. Looking forward to seeing what happens next.