I really enjoyed Adalyn Grace’s previous novels, so there never was a doubt in my mind that I was going to read her latest one. Also, Belladonna was presented as Bridgerton meets Knives Out so I was entirely sold on it and I wasn’t disappointed because I LOVED it!!! I loved the characters, the story, the writing, and the brilliant ending that left me hanging for more and I already can’t wait for the sequel to come out next year!

The protagonist of the story is Signa Farrow. Signa has what it may be called either a gift or a curse… it depends on the perspective. For Signa her ability to see Death and evade it is a curse. No matter how many belladonnas she eats, she can always see him and not die, but those close to her do. First her parents died when she was a baby and then the long series of guardians who raised her. After her latest guardian dies, she is invited to Thorns Grove by the Hawthornes, her last living relatives.

When Signa arrives at Thorns Grove she finds a party going on. Since his wife Lilian died, Elijah Hawthorne has been drowning his sorrow in alcoholism and wild parties while his son Percy tries to take the reins of the family business and his daughter Blythe is suffering from the same illness that killed her mother. And when Lilian’s spirit tells Signa that she was poisoned, she knows she needs to hurry and find the killer before even Blythe succumbs to it, even if that means asking for the help of a mysterious and charming stable boy, but, above all, for the help of Death himself.

Belladonna is truly an addictive and compelling story. I loved the gothic and haunting atmosphere and the unexpected twists and the suspense. Most of all, I loved the characters. Signa and Death are fascinating characters with a complex relationship. Only seventeen years old, Signa has seen enough people dying around her. The guardians who raised her were only interested in her family’s money, so she craves affection and acceptance. She hates Death because he took her family away from her, but, as the story develops, she comes to accept her gift and her relationship with Death turns romantic.

There is romance, murder, spirits, secrets, and much more. Belladonna is a fantastic and gripping story that kept me glued to the pages and with a stunning cover I can’t stop stare at!!!

I LOVED this book so much! This is my first book by Adalyn Grace and I instantly fell in love with her writing style. There is something about the slow and lyrical story telling that is just a vibe that I am absolutely OBSESSED with!

Belladonna is a cozy murder mystery and the plot hooked me from the very first page! You learn straight away that Signa cannot die after she is the sole survivor of a mass murder. As she grows up the reaper is always near and she soon forms a bond with death himself.

I loved the chemistry between Signa and death and all of the twists and turns of the mystery unfolding at Thorn Grove. I saw a few things coming but I found myself pleasantly surprised by certain turns of events.

I cannot wait for Foxglove to release and to see what Adalyn Grace has in store for Signa and death! This is the perfect cozy mystery for the spooky season and is a fantastic quick read for anyone!

Hear me out, Adalyn Grace is really channelling Emily Dickinson with this novel. I just KNOW Dickinson would absolutely devour this, if she hadn’t already written it in the form of an epic poem herself. The vibes were immaculate, echoing the style of a mid 19th century gothic novel with its immersive descriptions and heady sense of mystery throughout.

The main character Signa would do Jane Austen proud with her tenacity and innate inability to conform to literally anything. She also reminds me of Alice (in Wonderland), always choosing to wander off and quell her curiosity over attending etiquette lessons. BUT instead of slaying the Jabberwocky, Signa’s getting it on in the shadows with Death.

SPEAKING OF.

Death is a love interest and I’m just obsessed with their chemistry. He nurtures the part of her that is unwilling to fit in with polite society, as much as she believes that’s what she ought to want. At one point, Signa is taking tea with people she doesn’t like, unable to eat or drink anything, lest she accidentally do something uncouth. Signa feels Death enter the room, hearing his voice in her head.
…if you’re hungry, you should eat. Damn the rules.
I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. It doesn’t get much better than a sexy, shadowy Reaper giving you aggressive permission to eat as many scones as you’d like. Peak vibes.

I’d recommend Belladonna to historical fiction and fantasy readers alike, but mostly to my ‘touch her and you die’ besties. If you know, you know. Slap Evermore on and read this on a drizzly autumn day, you will not be disappointed.

A big thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC!

5⭐️

Loved it loved it loved it!
I was hooked on the plot from the first page and it just got better and better throughout. My personal favourite book genre is a period drama with a fantasy element incorporated and Belladonna is my new favourite, I would go as far as to say probably my favourite book of the year so far and I absolutely CANNOT wait for the next instalment!

Our main character is called Signa Farrow who we find out straight away is not able to die she always come back to life fully healed from her cause of death like nothing ever happened. Because of this we see her relationship with death form and it's a gripping one to read.

This is a murder mystery who done it with a beautiful romance and I just can't hype this enough!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I enjoyed the gothic-inspired setting for this novel, but couldn't completely settle into the plot. The Death storyline was interesting but I saw the twist coming a mile off, and I found Signa's obsession with high society slightly frustrating for someone who had been raised (or not raised) by what seemed like all classes and had already seen the dark side of nobility. But it was eminently readable and the concept was original.

A good 4/5 stars for this book. The first line of the book as well as at the start of each chapter were interesting and gripping; I was hooked from the beginning. The prologue was incredibly dramatic setting the precedent for the rest of the book. I was hooked by Death's presence 5% into the story- the nickname for Signs was adorable and really summarised the type of relationship between the two of them. I just wish there was more of an explanation of how Signa got her powers. The ending of the story with the plot twists and cliffhanger, was great and now I can't wait for book 2.

This book was all I hoped a book can be.
Adalyn Grace is wonderfully skilled with her words and it was a pleasure to read the book
The mystery is somewhat obvious in hindsight which makes it a good mystery to me because I was surprised about the turning events in the story.
I was so enthralled that I was listening to the book not only while working out in the gym but also in the middle of the night because I had to know how the story would continue.
Which is probably rating enough.

This was just the gothic fantasy I needed this spooky season!

Gothic, fantasy, romance with a sprinkle of murder mystery - Belladonna has it all!

There were lots and twists and turns, some I guessed and some that had me completely blindsided.

I loved the bond between Signa and Death and Death’s mannerisms (drinking from a teacup made of shadows at a tea party) really had me chuckling!

There were a few parts that fell a little flat for me, but overall this was such a fun book and the ending really had me shook!

Thank you to the publisher Hodder & Stoughton and to NetGalley for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

"Belladonna" tells the story of Signa Farrow, the only survivor of a mass murder that killed her parents, who can take belladonna poison and not die. She is followed by Death as she goes from relative to relative, all of whom end up dead in tragic circumstances. Signa is convinced that Death is trying to ruin her life, so when she is offered the chance to live at Thorn Grove with distant relatives, she jumps at the chance to escape her abusive aunt. However her arrival to the Hawthorne family comes at the worse time- her aunt Lilian is dead from a mystery disease and one of her cousins, Blythe, is dying of the same thing. Signa soon becomes haunted by her aunt's ghost, who implies she was poisoned. Signa has to team up with Death himself, the being that has made her life hell, to solve the mystery before Blythe can be taken from the Hawthornes for good. Over time, Signa learns that there is more to her relationship with Death, one that can define her future.

I absolutely adored Adalyn Grace's "Belladonna" from the very first page and couldn't get enough of the gothic and mysterious atmosphere that ran throughout. Signa's relationship with Death is gorgeously written, especially as she realises how much she's come to depend on him over time. Each of the characters was significant, whether it be her uncle Elijah or her cousins Percy and Blythe. I loved the stable hand Sylas and his attempts to help Signa to save her family, especially with the twist that comes at the end. Signa is an excellent main character, you can't help but root for her as she comes to realise that being a "lady" isn't always what's best for her. Her embrace of the darkness was my favourite part of the book and I can't wait to see what might happen in the sequel "Foxglove" because of the huge cliff-hanger in the epilogue.

This was an enjoyable read with an interesting main character, haunting atmosphere, gothic vibes and a mystery I loved seeing unravel. Reading the scenes with Signa and Death were easily my favourite because of their banter and chemistry. The twists within the mystery plot line were done very well and I’m looking forward to the sequel.

sorry but i just can't move past the fact that death (signa's li) who's like millennia old knew her since she was just a baby

How do I even begin to explain how much I enjoyed this novel? Because I did, immensely. I found Belladonna absolutely captivating - from the basics of the story to the loveable protagonist Signa coupled with the intriguing mystery she finds herself wishing to solve and the journey of discovery she embarks on. Plus she can see ghosts and talk to Death who she has insane chemistry with - an unlikely love story? for sure but it's so enjoyable to see this develop on the page. I can't wait to read the next instalment to see where Adalyn Grace takes us next!

I enjoyed this book, however I found it a bit too YA - but if you’re looking for an easy, quick read, this will be one to get you out of a reading slump!

This book is absolutely everything i wanted it to be and more. It's Ya but with adult themes and all I can say about this book is it's BEAUTIFUL. it's beautifully written, the darker themes are touched upon perfectly and it's everything you'd want from a gothic Ya fantasy. However, you can totally enjoy it even if you're not in that age group! it's in my top 5 of the year. The characters are so realistically, and complicated and flawed. It's about embracing who you are and not what people expect and I just LOVE IT. Please go and read it.

*no spoilers*

The other book I finally finished after all this time was one of my most expected books of the year: Belladonna. I have to tell you that this book had all I could love in a story. The gothic vibes, the murder mystery, the romance with Death, everything hit the mark for me. And that cover? That cover is gorgeous. And I loved the previous books from the author. So, I was truly enthusiastic about this and so ready to give it all the stars.

As gothic romantic novel, the vibe is totally there. The exquisite balls, the beautiful dresses, the big haunted manor, the strange family, the society’s etiquette and gossip, all of it hit the point. But, unfortunately, I had problems with the plot, specially how the mystery and the romance were executed. And that made me lose the interest through the story.

The second half of the book gets better, I have to tell you but, I already was a bit annoyed by some choices the author had made and that didn’t improve my mood. In fact, it made me sadder, because I lose so much time in the first half with non important things when she could have explored all of it so much better. At this point, I didn’t get a connection with the characters so when things really happen, I didn’t care much and that disappointed me a lot.

So I really wanted to love this book but it didn’t work for me. We will follow separate ways and I will read other books that I love and other readers will read it and love it. That is the beauty of books 💜

*Thanks to NetGalley UK for providing me an arc of this book in exchange of an honest review

⭐️⭐️,5

I realise it's been a month since I read this book and I have no idea how it's end. Like the story didn't stick with me.

The thing I remember the gohic atmosphere that I really enjoy, it's victorian with death in person and a lot of creepy element that I like.

Signa the main character is a strong young lady. She lost her parents her grandma and since then everyone want her money, she is not a well treat teens but she didn't become this angry person, she just want to have a nice live.

For the plot I like the pace but globally I don't remember anything specific toward the end, I remember the romance and some twist. It was globaly a nice reading but not the most memorable.

Yeah. I loved this.

Why? Well....

- A book that has a killer beginning. All I'll say is it starts with how Signa, our MC, is orphaned.
- Honestly this felt like if The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett), Gallant (VE Schwab) and Daughter of Darkness (Katharine & Elizabeth Corr) had somehow had their very own book baby. Considering the latter are both two other five star reads of mine this year, you'll understand my rating. If you've read all 3 I'll be curious to know if anyone agrees with me!
- The pacing of this was perfection. I felt like I was constantly on the edge of my seat reading this. Bravo to Adalyn Grace for constantly keeping me guessing throughout.
- Usually, I mark a rating down if I guess something that the author is trying to withhold from their readership, but honestly, the fact that I thought I had sussed something actually enhanced the reading experience this time - who knew!?
- That ending! I absolutely need Foxglove right away. I have answers but I also have so many questions that desperately need to be answered. My main one being, 'Do I fancy Death a little bit?'

Five stars. I want to reread already but I'm off to dive back into my already massive TBR pile.

Solid five stars for Belladonna...

I really love everything of this book, especially the concept of the unusual romance. The gothic vibes is perfect and the writing style is bold but beautiful...
Can't wait for the next sequel

This was such a fun, enjoyable read!
It was much darker than I anticipated but I simply coulidn't put it down. I can't wait for the sequel.

Really disappointed with this one. I wanted more murder mystery, and less 19 year old girl bonding with a timeless being that's literally been watching over her since she was a baby. The whole relationship with Death is very odd - he twists and manipulates Signa to his way of thinking, shifting her focus from the image and dream she's had of high society all her life, to instead make him the focus. I don't like any of it. It's creepy and I'm not a fan of grooming being romanticized.

Aside from the romance, the book is very repetitive, making it longer than it needs to be. I found the twists predictable and guessed the murderer early on. The reveal and explanation didn't make much sense and left me disappointed. The ending fell flat. I won't be reading the next installment.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.