I quite liked this but it felt rather derivative and I felt there were certain American words that jarred in a British accent! I will recommend it to genre fans as I think perhaps I have just read too many of these type of novels!!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

The narrator and prose style of this story are perfect for the genre and really help the listener to engage with an already compelling story. While there are some hang ups surrounding the relationship with the character of Death, ultimately this js a well told story with twists and turns that are shocking enough without being completely out of the blue.

Characterisation is fresh and interesting and ultimately, Grace has created a wonderful novel perfect for lovers of romance while remaining true to the conventions of soft-gothic.

Thanks for my audiobook arc. I couldn’t listen to this because of the quality of the sound when played faster than 1x speed but I will review the ebook/paperback in due course

A stunning YA Gothic horror with a touch of romance, for fans of the macabre. I think this was written specifically for me because it had two loves of mine intertwined, the societal politics of bridgerton(the tv series)/final empire/Mask of Mirrors meets crimson peak/hill house the tv show, with a good murder mystery plot but mostly just gothic vibes. I found Signa a fantastic character to follow and I love her burgeoning friendship with her cousins, trying to solve the mystery of whats going on with her aunts death and her cousins mysterious illness. I also really enjoyed the love triangle that formed between Death, Signa and Sylas, and the romantic pining and tension each added to the story.
I went in knowing I'd enjoy this book, what I didnt expect was for it to become a favourite of the year, in a year of such strong contenders. Adalyn Grace might have become and auto buy author for me now, and I really hope to read more of their stuff in the future.

A nice mixture of gothic, fantasy and regency romance, this novel is especially entertaining due to the amazing narration of Kristin Atherton. She simply doesn't let you stop listening.

The story is fascinating and mysterious at the same time, with plenty of potential left for the second book. I have found Signa's conversations with Death a bit repetitive and slow, but there's enough twists and turns to keep the reader going.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton Audio for this Advance Review Copy.

I really enjoyed this, we had paranormal elements with ghosts and spirits. There was gothic vibes, mystery with a bit of fantasy.

Signa becomes an orphan and then "cursed" as anyone who cares for her dies. She eventually gets taken in my the Hawthornes.

Hawthornes house is rumoured to be haunted and the death of the wife followed by the Daughter becoming gravely ill, and symptoms similar to the wife. Who is killing/attempting to harm the family? Signa inlists the help of death and the stable boy, trying to solve what is happening while uncovering family secrets that could destroy them.

I really loved Adalyn way of writting the story not knowing where we will go. Death having a nickname for Signa "little bird" and seeing how their characters developed but also their relationship.

The narration was fantastic and with the writting you got lost in the story and not wanting it to end. Now to see what happens with Signa, cant wait for book 2.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with the audiobook for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for this audio book of Belladonna.

I absolutely loved this novel so much so that I had to listen to the audio book.
(my review of the ebook is on here and Goodreads).

The narrator of this has done an excellent job and she lures you into the story so well.
The way she brings the characters off the page to life is excellent.
The world building through her performance isn't lost and she creates a sense of a movie through her words.
I believe the narrator which definitely an excellent choice for this novel.
I loved this story already, so I'm super hyped that the audiobook is just as good.

This book! I was captivated! I listened to this across a few nights and one day. The narrator was brilliant. The way the voices are portrayed enabled me to really get the tone of the book.

I wasn't sure I'd like the book to start with, however... 20% in and I was hooked! I was so invested in the story and I loved Death! I really found Sigma an easy character to fall in love with, her backstory was one I really felt through the narration.

I loved the additions of reaping and how Belladonna affected or more so did not affect our protagonist, I imagined it would be a real fantasy book, but was not prepared for how romantic it was too. I'm so looking forward to the next one!!!

I immensely enjoyed this book, the author wrote an engaging murder mystery with a very intriguing and unique female main character. Sigma's backstory, immortality and "magical" abillities to see death and the dead was a lovely new take on a gothic paranormal romance. I loved the bluntness of Sigma and really enjoyed the writing. Adalyn Grace wrote some of the most beautiful words I have ever read, some of which are now my favourite quotes.

As I received the audiobook it is always worth mentioning the narrator in the review. I enjoyed the way the narrator told the story and the way she voiced many of the characters, they did a very good job of making individual charcaters have a different voice to avoid mix ups. There was only two characters, who I won't name for spoiler reasons, that annoyingly sounded very similar- however the ending of the book makes this very clear as to why; so overall I think they did a great job at enveloping me into the story

Oh my! I can’t wait for Book 2!!!! Please tell me it’s coming out soon!!!

Ok, I’ll tell you all I can about this book, so you can see for yourselves why I’m like this and why I need the second book in the series immediately. If you like a Gothic-infused romantic murder mystery with Death as a love interest, then Belladonna is the book you need to read.

Orphaned as a baby, nineteen-year-old Signa Farrow has not met love, family or the feeling of belonging. The only person that was able to give her all those feelings and a few more was her grandmother. But she was an old woman and one day she had to leave this world. After that, all Signa’s guardians were more interested in the wealth she was to inherit, than her or her well being. And each one of them met an untimely end. It was without wonder for Signa to believe that she was marked with death somehow. All those guardians where somehow her fault, that’s what she believed. Until Death told her otherwise.

Now that she is getting close to being 21 and inheriting, she has to live with her remaining relatives, in a grand, glittering and at the same time gloomy estate, Thorn Grove. The Hawthornes are somewhat eccentric. Signa’s aunt died not so long ago and yet parties are held every night at the estate by her mourning husband, who loved her deeply and cannot come to terms with his loss. At the same time, his son is trying to save the family’s reputation while his daughter is suffering from a mysterious illness, much like the one that took her mother away. But when the mother’s restless spirit appears to Signa and requests her to save Blythe, her daughter, from the poisoning that took her own life, Signa knows she would do all in her power to fulfill the request and find the murderer. This is the only family she has left and she doesn’t want to lose them.

With the help of the stable boy that escorted her to Thorn Grove from her previous house, she tries her best to find all the hidden secrets and piece together the puzzle of this mystery. However, she soon realizes that her best chance of uncovering the killer is to accept a proposal from Death himself. An alliance with the creature full of shadows, the one that never shows his face and has made Signa’s life all the more difficult is not an easy decision for her. Though Death comes to show her that their growing connection may be so much more powerful that she could possibly imagine.

If you reached this far, you now have a very good idea what this book is about! This story has all the gothic and paranormal vibes and is a perfect read for the Halloween season. If you are looking for books for your spooky season TBR, make sure you add this one and you won’t regret it! The story is so string and solid, with interesting and well developed characters that hook your attention instantly. There is mystery and there is paranormal. There is the murder that took place and the one that Signa is trying to prevent. And there are also the spirits and of course Death himself. How can one fall in love with Death, you may ask. Well, if he’s written by Adalyn Grace there’s a good chance you do!

I was lucky enough to get approved for the audiobook and I just couldn’t stop listening! The story is amazing and the narration helped in creating the perfect atmosphere. I loved the voice the narrator gave to Death, it felt so ghostly!

Thank you to NetGalley & Hodder & Stoughton Audio, Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy of this book. The views expressed are my personal and honest opinion.

I adored this so much.
I went in blind with no idea what to expect and I was OBSESSED.
Everything was so well thought out and executed perfectly.
I was so invested in the relationship with death.

The perfect mix of spooky love

★ 5 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀! ★

Wow I LOVED this book! Dark and haunting with beautiful storytelling Belladonna had me immersed from the get go. The book is brimming with wonderful characters. I loved the development of Signa. A lonely soul looking for love and acceptance in a bleak life haunted by Death and in need of an escape and a chance of a better life for herself. Her growth throughout the story was beautiful.

"𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒏, 𝑺𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒂 𝑭𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒘, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏"

A had a huge soft spot for Death. A fellow lonely soul him and Signa have a beautiful connection that blossoms as the story flows. The push pull between them and the draw they have to each other reminds me of one of my favourite series so I knew this was gonna be a winner.

This story is full of twists. I was constantly coming up with new theory's the whole way through and one was a real shocker for me I just didn't see it coming. It had me on the edge of my seat.
I love how it's set up for a follow on book which I can't wait to read.
Belladonna is most definitely one of my favourite books of the year so far!

Brilliant audio version of this story. Narrator did a fantastic job especially getting the voice of Death. It really added to the story. I will definitely listen to more audios by this Narrator.

This story is so unique. This is the first audiobook I ever reviewed and I’m happy for it to be the first. I remember seeing the cover and knowing that I’ll like it and it didn’t disappoint at all. I don’t want to give too much away of the actual plot of this book so I’ll talk about the narrator instead. At first I didn’t think that the narrator would be pleasing to listen to at all but honestly it was good, it got better after a while.

A gothic Victorian murder mystery/dark romance novel that skips along the thin veil between life and death.

Signa Farrow cannot escape Death. He’s been with her since the very beginning. It’s like a curse. Everyone she’s ever known and loved has died, many in strange circumstances and it seems that she is at the heart of it. Death has often touched her but never taken her, only those around her. She realises she can see spirits, and in particular, commune with Death himself.

Growing up with different guardians she hasn’t found her place in the world, until she is sent to live with her uncle and cousins in Thorngrove. The Hawthorne family are suffering a loss of their own, and it’s up to Signa to get to the bottom of a murder and save her cousin before it’s too late.

In amongst the murder mystery, forbidden flirtations with Death, and poisonous belladonna berries there are balls to attend, suitors to contend with, and plenty of scones to be eaten. It’s a bit like if Bridgerton made a Halloween special.
I only think this book could have been about half as long as it was and would have been more enjoyable, as it was quite repetitive.
However there was a decent number of suspects and I was kept guessing about the guilty party until the end. The audio version was well narrated.
The epilogue leaves us on a bit of a cliffhanger and it looks like we meet see more from Belladonna.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advance copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘Belladonna’ by Adalyn Grace. The audiobook is narrated by Kristin Atherton.

‘Belladonna’ is the third novel by Adalyn Grace. I had enjoyed her 2020 debut, ‘All the Stars and Teeth’ and so was very excited to read this.

I feel that Adalyn Grace has crafted an imaginative novel that skilfully blends Gothic fantasy with historical fiction. While listed as Teen/YA, I found that it was written in a style that will appeal to readers of all ages.

I was completely hooked from the Prologue, which in a scene worthy of Poe, sets the tone for the entire tale. In it Death is drawn to an elaborate party at Foxglove Manor thrown by the parents of two-month-old Signa Farrow. Before the evening ends Signa will be orphaned as Death gathers all those souls who have partaken of the poison-laced wine.

At nineteen Signa is a strange girl who is aware of the unseen and is fascinated by poisonous plants. She has been raised by a string of guardians, more interested in her wealth than caring for her, though each has met an untimely end.

Now there is only six months until Signa gains access to her considerable fortune. Yet until then she has been sent to her only remaining relatives, the reclusive Hawthornes, who live in Thorn Grove, a suitably gloomy estate.

Elijah Hawthorne, the family’s eccentric patriarch, is in mourning for his wife, Lillian, yet is deflecting his grief by throwing wild parties. His son, Percy, is seeking to control the family's waning reputation and his daughter, Blythe, is suffering from a mysterious illness. Then Signa is visited by Lillian’s restless spirit, who claims that she had been poisoned.

Sigma realises that the Hawthornes could be in grave danger. She enlists the aid of Sylas, a stable hand, and together they seek to unmask the killer. Her other ally in the quest is Death himself!

I adored ‘Belladonna’. Plus, you really cannot get more Goth than having an anthropomorphic personification of the Grim Reaper as a supporting character.

With respect to the audiobook, Kristin Atherton is one of my favourite narrators and as always she was brilliant, bringing the story, setting and characters vividly to life.

Overall, I found this an atmospheric and compelling tale and was very pleased to hear that there will be a sequel, ‘Foxglove’, currently listed for a 2023 publication date. I can hardly wait.

Highly recommended.

I cannot stress enough how much I adore the dark writing style of this book; magical, gothic and Victorian with an air of foreboding throughout.

The world building is excellent and atmospheric with in-depth descriptions, that really place you within the story. The protagonist Signa Fallow is a wonderful character, as an outsider she feels like she never truly fits in, but is fiercely protective of those accepting of her. The twisted romance is exciting and beautiful with a sense of naivety. Just brilliant, I can’t wait to read more by this author.

The narrator was fantastic, excellent individual voicing of each character with perfect emphasis. I would definitely look for other books narrated by them and highly recommend listening to this.

Belladonna is the perfect read for the changing season, full of gothic vibes, intense romance and regency high society drama.
Belladonna follows Signa, a neglected but wealthy girl with a unique ability who's been bounced from caretaker to caretaker with little love in her life when she get sent to live with distant relatives.
Adalyn Grace's writing flows beautifully and really allows all the elegant creepiness of the story to fully envelop the reader (or listener!) and having finished this I will be seeking out more of her work.
I would highly recommend any seasonal reader pick this up immediately, its the perfect book for when the evenings draw in!
Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for allowing me to listen to an advance copy of this book, I eagerly await the follow up and will be buying a copy for myself for that cover alone!

"It's said that five belladonna berries are all it takes to kill someone."
I love the author's sense of storytelling.
Signa is a lovely main character. She has her dreams and is ready to do whatever it takes to reach them. But sometimes happens that we dream about things that do not suit us as well as we were wishing for. Hight ranked society is complicated and gives us the vibe of Jane Austen's books. The narrative is highly atmospheric, it is like Pride and Prejudice meets Crimson peak and Caraval at one moment.
Belladonna is a book full of plot twists where things are not always as they seem. Some of them were expectable, some I did not see coming. I savoured moments with Death on the scene. He was sarcastic, mysterious, and wise as well. I do not want to split any spoilers but one scene between Signa and Death was too rushed. I found it more realistic and healthy to go on some things a little bit slower.
I really enjoyed this book and for me, it is clearly 5 stars, but I am aware that Belladonna is not for everyone. I root for poetic descriptions, slow progress through the story, and having space to watch the development of characters. Audiobook format makes a atmosphere of this book even better and gives goosebumps (in the best way).

Thank you so much Hodder & Stoughton for this audiobook!

An extraordinary story which slowly pulled me in until I could not stop reading. A magical tale which leaves you wanting more!

Oh my goodness. I loved this book. One of my few 5 star books of the year.

From the first chapter I was intrigued.

While some could find the portions of the book involving Signa’s introduction into society irrelevant to the storyline and making it slow, I thought it was perfect. It explored her character in much more depth.

It took me until 80% of the way through to start making my theories of who was responsible for her family’s run of poisonings and I was wrong several times. The actual reveal blew me away.

While moments of Signa and Death’s relationship could be viewed as problematic, I chose to ignore the one or two lines that made me uncomfortable because I was ALL in for this slow burn romance.

The story does end on somewhat of a cliffhanger but nothing that left me dying for the sequel. The book concluded as a stand alone story quite satisfactorily.