DNFed at 31%

As I need to add ratings, I give this book 2(.5) stars even though I didn't finish it. I don't feel comfortable rating DNFed books, but sadly I can't send my review on this platform (NetGalley) without rating it.

In the last few years, I started to enjoy fewer and fewer YA fantasy books. This was my favourite genre and I just can't leave it, so I try to read in this genre again and again. Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. The synopsis sounded so good, that I thought this book will be an exception.
The biggest issue for me was the narration. I just didn't like it, it felt boring and depressing to me. I hated the "male" voices, too, they were so irritating. Also, I didn't like the characters, mainly Signa. She was so unlogical and annoying. Until the point I read, I felt that all of the other characters were flat, too.
The atmosphere was good, by the way. I liked it. Also, I didn't have an issue with the plot, too. It just started to pick up, but I just couldn't bear Signa and the narration anymore.
I don't say that this book is bad, but it's not for me. We just don't match, so I won't finish the book.

*thank you to hodder and stoughton and netgalley for the arc of this book!*

when i was approved for an arc of this, i couldn't BELIEVE my luck because i had already pre-ordered it, and i am so happy to say that it lived up to all my hopes and expectations.

oh man this book was fabulous. the atmosphere was dripping with gothic victorian vibes - i could feel the garden beneath my feet, i could hear the chatter of a party in the other room, and i could feel the tension at the back of my neck.

the characters in this book were some of my favourites. the twists and arcs that so many of the characters went through were both surprising but also completely believable. blythe i think was my favourite, but any personification of Death will always strike a match with me.

the plot of this book had me gasping out loud, especially towards the end. i couldn't stop listening to this book, and i read it in two sittings.

overall, i absolutely loved it and i'll be pushing this to everyone i can!

TW: Death, murder, physical abuse (brief)

Belladonna is the story of an orgphan girl, Signa Farrow, who seemingly can not die. She loathes Death and his presence and blames him for her problem. After the death of her mother when she was in infant, Signa has been passed from family member to family member but they all seem to befall unfortunate deaths and soon Signa is seen as a curse, a witch. After her last guardian's death Signa is sent to Hawthorne Manor where she is for the first time feeling welcome, but soon discovers someone has murdered her one of her relations and her cousin Blythe seems to be next and Signa teams up with Death to figure out the murderer.

I didn't really know what the story was about when I had added it to my TBR, I fell victim to the beautiful cover curse again. I don't usually go for the dark stuff but I ended up really enjoying this story. It flowed well for me and I really enjoyed the characters. The mystery had me guessing up until the very last minute, I couldn't figure it out! The romance was super delicious as well, Death was so dreamy (weird to say but true lol). I would love for the second book to involve Fate somehow since he was mentioned a couple of times but also would not mind more Signa & Death.

I've had Belladonna on my TBR for what seems like ever, since the the cover came out at least...it's beautiful! I was lucky enough to be granted an audiobook ARC and my ears were so greatful. The narrator, Kristin Atherton, has narrated over 300 books according to Audible and it shows. She has a voice so well suited to this dark and mysterious story, her inflections were beautiful and I swear when she did Death's voice I was immediately smitten. If I could give her 10 stars on this performance alone somehow I would. She's also set to be narrating A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson, a highly anticpated Dracula retelling which I will have to check out now just because of her narration!

Overall a fantastic mysterious story that I would recommend to anyone who loves the mystery, fantasy and romance genres...it would be lovely to read during the spooky season since it involved ghosts, spirits and Death. Thank you so much to Hodder & Stoughton Audio for granting me an audiobook ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Despite the fact that I had no idea on what to expect I really liked this book. It started strong and kept the pace throughout the book. Fine, I kind of guessed some of the parts, but overall it was a lovely experience. And they ending??? I need the sequel right now. The audiobook experience was ok, nothing really special about it

A Seductive Mystery, A Spellbinding Performance

🧡 Phantom of the Opera meets Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie in this dark, glittering romantic mystery.

💚 This story had me in its grip from prologue to closing credits. Romance and gothic mystery isn’t even my literary stomping ground, but I was hooked by the premise and writing style in equal measure. Poetic prose is not easily done well. Most of the time, it’s indulgent and verbose. Not so here. The writing is evocative yet restrained. Not a word is wasted.
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SOUNDBITE

🎧 A captivating performance by Kristin Atherton makes this a must-listen. Every character is beautifully fleshed out, every voice distinctive and fitting. I particularly enjoyed the fact that the overall tone of gothic foreboding and drama occasionally gave way to humour, making it feel more authentic.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton Audio for providing me with an ALC in return for an honest review.

So, in all honesty I was kind of 'eh' about Grace's other duology. As in, I enjoyed it, but not quite as much as I'd hoped and I didn't get around to picking up the sequel. However, the synopsis for Belladonna intrigued me and sounded so wonderfully different I had to give it a go!

Based on my past experience with this authors books, I wasn't too sure what to expect from Belladonna, to be honest with you but ultimately, I did find myself blown away!

The opening was incredibly intriguing and certainly made me sit up and take notice what with the narrative style and the lyrical prose, which continued throughout to create an incredibly atmospheric read that sucks you into the story while the mystery hooks you in. The settings feel eery and so very gothic, and not just because of the fact that Signa can see spirits and is close with Death. The writing really did evoke certain images and feelings as you were reading, or in my case listening, that helped draw you into the story and it helps to keep you thinking about it long after it's over.

I really enjoyed Signa as a character, she's certainly not had the best time between people trying to use her and Death claiming those around her but it gave her a vulnerable edge that you could sympathise with, without taking away from the strength of her character. Speaking of characters, there's a whole host of intriguing ones to get to know within the pages of this book, including Death himself and a few spirits!

I did struggle to grasp the time period that this was set in and while that didn't really matter given the gothic atmosphere, I did sometimes have a little jolt when certain things were mentioned that pointed towards this being historical. I will hold my hands up and say I might have misheard something or missed something as I was listening and forcing myself to do housework in order to keep on listening because I was hooked!

My only other slight gripe was that this was a little slow in places with a few chapters that were slightly uninteresting to me, though they were necessary to build up Signa's character and events and so on.

Ultimately, Belladonna is a wonderfully written, gothic murder mystery with a thread of romance woven throughout it and a fairy tale like quality to it in places, in no small part thanks to its poetic prose. There's plenty of plot twists and even a wee bit of spice thrown in there too. I actually found myself incredibly disappointed as the book drew to a close, because while it was all wrapping up very nicely...the book was almost over. Done. Finished. While I very much didn't want it to be finished.

Fortunately, the epilogue came along and let's just say that...just when you thought it was all over, BOOM! The epilogue comes along to leave you screeching and impatient for the sequel! I don't think I've ever been quite so thankful that a book wasn't a standalone before. Like, I was about to have a temper tantrum that the book was going to be over and there'd be no more Signa and Death! Of course, now I have to impatiently await Foxglove but it's going to be so worth the wait!

First of all thankyou to the publishers for this incredible dark atmospheric story ..


My Thoughts : what a brilliant audio book , it really did help set the scene and suck you in to its creepy gothic atmosphere , I love anything with ghosts in a story and it defiantly done well that it gave me chills at times ,I really enjoyed the dark gothic history of the family , it did give me that kind of crimson peak vibe which I love . .
The manor house I could really picture the spine tingling moments with very restless spirits not sure I could live in it but great to read about .a murder thrown in made it even more better so that kept me even more intrigued.

the character was all brilliant, death its or his self oh my gosh amazing I felt like he was a very morally grey character , I found him charming oh gosh that just shows how much I love a grey character , I'm a sucker ,
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Now Signg the main character who is a 17 year old orphan ,{ named the cursed orphan } you ask why well every family that took her in not they was perfect they wanted her more for the money well they died , you could say bad luck or death playing a nasty game ill let you make your mind up there . Signg as a character was oh my gosh amazing she was not to be messed with even with all the freaky things going on .


over all the story was brilliant , chilling , lots of atmosphere , I give this a very chilling 5 stars .

Don’t worry about reading my review. Just buy Belladonna NOW! Yes, it’s THAT good!

I’m so annoyed at myself for not getting my review out before release day (yesterday), but that doesn’t matter now what does matter is how much I love Belladonna. To put it into perspective, Belladonna is on par with Little Thieves and Daughter of the Moon Goddess! And if you know me, you’ll understand what that means.

The first note I made was ‘The best prologue EVER!’ now, when you make a note like that, you can imagine the trepidation I felt going into this book, but I’d need not fear. I loved it all, from the setting, descriptions, and, of course, the characters. A stunning cast of mysterious individuals leaves you questioning their motives and desires.

At the centre of this deliciously dark gothic murder mystery, we have the beautiful Signa Farrow. Plagued all her life by Death, it’s Death that becomes her unlikely ally in solving the murder. This book will lure you into the shadows, chill you to the bone and steal your breath away with the secrets, lies and shocking twists.

When I first saw the two covers for Belladonna, I instantly loved the US version, but after reading it, the UK cover is perfect Little Bird.

I want, no, NEED a physical copy NOW and may have to treat myself for my birthday, but if I’m right, by the end of September, I may have a stunning limited edition to add to my collection.
Belladonna is an instant favourite, and I’m already thinking about what the name of book two might be.

The audio of Belladonna is marvellous! I LOVE the narrator. The way she changes her tone to portray other characters is brilliant. I especially love her voice for Death. Truly fantastic. Whenever I see Kristin Atherton as the narrator, it's a book I’ll be checking out.

Anyway, thank you so much, Hodder & Stoughton & NetGalley, for the eArc. I’m so grateful for all the phenomenal books I have been able to review.

Belladonna was the perfect gothic fantasy full of romance, mystery and Death! It was an exceptional novel that was beautifully written and completely made me forget it was YA! The story had me hooked from the first page and kept me in a vice-like grip until the very end!

Signa Farrow was a fierce, stubborn and unrelenting main character! She didn't shy away from the people around her and formed some lovely relationships, especially with her adopted family the Hawthornes. Her connection to Death and to spirits was such an exciting part of her character, and this book, and one that I couldn't get enough of!

I loved how her new home Thorn Grove, was a haunted old Manor House that had spirits roaming the halls and seeking out Signa. I loved watching her interact with them and slowly begin to acknowledge their existence, rather than run from her powers.

The real icing on the cake for me in this book was the relationship between Signa and Death. At first, I was hesitant to see how it would play out, but as the story progressed I was addicted. Their relationship was incredible! Sometimes there was an element of enemies to lovers, sometimes it was teacher and student, but there was a respect there that you don't always see in YA, which was amazing! The slow burn between them was also intense and wonderful to read. Every scene they were together, I wanted more! I loved their interactions and Death in particular had me swooning! (A sentence I never thought I'd say)

From reading about baby orphan Signa to her struggles with surrounding spirits and her love affair with Death, Belladonna was unlike anything else. It was a fantastic read that was equal parts paranormal romance and murder mystery! It was an absolute pleasure!

Characters – 10/10
Signa Farrow is definitely a character that will stay with me for a long time. She’s expertly written and feels so real. She’s not had an easy life, and she wants nothing more than to be part of society. She soon learns that it’s not all that. I love how confident she became as she grew into her powers, and the person she’s meant to be. I also seriously hope that we get to see more of Blythe in the second book.

Death is also a new favourite. With a voice that silky smooth, how can anyone resist him? He’s a fascinating character, and here’s to seeing more of him in the second book as well.

Atmosphere – 10/10
I need to gush about the audiobook narrator real quick, because she does a fantastic job of creating the atmosphere for this book. Yes, Grace’s writing is stunning, but the narrator brings it to life in such a unique way. I was wholly sucked in.

The overall atmosphere of the book was just the right amount of spooky. Grace did an excellent job of capturing the gothic air of the time period. The vibes in this book are on point.

Writing – 9/10
I’ve always said that my favourite writing style is simple, yet elegant. That’s exactly what Belladonna is. The writing isn’t flowery, but it still packs a punch when needed. There are some amazing lines in this book, I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy so that I can annotate it.

Plot – 9/10
The murder mystery kept me guessing, even though I had my suspicions from the start. Events kept happening that threw me off, and I very much enjoyed sleuthing around with Signa. The plot moves at a perfect pace, I was never bored and always intrigued.

Intrigue – 9/10
We have multiple conflicts in this book, but the main one is between Signa and herself. I enjoyed her journey of self-discovery, and how she’s allowed to grow and change her mind. Her relationship with Death is also fascinating, and I hope we get more in the sequel. As for the mystery, well, no spoilers, but it was brilliant.

Logic – 9/10
I like a hard magic system with clearly defined rules, and I’m so happy this book has one. When you think of concepts such as death personified, the “magic” surrounding it can be a bit iffy. Belladonna has clear rules and limits, and I hope Signa breaks them in the second book.

Enjoyment – 9/10
Belladonna surpassed my expectations. I’m so glad I requested this. I went in knowing nothing and I came out with a new favourite.

I was drawn in and kept my imagination flowing. Death is my favourite character, I liked his darkness but with a hint of caring and affection. The story is so unique and I haven't read anything similar to it. The characters are rich and well thought out. The writing was good and solid. Definitely an Author to watch!

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton this ARC.

This book was amazing! The main plot is a murder mystery, but the subplots are really love stories. Death plays a major role in the book, portrayed as a lover not an evil villain. There is an element of historical tale, but it does feel quite modern. I listened to this as a Netgalley pre publication audio book- all I can say is the narrator really added to the telling of the story with all her wonderful character voices. Thank you publishers and Netgalley- I will be recommending this one to my reading friends.

Prob a 3.5 star read for me!

Enjoyable read with a novel premise! Loved the opening of this novel so much. Overall it felt very gothic with shades of Poe and the Bronte's throughout. I felt a little strange about her relationship with Death and perhaps it could've been acknowledged more prominently in the text so as to move away from the feeling that he's known her since she's been a child also once they consummate their relationship there's a lot of the 'you're mine now' carry on which adds to that uncomfortable vibe. Again very Heathcliff-like and I understand the supernatural world the author is building here but I feel it could have been worked around. All that said, I enjoyed the combination of mystery and the supernatural and will look out for the sequel.
Read this on audiobook. While Kristin Atherton will always be synonymous with the A Good Girl's Guide to Murder books for me, she handles this novel's characters and internal dialogue with ease! No jarring transitions or strangeness when she voices the male characters.

Signa, orphaned as a child, has grown up handed over from one guardian to the next. The wealth and the high social position she is supposed to inherit upon maturity make her relatives more interested in her money than her wellbeing. Moving to Thorn Grove to live with the eccentric Hawthornes, she soon understands there is more to this family than meets the eye. They all mourn the recent death of Lillian, the wife and mother, while the mysterious illness that claimed her life now affects her daughter. When Lillian’s ghost appears to Signa, claiming she was poisoned, the girl starts an investigation.⁠
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I loved this novel. The plot is exciting and keeps the reader involved in the story. The characters are complex and vivid. There are mysteries and secrets in this book that make you want to read faster to reach the end and find out all the answers. I think the most fascinating was the character of Death and the uncertainty that surrounded him. Was he an enemy or an ally? Was he responsible for Signa’s “curse”? While never too far away, he keeps secrets under the cover of darkness...⁠
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Belladonna is a brilliant fantasy novel with Gothic elements. The Victorian setting of an old manor, mysterious death and illness, complicated family relations and most of all, the appearance of ghosts add the charm of traditional Gothic fiction to this story. I would recommend it to all the fans of fantasy and supernatural.

“But I don’t want you so focused on the world of the dead that you forget to enjoy that of the living.”

Belladonna was a masterpiece. It completely hooked me and left me wanting more - I didn’t want to put the book down.
The genre was a gothic, regency fantasy romance with a murder to solve. I didn’t realise there was going to be a mystery before I started reading it - in fact I didn’t know much about the book - but the combination worked surprisingly well. I did not guess who the culprit was until they were revealed, so I’d be interested to go back and see if I could see the clues earlier if I was looking for them.
I loved the setting. Fancy house. Balls and gowns. Etiquette to follow. Spooky house full of lingering spirits. I really enjoyed Signa having to navigate society and learn new rules (determining which are worth following) whilst also assessing everyone she’s surrounded by.
I think Signa was a great character. She was brave and had morals. It was really interesting to see how she interacted with spirits and how she came to eventually want to learn more about her powers. I loved her relationship with Death, Silas and her cousins. Each of those also presented their own mystery - it felt like very few people were actually trustworthy.
I didn’t realise this was a sequel until I finished it and now I can’t wait. I’d dive straight into it if I could!

“Belladonna” deserves all the praise that it’s getting right now from the book lovers community! It’s absolutely amazing! Through a precise combination of fantastic, gothic, magical, detective, and romantic elements, author Adalyn Grace has succeeded in giving us, the readers and listeners, a story to lose ourselves in.

The story focuses on Signa Farrow, a rich orphan heiress, who has had the misfortune of all her guardians dying under strange circumstances and her being passed from one house to another for almost 20 years. This chain of unfortunate events makes Signa feel like a pariah to those around her, but there is a silver lining to all her misfortunates. Every time Signa is gravely injured and Death shows itself to claim her, her body recovers and in no time it is as if nothing had happened. Thing get even more interesting for Signa when she starts experimenting with belladonna berries which gives her the powers of interacting with Death himself. After yet an unfortunate event, Death makes a promise to Signa that he would look after her wellbeing and she soon finds herself invited to the Hawthornes, a family struck by misfortune almost as much as Signa herself. When Death starts looming around the her new guardians, Signa makes it her mission to prevent another tragedy from ruining her prospects.

I liked the way in which Adalyn built each character, gave them their own stories, motives, and traumas, and just made them the right combination for the storyline! On top of the characters comes the continuous back and forth between Signa and Death. The punch lines that they keep throwing at each other create scenes that are a delight to read / listen to again and again and help each of the 2 characters grow. The storytelling style is also an element of praise. You can feel the tension building at the turn of each page, but without losing interest or getting bad feelings towards any of the characters.

A special “thank you” for the beautifully-told story also goes to Kristin Aterton who makes gives each character a memorable voice while also keeping an even pitch when narrating facts or non-point of view passages!

Also, the fact that the book has the ending that it has (not going to spoil it for you!) and the fact that there is already a second volume in this series already announced on GoodReads gives me hope that this wonderful story is far from its final chapter.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton Audio, Hodder & Stoughton, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads!

#Belladonna #BelladonnaAudio #NetGalley #LifeLongLearning

The audiobook of this YA gothic/paranormal fantasy novel was good. To be honest, I might have bailed on the book had it not been for the audiobook.

Why would I have bailed? It was a bit too long-winded for my taste. There was too much woe-be-me by the main character Signa. The mysteries were, given I had paid attention from the start, obvious to me.

Still, as I wrote in the beginning, I stayed till the end.

If you liked Kingdom of the Wicked, you will certainly like this book. After all, it's a story of romance between a not-so-mere mortal and Death.

This book gave me Addie LaRue vibes and I loved it for that. Don’t get me wrong, the story is completely different in particular for the fact that Death is not a stalking and possessive b*****d, but the atmosphere and the sense of loneliness were the same.

Signa is a girl that has seen Death too many times… literally. She can see the Reaper and very soon she finds out she cannot really die and she can use his powers. For this reason Death has followed her since when she was little making her become the strange one, the unlucky one, the lonely one. She would just like to be able to find a family who loves her and become a proper lady.

When she accidentally kills her last guardian, she has a last chance of entering a noble family that can introduce her to society, but her dream can become true only if she finds out who is trying to murder the young Blythe. So instead of leaving Death behind for good, she starts collaborating with him to solve the mystery.

The point is that the more she interacts with Death, the more she understands that only with him she feels free to be truly herself, without needing to put a mask on to please society. And that’s the true revelation, the fact that her biggest dream to become a proper lady and to be married is just the dream of finding a family and people that love and support her for who she is.

The plot is very thrilling, I lost a bit of interest in the middle because I thought it was predictable, only to be completely shocked in the end 🙀. The audiobook, given by NetGalley, is very enjoyable and the story is very easy to follow.

Belladonna is very much a Death and the Maiden story. It’s the book Darklina girlies were looking for; we’ve got ‘I’ve waited a long time for you’, power sharing, and personal growth.

I really liked the book, but have surprisingly little to say about it. Belladonna is exactly what it says on the tin, and it doesn’t pretend to be anything other than itself: a quintessentially YA spin on a classic Gothic tale. A haunted mansion, a young girl on her deathbed, a family embroiled in scandals and secrets.

Adalyn Grace’s strongest point is probably how well she writes horror elements—her writing was atmospheric and evocative, the supernatural elements were practically leaping off the page, their descriptions were that vivid. Belladona’s weakest point was the ultimate resolution of the mystery. It pulled a Stalking Jack the Ripper on me—and that wasn’t sufficient motivation (or a good plot twist, actually) then and it was certainly not good enough now.

And while, alas, neither the mystery nor the plot twist were particularly opaque to my way-too-early deduction, I did find myself contemplating, for far longer than was advisable, how Death — personification of finality and very much not a human being that would evolve genitalia to procreate — is capable of sex. It is a question that begs examination, for I have never been more confused in my life than when I read Death experience a little death.

All in all, five star read. If not for originality, then for excellent vibes and because I want more content like this in my life.

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

I loved this book and I also didn't. I loved the writing and the atmosphere and the romance between Signa and Death, but other parts of the book weren't so good for me. I would have liked it to be more of a mystery: with clues and investigation, but it wasn't. It felt like Signa spent most of the book trying to fend off the effects of the belladonna and save her cousin and then when she actually bothered to look for the killer it all just sort of fell into her lap.

There were also certain things that were revealed a bit too late, leaving me floundering to match everything up in my head, because Signa had come to realise stuff that wasn't told to the reader until much later. The biggest thing about this was to do with Margery, though I won't say much more because of spoilers.

But oh the romance. Death was such a great character and Signa worked so well with him! The narration was just spot on with his voice which added to this. And with that ending I'm definitely going to read on to the next book!