Loved this concept from the start and Adalyn Grace executed the whole 'flirting with death thing' pretty well!

I definitely want to date Death, and can't wait to read the rest of this series!

The way I ate this book up!!

This definitely respawned my gothic lit phase. The haunted mansion reminded me so much of Rebecca (one of my favourite books ever), but with more supernatural elements. Honestly, this book checks all the boxes, haunted mansion, sketchy characters, mystery, romance… I mean come on, the main character literally tries to solve a murder with her side kick, Death - how could you not love this ??

Ich bin sehr hin und hergerissen, was mein Verhältnis zu diesem Titel angeht. Es hab es in zwei Anläufen gelesen. Bei ersten Versuch habe es nach von 30% abgebrochen und es weggelegt. Da das Buch aber so beliebt ist, habe ich einen zweiten Anlauf gestartet. Dafür wurde ich auch belohnt. Das Buch vereint Fantasy, Young adult und den Detektivroman sehr gekonnt miteinander. Ich liebe an diesem Buch die Anteile des Detektivromans. Die Festlegung auf einen bestimmten Personenkreis, die Detektivarbeit, der Twist und das Showdown sind grandios. Mit den Fantasyanteilen habe ich jedoch zu kämpfen. Das Verhältnis von Signa und den Tod kann ich nicht nachvollziehen, ich versteh auch nicht ihre innige Zuneigung für einander. Es hat auch diese Message: Ich habe sonst niemanden, also bist du der/die Einzige für mich. Das hat so einen Faden Beigeschmack. Auch komm ich mit Signal Wertevorstellung nicht so gut zurecht. Bis zu einem gewissen Grad, kann ich es nachvollziehen, ist es vermutlich auch menschlich, aber ich erhoffe mir von einer Buchheldin irgendwie mehr. Das Ende war überraschend und macht Lust auf den zweiten Band.

Loved this, the gothic atmosphere and how the relationships between signa and the other characters are amazing. Loved the murder mystery too

Okay, I absolutely adore books with a gothic tone and this was no exception!

Death has followed Signs Farrow her entire life, and much to her chagrin, she can't escape Death's clutches.
When her latest guardian dies, Signa is invited to stay at Thorn Grove. A spirit leads her on the path of a murder mystery, a plot device I love, and the drama and intrigue evolves from there.

This book had everything. Romance, death, mystery, and more.

I can't wait to read the next book as that ending was super cliffhanger-ey and exciting!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for my copy. All opinions stated are my own.

I enjoyed the atmosphere in this book, it´s perfect for a wintery cold night, to cozy up with a blanket and hot beverage.
For me, the relationships in this book weren´t as solid as I would have liked. It was almost love/attraction at first sight. And with a boy she hardly ever saw and that you don´t really learn a lot about (for a reason, but still), and a shadow without features to huminize it. To go from fearing/loathing to attraction with the second felt unrealistic without having the step of kinship in between.
I had hoped for more of a fantasy romance book, but this leaned a lot on the romantasy plot.

If you are a fan of Addie LaRue this book is 100% for you! It’s dark, cinematic, amazingly written and there is an incredible build-up in the story. The characters are really interesting and romance (YA) is so sweet! Can’t wait for the next one!

The best book is 2022, I adore signadeath and they are slowly becoming a YA cult classic. I cannot wait for wisteria!

A magnificent and haunting start to a duology I am sure I will love. I was not prepared for how much I would love this. Thank you for the early copy to review.

I really tried to enjoy this, because death as a character is probably one of my favourite tropes, however something about Belladonna just didn't gel with me.

The first chapter was amazing. Beautifully atmospheric and mysterious, as death meets our protagonist Signa. There's an air of gothic romance about the whole thing. However, the story that followed just never managed to peak it's opening scenes. A lot of the book follows Signa being introduced into this lavish world where she feels uncomfortable and clearly doesn't belong, and she has to learn to fit in. The pacing is slow as the reader spends a lot of the time watching Signa stumble about making social faux pas instead of sticking to the actual plot, which was a hundred times more exciting. It felt very early 2000s YA in that respect, with all this fluff and filler instead of a juicy plot.

Great opening, but unfortunately the plot needed more meat on the bones and less of the societal talk.

I understand why so many people are obsessed with this story! It is both unique and addicting. Both books have been bought and read and loved, cannot wait for book 3!

This is the first book from Adayln Grace that I have read and I really enjoyed her writing style. Belladonna was really interesting to me as I don't really read a lot of mystery and YA at the moment. I was immediately hocked with the story with both the world building and the characters. I loved the twists throughout the books and I can't wait to read more from Adalyn Grace

Wherever she goes, the reaper will follow.

Boy, do I love a dramatic opening! Coupled with the gothic atmosphere that oddly reminded me of Jane Eyre, I knew I was in for a treat.

There are so many amazing quotes that I wish I could add - most of which are quotes about death that made me shiver - but the list would resemble a book of poetry rather than a review.

I neither loved or hated Signa, nor did I love or hate the book. While it wasn't quite as outstanding as I expected, it was still enjoyable and had a different vibe to the books I usually read.

My attention waned towards the middle of the book, but the dramatic ending was enough to convince me to pick up book two! I have no idea what to expect next!

"What in God's name are you?"
For once she had an answer. "I am free."

Ohmygodohmygodohmygod
Honestly I didn't really care abt the mystery till 80% of the book, but the moment of realization???? Didn't guess that. What I did guess was the ending, but I was so glad I was right.
The romance tho skskjsjsjsjsjjs

I was pleasantly surprised by this - I know it got a lot of hype on release and it certainly exceeded my expectations. I enjoy a good historical fiction, and it became even better when you mix it with a murder mystery and supernatural elements. The romance I wasn't that bothered with, but I'm not a romance reader. I was pleasantly surprised by the twist the ending took regarding who the murderer was and how Death was portrayed and that epilogue was enough of a hook for me to pick up the next in the series!

I truly enjoyed this fantastical gothic mystery with its romance and intrigue. I described this as “if romancing the grim reaper in the sims was a book”.

Prepare to be pleasantly surprised by this book - it far exceeded expectations. The buzz it generated is well-deserved; if it's on your anticipated list, it won't disappoint.

From the start, it's gripping, Adalyn Grace's prose is captivating yet accessible. Thorn Grove's mysteries are immersive, perfect for fans of gothic tales with an eerie touch.

The exploration of death and the afterlife adds depth, and the romance between Signa and Death is electric, beautifully portraying the asymmetrical dynamics of falling in love.

Signa is a compelling lead, grappling with societal norms while staying true to herself. The book's conclusion satisfies and leaves you eager for the sequel.

In short, this is a must-read with a captivating narrative, enchanting prose, and a seamless blend of romance and mystery. If you enjoy immersive stories with an eerie atmosphere, this is a book you shouldn't miss.

Thank You NetGalley and the publishers for this arc! (3.5 stars)

Like a lot of other people I am obsessed with this amazing, unique fantasy.
The cover is stunning, the writing is beautiful and I am so ready for the second one!!!!

This book had some of my favourite things mixed together: set in a historical period, murder, mystery and death as a character.

I breezed through the story in a day, and now I'm just waiting for the next book because I want to know what's going to happen to Signs and Death!

Who knew that you could end up with Death as a favourite character? Not exactly who you'd think would be one but I loved him and how he explains things to Signs and gets her to be herself! Let's see what comes next....

3*’s – this was fine. The romance was believable and the family drama was interesting enough but there was nothing engaging about the characters or the writing. I really wanted there to be an atmosphere created in the house – you have a house were someone has died and someone is dying and the writing didn’t evoke much tension or gloominess or suspicions. Everything just felt a little drab. I was intrigued by the mystery though and wanted to know more about Signa’s powers. The ending did leave me intrigued so it is likely I will continue to read the series. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of the book.