i loved this book, i was so lucky to be able to have the opportunity to read this via e-arc!! signa is everything i look for in a main protagonist, witty, compassionate and total bad ass. death made me fall in love with the character. death and signa's banter was a highlight of the book for me. this book is adalyn grace's love letter to literature and if you don't read it when it comes out you are missing out on something incredible!!

This book did not disappoint. Absolutely breathtaking. I was so excited to be able to read this arc and it left me wanting MORE. Signa and Death were devastatingly addictive and the character development was amazing, so much detail. I can’t wait to read the sequel!

Orphaned as a baby, nineteen-year-old Signa has been raised by a string of guardians, each more interested in her wealth than her well-being. Incapable of dying but set to unravel her cursed power, she often stands at the thin line between life and death. So, when a letter comes from Thorn Grove inviting her to the manor, Signa can’t help but feel excited about a new start. However, between family secrets and Signa’s own entanglement with Death and the stable boy, her stay will not be as expected.

The premise is great ‒ a romantic gothic-infused murder mystery ‒ and the prologue got me intrigued from the start. The plot is gripping as fuck. I couldn't make out at all who the murderer was (I was pretty certain it was someone, and then Signa tries to prove me right just to end up proving me wrong). I was utterly surprised. And the author also does a wonderful job at drawing me into the gothic and haunting descriptions of Thorn Grove Manor and its grounds. The writing includes some exquisite descriptions of the Victorian/Georgian type of setting.

As for the cons, I must confess I didn’t completely fall in love with Signa. I liked her cousin Blythe's personality much better. While Signa thinks often about finding a love match and settling for what probably will be a very dull life, Blythe repeatedly expresses her desire to be a free and empowered woman. Although Signa undergoes significant character development, I feel that this only happens because of a more carnal desire than anything else.

Speaking of desire, another thing that felt lacking was the development of the two love interests. I ended the book feeling that I never got to know Death and Sylas; Signa's relationship with them was limited to interactions related to the unsolved mystery and reckless flirt in between. The banter was fun, but I missed some deeper conversations. Their personalities felt a little flat: Death is just this mysterious and provocative reaper cloaked in shadows, and Sylas is an annoying but always-there stable boy.

I greatly appreciated the family dynamic between Signa and the Hawthornes. And I hope we get to see the friendship between Signa and Blythe grow in the sequel the epilogue hints at.

I received an eARC for free, through NetGalley, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

2.5 Stars

Signa Farrows life has been full of death. Signa herself can see Death and the spirits of those who have already passed. Death comes for nearly everyone around Signa. Until she ends up living at Thorn Grove.

Signa moves in with her cousins and uncle whos wife has recently passed. But theres more to her death than meets the eye. She was murdered. And Signas cousin Blythe is suffering the same way her mother did. Can Signa solve the mystery and save her cousin? And will Death help?

For me, the premise of this book was so intriguing. But the execution was lacking. The whole story felt super slow, and at times rather boring. There were more exciting parts such as whenever Signa interacted with Death, but it just wasn’t enough for me. The relationship between Death and Signa was very interesting however as they seem to be potential lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this one with high hopes only for all of them to be dashed when I learnt that the love interest was... death (who was, obviously, centuries older than her. talk about romance being dead). I admittedly was not liking the writing style which was draggy and in the nicest way, boring. The plot was, however, the only device having me hooked but that too could not ultimately save this rating. Here's to hoping the next book is light years better!

Because death is only a reprieve for the dead, Mr.Thorly. It cares little for those it leaves behind."

wow! adalyn grace's belladonna is such an interesting read—definitely not what i expected! it's giving gothic bridgerton murder mystery vibes and i was captured from the very first chapter, which i have to say, was easily the best opening to a story i've read in a long, long time. adalyn's prose is absolutely beautiful and she has a way of really capturing you in the feeling of the story. i think my only issue with this story is the romance between death and signa and that the plot twists were fairly predictable. i always feel a little weird when stories have love interests that have literally known/watched over the mc since they were babies. i like that we get to see signa's struggle between the complicated emotions of transitioning from hatred to love for death, it's nice that she's self-aware but yeah, it was a little odd for me and made it hard to be super invested in their relationship, although i do appreciate that unique aspect of the plot! would recommend for the gorgeous quotes and prose alone but definitely check it out if you dig that kind of vibe! as far as i'm aware, this is also the first in the series so i'm excited to see how this world evolves.

thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Okay, I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did, but guys, it is worth the hype that I have been seeing for it!! If this is one of your most anticipated releases for the year, I don't think you'll be disappointed!

This was so captivating; it hooked me right from the prologue and did not let me go. Adalyn Grace has a beautiful, lyrical, rich prose that at the same time is so easy to read, and I just got lost in this story, I did not want it to end! I was desperate to keep reading and to know what was going to happen. The mystery and intrigue of Thorn Grove were completely immersive. The vibes are truly immaculate. If you love gothic tales with haunted houses, poisonings, secret gardens, shadowy woods, things that go bump in the night - but in a way that isn't horror or truly scary, you should read this book.

There is a very beautiful portrayal of death and the afterlife in this book, with many different beliefs being taken into account and showing how they can all coexist; that was probably one of my favourite parts of the whole book.

Speaking of favourite parts... THE ROMANCE. I saw someone compare the romance to Kingdom of the Wicked, and while I haven't read that book yet, I do know what that romance is and I can confirm it does seem to be along the same lines. The romance between our main character Signa, and Death, was just stunning. It was definitely the guy-falls-harder trope, and you see Death, this feared, hated entity as his true gentle, quiet self, and I just loved them together. The chemistry was perfect, everything about them was perfect.

Signa is a fantastic main character. She is stubborn but protective, and desperate to find a stable home after being passed around many different guardians her entire life. You see how she is torn between being her true self and the expectations of 1800s society that she must adhere to, and then the amazing character growth as she comes to accept herself for who she is. There are many great, well-layered and distinctive side characters who you can't help but feel for and loving.

The book ends on a cliffhanger, and there are many questions left unanswered, but by the end I still felt satisfied with the answers we were given, and intrigued to read the sequel and find out the answers we don't yet know. I am absolutely desperate to read the sequel right now, and I am so frustrated to have to wait over a year for FOXGLOVE.

I would definitely, definitely recommend this book, for anyone who loves gothic romance, murder mystery, high society, and beautiful writing!

In this book we follow a young woman called Signa Farrow. She’s lived a life haunted by Death. More or less her whole family died when she was just a baby. But Signa cannot die, which not only made her the sole heir to a fortune, but gave her a connection to Death and the world beyond the living. One by one of Signa’s (very unfitting) guardians is taken by Death, making Signa more and more lonely and angry with Death. But when Signa is sent to Thorn Grove to live with her last remaining relatives, the Hawthornes, she stumbles upon angered spirits, strange illnesses, and an array of eccentric people with plenty of secrets. Soon Signa realizes that the illnesses are in fact unnatural, and that the death isn’t natural. To solve the murder and bring peace back to Thorn Grove, Signa has to make an alliance with Death himself.

So, this was an interesting read with some very good elements.

I find that the writing is detailed and at times poetic and a bit “old”, which fits the story since it takes place somewhere in the 1800s. I did find it a bit jarring to begin with though because it’s written in an almost omniscient POV. There’s a lot of distance to the main character, which I find odd and I think the story would have been better had we been closer to Signa throughout the story. Or maybe I just have a hard time with the “but what she didn’t know was that xxxx”-type of narrative. I want to be there in the moment with the character, and this book isn’t that. However, it didn’t take long to get into the style and after the first few chapters I rarely thought much about it.

The murder mystery is a very interesting plot that may perhaps not have the tension and “hold your breath”-excitement of a really good thriller/crime story, but it’s suitable for this book. And considering it’s not really the main plot either, it works really well. And the twists here had me surprised, but not chocked. Everything felt well developed and planned out, which is great.

The main plot for me in this book is more about Signa and her journey in finding herself and who she is, which also incudes romance. And Signa is a likeable character who’s easy to follow and as a reader I want to know what’s going to happen to her, and I want the best for her. When it comes to the romance, Signa and Death has great chemistry and the romance is beautifully written. I do have a few issues with the romance that I’ll get to later, but I have to say that if I disregard certain things, the romance is good and it develops nicely throughout the novel.

The core of this novel is really good, and there’s many things to like about it. I’ve read an ARC of this novel, which might explain a lot of the mistakes I found in it. This really needs a final pass with an editor because there are a lot of mistakes. Words missing in sentences, wrong name in dialogues, grammar mistakes etc. But I’m confident those will be fixed before release.

I also find that it’s too many words in it. Now, this is probably something of a personal preference too. I like fast novels that doesn’t dawdle along with unnecessary details and scenes that really don’t matter. And, well, this book has plenty of those. At least 30% of the book isn’t really necessary, and I’ve honestly skimmed large portions of it because it’s very slow. But I’m sure plenty of people would instead love the book for just this attention to detail and slow development.

So, onto the final thing. The romance. As much as I like the way it’s written and the chemistry between the characters, I can’t help but feel like this romance is seriously creepy. And not because Death is, well, Death. But because one, he’s as old as creation himself, and she’d 19, but two, she doesn’t even know what he looks like. She’s like swooning over a man cloaked in shadows that’s millennia old and she’s like “I don’t care what he looks like”.

Sure, he’s waited for her a long time and all that, and even though I don’t like the whole old man with young woman thing in YA, I get it. This woman is the first one he’s ever been able to touch. She is his only wish and he loves her. But I would have still liked to have seen his face before they get intimate. I’m perhaps superficial in this, but what if he had a decaying face with worms swirling out of his bloodied eye sockets? I mean, he’s Death after all. How romantic would it have been to wake up in bed with that face, no matter how sweet the man was? So, yes, I would have liked to see his pretty face before any intimate details.

But that isn’t really by biggest issue either. What I’m concerned about is that Death found Signa when she was a baby. A baby. He’s been watching her since she was a baby in a crib, waiting, grooming (?) and whatever until she was nineteen and then he comes and is like “you’re my everything and I love you, please sleep with me, be with me, give me your everything because you’re the only woman I’ve been able to touch, and I need you.”

Yes, I find this extremely creepy and inappropriate, and the whole thought that this man has stalked Signa since she was a baby only so he could seduce her and take her for himself as a young adult makes my stomach turn at every line of that otherwise greatly written romance. Couldn’t he at least have met her at 16 or something? This is like Twilight and Jacob and the baby all over again.

I’m sorry, but grown men falling in love with babies is wrong, even if they wait until they are adults to act on it.

But overall, this is a solid read and I’m giving it a 3,5/5 stars.

What an utterly fabulous read!

Signa, who has an infinity with Death, has been passed from guardian to guardian after their strange deaths and finds herself at Thorn Grove with her uncle Elijah and cousins, Percy and Blythe.

Blythe has a mystery illness, the same illness that killed her mother and Signa wants to investigate and finds help in 2 unlikely places.

'You are bolder than the sun, Signa Farrow, and it’s time that you burn.'

Now I can't say too much about the plot apart from I thought I knew how this was going to turn out. I was sure I knew how this was going to turn out (and I was smug about it!!) But I was wrong, so wrong! Fantastic twist!

So here we go with my list of loves.....

~ Loved Sylas,
~ Loved Blythe,
~ Thaddeus is my kind of guy!
~ Loved Death (he's a saucy minx!!)

So here we have an historical whodunnit with lonely souls finding each other and families reunited.

Superb. And that cover is just gorgeous. I can't wait to see what happens next! I already know Foxglove will be another hit!

Wonderfully unputdownable! From the first page I was hooked, I love the narrative its easy but also incredibly engaging. The dark and macabre vibes is everything that I look for in a book.

This book follows the story of Signa who was the only survivor of a poisoning at a high class ball, she finds ways to ingest the highly poisonous Belladonna in order to summon Death and challenge him! HIGHLY recommend, easy 5*

Not gonna lie, this was a cover buy for me. I love a pretty cover and then i read that it was a dark, romantic, Victorian murder mystery I was SOLD. This book is utter perfection. It features a romance with death. This book had some of my favourite things to read about. I love Adalyn's books they always amaze me.

Five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I did not know a huge amount about the storyline of Adalyn Grace's 'Belldonna' going in and I am glad I didn't. The breath taking twists and turns in this novel are absolutely brilliant so I do not want to give anything away... We follow Signa, who after living with a string of guardians who died, moves in with her last known family, the Hawthornes. All is not right with this family as a strange disease killed Lillian, the mother, which now ails her daughter. Signa is going to use her supernatural powers (which are awesome) to investigate this mystery before anyone else dies, all with the assistance of the stable boy, her ingenuity, oh and death himself.

I am thrilled this is the first book in a series because I still have so many questions (particularly after that amazing cliffhanger ending), about Signa's powers, the mysterious deaths of her parents and the misfortune continually plaguing the Hawthorne household. Do not worry though, this novel is not all doom and gloom. There is an unexpected and delicious romance in there to enjoy too.

Overall, despite feeling a little slow in parts, the story and world Grace is building here is a rich and intriguing mystery. I am already looking forward to reading 'Foxglove', and all other sequels in Signa's future! 4 stars.

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

A book that did not disappoint at all, with its beautiful cover and intriguing synopsis, Belladonna was an exceptionally well-done murder mystery-fantasy story. It truly delivered on its promise of a setting infused with a dark, gothic atmosphere.
A lavish manor invaded by ghosts, the dead wife of the owner of that house, and her daughter sick and seemingly destined for the same fate.

UNTIL...of course the entry of our main character, Signa Farrow. An orphaned young girl who can never die and walks the thin line between life and death. She can talk to ghosts and under the right circumstances, also talk to Death himself.

And the mystery was AMAZING. There were ghosts involved, poison, and a business empire falling apart. There are some good reveals (rich people have a lot of baggage from past flings) and it makes for fun speculation and *gasps out loud* moments.

Furthermore, there's the magic system which I found intriguing. There's not a very clear explanation as to why Signa has these powers. But when you're not involved in the mystery, the book keeps your attention as Signa explores her magic, what it can't, its limit. This also leads her to question what she wants with her life.
She is not happily trying to make herself fit into the tedious high society and its etiquette. We see how exhausted she is by posing and lying because she's never been brought up like that.

The writing is atmospheric. The side characters are also five-star worthy. My queen Blythe (Signa's cousin) could be my IRL bestie.

This is so beautifully written and full of intrigue, romance, and gothic tones!

Signa, the main character, was a stand-out! She is gifted with the ability to see spirits and Death (which is an actual character). Signa is bold and has an incredible sharp wit and lovable nature to her, practically coming to life before your eyes as you read through her POV. She is as layered as the plot. I loved the expert plot twists the author intertwined with the story, the unfolding of the mysteries well-paced and composed. It is dark and compelling.

I wish there were more books like this! I have been searching for a read like this; a Gothic mystery that's historical fiction, and Adalyn Grace has written something that is so satiable and ticks every box. I am super delighted to know that there is a sequel to come! Exquisite, macabre, and tender.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this eARC in exchange for an honest review

Usually when I ship a character with death it's cause I want them gone. In this case, I was shipping a character with death and was rooting for her to get the love and admiration she deserved and honestly I've not shipped this hard in a while!
I loved how the book was made up of a bunch of different plot points that all intersected really well; a mystery, a romance, a girl trying to figure out how she fits in society as well as juggling her fledgling powers. All of that against the backdrop of a historical, high society, setting.
This kept me guessing, kept me intrigued. It took me a month to read because it's been a busy few weeks but it goes to note that I kept coming back to this book. I did correctly guess one plot point and I was so thrilled with myself. Honestly gasped.
It's lowkey giving Kingdom of the Wicked vibes but ... dare I say, better?? I am so excited for the sequel now!

This book was simply breathtaking. Belladonna is a mix of everything, fantasy, romance, Gothic, murder mystery. It's been such a long time since I've read a Gothic romance but Belladonna was such a breath of fresh air. Set in the 1850's/60's it follows the story of Signa Farrow, an orphaned girl that is passed from relative to relative all out to claim a part of her inheritance. But wherever Signa goes, death seems to follow (literally). Signa has the uncanny ability to see spirits and Death himself. When her aunt dies, Signa is summoned to Thorn Grove where she has the opportunity to utilize her strange abilities to help the people around her.

As a title character Signa was wonderful. You really feel the story through her voice. She is a brave and impulsively smart protagonist but at the center of her being is the longing for family, love and identity. The voice of her character fit the overall tone of the story and made it all the more compelling.

The genre of Gothic-fantasy is a difficult one but Adalyn Grace does a spectacular job of incorporating a little bit of everything. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing what's next.

Thank you Netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Review will be posted to my Goodreads now and to my Instagram (krisreadstt) a month before publication.

Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for this eARC of Belladonna

I absolutely loved this novel, I was highly anticipating it once it was announced and boy was I not disappointed.

I loved the prologue of this novel, it was different and dark and I loved where that little intro was going.
The characters were all built up in a fantastic way and I actually loved the portrayal of Death.
His and Signa's relationship fascinatined me and I loved how the story developed for her.
The world building is at its finest and the ending! Talk about a cliffhanger!
I can't wait for book two, however we have to wait another year for it.
I highly recommend this novel.. In fact I have it on preorder TWICE!

This will be the caption on my Instagram post for “Belladonna” by Helen Adalyn Grace. The primary image for this post will be of the book itself. It will be published no sooner than one month before release unless otherwise suggested.
Nineteen year old Signa is the heir to a substantial fortune. Orphaned as an infant, after one of her parent’s parties took a horrific turn, she feels haunted; that death is her constant companion, always just on her heels, leaving a string of dead guardians (and quite often their spirits) in her wake. Her life has been deeply lonely, often with only the dead for company. On the death of her latest guardian, her malicious aunt, she finds herself transported to Thorn Grove, the home of her nearest relatives, the Hawthorne family. Once there she soon finds that all is not what it seems, from her aunts passing to her cousin’s mysterious illness. If Signa wants to find the answer to save her cousins life she will have to work closely with the one she holds accountable for all her misfortune, Death themselves.
Deeply immersive, deliciously dark and sumptuously gothic, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read. It combines fast-paced story telling with a cleverly done slow burn romance that leaves the reader looking for more. There is clever juxtaposition between the poverty of the world that Signa comes from (despite being an heiress) to the opulence of the world that she finds at Thorn Grove. Thorn Grove is a world of excess, where her uncle throws more and more outrageous parties so as to avoid his own grief, her cousin Blythe falls more ill at every turn and Percy, the would be heir to it all, struggles to claim his place in this world, particularly in light of his father’s opposition. It captures very well the work that people are willing to do in order to belong or to claim what they see as rightfully theirs.
My thanks to @netgalley and @hodderbooks for this E-ARC. I very much enjoyed it.
This section will appear as a slide on my Instagram post. (First image will be of the book, 2nd slide image will be what is contained below).
“Belladonna” By Adalyn Grace
Read it if you like:
• YA with a strong gothic twist. Fans of “Mexican Gothic” and “The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue” may enjoy this one.
• Books that understand that a lot of the time people think they are looking to be accepted in the world when in fact they are looking to learn how to accept themselves.
• Books with solid slow burn romance, with a solid dash of will they/won’t they, and an element that you might not necessarily see coming.
• You’ve had a moment where you want to wear a blood red dress and quite literally dance with death….16 yr old me would have been very into this.
• Solid plot twisting and cleverly done story-telling.

Really interesting and rare concept, strong contemptible heroine and dark interesting male lead. Really enjoyed and left me desperate for the next one

Gosh this book was phenomenal! There genuinely isn't a single thing I didn't love. I loved Signa, I loved Death, I loved Sylas, Elijah, Blythe, Percy, I loved the lot of them. I wish i could read this book for the first time again. Bravo.