A big thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with this eArc!

This was so exquisite. I need every copy available!!! Whoa!!

Sadly, this wasn't for me. The dialogue seemed often clumsy and the writing was inconsistent, the worldbuilding weak and not properly fleshed out. There were no gothic vibes or any mystery at all, and the plot sadly just wasn't very interesting. The characters were fine, but also not especially unique. This felt like something I've read several times before.

This book was one of my most anticipated reads for this year, as the story sounded really interesting and I loved the authors All the Stars and Teeth series.

Overall I really enjoyed the story, as the murder mystery with a paranormal touch was right up my alley. From the start I connected with the main character Signa and become heavily invested in the murder mystery at Thorn Grove. What I enjoyed the most with the mystery was the fact that I couldn’t figure out who the killer was until most of the puzzle pieces was in place. Which is great! Nothing is worse than an obvious mystery. The setting of Thorn Grove really came alive with the descriptions of the place, and I almost wanted to visit that strange place myself.

Moving on to Signa, the heroine of the story. From the start she was my favourite character, and she reminded me of Audrey Rose from Stalking Jack the Ripper. But with the ability to see ghosts. This likeness was further fueled by her dynamic back-and-forward banter with surly stable hand Sylas. Unfortunately this didn’t last. Signa’s ability to see and communicate with ghosts was an interesting part of the story, and this paranormal aspect added a nice companion aspect to the murder mystery. It was just really fun to read about Signas abilities and her learning about what she could do with them. When it comes to the supporting characters I really loved her cousin Blythe and her childhood friend Charlotte, both of whom I would have loved to see more of.

I was so sure from the start that this book would be another 5 star read for me. It had both Stalking Jack the Ripper and A Series of Unfortunate Events vibes to it. Well, that was until about halfway through the book it decided to take a turn I wasn’t to keen on. There had been a romantic subplot brewing through the book up to that point, but suddenly it seemed to take over the story. Which I didn’t like, mostly since the romantic interest just felt a bit off? I guess that I should have seen the relationship coming, but the way it was portrayed left me basically skipping those parts to get to the other parts of the story that I actually cared about. So I was torn between if I should give the book a 3.5 or a 4 star rating. I decided to go with that later, since most of the book was really enjoyable and the mystery kept me up well into the night just so I could finish it in one go.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.

As soon as I saw that this was a fantasy with mystery solving plus set in the 1800s I had to read it. And it was so so so worth it. Absolutely.

Signa Farrow is a young girl who has always lost everyone around her, her mother, her grandmother and many more people, and she has always blamed Death for those deaths. While growing up, Signa finds out she has the power to see spirits and Death and that she cannot die. At the age of nineteen, she moves to the Hawthornes' mansion as they are her only relatives and she still isn't of age yet: once she arrives, she meets the Hawthornes' wife's spirit who begs for her help to unsolve her murder and to save her daughter, Blythe, from the same sad fate. With the help of Death, whom she gets really close to, and Sylas, a stables boy, she does everything in her power to unravel the mystery and to finally save her cousin and her family.

This book was so good, "love" cannot even express how much I adored it. I loved how dark the story was and how Signa does her best to help the Hawthornes. I loved how she grows attached to Death and how he does anything just for her. My love for Death goes beyond this world <3 I craved for him to be in every single chapter, paragraph and sentence. I wanted him to be with Signa all the time and mostly we did get that. Hopefully we'll have so much more of Death and Death-Signa duo in book 2! Moreover, I feel like the song Until I Found You by Stephen Sanchez describes perfectly how Death feels about Signa when he sings: "I was lost within the darkness, but then I found her, I found you." Idk, I find it cute tho.
I wished we had more insights on Charlotte and her past and especially on Percy and Marjorie, I really wished the author could spend some more time on these two, focusing on what was on their mind and why the behaved the way they did.

Looking forward to book 2 as I need it ASAP, especially after the final cliffhanger. And I really want to know how Death and Signa's realtionship will evolve. If you really couldn't tell, I love these two, especially together heh.

“To me, you are a song to a soul that has never known music. Light to someone who has only seen the darkness.”

“You are what I want. I know I cannot force you to want me in return, but say that you do, and I promise that I am wholly and unequivocally yours. Say that you do, and I will make this world everything for you, Signa.”

My rating: 4.5!

I absolutely loved this book! I literally pre ordered after a few chapters! Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this book!

I will update the review with a link to our blog closer to publication date.
I'd like to thank the publisher Hodder & Stoughton and netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with this e-ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The feeling of feeling blown away by a book that I didn't have many expectations of is just so satisfying, and it's what I can say about this book.

Belladonna follows Signa Farrow, an orphan who is able to see Death since her parents' death. Expected to inherit her family's wealth when she turns 20, Signa has been living with multiple guardians, all solely interested in her wealth but every single one of them also met an untimely end. When she arrives at Thorn Grove, she discovered that the Hawthornes might be in grave danger, and decides to find out who wishes them harm.

This is an atmospheric gothic mystery fantasy that I thoroughly enjoyed for the most part. Signa was an overall satisfying character to follow, even though sometimes she was too reckless for her own good. I also love how she solved the mystery behind the murder of Lilian Hawthorne as I did not expect the plot twist (I was dead set on my theory that I audibly gasped when the twist came). Most of the elements are highly believable as the mystery was wrapped up fairly well. However, I was quite bored at the middle of the book because sometimes the story slogged a little bit.

My favorite part of this book was the relationship. First of all, I love how Signa and Blythe managed to become friends over the course of the story despite the disastrous first impression. Blythe was truly a queen and I am looking forwards to seeing her in the sequel. However, my favorite part of the book was the romance between Signa and Death. Yes, now my standards for men have come to a metaphysical dude wrapped around by shadows. At first, I thought Death was going to be like Luc from The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue but I love how Death was perfected respectful of Signa, and frankly, I adored their chemistry (remind me a lot of Kingdom of the Wicked). There were several scenes that made me screaming crying throwing up because of how sweet they are, and I am happy about that.

And the ending!! I know all too well the pain of being left off at a cliffhanger when the book is not even out yet! Needless to say that I would beg for an ARC of Foxglove because I need it right now!

So, I'm a bit torn on this one. I enjoyed reading it and it kept me interested - the pacing was good, and there's a lot of good stuff there, like the atmosphere, and I think I'm interested enough that I might read the next one.
There was a mix of tropes I like and some I don't - I felt uncomfortable with the relationship with Death, because he basically knew Signa as a baby, but I think it also has to be seen metaphorically and with the point of view of Signa, which makes a lot of the book work better actually. I like the message about not fitting in society being OK, and being yourself, but it was way too tame and didn't question the social order at all, or played on a few questionable tropes at time. There were a few inconsistencies / questions (ex, why is Death so happy to speak with Signa when apparently he can speak with the Dead in his own world anyway? Why doesn't he sound like a timeless mythical creature? Why didn't the murderer change the way they poisoned people as they knew Signa spotted Belladonna easily, is it just so the boom can keep its title? It felt a bit childish. Again, let's see the book as a metaphor and it works better)
I guess one of the main plot twist quite early, but that didn't prevent me from reading more. It just felt too tame and could have been more interesting otherwise, for example if desire/lust had been treated in a less tropey way. Some characters were brushed up too quickly and appeared in /disappeared from the story in a way that wasn't too subtle, and ultimately I failed to see why Signa cared so strongly about most people there apart from Death and Sylas. It felt a bit too "oh, instant connection because of a clever plot circumstance!" at times. I also thought there weren't enough stakes with her powers apart from the very beginning, but again, I still enjoyed the book overall.

I want to thank NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for gifting me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly five stars are not enough.
I was immediately drawn into this story from the first page. It was such an interesting concept that was tied into a murder mystery that I could not put this book down.
The pacing of the book was done right and it gave enough time to try to solve this mystery along with the main character.
I was fully invested Signa's growth through this book and once again, the pacing aiding in her self discovery and her search for an identity among high society.
I love a good murder mystery and the gothic setting and supernatural themes did elevate the suspense and a need for me to figure out who the culprit was.this was a murder mystery done right.
Signa and Death's dynamic was another enjoyable aspect-a variation of the enemies to allies to lovers trope is always a plus when I read and I love them. Death's outlook on life,death and the afterlife and his ability to teach Signa of all her possibilities and push her to really find her place really pushed the plot along and aided in her overall character development.
Overall, I loved it. Will definitely be buying a physical copy.

Part murder mystery, part fantasy, Belladonna is the story of Signa Farrow, who sees death but can't die herself. Orphaned as a baby, she had grown up in the care of guardians who have, one by one, passed away. Now she is heading to live with the Hawthornes, distant relatives who are already living under a cloud of death.

This book is an easy read with intriguing characters and gripping twists. I really enjoyed the investigation and was suitably shocked by the ending! I eagerly await the sequel.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book!
An absolutely spellbounding and mysterious tale author Adalyn Grace has woven! The premise for Belladonna is fantastic and the murder mystery really draws the reader into it, I spent the whole time reading with no clue how the story would turn out.
The characters are marvellous and Signa is a fantastic protagonist! Really excited for future releases from this author!

I just cant wait for the book to release (and the sequel too🫣) IT WAS SUCH A ROLLERCOASTER RIDE READING THIS 😭💗

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

Belladonna is a lush gothic infused fantasy made only better by its compelling mystery and beautifully written paranormal romance. I gushed so hard over Signa and Death, they have truly left a mark. The 'Death and the Maiden' trope hit HARD in this one.

Set in the Victorian era, 19 year old orphan Signa Farrow has always been surrounded by death. Not only do all her relatives and guardians seem to drop dead around her, but she can see spirits, and Death himself. Signa is taken in by the Hawthorne family, her only remaining relatives, at Thorn Grove and it's there that she discovers her cousin is suffering from a mysterious illness similar to that of Signa's aunt that died months prior. Signa suspects foul play and enlists the help of a new friend: a stable boy named Sylas, and Death himself, to uncover the mystery.

When I tell you that this book is good, trust me, it's good. The murder mystery at the heart of this book is so gripping, and the author did a great job of presenting clues to the reader to solve alongside Signa. There is a plot twist towards the end of the book that blew me away; I actually gasped as it was revealed because it was so clever I genuinely didn't see it coming. This reveal was a highlight for me and just made me love this book so much more thinking back to particular scenes.

The characters are sublime; Signa is an incredibly interesting MC and I cannot wait for the sequel to see her character blossom even further into her own gifts and abilities. She's written remarkably well, with more layers unravelling as the plot develops, and her journey of self-discovery is beautiful. I loved the dynamic between Sigma and Death, not only does Death aid in her investigation, but he helps her figure out exactly who she is and in turn, accept who she is. The vast majority of side characters play a pivotal role, not one character felt unnecessary.

I absolutely loved the personification of Death. Grace's description of the darkness that emenated from him was enchanting and haunting. I feel like I could vividly imagine how he looked in both his corporeal form, as well as his intangible, ethereal form. I loved that whilst he had a strong moral identity, he also bent the rules slightly to help Signa, all the while ensuring that Signa saw the consequences of her actions.

This book is spectacular, and I feel so incredibly thankful to have been approved for this arc as this is my favourite read of 2022 to date! One I think I'll be eager to reread sooner rather than later. Very much excited for the sequel Foxglove.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers Hodder & Stoughton for accepting my request of the E-ARC of Belladonna.
This is my complete honest review.

Belladonna is on of my most anticipated reads of 2022. And boy it did not let me down! I was drawn in from the first page.
I loved it so much!
Signa should have died as a baby but for some reason Death didn't come for her. The story follows Signa, who is plagued by bad luck and death.
I absolutely adored Signa and Death.
The story was written perfectly, the world building and the characters. I loved everything about it.

I can't wait for this to be released, I hope we get so many special editions especially in the UK because I Need them all.

Alright! I'm giving it 5 stars, because I just loved it that much! You guys! This is like perfection!
This book is everything! It's this perfect combination of everything I like in fantasy books, a darkly gothic fantasy novel, with a crime to solve, a lot of mystery, a heavy touch of paranormal, a lot of gothic elements and a romance to die for (literally) with just a touch of smut (it's very poetic in that specific scene, so not too much of steam, and that's alright, made it perfect for the novel tone).

The book revolves around 17 years old Signa Farrow, a supposedly cursed orphan, that brings everyone who adopts to die one by one. But she is no ordinary girls, she is a gifted girl who stands at the thin line between life and death by chewing the poisonous belladonnas to summon Death, the one she thinks is the culprit to all the death that surrounds her.

But one day Signa connects with Death breaks an important rule without knowing it. It’s after these developments that Signa ends up at her relative’s home, Thorn Grove, a place where she discovers her powers, a love, a crime to solve and a family to save.

I think all the characters are well developed, that is evident in Signa, who grows to understand that not everything is as it seems, that living for the expectations of other is no live at all and that be fearless and defend the ones she loves, she as to accept who she is and her powers.

Also, of course Death was my favorite character, he is the most alluring and charismatic character of the book, I was always expecting him to appear. This totally resemble my feeling towards the Darkling in the Shadow and Bone! BUT, this book gave me what Shadow and Bone was not capable of giving me. The bantering, the tender moments, the steamy moments. Signa and Death are everything, I adore them! They remind me a lot of the dynamic between Hades and Persephone, with this impossible love that teeters between life and death.

Oh and the plot twist! I had a lot of suspicions about the murder, but was not expecting it, not at all! There were some other points that I did find out before they where reveled, but that did not take the fun of the reading experience.

Overall, this book was amazing, and I highly recommend it for anyone that’s a fan of gothic romances that linger between YA and Adult. I’m excited to learn more about Death, about Fate and the next crime mystery in the next book and see what happens.

<i>Thank you kindly to Hodder&Stoughton and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for this honest review.</i>

I have read quite a few books already this year, but Belladonna has very easily become my favourite. The concept of a girl that sees death but cannot die, teaming up with literal death to solve a murder was something I didn't know I needed, but now need in every single material available. Paperback? hardback? limited edition covers? ebooks? I don't care, just take my money.

Signa was a very interesting main character, who was weathered by bad luck, and plagued by death, causing her to be handed around to new family members her whole life, until she is taken in by her rich distant relatives and cousins. Signa never lets the hardships affect her as a person. She has a lot of charm, but still holds herself in a strong manner, and can fight her battles, whether that be with family or death. There is an innocence to her, and at times her words get her into trouble, but there was something quite wholesome about watching her form friendships, and have experiences that she was lacking as a child. As a character, Death is incredibly charming, and often bounces off of Signa and jabs at her to get a rise, but always does it in a comical way, that often irritates her, but makes her smile too. As weird as it is to type, there was great chemistry between Signa and uh... death?
The romance was perfectly balanced with the mystery aspect, and there was no overshadowing. There were small moments between Signa and other character's that were perfectly tense, and helped to introduce the side character's into the story better, and left me caught between who Signa would choose.

The world building and descriptions in the book were incredible, and it was easy to imagine everything on the page, which is one of the main reasons I love reading Adalyn Grace's work. The gothic atmosphere was noticeable immediately, and had everything you could imagine, from secret passages to self portraits scattered around the house, and ghosts haunting the building.

My interest was grabbed from the first line of the prologue, and didn't falter all the way to the cliffhanger, which was perfectly constructed. I am in desperate need of the sequel, and cannot thank the netgalley Gods enough for blessing me with an arc.

This book was so, so good! I loved every minute of it.

Signa Farrow should have died as a baby, poisoned just like her parents. Instead, Death found himself unable to take her, and Signa was left to grow up in the care of a series of guardians who cared more for her wealth than her. All of them met an untimely end, and now everyone believes Signa cursed. Signa believes it too - especially as she can see ghosts, and talk with Death when he draws near.

After the demise of her latest guardian, Signa is invited to Thorn Grove by the family of her deceased aunt, who are deep in mourning for their wife and mother. To make things worse, Blythe, the daughter of the family, is ill from the same mysterious sickness that killed her mother. She looks certain to die until her mother's ghost appears to Signa, claiming she was murdered and someone is now trying to kill Blythe. Signa's determined not to let another relative die and so turns to Death himself for help. Together the two must discover the murderer, before it's too late.

Everything about this book was enjoyable. The descriptions, the atmosphere, the character development, the love interest, the mystery of it all! I read Belladonna quickly and wish I had the sequel in my hands already. I feel like I haven't read a *really* amazing book in a while so this was just what I needed. There was one tiny element I would have like cleared up, but I can't say what without spoilers - and it was so tiny that it doesn't really matter. If you enjoy gothic novels and historical fantasy then you need to read this book!

Belladonna is a beautifully haunting, gothic infused YA fantasy about a girl (Signa) who confronts death—her own deadly powers— to solve a murder in this enthralling tale of magic, mystery and a deadly betrayal.

For as long as Signa Farrow’s has been alive, the people around her have all succumbed to an early grave. Orphaned as a baby, nineteen year old Sign has has a string of guardians, each more interested in her vast inheritance than her well-being—and each has met and untimely death.

Her only remaining relatives are the elusive Hawthornes, an eccentric family who live at the gloomy and imposing Thorn Grove, an estate still steeped in the patriarch’s grief for his late wife—a wife who still haunts its walls and a daughter who suffers a similar ailment.

But when said wife’s spirit appears to Signa claiming she was poisoned, Signa realises the family she depends on could be in grave danger, and enlists the help of a surly stable boy to help hunt down the killer.

It’s hauntingly atmospheric, deliciously gothic and I fell absolutely in love it! That opening chapter was absolutely phenomenal and really sets the tone for the rest of the book—the world building is gorgeously lush, with an ethereal, dream-like quality to some of the outdoorsy (nature filled) scenes that I just really enjoyed. But, there’s also a richer, darker undertone to Thorn Grove itself that was deeply compelling.

Signa, our protagonist is an interesting character—impervious to the poison that left her an orphan, Signa has spent her life isolated and lonely, wishing for a better grander life and with only the spirits and death for company it’s easy to empathise. Her time at Thorn Grove sees her flourish and evolve, tracking down the cause for the mysterious illness plaguing her family and learning the wield the death-like powers she has been gifted with.

Her evolving relationship with death was also exquisitely crafted, and gave us the most delicious Hades and Persephone vibes. Death is an incredible character too, he’s nothing but a shadowy hooded figure during all of his intersctions with Signa but his dark Byronic charm and acerbic wit was fabulously entertaining. He and Signa definitely have chemistry and the love triangle dynamics that entangle them both was absolutely swoon-worthy.

Honestly, I loved everything about this marvellously moody, gothic romance with its hauntingly lush atmosphere, lyrical prose and plot twists to die for!

The ending does end on a bit of a cliffhanger which sets up the sequel Foxglove but, I guarantee you’ll be utterly satisfied with this absolute masterpiece of a book so get preordering now.

Also, thanks to Hodder&Stoughton and Netgalley for the e-arc.

4.5****

A girl who cannot die but can see death: Signa Farrow has been sent from one guardian to the next since her mothers death. All of these guardians have mysteriously died one way or another, she believes she is a curse, and for a girl who can see Death, it’s needless to say that she hates him.

When a letter comes from Thorn Grove from a distant Uncle inviting her there, her hopes at a new place and new start are enticing. However, all is not as it seems at thorn grove with poisonings, family secrets, and her own entanglement between Death and an annoying stable boy.

Love love loved this prologue, it got me intrigued in the story straight away. Signa was a character who was unfortunate in some of her circumstances and seemed to be plagued by Death everywhere she went, despite her desire of wanting to be a proper young lady: with debuts and society. I enjoyed Signa as a character and loved her curiosity (although this aspect of her personality was hinted on too much at the beginning of the book; “I was curious” was repeated). I really enjoyed her sarcasm and wit with two of the male characters, and loved the bickering and banter she had with them (my favourite type of “romance” type: an enemies to lovers).

I loved Death as a personification (and this made me think of The Book Thief). The authors descriptions of death as a person, shadows and darkness had me utterly enchanted. The author also did fantastically at drawing me into the gothic descriptions of Thorn Grove Manor and it’s grounds- reminding me of Manderley or Jane Eyre. It was utterly enticing.

The issues I had with this book was that some things I had guessed which became apparent at the end (although still largely enjoyable!). In addition, this works so well as a standalone despite the epilogue being a build up to book 2; I really think this book would’ve worked well without that included as I’m hoping this just doesn’t ‘drag out’.

Overall, this had mystery and darkness, with a romance I really enjoyed. The descriptions were enchanting and kept my imagination going.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this E-Arc copy.

A deliciously deadly Gothic romance. I was engrossed from start to finish; such a well-crafted, thrilling and moving story surely marks this author as an author to watch. I can't wait for more!