This was just the gothic fantasy I needed this spooky season!

Gothic, fantasy, romance with a sprinkle of murder mystery - Belladonna has it all!

There were lots and twists and turns, some I guessed and some that had me completely blindsided.

I loved the bond between Signa and Death and Death’s mannerisms (drinking from a teacup made of shadows at a tea party) really had me chuckling!

There were a few parts that fell a little flat for me, but overall this was such a fun book and the ending really had me shook!

Thank you to the publisher Hodder & Stoughton and to NetGalley for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

"Belladonna" tells the story of Signa Farrow, the only survivor of a mass murder that killed her parents, who can take belladonna poison and not die. She is followed by Death as she goes from relative to relative, all of whom end up dead in tragic circumstances. Signa is convinced that Death is trying to ruin her life, so when she is offered the chance to live at Thorn Grove with distant relatives, she jumps at the chance to escape her abusive aunt. However her arrival to the Hawthorne family comes at the worse time- her aunt Lilian is dead from a mystery disease and one of her cousins, Blythe, is dying of the same thing. Signa soon becomes haunted by her aunt's ghost, who implies she was poisoned. Signa has to team up with Death himself, the being that has made her life hell, to solve the mystery before Blythe can be taken from the Hawthornes for good. Over time, Signa learns that there is more to her relationship with Death, one that can define her future.

I absolutely adored Adalyn Grace's "Belladonna" from the very first page and couldn't get enough of the gothic and mysterious atmosphere that ran throughout. Signa's relationship with Death is gorgeously written, especially as she realises how much she's come to depend on him over time. Each of the characters was significant, whether it be her uncle Elijah or her cousins Percy and Blythe. I loved the stable hand Sylas and his attempts to help Signa to save her family, especially with the twist that comes at the end. Signa is an excellent main character, you can't help but root for her as she comes to realise that being a "lady" isn't always what's best for her. Her embrace of the darkness was my favourite part of the book and I can't wait to see what might happen in the sequel "Foxglove" because of the huge cliff-hanger in the epilogue.

This was an enjoyable read with an interesting main character, haunting atmosphere, gothic vibes and a mystery I loved seeing unravel. Reading the scenes with Signa and Death were easily my favourite because of their banter and chemistry. The twists within the mystery plot line were done very well and I’m looking forward to the sequel.

sorry but i just can't move past the fact that death (signa's li) who's like millennia old knew her since she was just a baby

How do I even begin to explain how much I enjoyed this novel? Because I did, immensely. I found Belladonna absolutely captivating - from the basics of the story to the loveable protagonist Signa coupled with the intriguing mystery she finds herself wishing to solve and the journey of discovery she embarks on. Plus she can see ghosts and talk to Death who she has insane chemistry with - an unlikely love story? for sure but it's so enjoyable to see this develop on the page. I can't wait to read the next instalment to see where Adalyn Grace takes us next!

I enjoyed this book, however I found it a bit too YA - but if you’re looking for an easy, quick read, this will be one to get you out of a reading slump!

This book is absolutely everything i wanted it to be and more. It's Ya but with adult themes and all I can say about this book is it's BEAUTIFUL. it's beautifully written, the darker themes are touched upon perfectly and it's everything you'd want from a gothic Ya fantasy. However, you can totally enjoy it even if you're not in that age group! it's in my top 5 of the year. The characters are so realistically, and complicated and flawed. It's about embracing who you are and not what people expect and I just LOVE IT. Please go and read it.

*no spoilers*

The other book I finally finished after all this time was one of my most expected books of the year: Belladonna. I have to tell you that this book had all I could love in a story. The gothic vibes, the murder mystery, the romance with Death, everything hit the mark for me. And that cover? That cover is gorgeous. And I loved the previous books from the author. So, I was truly enthusiastic about this and so ready to give it all the stars.

As gothic romantic novel, the vibe is totally there. The exquisite balls, the beautiful dresses, the big haunted manor, the strange family, the society’s etiquette and gossip, all of it hit the point. But, unfortunately, I had problems with the plot, specially how the mystery and the romance were executed. And that made me lose the interest through the story.

The second half of the book gets better, I have to tell you but, I already was a bit annoyed by some choices the author had made and that didn’t improve my mood. In fact, it made me sadder, because I lose so much time in the first half with non important things when she could have explored all of it so much better. At this point, I didn’t get a connection with the characters so when things really happen, I didn’t care much and that disappointed me a lot.

So I really wanted to love this book but it didn’t work for me. We will follow separate ways and I will read other books that I love and other readers will read it and love it. That is the beauty of books 💜

*Thanks to NetGalley UK for providing me an arc of this book in exchange of an honest review

⭐️⭐️,5

I realise it's been a month since I read this book and I have no idea how it's end. Like the story didn't stick with me.

The thing I remember the gohic atmosphere that I really enjoy, it's victorian with death in person and a lot of creepy element that I like.

Signa the main character is a strong young lady. She lost her parents her grandma and since then everyone want her money, she is not a well treat teens but she didn't become this angry person, she just want to have a nice live.

For the plot I like the pace but globally I don't remember anything specific toward the end, I remember the romance and some twist. It was globaly a nice reading but not the most memorable.

Yeah. I loved this.

Why? Well....

- A book that has a killer beginning. All I'll say is it starts with how Signa, our MC, is orphaned.
- Honestly this felt like if The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett), Gallant (VE Schwab) and Daughter of Darkness (Katharine & Elizabeth Corr) had somehow had their very own book baby. Considering the latter are both two other five star reads of mine this year, you'll understand my rating. If you've read all 3 I'll be curious to know if anyone agrees with me!
- The pacing of this was perfection. I felt like I was constantly on the edge of my seat reading this. Bravo to Adalyn Grace for constantly keeping me guessing throughout.
- Usually, I mark a rating down if I guess something that the author is trying to withhold from their readership, but honestly, the fact that I thought I had sussed something actually enhanced the reading experience this time - who knew!?
- That ending! I absolutely need Foxglove right away. I have answers but I also have so many questions that desperately need to be answered. My main one being, 'Do I fancy Death a little bit?'

Five stars. I want to reread already but I'm off to dive back into my already massive TBR pile.

Solid five stars for Belladonna...

I really love everything of this book, especially the concept of the unusual romance. The gothic vibes is perfect and the writing style is bold but beautiful...
Can't wait for the next sequel

This was such a fun, enjoyable read!
It was much darker than I anticipated but I simply coulidn't put it down. I can't wait for the sequel.

Really disappointed with this one. I wanted more murder mystery, and less 19 year old girl bonding with a timeless being that's literally been watching over her since she was a baby. The whole relationship with Death is very odd - he twists and manipulates Signa to his way of thinking, shifting her focus from the image and dream she's had of high society all her life, to instead make him the focus. I don't like any of it. It's creepy and I'm not a fan of grooming being romanticized.

Aside from the romance, the book is very repetitive, making it longer than it needs to be. I found the twists predictable and guessed the murderer early on. The reveal and explanation didn't make much sense and left me disappointed. The ending fell flat. I won't be reading the next installment.

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

This was everything I expected to love and more!! It was oozing in atmosphere, characters that breathed life into the pages, and super detailed settings. I’d heard such amazing things about this book, so I was thrilled that I loved it too.

The writing was beyond gorgeous, and the style and tone aligned with the vibe of the book. I love gothic fiction, but I’ve only just delved into it more. This was definitely a worthy book to add to the genre, and I can’t wait for the second book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for a chance to read and review this book!

Just wow! I have nothing much to say about this book a part that it was completely gorgeous from the idea behind the plot to its characters. Can’t wait to read more from this author!

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" abilities 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.

**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

An addictive read that is beautiful blend of fantasy and mystery, Belladonna will enthral you from the opening pages.

The story follows Signa Farrow a girl who has been surrounded by death ever since she was born both in how the various guardians she has been taken in by have met untimely ends and in how she is able to see and communicate with Death (and ghosts) yet elude it herself.
Signa soon finds herself arriving at Thorn Grove to be in the care of the Hawthorne family, her last remaining relatives who are mourning the death of their matriarch who died of a mysterious illness which the daughter of the house, Blythe is suffering from too. However, when she crosses paths with the ghost of the matriarch who pleads her to get to the bottom of how she really died as the rest of the family could be in danger, Signa finds herself teaming up with Death to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Grace’s writing perfectly captures all the paranormal and gothic vibes that surround this page turning mystery and I honestly couldn’t put the book down. Not only was this an entertaining twisty tale but at its at heart it is a story about a girl finding confidence in herself and a place to finally belong.

Though I did find her musings a little repetitive at times, Signa’s characterisation and journey throughout was wonderfully done and I really loved the bonds she formed with other the characters from the members of the Hawthorne family, to Sylas the prickly stable hand she befriended to Death. The secrecy surrounding everyone played nicely into the mystery and really keeps you on your toes but it was also just so heart-warming to see Signa finding people who actually seemed to care for her.
The dynamic she had with Death was definitely the stand out though. They had great chemistry and banter and I just loved seeing their connection strengthen and grow.

Though I was able to guess some of the reveals, how the plot unravelled was so satisfying and the ending has me super excited for what is to come in book two!
Final Rating – 4.25/5 Stars

I have to admit I struggled to really get into Belladonna at first but I pushed through after hearing some great things and I ended up really enjoying the book! I've given it 4 stars on finishing ✨️.

Belladonna follows Signa who, as a young child discovers she can call death to her side. Thus starts their bond which grows over the years. When Signa moves across the country to live with her uncle and cousins, she becomes wrapped up in the mystery of her aunts death and must work to resolve it to prevent another murder.

I grew to love the relationship between Signa and Death as I turned the pages and even though I took a while to invest, it was totally worth it and I very much will be reading this book again. The writing style felt like a comfort read the further I went through it and the story itself has so many hidden depths. It's a very well paced fantasy which makes you question your morals a little bit.

I'll be very excited to read book two following that ending! I thought I had gone past the twists but no, they were there right up to the last page!

I was drawn into Belladonna with its stunning prose and mysterious lead characters. Unfortunately I decided that this book wasn't a great fit for me genre-wise and so I did eventually DNF it. But this was purely personal. Everything that I'd read up to that point had been magical and well-written, it simply wasn't a book for me. As such, I've given it 4 stars to reflect the quality of what I did read.

Firstly thank you Net Galley for an arc of this book.
I was really intrigued reading the synopsis of this book and it didn’t disappoint.
Signa Farrow is a young lady who is very acquainted with Death in her short life. An orphan she has moved homes many times through many family members who care not much for her but only of the stipend attached with her guardianship. However each one eventually dies and Signa becomes aware of Death himself everytime he arrives to take their life. But Death knows that Signa is special and has nothing to fear from him. When Signa moves again to live with an unknown uncle and his family she finds herself in the middle of a mystery. Her new family have secrets and she wants to find out what they are. But Signa has secrets of her own and as she explores her powers and her connection with Death she comes to see him as an ally and maybe more.
This book is set in the 1900’s when there are more rules to being a lady and being part of society. Signa starts this book thinking that this is what she wants in life. Through her relationships with the other characters in this book she is able to learn more about herself and what she wants. Her relationship with Death is complicated and they develop a friendship and learn more about what he represents. The author explains this quite beautifully at times and makes you think more about the end of life. While the Belladonna story is completed in this book. Signa and Death’s story hasn’t and you are left with an insight into another mystery. I look forward to book 2 and learning more about these characters and the newly added Fate.