I really enjoyed this book. I hope the author continues to write more books in the future. I can't wait to see what the author releases in the future.

A fantastically written supernatural, historical murder mystery centering a young woman, who is immortal for reasons beyond her understanding, as she tries to solve a family member’s murder while a new murder is in progress.

Fast-paced, deeply compelling, magical, and all with a fascinating romance running through it.

Signa is a great and immensely entertaining narrator as she navigates a family curse and a unique relationship with Death incarnate.

I do, however, wish she had been aged up a few years to be, at the very least, a 20-something as she enters this romantic subplot with Death. It’s just a personal pet peeve of mine to see the millionth instance of teen falling in love with centuries old being even if she is a legal adult. I feel like the story could’ve progressed the same if she were 21 and it would’ve all felt a bit more comfortable, in my opinion.

The actual relationship, though, was captivating. I cannot lie.

Signa’s chemistry with people and the 3-dimensional feel to her drew me in from the moment the story started.

And we’ve gotten the perfect setup for a series. I need million books of Signa solving murders alongside Death!!

BUY THIS BOOK! I am completely obsessed with this story! The writing is beautiful and smooth and atmospheric. The storyline of a romance with death is so fun and clever - absolute perfection. The protagonist was a strong female without being cliché. And it ended on the most enticing cliffhanger. I am counting down the days until the next installment comes out so I can lose myself in one as well!!!

Signa has spent her life being passed around from extended family to extended family, never receiving any love or kindness, people just waiting to get their hands on her inheritance when she comes of age. But unfortunately all her caretakers keep mysteriously dying around her. Signa has a secret- she can't die, and she can see Death and all the spirits of those who refuse to move on. When her most recent caregiver has a life or death situation in their household, Signa refuses to let one more person be taken by Death.

If I had to describe Belladonna in one sentence it would be Paranormal forbidden romance meets murder mystery. Which by the way I love both those genres, but together it is even better

This totally had a Persephone/Hades story vibe to it and I am 100% here for all of that. Full disclosure, I loved Death in this story, I rooted for him in every way and I am so biased I forgive his flaws with my rose colored glasses on.

Side note, this is YA just like SJM is YA, meaning steamy adult content contained inside, maybe only recommend to older teens and all the YA loving adults out there.

I cannot spend much time on this review for I need to get a physical copy now. This story is perfection between a gorgeous cover and I feel the need to place it on my shelf. And as much as the story was ending and I thought a sequel was not needed, I was drawn back in and decided I was thankfully mistaken.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Signa was orphaned as a baby and raised by various guardians, each of them more interested in her wealth, until everyone died. Her other relatives, the only alive, are the Hawthornes, who live at Thorn Grove, a gloomy and fascinating estate where the patriarch mourns his late wife with parties and his son grapples with the family's reputation and the daughter is ill. But when the mother's spirit appears, claiming she was poisoned, Signa finds herself involved into this mess and the family could be in danger, so she asks a stable boy for help to hunt down the killer. But Signa is a peculiar character. She has a shadow who never strays far from her: Death and even though it made her life an hell, Death could actually help her, this time. In a connection even more powerful.

Adalyn Grace has written a brilliant, fascinating and compelling story, with complex and layered characters, gloomy atmosphere and places and mysteries. The relationships between characters, but mostly between Signa and Death are skillfully written and so good to read. The story is filled with twists, surprises and it's a perfect gloomy read. A gothic world, with romance, desire, death, wealth, poison and so much more it's impossible to escape from.
Totally recommended it.

Ok...that romance is everything I'm living for right now. I am EAGERLY waiting for the sequel and the book JUST came out. This is the perfect gothic-YA-romance-magic and mystery that is PERFECT for getting into spooky season.

I have struggled to write this review. There are things about this book that were great, but there is one big thing that just grossed me out and I just couldn't get past it. The love interest, Death, is like a VERY much older man who watches this young girl and the whole thing just felt gross? If you can get past that its a good book, an interesting premise and well written but that just bugged me.

Life got in the way of having this read & reviewed on time, but here it is, finally!

This book was amazing! The writing was so atmospheric, full of gothic vibes and seasonal chill. The murder mystery? Perfection! I almost always figure things out well before the reveals happen, but this book kept me guessing! Some of my guesses turned out correct, but not all, and it kept me on my toes so much that I was never once super confident that I had things figured out correctly. It has been a long while since I experienced that from a book so this one just made my day! The momentum of the storyline had few lulls, keeping a fast pace as the stakes for higher and Death more a constant presence.

The characters were equally as well done; fleshed out and suffering from each other, humanized with wants and motives so you never knew who was actually trustworthy.

Initially I did struggle a bit to connect with Signa, but as things progressed I grew to love her boldness, determination, and spunk. Her own struggles were so relatable in her desires to find her place in the world and finally have people to love and to be loved. And I adored her fierce attachment to her cousin Blythe.

This review wouldn't be complete without mention of Death himself. Any time a book makes Death into a character it promises to be a fascinating read, offering such a curious perspective on the goings on in the story. And in this one he's no silent observer, or just a narrator, but has a very physical presence in the plot. And I absolutely loved it!

*received this book in exchange for my honest review*

Reminded me a lot of the secret garden. It is a story of secrets and Death. I loved how Death was a main character in the story. There are a few plot twists that I saw coming, however the author's writing is so poignant and interesting that it keeps you on your toes.

There is a very eery tone to the whole story so it is a great book to read during the spooky season.

Orphaned as a baby, now at 19 Signa Farrow has been raised by a string of guardians, each more interested in her wealth than her well-being, and each has met an untimely end. Her last remaining relatives are the Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at the glittering and gloomy estate of Thorn Grove. The patriarch of Thorn Grove, Elijah, still mourns his late wife, Lillian, through wild parties and drink, while eldest son Percy grapples for control of the family's waning reputation and daughter Blythe suffers from the same mysterious illness that killed her mother. Then Lillian's spirit confronts Signa claiming she was poisoned and that Blythe is next to die. Signa's best chance of uncovering the culprit and solving Lillian's murder is Death himself—the very many she hates most. The fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side, shows her that their connection may be more powerful than she ever dared imagine.

Delicious. Luscious. And absolutely deadly. I loved this book! The characters, the story, the cover all brought me in. I'm also quite obsessed with the idea of poisoning and poison by flowers/plants (probably not something I should mention on the interwebs but oh well). This definitely gave me vibes of Jane Eyre, but much more defiant to society.

The relationship between Signa and Death was complicated and lovely to see develop. At the beginning, Signa hates Death because all her relatives meet an untimely end and people gossip that she's cursed. But there's a lot more depth to that then meets the eye. Death is not the kind of person that we see in The Book Thief's Death narrator, but neither is Death an evil or bad guy in this novel. He's someone who doesn't have anyone and has lived forever, so while he is rude and sarcastic, he also cares about the people who die. Of course, the person he cares for the most is Signa because she's the first person who Death has been able to talk to and interact with.

One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Signa is having tea with girls her age (this is not a big spoiler to any major points in the plot). While her relatives raised Signa, a lot of them never cared if she was taken care of physically, so when she arrives at Thorn Grove, she's pretty malnourished (practically starved). At tea, she eats a scone, then another one, when she's about to have a third, one of the girls pulls the plate away from her. Death is furious; he speaks to her (in her mind) saying "if you're hungry, eat the scone." When the girls leave, he actually throws the scone at Signa and is pissed that she acted so demure and sickeningly stifled. Because he doesn't have the social etiquette of others, he doesn't see any faux pas in eating two or three scones. In his mind, if you're hungry, you eat. The thread of Victorian ideals, manners, and etiquette was spread throughout the book, as what Signa wants more than anything is to debut and be married. That's what she has accepted to be a part of society. But throughout Signa's time at Thorn Grove she actually starts thinking of all these rules that are laid down and how impractical and disingenuous they all are. Victorian and Gothic books are definitely my jam but I love when characters confront society's expectations like Signa eventually does.

The idea of this girl who Death follows around and doesn't die is definitely one of the main reasons I wanted to read this book. I was intrigued and wasn't disappointed with how Signa's story developed and how she grew. The other characters where just as fascinating as Signa. Her family members went through a horrible death of their wife and mother and are trying to adjust. It was great to see a Victorian male character actually have emotions and depression after his wife's death. This whole idea that men shouldn't show emotions is still a problem today, and while heartbreaking to see Elijah move through his grief, it was wonderful to see at the same time. Percy and Blythe were just as fascinating as Elijah, with Percy's want to take on the responsibilities of his title but being unable and Blythe's dry humor helping her through this period of illness.

That ending though was just ugh!! Chef's kiss but I'm also super pissed and needing the next book now! This is actually the first arc I've read where I pre-ordered the book as soon as I finished it.

Historical romance meets Clue in a murder mystery that will wisk you away to an old manor full of dysfunctional family relationships, romance, and a dealings with death!

Adalyn has gifted us with atmospheric tale that will take you through the macabre of death but also tantalize you with moments that will make you swoon and realize that things aren’t always as they appear to be.

These was just plain fun. I love being wrapped up in a mystery…a possible love triangle and I couldn’t figure out who the culprit was until the final reveal. I loved the portrayal of death who added the magical element to this story and how Signa takes control of her destiny and decides who she wants to be and who she could become.

This is going to be the New Adult Fantasy book of fall. If you like balls, gothic imagery and dances with tall dark and handsomes….this book is for you!

*low in language, one more openish door scene but not explicit.

Belladonna is a fantastic new light fantasy, murder mystery YA and overall I really enjoyed it! Our main character, Signa, has a unique ability where she can see and interact with Death when certain requirements are met for him to appear. Signa finds herself passed between family members and lands in the middle of a murder mystery when she finds her cousin being poisoned and on the brink of death shortly after Signa's Aunt died at her new living arrangement.

Adalyn Grace is particularly skilled at world building and creating fun and sassy main characters. Belladonna does not disappoint in those aspects! I am admittedly not a good "figure-outer" in books, but I had no idea what the ending reveals were and thought everything came together quite nicely in the end. The book sets up nicely for the sequel, Foxglove, and I will definitely be interested in continuing on the story when it's time! Her cousin, Blythe, is one of my favorite characters in Belladonna. Even for being a position of knocking on Death's door, she was feisty and provided a great grounding point for Signa within the family set-up.

I found the middle of the story to drag a little bit, which is why I knocked a star from it. I was in a bit of a reading slump during this book (not because of this book) so I struggled to find the drive to pick it (or any book) back up during the middle of the story, but it quickly hooked me back in towards the end. I'd even consider giving this a 4.5 rating if I was able to.

Death has followed Signa wherever she goes – orphaned when an infant, she has gone through a series of guardians, each of whom has ended up dead. But just as she’s given up hope of ever finding a true home, she receives notice that the Hawthornes of Thorn Grove are willing to take her in. Upon arriving, Signa realizes that not all is as it seems. Thorn Grove is haunted by unsettled spirits, and Death is yet again attempting to claim her family. Can Signa learn why Death follows her and do anything to stop his claim on her family?

This was a good read overall. I enjoyed how atmospheric and gothic the setting of the work was – it’s hard not to enjoy a spooky Victorian manor. There were a few parts that had some extra gory descriptions, but they added to the story and made those parts even more spooky. The work starts off pretty slow, and it wasn’t until the last ten percent or so of the book that I found myself really becoming invested in the characters and their stories.

The characters were solid overall. Signa and the secondary characters seemed well developed, and Signa did have some good growth during the work. I would have liked some more information included about her powers and why she had them, there was a bit of a blank spot related to all of that. I enjoyed the interactions between Signa and Death – I liked their bickering and banter and felt that it made them more interesting as characters. However, I felt that the romance was a little weird and just wasn’t feeling any real romantic chemistry there.

On a more technical note, this work did contain several errors. These included missing punctuation, missing words, and incorrect word usage. I was disappointed by the number of errors I noticed.

I feel bad about this, but this work just didn’t wow me in any way and I’m having a hard time figuring out why I was underwhelmed. I did enjoy it and I do still recommend it to fans of gothic fantasy and paranormal murder mysteries. My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown for Young Readers for allowing me to read and review this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

"Because I have waited an eternity to meet you, Signa Farrow." The words were a balm she clung to, relished. "To me, you are a song to a soul that has never known music. Light to someone who has only seen the darkness. You bring out the absolute worst in me, and I become vindictive toward those who treat you in ways I don't care for. Yet you also bring out the best in me--I want to be better because of you. Better for you."

Honestly prepare for this book to become my whole personality!!! It's a new all time fave of mine.

I was so enchanted this whole book. Signa can see Death, and when she arrives at Thorn Grove with her last living distant relatives, she is determined to make sure that none in her new family will succumb to him this time. The Hawthrones are a family shattered as Lillian, the matriarch, suffered a mysterious illness and died - and now her ghost is demanding that Signa find the truth of what really happened to her. This book took so many twists and turns I did not see where it was going! This was one where I was truly blindsided by the plot twist.

Signa herself goes through a really beautiful journey. Shuffled from relative to relative as a child after the death of her parents, all she wants is to claim her place in society and fit in with the crowd. But as the novel unfolds, she discovers how constraining the rules of society can be, and how hard it is to try and fit in a society that has extreme demands on women to be perfect. I loved to see how she grappled with her desire to be accepted and her desire to find out the extent of her powers.

The writing!!! was phenomenal! One of my favorite aspects of this book was the prose - there were some really beautiful lines that lended themselves wonderfully to set the Gothic tone. At the same time, the writing wasn't so flowery as to be bogged down. I think it was the perfect example of YA writing - flowery when needed to be, but otherwise accessible and addicting. I really feel like Adalyn Grace's writing shone in the romantic scenes. I loved this romance so, so much and it was truly the perfect Gothic romance. There is so much yearning and intrigue between these characters!! I honestly teared up at some points with the beautiful words they exchanged. The ending of this book also set up the next book perfectly, and I will be reading it the second I get my hands on it!!!!!

well, I really did not expect to like this romance story. I guess the bad evil guy is my trope. What a fun way to tell the story of Death.

Signa cannot die, and is followed by death through out her life, She wants to die, or kill Death himself, Until finally she understands, that there might be something else in store for her. She is given a chance and help to save one of her last remaining family members, and create something good for herself,

I loved this Gothic, atmospheric tale. Especially the enemies to lovers, and the unexpected ending.

Cannot wait for more from this author.

Thanks to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

CWs: poisoning, death, murder, fire

4.5 stars

This was such a good read. I got completely enthralled in the mystery and the story, and I absolutely flew through most of the book. It did take me about 30% to get really, really captured by the story, but it was more me just not wanting to read anything than the book.
The narration flows really well, and even though it’s third person, we still get access to most of Signa’s thoughts and feelings. I liked seeing her conflicted feelings over her strange powers and her changing relationship and feelings towards Death.
Signa was a fantastic character. Isolated most of her life because her guardians keep dying, Signa wants to debut and secure her place in society. However, when she is taken in by the Hawthornes, she’s pulled into a mystery and begins to learn that society might not be what she desires. Watching Signa solve the mystery was entertaining, but it was her relationships with Death, Sylas, Blythe, and Percy that kept me really intrigued. I think the characters were well written and really added to the story. Death was especially interesting, and I loved reading about him.
I really enjoyed this historical murder mystery. It was gothic, romantic, and exciting. I already can’t wait for the next book!

I really enjoyed this one. I was surprised by the reveals in the end, but I was hoping for a bit more romance.

Had to DNF. Could not get into the story with the MC. The writing is great, just the MC was lacking something for me. Especially with the relationship with death, I just could not get into the romance aspect of the story. While I also do enjoy YA, I also felt the MC could have been written a bit more mature IMO. This is a good story for readers that really enjoy YA writing, and dark romance.

Adalyn Grace never fails to amaze me with her ability to take dark gothic stories and bring them to life. I’m usually not a fan of gothic novels as they tend to bore me, but Belladonna had a healthy blend of atmospheric/haunting scenes mixed with thrilling plot arcs and twists.

If I’m being completely honest, I’m not sure how I feel about this being marketed as a YA fantasy romance. If I were to label it, I would call it a new adult paranormal mystery. The story follows a 19-year-old girl named Signa who has a mysterious connection to Death (as in, the Grim Reaper, capital D Death). When she’s placed in the care of a new home, she discovers that the manor is haunted. Not only that, but the spirit of the recently-deceased matron of the estate claims that her death wasn’t an accident—she was murdered.

As you might be able to tell from the blurb and my summary paragraph, the main plot arc deals with Signa trying solve a whodunnit murder mystery with the help of a few allies, including Death himself. There is a romance arc intertwined with this mystery, but I thought of that as more of a featured element rather than a defining genre. The reason I’d say this a new adult rather than a young adult novel is because Signa is 19 and there is even a semi-descriptive sex scene included in the book.

The plot of Belladonna is both original and addicting. From the very first page I was drawn into the story, which is a testament to Adalyn Grace’s immense writing ability. The characters are well-written with intensive character backgrounds and personalities, and the end of the book was the perfect setup for the series to continue.

Overall, I would definitely recommend Belladonna to fans of dark murder mysteries and I would, in general, recommend any of Adalyn Grace’s books to anyone interested in reading them.