I've had one hit and one miss from Adalyn Grace, so I didn't know what to expect from Belladonna. But I loved the premise and wanted to give it a shot. I'm really glad I did, because I did enjoy this book. It's totally different from her other series - this is much more gothic mystery with a healthy dash of supernatural. The characters were engaging and I liked most of them. I don't totally understand the rules of the *world* but I may have missed it. I will say the middle third was fairly slow, but it really picked up around 60%. I'm interested to see where this goes next, as it was definitely hinted there would be another book.

Happy Monday y'all! Today is a great beginning to the week for me because I'm on vacation at the beach! We're here for my best friend's birthday beach week and it's going great so far! We've had so much fun hanging out in the sand, eating, and just chilling- and of course, I've been reading. One of the books I've read so far on this trip is Belladonna, which is great because today's my stop on the Belladonna tour with TBR and Beyond Tours!
Belladonna 4/5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads:
New York Times bestselling author Adalyn Grace brings to life a highly romantic, Gothic-infused world of wealth, desire, and betrayal.
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—and each has met an untimely end. Her remaining relatives are the elusive Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at Thorn Grove, an estate both glittering and gloomy. Its patriarch mourns his late wife through wild parties, while his son grapples for control of the family’s waning reputation and his daughter suffers from a mysterious illness. But when their mother’s restless spirit appears claiming she was poisoned, Signa realizes that the family she depends on could be in grave danger and enlists the help of a surly stable boy to hunt down the killer.
However, Signa’s best chance of uncovering the murderer is an alliance with Death himself, a fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side. Though he’s made her life a living hell, Death shows Signa that their growing connection may be more powerful—and more irresistible—than she ever dared imagine.
Belladonna was such a great book! It took me a little while to get into it, but that's because Adalyn Grace had a very intense scene to set for this book. Once I was into it, it was so fun and there were so many great things to figure out and so many characters to understand (in a good way, not a bad way). I never expected the person who ended up doing it to have actually ended up being the person to have done it, so that was great! There were other little twists that I did expect, but they were smaller twists and I think they were pretty easy to figure out (also not a bad thing). Here are 5 reasons you should read Belladonna once it comes out tomorrow:
1. The Cover: I love the way the cover looks! It's so beautiful and compelling and it was for sure the first thing that drew me in when it came to this book
2. The personification of Death: I love books where Death is a real person and someone can see him or interact with him and I loved how much of a part of Signa's life he was
3. The fact that Signa can't die: I really enjoyed how many times Signa would try and kill herself just to try and get in contact with Death and how many terrible misfortunes she endured before Death told her what she was
4. Thorne Grove: I thought the house at Thorne Grove sounded magnificent and I loved that it signified the start of a new family for Signa. After everything she had been through in life, a new family is definitely what she needed
5. That ending: I really, really liked the way that Adalyn Grace ended this book! It was the perfect wrap up to this story, with an epilogue that pulls readers right into book two (whenever that comes out) and I cannot wait for book two!
Make sure y'all go out and grab Belladonna when it comes out tomorrow, August 30!

Signa Farrow is a 17 years old orphan who was bounced from relative to relative since she was a baby. Every one of her guardians died sooner or later, and sometimes in a very mysterious and sudden manner, leading people to believe that Signa might be cursed. After the death of her awful aunt, Signa is sent to live with yet another distant relative, probably the last one she has, for the few months left until she turns 18 and can finally access her inheritance. Signa quickly realizes that Thorn Grove is not a normal place: spirits haunt the place, Signa believes the late mistress of the house, Lillian, was poisoned, and Signa’s cousin is slowly dying from the same ailment. Signa needs to figure out who is trying to kill her cousin Blythe and stop them before it’s too late.

The atmosphere and descriptions are well detailed and we can feel the more gothic vibe of the book. It was my first book by this author, and I really enjoyed her writing and the way she gave life to Thorn Grove and made it a creepy-yet-interesting place, with just enough details to make it easy to visualize the setting, but not too much so it becomes full of heavy and long descriptions.

Over the years, Signa has come to realize that she is far from normal. She cannot die, and she can see and interact with spirits. Even weirder, she can see Death, talk to him, and even seems to share some of his powers. It was interesting to see Signa slowly accept the fact that she shared similarities with Death, especially after spending so long hating him because she sees him as responsible for the death of her guardians and the fact that she's never known a steady and loving home, but I do wish that we’d spend a little more time on her trying to control those mysterious powers. I mean, if I had those abilities and I was trying to solve a murder, I would want to control them as soon as possible because they would be a huge advantage for sure!

When she arrives at Thorn Groves and meets the Hawthorne family, Signa quickly realizes that things are not as they should be. Elijah, the patriarch is trying to drown his grief in wild parties but spends his nights roaming the manor because he believes that his wife’s ghost is still there. He ignores his son and even seems to be trying to undermine him. Percy, Signa’s cousin, is desperate to get his father’s attention and is trying to keep the family functioning while Elijah doesn’t seem to even care about the family business anymore, and finally, young Blythe is bed-ridden because she is ill, with exactly the same symptoms her dead mother had a few weeks before she died. It doesn’t help that more than one spirits are tied to Thorn Grove and Signa is not sure yet if they want to help her solve the mystery of Lillian’s death or not. Add to that Elijah's shady brother who might have a motive to want to hurt him, and some suspicious members of the household, and you've got yourself a whole lot of people with a whole lot of secrets.

Talking about secrets and solving mysteries… I am not that impressed with Signa’s investigative work honestly. She does find clues and relevant information, but half of the important twists and facts were just dropped in her lap for her to find. The author did a great job with the identity of the killer(s) though because I was really suspicious of everyone at one point, and I couldn’t figure out if it was one killer or more, and who it could be since so many people seemed to have motives, but on the other hand, there are some revelations that I did see coming.

Thanks to her being moved around a lot, Signa never had a “regular” upbringing, and it shows when she arrives at Thorn Grove because she has no idea how to navigate high society events. I love a good historical fiction every once in a while, and I love the ball and high society vibe, but I honestly struggled to really get involved in Signa’s challenges with society when there was a murder investigation going on. I couldn’t care less about her tea parties with the town’s gossip when it was clear they had nothing to do with the poisoning and murder, and only served to add some high society drama to the story. I just wanted the scene to be over so we could go back to trying to figure out who the killer was, so I wish those characters Signa interacted with as part of her "young lady socializing efforts" would have been a little more suspicious, or would have had something interesting to add to the investigation instead of just being there to gossip and be cliché superficial mean girls.

Death is a charismatic, mysterious, and alluring character that gave me Luc (from Addie Larue) vibes at times. I was not sure at first if and how a relationship between Signa and him would be possible, but the author did a good job with Death as an entity. My tiny complaint has more to do with his relationship with Signa. She starts off hating him and wanting to get rid of him, and she ends up having sweet feelings for him, but the progression of those feelings felt underdeveloped and weak at times. I did see the evolution, but it was very shallow and basic in an “oh he’s not actually as bad as I thought and he’s mysterious and charismatic and I'm lonely so I feel attracted to him now” way.

I will say though, that the way the author did an amazing job at writing two lonely characters finding solace and happiness in each other’s company, so the romance is really not bad, it’s just the evolution of the feelings that were not exactly to my taste, but overall I loved it.

Blythe is one of the most interesting characters in this book. I just love her stance on not wanting to get married and let a man take control of her fortune, even if he is nice and kind and treats her well. She knows her worth, and she knows she can survive on her own, so she doesn’t plan on marrying since that would give her husband power over her every asset, and over herself to some extent. She is strong-willed and very driven, even when she is sick, and I really hope to see more of her in the next book because I really loved her spark.

The ending is not a cliffhanger exactly, it’s more of a tease for what is to come in the next book. A part of me is very excited about it and very curious to see what will happen in Foxglove, but the other part of me hopes that Signa will level up her investigation skills because she solved the mystery in Belladonna partly thanks to her skills, but mostly thanks to Death’s and Sylas’ help and some luck.

I read this book as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR and Beyond Tours. Special thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 5 stars!

I'm getting straight to the point here: there was nothing about this book that I didn’t enjoy! I think I’ve found another new favourite 2022 read. No one is more surprised than me because this supernatural gothic romance full of ghostly activity was a good step outside of my comfort zone, but the writing and atmosphere were fantastic, the murder mystery plot was gripping and the characters were a little flawed and conflicted but entirely compelling.

The story is set in an extremely haunted gothic manor that was not only full of restless, though mostly harmless, spirits but also a malevolent one being held back by the unfinished business of their fairly gruesome and tragic death. As someone that really doesn’t read ghost stories because I’m generally too chicken, it’s safe to say that I was properly spooked! There are ghostly sightings, hauntings and even possessions and it all added to the extremely eerie and unsettling atmosphere that this story is steeped in. The author really sets the sombre/melancholic tone well which perfectly lends itself to the murder mystery, making me question everyone and everything that occurs within the manor halls and grounds.

As someone who doesn’t read mysteries that often I’m usually horrible at predicting plot twists and reveals, so I was actually surprised when I managed to predict a good few of them here. You’d think that would take away from my enjoyment but it didn’t at all cos the author kept me second-guessing my predictions at every turn. Obviously, I’m not gonna give any spoilers but there were a good number of twists that I didn’t see coming and I literally swore and gasped out loud while I was reading! 😂 There were a few times that the pacing slowed down and the plot meandered slightly but it wasn't enough to detract from my enjoyment or distract me from needing to find out whodunit. Grace did a great job of keeping me on my toes!

The characters were also wonderfully flawed and compelling. It’s easy to empathise and sympathise with Signa from the moment we meet her. From the time she was a baby she’s been tied with Death, losing any relative she had that took her in and being trailed by malicious gossip as a result. She was horribly mistreated and was often abused by those who were supposed to care for her and due to Death’s shadow following her every move, she has ended up leading a very solitary life. Signa craves nothing more than normalcy but the more she immerses herself in the world of genteel manners and inauthentic friendships, the more she realises that it's not all it's cracked up to be. The fact she's so sheltered definitely led her to make some questionable decisions at times but for the most part, I adored her character! She's full of tenacity, headstrong and honestly easy to root for; plus, I loved watching her let go and slowly accept the heady rush that comes with her entanglement with Death, another character that I ended up really feeling for.

I loved the way Death was personified in this book. Yes, he’s typically brooding and mysterious (and a 'he') but I really liked the way the author captured the complexity of his emotions and the ache of loneliness that surrounds him. It was endearing and made him a more empathic character. I know some will say that the romance between Death and Signa can be considered weird, after all, he’s this ancient immortal creature who knew her as a baby and becomes her love interest when she's older. That said, I personally loved their romance and how their relationship involves from one of antagonism to burning desire and eventually bittersweet love. As corny as it may sound, they found a kindred spirit with each other even with all the obstacles they have to face. What I didn't expect was the way Signa's sexual journey was depicted but I absolutely loved it because it was so sex-positive. FYI, there are a few more mature sensual scenes but nothing is graphically described.

Overall, I found this to be a very entertaining and engaging read that I simply didn’t want to put down. With that shocking epilogue ending introducing an intriguing character who was mentioned a time or two throughout the story, I’m even more excited to see what comes next and I absolutely cannot wait for it!

I was excited to read this after reading Adalyn's first duology - this one is a little different and is less fantasy, and more young adult (new adult) with a paranormal, mystery, romancy twist! This features a young woman who continues to have her guardians die, but she has some special gifts that allow her to interact with death and see what others cannot. She is whisked away to Thorn Grove manner where she helps uncover what is really happening there. I found this a little slow to catch a stride and took me 1/3 to really get in to it (then I was hooked, and by the end, I couldn't put it down!) Really enjoyed this.

Thank you NetGalley and Little Brown Books/The Novl for the ARC!

Okay, this one was super fun. A YA murder mystery where our main character, Signa, literally allies with Death, to solve.

Signa was orphaned as a baby, and lived through a string of mostly awful caretakers until she comes to live with the Hawthornes. While she’s always been able to see and speak to spirits, it’s here that she figures out the late Mrs. Hawthorne was poisoned, and the same thing seems to be happening to her daughter…

Death is quite the interesting edition to help solve the case, as is the mysterious stable boy, Sylas. I don’t want to give much a way, but it’s a wild ride, and a great mix of characters.

I thought the story was fantastic, and the end only makes me want the sequel even faster…

4.5 stars!

Thank you to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

Oh my goodness from the very first page I knew I was going to become obsessed with this book, and I was absolutely right. The writing is so beautiful and haunting. The atmosphere is so gothic. The characters are to die for (no pun intended). The romance is so sweet. The plot is gasp-worthy. There's literally nothing wrong with the book!

From the very start, everything about the world and the story is just so haunting. It's the perfect fall vibes book, which is my favorite type. Even the vibes of the setting tug at your emotions and wrap up the gothic aesthetic in such a beautiful bow. The characters are all so relatable and real, even in spite of it being historical. The fact that all the women are so strong and independent (despite their society) was just the icing on the cake.

I thought for a bit that the plot was too predictable, but then suddenly there are 2 plot twists that absolutely took me by surprise more than any book has in a long time. I adored being caught off guard so wholly. It was truly epic, and I absolutely 1000% need more right this second.

The romance is so so sweet! Signa and Death are such kindred spirits (pun totally intended), and watching them learn about each other and find themselves through their romance is so lovely. It was the kind of romance that was so cute it hurt. I found myself rooting for both of them so easily and found their emotions becoming my own.

I don't care who you are, make sure you pick this book up in time for spooky season!

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace is a romantic and gothic infused story that has readers captivated right from the beginning.

The story follows Signa, an orphan, who is determined to find the murderer of her guardian's wife. Even if that means getting close to Death himself.

Everything about this book was great. If you love a story full of mystery, betrayals, and gripping world building, then this book is for you!

A wonderful story that’s a fun mix of gothic romance, mystery with spooky undertones. Well placed and beautifully written!

It is a gothic fantasy story with a. Little bit of romance that I liked a lot. Quick and easy reading that seemed very predictable at times, for example I could be fooled or confused because I thought I guessed things and probably guilty people because they seemed too obvious, but then things happened that made me doubt my first instinct, although in the end I do guess a couple of little things 😉

I liked the interaction between Death and Little Bird because it didn't feel forced or make me question it, on the contrary I think I liked that halo of mystery and consideration that Death has for this girl. That he feels for the first time that she can touch someone without them dying I liked it because I forgot that the one I was reading with those feelings was Death.

Signa wants a family that truly loves and accepts her, she is tired of Death taking away all those who live with her, orphaned as a child she knows the pain of loss and rejection, but Death is going to make it up to her for taking those people away from her and will have her remaining family (The Hawthornes) invite her to live with them in Thorn Grove. And it is here where Signa's life will change forever, she will live among intrigues, mysteries and a murderer who is poisoning the family with Belladonna. It will be up to Signa to discover who is behind this tragic events, all this with the help of Sylas, the stable keeper and companion of the deceased Lady Hawthorne.

Set in a gothic atmosphere with touches of fantasy, the story caught you and you want to keep reading until you find out what happened to the Lady of the house and what is happening now to her children. I certainly enjoyed the story and although for me this first part is well tide, the end invites you to read the next one 🥰.

Thank you so much to the author and NetGalley for providing me with an E-ARC of this story, I really enjoyed.

Thank you so much TBR and Beyond Tours for sending me an eARC via Netgalley to read and review!

"'Because I have waited an eternity to meet you, Signa Farrow . . . 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.'"

*4.25 stars*

First of all, this book was not what I was expecting at all! I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised. Most of the YA books I've read recently were much closer to NA, but this one was YA through and through. I loved it. The story was simple, fast, and entertaining. I BINGED this book.

Secondly, let's talk about the characters. I'm not going to lie, Signa confused me at times - she'd be like "I care so much about the Hawthorne family!" but then completely forget about them when discussing her future of lavish parties and a husband (she even addresses it herself in the book!). I really enjoyed Signa and Sylas's dynamic, as well as Signa and Death's. I laughed out loud so many times when reading their banter. I also loved the kinship Signa found with Blythe after so many years of moving from home to home.

Thirdly, while the worldbuilding was very basic, the atmosphere was amazing. This book is the PERFECT read for autumn. It's spooky, a little morbid, and chilling. Ghosts, death, poison . . . this is definitely an upcoming release you'll not want to miss adding to your fall TBR!

Fourthly, this book was twisted! I never guessed who Lillian's real murderer was and their motive was 🤯 The whole story was intriguing, though I wish the story focused on JUST the crime-solving, versus it AND Signa trying to fit into society. Though Signa's dream did add an extra depth to the story because of the internal conflict she had over them.

Finally, the cliffhanger at the end of the story is making me need the sequel ASAP. I await reading Signa solve her next murder.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC of Belladonna! I’ll post to socials/retail sites once I finish the novel (e-books always take me longer because of my eye issues).

Absolutely living up to its pitch of fantasy Bridgerton meets Knives Out. Signa is a snappy, fierce protagonist who is potentially in a love triangle with a suspiciously well-off stable boy & with Death Himself. I’m so intrigued to finish the book and learn the mystery of Lillian’s murder. Also hoping for more backstory/interactions with Charlotte and cousin Percy.

“You must not allow yourself to be consumed so thoroughly by death. It’s not selfish to live.”

If I could rate Belladonna 10/5 stars I would. I absolutely adored this book! Its the perfect blend of YA and NA. I have high hopes for a NA/Adult sequel! There’s a comeback story, a murder mystery, romance, and plot twists for days! It’s such a cozy and well written story that really captivates you from page one.

“You are no soft thing to be coddled. The words Death had once told her played in her mind, over and over again. You are bolder than the sun, Signa Farrow, and it’s time that you burn”

I really loved the character of Death. He is the epitome of a morally grey character with how much he loves Signa. He is fiercely protective of her and wishes nothing but the world for her.

“I have waited for you for millennia, Signa Farrow.” There was a silky husk to his voice now, too pleased for his own good. “Since the dawn of this earth, I have waited. You are mine, and I am yours. And together, this world is ours.”

There were so many twists and turns in this story and so many good subplots. The author did a phenomenal job of wrapping everything up so well at the end while leaving room for growth of a series. I loved the love story between Elijah and Lillian. Everything that Elijah did after her death, he did because of his love for his late wife. Their story had me in tears by the end.

Thank you NetGalley and Little Brown for Young Readers for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a gorgeous story! A gothic mystery with a smidge of magical realism, the story of Signa is a tragic but intriguing one. Orphaned at a young age, Signa is passed to a series of guardians whom each befall a tragic death leading her to believe she is cursed by Death. This book has dark almost Addie LaRue vibes, with a fun murder mystery twist. This was so beautifully written, with little hints woven in throughout the plot. I am just floored with how much I love this book! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. I loved Signa and Death’s relationship and how it changed throughout the story, I loved being suspicious of certain characters to only be absolutely surprised by the truth. I want to know who was the culprit in the beginning of the book when Sidra was a baby.. parties seem to be quite a curse for her family. This was excellent modern gothic literature and I can’t wait for more!

Yesterday I finished Belladonna, a novel by Adalyn Grace. Wow, what a ride. The book follows Signa whose life has been followed by death and misfortune at every turn. She’s shocked to learn she has some of deaths powers even though she’s unaware of how to use them. Signa gets to her new home as a ward for the Hawthorne’s and realizes she’s been thrust into a murder mystery.

This novel is spooky (which I feel like I don't see a lot of in this genre) and intriguing. The first half felt a bit slow and I wanted it to move faster and rope me in more. That said, the second half of the book delivered ALL of that. The pace quickly sped up and I was hooked. I finished the second half in one night!! The twist and turns were fabulous. I had my own theories that turned out completely wrong and I absolutely loved that. The ending had my jaw to the ground and now I’m dying for book 2 immediately!!!

I’m very excited for this series and can’t wait to read the novels. 🌟🌟🌟/5

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for providing me this e-arc.

This book made me think of Phantom of the Opera half way thru with Signa and death and Sylas. Loved the mystery. The reasoning for who did it did not quite register with me.

This book started off so strong, but ultimately it lost direction and felt very patchy. Was is trying to be a mystery? A gothic romance? Unfortunately instead of excelling at one thing, it was mediocre at several things.

This is an enjoyable read if you like a smattering of the gothic and you enjoy a mystery, I just think there are books that have pulled this off a bit better.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy!

I loved this book from page 1. The prologue draws you in and doesn't let go until you've finished the book. The gothic vibes were everything I wanted.
The plot, characters and world building are chef's kiss.

This is the first book in a new series Belladonna and it was a good young adult mystery story with a touch of romance and horror. The writing was good. I did find the book a little predictable but the twists that came were still good! The connection between Death and Signa and her powers was really interesting! As the series continues it will be interesting to see where the relationship goes with them and I think Signa is going to find out a lot more about herself so I'm looking forward to the next book ! Thank you TBR and Beyond Tours for sharing this story with me!