when I say I had expectations for this book, know that they were absolutely ASTRONOMICAL. when I read that delicious premise, felt that Gothic vibe, and saw that enemies-to-lovers trope, this darling became one of my most anticipated reads of 2022.

Fortunately, my dearest reader friends, this book lived up to the hype.

CUE THE CELEBRATIONS BECAUSE THAT LITERALLY NEVER HAPPENS 🥳🎉💕

ok allow me to elaborate.

the premise

Signa Farrow is a nineteen-year-old orphan, cursed with the ability to see both dead souls and Death himself. Her eyes are mismatched (one blue, one gold), and she has an inability to die. She also seems to have a rather deadly sort of luck: every single one of her five guardians has died in the most random circumstances. Sure, nearly all of them were abusive and greedily seeking the vast fortune Signa’s parents left her, but the public doesn't see it that way. Signa has been labelled a demon and a social outcast, shunned for her odd eyes and the trail of dead bodies behind her.

The only one that truly sees her, ironically enough, is Death himself. She’s seen the grim reaper at varying intervals throughout her life, most often when he comes for the souls of her guardians. She’s talked with him before, but she can't help but hate him. He's taken so much away from her: first her parents, and then all five of her guardians, leaving her constantly searching for a real family and a place to call home.

The book opens as Signa is being shipped off to the mansion of her distant cousins (the Hawthornes) after the death of her fifth guardian. While apprehensive, she can't help but feel a sort of excitement. With a whole family here this time, will she finally experience what life is like with a real home?

However, while not unwelcoming, the Hawthornes themselves are under severe duress. The Hawthorne mother (Signa's aunt) died last year from a gruesome, incurable disease, and the whole family is still grieving. There’s tension between the son, father, and uncle over the fate of the Hawthorne family business. With Signa’s sickly cousin constantly swerving towards death, Signa is seeing Death more frequently than ever before. And slowly, Signa is beginning to suspect foul play in her cousin's sickness, as well as in the untimely death of her aunt.

the plot

OHHHHHH MYYYYY GOSHHHH.
THIS.
THIS BOOK.
THIS BOOK IS AN ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE AND I ADORED IT SO SO MUCH 😭❤️❤️

First off, the writing. Adalyn Grace’s writing style is pleasantly smooth and easy to read without affecting her lush worldbuilding (of which there was just the most perfect amount).

I also loved the whole Gothic vibe and the mystery that Signa was trying to solve with Death the entire book. My one complaint would probably be that the pacing was a tad irregular, with some scenes and plotlines happening much quicker than others, but overall, this didn't hurt the beautiful experience.

oh, and you definitely won't see the plot twist at the end coming. it's amazing 🤩

the characters

OK WE’RE DONE WITH THE SEMI-DEEP ANALYSIS BECAUSE THIS WILL BE BY FAR THE MOST EMOTIONS-BASED PART OF MY REVIEW.

Signa Farrow is, put simply, AMAZING. She’s mastered how to hide her curse and how to use it for her own gains. This girl is smart and practical and I LOVE HER SM YOU GO GIRLIE.

For having such a grim name, Death was actually such a cinnamon bun (I KNOW RIGHT I WAS SO SHOOKETH). He’s totally morally grey and made definitely questionable decisions, but as my questionable taste in fictional men can attest, I was absolutely hooked with them from his first appearance.

And the romance between Signa and Death?
PLEASEEEEEEEEE IT WAS SO CUTEEEEEEE. he cares so much for her, and he’s done everything he can to protect her from those who hurt her 😭😭

now, i get some might feel a little weirded out because he’s immortal and you know, ✨age gap✨, but DO give them a chance. he’s so sweet and respectful to her, and there’s a plot twist that makes it MUCH less weird (don't worry, i won't spoil that ;)

The side characters, especially those with the last name Hawthorne, were well-fleshed out and actually contributed much more than i thought they would to the mystery plotline. this book wasn't just a romance, and i really appreciated that ❤️

anyways, that’s all i got. thoughts in closing: PLEASE PLEASE READ THIS GORGEOUS MASTERPIECE OF A BOOK ITS GOTHIC AND MYSTERIOUS AND ROMANTIC AND FANTASTICAL AND YOU WILL LOVE IT SM

so basically, go read it 😘

I'm sad to say to this one didn't hit the mark for me. The author's previous works were so unique and different that I had a hard time comparing them to anything else. Belladonna felt so much like recent books that I had a hard time connecting to the story without constantly comparing it.

It's no secret that the author's writing is outstanding and her knack for creating strong heroines will always astound me. The idea of a young lady being passed down from relative to relative due to death is so much fun. Did she have anything to do with everyone around her dying? Not only that, she discovers that she herself cannot die. When she eats belladonna, she can also converse with Death.

When Signa arrives at her new home, a manor, she finds herself in the center of a murder mystery and this is where my attention wanes. I get that we needed a central theme, but this one was predictable and a bit boring. The twist involving Death also fell flat for me.

This book reminded me a lot of Within These Wicked Walls, Kingdom of the Wicked, and Sorcery of Thorns, all of which I loved. But that also worked against me. Unfortunately, the ending did not have me needing the next book. I probably won't continue the series.

Signa learns from a very young age that she can't die, sees spirits and can also see Death himself. She's grown tired of Death, as he always takes those she loves from her.
When family brings her to Thorn Grove, a large country estate, she learns that Death is everywhere and perhaps she is linked to him in ways she never thought possible.
I liked this one: the writing, the pacing, the interesting storyline. It was a fun read, full of mystery, romance and a little supernatural. It ended sort of on a cliffhanger, so that there will be a second book, which I do plan to read.

Thank you so much Little, Brown for Young Readers, Adalyn Grace, and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger Warnings:
Death (Parental & Mass) Murder (Poison), Suicide, Suicidal Ideation, Alcoholism, Child Neglect (Malnourishment), Sexism, Body Shaming, and Verbal Abuse.

As a baby Signa Farrow survived a tragic event and was left orphaned. Throughout her life, she’s been bounced around to various guardians more interested in her inheritance than her welfare. These guardians meet an unfortunate end, so she’s gained a reputation of death following her. Now, nineteen-year-old Signa is ready to move on to her next residency with the Hawthornes at Thorn Grove. However, upon her arrival, her dreams of a normal life are quickly dashed when she learns the Hawthornes are in danger. The more she uncovers, the more questions she has. If Signa wants to solve the murder and save her cousin, she must put aside her fear and form unlikely alliance with Death.

My Review:
*Chef’s Kiss Perfection* I enjoyed reading this book so much because of the characters, plot, worldbuilding, and story pacing. I love the characters dialogue with one another because it’s witty, has bantering, and has dry humor. The character development was wonderful because you get to see Signa come out of her shell and by the end of the book, she’s more self-assured about her choices. The characters were distinct and memorable, so you don’t get them easily confused with one another. I loved the Enemies-to-Lovers with Tension and Fated-Lovers tropes. I thought it was done wonderfully because it was satisfying seeing their relationship unfold. You don’t have to wait a few books to see if they even get together. The question is, will they stay together?

Another one of my favourite parts about this book was how it challenged societal norms. Throughout the book, Signa is in several social situations where she must choose how to behave as a young lady. So, the more events she partakes in, the more she reconsiders if the life she dreamt was really the life she wanted.

The story’s pacing was excellent because it didn’t feel rushed, nor did stay on one topic too long. This book presents a lot of questions, so if you want to know what happens you must read the book. This was thrilling because it captured and kept my attention. In addition, it was exciting that there was more than one plot twist towards the end of the book. It was refreshing because, when everything is revealed, I thought it was kind of over, but then there’s another reveal!

I liked the ending because, while yes, it’s a cliffhanger, it’s not the type of soul-crushing cliffhanger.
Yes, of course I want to know what happens next, but I don’t mind waiting because you can’t rush masterpieces. In conclusion, I’d highly recommend this book.

An absolutely phenomanal and riveting tale. I loved every second of this. The characters are extremely well written and their development is well done. The plot is well thought and I didn't find any plot holes.

- 4.5 Stars -

⚠️TW: death, descriptions of death

Okay needless to say, I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel to this book Foxglove! I am officially a fan. If you’re looking for a murder mystery with some bridgerton/apothocary vibes, this is definitely the book for you. Also, there are ghosts involved - need I say more?

Following along the life of orphan Signa Farrow as she lives her life being able to escape death and his clutches this book has so many great plotlines that I couldn’t put it down. Watching her learn how to use and grow in her powers with lessons from Death himself, was so cool.

The spirits of Thorn Grove are trying to tell her something, but what is that something and will she be able to figure out who poisoned Lillian and is also poisoning her daughter Blythe before it's too late? Honestly, the ending I did not see coming and thought that the killer had been apprehended, but I was WRONG! This book definitely makes you sit with the “nothing is as it seems' vibe the whole time and I looooooved it!

The use of toxic plants and Signa’s knowledge of death was so intriguing and definitely kept me hooked throughout the story. I also really enjoyed the character of Death as he really added to gain an understanding of who and what Signa is and has been since their first encounter when she was an infant.

The only reason for the half star off is because I felt that there were a few parts to the story that did drag out a little longer than what I would have done, but I’m not the author so too bad for me! Haha. Overall, you should definitely read this book once it comes out later this month!

Thank you, @netgalley and @orbitbooks_us for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review! All of the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

So imaginatively dark and magnificent. I adore the throwback to the late 1800s with debuts, balls, and poison. Oh yes, the poison. Belladonna was not 100% was I expected, but I adored it even more!

Our MC, Signa, is so strong yet such a mystery that I also kept trying to solve. Her life is a constant roulette of deaths and places to live. I really enjoyed seeing her come into her own.

On the other side, we have Death. Death, oh death. Such a versatile meaning in Belladonna. The way this story breathes life into a reaper is fanatically done and eerily entrancing. I adored seeing Signa and Death interact and beautifulness they created for each other.

There are two major twists in this story, one I guessed and I one I did not. This is a huge “who done it” murder mystery, and it honestly kept me guessing right up to the end. I kept thinking I knew who did it… and at every turn I was wrong. Adalyn Grace also does a fantastic job of painting each of these characters in an accusing light. She weaves each of them beautifully yet leaving pieces of mystery in her wake.

I truly enjoyed this story and am super excited to see that a second one is coming. The title Foxglove, and the epilogue makes me so excited! Definitely worth a buy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

I binged this book in 3 days and now I am being punished for it, because the sequel to this does not come out until sometime next year & I need it now. This book follows Signa Farrow as she tries to make home for herself as she is constantly surrounded by Death. Finally finding a home that she feels she can make her own, with her cousins the Hawthorne's, more death awaits and she must solve the murder of one family member before another is killed. This is gothic 1800s murder mystery, where Death is a tangible person and Signa cannot die. The rules of high society are prevalent but what are societal expectations to a person when death has been their constant companion?

This book is amazing. I already enjoyed Adalyn's writing from ATSAT, but this one one was so much more my vibe and style. It is dark, gothic literature, and I cannot wait to read the second one. Everyone needs to read this book if this is a genre you are drawn to. I don't know the last time I read a gothic literature book that I couldn't put down the way I couldn't stop reading this one. 10/10

Gothic fantasy with a touch of paranormal. This beautiful and decadent tale had my utmost attention.

Perfect for fans of Addie Larue, with her brushes with darkness. Death is a main character… and he’s HOT 🥵 I absolutely lived for the romance in this story. The mystery unraveled was just a bonus. Each chapter leaves you wanting to know what happens next.

Beautiful setting and time period. The masquerade ball was my absolute favorite moments! I loved this book so much, I’m going to pick up a physical copy!

This book was amazing! I was gifted an ARCH copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and oh my lord, this book did not disappoint.

The plot had me guessing who-done-it the entire time and was an excellent balance of mystery, magic, and romance. I fell in love with the setting of the gothic Hawthorne manor. It was filled to the brim with everything you could ask for: ghosts, an enormous library, suspicious garden, and secret passageways (I have a feeling will be just as important in the next book).

The main cast of character felt very well flushed out. Even the side characters didn’t feel too flat and boring. I felt like the author handled topics such as grief, frustration, death, and fear in a very realistic way. This includes with the main character Signa, who has had death follow her like a shadow for years. I think the subtle change from Signa wanting nothing more than to fit in with high society to just wanting to be happy was very well done, because it was slow and not instantaneous. Signa also cares for her newfound family and proves throughout the entire book she would argue with death himself to keep them safe. I also enjoyed how she was portrayed through her actions as a strong female character without having to degrade anyone else to prove that point to the audience. Overall, I grew to love her throughout the book and of course, her budding romance.

Honestly, if you want a good gothic mystery and a book that will keep you glued to your seat until it’s finished, then I strongly recommend “The Belladonna.”

Belladonna is not even officially out yet and I already need book number two!! Foxglove come to me now!!!

From the moment I started reading Belladonna I could not to put it down. The plot was immaculate, the characters had my heart, and the romance was just delicious.

A perfect blend of fantasy, romance, and mystery. Adalyn's writing is beautiful and had me hooked from the first page.

I adored Signa and Death's relationship and the way they understood each other on such a deep level. I just wanted to give Signa a hug and tell her that she did not have to change who she was to fit into a mold crafted by societies rules. Girl eat all the scones you want!!! Signa's fierce dedication to her family (love you Blythe!!) and to finding the murderer had me rooting for her the whole way.

I loved trying to guess the identity of the murderer as I was bouncing between a couple of characters and even though I had a very strong feeling as to who it was the reveal was just as thrilling!

Really enjoyed reading this and I can't wait to own the hardcover and read it once more! Plus the cover is gorgeous!!

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the opportunity to read an E-Arc of Belladonna for an honest review!

This was a good young adult gothic mystery with romantic undertones. I enjoyed the story very much even if the big twists with the characters weren’t very surprising. I loved the idea Signa and her powers and her connection with Death. The writing was pretty good although the story took a little bit for me to really get into it. When Signa was a baby her parents and everyone currently at their home was poisoned (truth be told I wanted more of this story actually) but despite ingesting that poison Signa lived. She grows up surrounded in but untouched by death. Signa has a series of people close to her and taking are of her die, but she herself seems immune to death. Fed up she confronts the man she knows as death and of course there is lots of slow burn feelings and beautiful dialogue. The book sets up for a sequel rather blatantly and it will be a sequel I need to read.

Okay. I really don't know how to rate this book. If it had been an adult fantasy, then that would be easier, but as a YA novel, I feel quite torn.

The good stuff first. Because honestly, this book was a lot of fun.

Belladonna feels like classic gothic victorian literature with a modern YA fantasy twist. The writing is brilliant and, while dark in nature, the author maintains a spirit of whimsy and wonder in the way Signa experiences life. Thaddeus was, of course, my favorite spirit in Thorn Grove, and this book had me constantly craving to have afternoon tea and extravagant balls from beginning to end.

The story overall can be summed up as Jane Eyre's enormous haunted mansion meets a Nancy Drew mystery (specifically the Curse of Blackmoor Manor) with Secret Garden vibes. The mystery was really great, with lots of good twists and surprises, as well as some fun little puzzles and such as Signa tries to unravel the cause of Blythe’s illness and Lillian’s murderer.

I loved Signa’s naive and sweet love of her mother’s book A Lady’s Guide to Beauty and Etiquette. She represented what it is like to be an introvert and feel excited about socializing but drained at the same time in a really relatable way. I also really enjoyed how her relationship with Blythe grew over the course of the story.

I also really enjoyed Sylas' character, and the twists with him. He was layered and complex.

Now. While all of that is fine and dandy, I did not expect to find the amount of sexual content that was in this book. While there were no graphically detailed descriptions, there was very clear sexual foreplay, an allusion to masturbation, and two sex scenes. As a book intended for ages 13-18 (young adult) I think it was inappropriate. I've read YA books with sex that are far more tame and vague, focusing on the emotion and connection rather than the acts themselves. Had this been marketed as New Adult or Adult, I wouldn't have such strong objections besides personal preference (I don't care for steamy books), but when put in the YA category, I just can't recommend it, especially for the intended age group.

Seriously this book!!!! I cannot with how this story captures you from the first chapter. Adalyn Grace is an author I have been following since her first book and when she announced she was going to write a gothic story about a girl who works with Death to solve a mystery, I was already hooked!

From start to finish this book put you in a trance that you desperately want to be in! The setting, the atmosphere, the characters, the mystery all pull you into a world that comes to life and makes you want to be a part of it. I loved the age of the story where our MC wants so hard to fit in with society but has grown up with nothing to help her do so.

Signa is a young women who defies Death himself! She is bold at times but struggles with who she wants to be in this world. Her character grows so much from the start of this book and finally realizes that she is happy being who she is and not molded into what the world tells her she needs to be.

Death….oh Death….how I love you. For real, who says they can love Death?!?!?! I can! The way Adalyn writes Death in this story is exceptional. He feels, he cares, he reaps, he does everything he is supposed to be but he is just like you and I. His depth and what he does to help Signa is just swoon worth. I mean seriously I think almost all my highlighted lines in this book come from him. He might even be top 5 book boyfriend material!

The romance in this story is EVERYTHING. The small love triangle to the so do I hate you or love you, really make you second guess who it is you want Signa to end up with!

Also the family/found family. Signa struggles to find people in her life who cares about her and seeing how she is thrown into this family and wants to protect them with everything she has is something I loved deeply about this book!

I cannot thank NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for granting me an eARC! I am counting down the days till the sequel!

This book, this wonderfully intoxicating book!

It’s been a while since a book has had me so thoroughly hooked. Everything about it, the characters, the setting and the whole vibe would make this a great choice for spooky season.

Signa Farrow is such an incredible lead. She’s been through the ringer. Despite having a fortune to inherit she’s lived in poverty, she’s faced hardships you could only imagine and yet, she’s still kind. She’s fierce. She’s protective of those she cares about and her growth throughout the book is beautiful.

The plot is so utterly unique and such a wonderful concept. Who doesn’t love a good murder mystery? It kept me guessing all the way through and I was certain I’d worked out the murderer but alas i was left with my jaw on the floor! It was fantastic. And that ending?! What a ride.

As I said, perfect for spooky season. Ghosties, special powers, death and a healthy dose of intrigue makes this an utterly enthralling read

I was a little hesitant to start this one since I wasn’t the biggest fan of her first duology but, THIS WAS AMAZING AND I HAVE SO MANY FEELINGS. Anyways, haha. Let’s just move right along because I know you are curious.

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Signa. She has been an orphan since she was a baby and has moved from guardian to guardian since then. Each guardian unfortunately meets an untimely demise. The author really knows how to hook you in through just those two details from the beginning. I had kind of forgotten what the blurb had mentioned so maybe that helped as well.

Signa is strong, independent, and authentically herself. She may at times try to follow a lady’s guide but I think it’s more so that those around her don’t judge her than for herself. I love her true self and it’s nice to see certain characters appreciate that quality about her. I’m not going to lie though, sometimes she veers towards morally gray and even I questioned whether I could make that decision if I was her. She definitely kept me on my toes!

Want to know my favorite character? Death. I know what you are thinking. How can Death be a character? Well, he is and he is glorious! In ways he reminds me of Jacks from Caraval/OUABH, but he does have his own qualities and they make him swoon worthy. He made me, laugh, cry, and feel happiness which probably isn’t what death is supposed to do but oh well. Call me crazy!

The romance is everything I had wanted it to be and more. It was slow but the connection between the two was strong and they bring out the best and worst of each other. I just need more and I can’t wait for book two.

There is a lot to the plot and one line involves murder. I didn’t think that would be something but it worked really well with everything else and even I couldn’t spot the culprit. It was well done and had me guessing until the very end. Some characters you just love to hate, you know what I mean?

And if you aren’t sold yet, how about the ability to see spirits? Signa has the ability and I liked seeing her interact with them. They were all unique and added to the plot in different ways.

Plus, the ending is wild! Wild and unbelievable and I need the sequel now! I’m going to be thinking about it for a while.

Overall, this was so worth the read and I just need people to read it so I can gush about it more. Haha!

Belladonna follows an orphaned girl, Signa Farrow, as she is on the cusp of reclaiming her massive fortune. She has had a difficult life, being handed off to relative after relative and barely taken care of while her relatives take advantage of her allowance. She is haunted, plagued, and fearful of Death throughout her childhood, yet Death seems fascinated with Signa and as she enters adulthood, Signa may be more than just your average high-society chasing girl. You see she can't seem to die —
Equal parts love story and murder-mystery, Signa once again is left orphaned by a guardian after their untimely death, and finds herself at Thorn Grove surrounded by a grieving uncle, a dying cousin, and mystery upon mystery.... oh and there are ghosts, too.
This novel was intriguing, and while some of the bigger "twists" were predictable, the overall story held my attention. I learned about Belladonna a bit, but I do wish there was more poison, potions, and overall herbal information within these pages. I also found myself curious about Signa, we don't really know how her power works, why she can use these powers, or even what "training" she even received from Death, because even though they were meeting for midnight training sessions.... there wasn't much training. It was more of a ploy to force the two characters together to satisfy the enemies to lovers theme and provide some romantic tension -- which I think could have been executed a bit differently. Most of the scenes in the first 2/3 of the book between Death and Signa felt very stilted and forced.
I loved the interaction between Signa and Sylas, I wanted a bit more of that - even a little more of Wakefield's romantic potential would have been nice to add a little more triangle to the love story. That being said, the romance was not super necessary, because the story of Signa rushing to solve the murder-mystery and save her cousin was story enough for me.
This novel will be part of a series, because we get left on a cliff-hangar with another, you guessed it: Murder. I'm excited to see where Adalyn Grace takes us in the next installment, and maybe learn more about Signa and why she has the abilities she does.

Set up very well to be a series. Interesting NA historical/fantasy with a dash of romance. The magic system could’ve used a little more fleshing out but all in all I loved all of these characters and how the story came together. Signa and Death’s relationship grew in an interesting way and I didn’t want to put it down for the last 25-30% of the book. Can’t wait for book 2!

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

This was a fun story that has gothic secret garden vibes, and I absolutely loved it. Death as a character was fascinating, and was a great dynamic with Signa, the main character. The mystery of the murder was also done well, with little sprinkles of clues to keep the story going at a good pace, and that ending! Definitely will be reading the next installment. I hope to see more Signa and Death!

Death as a love interest? Ghosts? Gothic vibes? Count me in!!

The main character, Signa, has the ability to communicate with the dead and is impervious to death. In order to solve the murder of a family member and save her dying cousin, she teams up with Death and some stray ghosts. This book is atmospheric, a tad gothic, and so imaginative. I absolutely loved this story.

The author does a great job of making you love every character right before you find them to be suspicious. There’s a minor love triangle (I always love a good triangle) and the platonic friendships also had a lot of depth and layers. Within the first couple chapters I was completely hooked. With ghosts, mystery, and romance, this story was such a breath of fresh air. The whole concept was so unique and fun. There was no shortage of plot twists or chaos.

The only thing I would change is to maybe enhance Charlotte’s role? She seemed to teeter on the edge of relevance, but maybe Book #2 fixes this.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and I can’t wait to see how the story continues.