I was completely intrigued from page one of this gothic YA novel. It has a little of everything - romance, murder and mystery. The writing is atmospheric and the story engaging. I am eagerly awaiting the next book!

I want to thank NetGalley, Adalyn Grace and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

4.25 stars!

19 year-old Signa has been raised by a string of guardians since being orphaned at birth. But everywhere she goes, it seems that Death follows her. When she goes to stay with the Hawthornes, who live at Thorn Grove, Death has already found them. The matriarch of the Hawthornes has been dead, and the daughter is quickly following suit. When Mrs. Hawthorne's spirit visits Signa claiming that she was poisoned, Signa realizes that she needs to find the killer first in order to keep her newfound family members out of trouble.

I think this book did exactly what it set out to do, and I think I ate it up. I enjoyed the romance, I liked the mystery aspect, and I liked the intrigue of the world. I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy the sequel even more and I'm bummed I'm going to have to wait months for it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This book was a great YA fantasy with mystery undertones. I really liked the main character and some of the main male characters. There were a couple moments where I felt like the author was slightly repetitive, but for the most part really enjoyed her writing. The ending makes you want more and I can’t wait to pick up her next book.

{3.5 stars}

Signa is an orphan who has lived in several homes, each touched by unfortunate deaths. As she is coming towards the end of her youth, and about to come into her inheritance, she is once again in a new home. She moves in just as the matriarch of the family has died and the daughter, who is her age, is growing ill. She quickly finds herself embroiled in the mystery, who is responsible for the ill fate of this family and why does death follow her so closely? 

Turns out in this one, Death is a person, not a spoiler... it's in the blurb. Of course, Death is sexy and mysterious... que the Addie LaRue comparisons. I enjoyed the atmosphere of this one and the plucky heroine but the two "big" twists were super obvious. The first half was a beautiful build but as the reveals began, I found myself a little underwhelmed. I always enjoy Adalyn Grace's world building but just found the plot a little formulaic of gothic YA fantasy. I'm sure I will still enjoy the sequel however the epilogue cliffhanger was unneccessary.

Thanks to Little Brown for access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

This started off on such a high, crashed and burned half way through and then somehow, miraculously, still stumbled through the finish line to get a 4 star rating, albeit gasping and bleeding at that point.

The premise is everything I wanted... from Gallant. An unusual, death marked girl finds herself living in an old house surrounded by death and mystery as the previous owner's wife died under mysterious circumstances, and now his daughter has the same symptoms.

I think with the main character's inability to die and her obsession with Belladonna, it was both blindingly obvious from the start what was going on with Lillian and her daughter, but also wildly convenient. I also found myself wondering quite often why Belladonna was the only poison Signa experimented with.

I felt the the story became too focused on the love triangle in the middle, and started to feel frustrated and bored, even considering DNFing it a few times. However once I slogged my way through the ending proved worth the wait, with a plot twist I somehow didn't see coming.

5/5 stars, I loved every part of this wonderful story

"You are bolder than the sun, Signa Farrow, and it's time that you burn" (341)

I absolutely loved this book, in every single way! Right away I realized this was going to be such an enchanting and gothic-infused novel about love, wealth, and betrayal. A while ago I received this as an arc, but I didn't get around to reading it because of how busy I was. Through that time there was a flood of positive reviews for this book after it came out, and I knew that I had to read it asap. Luckily, my copy lasted quite a while so I was able to pick it up this month and fall deeply in love.

From the very first page, I felt swept away into a wonderfully gothic and mysterious world, filled to the brim with spirits, high society, mystery, and Death himself. The author's writing is so atmospheric that I truly felt like I was walking the halls of Thorn Manor alongside Signa. I practically felt the chill of the air in the dark nights, and the warmth of the fire as they sat together. Besides just the amazing atmosphere that was built, the plot was steadily moving but still took its time to lay out all the pieces for the mystery. I was never bored one moment while reading this book, and with the pages woven with gothic vibes, it made the perfect story.

I must say I did not guess the major plot twist coming, though I saw pieces of the smaller ones. This was brilliantly done, to deter people away from the main mystery and bring about smaller ones through the course of the story. I also need the next book now!! That ending was so intense and I really need to know what happens.

Signa Farrow was a really great main character, and though at times she was a bit naive that never took away from the characterization she received. As the story went on she began to focus on becoming the person that she wanted to be, discovering the mysterious parts of herself, and helping those around her. I loved how she stood steadfast in her beliefs but was also adapt to situations to determine the best outcome for everybody. She has relentless compassion for everyone around her and an unflinching desire to help, something that I really value in characters. I cannot wait to see where the second book takes her on this journey of finding herself.

Death himself was also a very fun character to have in this story. At first I have to admit I wasn´t totally sold on him, he is a mass of shadows, haunts Signa´s life, and more but I really did end up enjoying him. One thing I appreciated was in most books the Death character is overly brooding, aggressive, or predatory for the sake of being romantic and powerful. Sometimes I'm just not in the mood to read that, and this delivered Death that was softer, empathetic, and serene. He let Signa view death from the perspective of being released, and never treated her as anything less than an equal. I really enjoyed his character and am excited to see more of him in the next book.

The romance in this book was also very fun to watch, there was slow burn, good chemistry, and the barest hint of enemies to lovers. While I was promised enemies to lovers pretty extensively, I didn't see as much as I had hoped was going to be in this book, it was almost very short lived. Luckily, my other favorite romance trope, slow burn, captivated Signa and Death for most of the book. It was really well written and while both of them took an interest in each other right away, it was good to see that it wasn't instant love.

The rest of the characters inside and outside of Thorn Manor were also very interesting. My favorite within the manor was probably Blythe, she was sharp with her tongue but underneath it, all was hiding grief alongside her own illness. The endearing relationship she eventually built with Signa was beautiful to see over time, especially as they grew to understand one another. Percy, Elijah, Marjorie, and Byron (as well as the ghosts) all made the manor feel more alive. There was enough distance between them and Signa that it made the manor feel daunting, which was important for the gothic aspect of the story.

[TW: death of parents, mass murder/poisoning, death of loved ones, mentions of child abuse, blood and gore, murder, vomit and serious sickness, poisoning, child endangerment]

I was not prepared for how much I would love this book! From start to finish, this book was fascinating. The story is fantastic, the characters well-written, the gothic atmosphere is swoon-worthy, and the mystery is fitting and keeps you interested. Highly recommend it if you’re looking for a quick, entertaining fantasy YA book with a mystery. Plus, gothic vibes.

Thank you to Netgalley & Publishers for allowing me access to an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Adayln Grace is quickly working her way up my favorite fantasy lists and BELLADONNA is truly the next best book of the genre. The Gothic atmosphere is perfect for the fall season, and the characters practically jump off the page and drag you into the story with them. Her writing has elevated with every book and BD feels so mature and like she really has found her niche with her writing voice.

I only adalyn grace could have me wanting to meet death

An excellent atmospheric YA fantasy.

I struggle a lot with YA fantasy these days, mostly because there isn’t much in the genre that’s new anymore and the sheer quantity of these types of books published has resulted in a significant dip in quality. Thus this one was a nice surprise, boasting a unique spin on old tropes, good writing, and an excellent sense of place.

This is a slow burn so be warned, though as a fan of gothic pacing I thought the structure and tempo were excellent. There’s a great eerie, increasing sense of menace with the spirits, the house, and Death himself as the plot unfolds, and there’s a lot of other lovely detail as well (who doesn’t love a ball? Who doesn’t love a Christmas scene?)

Though on a basic level most of the characters are genre archetypes, they’re notably well fleshed out and interesting, and manage to be likable without the grating earnestness that plagues a lot of lesser quality YA.

The plot itself is fun and intriguing, and it takes a long time to figure out who the killer is and what exactly is happening with the protagonist’s mysterious connection with death. The love story does have a touch of cringe to it and is a bit overwrought for my taste, but it doesn’t get too angsty and has some clever elements.

I was pleased to find a twist at the end of the book that was both an excellent choice for the plot and one that I didn’t guess ahead of time. It also went a long way toward, let’s say, correcting the one thing about the plot of this book that was bothering me.

I’ll eagerly await the next book in the Belladonna series.

Thank you Net Galley for a copy of Belladonna by Adalyn Grace. What a surprise of a book this was! Love love love! Can't wait for book 2.

The whole book is a vibe, from the gorgeous cover to the spooky gothic mystery. The premise was absolutely intriguing and the story did not disappoint. I could easily put myself into any of the characters places and, as a cozy mystery reader, the mystery was solid.

This book was beautifully written. The setting was atmospheric and moody and gorgeous. This book reminded me so much of the gothic suspense romances from the 70s of my mother's that I used to read as a teen, but it still felt modern, with a capable, independent heroine and a touch of magic to go with the mystery and suspense. The story kept me guessing and I felt connected to the characters. They all had their curiosities and charms. This book had everything I love in a novel: unpredictability, a great setting, and characters you want to discover more about.

This was my first read by this author but now I'm interested to see her other work and can't wait for more in this series, too!

Are you kidding me, this book was phenomenal. Unputdownable. The characters are a vibe. The story line flowed so well. I throughly enjoyed every detail.

"Stop worrying about society and playing its game, hoping that you'll be good enough. There is no such thing as true goodness there is only perception."⠀
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Adalyn Grace, Belladonna ⠀
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Belladonna by Adalyn Grace is one of my top reads of 2022! I adored this book from the first page and it just kept getting better. The story follows Signa, a wealthy young woman with an unnatural predisposition for bringing death with her wherever she goes. She loses yet another caretaker and travels to Thorn Grove to live with her last remaining relatives but is met with a house full of ghosts and secrets. With the help of a mysterious stable boy, Signa searches for answers to who killed the mistress of the home, and gets closer to death than she ever has before. ⠀
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Signa is one of my favorite character of the year. She's intelligent and curious and I love her experiments and knowledge of herbs and plants. She looks for the best in her circumstances, no matter how dire they get. Death is an amazing character as well. He's everything you want in a brooding, tall, dark and handsome lead. I love how his relationship with Signa develops through the story. This is an imaginative dark fantasy and I'm living for the whole aesthetic that Adalyn Grace paints. ⠀
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I'm proud of myself for finally getting around to reading Belladonna. I won't lie; it's been sitting on my TBR shelf, just staring at me. I loved the gothic ghost vibes this included. The characters have a way of grasping your attention as there is much depth and personality included with each. I enjoyed how the author was able to create such a compelling story about a family enraptured in dark history and the old manor that is full of spirits that peek around every corner. I allowed the reader to settle into the spooky setting of the story and be entranced with the world-building and descriptions.

I have nothing bad to say about this one! I give it four stars as a rating. It combines fantasy and mystery with a splash of gothic paranormal sides. I had high expectations going into reading this and had received an eARC, but it just wasn't keeping my undivided attention, and that is just a me problem. I definitely recommend you pick up this book if my review or others tickle your fancy even just a little.

This book was very pretty and I really enjoyed parts of it. It did feel slow at times, and I was bored from time to time, but the writing was so good that I didn't mind too much.

*eARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

The relationship between Death and Sigma is a little weird, especially since it starts when she was a literal infant. But it is cute...I think.

Everything seems so easy for Sigma. And while that works for some heroines, it was odd for her. I would have liked to see a bit more struggle.

I was not a fan of Grace's previous works, but I am so glad I gave this a shot. It is fantastic!

I wasn’t the biggest fan of this author’s other book, All the Stars and Teeth, so I was excited but wary going into Belladonna. It had many elements I usually love in a book, and I was hoping the book would at least be carried by those traits, even if I had similar issues with this book as I had with the author’s debut.

Honestly, I shouldn’t have been wary at all. I adored this book, and I feel like I almost enjoyed this book more because of how I’d doubted it at first. It was wonderful and beautiful and magical, and I both adored all the little pieces of this story and how it later came together as a whole too. I listened to the audiobook of this one, and I also loved how it was narrated. The narrator had such fantastic voices for everyone (especially Death), and was able to imbue even more emotion into the book, bringing to life what was already on the page.

This book hits the exact same notes as Stalking Jack the Ripper did for me. A core central romance that has a perfect level of tension, a murder mystery that the MC gets completely wrapped up in, and a strong MC to carry it all. However, Belladonna stands entirely on its own, with its own strong themes of family and familial grief and analysis of court politics and freedoms (or lack thereof) that women have within high society. While my favorite aspect of this book has to be the Death (both the romance between Signa and Death and the magical powers and realm that comes along with exploring Signa’s powers), I also loved the family aspects of this story as well. This book not only explores Signa’s loneliness and desire to fit somewhere, but also the complex family ties that exist at Thorn Grove manor, and the tragedies created by the web of secrets and lies there. It was an emotional and heart-wrenching book because of it, but I loved how it all was explored, especially in the latter half of the book. In the end, everything just flowed so well together, weaving together the afterlife and spirits, family history and grief, and the suspense and tension that comes with any good murder mystery.

I seriously can’t wait for the next book, Foxglove, and I can’t recommend this first book enough!

Review live on blog November 14

TLDR:

Belladonna is the first installment in a new YA Fantasy series from Adalyn Grace. She is best known for writing the All the Stars and Teeth duology.

Notable Elements:

Paranormal
Murder Mystery
Unlikely Allies
Intertwined Fates

Likes:

Perfect Protagonist — Signa is candid, sincere, and clever. As a young woman riddled with misfortune and naivety, she possesses an ideal foundation and capacity for meaningful, organic character development.

Unique Personification of Death — Death is coy, inquisitive, and deeply misunderstood. His recurring and unusually charming presence in Signa’s life is a fresh take on the looming, fearsome image we typically associate with Death.

Cinematic Plot Twist — The climax of this book is jaw-dropping, an expertly constructed and beautifully executed plot twist.

Dislikes:

Briefly Sluggish Middle — The pace of the book slows momentarily at the midpoint.

Final Thoughts:

This is the first book I’ve read by Adalyn Grace, and I loved it! I can’t wait to read the sequel, Foxglove, next year; I’ll have to go back and read All the Stars and Teeth soon.

Rating:

5.0/5.0

<b>ARC received in exchange for an honest review</b>

<b>DNF at 25%</b>

While I did like the premise of this a little bit more than <i>All the Stars and Teeth</i>, I still found the writing and characters to be exceptionally basic. I was really enjoying the beginning with the poison and meeting Death, and then it turned into another unremarkable YA romance. Sadly I won’t be picking up any Adalyn Grace books again.