This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and that can be a double edge sword, high expectations can end disastrous. Belladonna met every single one and has become a new favorite.

One of my favorite tropes is maiden and death dynamics. I find the concept of Death personified fascinating, though I often object to how it's depicted. Belladonna does it such justice, treating Death more as a duty rather than a villain who finds joy in reaping. I really adore this Death, the way it speaks about his job and the afterlife was enchanting. It offered such a fresh view of Death I don't often see in media. As a character, I really enjoyed how Signa pushes so strongly against it.

Signa is such an interesting character, the journey she goes on to accept her abilities and fate is so well done. The care she has for those she meets, especially the family she craves.

The murder-mystery element is also very well done. I read them so rarely, but I found myself enamored with trying to figure it out. There were several twists I did not see coming at all. The foreshadowing was there, but the author did such a good job throwing off the scent that while I got in the ballpark, I did not guess the ending at all.

I cannot wait for the next installment in this story!

The book sounds good but unfortunately i have to DNF this one, it’s too dark and gothic for my taste.

Death has always haunted Signa’s life. Now at the age of 19, she is once again sent to a new relation at the mysterious and ghostly manor, Thorn Grove. Grieving the death of the lady of the house, the Hawthorne family is struggling to prosper but sending mixed signals. Mr. Hawthrone is neglecting the family owned club yet partying through the evening while his son pleads for responsibility and his daughter is sick with a surprisingly familiar disease. With Death incarnate as a new ally, Signa is determined to rid this family of their troubles while also preparing to enter society and build a life for herself.

Immensely atmospheric, this gothic young adult novel is perfect if you are in the mood for a spooky read! I loved the narration and the macabre backdrop of this mystery got better with each chapter. While slightly slow, I grew to love the pacing and the relationships between Signa, her family, the stable boy assisting her search, and of course Death - a delightful companion. The ending PERFECTLY sets up book two!

Thank you to Netgalley, Hachette Audio, Little, Brown Young Readers, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book! Belladonna is available now!

I LOVVVVEEEEED this! OMG, this story was ahhhhhh! I don't have the words. The world building, the MC's, the plot, everything! And I need to rave over the narrator! I started this book out in ebook format, then switched to audiobook at about 20%, and wow! The narrator totally brings Death to life, lol. Her voice for Death gave me goosebumps! His character- just swoon! I thought this was a standalone, and apparently there's a second book out next year, but the ending was nice and clean, so though there's somewhat of a cliffhanger, it's not the kind that makes you want to chuck the book across the room :) I'm totally happy with this story and will be adding to my 'worth reading again' folder :) Also, dyingggg to get the next story, lol..

I bought myself and my bff a copy and will be writing reviews on goodreads, amazon, and posting on my bookstagram.

I don't usually listen to audiobooks but I was really immersed into this story! All I knew going in was that death would be a key player and not much else, but I sure was surprised at all the plot twists. Although the story felt like it kept wrapping up at around the 80% mark, I found that there were still open ends to close up so I kept wondering where the epilogue was. The story as a whole, with the character developments and storyline, was satisfying and I'm quite pleased with where Signa ended up. This is not my first Adalyn Grace book, but the first of hers that I've truly enjoyed. The gothic atmosphere, death as a vibe, and murder mystery was well portrayed in this story.

The narrator was fun and sassy, and I enjoyed her different portrayals of each character. They were all incredibly distinct and therefore easy to keep up with.

I had a really hard time following this book. The audiobook narrator felt very monotone and I think that along with the story really didn't work for me. I felt bad as it is the book club pick for Barnes and Noble and this book is stunning. But I really didn't enjoy it. I won't be picking up the sequel and maybe not anything else by this author.

I wanted something to get me into the Halloween season and this was just on the cusp of witchy. A secret garden retelling with a murder mystery and Death as a character? Count me in!

There were a couple things dropped casually into the book that didn’t seem to fit, things I thought were hints that ended up not being fleshed out that I thought maybe should have been taken out because they didn’t make sense, but I can’t say what those were without spoiling who the murdered isn’t, which would give you too much of a hint as to who it is. Everyone of course is a suspect, and I very much enjoyed that.

Not really spoiler or central to the plot at all, but we never find out why her mother was poisoned and that seems to be a massive plot hole. So many poisonings in this book, I kind of thought they’d somehow be tied together. That felt like lost potential to me to turn this from a 4 star read to a 5.

Either way, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and the ending still surprised me, so I’d definitely read a second if there is going to be one!

I feel like this book had a lot of potential, it was just so slow in my opinion. It took about half of the book to even pick up into the main plot and even then it continued to drag on. While I enjoyed the *idea* of the story, I can't say I particularly enjoyed the execution.

Wow. This was good. I’m so sad I finished it already! I want more! Everything about this book was fantastic. The setting, the romance, the mystery… I simply adored it. I did the audio version and I loved the narrator so much I plan to search for other books she narrated. Do yourself a favor and move this to the top of your list. You won’t be disappointed.

Oh. Damn. I was not expecting this beautiful book to be…as incredible as it was. Mysterious, paranormal, fantastical.

This book served up everything I could ask for: a bold female lead, a death shrouded in mystery, and a connection that should be, by all accounts, forbidden. But boy did I root for this one!

Romance achieved!!!

The author excellently crafted this novel. The spooky gothic vibes of this book was absolutely immaculate. The mystery kept me engaged, and I didn’t see the ending.

However, I felt that the “hatred” between Death and Sygna lasted FAR to long. It was really annoying that she still thought Death was out to get her, half way though the book. Like girl, the people around you died cause it was there time, not cause Death hates you. But otherwise, that was my only main issue with the book. I really enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone looking for a spooky time.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audio book in exchange for my review!

What an amazing book! I absolutely loved the mystery and the ending.. Yesss!
I was so hoping for it to go that way. Finally a book that gives you what you really want and not just a clean version.
I did not expect who the "bad" person was and I love being surprised by that!
There was something else that I was expecting for a while and I was right about that though! But also liked it! Because I wanted to be right!
This was actually my first audio book ever, provided by Netgalley and I will definitely be looking for more audiobooks!

Belladonna turns the dark and macabre and finds romance and compassion. Death is far kinder than sany of the living are to the main character.
Her journey to her own empowerment is fraught. Abuse, death, murder, love, and a bit of sleuthing have made an indelible mark on her psyche; it's an interesting and sometimes seductive journey.

Just finished and wow.

This is a whodunnit mystery where I was constantly wondering who the murderer was and I really was second guessing every character. Then there’s the elements of our MC who could see the ghosts that hadn’t passed onto the next life and her encounters with Death. And can we talk about Death?? He was the perfect gentleman. I kept thinking about Meet Joe Black throughout the whole of the book because it’s the only experience I’ve had with Death being a character (okay, besides the Tales of Beedle the Barb 😂) and I think I like thinking Death is played by a young Brad Pitt. Anyways. Then we have Silas and oh boy, I’m here for him too.

This book takes place in I believe England (I never did find clarification on that, I might’ve missed it since I listened to the audiobook) in the 1850s. There’s your typical dance cards, preparing for the Season, gentleman clubs (like Whites), gossip, at times I felt as though I was reading your typical upper class Victorian novel. The. You have the paranormal and somewhat fantasy like scenes that take you out of that Victorian England feel.

I haven’t read a book like it before. It could be my small range of genres, but it was so unique for me! I enjoyed it immensely and am looking forward to the next release!

*thank you to Netgalley for a copy of the audiobook, these thoughts are my own.

**open door, vague and short. Can’t remember if there’s language at all, it would be very minimal since I just finished it and nothing stands out to me.

Was absolutely sucked into this with the first chapter. Got me like song of the forever rains with the into being a child surrounded by death but never touched by it. Like alright! Let's do this!!!

After her parents death she's passed around in a very series of unfortunate events style with everyone dying and then her being shipped off to another family that is just in it for the lump some of money that comes with her. Until she ends up at home of her last blood relative. Where she meets her 2 cousins and their father while they are grieving the loss of their wife and mother, her aunt.

When our main character arrives she immediately believes there was foul play, and with the help of death she will try to save the lives of her remaining family.

I was trying to finish this one by publication date, but I discovered pretty quickly that rushing would be a huge injustice to this poignant book, and so I slowed down to spend more time with Signa and Death— and I am so happy I did.

What’s it about?
Signa is born cursed by death, some might say. After all, after her parents die and she’s passed from caretaker to caretaker, and death finds them all. But Signa can’t die. And it’s in the moments where death meets life that Signa comes to know Death himself.

When Signa is taken in as a ward to a wealthy cousin’s family, she and Death form a bond as she learns that she can tap into his power. And it’s more important than ever as her new family members are poisoned by belladonna and Signa is desperate to find the murderer…

My take:
From the outset, I expected a dark, YA, supernatural romp full of poison. What I didn’t expect was this novel to be so painfully beautiful and to love Death so very much. He reminds me of Neil Gaiman’s version of Death and Dream in The Sandman — discovering a sense of humanity through his interactions with Signa.

I am utterly smitten with this dark, gothic tale with an unlikely heroine. And while at times I questioned all the plot points, the way they drew together at the end is nothing short of brilliant.

This book is not at all what I expected. It’s so so so much more.

In the audiobook, Kristin Atherton slays it. I want to listen to everything she’s ever narrated.

There also seems to be a set up for a sequel and I really hope that’s the case! I’d buy it in an instant.

• Death
• Historical Romance
• Family

Signa is a teen girl, with a large inheritance, who is visited by death throughout her life, but never dies. Everyone she moves in with ends up dead, leaving her lonely. One day, Silas comes and picks up Signa to take her to her new relatives, the Hawthornes. The father is in constant mourning of his late wife, his son is busy worried about the family’s reputation, and his daughter has an illness that is resembling how her mother died. Signa starts seeing the matriarch’s ghost and expects foul play. To solve her murder, she needs to team up with Death. Will they be able to figure out the murder in time to save the daughter?

It's an interesting read. It did take me a minute to put ideas together, but the twists were well worth it! Throughout, you could just tell how much Death loved Signa. Kristin Atherton’s voice for Death was perfection. I cannot wait for “Foxglove” to come out Spring 2023!

#Belladonna #AdalynGrace #KristinAtherton #NetGalley #HachetteAudio #LittleBrownYoungReaders #ARC #AudioARC #BookReview

<i>Thank you to Adalyn Grace, Kristin Atherton, Hachette Audio, and Little Brown Young Reader for the Audio ARC in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.<i>

If you’re a fan of Meet Joe Black coupled with gothic vibes then this one is for you!

I adored Signa as a character. She’s stubborn and persistent even though she’s intimately familiar with abandonment and loss of loved ones. Signa can also see spirits, but once she accepts the power she has, her true potential shines.

I loved the side characters especially, especially death! There was just so much snark and banter.

This is the perfect book to kick off spooky season with.

This book was phenomenal! If you liked Addie LaRue (and were team Luc, like me) you'll LOVE this book. If you like Victorian era mystery and romance, you'll love this book. If you liked the Book Thief and love Death as a character, this book is everything!

Signa's character is so interesting, I loved how her desires mature and change throughout the story and most of all I am obsessed with Death as a love interest. This audio, with the super sexy gravely Death voice calling her "little bird," 🤤! Their moments together are beautiful. It's satisfying, it's exciting, it's sexy, it's mysterious. There are twists and with all the interesting characters we've met I can't wait to see where the story goes in the future. I'm officially a Belladonna fan!

Mystery Genre:
Belladonna is an example of what a mystery book should be. I haven't read a book in that genre this amazing for a while now. I audibly gasped at some of the reveals and I genuinely couldn't guess what was going to happen. Pretty much all my theories were wrong.

Narrator:
This audiobook is beautiful. The narrator, Kristen, was the perfect fit. Her storytelling was so compelling, fitting the atmosphere of Belladonna very well. Hands down the best audiobook I've ever listened to. Kristen's ability to audibly separate the character's voices is amazing. I feel she captured the essence of each character beautifully.

Writing:
Such beautiful descriptions and flowery writing. Kept me hooked the entire way. The pacing was perfect although it felt a bit slow at times due to the slowness of speaking in the audiobook.

Friendships:
Blithe and Signa were my favourite friendship in this book. The way they loved and cared for one another was so remarkable.

Signa:
Signa is a beautiful character. She cares so deeply and is very honourable in spite of how she has been treated her whole life. I really love Signa and enjoyed having her as the protagonist.

Comparisons to other books:
Belladonna really gives me House Of Salt And Sorrows X The Invisible Life Of Addie La Rue vibes. For example, the relationship between Death and Signa is comparable to Luc and Addie. They have a similar dynamic, except Death and Signa were 1000 times better. Death and Signa were what Addie and Luc could have been if Luc was a better person. Also, House Of Salt And Sorrows reminds me of Belladonna due to the setting, atmospherics and some elements of the plot. If you liked either of these books, you are sure to enjoy Belladonna even more.

Notable Quotes:
“I’m not your enemy”
“Not my enemy? You are a perpetual cloud upon my existence.” - Death and Signa

"Why is it you are so polite to others, so demure and soft and yet so bullish when we speak? Ask me kindly Signa Farrow." - Death

Overall:
All the elements of this book combine so well together to make an amazing immersive experience. From the narrator to the descriptive pretty writing to the mystery, characters and romance. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in a phenomenal mystery x paranormal x romance novel. And thank you Netgalley and Hachette Audio for allowing me to listen to this Arc, I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience.