Belladonna is a gothic fantasy romance/mystery featuring a heroine who can see Death as she tries to solve a murder and prevent another. It’s a perfect spooky season read for anyone who loves a strong heroine, haunting spirits, and beautiful but creepy manors. This book is technically YA, but it’s definitely dark fantasy and more upper YA than lower. There is some spice, though not a lot.

I really enjoyed the premise of the book, and thought the plot was well thought out and well executed. I loved the main characters and watching their relationships develop and evolve. The characters all felt realistic with their own faults, strengths, and secrets. I enjoyed the strong themes of upending the restrictive social structures placed on women, as well as the importance of finding out who you are.

I listened to an advanced copy of the audiobook, and really enjoyed it. The accents and inflection of all the characters was spot on, and really brought them to life. I particularly loved the deep and mysterious voice of Death, and the snappish attitude of Blithe.

Overall, I highly recommend this book and the audio to anyone remotely interested!

Signa Farrow can't die.

After losing her entire family and guests at a party as an infant, Signa faces Death for the first time. They cross paths many times again over the next few years as Signa has near-death experiences and guardian after guardian dies. When Signa loses yet another guardian, she is sent to live at Thorn Grove with the Hawthornes, the last of her living relatives

Upon her arrival at Thorn Grove, Signa learns that her cousin Blythe is ill with the same thing that took Blythe's mother. Signa begins to suspect foul play. As Signa investigates, she uncovers more secrets about the Hawthorne family and tries to navigate high society. After resisting Death's pleas, Signa finally decides that she cannot save Blythe by herself. The two team up and slowly uncover the secrets and fit all of the puzzle pieces together.

I can see why some reviewers see the relationship between Signa and Death as grooming, so I have to give a big content warning for that. I'm not sure I'm the best judge of whether or not it will be a triggering experience or not.

I adored the gothic horror atmosphere of the novel. It's the perfect book to pick up on a rainy fall day. I also think the characters were especially well written.

The twists were not all that twisty to me, but it didn't make the book any less enjoyable. The ending had me wanting the sequel ASAP.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio/Little, Brown Young Readers for giving me a digital audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

<b> <I> Thank you so much to Net Galley and to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of “Belladonna” by Adalyn Grace in exchange for an honest review. All of the following opinions are formulated on my own. Any quotes in this review should be cross-referenced with the final copy for any possible edits.</I> </b>

<b> Overall rating: </b> 1.5 out of 5 stars (rounded down)

<b> My favorite elements: </b> The setting is very atmospheric and I immediately created a dark picture of the scenery by the second chapter. I am very drawn to the gothic atmosphere and the idea of the plot. The UK cover is also so much more gorgeous than the US cover!! I think this would be great autumn read for some people.

<b> My criticisms: </b> The characters are incredibly two dimensional and by the time I was 25% through the book I began to ask myself, "Do I care about what happens to them?" And I really do not. The curse felt boring. I was just not invested in ANY of it. The writing itself was not particularly bad. The main character being touched by her love interest as a child <b> THREW ME OFF. THIS IS YA?! In a children's books?!?! THEN including sexual content with said character... </b>

<b> If you liked the following, you will probably like this book: </b>
<I>
- The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue
- The Book Thief
-
</I>

<b> Will I finish the series? </b> I will not be finishing this series unless I hear absolutely outstanding reviews of the next book. Even then, I am unsure of whether I would continue.

<b> Does it deserves the hype?: </b> I think some people would say that it does deserve the hype. I personally felt it was very dry like The Invisible Life of Addie La.

<b> Tropes: </b>
- Cursed Main Character
- Enemies to Lovers
- Hades/Persephone Inspired?
- Murder Mystery
- Gothic Inspired
- Death as a Character

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the audiobook arc!

I can see what the hype is about. I absolutely flew through this book 😭 I loved every second and of it. There are so many beautiful quotes in this! I love love LOVED the two main characters and the setting. And the storyline. Everything.

Think Bridgerton meets The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle meets Truly Devious meets Addie Larue... A combination of some of the best books out there. That's all you need to know.

The narrator also did an incredible job! She did some jaw dropping work (literally, my mouth fell open so many times!). 110% recommend this book.

Belladonna Audiobook by Adalyn Grace

Narrator: Kristin Atherton
Listening Time: 13 Hours, 14 Minutes
Publisher: Hachette Audio, Little Brown Young Readers

Fiction, Teen, Young Adult, Historical, Murder Mystery, Suspense, Paranormal, Dark Fantasy

Signa Farrow can defy death. The day she was born, everyone in the household died from poison. When Death came for her, he saw her future. For her entire life, death touched everyone close to Signa. She tried to kill herself by eating belladonna berries but instead of dying, she achieves an unliving state. In this state, she meets Death.

In this book, the killer uses belladonna to poison victims. Signa must find out who is poisoning and why. Of course, I love anything about Belladonna Atropa (Deadly Nightshade). This audiobook did not disappoint. The narrator was perfect for Signa, Death, and the other characters. It was fast paced, the characters were developed, and it was written in the third person point of view. For anyone interested in poison mysteries, or historic mysteries, you will enjoy this book.

I was hooked from page one. This book started off almost as a fairytale retelling when Signa is dramatically orphaned when everyone at the party but her dies. From then on it seems that everywhere Signa goes as she is passed from guardian to guardian - death closely follows. Then the story turns into a gothic mystery when her newest guardian Elijah Hawthorne is mourning his dead wife and his dying daughter. But why are the residents of Foxglove Manor being poisoned?

The plot was so unique and the setting was a perfect place for these characters. I liked that it was set back in the time of manors and courting. That added some really nice elements to the book that it couldn't have had otherwise. Each of the characters brought something to the story, which I enjoyed. I loved how the author had Death serve as a character.

This book has a bit of everything with elements of fantasy, YA, mystery, and gothic.

The narrator, Kristin Atherton, was great and embodied the main character perfectly. Her voices were perfect, especially her voice for Death.

The epilogue perfectly sets us up for book two, it left me wanting more. Belladonna publishes August 31 so be sure to preorder or keep an eye out for it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for an advanced reader audiobook copy of this book.

I finished this book in one day. It was extraordinary! Signa Fallow was orphaned as a baby. After her grandmother dies, Signa is taken in by string of guardians, each more interested in her wealth than her well-being, and one by one, they all perish. Her remaining relatives are the Hawthornes who live on a gloomy estate. Elijah Hawthorne is mourning his dead wife and ignoring the family business while his daughter seems to be dying from the same thing that took his beloved wife, Signa's cousin, Lillian. Lillian appears to Signa to point out that she was being poisoned. There's a mystery here that Signa must solve so that the family she has come to depend on don't come to a ruinous end. And Signa's connection to Death himself will come in handy in solving this mystery.
Oh, I need this to be a series so badly because THE ENDING! And how can Signa and Death be together?

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown for an e-arc of this novel.*

A beautiful piece of writing with a unique premise and a superb story build. This story was nothing that I expected, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

A gothic romance YA Fantasy! I absolutely loved this one. Fantasy can be very hit or miss for me and I loved all the themes in this one… Death as a character who is 🔥 the setting of Thorn Grove is what really won my attention it had the wealth yet spooky aspect just the atmosphere I crave in books. It had a bit of everything romance, betrayal, and Death! And the epilogue… will leave you wanting more!

While I enjoyed Belladonna a lot, it honestly didn't quite live up to the hype I've been reading about. I loved the murder mystery aspect, it had a great spooky/gothic atmosphere, but it just didn't wow me.
Our main character Signa is orphaned as a baby and is bounced around to relatives who keep dying. And she can see Death. So finally she is bounced to the Hawthornes who live at Thorn Grove. The mother has just died and the daughter is very ill. Signa then realizes that the mother (Lillian) was poisoned and the daughter (Blythe) is in the process of being poisoned. Signa decides that she will do anything and everything she can so Blythe can get well again.
First off, I want to say that I didn't enjoy Signa and Death's relationship. It just seemed icky to me and after reading some reviews, some people said it could potentially be seen as grooming. Despite that, in general it just lacked chemistry to me and honestly I didn't really like Death as a character.
I did like Signa and I also liked Blythe a lot although she is ill most of the book. Signa was a fighter who wanted to do the right thing
Like I said, I really liked the murder mystery aspect of this book, and while that wasn't the whole plot it was a lot of the plot. It was fun to follow along with Signa as she tried to figure out who had poisoned Lillian. I wasn't really expecting who the killer was and the reason behind it was something I was not expecting either, but I did really enjoy the ending. It seemed all nicely wrapped up and then we are hit with the epilogue that perfectly leads into the next book.
The narrator did a wonderful job. I thought her voice went really well with the story and I felt she did Signa justice. She also narrated the other characters wonderfully.

“For you, this world could be infinite”

Since birth, Signa has been unable to die but the people around her can’t seem to stay alive. They think she’s a witch or cursed by Death. Either way she intends to confront death and find her answers before anyone else can die.

Plot: 4/5
The arc of this plot, built around a mysterious murder is beautifully crafted. I always seem to sleep on mystery plots but I’ve never been let down by one. I stayed completely engaged every single second. The twists were really well crafted but it didn’t feel very in character for the person whodunnit. We saw glimpses but it was slightly unbelievable for them to have such a break in character. Still plausible but I had doubts.

Characters: 5/5
I adore Signa as a character. She’s had a completely unique life experience and wants nothing more than a normal one. But she knows almost nothing about how to act in normal situations. She has a bravery that she is unaware of most of the time. And her curiosity is beyond relatable.
And death. Death *chefs kiss* what an absolutely perfectly written character. I was laughing out loud at his sarcasm and sense of humor.
All of the side characters had so much depth. They could easily stand on their own.

Writing: 5/5
Grace’s writing is hauntingly beautiful and she uses the perfect amount of foreshadowing in 3rd person omniscient. The suspense is built so well. I’m eager to read more by Adalyn Grace to see if her writing is always this great!

World building: 4/5
This world is the perfect mix of Victorian and fantastical. Outside of the spirits and Death himself, the world is historical. I don’t know the details of the society to tell you how accurate it is but nothing felt out of place. I would have liked to hear more about what was happening in the world around to help place the time period more. But the world outside doesn’t affect the plot much at all so I get why it wasn’t mentioned.

Overall: 4/5

The narration was so great and overall I loved this book. I can’t wait to see it on shelves!

Are you looking to fill your fall TBR? Make sure Belladonna is on the list.

Romantic, spooky and riddled with suspense, Belladonna will keep you on your toes in the very best way. This novel transcends the traditional boundaries of genres and merges elements of the fantasy, murder-mystery, historical fiction and gothic horror genres in a way that works so well.

The plot:
- Not too predictable
- Kept me coming back for more
- Complex but not confusing

The Characters:
- All of the characters were well-developed and intriguing
- Could never fully trust anyone, which made it so fun to try and solve the murder.

The Romance:
- Top tier
- Think Luc from Addie LaRue
- The tension *chefs kiss*

The Writing:
- I really enjoyed Grace's writing style in this novel. I found myself highlighting quite a few passages that I just knew I was going to need to be able to find again later.

Finally, I think my favorite thing about this book was seeing how much Adalyn Grace has grown in recent years. I enjoyed All the Stars and Teeth, but I didn't love it. I did, however, love Belladonna. I definitely believe Grace's writing has developed and gotten stronger in the last few years and I can't wait to see what she can do next.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Little, Brown Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.

After reading Grace's All the Stars and Teeth duology, and now BELLADONNA, I am thoroughly convinced that she is a master a writing boys in YA books to pine over. Do I prefer Death or Bastian? I don't think I can choose between them!

In this series, Grace introduces readers to Signa as she approaches her twentieth birthday, who has had the unlucky experience of being orphaned as an infant and passed around from one relative to the other. Why was she orphaned? Everyone at Foxglove Manor (including her parents) were poisoned... and so was Signa, yet the poison didn't kill her, in fact it doesn't seem like anything could kill her like a normal human. Rather it set a course for her life where Death was always around, and as she grew up, she spoke with him... and learned how to call him by using poisonous berries. Now as a ward of her last familial connection, Signa is tired of Death (and death) following her wherever she goes, so when she discovers that someone is poisoning her cousin at Thorn Grove, she is determined to stop it before it's too late. With the help of the snarky, but handsome stable boy, and with Death himself, Signa is on a race against time to put all the pieces together to save the Hawthorne's... if she can only figure out who is doing the poisoning and why.

I thought the mystery was interesting, I loved the setting at Thorn Grove, and while I had put some of the pieces together, I had not figured it all out by the time Grace gives readers the reveal so that was fun. I LOVED who Silas turned out to be, that was a delightful twist! And it was great to see Signa start to come into her own and accept this unique situation she has been given with being a human that has powers of a reaper... and also having her face the consequences of playing with other people's lives.

And that ending! The second book in this series cannot come out soon enough but I HAVE to know what happens next! Grace has quickly become a must-read author for me.

Kristin Atherton does a phenomenal job with the audiobook performance (I loved the voice she used for Death) and Grace's prose lends well to consuming BELLADONNA as an audiobook. It adds to the Gothic novel feel of this book.

Obsessed! I loved everything about Belladonna. I was hooked from page one and I never wanted to stop listening. I needed to know what was going to happen. This book is the perfect mix of historical, romance and murder mystery. Add in some ghosts & cozy vibes and you have the book of my dreams!

The characters were fabulous! I loved how curious and determined Signa was. Her journey of self acceptance was beautiful. Death was dark and mysterious. I honestly couldn’t get enough of him. Their relationship was so intriguing. They actually have a lot in common and I really enjoyed seeing them navigate that!

The murder mystery had me invested. It was fun trying to put all the pieces together. I had my guesses but I was very wrong! Didn’t see that reveal coming! Also the ending? I love a cliffhanger, but the wait for book two is going to be torture. I cannot wait to see what happens!

I’m so happy that I went the audiobook route! It was great. The narrator did a fantastic job making this book even spookier!