I finished this book about one month ago and I have been struggling to put into words how much I loved it! I think this was the first time I've read the Death and a Maiden trope- at least I can't think of any others right now. I read this book in one sitting, and when I finished it, I wanted to go back and read it again; and I guess I did by listening to the audio book!

Signa Farrow's family is very well off, but Signa has been surrounded by death her entire life. First her parents when she was 2 months old, then her loving grandmother, and from there, most of her relatives that only agreed to care for her as they received a large portion of her inheritance for caring for her. After he aunt passed away suddenly, Signa is sent to live with the Hawthorns. The matriarch of the Hawthorns recently died of an unknown illness, and now her daughter is experiencing the same symptoms. Signa decides she is going to figure out the cause for the sickness before it takes the daughter.

I was so attached to Signa and the other characters I could not put this book down until I got all the answers I was looking for. There were a couple of plot twists I did not see coming that I really enjoyed and that added to the story in the best way possible. All I can say is I cant wait for the sequel, Foxglove!

This is my very first book from Adalyn Grace. I will admit I am very surprised with how I ended up enjoying this read. It’s a gothic feeling. The first thing is the prologue; I will admit this is the first prologue in the many books I’ve read that really kept me hooked. Death is a really big thing in this book as in the girl can see Death. The thing is the girl who can see Death is cursed, she hates him. Our main character, Signa is great. She is the one who can see Death. I fairly enjoyed her wit she presented. This is a book that is destined to have a second book coming but honestly I can say it also gives the vibes of a stand alone. This is a book of romance, with a feeling of mystery and darkness. I loved the description that allowed me to be able to picture everything as I read it. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchanged of an honest review.

What a dark rollercoaster, I loved it.
Belladonna, Belladonna, Belladonna. Where have you been??

I love the dark gothic quality of this YA novel, weaving in so many wonderful characters. I guessed a couple of things (YES!! AMAZING!!!) and some other things I had no idea. The ending is incredibly satisfying and it leaves it open and cliffhanger-y, but still feeling wrapped up.

Signa is the heroine we needed. I love how she wants to be a part of something. All of her life she was on the outside, mostly unloved or loved for the wrong reasons (her fortune). I love that she really desired to fit in, she really wanted friends, she really wanted a home and a family. And when those things didn’t work out, she grew stronger and became, more herself, realizing who she is and what is most important to her. I love that she changed so much in the book and her journey was very satisfying.

Death is… well, sorry but kinda dreamy. I’ll admit at first I was a little taken aback. He sounded almost too human with his humor and phrases, but as the book went on, I liked him more. His personality came through and it didn’t bother me anymore.

And there’s the stable boy and her cousin Percy and …. I don’t want to go into it but every character was well drawn and intriguing. The supporting cast really did help bring depth to the world, and added an intense layer of urgency and dread.

The action really began once Signa arrived at Thorn Grove, but I’ll admit that I was glued to the page even after the Prologue. What a way to start a book. And as Signa finally arrives at Thorn Grove, I was already invested in her character and her relationship with death and ghosts. Adding this new family and new secrets really kept the plot moving.
That said, it wasn’t a page turner and I loved that. It was slow and dark and had more mystery to it. The tone was perfect, balancing between a murder mystery and paranormal love story that never got too submerged in either.

I cannot wait till the sequel!

“Do not change the parts of yourself that you like to make others comfortable. Do not try to mold yourself to fit the standards someone else has set for us.” - Adalyn Grace

Finished this book last night after staying up until.. well, who knows what time but the point is I binge read this book and I could not get enough of it and it was the best freaking book to start fall with.

This was for sure one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it was SO worth the wait. Now, I didn’t know that there was a sequel to this book but I already need it now. 😭 Especially after the cliffhanger in Belladonna.. Signa was such a wonderful character to read and with the intriguing death like powers she seemed to have.. well, the sequel to this book will for sure be my most anticipated read now!

What a ride! This novel was quite the adventure. I love the world building, it was set up so nicely and had just the right amount of details to not overwhelm. The characters were so good. Signa was fantastic, I loved her inner dialogs and her interactions with people. The further the storyline continued and the more of her magic we got to see the more invested I became. All of the characters had their parts to play and contributed immensely to the flow of the story and I loved each of them in their own ways. I really was invested in Death and his role in everything. I found his personality to be charming and warm. What I loved the most about this story was the twists, this fantastical whodunit was everything. Every time I thought I had a grip on what was going to happen, bam something would happen and I would be thrown back into having no idea. And the ending!! I cannot wait for book two I have to know what is next for Death and Signa!

if you support grooming this book is perfect for you
the mystery drags, the high society bits are useless, and the whole book feels like a bunch of disjointed short scenes the author thought would be good together
half the time signa is too horny to even concentrate on anything happening - which btw why is this book ya if there are multiple sex scenes
the actual relationship is a love triangle between a stable boy and death himself, which turns out to be just death masquerading as a stable boy (ew wtf)
it is the most disgusting thing because this girl is NINETEEN, death has been WATCHING HER SINCE BIRTH, and death is - mmm let's think - MILLENIA OLD
get that nasty disgusting grooming power imbalance away from here
and the author herself seems to be completely unsure of what she wants death to even be in the book?
idk the whole story is plodding, the mystery is predictable, and the ending is sososo bad - this girl is so stupid i honestly don't understand how she managed to get enough brain cells to solve one murder, let alone TWO
authors stop being afraid of new adult challenge

Honestly, after having adored Adalyn Grace's previous series, this one is a bit of a let down. It feels not as put together and a bit looser when it comes to the story-telling elements. That being said there is another book and I have faith she can pull it back.

Everywhere Signa goes, Death follows.

What if the only way to conquer Death is to confront him?

And what if confronting him isn't as deadly as it may seem?

Belladonna is a captivating, thrilling and chilling read that will leave you wanting more. Not all characters are likable, and that's the point. Some characters don't win. Some do, but shouldn't.

Full of breathtaking imagery, intense action, and unexpected twists at every turn, this book is not what you're expecting - and that's a good thing.

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace was a book that I was really looking forward to reading, but unfortunately I found that it just wasn’t holding my interest. I am definitely going to go back and try it again as everyone else seems to haves loved it.

This book was one of the best young adult fantasy books I’ve read in a long time. The concept of Death following Signa Farrow all her life was so interesting to me. It was full of lush writing, dreamy characters, and mystery. Signa Farrow is unable to die. She can resist poison and is followed by Death wherever she goes. When she goes to stay with the Hawthorne family, both Death and a mystery are waiting for her.

I loved the journey she took throughout the course of this book! And I cannot wait for the sequel!

This was the first book I read by Adalyn Grace and it won't be my last, I will definitely pick up her other series very soon. I fell in love with Signa and Death right away and their banter. I love a book with good banter. This wasn’t instant love and wasn’t a slow burn to me. I think the speed they developed the relationship was perfect, it also showed Signa’s apprehension with it. It was the cover and synopsis that drew me in, and this book didn’t disappoint me. The murder mystery had me hooked and kept me entertained. The bam the cliffhanger had me wanting more, now I need the next book ASAP.



Thank you Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for letting me read and review this.

I'm a real sucker for gothic stories. Everything is so deliciously grim and atmospheric. I will also admit I am a huge sucker specifically for gothic settings + romance which this book has in spades. Signa and her relationship with Death is absolutely swoon worthy and kept me furiously turning pages until the very end. The voice of the story, the setting, the characters and the plot all meld together into a confection of darkness with just the right touch of hopefulness. There is another book coming but the ending is satisfying on its own without being frustrating while leaving an opening for more stories. I absolutely loved this.

I really enjoyed this book! The mansion was super atmospheric and had me wanting to curl up under a blanket while reading, even though we're going through another heat wave! I was squeeing as the romance developed. Found myself rooting for Signa while she started accepting her power! I also loved Signa learning to care about and fight for her new family members after being alone for so long! The side characters were all relatively well developed and I even found myself caring for some of the mansion's resident spirits! I am excited to see what mystery Signa sets out to solve in future adventures!

Very good book I was hooked instantly and read it all the way through. I love victorian times and high society, I love poisons, and mysteries, I love magical realism, and the supernatural, but I don't love series because I hate waiting for the rest of the story. Luckily for Adalyn Grace I didn't realize this would be a series until the end of the book and I hope I don't have to wait too long for the next one.

"It's said that 5 belladonna berries is all it takes to kill someone."

Oh my goodness this book! The cover is gorgeous and what initially drew me in, but the synopsis was very interesting as well. The story itself was deliciously dark and grim, while also holding onto a distant hopefulness that Signa will find where she belongs.

Signa can see spirits and Death. She believes that Death is the cause of all the misfortunes in her life. She was orphaned as a baby and has been passed around caretakers after her grandmother's death. So many have died from unforeseen circumstances that she's gains a reputation for being a curse or a witch. Which may be true because she is immune to killing power of belladonna. She only has to hold out a few more months until she turns 20 and inherits her family estate and fortune. Because of this, she's grown cold and keeps her distance from people. Her current caregiver, Aunt Margery dies as well and she's off to live with another relation, the Hawthornes.

Once there she learns that Lillian Hawthorne is dead and haunting the family when she sees her ghost in the house. She is told her death was not a natural sickness, but a murder. Signa tries her best to find out what happened to Lillian, why it's also happening to her daughter Blythe, find her place in Thorn Grove, find out who she is, what she wants, and why she has a connection to Death.

We follow Signa through her journey of bonding with a family who learns to accept her, learns their secrets and helps them in return, and who and what Death truly is to her. The combination of Fantasy, Mystery, and a touch of Gothic blended marvelously well in this upper YA novel. I enjoyed Signa as a character and her being 19 made her more mature, but also incredibly sheltered from "proper society" and constantly trying to find where she fits into it all. I thoroughly enjoyed it and CANNOT wait for book 2!!


"Do not change the parts of yourself that you like to make others comfortable. Do not try to mold yourself to fit the standards someone else has set for us." -Blythe Hawthorne

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.

Words can't express my love for this book. The imagination that was poured into the pages paired with the gothic witchy apothecary vibes was *chef's kiss*. Sometimes with a YA it can be tough to appeal to a broad audience but this story accomplished such a balance with the writing style and complexity that I think most would enjoy it.

We follow Signa Farrow, aka the cursed orphan, as she teams up with Death to save her found family before it's too late. Grace delivers complex characters with epic banter, a gothic mansion complete with ghosts, a killer on the lose, and a mystery that needs solving.

Huge thanks to NetGalley nd Little Brown Books for Young Readers for the review copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for the ARC of Belladonna.

Belladonna is everything I was hoping it would be. - beautifully gothic paranormal fantasy. I love a Death and Maiden trope. The banter between Signa and Death was everything I hoped for. I cannot wait to read more in this series.

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace is so good! Grace does such an amazing job with this book. Death follows Signa Farrow around everywhere. She doesn’t understand why. She just wants to survive and have a family. Then Signa ends up at Thorn Grove where her aunt passed away before she arrived and her cousin is sick. Signa ends up meeting the spirit of Lillian, her late aunt, and she knows something is not right with this mysterious illness that Lillian passed away from and Blythe being sick from the same illness.

I really enjoyed how this mystery played out. Signa is such a delight. I really enjoyed this book. Death being a love interest was so fascinating. I really enjoyed Death’s characters. This is a really great book that is so lyrically written. I really can’t wait for the sequel!

It was a really interesting concept and the writing was really good. There were some things I suspected, but as a whole not entirely predictable. I like how the ending sets up for the next book without being unsatisfying. I do feel like there were relatively few characters and wish there could have been more, but I understand that it worked for the story. I still have some unanswered questions, like what the heck happened at her parents party. Like who poisoned a whole household, party-goers and staff alike, and no one ever mentions it or questions it????? (not a spoiler, happened in the prologue.) I am so curious about that and hope the author will address it in the next book. Also find it a bit creepy that one of her love interests literally has watched her grow up, knew her as a baby, etc. I get the whole YA trope where the guy is always like a thousand years old or whatnot, but I'd personally like to see less of that. Overall a pretty decent book though.