This book was simply amazing and entertaining to read. The story of a girl who could not die, but Death follows her throughout her life. Following Signa and the progression of her relationship with Death over her journey was very well written. The pace was well set, I didn’t find myself bored or rushing through the story. I enjoyed the twist of Sylas at the end, it was not what I was expecting. The ending surely had me hooked and I can’t wait to continue this story.

A young woman, Signa, is able to escape her own death and yet cannot evade death entirely. Death follows her, and she can speak to spirits who have not yet passed on. Passed from home to home, Signa finally lands at Thorn Grove, where her aspirations to join society and become part of a family are threatened by an unsolved murder that literally haunts the estate. Aided by a cast of not-so-trustworthy yet fun characters—including Death himself—Signa attempts to understand the past before it can repeat itself.

Such a fabulous gothic novel!! I loved how atmospheric this story is. The prose reads like a dark fairy tale, and some moments were so creepy. If this were ever made into a movie, some scenes would be horrifying.

Furthermore, I really enjoyed the mystery. Everyone felt like a suspect, adding to the paranoid, dark atmosphere. Trying to solve the mystery alongside Signa was delightful. There’s a nice balance of surprise and moments where I could feel satisfaction at guessing a twist correctly.

I lowered my rating because the romance has some spoiler-related points that I wasn’t a fan of and felt underdeveloped. But I don’t want to deduct too much because this is a complete, satisfying story even if there was zero romance.

The ending was rewarding—although there’s a cliffhanger, which I usually dislike, this book at least wraps up the main plotline. And I will definitely be reading the sequel when it comes out.

A couple final notes—the bits of unexpected humor brought nice balance to the story. And the book mentions scones often and subtly enough that before I finished reading, I ended up baking scones.

This novel would be perfect for late-night reading—especially around Halloween. Definitely would recommend if you enjoy some gothic lit and eerie tales!

Book received for free through NetGalley

Yet another incredible book. I completely enjoyed reading it and the characters gripped me immediately and made it hard to put the book down. Can’t wait to continue the story if there’s a follow up.

If you love a solid mystery with epic plot twists and a slow-burn romance steamy enough to fog your glasses, look no further. The concept of Belladonna is unique with characters both distinct and swoon-worthy. (I will jump in front of a train for Blythe.)

I loved Signa for her insecurities about where she fits in the world of the living as well as her courage to protect the shakey foothold she has in it. Her relationship with Death, who makes shadows look hot, is at times fun, suspenseful, heartbreaking, and sexy.

I enjoyed discovering the motivations of those Signa met along the way. I didn't anticipate some of the twists at the end, which I found delightfully surprising and refreshing.

That said, there's a moment that felt a bit repetitive. Signa's decision to either embrace or not embrace those parts of her she's feared/those tied to her emotional wound. She seems to have this grand moment three times, which pulled me out of an otherwise well-crafted world and fast-paced story. I also had trouble believing doctors couldn't identify the illness afflicting Thorn Grove, which caused me to suspend disbelief more than I'd like.

That said, I will read this story again for Signa, Death, Sylas, and the Hawthornes and look forward to the sequel. Thanks to NetGalley for this arc. What a fun read!

This book has equal parts mystery, romance, fantasy, and paranormal. I really enjoyed the romance with Death concept. I have never read a book like this before. The author's writing was really beautiful and really made this book an easy page turner, because I was eager to find out what would happen next. I took off one star because I was able to guess a couple of the plot twists before they happened. Overall, a great read. Already excited to read the sequel, Foxglove.

Oh, I enjoyed this one so much! I wasn't ready for this to end - I wanted to know what happened but I wanted to stay in this world just a little bit more. Hoping for a book 2!! Its like a new adult, gothic, romantic version of the Secret Garden. And I loved the Secret Garden as a kid, so this version gave me all sorts of wanting to curl up by a fire and devour this in one sitting - feels. Oh - and the whodunit kept me guessing. I appreciate that I could not guess the ending!

Thanks NetGalley for the read!!

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace is a young adult Gothic themed novel. This is an intriguing story with a creepy atmosphere that triggers heightened emotion. Adalyn Grace is known for taking readers into a world of betrayal and rich settings with romance sprinkled in. Belladona is Grace's first book in the series. The sequel, Foxglove (Belladonna #2) will be available in 2023.

Belladonna's target audience is 16+. That age group will love this mysterious tale. Despite being an older reader I was hooked by Signa, the main character who guides you through encounters with ghosts and the curious spirit of Death. Dark humor and plot twists abound in this book. I thought I had the plot figured out, but as I finished reading it was clear the author had me fooled. Can you unravel this twisty tale?

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace is available on August 30th.
(4.25 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫)

Thank you, NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, for allowing me to review this thriller. Your kindness is appreciated!

#Belladonna #AdalynGrace #youngadult #LittleBrownBooksForYoungReaders

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! I enjoyed this book, it was an interesting plot and I think the audience this was aimed at would enjoy this book. The overall book was a really quick read, and I liked the twist at the end. I would be interested to see what is next for this author for sure!

This book was so good I absolutely loved it. It gave me a sort of Hades and Persephone vibe which I really enjoyed. I loved the ghost and the kind of creepy horror vibe it gave as well and really enjoyed the mystery I definitely didn't predict how the ending was going until I was almost finished with the book nothing like a good plot twist.

Adalyn Grace is an author that has been on my want-to-read list for a while now, so I was thrilled when my request to read Belladonna was accepted. This young adult fantasy novel was a refreshing entry into the genre. I mean, I can’t think of another book that highlights a girl with death-related powers as a pseudo-detective in a gothic world. For the most part, that angle worked and was satisfying. However, there were still some developmental issues that made it difficult for me to fully lose myself to this novel.

To start off with the strengths of his novel, there are a few that I can think of. The writing style, story atmosphere, and world-building being the strongest of developmental story pieces. Many of the highlights I made were pulling out pieces of beautiful writing. Adalyn Grace did blow me away when it came to her figurative language, for she uses many analogies, similes, and metaphors I haven’t seen (or haven’t regularly seen) in other novels. That alone was a huge asset to her creation of those world and my ability to sink right into its gothic spookiness.

(Sidebar: I also love that this book has both a prologue and an epilogue. Prologues were something publishers moved away from post-Twilight era, and I am thrilled to see them coming back into trend again.)

However, the novel falters with its characterization and character relationships. While I did really enjoy Signa as a main character (it has taken me to the end of the novel to NOT call her Sigma—oops), I do think pieces of her development were a bit lackluster. Much of her backstory didn’t come from Signa herself, but from other side characters she interacted with. And there is the issue of her relationships with the side characters. For myself, the relationships developed rapidly. At one point, I made a note that “Relationships between characters? Blink and they’ll be there.” I will admit that I have been reading more adult fiction lately, so I’m used to character/relationship development taking a little longer within the context of the story. And I couldn’t help but want the development to both slow down (when it came to character relationships), but I also wanted development to be more present when it came to the characters changing as the plot continued.

The other area I wished had more development was the side characters. They often felt like accessories to Signa’s story, instead of being pillars of her story. I didn’t feel as if I got to know the side characters as well as I got to know Signa. As a reader, I wouldn’t expect to know the side characters as intimately as we know our main character; however, the side characters did fall flat for me. Many of them lacked agency until the end of the novel; meanwhile, Signa was running around the estate, trying to solve a murder. It felt too imbalanced when compared to our main character’s establishment and development.

I am going to continue to discuss the romance side-plot Be warned: there are spoilers in the next paragraph.

The romance with Death? I have mixed feelings when it comes to that side-plot. On one hand, I am intrigued by the thought of a human girl 1) being a reaper, and 2) having a romantic relationship with Death itself. We’ve seen plenty of stories about gods, demigods, fae, etc., falling in love with humans, but I’ve never come across a novel where a human falls in love with a tangible form of death. On the other hand, the romance felt both rushed and empty, but also toed the line of grooming. (Grooming as in Death had known/watched Signa since she was a baby, had directly interfered with bad home situations she had found herself in, but didn’t approach her about teaching her how to use her death-powers until she was nineteen.) Since this is going to be a two-book series, I would have much rather seen that plot line given more room to breathe and develop. I wanted more slow-burn and less insta-love for Signa and Death.

With all that being said, the last 10% of this novel had me in a tizzy. I was gasping and yelling as the plot carried the reader through the last few chapters, with twists and turns I wasn’t anticipating. (Although one of my two theories did prove to be true, which was a bittersweet moment.) But, that last 10% wasn’t enough for me to overlook my thoughts about the characterization of this novel. I can’t help but think that the characters, character relationships, and general character development all could have been stronger and would have better supported the overall plot.

TW: grooming, death (on page), death (off page), violence, murder, grief, sexual content, child neglect

Thank you to Little Brown and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Belladonna is a unique and fantastical “whodunit” story!

Set in the beautifully enchanting and intoxicating late 1800s, Belladonna is a gothic fantasy come true!

By the time Signa Farrow turns 19, she’s had countless guardians. As an infant, her parents were murdered and since then she’s been shipped off time and time again.

While her homes have always been inconsistent, the one consistency in Signa’s life is death.

Death follows her wherever she goes. He’s the one who has taken everyone Signa has ever loved. He’s the reason she can not die.

By all means, there is no one Signa hates more than Death. He is the cause of her suffering and Signa’s revenge will be in his untimely demise.

However, when killing Death doesn’t work, Signa realizes she has to fight fate once more. Her last remaining relatives, the Hawthorne’s have agreed to take her in. Signa knows this is her last chance at having a family.

She will fight tooth and nail for it.

Therefore, when the Hawthorne children’s mother shows up as a restive spirit claiming she was murdered, Signa has a mystery to solve. Who killed Lillian Hawthorne and why are they now targeting her daughter?

To keep the only family that will have her, Signa enlists the help of a stable boy and the ghosts of her new home’s past.

Signa will stop the murderer and save her family.

Unfortunately, as luck would have it, she also has to rely on Death, the very being she hates most, to guide her through it.

A tale with twists and turns that readers won’t see coming; Belladonna is an elusive and charming novel.

Adalyn Grace entraps you in her world of mystery, intrigue, and deceit. A tale that never stops getting better! One that makes reader’s desperate and yearning for more.

Audience’s won’t realize what’s hit them until they reach the end - Belladonna is one of the best YA releases of 2022.

Do not miss out on one of the most alluring tales of the year! Belladonna releases on August 30th, 2022!

Thank you Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for this ARC.

Having read the author's previous books, I was really looking forward to reading this one. I thought Belladonna had a unique premise and the writing and pacing flowed well. The story includes a lot of tropes - enemies to lovers, found family, self discovery, and everything was centered around a murder-mystery element. There were a few twists and turns and the ending set up the sequel nicely.

Adalyn Grace does it again! The worst part about this book...is that I have to wait for the next one even longer.

What a wonderful mystery wrapped up in a love story.

Murder, betrayal, ghosts, lust, and etiquette all wrapped up in one season of living with the Hawthornes. Signas life has always been plagued with death, but now it is time for a different perspective.

This is a story of finding who you truly are, embracing it, and never letting a man change you into what you aren't. Finding love for yourself and a future ypu never dared to imagine.

'Belladonna", in many ways, is a book that has been geared toward the macabre-enthusiast in all of us. A chance to fall in love with Death, and even become Death in our own right. This book succeeded in some regards, and stumbled in others. While the mystery was fun, it was fairly easy to suss out in all regards, and lacked the punch at the end that many might be waiting for. This could be especially true with the romance itself which, while I can't speak for everyone else, I found to be slightly uncomfortable in many regards? Would I also fall in love with a primordial being who takes a sudden interest in me? Yes. And I suppose that's answer enough for why this book will do well.

Mostly, I felt disconnected the more I read, and maybe that's because I guessed everything early on, and spent half the book being frustrated that Signa was still so far behind, or maybe it was the writing itself. Adalyn Grace quite obviously has a future, and I'll be reading the next book in the series, I just know that this isn't a book I'd come back to, nor is it one I would readily recommend.

It's so rare to read a book that hooks you in within the first chapter or two but "Belladonna" definitely accomplished that. I won't make my review to long, for risk of giving away spoilers (and I hate spoilers), but seriously, "Belladonna" is probably one of my favorite books I've read in the last 12 months, and I read a lot. At first I was getting some strong Secret Garden vibes off the story. I mean, orphan girl gets taken in by her rich uncle in the English countryside (or at least I think that's where it was set, it never specifically says), his dead wife has a garden she loved that's locked behind a gate and her cousin is sick and shut away. That's where the similarities end though, because "Belladonna" is so much more. At first I wasn't sure where Signa's special power of essentially cheating death would take her but the story turned into a delightful mystery I was eager to solve. By the end I still hadn't guessed the actual perpetrator which to me shows how good the author did at weaving the story. I may have fallen in love with death by the end too. I definitely recommend Belladonna to anyone who likes to read stories that include elements of Romance, Mystery and a bit of fantasy/magic. Now I can't wait for the second book to come out!

A very cool book and well written premise. I liked Signa's character from the start. A little out there but she very much is 'not like other girls' in a respectful, strong manner considering the times. It wasn't try hard or thumped into your brain by so much telling. Grace did a good job of balancing the show not tell portion of Signa's character. She was fun to follow and well spoken.

I liked how Grace doesn't over glow her main pretty boy by having Signa overly describe how gorgeous he is. I've been getting tired of female authors overly describing pretty boys and having their female characters just ogle constantly. Romance wasn't the focus but it was much appreciated in the tasteful handling of it.

The plot was really subtle, very much built into the world building and mystery surrounding Signa and her extended family. Very much cookie cutter male dominant family with bastard children drama but I actually enjoy a good family drama situation. Grace'd ability to story tell and delve into details without lingering too long to bring me out of the story kept me engrossed in wanting to find out who the culprit is. I had a good time considering suspects and exploring options. I had suspicions but finding out who the guilty party is was a pleasant reveal. I won't say I was shocked like *LE GASP* shocked but i was pleasantly surprised.

Now I will admit, I wasn't a big fan of DeathxSigna at the beginning, but I had my suspicions on who was actually Death and when I figured it out and my suspicion was confirmed, I was happy. It became glaringly obvious about 40% of the way. I just had to really pay attention to see who Death was. I didn't feel the chemistry with them in the very beginning. I had more pupil/teacher vibes. I had a "Just cuz it's Death and he's dark, broody and for all intents and purposes for readers, he's supposed to be a sexy character cuz fan service" feeling for Death, but like I said, once I figured out who he was I wasn't mad because I loved this character at the beginning. Death has a subtle sassiness to his character that I loved and sorta swooned over.

I enjoyed this book and will definitely read Foxglove when it's out. I'm sure this was an uncorrected ARC because there were missing words in several places of the book, but just in case, the book could use proofreading and copywriting.

Belladonna is a murder mystery that follows Signa a girl who has always been able to see Death. When she's sent to live with yet another relative Signa knows she has to make it work this time. The Hawthorne's are a rich family who just lost their mother to a mysterious disease and now the youngest, Blythe, is exhibiting similar symptoms. Signa must figure out what's happening before her cousin ends up like her mother and to do that she enlists the help of Death himself.

So this was an overall entertaining read. The cover is so gorgeous! I know it's probably already been said but YA has been churning out so many gorgeous covers lately! I enjoyed the murder mystery and following Signa as she unraveled the truth and I don't usually read murder mysteries.

Everything I liked: Signa as a character was likable. Her relationship with her cousin Blythe and how that was developed. The romance with the love interest! The concept of death incarnate and Signa's ability to see him felt novel to me. The author did a great job executing the concept.

One very minor thing I disliked was the tea parties and interactions with the socialites. The interactions were minor so I still very much enjoyed this book.

I had never read anything by Adalyn Grace and this book has made me a fan. I look forward to reading the sequel when it comes out.

I love everything about this book. It's a mix of mystery, gothic fantasy, and romance, and it was an amazing experience. The cover is so pretty and I love the aesthetic.

I liked the writing, it was good, flowery but not too much, very easy to read. The characters were nice too, especially Death, and I loved the main character Signa. I can't wait to find out more about them. I love the banter and their dynamic and how they care for each other, their friendship/alliance, the funny moments and the cute ones too. They're just perfect.

The story is quite fast-paced and full of plot twists. If you want to read about a haunted house, about ghosts, about family drama, a dead patriarch, a cool magic system, and just a stunning story overall, then Belladonna was made for you. The story ends on a cliffhanger, but it was perfect and I can't wait for the next book to come out.

This book is a 4 ½ stars for me, and I really, really enjoyed it. It's just beautiful and absolutely spectacular. I would strongly recommend reading it to anyone interested in YA fantasy.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and netgally for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This story follows Signa Farrow, a girl who can not die and who not only sees death, but who shares the touch of the reaper. She has no idea how she has come about these strange abilities, nor does she want them. All she wants is to be brought up into polite society and debut so that she may marry and care for a handsome husband and a home of her own. Having a large estate and fortune waiting for her when she comes of age, Signa has many who would love to get their hands on the power and money being her guardian comes with. She goes through home after home, guardian after guardian. Each place she goes, death follows, and she can’t seem to shake the feeling she is cursed.

She makes her way to a strange estate, where she begins to become fond of its inhabitants and may even see a future for herself. She begins lessons and is told she may debut come the spring. She meets handsome men, gossiping women, but this does not seem to satisfy Signa as the secret world of Death begins to unravel before her and the truth of what she is and what life she could have unveils itself to her more and more.

With a murder to solve and members of the family falling ill, death is never far behind. As Signa is the only one who can see Death, she takes it as her responsibility to finally put a stop to the endless darkness that surrounds her, but finds it’s not as black and white as she once had thought, and there are many missing pieces to this puzzle.

The romance and the mystery of this story had me intrigued from start to finish. There were several plot twists I never saw coming which made the story that much more enjoyable. The rich adjectives used to describe the world of the living verse the world of the dead made me feel as if I was standing on the bridge with Signa taking it all in. I can not wait for Foxglove. The ending was everything I could have asked for an left me wanting for more. I do not want to wait!!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to receive an arc in exchange for my honest review- all thoughts and opinions are my own.



5/5! Loved this one- love a good death romance - if that’s a thing? Murder, mystery, spirits- a little bit of romance. Loved it, can’t wait for the sequel.