personally, you know i love a book when i rant about it to my mom. i will, in fact, be ranting to her when she wake up about how correct i was on one of the plot twists… but on to the actual review.

you know those books people just considered theirs? like oh yeah that’s my fav book. people think of me when they see it. this is going to be it for me and i cannot wait to get my hands on this beauty when it comes out. when i tell you i stopped reading for a solid 10 minutes to admire the hardcover, like it’s GORGEOUS.

back to what i was saying though….
dark gothic x murder mystery x romance x supernatural??kinda??? x paranormal. like there’s a LOT to unpack here.

i’m going to try to keep this as short as possible, because i want people to see this review and think “damn, she’s sound obsessed maybe i should try this book out” without them feeling spoiled. i will indeed try to keep things to a minimal, but holy cow.

i loved MOST of the characters. and ones i disliked at first; i grew to love. talk about character development here. i love when stories have a big plot but takes time to development their characters, i won’t say this was mostly character driven, because we are only in one pov and the plot is the biggest thing there but, with what we got i got to say, the characters were introduced very well.

the mystery mwah <333 sometimes in books like these, the only thing that keeps me going is the romance or the characters because quite plainly, sometimes the mystery just sucks. but this, done so well. i won’t say much on this point because if i do i will end up ranting and again i’m trying no spoilers! but PHEW. let’s just say y’all aren’t prepared for this.

ah and the romance 💓💗💖💘💝💞💕. the romance indeed. did i mention the romance? because romance. listen up people: love is NOT dead. or is it.. because well. anyways! the romance <333333

the romance.


romance!!!!!


anyways, that ENDING??? like i was expecting the worst because of several reviews i read ahead of reading, but that… just wasn’t what i was expected. and i’m kind of mad that the second book doesn’t come out until next year because i just want to continue on reading. but again, there going to be ANOTHER book, & hopefully this turns into a full blown series because i’m obsessed. with everything. like literally everything. i cannot express enough how fun this book was to read.

also i really need more background info on signa’s parents because something isn’t quite right. i’m guessing that’s what keeping me on my toes the most; the whole mystery surrounding that. oh how excited i am for foxglove.

i’m almost done, but going in i didn’t realize this wasn’t modern and i was kind of shocked (but cmon it’s a gothic mystery i’m not sure why i was) but i indeed was, and wow i forgot how much i enjoyed period romances. might indeed go reread pride & prejudice.

in conclusion, everyone go buy this book august 30th because well did i mention romance? did i mention mystery? did i mention how great this book was?

did i mention romance?!!!

okay i’m done i swear.

thank you netgalley & little brown books for allowing me access to this beautiful arc in exchange for an honest review. and honest i was. and it won’t be the last time i talk about this book so prepared to be annoyed with me. :)

p.s. blythe is sooooo gay. like that’s a lesbian if i ever seen one. is there something you want to tell the audience adalyn?

Belladonna is a beautifully written and atmospheric gothic fantasy with paranormal elements. As a historian, I loved the Victorian-era setting! This book had everything I look for in a fantasy romance:

-badass heroine who comes into her own
-unique powers and/or magic system
-atmospheric setting
-swoon worthy romance
-found family
-page stealing side characters
-plot twists that keep you guessing

Warning: Although the main plot line gets wrapped up in this book, it still ends on a cliffhanger! I also have some questions about some plot holes that I hope are resolved in the next book and are not overlooked. I can’t wait to follow more of Signa and Death in Foxglove!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley & Little Brown Books for providing the ARC for my honest review.

I originally saw a video describing this book on TikTok back in October, almost a year prior, and numerous times would stumble on it again and be disappointed that it wasn’t out yet. So I was super excited to get this ARC, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. It went above and beyond my expectations. I was highlighting quotes in my kindle from page one. I could not put this book down.

First off, this book perfectly captured the essence of a classic Victorian Gothic. It was giving me vibes of Rebecca, Lady Audley’s Secret, and the Moonstone. We had the classic beautiful countryside manor that becomes a character itself, the paranormal aspect, plus a murder mystery. But the reason I continued to be interested in reading this book was the premise of the main character, for she can not exactly die. She can fall down a flight of stairs or eat poison and not die. Which leads to her very interesting relationship with Death, because Death is a being. This character was giving me the vibes of Luc from Addie LaRue meets Dorian’s phantom hands.

I could say so much more about this book. This was definitely one of my favorite reads so far this year and I loved how that final line left things open for possibly more. So ugh, could I get more?

A little Addie LaRue, a bit o Nancy Drew, some options and poisons, an appearance by Fate, ghosts, intrigue,.and me just picturing Elijah as played by Ethan Hawke. The mystery wasn't too hard to figure out, but it gave a chance to get to know Signa and the other players. I'll want to read the follow-up.

This ended up not really being my thing! It’s well written and I’m sure fans of gothic horror will really enjoy it but I don’t typically enjoy the slow creeping pace of the genre so I had to DNF and then skim about 40% of the way through

Words literally cannot describe how in love I am with this book. I first heard about belladonna through a friend, who was on the authors street team. It QUICKLY became one of his favorite reads and the main character became a muse for his art. This story is dark, twisted, but not in a way that it’s outright scary. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that loves dark/otherworldly reads, as the main character is basically constantly surrounded by darkness. I felt so connected to the main character through her feelings of being unwanted, but wanted by a presence that may not be good.
I’m so lucky to have been able to snag an e-ARC but I already have 2 physical copies preordered AND I’m beyond excited for the sequel!

definitely a new favorite, i love the atmosphere and the romance element between death and signa. also the love “triangle” went well and now i have to reread the book knowing what i know. the gothic horror was very vivid i think i satyed up until 2 am to finish it

Nineteen-year-old Signa has spent her entire life being carted from one guardian to the next after the death of her parents. Her living situation never stays the same for long as all of her guardians seem to pass soon after Signa comes to live with them. After the most recent death, Signa is sent to live with her last remaining relatives, the enigmatic Hawthornes. But when Signa arrives at their grand mansion, she learns not everything is as it seems. Her aunt has mysteriously died, and now her cousin is wasting away from the same strange disease. Only Signa knows that it's not an illness overtaking her cousin but poison. Signa may never have had a stable family relationship, but the one constant in her life has been Death. Signa doesn't know how or why, but she has always been able to see spirits and communicate with Death himself. To save her new family, Signa will recruit the help of Death and a puzzling stable boy named Sylas to uncover the murderer before it's too late.

I didn't have any expectations going into this, but I ended up enjoying it. Grace's writing was atmospheric and gave off an eerie, Gothic vibe that I loved. I also really liked her characters. Signa was so interesting with these strange powers. I wish we learned a little bit more about her background because I wanted to know how she came to be with them, but I'm intrigued to see how they'll grow from here. I also liked her relationship with Death. It was teasing yet protective at the same time. They bickered constantly, but you could tell that underneath it all, they both truly cared for one another. I did see the twist of Death's identity coming from a mile away, so it wasn't as shocking when it was revealed. There were also little clues about the plot twist I was able to suss out as well, but I still liked how Grace wrapped everything up. While the pacing was too slow for me at times, and I think this would've worked well as just a stand-alone, I'm excited to read the next one.

"Death was her poison, and she wanted was to consume more."

I too eagerly consumed this book like Singa to the Bellabonna berries. What a fun, mysterious world with a shocking ending and the glimmer of a gothic romance that is sure to make your hear swirl. Singa is a unique character with a unique problem. Death. And I must say he sure did steal my heart. What a absolute joy to read, thank you Netgalley and Little Brown for the chance! I see myself needing this book on my bookshelf when it is released!

This book… I received this book as an ARC, and oh boy, is this worth the read. I can’t begin to explain to you how much I loved Belladonna. If I could give it more than five stars, I would.
Signa hated Death as it followed her everywhere she went; however, only she could see him. He would appear first to take her parents, then her grandma, and all her guardians to follow. She then ends up at Thorn Grove after her Aunt Magna’s unfortunate death. The family’s matriarch is dead from an unknown illness, and the family’s daughter seems to be next. Set in the 1850s, Belladonna follows Signa’s quest to find Lillian’s killer and the person poisoning Signa’s cousin.
It’s a book full of mystery and kept me on my toes the entire time. I honestly thought I knew what would happen; believe me, I was very wrong. The way everything always comes back together and no detail too small reminds me of Taylor Swift’s Easter eggs. Adalyn is such a talented writer, and I loved her writing style so much. Despite the almost 200-year time difference, I truly felt I could connect with Signa and some of her decisions. It’s crazy how Adalyn managed to give each character enough personality that I could genuinely come to be suspicious while loving them nevertheless.
The end is truly the best part; however, I was hooked the entire time.

This is my second Adalyn Grace novel, and I think the author is just not for me. The book felt middle grade to me, and I ending up dnfing at 35 percent. Sorry! Glover is gorgeous though

I have never read a book by Adalyn Grace and after reading this I now have her other books on my to-read list. She weaves a tale that I felt I was fully immersed in and juts couldn't put down at all. Signa is our 17 year old main character that has these powers where she can't die, can see spirits and has a dark past life as an orphan now. She's sent to live with her only living family members but when she arrives it's all in an uproar. The lady of the house is dead and everyone is coping in their own way. Enter the mystery! Signa is trying to find out what happened to Lillian and what illness is affecting her cousin. As Signa can speak with spirits she can also speak to death himself, and he's wedged himself into the mix to help her solve this crime! I love how we see Signa develop and find herself throughout the novel. I loved the twists and turns of the mystery! It didn't take me long to figure out the ending but that cliffhanger was not expected. I also love mystery books and the gothic vibe this book gave me! I can't wait for the second one to be released!

Thank you to NetGalley for a free eArc in exchange for a honest review!
3.75 stars~
I went into this completely blind because I love the author and the cover is STUNNING. It was definitely not what I expected, but I actually enjoyed it a lot. I was a little bored the first half, but the second half made up for it! The twists were unexpected and the vibe of the book was very vintage and dark. My only wish is that they dived into the relationship between Death and Signa a little more because it seemed a little shallow, but I’m hoping the sequel fixes that!

3.5 stars

hmm, this book was actually pretty unique and refreshing to read. i loved the premise and the concept of the book, teaming with death itself to solve a murder is actually and ingenious idea, but also pretty ironic.

i liked signa, i loved her character and how it developed throughout the book. i liked death too, he was more of a solid character than i would have imagined him to be. what i didn't particularly enjoy, is the romantic relationship between signa and death. it made me a bit grossed out since death is like a a bajillion years old + he knew signa since she was a child, but i suppose that is how it happens in most ya books these days, not that it's a good think or anything like that.

the plot twist was actually pretty non predictable but another aspect in the book was. overall it was a solid read, but had a few issues for me! i would recommend with caution.

4.5 stars
I had really high expectations for this book and was kind of disappointed at first. The first few chapter were good, but then the rest of the beginning 1/3 was a bit too slow and boring for me. Eventually it picked up and I was guessing what would happen next. I knew where the story was going and then... I didn't and it was great! I really thought I had it all figured out, but there were two big twists at the end that really helped redeem this book for me. I love, LOVE, the romance in this book (it's a bit subtle for some, but I think it's my preference). Also I like that our MC was originally trying to conform to societal norms to please others and realized that was not the life she wanted to live. There were some really great quotes in here. The writing was decent overall, but occasionally seemed odd. Like repeating things for no reason, saying conflicting things, and just disjointed at times. The setting was eh, but I really liked the characters! I also appreciate the slight witchy/apothecary vibes. Although a bit more subtle than expected, they are some of the parts I enjoyed most, as well as the parts that talked about death and the afterlife (which in this book kind of go hand in hand). I wish they would've gone more into detail with some of the herbs and plants and their uses. The ending was unexpected and now I can't wait for book two, 'Foxglove'! Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Books for Young Readers for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Belladonna is the first of Adalyn Grace's works that I've read, and I'm in love with her writing. (I'll be getting to her backlist shortly!) Belladonna is Signa's story, told as she navigates the death that follows her every step through life. As we find out quickly, Death himself appears to her often, claiming those who care for her as they die around her. Signa is passed from guardian to guardian before landing at the equally strange manor house known as Thorn Grove. As many others have said, a murder mystery with Death as a possible love interest. How can you not pick this book up?

I loved the world and the Gothic type of magic that surrounds Signa and Death. Some of the characters apart from Signa and Death were quite flat, but I found I didn't care as much since the action continued to move the pace of the story along reasonably.

I've put Belladonna on my list to preorder in the next month or so, and I highly suggest you do the same! I don't believe that it will be a standalone, based on the final scenes, so be warned that this world could expand further in the future!

Oh my gosh! I am addicted to this book! I have already pre-ordered a hard copy so I can actually hold it in my hands once it's published. Death is hot, at least in this book.

Lately, I've been dying to read a book about a main character who doesn't want to be the main character. In Belladonna, Signa is dying to be just any other girl. I really loved watching her go from resisting everything asked of her by fate (or rather, Death), to feeling responsible, to wanting to be the hero of the story. The way Grace wrote Death was innovative, making what he does beautiful, and not the dark monster that many authors let him be. The progression of the story wasn't too predictable, and some parts had me wishing I had a friend who had already read it so I could scream with them over the book! I'm already counting down for the sequel.

Belladonna is perfect for anyone who wants a dark Victorian tale, meant to be read on a thundery night by candlelight.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I am SO sad to report that it fell flat for me. The imagery of the world that Adalyn Grace created was superb, but the characters themselves were really superficial to me. I think that it if there was more character depth, that I would have enjoyed it more.

“Belladonna” by Adalyn Grace is the first book in a new series by the author of the All the Stars and Teeth duology. While I read the first book in that duology and enjoyed the author’s writing style, I didn’t end up loving the book but that is entirely based on my preference because I don’t love books that are set at sea.

This book is a complete 180 turnaround from that story Belladonna follows our main character, Signa Farrow, as she grows up constantly followed by death. Signa often finds herself in situations that would kill a normal person and yet, she survives. When she eventually ends up on her uncle’s doorstep, she finds herself wrapped up in a murder mystery that needs to be solved before the murderer strikes again.

I loved this book. It has a very gothic feel, which I don’t see a lot in YA. The atmosphere was spot on. There is even a haunted garden.

Of course this wouldn’t be a YA book without an angsty romance and this book delivered. There is a slight love triangle with one of the sides of it being Death. Which felt so very Victorian. If I had to compare the feeling I got while reading this book, I would say it is very similar in vibes to the movie, Crimson Peak.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes gothic vibes with a murder mystery and romance.