A very well written fantasy and intriguing mystery! This is a story that had so much potential and I am sooo relieved that it actually surpassed my expectations because a story about a girl fighting and falling for Death is right up my alley.

The romance developed beautifully and I loved Signa and her strong personality. She was a tough, resilient girl that I think many readers will love. And Death.... well, is Death. That alone is interesting enough, but I want to learn so much more about him.

I didn't expect the mystery to play such a big role, but this is a true murder mystery. I had my suspicions (some confirmed, some unpredicted) and I loved unraveling the dark and mysterious Thorn Grove. It kept the pace steady and the wide array of characters was easy to follow.

I will definitely be waiting on pins and needles for the second book. I can't wait!

A fantasy with mystery, a girl who can see Death, and gothic vibes? Yes please! I enjoyed this so much! The plot was unique, the characters, the setting, the romance were all great. I had such a wonderful time with this story, I’m glad I had the opportunity to read it.

Wow. Just wow, while this book starts off a little slow for my taste, it quickly picked up packed full with action. I loved Signa!! The Hawthornes were full of personality. The plot twists near the end of the book were so amazing I didn't see them coming!

*****5 Stars!

“To me, you are a song to a soul that has never known music. Light to someone who has only seen the darkness.”


First I would like to thank Little Brown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for allowing me to read an arc of this book. I’m honored to have been given the chance to read it and give an honest review.

Belladonna is a story following nineteen year old Signa Farrow, a girl orphaned as a baby and raised by a handful of inconsistent guardians, each far more interested in her wealth than her well-being. It is not long before each guardian meets their untimely end. Her last remaining relatives are the Hawthornes, a bit of an eccentric family living at the gloomy estate known as Thorn Grove. Elijah Hawthorne, Thorn Grove’s patriarch, mourns his late wife Lillian through wild parties and drink. Meanwhile, his eldest son Percy grapples for control of the family’s waning reputation. Elijah’s daughter, Blythe, suffers from what appears to be the same mysterious illness that killed her mother. When Lillian’s ghost confronts Signa and claims she was poisoned, Signa realizes that Blythe very well could be the next to die.

Signa’s best chance of uncovering the truth behind Lillian’s murder and finding the culprit is to make an alliance with Death himself--the very man she hates the most. Death is fascinated by Signa and his shadows have never been far from her side. He shows her that their connection may be more powerful than she ever dared imagined.

This book was so dark and compelling I could hardly put it down! I really enjoyed the dark vibe of this story and the vivid pictures it painted in my mind as I read along. Everything was described so beautifully that I felt as if I were in the actual story along with the characters. The pacing of this story was done very well and each and every one of the characters were interesting and complex. What I really enjoyed about this book was how it kept me on my toes, I would think I knew who the culprit was only to be proven completely wrong, all of this book's twists and turns were unexpected and only added to the story and kept me wanting to know more and more.

Signa was a character that I felt was very relatable with her uncertainty of who she wanted to be and how she wanted to present herself. I love how over the course of the story the importance of accepting oneself and being who you were meant to be was expressed. It was such an important lesson to be learned, especially for the time period and for someone as young as Signa.

I was endlessly pleased when I discovered this book was going to be based in the Regency era with a gothic twist! As a lover of anything based in the Regency era, I was very happy with how well the author executed that and all the social etiquettes and their importance in that time era. Another thing that I thoroughly enjoyed about this story was the slow burn romance, it was very swoon worthy and so beautifully written!

This book was such a delight to read and I am so grateful I was given the chance to do so! This is a book I would highly recommend to anyone who is looking for an amazing gothic mystery that will pull them in instantly! I am so looking forward to reading the next book in this series!

I was selected as part of Adalyn Grace's Belladonna street team, and was able to read a traveling ARC copy of Belladonna. Thank you Adalyn! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First, it must be said, Adalyn has done it again. Yet another 5 star read, full of magic that sparks off the page, enthralling readers from cover to cover. There is something about her style of writing that speaks to me as a reader and creates scenes dancing in my head.

We meet 19-year-old Signa, who has been bounced from guardian to guardian her entire life - with Death always trailing close behind. She is brought to the estate of her last known relatives, the Hawthornes. During her stay, she meets their mother's restless close who claims to have been poisoned. Signa is determined to not let another family die in front of her eyes, and resolves to uncover the clues into this suspicious death. She enlists the help of a stable boy, and Death himself.

It has a bit of a love triangle, dark gothic vibes, magical goodness, and is sure to be come a favorite YA Fantasy for readers this year. Pre-order this beauty today!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a requested review copy. All opinions are my own.

Wow this was great! A Gothic murder mystery with a girl that can't die and Death as a friend? It works even better than it sounds. I loved Signa so much. And what I loved most about her was her realizing that the rules of society and the members of elite society themselves are not all they're cracked up to be. With Death's help, she really comes into her own. Signa's relationship with her new family is really sweet. I love her connections with Blythe and Elijah and Percy. I was so intrigued by Sylas the whole book. Who is he really and can he be trusted?
I will say I thought I had the murderer all figured out, but I was NOT prepared for the reveal at the end.
This book also had some surprisingly emotional moments, plus some steamy moments! Just going to say that being cold never felt so hot!
Overall loved it and loved the setup for the next book with a new murder mystery!

4.5 stars

Let’s start with the fact that it has a pretty cool cover. I still wasn’t sure what to expect but after a chapter or two I was 100% invested. Signa Farrow has known only death from the time she was born and it continues to follow her after yet another one of her relatives has passed. She just wants a normal life and love but as she begins to enter society she feels it isn’t all that she hoped it would be. She actually finds herself drawn to the one thing she has been desperate to leave the entire time. This book was so well written and although I had no clue it would be part of a series I cannot wait for the next book. I loved this this book a d would recommend it to everyone. 5 stars!

CW: death of a loved one

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

Signa Farrow is a child literally born to death, and through a series of deadly events finds herself shuffled from home to home, each new location not far from deaths reach. Finally, placed with realizes at Thron Grove, Signa will defy death to make sure her family, and her stay is safe.

Addalyn Grace created a unique stoking, boar hung a dark topic but manages to keep the story from being too heavy. I love Signa’s personality and the other cast of characters as well. The mysterious plot will keep you guessing until the end.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this book and give it ALL of the stars! Belladonna by Adalyn Grace gives Bridgerton vibes coupled with gothic romance, and it's an absolute gem of a read. I thought everything was done immaculately - the writing, the storyline, the mystery (and accompanying twists!), the characters… all of it!

The backdrop of this is a sprawling manor named Thorn Grove, which should be a beautiful locale but is instead extremely creepy and unnerving. There’s a mystery at the center of things and a killer that’s still on the loose. Signa, an orphan who has been ferried to a bunch of homes following the tragic death of her parents, has to find a way to make this new place her home, which is a difficult task to do when you have something like this going on. Not to mention that she has a creepy figure following her…

You’re going to want to read this one! If you love the Regency Era, murder mysteries, romance, and a gothic feeling, this one’s for you! I am still thinking about how much I adored it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the Advanced Review Copy of this book. My review has been written voluntarily and honestly.

'Belladonna' by Adalyn Grace is a gothic young adult dark fantasy story about death and what it means to die to yourself and your destiny. The story follows nineteen year old Signa Farrow, an orphan who is raised by a series of relatives who all die under mysterious circumstances. The story follows Signa’s arrival to the Thorn Grove estate where she will begin a new life with her distant relatives, the Hawthornes. Elijah Hawthorne is the patriarch of the family who is mourning the loss of his wife Lillian, Percy is his son, and Blythe is the daughter who is suffering from the same malady that took her mother. During Signa’s stay at the estate, she begins to suspect that something more sinister and poisonous may be responsible for Lillian’s death and Blythe’s illness forcing her to confront the shadowy figure that has stalked Signa her whole life…death itself. Forming an alliance with the dangerous foe causes Signa to awaken a power deep within her that binds her to death, enlivening her with purpose and passion.

Inspired by spooky gothic stories of the past, 'Belladonna' is a suspenseful and morbid story full of twists and turns and bits of herbalism/plant lore strewn throughout. Using death as a character was original and brought a lot of depth to the story. Signa was a strong young female character whose coming of age was dark and dreadful, which was a clever way of describing the difficult and trying experience of death and rebirth. The writing was descriptive and powerfully evocative, although I couldn’t quite get behind the romance in the story. Perhaps it was a metaphor of love’s power to annihilate each person within a relationship? There was a major twist at the end which I didn’t see coming and I look forward to reading the sequel.

'Belladonna' is a macabre dark fantasy for older young adults and for fans of the gothic supernatural genre. It has mystery, ghosts, a creepy old estate, plenty of romance, and death…lots of death.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book has an intriguing, interesting plot, well developed characters that grow along the story, and enough twists to keep you wondering. You will find this and much more in Adalyn Grace’s Belladonna. Read it to discover the story of Signa Farrow, who can see Death and ghosts.

Éste es uno de esos libros que no quieres que terminen. Es la historia de Signa Farrow, la joven que puede ver fantasmas y a la Muerte. Criada por una serie de tutores más interesados en su fortuna que en su bienestar, Signa ha crecido sola, y cuando su más reciente tutora muere, meses antes de que Signa reciba su herencia, ella es enviada a Thorn Grove con los últimos familiares que le quedan. Pero las cosas no son fáciles, ya que la familia está de luto por Lillian; Blythe está enferma con los mismos síntomas que presentó su madre.
El libro es interesante, fácil de leer, los personajes tienen profundidad y crecen a lo largo de la historia

Signa Farrow has been surrounded by death her whole life. Orphaned as an infant, Signa has moved from home to home. Everyone around her seems to meet an untimely death. Nearing the age of 20 — when she will finally gain her inheritance— Signa is welcomed by the Hawthornes.

The Hawthorne’s estate while breathtakingly beautiful, is also full of gloom. Elijah Hawthorne, the patriarch, is suffering after the untimely loss of his wife, Lillian, as well as the possibility of losing his daughter to the same mysterious illness. On top of this, their family business is a sinking ship and tension is rising among the family.

Signa has an ability that she wishes to hide and Thorn Grove is not making it easy. She is able to see and hear spirits that are roaming nearby and Thorn Grove happens to have plenty. When Signa is visited by the spirit of Mrs. Hawthorne she learns there may have been suspicious circumstances regarding Lillian’s death. Signa is on a mission to stop Blythe from falling under the same circumstances. To do so, she must team up with the one person she wants to be rid of—Death.

I liked this book a lot, but there were some things that I felt were missing. Let’s start with what worked. Adalyn Grace did an amazing job of immersing the reader into this world. The spooky/gothic vibes were felt immediately and I was transported into the world from the first page. I could instantly picture Thorn Grove and the surrounding world.

Another thing I loved was that the book did not go in the direction I expected. I was convinced something would happen, only for my prediction to be completely off. The plot twist was completely unexpected, but also upon looking back it makes total sense.

Also Thaddeus owns my heart. That is all. IYKYK.

There are a few things that did not work for me and subsequently lowered my rating. Overall I loved all the characters, but I felt like the relationships were underdeveloped. Signa spends the first nineteen years of her life hating Death and everything he stands for, but with a slight nudging begins to form a firm connection Death. I knew this was coming— it was evident from the synopsis. Unfortunately I was expecting more friction between Signa and Death before she began to accept his help. Their connection felt too forced and rushed. Signa also trusted too easily for someone who has had very few solid relationships in her life.

Another thing that was hard for me to wrap my head around was why Signa was able to do and see the things she could. I will not go into much detail, but I felt like there were not many seeds planted to explain this connection in her life. I hope this is answered in Foxglove, as I feel this is imperative to the story.


Finally, I struggled with part of the ending. While I was surprised by the twist, I felt the aftermath was wrapped up too neatly.

Overall this is a great beginning to a new series and will be a fantastic fall read leading into spooky season. I cannot wait to see what others think and the ending leaves the reader wanting more. While I was not in love with this book, I am thrilled for Foxglove to come out— too bad I’ll have to wait a while 😉

Belladonna is a sexy, spooky, gothic style story that intoxicates you with its atmospheric writing. I was swept away into this world where murder and mystery collide. At first I was not sure how I felt about Signa and Death as a possible couple. Mostly because I was unsure of his role in her abilities. As the story progressed I came to see how he was enamored with her. The fact that shecan actually touch him and not die. How starved for touch he must have been. Makes my heart break a little thinking about it.

I completely did not see the big twist coming at all. I was actually kind of shocked by it .. but happily so. I can't wait to fully review this closer to publicaton date!

Synopsis:
Ever since her mother died when she was only an infant, Signa Farrow has been passed from guardian to guardian, each progressively worse and only interested in her eventual fortune. Death has been a frequent companion in her life and somewhat of a rival. After all, what kind of cruel force would continue to eliminate her guardians and leave her alone again and again? Yet, she has her own secret and strange relationship with it as she has approached it many times but has never succumbed. Not only can Signa see spirits, but she’s broken her neck falling down the stairs, has ingested the poisonous fruits from the belladonna plant, and has had accidents she should not have come back from, but she remains alive, healing quickly each time. To Death, Signa herself is intriguing, especially when she begins to exhibit powers that only he shares.

Signa doesn’t want these strange abilities, however. Her only goal is to be the socialite her mother was with hopes for good marriage prospects that would allow her a husband she loved and a life of parties and companionship.

At the death of her latest guardian, Signa is sent to live with her wealthy relatives, the Hawthornes. When Signa arrives to Thorn Grove manor, she finds grief and chaos running rampant. Her mother’s cousin, Lillian, recently died of a mysterious illness, leaving behind a deeply grieving husband, a solemn son, and her daughter, Blythe, who is now suffering the same illness that killed her mother. However, Signa knows these symptoms and also the taste of the ‘medicine’ that is in her cousin’s tea. This is not a regular illness. Someone slowly and methodically poisoned Lillian to death and she can only assume that the same person is responsible for Blythe’s current condition.

When Death approaches her cousin, Signa begs him to spare Blythe for a time while she tries to find the killer. As she races against the clock to find who did this, Signa enlists the help of the handsome and brooding stable boy, Sylas Thorley, her cousin Percy, and even Death himself. As they race against the clock to find the person responsible, she finds herself wanting things she never knew she desired. Then again, Death has an incredible ability to change your perception on what you crave most in life, and Signa finds herself learning that lesson all too well.

Review:
Belladonna is one of those books that has an absolutely incredible cover and you just hope the book inside is just as beautiful. Spoiler alert? It is. I loved Thorn Grove and its inhabitants, and the plot was actually two interwoven, one a mystery and the other a romance. The romance I was somewhat expecting and, if I’m honest, hoping for. The murder plot? Never. Not in the way it was presented.

The book was dark, but not as dark as I had expected at first. I also LOVE Signa. And Death. And Sylas. And Blythe’s fiery and independent spirit. I even enjoyed Elijah, the husband lost in grief. The spirits that featured were also very interesting and the concepts for life beyond were something I’d never really thought about, and I think about death a lot (I’m delightfully morbid).

There are a lot of books coming out with the same concept of death or Hades as an option for romance, but Grace’s Belladonna stands out. I am very excited for Foxglove to come out next year as the twist ending in the Epilogue left me practically salivating. Please add this to your “To Read” pile if you love historical paranormal mystery/fantasy/romance stories. This one is going to be worth the wait, and I cannot wait to fangirl with you all!

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown books for the advanced copy in exchange for this fair and honest review!

This book is dreamy combination of fantasy meets mystery with paranormal and gothic elements. This time I can judge this book with its cover because both of them are AMAZING!

A haunted house that is invaded by ghosts. A suspicious death of patriarch’s late wife and a suspicious illness of his young daughter whose condition gets deteriorated at each day.

Only 17 years old Signa Farrow who is called “cursed orphan” after everyone who adopts her keep dying one by one, a gifted girl who stands at the thin line between life and death, chewing the poisonous belladonnas to summon death to challenge him can save this family!

That girl lost her own family. She felt the cold breath of DEATH on her face, staring at shadowy figure of him directly. She did everything to lure him take her with him.

Slowly she realizes mysterious things about her life: She talks with the spirits, seeing ghosts and she also realizes she cannot kill herself. Each time she pops several belladonnas into her mouth, she feels the shivering feeling as a sign of death’s approaching.

When Signa accidentally killed her venomous Aunt Magda, she broke the important rule without knowing. Magda was not meant to die at that night so when a life is taken, another must be spared rule saved her cousin Blythe’s life.

Thankfully Blythe who suffers from mysterious illness is part of eccentric Hawthorne Family living at Thorn Grove. Signa is sent there to live with Hawthornes: her last remaining relatives, trying to understand the complex family dynamics.

As the patriarch of the family: Elijah mourns his wife Lillian through wild parties he throws at their eerie mansion where ghosts lurking around the corridors, Percy: his young son does everything to take his father’s attention, caring the young Blythe who is ill, showing the exactly same symptoms with her dead mother.

Signa meets with the spirit of Lillian and she realizes somebody in the house murdered her and unfortunately only Death and a sarcastic stable boy can help Signa to solve the mystery!

I loved to see how Signa’s character evolved and accepted her true powers. Of course Death was the most alluring and charismatic character of the book definitely intrigued me!

I loved the final twist and cliffhanger! I’m absolutely looking forward to read the second book! I had amazing reading time!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for Young Readers for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

I loved this book! I couldn't get any further into a review without stating that simple fact.

The writing is lush with vivid descriptions. The characters are amazing and three dimensional. The romance is so sweet and genuine and swoon-worthy. The plot is exciting. The magic is interesting. I seriously loved every aspect of this book!

Let's start with the characters. Signa, the main character, has been able to see Death all of her life and is also immune to dying. However, every guardian she's ever had has died while she cannot. After the death of her latest guardian, she goes to the only relatives she has left--the Hawthornes at Thorn Grove. Death is near at Thorn Grove as well, and Signa must solve the mysteries surrounding the poisoning of the Lillian Hawthorne--who has died--and her daughter Blythe, who is barely clinging to life. Together with help from grumpy, handsome stable boy Sylas and from Death himself, Signa sets out to uncover a killer while discovering more about herself.

Signa is strong and strong-willed, even though she desires nothing more to be rid of Death and to fit in. I love that she loves the idea of being social, attending parties, and wearing beautiful gowns, despite the fact that she can see Death. I also love that as she discovers more about herself and the mysteries in her world, she becomes so much more sure of herself. Her arc throughout the book was riveting and I can't wait to see where the author goes with her character in the next book.

Death is also such a fun character. He's surly at first, sasses Signa right back when she sasses him, and has a lot more to him than meets the eye. I loved getting to know his character along with Signa and seeing their off-the-charts chemistry together.

Though Death and Signa definitely steal the show, the side characters are well fleshed out and interesting from start to finish. I can't wait to see more of them in the next book too.

Another thing I absolutely loved about the book was, simply, the premise. The Death and his maiden trope, with a gothic murder mystery in a historical setting was everything I wanted and more. This book checked all of the boxes for me, and I really can't wait for more.

I could talk about this book all day long, but I won't. Suffice it to say, you should read this book!


*Releases August 23, 2022*

*I received a free electronic copy of this book from NetGalley
*Review also posted to Goodreads

The dark, romantic and utterly haunting novel I didn’t know I needed in my life. It’s so hard to find a good scary book with ghosts and romance and this author absolutely nailed the theme perfectly. Fans of House of Hollow, and the Kingdom of the Wicked series need to add this to their bookshelf immediately.

Belladonna is dark, romantic, Victorian, and a murder mystery woven together in utter perfection. A romance with Death? Sign me up. A headstrong MC? Check. The prose? In freaking love. Ghosts? Poison? Shattered champagne glasses? Dark deeds in dark places? A freaking MASQUERADE BALL? GIVE ME MORE. I don’t think I will ever stop screaming about this book.

I have been chasing the feeling Belladonna gave me ever since I read it in Summer 2021 as an early reader, and I haven’t found a high quite like it. Once I put it down, I started googling “books like Belladonna by Adalyn Grace” and got nowhere. Thankfully, there is a sequel coming out, and let me tell you, it is epic.

Five stars FOR SURE.

This was a fun gothic murder mystery! I clocked the actual killer pretty early on, along with his motive, but I still enjoyed reading the book. The romance did feel very like 2004 paranormal YA though.

I will read the sequel for sure!

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
Belladonna #1
YA Fantasy (Magic - Orphan - Mystery)
Publication Date: August 23, 2022

Signa was orphaned at an early age following an incident that left her as the sole survivor. Since then, Signa has discovered she possesses unique abilities. She is close to the age of receiving her inheritance when she moves in with distant relatives whose estate is haunted by a spirit. Signa uses her unique abilities to find out what is happening at Thorne Grove.

Death for most of us is this scary thing that we would rather not embrace. We put off thinking about it or craft ways of coping with it in order to comfort us when faced with it. So a story romanticizing death is an interesting concept that Grace accomplishes beautifully. Romanticizing not in the sense of glorifying but literally making us both root for and swoon for the grim reaper himself. Two words. Little. Bird.

I have a feeling this series is just getting started because it will barely satisfy your cravings and leave you hungry for answers. It just dips a small toe into the universe in which Grace is creating.

This book is a bit of a change from the typical orphan story in that the last home she gets placed in is a mostly loving one. The family was just wrapped up in their own problems.

Me being me wouldn’t be able to write this review to not mention the one scene that was kindly set up strangely. Signa leaves the mansion in anticipation of overhearing a conversation between her “suspects”. The fact that said “suspects” left the mansion to have a conversation was odd but why didn’t they just talk in the carriage? Why did they wait until they appeared at the club, discuss, physically fight and then awkwardly sit beside each other in said carriage to return to the estate? Couldn’t Signa have just discovered them in a corner during a party? Did they just talk about the weather on the ride over?

I look forward to reading more about Signa in the sequel Foxglove.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Books for Young Readers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.