While the premise and cover appealed to me, the execution of this novel is toward a younger YA audience than I expected. Thus, this book was not in the realm of my enjoyment and I did not complete reading it past the 20% mark.

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace was one hell of a way to end the month. From the opening scene, when we first see Signa taking poison on purpose, to the twisty ending, all you can do is sit back and enjoy the ride. This Gothic romance has all of the best tropes. Plus, I cannot help but think it would be somewhat cool to be able to take any poison and live through it. What got me, though, is the addition of Death as a character. Ms. Grace writes him in such a way that makes my dark heart flutter. Ms. Grace already announced the sequel and its release date, and is already on my must-read list for 2023!

Personally wasn’t a fan of this but loved the writing and worldbuilding. The characters were not my favorite. The plot is okay.

Love the vibes for this book! Adored the setting and main character so much! Very interesting premise that I couldn’t get enough of. I’m definitely interested to see how the next book unfolds.

This book was the perfect blend of fantasy, romance and mystery. It kept me on my toes and enthralled until the very last page. I am overjoyed to find out that there is a new book coming.

Belladonna is a beautiful gothic ghost story set around the turn of the century. There was a lot to love about it -- the setting of Thorn Grove, the descriptions, the familial relationships, Signa's at-times comical introduction into society. That being said, while the romance was compelling, I found it to be underdeveloped, and Signa's desire to accept her fate was repetitive. I also wanted to know more about her friend Charlotte. Also, why was Sylas rude to her at first? Perhaps some of these questions will be answered in the next book, Foxglove. At this point, I am 50/50 on reading the next installment but can see how maybe Grace used this book for a lot of set-up that could pay off in the sequel. We shall see! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Little, Brown for the free Arc in exchange for an honest review!

I thought this was an interesting book! Overall, I would definitely recommend trying it, if it sounds good to you!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

This book was atmospheric and beautiful and dark and honestly just what I have been craving!!

I didn’t realize there will be more in this world and I am SO excited for Foxglove!!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced review copy of “Belladonna” by Adalyn Grace. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

I initially thought this was a fantasy book? Looking through some other reviews I see I wasn’t the only one. There is some kind of death power in the story but it really didn’t feel like a fantasy book.

Death follows Signa throughout her life. She’s poised to inherit her family fortune but all her caretakers keep dying and she gets shuffled from house to house. I really didn’t like the beginning scene and it just went downhill from there. Death is a character and in the very beginning he meets Signa as a baby and then follows her for her whole life. It was a strange vibe and I kept hoping he wasn’t the love interest but of course he was. He’s a centuries old if not ageless being obsessed with a teenager whom he literally watched grow up. Big yikes,

There were too many characters and I didn’t understand why Signa got so attached to her cousins when she knew death was a very real possibility for anyone she interacts with. A mystery unfolds but Signa is so terrible at solving it. The pacing was off as sometimes it was life or death and other times Signa got distracted by all her various love interests and acted like she had all the time in the world to figure out why her cousin was dying of a mysterious illness. I just didn’t care about any of the characters and was creeped out by Signa and Death’s relationship. The “mysteries” unfolded so the reader was several steps ahead of Signa stumbling around trying to put the very obvious puzzle pieces together. The word puzzle is also very much a crutch word in the story. We get it, Signa, you are very confused. I don’t want to spend another book watching her flounder around failing to solve obvious mysteries while all the boys fall all over her nonexistent personality.

I will not be continuing this series.

Trigger warnings for lots of gruesome and violent death as well as descriptions of the nasty effects of various poisons and a lot of vomiting.

2/5 stars

"You are no soft thing to be coddled. You are bolder than the sun and it's time that you burn."

Adalyn Grace has such a gift for writing unique and interesting stories. While the first half of this story definitely captured my attention, the second-half is where Signa's story really soars. With high stakes, romance, questions regarding life and death, and a suspenseful ending, Belladonna is a story that was such fun to follow. I am so looking forward to the sequel.

This premise had me interested instantly, especially since I really liked Adalyn Grace’s ALL THE STARS AND TEETH duology! And while BELLADONNA delivered on its gothic concept, the book didn’t end up being for me.

I can see why others like it, but I personally didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped I would!

**4.5-stars rounded up**

With a story as beautiful as its cover, Belladonna took me completely by surprise. I enjoyed this so much!

We follow Signa Farrow, who is not your average girl. I know you hear that a lot, but in this case it's true. For example, she has an immunity to Belladonna, can commune with spirits and has a relationship with Death.

Unfortunately, our Signa was orphaned as a child and has lived with many guardians since. Recently, she's been with her Aunt Magda, who is cruel. There's no love lost between the two. So, when Aunt Magda suddenly dies, Signa isn't exactly heartbroken.

She does have questions about her future though. Then she receives word that her last remaining relatives, the Hawthornes, would like her to go live with them at their Thorn Grove estate, as her Uncle Elijah's ward. Lacking other options, Signa leaves her old life behind willingly and with a bit of hope in her heart.

Arriving at the estate, she begins to become acquainted with everyone. Her Uncle is mourning his wife, Lilianne, who passed away recently. Woefully, her younger cousin, Blythe, seems to be suffering from the same mysterious illness that prematurely killed her mother.

When it becomes clear to Signa that Lilianne didn't die of natural causes an unexpected murder mystery begins to unfold. This is made significantly more interesting by the fact that Signa gets the support of her old friend, Death, as she tries to solve it.

This book surprised me. I really didn't know much about it going in. My initial attraction was the cover, followed by Adalyn Grace's name on said gorgeous cover. I was delighted with the setting, which based off some dates of included journal entries would be sometime in the 1850s or 1860s. It has a lush gothic feel that I really loved. Even the focus on plants like belladonna, Signa's frequent use of it, felt very period specific and natural to me.

I enjoyed learning about Signa's Thorn Grove family along with her. She's really thrust right into their world of formal parties, frequent visitors and gossipers galore. Having lived a fairly secluded life up until that point, I think Signa had felt very lonely. Now surrounded with people she becomes attached, to some more than others. Particularly her cousin, Blythe. She's very saddened by Blythe's illness and becomes determined to see her well.

I actually really ended up enjoying the romantic elements as well. I loved the dynamic between Signa and the character of Death. It was giving me <i>Addie LaRue</i> vibes and I was not mad about it. Signa, at the age where it would be acceptable for her to marry, has some other prospects as well. Watching her navigate that, while trying to decipher her unusual feelings for Death was super compelling. I was eating it up.

Grace did a fantastic job of building the tension and mystery. It was hard to put down once Signa began looking into Blythe's illness. It was a bit of a race against the clock and for a while, almost everyone was a suspect.

I loved the ending of this as well. It was a great set-up for the second book. Personally, I cannot wait to get my hands on it. Signa is one of my favorite new characters of the year, so I can't wait to be reunited with her.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and Hachette Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I definitely recommend the audiobook for this story. It was so easy to get swept up into this world through that medium. 10-out-of-10 recommend!!

I was completely intrigued from page one of this gothic YA novel. It has a little of everything - romance, murder and mystery. The writing is atmospheric and the story engaging. I am eagerly awaiting the next book!

I want to thank NetGalley, Adalyn Grace and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

4.25 stars!

19 year-old Signa has been raised by a string of guardians since being orphaned at birth. But everywhere she goes, it seems that Death follows her. When she goes to stay with the Hawthornes, who live at Thorn Grove, Death has already found them. The matriarch of the Hawthornes has been dead, and the daughter is quickly following suit. When Mrs. Hawthorne's spirit visits Signa claiming that she was poisoned, Signa realizes that she needs to find the killer first in order to keep her newfound family members out of trouble.

I think this book did exactly what it set out to do, and I think I ate it up. I enjoyed the romance, I liked the mystery aspect, and I liked the intrigue of the world. I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy the sequel even more and I'm bummed I'm going to have to wait months for it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This book was a great YA fantasy with mystery undertones. I really liked the main character and some of the main male characters. There were a couple moments where I felt like the author was slightly repetitive, but for the most part really enjoyed her writing. The ending makes you want more and I can’t wait to pick up her next book.

{3.5 stars}

Signa is an orphan who has lived in several homes, each touched by unfortunate deaths. As she is coming towards the end of her youth, and about to come into her inheritance, she is once again in a new home. She moves in just as the matriarch of the family has died and the daughter, who is her age, is growing ill. She quickly finds herself embroiled in the mystery, who is responsible for the ill fate of this family and why does death follow her so closely? 

Turns out in this one, Death is a person, not a spoiler... it's in the blurb. Of course, Death is sexy and mysterious... que the Addie LaRue comparisons. I enjoyed the atmosphere of this one and the plucky heroine but the two "big" twists were super obvious. The first half was a beautiful build but as the reveals began, I found myself a little underwhelmed. I always enjoy Adalyn Grace's world building but just found the plot a little formulaic of gothic YA fantasy. I'm sure I will still enjoy the sequel however the epilogue cliffhanger was unneccessary.

Thanks to Little Brown for access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

This started off on such a high, crashed and burned half way through and then somehow, miraculously, still stumbled through the finish line to get a 4 star rating, albeit gasping and bleeding at that point.

The premise is everything I wanted... from Gallant. An unusual, death marked girl finds herself living in an old house surrounded by death and mystery as the previous owner's wife died under mysterious circumstances, and now his daughter has the same symptoms.

I think with the main character's inability to die and her obsession with Belladonna, it was both blindingly obvious from the start what was going on with Lillian and her daughter, but also wildly convenient. I also found myself wondering quite often why Belladonna was the only poison Signa experimented with.

I felt the the story became too focused on the love triangle in the middle, and started to feel frustrated and bored, even considering DNFing it a few times. However once I slogged my way through the ending proved worth the wait, with a plot twist I somehow didn't see coming.

5/5 stars, I loved every part of this wonderful story

"You are bolder than the sun, Signa Farrow, and it's time that you burn" (341)

I absolutely loved this book, in every single way! Right away I realized this was going to be such an enchanting and gothic-infused novel about love, wealth, and betrayal. A while ago I received this as an arc, but I didn't get around to reading it because of how busy I was. Through that time there was a flood of positive reviews for this book after it came out, and I knew that I had to read it asap. Luckily, my copy lasted quite a while so I was able to pick it up this month and fall deeply in love.

From the very first page, I felt swept away into a wonderfully gothic and mysterious world, filled to the brim with spirits, high society, mystery, and Death himself. The author's writing is so atmospheric that I truly felt like I was walking the halls of Thorn Manor alongside Signa. I practically felt the chill of the air in the dark nights, and the warmth of the fire as they sat together. Besides just the amazing atmosphere that was built, the plot was steadily moving but still took its time to lay out all the pieces for the mystery. I was never bored one moment while reading this book, and with the pages woven with gothic vibes, it made the perfect story.

I must say I did not guess the major plot twist coming, though I saw pieces of the smaller ones. This was brilliantly done, to deter people away from the main mystery and bring about smaller ones through the course of the story. I also need the next book now!! That ending was so intense and I really need to know what happens.

Signa Farrow was a really great main character, and though at times she was a bit naive that never took away from the characterization she received. As the story went on she began to focus on becoming the person that she wanted to be, discovering the mysterious parts of herself, and helping those around her. I loved how she stood steadfast in her beliefs but was also adapt to situations to determine the best outcome for everybody. She has relentless compassion for everyone around her and an unflinching desire to help, something that I really value in characters. I cannot wait to see where the second book takes her on this journey of finding herself.

Death himself was also a very fun character to have in this story. At first I have to admit I wasn´t totally sold on him, he is a mass of shadows, haunts Signa´s life, and more but I really did end up enjoying him. One thing I appreciated was in most books the Death character is overly brooding, aggressive, or predatory for the sake of being romantic and powerful. Sometimes I'm just not in the mood to read that, and this delivered Death that was softer, empathetic, and serene. He let Signa view death from the perspective of being released, and never treated her as anything less than an equal. I really enjoyed his character and am excited to see more of him in the next book.

The romance in this book was also very fun to watch, there was slow burn, good chemistry, and the barest hint of enemies to lovers. While I was promised enemies to lovers pretty extensively, I didn't see as much as I had hoped was going to be in this book, it was almost very short lived. Luckily, my other favorite romance trope, slow burn, captivated Signa and Death for most of the book. It was really well written and while both of them took an interest in each other right away, it was good to see that it wasn't instant love.

The rest of the characters inside and outside of Thorn Manor were also very interesting. My favorite within the manor was probably Blythe, she was sharp with her tongue but underneath it, all was hiding grief alongside her own illness. The endearing relationship she eventually built with Signa was beautiful to see over time, especially as they grew to understand one another. Percy, Elijah, Marjorie, and Byron (as well as the ghosts) all made the manor feel more alive. There was enough distance between them and Signa that it made the manor feel daunting, which was important for the gothic aspect of the story.

[TW: death of parents, mass murder/poisoning, death of loved ones, mentions of child abuse, blood and gore, murder, vomit and serious sickness, poisoning, child endangerment]

I was not prepared for how much I would love this book! From start to finish, this book was fascinating. The story is fantastic, the characters well-written, the gothic atmosphere is swoon-worthy, and the mystery is fitting and keeps you interested. Highly recommend it if you’re looking for a quick, entertaining fantasy YA book with a mystery. Plus, gothic vibes.

Thank you to Netgalley & Publishers for allowing me access to an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Adayln Grace is quickly working her way up my favorite fantasy lists and BELLADONNA is truly the next best book of the genre. The Gothic atmosphere is perfect for the fall season, and the characters practically jump off the page and drag you into the story with them. Her writing has elevated with every book and BD feels so mature and like she really has found her niche with her writing voice.

I only adalyn grace could have me wanting to meet death