Belladonna (Belladonna, 1)

“Beside her, Death set down his tea. How do you feel about this woman? I could infect her with a light plague, perhaps.”.Signa Farrow’s story starts as a tragic one when her mother is gone and she’s passed from relative to relative who only take her in because she has an inheritance.Until one day someone shows up at her recently departed aunt’s home to take her to Thorn Grove. Thorn Grove is full of spirits and Signa can see them. She finds at Thorn Grove there’s mysteries to solve, including figuring out who she is and why she has a bond with Death.I really enjoyed this book it had all the gothic vibes I could have wanted for the spooky season.Signa was an interesting character and I really enjoyed the unique abilities she had and her connection with Death.Death as a character is oddly funny and charming considering his job is ferrying souls, but he’s got the shadow daddy vibes so what’s not to love?I thought the mystery element was fun and I thought the way Signa accesses her abilities was unique.The spirits were appropriately horrifying, yet somehow you still felt for them. I also really like how it ended and I’m excited to read book two.

𝑰𝒕 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 ✨𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒗𝒊𝒃𝒆𝒔✨𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉, 𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝑰 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆.This is definitely not my typical read, but I loved it all the same! 🖤 I'm so happy I started this series and will continue reading it. I want to mention that the romance is more of a subplot, with the main storyline centered around Signa solving a mystery to save Thorn Grove 🥀. It was entertaining to experience the gothic vibes and watch Signa try to fit into society when all she’s drawn to is death.The constant battle she has with Death is so entertaining and their enemies-to-lovers trope is so direct and amazing to see unfold. And the tension?! SO GOOD.I recommend this book to people who understand is a YA (aka no super visual scenes), loves cozy mystery, and likes shadows as an element in their MMC.Fav Quote:"If you embraced who you are, imagine the power you might wield. Imagine the things you could do."Tropes:💜mystery YA storyline💜enemies to lovers💜 gothic vibes💜3rd person POV

Something fishy is happening at Thorn Grove and Signa is something special. The relationships are complex and well matched, the mystery is captivating, and the feelings are deep. The twist was surprising and the resolution was final.The depth of loss and its impact on those left behind is written so beautifully I was in my feelings shedding tears!!Signa's lived a life surrounded by loss and fear and still has room in her heart for others. Her bravery and compassion make her such a great character!! And, Blythe? What a force!! Signa and Blythe are strong willed and refuse to be defined by society.This book is one I would typically go for and I am so glad I gave it a chance. I loved this story and can't wait to see more of Signa's journey in Foxglove.

3 Stars ✨“Stop worrying about society and playing its game, hoping that you'll be good enough... there is no such thing as true goodness, there is only perception.”Signa was orphaned as a baby, passed from one guardian to the next, never really caring for her, only the inheritance she will gain, but each one has been met with death. Her only remaining family are the Hawthorns, who live at Thorn Grove where her uncle mourns his wife, and wild parties are held as distractions from the grief and chaos surrounding the family within. After arriving at Thorn Grove, Signa realizes something is amiss and she feels her family is in grave danger and believes the wife was murdered by poison. She enlists the help of a stable boy to help her find the murderer. Though as she begins her sleuthing, she quickly realizes her best chance is to team up with death itself, the shadow who has never been far from her side.Belladonna was a fun read for the most part. The writing was beautiful and very atmospheric. It felt like gothic Phantom of the Opera meets proper Downton Abbey. I haven’t read a good “who done it” in a while and this one totally duped me, which I liked. Every time I thought I knew who the killer was, I was let down - but in a good way. I really respect when an author can surprise me.Signa as a main character was ok, I liked her when she was trying to solve the mystery and sorting out who she was. I didn’t care much for the romance, even though it was a subplot and not the main focus, I did a lot of skipping. There were too many spicy bits and I’m honestly just not a huge fan of death personified. I just think it’s kind of a dumb idea. Death being a love interest just doesn’t make sense, even to my fantasy loving brain.The murder mystery aspect, the writing, and the atheistic of this book is what drew me in. I think Grace does a fantastic job with her descriptions of things and making the reader feel connected and a part of the story. The book ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, and a very interesting new character being introduced, so I will probably check out the next in the series.***This book is advertised as a YA, but I would strongly disagree and recommend this for an older audience.Content ⚠️*No language*open door romance*death and light gore

Infinity stars! I loved this book so much. It was so good I couldn't put it down. The mix of supernatural with some romance and murder mystery was the perfect combination and I couldn't get enough! The authors writing is so good and it leaves you wanting more. I can't wait to start the next book!I can't recommend this book enough, I will be telling everyone to read it!

Perfeito!! Veio a capa especial da primeira edição, oq me deixou muito feliz 🥰Só fiquei um pouco chateada pq o livro não veio muito bem embalado. Estava solto na caixa. No mais, estou super ansiosa para ler!

I loved this so much! The plot was very intriguing and kept me guessing right until the end. I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery elements to this story alongside the romance. A great cast of characters too which made the story even more readable. Can't wait to continue on with the series.

I was waiting for the Hodderscape Vault edition and it turned out to be so pretty with the matte pink dust jacket and the pink foiled naked edges.

Einfach schön. Dieses Buch hat mich persönlich sehr berührt. Wie eine Frau vom Tod verfolgt wird und sich ihm stellt, um dann festzustellen, dass der Tod einsam ist.Toll geschrieben. Eine absolute Leseempfehlung:)