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thegabscast's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
This book felt like it was trying to be Gothic atmosphere meets Bridgerton, but failed at both. First, the “Gothic” atmosphere really wasn’t present, there was no haunting landscape and the world building did not add to this atmosphere in any way. Second, Signa, the main character is insufferable. She’s naive, fickle (drools over every man she meets and envisions a future with them), and vapid. However, you’re meant to believe she’s spunky, strong-willed, and charming. That’s not ever shown though, you’re just told over and over again despite her being the definition of a damsel in distress. She doesn’t even figure out the mystery herself, the answer literally has to be spelt out for her to even register it. Maybe it’s because she spends more time obsessing over boys than she does actually trying to discover the answer? The answer was also blatantly obvious within the first few chapters, but not to Signa. Death was a great character if you just pay attention to his dialogue, but not if you actually stop and think about the fact that he has no personality. His sole purpose is to be obsessed with Signa and that’s all you really get from him. There’s no depth to him, there could have been, but it’s not in this book. His dynamic with Signa initially felt oddly paternal and not romantic, so making the jump from that to his declarations of love was uncomfortable to say the least. It was insta love, but Signa is soooo childish and “just a girl” that it really just feels creepy, not to mention that she’s literally 19 years-old. The “Little Bird” nickname did absolutely nothing to help with that either. I would have loved more of Blythe and I hear the third book is that, but I’m really not intrigued enough to continue reading this series. The writing itself wasn’t bad, but these characters were so one-dimensional and there was no true depth to the story that I found myself just trying to get through it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
ladybug12793's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Good Halloween read.
I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read and I finished it in less than 24 hours. It’s perfect for the spooky season because it’s fantasy with a little bit of mystery and ghosts. What I didn’t like is that the romance went from 0 to 1000 in about 0.25 seconds. Then, by the end of it, I was genuinely curious what the point of it all was. Also, confused about the murder’s plot. Even with those things, I had fun reading this book. I would recommend this to anyone that wants to read an easy, cozy, slightly spooky romantasy. However, If you are looking for some literary masterpiece, then I wouldn’t recommend this book.
0.5 🌶️
I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read and I finished it in less than 24 hours. It’s perfect for the spooky season because it’s fantasy with a little bit of mystery and ghosts. What I didn’t like is that the romance went from 0 to 1000 in about 0.25 seconds. Then, by the end of it, I was genuinely curious what the point of it all was. Also, confused about the murder’s plot. Even with those things, I had fun reading this book. I would recommend this to anyone that wants to read an easy, cozy, slightly spooky romantasy. However, If you are looking for some literary masterpiece, then I wouldn’t recommend this book.
0.5 🌶️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Infidelity and Sexual content
Minor: Suicide attempt
boba_nbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Spice Rating: 🌶️ / 5
This young adult gothic fantasy romance was so full of mystery, intrigue, and tension that it kept me on my toes and flying through the pages.
Ever since her parents died when she was an infant, Death has followed Signa. Each guardian she's been passed off to have always been after her family fortune but have also unexpectedly passed away. Now that Signa is 19, she's almost ready to inherit her fortune, and these next guardians, the Hawthornes, are her last hope. But when she arrives at Thorn Grove, Signa only finds more Death. The matriarch decently passed away, and her ghost claims that she was poisoned. Now Signa must discover what really happened and if her daughter, Blythe, is suffering the same fate. Signa allies herself with a handsome stable boy and with Death to try to get to the bottom of this mystery and to discover what power she might have that can aid her efforts.
Belladonna is a story that caught my attention and then fully captivated me until the very end. After being sequestered all her life, Signa is finally getting to see what life in the spotlight and in society is like, and she's not sure it's all she made it out to be. She has to decide whether she wants to fit the mold everyone expects her to fit in or if she wants to take her own path and embrace what makes her unique and powerful.
The gothic vibes in Belladonna are spot on, and even though this is technically a young adult book, the themes are very much adult--especially the way death is talked about and handled. The romance is also top tier. Though nothing is explicit, the tension and lead-up are quite steamy and well done.
Readers who love mysteries, gothic ambiance, fantasy, romance, and deeper themes will absolutely love Belladonna.
This young adult gothic fantasy romance was so full of mystery, intrigue, and tension that it kept me on my toes and flying through the pages.
Ever since her parents died when she was an infant, Death has followed Signa. Each guardian she's been passed off to have always been after her family fortune but have also unexpectedly passed away. Now that Signa is 19, she's almost ready to inherit her fortune, and these next guardians, the Hawthornes, are her last hope. But when she arrives at Thorn Grove, Signa only finds more Death. The matriarch decently passed away, and her ghost claims that she was poisoned. Now Signa must discover what really happened and if her daughter, Blythe, is suffering the same fate. Signa allies herself with a handsome stable boy and with Death to try to get to the bottom of this mystery and to discover what power she might have that can aid her efforts.
Belladonna is a story that caught my attention and then fully captivated me until the very end. After being sequestered all her life, Signa is finally getting to see what life in the spotlight and in society is like, and she's not sure it's all she made it out to be. She has to decide whether she wants to fit the mold everyone expects her to fit in or if she wants to take her own path and embrace what makes her unique and powerful.
The gothic vibes in Belladonna are spot on, and even though this is technically a young adult book, the themes are very much adult--especially the way death is talked about and handled. The romance is also top tier. Though nothing is explicit, the tension and lead-up are quite steamy and well done.
Readers who love mysteries, gothic ambiance, fantasy, romance, and deeper themes will absolutely love Belladonna.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content, Vomit, and Murder
Minor: Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
devinjai6655's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Vomit, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
measlibrary's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I am absolutely OBSESSED with this series now. Honestly I have no idea how I did not read it sooner, but I absolutely ate this book up. I had been in a slight reading slump, but I finished this book in a week while I worked 37 hours at work. I genuinely did not want to put it down and was picking it up every single chance that I got. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series and every other book that Adalyn Grace has and will write!
As I was reading this book, I was heavily reminded of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and House of Salt and Sorrows. It genuinely felt like a mashup of these two books, which was awesome, because these are two of my favorite books of all time. I loved the gothic vibes, as well as the murder mystery element to the story. It is quite literally everything that I could want in a book. It is all of my favorite tropes and components wrapped up in one book!
I also loved Death being an actual tangible person that we get to see as a romantic lead. Seeing Signa interact with him and also getting that enemies to lovers trope? Absolutely love. This is definitely where I found the comparison to Addie LaRue, as it was similar to Luc and Addie's love story. I also loved getting to explore the connection between Sylas and Signa, and then ultimately seeing how it all made sense in the end.
Getting to uncover the mystery surrounding Lillian's murder and who was also behind Blythe's poisioning was super intriguing and kept me on the edge of my seat. Although I was able to figure things out a second before Adalyn explained it in the text, it was still surprising and a good reveal. Especially being a YA novel, I was able to overlook being told what I had already figured out a little bit earlier.
I also loved being able to learn more about Signa's powers and seeing her come to accept and embrace herself for who she is. I thought that was a beautiful component of the book and a much needed character development for Signa.
Lastly, I also wanted to comment on the little Bridgerton elements that we got to see with Signa's debut into society, getting to see her meet potential suitors at tea and parties, and her strict following of the expectations placed on women during that time. However, it was also super awesome to see her push against those constrictions and not follow them at times. We love a strong queen!
Favorite tropes of this book:
🖤Shadow Daddy
💘Enemies to Lovers
🔎Murder Mystery
🫖Regency Era/Courtship
Overall, I had so much fun reading this book and literally immediately started Foxglove after that ending! I cannot wait to read the rest of the series and see what happens to Signa and her family next! I rate this book 5/5 stars! 🌟
As I was reading this book, I was heavily reminded of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and House of Salt and Sorrows. It genuinely felt like a mashup of these two books, which was awesome, because these are two of my favorite books of all time. I loved the gothic vibes, as well as the murder mystery element to the story. It is quite literally everything that I could want in a book. It is all of my favorite tropes and components wrapped up in one book!
I also loved Death being an actual tangible person that we get to see as a romantic lead. Seeing Signa interact with him and also getting that enemies to lovers trope? Absolutely love. This is definitely where I found the comparison to Addie LaRue, as it was similar to Luc and Addie's love story. I also loved getting to explore the connection between Sylas and Signa, and then ultimately seeing how it all made sense in the end.
Getting to uncover the mystery surrounding Lillian's murder and who was also behind Blythe's poisioning was super intriguing and kept me on the edge of my seat. Although I was able to figure things out a second before Adalyn explained it in the text, it was still surprising and a good reveal. Especially being a YA novel, I was able to overlook being told what I had already figured out a little bit earlier.
I also loved being able to learn more about Signa's powers and seeing her come to accept and embrace herself for who she is. I thought that was a beautiful component of the book and a much needed character development for Signa.
Lastly, I also wanted to comment on the little Bridgerton elements that we got to see with Signa's debut into society, getting to see her meet potential suitors at tea and parties, and her strict following of the expectations placed on women during that time. However, it was also super awesome to see her push against those constrictions and not follow them at times. We love a strong queen!
Favorite tropes of this book:
🖤Shadow Daddy
💘Enemies to Lovers
🔎Murder Mystery
🫖Regency Era/Courtship
Overall, I had so much fun reading this book and literally immediately started Foxglove after that ending! I cannot wait to read the rest of the series and see what happens to Signa and her family next! I rate this book 5/5 stars! 🌟
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Vomit, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
- a FMC Signa, who can't die & who has been THROUGH it
- Death is a person, who the FMC can see/touch
- they solve a mystery together!!
- slow burn young adult romance
- historical fantasy with paranormal & gothic elements
Do I think it was a little gross that Death met Signa when she was a baby & then proceeded to have a romance with her once she was grown? Ummmm yes. What in the Jacob and Renesmee lol. Did I also still enjoy parts of this? Also yes. I actually thought this was published in the early 2010's because that's how it read to me, so color me surprised when I saw this was published in 2022.
Anyway, this was fine and again, I enjoyed listening to most of the audiobook, but still find that dynamic to be a bit ..... iffy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Gore, Self harm, Blood, Vomit, and Murder
Minor: Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
persephonefoxx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content, Vomit, and Murder
Minor: Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
bectothebooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did. Even more shocked that I thoroughly enjoyed a romance with Death.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Vomit, and Medical content
Minor: Infertility, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
nicholettegm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Overall I very much enjoyed this book, it just got to a point where I felt like it was just never going to end. But even then I was intrigued enough to keep going. I will be continuing in the series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Physical abuse
tessamariee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I wanted to really love this, but it was predictable and the characters were not flushed out enough. It fell a little flat in my opinion. It was fun though! I love a good slow burn and I love some of the personalities in the family!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, and Vomit
Moderate: Gore, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Physical abuse, Sexism, and Terminal illness