Introduction
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace is one of those books that I knew instantly I would really enjoy reading.
I love paranormal romances, and what’s better than a Victorian-era romance where Death is obsessed with the heroine?
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I’ve prepared a full in-depth review of Belladonna with NO SPOILERS and all the info you need about this compelling paranormal romance.
Table of Contents
Author: Adalyn Grace
Genre: Paranormal Mystery Romance
Published: 2022
Pages: 416
Spice level: 1.5/5
Synopsis
Orphaned as a baby, nineteen-year-old Signa has been raised by a string of guardians, each more interested in her wealth than her well-beingāand each has met an untimely end. Her remaining relatives are the elusive Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at Thorn Grove, an estate both glittering and gloomy. Its patriarch mourns his late wife through wild parties, while his son grapples for control of the familyās waning reputation, and his daughter suffers from a mysterious illness. But when their motherās restless spirit appears claiming she was poisoned, Signa realizes that the family she depends on could be in grave danger and enlists the help of a surly stable boy to hunt down the killer.
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However, Signaās best chance of uncovering the murderer is an alliance with Death himself, a fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side. Though heās made her life a living hell, Death shows Signa that their growing connection may be more powerfulāand more irresistibleāthan she ever dared imagine.
1. Belladonna by Adalyn Grace Book Summary : Whatās Belladonna about?
āThe child is cursed by Death, some said. The wickedest of witches, spawned by the devil himself. Wherever she goes, the reaper will follow.ā
How would your life be if Death itself was your only companion?
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For Signa, Death has been her only company since the tragic event that took place in Foxglove Manor. She was only a baby when the Reaper came to collect her parents’ lives, but when it was Signaās time, his touch could not kill her.
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Death couldnāt end her life.
āHis touch could not kill the baby he circled around, as confused by her as he was fascinated by what heād seen.ā
Signa was unable to die.
Signa's childhood
Years passed and our poor Signa was handled from one guardian to another, without being able to form a bond between her caretakers who seemed more interested in her inheritance.
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After her aunt traumatically dies, Signa has no other option than to live with the only family she has left, The Hawthorns.
Signa arrives Thorn Grove estate
Without much hope left, Signa arrives at her relative’s Estate only to realize that this family is haunted by Death as well.
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Lilian, the Lady of the house, died not so long ago under strange circumstances and as a result, his husband Elijah became an unstable person only interested in throwing parties to forget his pain.
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Percy and Blythe, sons of Elijah and Lilian, are likewise in no better shape after the tragedy.
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Lady Blythe is everyone’s concern in Thorn Glove Estate since she seems to be developing the same symptoms that affected her mother, thus leaving her in a weak state.
Mysterious murders and a love triangle
Signa is determined to delve into the curse that is affecting her relatives and save Lady Blythe.
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With Death’s help and a cute stable boy who has become acquainted with her, she will try to unveil the mysteries that surround Thorn Glove estate
But can Signaās heart be oblivious to Death’s advances and the merry stable boy who seems to have taken an interest in her?
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As Signa begins to unravel the mysteries that surround Thorn Glove’s estate, she risks not only her life but her heart as well.
2. Is Belladonna by Adalyn Grace a romance book?
There is a bit of confusion about this Book. Initially, readers thought Belladonna was a horror or mystery story.
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace can be categorized as a mystery paranormal romance with heavy gothic vibes.
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Is a mystery because an event remains unsolved until the end of the story.
- It belongs to the paranormal subgenre since it features ghosts and otherworldly creatures like death itself.
- Is not a fantasy per se because it is set in a real timeline, the Victorian era.
- Belladonna by Adalyn Grace is considered a gothic romance because of its dark elements. Murders, contact with the paranormal an obscure and a gloomy setting. In fact, is like a fairy tale gone wrong.
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3. Does Belladonna have a sequel?
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace is the first book of the Belladonna series.
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The second book was released on August 22, 2023
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Foxglove continues with Signa’s story, further adding a new morally grey character who appears to complicate things for our heroine. (secret: the character is mentioned in the first book, so if you havenāt read Belladonna yet, now is a good time to read it and pay attention to clues hehe )
You can pre-order your copy here: AmazonĀ
Belladonna:Ā Standar hardcover edition
Foxglove, the second book in the series, releasing in 22 August 2023 ( preorder it here )
First editions come with a beautiful hardcover case.
If you want to be the owner of one of these gorgeous standard US editions it is important to preorder the book. ( so can be sure to get a First Edition )
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Barnes & Noble will release a special edition that comes with a bonus chapter from Death POV š
Foxglove Barnes & Nobles special edition comes with a different color cover and a psecial Bonus Chapter from Deaths’s POV
Foxglove standar US edition. First editions come with exclusive foil design similar to the special edition.
4. What's the š„spice factor? Is Belladonna by Adalyn Grace spicy?
It does have some steamy scenes! The main characters are all 18+ (the POV character is 19 and turns 20 in the book)
My Opinion
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace is indeed steamy!!
At first, I thought this was going to be a Young Adult romance with fade-to-black scenes (a popular term used that indicates when sexual activity occurs but it is not shown on page ) but I was so wrong!!!
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Adalyn Grace is not afraid of bringing on the spice and it was quite a surprise reading those steamy chapters.
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Despite having spicy scenes, do not expect them in every chapter. This is primarily aš„ slow-burn romance.
Instead, be prepared to find a lot of tension between the heroine and the love interests and sexual innuendos in every page were Signa and Death appear.
5. Belladonna narrative structure
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace relies on a narrative structure frequently used in mystery fiction to bring stories to life.
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Adalyn Grace makes good use of The Fichtean Curve for her story, which consists in an arc structure that goes straight to the inciting incident and bypass completely the initial exposition and worldbuilding to a later stage.
- The inciting incident in Belladonna consists of the tragedy in the FoxGlove manor. The book goes from there straight into the rising action.
- The rising action consists of lots of āmultiple crisesā used usually as a resource in mystery fiction. In Belladonnaās case, each crisis lines up with our heroine discovering new clues or plot triggers that helps the story move forward towards its resolution.
The Romance plot
The romance plot benefits as well from this structure, using the multiple crises for character development and simultaneously aligning the characters growth with the story climax and final resolution;
Is there a love triangle in Belladonna?
I see this question asked a lot in forums and Instagram and is quite hard to answer it without giving away some vital parts of the story.
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Belladonna has indeed a love triangle that brings angst and tension to the story. Two male characters display a genuine interest in Signa and she develops feelings for both of them.
The Fictian Curve in Tv Shows
13 Reasons Why, is an example of a Tv Show which begins with an inciting incident and subsequently reaches important plot points until the mystery resolution and falling action.
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It is very common for this structure to rely on flashbacks to advance the plot.
Foxglove Barnes & Nobles special edition comes with a different color cover and a psecial Bonus Chapter from Deaths’s POV
Foxglove standar US edition. First editions come with exclusive foil design similar to the special edition.
6. Tropes and tags
If you are like me and want to know beforehand which tropes you will encounter in a book, check out this picture with the most important ones!!
7. Favorite quotes
These are some of my favorite quotes ( no spoilers!!).Ā
When I’m looking for books to read, I love reading quotes to inspire me.Ā
āYour name is no curse, Little Bird. I just like the taste of it.ā
āNo one has dared speak to me in the way that you do. Why is it you are so polite to others? So demure and soft, and yet so bullish when we speak? Ask me kindly, Signa Farrow.ā
āGive me some credit, Miss Farrow. If I was trying to seduce you, my methods would be much more pointed.ā
8. Books similar to Belladonna
Books with similar narrative arc like Belladonna
Now that we have finally established the narrative structure of Belladonna, I can recommend you books that are usually labelled as similar reads
Stephanie Garber, the author of Once Upon a Broken Heart and Caraval, adopts the same narrative structure in her two series. It becomes more explicit in Once Upon a Broken Heart though.
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Both series begin with an inciting incident that moves the plot forward. Stephanie Garber’s books are non-stop with plot triggers and multiple crisis developing at every page.
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She loves to write characters that look innocent but have wicked intentions.
Similar structure than Belladonna but with a more slow pace that gives the author the chance to describe the fantasy world in which they characters are placed..
Books with similar setting like Belladonna
This book is a traditional Fantasy Romance with strong gothic vibes in a medieval setting. I loved the atmosphere and how the world was perfectly integrated with the dark elements
9. About the author
"I love the dark and the weird, especially when itās paired with a beautiful and glittering world. I love the juxtaposition of those elements and find that I feel very at home in those stories."
Adalyn Grace is a New York Bestseller and International bestselling author of Belladonna .
She studied storytelling as an intern at Nickelodeon. ( source )
Curious facts about the author ( source )
- Adalyn was a die-hard fan of Twilight and adores love triangles! (Team Jacob! )
- She loves playing video games! Zelda, Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy are among her favourites.
- Adalyn started writing in the Neopets storyboards.!!
Adalyn is very active on her Instagram account, always posting book updates and interacting with her community.Ā
Check her profile here : Adalyn Grace Instagram
11. Final thoughts. My opinion about Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
During 2022, Belladonna by Adalyn Grace was one of TikTok favourite’s books.
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Now that we are pretty close to the second book release, the hype seems to be rising again on all social platforms.
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With a great romantic plot and a dark atmosphere, Belladonna has captivated readers across all platforms.
I can confirm that the hype is totally justified.
Belladonna made me feel like I was reading a cozy Victorian book in a gloomy atmosphere.
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Is the perfect book to read on a stormy day or near Halloween. It has this spooky feeling that reminds me of lattes and pumpkins.
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Contrary to popular opinion, Iām a big fan of love triangles, and Adalyn Grace does a great job with the trope in Belladonna. It really has great reread potential due to all the plot twists!!
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Some plot points felt redundant and could have been improved with another round of editing, but otherwise, nothing too concerning or that would justify not finishing the book.
I canāt wait for the second book and Iāve already preordered the beautiful Barnes and Noble edition (get it here!! )
QUESTION: Do you like reading paranormal romance books or are you more inclined to epic fantasy? Let me know your answer in the comments right bellow!!
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