The Summary

Nineteen-year-old Signa was abandoned as a baby and has been raised by a succession of guardians, all of whom have tragically perished because they were more concerned with ensuring her riches than her well being. The mysterious Hawthornes, an eccentric family residing at the opulent yet desolate Thorn Grove estate, are her last surviving family members. The family patriarch throws wild parties in remembrance of his late wife, while his son struggles to maintain the family's declining image and his daughter battles an unexplained illness. Signa recognizes that the family she relies on may be in grave danger when their mother's restless spirit claims she was poisoned and enlists the aid of a grumpy stable boy to find the murderer.

However, an association with Death himself, a captivating, perilous shadow who has never left her side, represents Signa's best chance of catching the murderer. Death reveals to Signa that their growing connection may be more potent and more irresistible than she ever dared conceive, despite the fact that he has made her life a living hell.

My Review

This book was excellent! I was totally absorbed in the world the author had created in the Gothic way from the first page. I feel as though I've been waiting a very long period for this and am just now getting it.

In Belladonna, a young lady named Signa Farrow, who has always had the ability to see death, moves to live with her new guardian after experiencing a string of problems with her previous ones. When she arrives at the Hawthornes' home, she learns that the family is caught up in a riddle and that they are suffering from an odd illness.

Signa was great in her role as the main character. She was incredibly sincere, and I'm glad she wasn't a wimp. She became a better person and learned more about her abilities as her character developed throughout the book.

The chemistry between Death and Signa was amazing! It was incredible how tight it got! He was a real sweetheart and a complete beauty. I can't wait to read the next book to learn more about Death's domain and to learn what happens to them.

Both the pace and the plot held my attention! One of the things I liked most about the book was its gothic and menacing tone. I wasn't ready for the numerous turns the story took. My interest was most piqued by the book's intriguing storyline and the puzzle that needed to be solved.

Superb characters round out the cast. It was very fun to discover more about the characters' characteristics. They were all untrustworthy. Each of them is full of complexity and charm, making learning about them enjoyable.

Equally beautiful writing, I might add. It drew me into the Gothic world with the aid of the author's descriptive language and some truly stunning portrayals. It develops a lively, vibrant ambiance that takes the narrative in a marvelously eerie direction.

The cliffhanger at the end of this book, which was fantastic overall, is a really perfect setup for the next one!

My ratings score:

★★★★★ Fantastic! Made me go through a lot of emotions & the entire book is incredibly beautifully done! 

★★★★ Memorable! Despite its shortcomings, this book was incredible and taught us a lot. 

★★★ Good work! Nothing particularly remarkable, but still nice.

★★ Meh... Mediocre with great room for improvement.

★ Extremely Poor.