In 2022, Belladonna by Adalyn Grace was one of my favorite books of the year. Naturally, I had high hopes for the sequel, Foxglove, to blow me away as well.
And while Foxglove by Adalyn Grace was definitely a fun and engaging read, it lacked the charm, the gothic intrigue, and the sizzling romance that Belladonna did. Here’s my full review
Warning: this review of Foxglove by Adalyn Grace contains a few spoilers for the first book, Belladonna. If you have not read Belladonna yet, consider reading my spoiler-free review of it here.
Table of Contents
~ Synopsis: Foxglove by Adalyn Grace ~
The captivating sequel to the Gothic-infused Belladonna, in which Signa and Death face a supernatural foe determined to tear them apart.
A duke has been murdered. The lord of Thorn Grove has been framed. And Fate, the elusive brother of Death, has taken up residence in a sumptuous estate nearby. He’s hellbent on revenge after Death took the life of the woman he loved many years ago…and now he’s determined to have Signa for himself, no matter the cost.
Signa and her cousin Blythe are certain that Fate can save Elijah Hawthorne from prison if they will entertain his presence. But the more time the girls spend with Fate, the more frightening their reality becomes as Signa exhibits dramatic new powers that link her to Fate’s past. With mysteries and danger around every corner, the cousins must decide if they can trust one another as they navigate their futures in high society, unravel the murders that haunt their family, and play Fate’s unexpected games—all with their destinies hanging in the balance.
Dangerous, suspenseful, and seductive, this sequel to Signa and Death’s story is as utterly romantic as it is perfectly deadly.
Ratings
~ Book Review: Foxglove by Adalyn Grace ~
The story starts immediately after the events of the first book. Chaos unfolds as, at a party hosted by the Hawthornes, a duke is murdered and all eyes are on Elijah Hawthorne, who supposedly handed him a champagne flute laced in poison.
And amidst the chaos is a new arrival: Fate himself, Death’s brother and now his sworn enemy. He is convinced that Signa is his lost love and is determined to pursue her (and keep Death away from her) until she remembers her past life and chooses him again.
Not gonna lie, I am not the biggest fan of love triangles, so I was a little apprehensive about this new plot twist. But while Fate was charming and easy to sympathize with, it was very clear throughout the book that Signa’s heart belongs to Death only. Their relationship grows much deeper throughout the course of the novel, and while their moments together were intensely romantic, I do miss the will-they-wont-they chemistry they had previously in Belladonna when they were still getting to know each other.
In Foxglove, the story is narrated through the dual perspectives of both Signa and Blythe, and it was really interesting to see how Blythe perceived Signa and her take on the events that were unfolding around them.
In Blythe’s eyes, Signa is a proper lady–mature, soft spoken, and silver-tongued. The love and respect she feels for Signa was one of the highlights of the book, but as the plot thickens, tensions grow in their friendship and it was heartbreaking to see the cousins fall apart before finding their way back to each other again.
I suppose my greatest issue with Foxglove is that maybe it tried to pack in too many plotlines in one book and couldn’t figure out what exactly it wanted to be: is it fantasy? Murder mystery? Romance?
Of course, it is definitely possible to have all 3 in one book. Belladonna had done just that perfectly. But because we see Blythe transforming into a major character, I couldn’t help but feel it was a little all over the place.
All things considered, Foxglove by Adalyn Grace was a fun read, but it lacked the intrigue and thrill that Belladonna had. Regardless, there’s still so much to explore in the fantastical world that Adalyn Grace has created, that I am very much interested in seeing how the story continues in Wisteria.