Book Review: ‘Foxglove' by Adalyn Grace
‘Foxglove’ by Adalyn Grace was the highly anticipated follow-up to ‘Belladonna', released in August 2023, and it currently sits pretty with a 4.2 rating on Goodreads.
I think Sophie was surprised when I suggested we read ‘Foxglove’ for the podcast because I wasn't entirely won over by the first book in the series. In fact, at the time of finishing ‘Belladonna’, I would have told you I wasn’t even going to bother continuing with it.
But…
Something happened.
Quick links:
If you need the summary, look no further:
“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.”
So, what happened? The more distance I had from the first book, the more I kept thinking about it. That old addage of “absence makes the heart grow fonder” is definitely applicable here. I couldn't help but wonder how the characters were going to continue to develop and dance around each other.
‘Foxglove' passed the vibe check, and I'm happy to say that my faith in the series was restored.
The addition of Fate as a character changed the whole thing for me. He offered such a fun injection of drama and excitement that literally ate this book up, and left no crumbs, in a matter of days. The relationship between Signa and Death continues to evolve (and grow stronger, imo), but the added twist of Fate and his motivations was so much fun to watch unfold.
My only gripe in this book is that Blythe gets the short end of the stick. Much like in ‘Belladonna’, she doesn't get the full arc she deserves, and although…
SPOILER ALERT
…’Foxglove’ for Blythe is one long set-up for her own book, ‘Wisteria’ (out now!), I ended up feeling like she had to suffer the most, and gain the least.
Justice for Blythe, basically.
Death is much less complicated in ‘Foxglove', which soothed all my concerns from previously. This series is the kind of series where you really have to let go and just roll with it. Let's not overthink the fact that he is LITERALLY DEATH and surely would be far too busy to even entertain, let alone maintain a relationshop. Same for Fate, also.
But shh. Stop thinking on it so much. So let it run free. And that's what I did, and it allowed me to have a much more enjoyable reading experience.
All in all, a fantastic sequel. It doesn't suffer “second book syndrome”, which is always a delight to discover, and it left me desperate for book 3. When Sophie and me are on break between podcast seasons I'm absolutely going to be purchasing ‘Wisteria’ to read over the Holidays.
Like 20,000 other people, I gave ‘Foxglove' four stars on Goodreads. If you're on the fence after ‘Belladonna’, please give it a go. And if you loved the first book you'll easily get a kick out of book two.
Written by Sarah
