Wisteria by Adalyn Grace – Review

Published: August 20, 2024

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Series: Belladonna #3

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Pages: 400 (Kindle)

My Rating: 4 Stars

Synopsis:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Adalyn Grace delivers a sensational conclusion to the deathly and decadent Belladonna trilogy, with dramatic twists and a seductive new romance that will set readers’ hearts ablaze.

Blythe Hawthorn has never let anyone tell her what to do—not society, not her overprotective father, and certainly not the man she’s bound herself to, no matter how rude and insufferable he is. In fact, she’s determined to be a thorn in his side for the rest of her days, even as he ensures that her life in his palace is anything but a fairytale. But as Blythe discovers a new side of herself linked to his past, she’ll have to decide if she’s willing to let an unexpected spark ignite…and to discover the truth about who she really is.

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I have been so excited for the final book in the Belladonna series, simply because Blythe was going to be the main character. I knew she was going to give Fate absolute hell and I was completely correct. This book was so worth the time I spent reading it!

After the first two books, Belladonna and Foxglove, which followed Signa Farrow and her investigations into the happenings on the Hawthorne estate we finally get to follow Blythe Hawthorne. Signa’s story with Death was largely resolved and the loose ends get tied up in this installment, but the true stars of this drama are Blythe and Aris who HATE each other. This is enemies to lovers if I ever saw it. They are SO mean and throw such shade and some rather creative insults at one another. Aris nearly freezes Blythe to death in his magical house because he’s a jerk and she’s too stubborn to tell him she’s about to die. The two eventually work out something of a truce when Blythe’s father comes to visit the fictional kingdom Aris is supposed to be a Prince of, which was actually really cool. The two work together to create a really beautiful palace and an incredible city that was like if Venice were a snowy wonderland. 

The whole time Aris continues to think Signa is actually the reincarnation of Life, his past love so he really holds himself apart from Blythe even as they become more friendly toward one another. Blythe however is manifesting some rather terrifying powers that make it immediately clear that she’s actually Life, plus she keeps seeing her ghost around the palace. I loved the build up, the tension, and Blythe’s acceptance of her power. I hated the introduction of yet another immortal being named Chaos. It may have furthered the plot, but it felt a bit sloppy and didn’t mesh that well with how the story had been unfolding over the course of the previous two books. I just feel there was a more elegant way to resolve things!

Overall, I seriously enjoyed this book and will definitely be reading more from Adalyn Grace in the future. I know many people expressed some disappointment over how things played out at the end, but I actually kind of liked it. It gave a nice role reversal and was actually quite touching and made me tear up just a smidge.