Wisteria: the gorgeous new gothic fantasy romance from the bestselling author of Belladonna and Foxglove

By Author / Illustrator

Adalyn Grace

Genre

Fantasy

Age range(s)

14+

Publisher

Hodderscape

ISBN

9781399726085

Format

Hardback

Published

20-08-2024

Synopsis

The New York Times bestseller Adalyn Grace is back with a gorgeous, thrilling, beautifully romantic gothic fantasy - if you loved Belladonna and Foxglove, you will adore this . . .

Blythe Hawthorn has never let anyone tell her what to do . . . and she's not about to start now. Headstrong and passionate, she won't be ruled by society, nor by her overprotective father, and certainly not by the man she's bound herself to, no matter how insufferable he is. 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 the decadent fairytale she imagined.

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 discover the real truth about who she is inside.

'A deliciously deadly Gothic romance' Stephanie Garber; 'A true pleasure from beginning to end' Jennifer Armentrout; 'Decadently atmospheric' Kerri Maniscalco. Praise for Adalyn Grace: 'A darkly romantic tale' Adrienne Young; 'Utterly original and completely addictive' Rachel Griffin; 'Darkly twisted and deliciously gothic' Renee Ahdieh.

Reviews

Wisteria is the sensational conclusion to the brilliant dark gothic romance series, Belladonna. Once again this bestselling YA author has delivered a world that is full of illusion and magic, which I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish.

In order to save her friend Signa, Blythe Hawthorne has gone into an arranged marriage with Fate who, incidentally, dislikes her so much that he cannot stand to be around her for any length of time. However, that is not going to change Blythe; she has never let anyone tell her what to do before this marriage, 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…

On the evening of her wedding day, Fate sends her away on her own and before she knows it, she finds herself in her mother's garden but cannot understand why. Why has Fate sent her here? What are the strange dreams she keeps having and who is the mysterious woman who walks the halls of Fate's palace? Blythe slowly discovers that she is linked to Fate's past; will she let her new feelings for him take over and discover the truth about who she really is?

Wisteria is an imaginative and completely addictive story. It is full of magical twists and turns, some predictable, others I just didn't see coming. The 'will they won't they' romance between the two main protagonists will keep many 14+ readers on the edge of their seats as they journey with them through to the final conclusion, which, incidentally, had me in tears.

The introduction of a new character, Chaos, adds a new dimension to the plot and even though this is the concluding book to this amazing series, I hope the author has a further book in her imagination with more development of this character.

I'm so glad I got to immerse myself in this journey with these characters and I'm a little sad to leave them behind. Thank you Adalyn for creating them.

432 pages / Reviewed by Linda Brown, school librarian