Foxglove by Adalyn Grace

Here is a summary with spoilers of Foxglove

A duke has been murdered, and the lord of Thorn Grove has been framed. Meanwhile, Fate, the elusive brother of Death, has taken up residence in a nearby estate, driven by a burning desire for revenge after Death took the life of the woman he loved years ago. Now, Fate is determined to claim Signa for himself, no matter the cost.

Signa and her cousin Blythe are convinced that Fate has the power to save Elijah Hawthorne from prison if they tolerate his presence. However, as they spend more time with him, the situation grows increasingly dangerous. Signa begins exhibiting strange new abilities that seem to connect her to Fate’s past. With mystery and danger lurking at every turn, the cousins must decide if they can truly trust each other while navigating the complexities of high society, solving the murders that haunt their family, and playing Fate’s unpredictable games—all while their destinies hang in the balance.

After Lord Wakefield’s sudden death at the end of Belladonna, Signa’s uncle is accused of poisoning him in an attempt to purchase Grey’s. Fate arrives and believes that Signa is the reincarnation of his lost wife, Life, who perished at the hands of Death because she was not immortal. Although Life accepted her fate, Fate did not, forbidding Death from taking her. This defiance resulted in the outbreak of the Bubonic Plague across Europe, only for Life to die anyway, leaving Fate harboring a deep resentment toward Death ever since. In his quest for revenge, Fate curses Death so that his touch becomes deadly to Signa, making her ill whenever he touches her. He also strips Signa of her ability to see or hear Death, an agonizing loss for her.

Determined to free her father, Blythe devises a plan to win over Fate, believing that aligning herself with someone pretending to be a prince will elevate her social standing and provide leverage to set her father free. She attempts to charm him, only to discover that he is the one who framed her father in the first place. Meanwhile, Blythe begins experiencing disturbing visions, likely a consequence of her recovery from poisoning. At one point, she even believes she sees her maid as a corpse.

Signa and Fate strike a bargain: she will allow him to court her for one month, and in return, he will allow her to see Death after their dates. Despite her love for Death, Signa begins to question whether she truly is the reincarnation of Life, given her emerging powers. She resolves to grow closer to Fate, hoping to use this connection to convince him to free her uncle. Meanwhile, Blythe becomes suspicious that Wakefield’s daughter is being poisoned but fears testing her drink, wary of being poisoned again herself. Fate steps in, sampling the drink before kissing Blythe so she can detect if it contains belladonna. It does not.

In a moment of unexpected tenderness, Blythe and Fate rescue a baby fox from a hunt. However, tensions between the cousins escalate when Blythe learns that Signa killed her brother, Percy. Devastated, she does not initially realize that Percy had been the one poisoning both her and their mother. During their confrontation, Signa is forced to reveal that she is a reaper. Later, she helps a horse pass peacefully, but Blythe believes the animal should not have died at all. To prove her power, Signa brings it back to life.

Signa eventually returns to her ancestral home, Foxglove, a grand mansion inhabited by the ghosts of those who perished at the same party as her parents. The spirits resent her presence and attempt to kill her. Meanwhile, Blythe, desperate to save her father, offers to marry Fate in exchange for his help. He declines but reveals his true identity, claiming that Death is corrupting Signa. The two form an alliance, agreeing to work together to bring Fate and Signa closer. True to his word, Fate secures Blythe’s father’s release from prison just before his scheduled execution.

Signa continues practicing her magic but struggles to wield Life’s abilities, which puzzles her. A ghost, once a close friend of Signa’s mother, offers her guidance regarding her powers. When Fate arrives, Signa makes him swear not to harm Blythe. Fate then insists that Signa throw a grand party at Foxglove—a grimly ironic request, given that the last party there resulted in a massacre. As expected, the ghosts are overwhelmed by the trauma of their past, but with Signa and Death’s help, they are finally able to move on to the afterlife.

Blythe soon discovers that Wakefield’s daughter is pregnant with Percy’s child and has been consuming tansy, which has left her gravely ill. Signa considers using her Life powers to heal her. Meanwhile, Blythe insists that Signa must marry Fate in exchange for his aid, and Signa, wracked with guilt over Percy’s death, agrees. Before fulfilling her promise, she spends one last night with Death. Blythe witnesses their love firsthand and begins to regret siding with Fate. Overhearing their conversation, she learns the truth about Percy—that he was a murderer and that Signa had saved her life.

In a climactic confrontation, Death attempts to kill Fate, but Signa intervenes. Just as she is about to seal her fate by bleeding onto Fate’s tapestry—a ritual that would bind her to him—Blythe unexpectedly shoves her aside and steals the tapestry. Holding it hostage, she threatens to burn it, knowing that Fate, bound by his promise to Signa, cannot harm her. Instead, she cuts herself and bleeds onto the tapestry, effectively binding herself to Fate instead. The vague wording of their agreement had not specified which bride Fate would take, proving once again why terms and conditions matter. Rings appear on both Blythe’s and Fate’s fingers, sealing their bond.

It is only then that Signa pieces everything together: the only times she successfully used Life’s magic were in Blythe’s presence. This realization confirms that Blythe, not Signa, must be the true reincarnation of Life. Unaware of this revelation, Fate and Blythe proceed with their agreement. Meanwhile, Blythe’s father is released from prison, and the truth about Lord Wakefield’s murder is finally revealed—he was poisoned by his own brother, who sought to ensure that Percy’s child would be raised within the Hawthorne family.

As the book comes to a close, Fate publicly announces his engagement to Blythe, setting the stage for an uncertain future.