This except of The Beautiful was my first exposure to Renee Ahdieh's writing, and I've been debating picking up this book for a while. Reading the first few chapters definitely piqued my interest, and I would love to see where the story goes next. I enjoyed the setting and the mysteries around the characters and their origins. The writing was descriptive and fast-paced. Thank you, NetGalley, for providing this intriguing sneak peek!

Honestly, you had me at Renee Ahdieh, New Orleans, and vampires. I mean that is one killer combo that will absolutely grab my attention. In Ahdieh's previous books she's done really well with setting the scene and weaving various threads to make a fascinating tapestry, and it was lovely to see her continue that tradition in this sneak peek of The Beautiful. It is a slow burn and a slow start but that's something I appreciate about it. i like that we have time to really marinate in the world as she spins it for us so that we can really get acquainted with her characters. Now since it's just a sampler, I haven't gotten to the real pay off yet but I loved what I read and I would love to see what she does with the rest of it.

I enjoyed this sneak peak of The Beautiful. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what’s in store for Celine. Very intriguing start!

I am a huge fan of Renee Ahdieh. Her writing is lyrical and it flows so well off the page. It was true of her previous books, and it is true of this sneak preview of The Beautiful. This preview perfectly sets up Celine's character and the atmospheric wonder that is 19th century New Orleans. It teases something dark and riveting to come.

The excerpt from The Beautiful that I read was intriguing and I loved the poetry that was incorporated throughout the first few chapters. Celine is an interesting character with a spark of adventure that colors her mysterious past. Pippa is a breath of fresh air and the girls pair nicely as friends. The solemn voices of the head nun and the yet-to-be-revealed stalker (and perhaps murderer?) parallel one another despite appearing on opposite sides. I am excited to continue learning about the characters and how their lives will intertwine.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This review is based on a simple copy of the book not the whole book.

This book has a fantastic beginning, dark, creepy and intriguing and I really want to read the whole book now.

I love vampire books and am so excited about this one from the sample copy I have just finished reading.

This novel was written well, however the storyline did not really hold my attention. Certain parts dragged a bit and seemed a little overdone, while others needed more explaining to make the novel flow better. The idea for the storyline was ok, but not incredibly unique. I’ve read other works by this author that I enjoyed more.

Wow, this is amazing so far! I can't believe that I haven't picked it up fully yet. Can't wait for what's to come!

A definite page turner. I enjoyed the sneak peek and now I’m curious enough to want to read it through. The main character Celine looks like a force to be reckoned with as she seems to invite trouble into her life. Will she learn from her mistakes as her character grows in the story? I ant wait to find out.

I enjoyed this sample. It was a unique story. I hope to get my hands on the full story soon and figure out what happens.

The preview chapters of The Beautiful were atmospheric and seductive in the writing style. I felt drawn into the plot almost immediately and found myself eagerly turning the pages for more. This novel is only my second exposure to the work of Renée Ahdieh and I forgot how much I enjoyed her writing style.

I really enjoyed the way the novel was split between the POV of Celine, the novel's main female lead, and the killer. It added a twist of mystery and sent chills up my spine as the killer started to select his second victim. The Author has a way of pulling you into the story by your senses, and when I finished the preview chapters I found myself wanting more. I gave this preview four out of 5 stars and will be adding the novel to my TBR.

I loved this first look! I went out and bought a full-length copy of The Beautiful and I can't wait to read it!

This is a review of an exept of The Beautiful provided by Netgalley.
The exept of The Beautiful was very intriguing. We follow two characters, Celine, a seamstress with a mysterious past who is from France, and an unnamed character who (I think) is a vampire. The story is set in New Orleans. The writing was good, the plot was interesting, but I don't think I will be reading the rest of this novel. It just didn't really "stick out" to me.
3.5/5 stars

This preview chapters were such a promising start!

As a fan of The Wrath and The Dawn and A Flame in the Mist fan, I'm surprised to really enjoy these first few chapters of The Beautiful. Especially since I've heard mixed reviews about it and it being different from the author's previous works.

It's too early for me to really give an opinion about this book but i really want to say that it already intrigued me! There's no doubt i'll continue reading this book in the near future. I personally really like the premise of this book as i'm usually interested in stories about vampires, werewolves, and such. The setting of the book I think is also suitable for the story, so is the writing style even though it took me a while to get used to it because English isn't my first languange. But once i got the grip of it, i can feel and follow the flow of the story,

I really enjoyed this! Thank you to Netgally for this preview of The Beautiful!

This book had me hooked from the beginning. I enjoy the writing style and the flow of the book. The author does a good job of painting a picture.

As this is simply an excerpt, I can only offer a short review of the first few chapters in which we learn about our heroine Celine, and a mysterious vampire determined to bring vengeance upon his enemy through murder.

In the first few chapters, we come to meet Celine, a young woman coming to New Orleans in the late 1800s to escape a dark past. All we know of what happened is that she has killed someone and fled France, hoping that distance and a new start will provide safety. Celine is a young woman skilled at haute couture and which catches the eye of a wealthy young woman named Odette who commissions Celine to create for her a gown for the upcoming Mardi Gras Masquerade. The excerpt ends with a shift in perspective to our mystery vampire killer plotting his next victim and claiming he murders for revenge.

I had initially chosen to read this excerpt because I have seen the cover of this book popping up everywhere and I love a good vampire story. However, I didn't expect to be so engaged in what was happening. I now very much desire to know what happens to Celine, how she is drawn into the court of the vampires, and who our mystery man is (and whether he's actually evil). I really appreciate the way in which Ahdieh paints pictures with her words and gives the reader a strong sense of what the characters are thinking; what they notice, and how, and the language that they use to describe what they see. Celine clearly does not view herself in any positive light - why? What could she have done that is so reprehensible? Through her writing, Ahdieh reaches off of the page to grab your interest until you simply have to know more. 3.5/5 stars ONLY because I haven't finished the story - I fully expect to change this once I'm finished reading the novel.

This was only a sample but it left me wanting to learn more and find out what happens next. Overall a short but good read

Disclaimer: read the sneak peek, not the full book. The Beautiful really drew me in! The concept on its own had me interested, but the writing truly sold me. The author does a brilliant job painting the picture, and the few chapters I read made me want to devour more. Will definitely get the full book!

I love Renee Ahdieh's writing style and the way she can create such cool worlds, but I guess the vampire trend just isn't for me. I couldn't get immersed in this story. It was only an excerpt, but I just wasn't thrilled. I do not think I will be reading the rest of this book or trying out the series.

I read and loved Ahdieh's Wrath & The Dawn series. SO good. While I liked this book and will most likely read the next in the series, it wasn't as captivating as The Wrath and the Dawn. I wasn't as invested in the main character, Celine, as Ahdieh's previous books. However, I did enjoy the descriptions and atmosphere of 1800's New Orleans. Combining vampires with this time period and atmosphere makes the book enjoyable. 3.5 stars.