I wanted to like this book more than I did. The cover is gorgeous and the premise is interesting but I just had a hard time getting into it. I am interested enough to give the second book a chance.

Celine Rousseau is headstrong, defiant and ambitious when she arrives from Europe at the age of 16, accompanied by six other orphaned girls, all to be raised in a convent by the Ursuline Sisters learning useful household skills, as well as etiquette, and proper social graces for launching them successfully as marriageable young ladies in Renee Ahdieh’s, “The Beautiful,” a young adult/children’s romantic historical thriller set in 1870s New Orleans.

The girls arrive in New Orleans at the beginning of Festival—a season of colorful parades, balls, and festivities leading up to the finale of Mardi Gras—that are all tempting, lurid and glitzy enticements for the naive newcomers—especially Celine.

While living in Paris, Celine was apprenticed to the workshop of an haute couture fashion designer. There she gained a sharp sense of style along with a delft and delicate hand at stitching. Upon arrival to New Orleans, Mother Superior tasked her to make handkerchiefs and sell them in Jackson Square to earn donations for the nunnery.

One fortuitous day, a mysterious woman stopped by the Convent’s booth and purchased all of Celine’s pocket squares, and then requested that Celine create her a ball gown. This was quite out of the ordinary. How was Celine going to convince the Sisters to let her do this project? Also the woman needed to be met in the evening at a specified location.

Celine wants to throw caution to the wind; however, she must be extremely careful not to make anyone uncomfortable or suspicious of her because she’s hiding a huge secret that can ruin her reputation and the possibility of her future happiness.

Remember, this is targeted at tweens, so the writing is of “The Beautiful,” may not engage sophisticated audiences. For fans of Anne Rice’s vampire series, this is a fun little romp on the master’s home turf.

JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Renee Adhieh, and Publisher G.P. Putnam and Sons Books for Young Readers for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.

The Beautiful is the first in a gripping romantic YA vampire series by Renée Ahdieh.
This book does not slow down! It is action packed and has you excitingly anticipating the next moment.
The characters captivate me, the writing style is gloriously thick and creates such a cool atmosphere, and the plot twists are simply phenomenal.
I love her writing and will be checking out the other titles in this series.

I would like to thank NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

Mystery hides in the dark corners of New Orleans at the best of times, and in the late 1800s, even more sinister secrets can be found there. Celine Rousseau has recently made the journey from Europe to the United States with the fervent desire to escape the event that both defines her and torments her. Unfortunately, danger lurks in the shadows of New Orleans, as well, though it is a different kind than she expects. And when the infuriating and sensual Sébastien takes notice of Celine, both of them are torn between the darkness within them and the light they desire.

This late nineteenth century fantasy romance blends the allure of New Orleans with the age-old appeal of vampires. Floral descriptions give the book a fanciful appearance, especially as these details enhance characters who might otherwise be less than appealing. References to Shakespeare are prevalent throughout the novel, and myriad languages also find their way into the narrative through the voices of multiple narrators. All this contributes to an overall feeling of high class citizenry when the characters themselves are anything but.

Sadly, the audiobook version is lackluster and does not include appropriate pronunciations in all the accents used within the book. Reading the printed page, however, is much more enjoyable. Readers who appreciate period vampire novels will find this one to be appealing both in plot and in presentation, and they will eagerly await the subsequent installments once this story ends. This is an immersive tale for young adults and older readers who appreciate rich descriptions accompanied by the danger inherent to vampires and other creatures of the night.

Thank you very much to the publisher (and the author) for re-releasing The Beautiful free to readers! I was able to use this to start my reread of the series to prep for the conclusion, and I really appreciate it!

I wanted to like this book a lot more but I just couldn't get into it sadly.

Thank you Penguin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting and refreshing story wished to review it fully. Thank you for the sneak peek. The world-building was fantastic, I really liked the characters, and think they were well built, this new fantasy story had me hooked from the start, sometimes it felt a bit slow, but was well-paced. The emotions were good and love the descriptions.

First off the cover of this book is gorgeous! The setting of this book set is 1872 New Orleans was amazing and kind of gave me feels to The Originals a bit. I fell in love with Bastien and Celine. Their relationship is done so well.

Renée wrote such creative prose that I was easily swept away in. I binged the book wanting to find out what will happen and it was left on a major cliff hanger. Which makes me want June to hurry up and come so that I can get my hands on The Damned.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and look forward to Celine and Bastien's story to unfold in the next installment.

↠ 5 stars

This book had all the elements I love! This is the beginning to what is an amazing YA vampire fantasy series!

In 1872, seventeen year old Celine Rousseau is a dressmaker who leaves her life behind in Paris for a new life in New Orleans. She is taken on at a convent with six other girls when she becomes enamored by the vibrant life that is New Orleans. With secrets of her own, Celine gets caught up in the scandalous world and life of La Cour des Lions and the enigmatic Sebastien Saint Germain and the secrets he has along with the suspicious murders happening around town.

I’m a sucker for stories that take place in the French Quarter of New Orleans! It instantly sets the vibe for a haunting and intoxicating atmosphere. This book had historical elements, mystery, intrigue, and forbidden romance! I loved the characters, especially Sebastien! I’m super excited to see where Renée Ahdieh takes us with this story!

I was drawn into the story almost from the beginning. The characters were interesting and woven into the story very well. I liked the interaction between the two main characters and the mystery of who the villain was keeps you guessing. This is the first book I’ve read from this author and after reading this book I can’t wait to read the sequel and her other series.

The Beautiful combines two things that everybody associates together: vampires and New Orleans. If you have never been to New Orleans or know the association between the two, you are missing out. After reading this book, I got had a itch to go on a trip down there just to see the landmarks talked about in this book and relive what I just read about. While down there, I ended up taking a vampire history tour that took us through the streets of New Orleans to sites that have "known" vampire sightings and I loved it. Just walking the streets and seeing those spots, transported me back to the book. Now, back to the book.

Set in 1872, Celine Rousseau, new to New Orleans after having fled Paris, seeks refuge with the sisters at the Ursuline convent. Taken by the music, the food and the city that is New Orleans, Celine catches the eye of Sebastien Saint Germain, the leader of La Cour des Lions. As bodies start appearing all over New Orleans, Celine starts to suspect that Sebastien is to blame but she cannot help being attracted to him. Celine soon takes matters into her own hands to solve the case to determine who the murderer is, but she stumbles upon a feud among the darkest creatures from the underworld.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy of The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh in exchange for my honest review. I cannot wait to read the new book!

I don't really know how I feel about this I will be honest. Like I found interesting. It wasn't bad but I just don't.

The beginning started out intriguing, but lost steam about halfway through for me. I really love Ahdieh's work and the previous books in this series, but this one fell flat for me. The ending was a bit rushed, and in some aspects, unclear. Some characters could've had their stories wrapped up a bit neater. Hmm. This just wasn't quite what I'd hoped for as the ending of the series. Hopefully, other readers will enjoy it more than me.

I read this book when it first came out so I am re-reading it for the 'good' parts. Celine is still terrific and I like Sebastien more than before. The beginning is a bit slow but the ending and the following books are terrific. It's an interesting book with lots of paranormal elements- vampires, werewolves, witches and fairies exist this world. Really enjoy it.

Thanks the publisher for the arc.

I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. I loved the setting, but some of the characters fell a little flat for me. It's still a solid start to a new series.

4.7 Stars
This book was my second favorite read of 2019 so far and it’s a close second. This book will change your heart and make you feel infinite. I can't wait for the sequel/final installment in 2024 its gonna so great! This series is sooo full in a good way! Rereading it is so resfreshing! Do you enjoy a little murder mystery? How about vampires? How about bad boys and good girls? Star-crossed lovers? New Orleans culture and vibes! I know this series took so long because of covid and I’m so excited to see where it ends. The third book does feature someone else.

beautifully atmospheric and filled with great characters and a wonderful supernatural world!

this author’s writing is always a treat to read.
its lyrical and almost poetically beautiful but at the same time easy to read and just fall into the story with.

the setting as well as the set up to the story was so well done, and works wonderfully together.
you can imagine New Orleans during this historical times and you believe it’s possible that those supernatural elements could happen there just because it all fits so well together.

this book isn’t fast paced and it’s not action packed or as spooky or horrific as some other gothic supernatural stories can be. so if you want a bloody ripper story… this might not be the right book for you. but i found this slower pacing and build up and reveals worked in favor for the story and atmosphere of it very well.

i didn’t love the ending but it’s the first book in a series so clearly it’s a set up for more and a larger coming story.

This book was a little weird and I had a hard time getting into it. The story and plot were good but moments through out the book I'd lose interest. I am a mood reader though so it could definitely be that this wasn't the book that I was looking for in the moment.

Absolutely lovee Renée
She is that author that you automatically know she gonna write a good book
And this, this is the perfect enemies to lovers, vampire, perfect for a dark fall day read and the cliffhanger….. pfiuuuu that was something else.
Everyone go read this immediately since the last book is so close to be published

Was this as advertised? Not exactly.
Did I enjoy this? Damned straight I did.

Re-read thoughts: dropped my rating to four. The pacing is so off in the beginning and does that fabulous ending a disservice.

New Orleans, murder mysteries and vampires. I didn't know I needed it and I'm thrilled it is now in my possession. And that it <I>delivered</I>. The historical New Orleans setting was delightful. I've never been myself but I got a really great image of it from Ahdieh's descriptions. The murder mystery is what really drew me into this story. The narrative is told primarily from Celine's POV—with the odd Bastian chapter scattered throughout—but every so often we get a chapter of the murderer. And were those ever freaky. We don't know who—or apparently <I>what</I>—they are, but they are watching Celine. Obsessing over her. It was so well done and captured my attention immediately.

I admit, the vampire aspect was a bit weak. And I knew that going in, thanks to the many mixed reviews I'd seen floating around. To call it a vampire book is a bit of a stretch. A lot of the book had me wondering who was and wasn't a vampire as Celine is not one, and neither is Bastian. It's never really spoken out loud that they exist, but it's strongly implied. All that said, the second book is looking to be <I>heavily</I> laden with vampires and other paranormal goodies that I can't wait. The cover alone has me in eager anticipation, but the description has me crying I have to wait almost another year!

Look, I am a sucker for a female main character with a devil may care attitude. And Celine embodied that beautifully. She's bloody clever and had some quick quips that made me snicker. Her skill with dressmaking was a bit under-utilized in my opinion, but I liked the part it played in this story. She has a backstory that is unfortunate, but one that you can sympathize with. I thought Celine's regular self-assurances that she had a terrible darkness to her would become annoying, but it actually scratched the surface of her well. And I think it sets her up for what could potentially go down in book two.

There was a bit of a love triangle that—dare I say it?—I may have absolutely enjoyed. Nine times out of ten I despise it when the main character has two gents after her because it usually feels so forced and unrealistic. Like the author is trying to make them both happen so hard when it's like shoving a cube into a circular hole. This felt natural and believable, and either option I'd be <I>delighted</I> with. In fact, I really enjoyed how both relationships developed with Celine. They both felt like slow burns, even if she was obviously leaning the one way throughout. The synopsis is right when it says it's sultry and again, I'm looking forward to what comes next. Hearts. Are. Going. <b>Shatter.</b>

My rating is actually 4.5 out of 5, and I think what kept this from a perfect score was Ahdieh's writing style. This is my first book of hers so I can't say if it's a one-off or not. I just felt like it was at the same time perfect and way too over the top. Like, this is such great writing, but coming to that conclusion is a bit of a stretch. However poetic it is, you can't always compare pretty mundane things to being unmoored at sea. In the beginning, my mind drifted a few times and I got lost in making connections and following along. After about a hundred pages I was far more invested and not as bothered by it.