Thank you to Netgalley for giving me a chance to read and review this sneak peak of, "The Beautiful" by Renée Ahdieh. The writing was so eloquent and beautiful. I love the setting of New Orleans. I am also intrigued by the story. I wish this was a full arc of the book! It really is that excellent. I can't wait to get a full copy soon.

I feel like I'm in high school again with all the new vampire fiction is coming back, anyone else? I'm one hundred percent okay with it though!

The Beautiful followed Celine, a girl traveling from Paris to New Orleans after committing a very dark deed - so you know this book brought all the feminism with it! Celine is a force to be reckoned with, bringing strength and power with her. This story brings about cultural appropriation, racism, and abuse of power - all relevant themes in our world today. It's very interesting to see them applied to the Celine's world.

I was a little bit sad that the vampires didn't come in right away, but I get it they needed their build up - and once they arrived they were completely worth the wait! I feel the story could have used more backstory, or maybe a little bit more world building? Something to make the plot twists hit even harder!

This tale is gorgeous, descriptive, beautiful, and it's set in New Orleans - where else could you want a vampire meets murder mystery tale to exist? I waited wayyy to long to read this book and I NEED more. I can't wait until I'm able to pick up The Damned!

This sampler of the book has me so excited to read the full complete version. I am already hooked on the story and the plot. The writing style is great and I really liked it. This sneak peak was a great little tease of the book and story!

Seventeen year-old Celine Rousseau travels to New Orleans to escape the nightmare she left behind in Paris. It's 1872 and the perfect opportunity to start anew, is presented by the Ursuline convent that takes in girls and helps them ensure a proper husband. However, it isn't long before the enchantment of the city takes over and Celine forgoes the convents intentions. Sebastien Saint Germain was quick to notice her upon arrival and while restraint is practiced, the attraction is mutual & undeniable, even if recently brutally murdered bodies seem to be connected to both of them. When Celine appears to be the next target, she decides to take matters into her own hands, unknowingly vulnerable to the fact that it may be at the cost of her romance with Sebastien.
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The setting, the food, the fashion...these all stood out to me and it was all incredibly beautiful in my mind's eye. I have a sweet spot for NOLA though, so this probably explains why my mouth watered with every food description and I could actually picture the scenery and dresses of the era. ❤️
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Unfortunately, I was expecting SO much from this book. I mean, come on: mysterious murders, vampires, AND New Orleans 😍. What a great recipe! Except, it was incredibly slow at times & I was left with plenty of questions. 😬 The next book just came out and I'm thinking just for the sake of some damn answers, I'll read it ASAP. Fingers crossed that it's a little more fast-paced though as I am actually curious about most, if not all, of the characters and their past, present, and future.🤞🏼

This is a promising start to what I think will be a great book. I've been seeing this book around and I've never picked it up because it just didn't seem interesting. I didn't regret my decision to read it. The mysterious and intriguing atmosphere was crafted beautifully and the prose was poetic, but not flowery. As I read on, I felt like I was getting to know a real person, not a character. Not too much was revealed about her past, which was part of the reason why I kept reading. I thoroughly enjoyed this excerpt of the book, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the YA genre. It's worth the read.

This sample is so lush! I love the descriptions of New Orleans and the spiciness of the main character, Celine. I am sure that great adventures will abound! Glad that this is a series too!

4/5

This book is an enthralling jaunt back into the vampire genre. Loved the descriptions and characters even if their morals were a bit lacking. Overall I really liked it and will continue with the series

It was a pretty solid start in my opinion. I liked the introduction, and I can't wait to continue on with the rest of the book once I get my hands on it.

3.5 Stars

Loved the writing and the setting, but felt the plot was a little lackluster and had a slow start

The story looks interesting and I love historical fantasy. And VAMPIRES. This got me hooked. Looking forward to reading this series. Loved the intro to the world. Can't wait to read the whole book!!!
Thank you Netgalley for the sneak peek into Renee Ahdieh's new series.

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 wanted to love this book more than I did. Vampires? Definitely my thing. New Orleans? Also my thing. Sexy love interests? Another thing of mine. Unfortunately, there weren’t any magical sparks upon reading the book. I was blessed to get an ARC for it, and will still be buying the finished copy and it’s sequel, but I just couldn’t love it. The plot felt slow, the characters underdeveloped, the world half-written. It had a lot of potential, but I found myself wanting MORE MORE MORE throughout the entire thing.

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.