The Beautiful is the kind of book that grabs you and holds you in place as you try to piece together the story. It's written in an almost literary fashion. Though the characters are teens, due to the time period they read more like adults. It takes a while for the magic system to come together and the mystery serves the story. Our heroine is feisty and smart, and I look forward to seeing what she gets into in the sequel. I also appreciated how the love interest played out--not quite a love triangle, but you can see the foundation for that building in future books.

(Review shared on Amazon)

"But if a monster takes a life, what kind of monster refuses to save one?"
When I read on the front that vampires were back, I honestly wondered when they'd ever been gone. I've been hooked on vampires since I read Bunnicula as a kid, and he was a rabbit. I read Twilight and the Anne Rice books and countless others. I have never gotten tired of vampires and don't see me ever giving up that particular area of literature. And when I started reading it, it captured my attention and didn't let go. Celine is an amazing main character. She's strong, smart, and witty. Bastien and tortured and wants nothing more than to keep her safe. He knows that t here's something evil after her but he doesn't know who or what. And, his adopted father doesn't want them anywhere near each other. The characters were incredible, even the ones that were horrible. And the setting was in New Orleans. There couldn't be a more perfect setting for a vampire series than New Orleans. The descriptions of the convent and the Court of Lions, and everywhere in New Orleans made me feel like I was there. I could feel Celine's fear and anger, and her desire to find the creature who was killing the people she loved and stop it. This story incorporates a murder mystery, the paranormal, and even included a love triangle. I loved this book so much that I bought the next two books before I even finished reading this one. I'm looking forward to seeing Celine's growth, as well as Bastien's and if he will have the strength to stand up to his surrogate father.

-The Beautiful, Book #1 of The Beautiful Quartet

-By Renée Ahdieh -1st time author for me

-Publication date: 6-29-21 , read 1-4-24

-Rating: 4/5 ⭐

Setting: New Orleans 1872

Page Count 📖: 480

🤷🏾‍♀️WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ paranormal creatures
✨ fantasy
✨ mystery/hidden truths
✨ secret identities
✨ historical romance/forbidden romance

⚠️: Murder, SA

Summary: Marceline "Celine" Rousseau has escaped from Paris to New Orleans as a dressmaker. She is taken in by the Ursuline sister's convent along with 6 other girls. There she meets Odette Valmont who admires her embroidery. Celine is pulled into the underworld of supernatural creatures and falls in love with the mysterious Bastien. There is a killer on the loose and Celine could be their next victim.

Characters:

- 🚺 FMC Celine Rousseau (17) a dressmaker trained in Paris. Her mother was mixed race and her parents could not be seen together.

-🚹 MMC Sébastien Saint Germain (18) he commands and everyone listens. Celine is attracted to his power and he likes that she challenges him and the status quo.

🥰 What I liked:
-Celine's drive not to be a victim
-Celine and Pippa's friendship
-Celine's ability to outsmart or match men's reasoning
-Shakespeare references from Hamlet, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Sonnets
-Detective Grimaldi and his Nonna- a very sweet relationship

😞 What I didn't like:
-Such secrecy of who the big bad was. It could have been revealed a little earlier on.
-Would have liked more show of paranormal creatures gifts

🙏🏿Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group/Nancy Paulsen Books for this ARC 💖! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are mine alone.

I liked this book. It was a little slow for me in the beginning and I was struggling for about the first quarter of the book to be really interested. But once things really started picking up around our main character I finished it pretty quickly. Without giving any spoilers I am slightly upset about the ending. I thought our main character would be clued into those around her a little bit sooner than she was. That she might have at least been given a fair choice. The world building for me felt very similar to an Anne Rice book which I loved very much. I did feel like the characters could have use just a little more back story and a little more of a coming together moment but other then that the story was good

I've had this book on my TBR for ages, so I was excited to receive a digital copy and finally read it! The Beautiful is a fun foray into a world of vampires. Some elements feel familiar, but there's still enough originality to feel fresh. I look forward to reading the rest of the series now that it's complete.

This book differs from its advertised focus on vampires, with very limited exploration of that aspect throughout the story. However, the book captivated me in other ways. The historical time period and New Orleans setting, along with the well-drawn main characters and their relationships, drew me in. I particularly enjoyed the strong friendships and the intriguing love story. The pacing and plot kept me engaged, and the ending delivered an unexpected twist that I truly appreciated. Looking back, I wished for more complexity in the side plots, characters, and world-building, as it felt somewhat limited in scope. Despite these observations, the book kept me eager to know more, and while the story didn't leave a lasting impact, I remain hopeful for potential developments in the sequel.

This was a really good book! I normally don’t get into books about vampires, or werewolves, but this was a fantastic exception. I love the characters and loved how they all interacted and grew in front of my eyes. The author really did heavy, lifting on character development, and it shows! definitely looking forward to more of the books in this series to follow Celine and Bastien’s misdeeds and future!

What a wonderful book!

The beautiful is as the title says filled at it's very core with beautiful writing. While slow paced, this novel gives the reader a chance to take in the world and it's characters through luscious descriptions, and a vibe of mystery that will have you unable to put the book down.

The characters are so unique with interesting backstories that had me feeling care and connected with the throughout the entire book

Celine Rousseau has left her life as a dressmaker in Paris to start over in the New World. She is brought to the convent of the Ursulines in New Orleans. It is 1872 and the Crescent City already has her reputation of the haunted city, full of paranormal activity. On her way to the convent, she crosses paths with Sebastien Saint Germain, a very mysterious being that leads her to the Court of Lions. I loved the mystique, the flamboyant characters, the forbidden romance, and I absolutely lived how Celine was aware of her attraction to the darkness, yet she befriended the sweetest mist genuine girl of the convent: Pippa. I loved the way the story ended, and I was super excited to get a sneak peek of the second book of the series. I really want to continue reading this series. Author Renée Ahdieh did a wonderful job encapsulating the vibe of the city of New Orleans and gave us a strong, fun, and multi-faceted protagonist within Miss Celine Rousseau.
Give me more of The Beautiful!

Thank you Net Galley and Putnam for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have seen so many good things written about Renée Ahdieh and her beautiful writing and books, so of course I was excited to dive into her work and see what's there. This will not be a very long review because the one big thing that became very clear to me basically the second I started "The Beautiful" ist that I understand why Ahdieh has her fans, but she is not the author for me.

The prose is very, and I mean VERY purple all throughout, and I don't mind a good dose of purple actually, I quite enjoy it. But here, I couldn't even really follow the plot because the writing was distracting and felt, to me, like an example of "trying way too hard to make the writing seem grandiose and elegant" while failing at it. It's not organic, it doesn't serve the story.
The story in this is rather minimal to begin with. There really isn't that much happening, especially in the first half. Add to that my distaste for genuinely every single character - including our protagonist Céline, whose personality consists mostly of being appalled by the injustices and inegality women have to face on about every page because she has the morals of the 21st century while living in the 19th (which, admittedly, she shares with way too many ya historical/historical fantasy protagonists) and acts SO REBELLIOUS because of it. The side characters are barely characters, and the love interest wants to be an alluring bad boy character so badly but he really isn't. The romance lacks a good foundation and actual chemistry.

Basically, I didn't care at all about anyone and anything which disappointed me so much because the premise of this book is so good, actually: 19th century New Orleans and vampires is a delicious combination. But nothing worked for me and I was bored most of the time, starting to skim early on but trying my best to get through it because I WANTED it to get better and wow me.

But as I said, I'm not the target audience and the author's general writing style just doesn't work for me. I cannot give this more than 2 stars, but I did like the setting at least so there's that.

I was excited to read this one, between the setting (New Orleans) , the YA love triangle, the gothic vibes and vampires this book seemed like the ultimate guilty pleasure.

I would say that this book is good but not great. The slow pacing and purple prose made me quick to loose interest. I would consider trying other titles by this author, but this one just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Penguin for providing me with an eARC of this book to read and review.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for a copy of this book in exchange for a review. I Really enjoyed this one. I’ve found myself returning to Vampire fiction this year, but in more gothic style novels then past vampire books I’ve read *cough cough* Twilight. And I’m not mad about coming back to this kind of genre. What can I say… I love a vampy novel and this book was a good start to a series I hope to read more of.

Reading this book was one of the strangest experiences I've had in recent times as a reader.

I started it super excited because I had seen VERY good opinions. When I started reading it didn't excite me as much, it didn't hook me as much as I thought it would, and then (more than halfway through the book) I couldn't put it down and when it was over I said "I need the second one NOW." Yes, all that in one book. At one point I even thought about putting it off and leaving it. Luckily I didn't.

Hermosa eternidad or in English The Beautiful (What would that translation be?) is a fantasy book that advances very slowly where we gradually get to know the protagonists, where several events happen but that seem isolated or that do not end up connecting. Maybe it didn't grab me at a good time of year or I simply couldn't connect with the way it was written, but on many occasions I found it difficult to continue reading.

I liked both protagonists, Celine especially for her way of being and facing things. I liked that it is set in 1872, in New Orleans. I LOVED that ending.

Personally, I feel that this book is the tip of the iceberg and that the author has much more to show us, I trust that. And with that confidence I will be waiting to read the second one.

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, Nancy Paulsen Books for the digital copy I read on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved everything about this story. The world building was great, I really felt like I was there. The characters were interesting and the plot held my attention. Can't wait to read book 2 to see what happens next.

I have been provided with a review copy of The Beautiful from NetGalley for an impartial review. This book was just so easy to get lost in. I completely got lost in the story and I just loved getting to see these new characters come together. I just absolutely love this story and I just didn’t want to put it down. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

This one started out fairly well, despite the tiny print on my e-version provided by NetGalley. I loved the bits of French interspersed in the text, most of which I could translate with my limited knowledge of the language (although most were translated for me, some were not). The pace was pretty quick, but the character development was weak. I felt like I was coming into the middle of a series rather than the first book.

This was a slow start for me, but I eventually got so sucked into this book that I was legitimately shrieking by the end. Speaking of which, I’m immediately going to jump into book #2, so I think that speaks volumes about my feelings towards this book. It was SO ANGSTY, which isn’t for everyone, but I ATE. THAT. SHIT. UP. I love books that sort of sneak up on you like this one did. Overall, while I wouldn’t call this a new favorite, I did have a ton of fun reading this, and I’m so excited to continue the series!

Thank you NetGalley for a free e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"The Beautiful" by Renée Ahdieh is a lush and captivating young adult novel that revives the allure of vampire fiction with a fresh and romantic twist. Set in the vibrant and mysterious backdrop of 1872 New Orleans, the story follows Celine Rousseau, a seventeen-year-old French immigrant who finds herself entangled in a dangerous underworld far beyond her imagination.

Ahdieh's New Orleans is a character in its own right, teeming with life, culture, and a palpable sense of the supernatural. The city's rich history and diverse influences are woven into the narrative, creating a setting that is both enchanting and eerie. Celine, as a protagonist, is compelling and relatable. Her struggle to find a place in this new world, coupled with the dark secrets of her past, makes her journey intriguing.

The novel shines in its depiction of the vampire underworld, particularly the enigmatic La Cour des Lions and its leader, Sébastien Saint Germain. Ahdieh successfully reinvents vampire lore, blending traditional elements with new, intriguing twists. The romantic tension between Celine and Sébastien is electric, adding a layer of intrigue and passion to the story.

One of the strengths of "The Beautiful" is Ahdieh's prose, which is rich and evocative. She captures the essence of a Gothic novel while maintaining a modern sensibility that will resonate with today's readers. The mystery at the heart of the story, involving the deaths of girls from the convent and Sébastien's possible involvement, is well-crafted and keeps the reader guessing.

However, the novel goes beyond just a paranormal romance. It delves into themes of identity, belonging, and the moral complexities of survival. Celine's internal conflicts and the choices she must make add depth to the narrative, making it more than just a tale of forbidden love.

"The Beautiful" is a strong start to what promises to be an enthralling series. It is perfect for fans of vampire fiction and readers looking for a YA novel that combines romance, mystery, and a touch of the supernatural. Ahdieh's skillful storytelling and rich character development make this book a standout in its genre, offering a story that is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

This was a spellbinding journey through the enthralling and mysterious streets of 1872 New Orleans. Celine Rousseau, is a 17-year old who is running from her past in Paris. She finds herself entangled in the allure of a city ruled by the dead. The novel is full of historical intrigue, romance and even supernatural elements. There was even a murder mystery element that adds a bit of a plot twist.

The city was a vivid picture painted in my mind full of life and secrets. The portrayal of New Orleans as a safe haven for Celine, adds depth to the narrative, and the incorporation of the Ursuline convent and the underworld of La Cour des Lions adds layers of complexity to the story. The characters were well developed; the internal struggles and battles keep a tension that made me keep turning the pages.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!