The Beautiful
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4.1 • 14 Ratings
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Now in paperback, the first book--an instant bestseller--in the sumptuous, sultry, and romantic YA vampire series from New York Times bestselling author Renee Ahdieh.
In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans is a safe haven after she's forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent, Celine is quickly enraptured by the vibrant city becoming embroiled in the glitzy underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group's enigmatic leader, Sébastien Saint Germain.
When the body of one of the girls from the convent is found in Sébastien's own lair--the second dead girl to turn up in recent weeks--Celine must battle her attraction to Sébastien and suspicions about his guilt along with the shame of her own horrible secret.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
The first book in Renée Ahdieh’s romantic vampire saga delivers all the scary-sexy fun you’d expect. Seventeen-year-old Celine is a French refugee who finds solace in a New Orleans convent and temptation in the form of debonair bad boy Sébastien Saint Germain. Fantastical rumours swirl around this dashing scoundrel, and a series of violent murders makes Celine suspect the worst of them are true. Which somehow makes Bastien…even hotter? We know from her previous series (The Wrath and the Dawn) that Ahdieh is brilliant at building fantastical worlds and strong female heroes, and The Beautiful delivers on both counts. The spooky supernatural vibe is there from the first page, and with her sassy mouth and stubborn independent streak, Celine is no damsel in distress. If you’re into vampires, this decadent romance is one you won’t want to miss.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Seventeen-year old dressmaker Celine Rousseau fled Paris with a bloody secret, arriving at the Ursuline convent in 1872 New Orleans to begin anew. But after a woman is found dead with her throat torn out and another corpse turns up, Celine's willful spirit and attraction to the enigmatic, striking S bastien Saint Germain make her the serial killer's focus. Drawn to La Cour des Lions, the New Orleans underworld that S bastien leads, Celine is fascinated by his glamor and brutality and his circle of uniquely skilled, criminal friends and unsure whether they're entirely human. As she plots to outwit the killer, biracial Celine (her father is white and her mother is East Asian) contends with her own secret past and her undeniable attraction to danger and power. Ahdieh's New Orleans is lushly atmospheric, permeating this series opener with an undercurrent of violence within a seductive underworld around Mardi Gras. Though the dialogue is flat in places, readers will champion Celine's wit and incredible grit even surrounded by powerful, supernatural protectors, Celine fights for herself and those she loves. Ending on a spectacular cliffhanger, Ahdieh ensures that fans will clamor for the continuation to this captivating volume. Ages 12 up.)
Customer Reviews
4 stars
Just the beginning