I wasn’t expecting to be so captivated by vampires again, but here we go. The Beautiful took me straight back to my teens and I am loving it. And now I’m back with the vampires and never want to leave, okay? Keep reading this book review to see my full thoughts.
Summary
In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans provides her a refuge after she’s forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent along with six other girls, Celine quickly becomes enamored with the vibrant city from the music to the food to the soirées and—especially—to the danger. She soon becomes embroiled in the city’s glitzy underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group’s leader, the enigmatic Sébastien Saint Germain. When the body of one of the girls from the convent is found in the lair of La Cour des Lions, Celine battles her attraction to him and suspicions about Sébastien’s guilt along with the shame of her own horrible secret.
When more bodies are discovered, each crime more gruesome than the last, Celine and New Orleans become gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose—one Celine is sure has set her in his sights . . . and who may even be the young man who has stolen her heart. As the murders continue to go unsolved, Celine takes matters into her own hands and soon uncovers something even more shocking: an age-old feud from the darkest creatures of the underworld reveals a truth about Celine she always suspected simmered just beneath the surface.
Review
The Beautiful is all blood soaked velvet couches and smoke haze. Full of gorgeous, flowery, and detailed language, I am attracted to dangerous girls. And Celine, while may not appear dangerous, is resilient, brave, and headstrong. Just my type of heroine. Celine is immersed in a world of danger and intrigue. Thrills in dark alleyways and whispers of silk in pools of darkness. The writing and sense of intrigue captures you. I fell fast in love with the glittering and sinister shadows of The Beautiful. Because after that ending, you’ll need the sequel ASAP.
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