The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh

Release Date - October 8, 2019
Publisher Website - Penguin Random House Canada

Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages -  448 pages
My Rating - 5/5
**obtained at Book Expo America**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

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.

At once a sultry romance and a thrilling murder mystery, master storyteller Renée Ahdieh embarks on her most potent fantasy series yet: The Beautiful.

Paranormal, particularly paranormal romance, has always been a favourite genre of mine. Vampires, in particular, have always caught my attention. Nothing really gets me to add a book to my to be read pile faster than hearing it has vampires in it, especially if they are hot vampires. Needless to say, I was immediately sold in the premise of Renee Ahdieh's The Beautiful from the moment I heard about it. Luckily, it surpassed my expectations and it ended up being a romance that is built around a taunt mystery.

Part of what charmed me about The Beautiful was its setting. New Orleans under Renee Ahdieh's prose is a lush, vivid backdrop for the atmospheric and seductive tale she is weaving. It was exactly what I hoped for. I love New Orleans and the particular atmosphere than can only be felt in that particular city. The history seeps through every single part of it, and Renee captures its essence. The historical setting shifts the city a bit, but it makes you appreciate the history that is felt there in modern times all the more.

Celine is a head strong girl. She is exactly the type of character that people would, wrongly, describe as too much. She wants too much. She wants, period. She pushes societal boundaries in ways that I found exciting. She speaks her mind and is not willing to settle in any way. She especially stands out in this historical setting in a way that I enjoyed and I found complimented the story being told. You needed this character to be the type who was willing to break rules and get into some trouble for the story to work.

Sebastian is the mysterious, alluring man who catches Celine's eye. He has secrets and is reluctant to let anyone in. The back and forth between he and Celine feels electric and inevitable. His group of friends, The Court of Lions, are equally as charming and fascinating. My only real issue is that Sebastian remains mysterious until the latter part of the novel and I want to learn more about him and his secrets.

Michael, the young and good looking police detective, is another character that I found fascinating. His story unravels slowly, but it offers a delicious set up for the next novel. Those who are not a fan of love triangles may want to proceed with caution because there is definitely the potential for one to flourish in the second novel. The way everything ties together at the end is my absolute favourite part of this novel and Michael's storyline is a large part of that.

The ending, for me, packs the most spellbinding punch. It shifts the story into high gear and offers tantalizing possibilities for the sequel. It is the kind of breathtaking set up that made my pulse race a little faster and had me desperate to get my hands on The Damned.

If you have missed vampires in literature as much as I have I highly recommend this delicious take on the creatures of the night. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. Vampires combined with sexy always work for me and this book was no exception. 

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

BOOKS

The Beautiful Pre-Order Campaign

Penguin Teen just announced the pre-order campaign for Renee Ahdieh's The Beautiful and it is amazing!

This enamel pin is a must get for me. I cannot wait to devour this book and I am fairly certain I am going to be obsessed.

TV/MOVIES

The Witcher Trailer

I don't know much about this other than it originally was a book that got adapted into a video game and is now going to be a Netflix series.

I've heard that it is a serious contender for the next big thing that could take the place of Game of Thrones now that it has ended.

The first trailer definitely hooked me. Excited to learn when we'll be able to watch the first season.

His Dark Materials Trailer

I haven't read this book series (I know, I know) but I had seen the original movie that was released at one point or another. I am pretty sure everyone agreed it was not a great adaptation of the book series.

HBO is releasing a series this fall and released a trailer at San Diego Comic Con. A television show seems to make much more sense for a series that expansive and complex. The trailer certainly seems to indicate it was a better choice.

The CGI for the bear is incredible. I am excited to watch this in the fall and hopefully pick up the books eventually.

What are you obsessed with this week? Let me know in the comments.

Waiting On Wednesday ... The Beautiful

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick is The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Renée Ahdieh returns with a sumptuous, sultry and romantic new series set in 19th century New Orleans where vampires hide in plain sight.

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 Le 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 Le 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.

At once a sultry romance and a thrilling murder mystery, master storyteller Renée Ahdieh embarks on her most potent fantasy series yet: The Beautiful.

It seems that vampires may be making a comeback to young adult novels and I am here for all of it. I've missed them terribly and cannot wait to see the unique twists we get as they reemerge back into popular culture.

This New Orleans set murder mystery that just so happens to also include vampire seems like a fantastic way to usher in the new reign of vampire novels. The setting is perfect for a vampire story and I love that it has a historical aspect to the novel as well.

The book's October release will make it an excellent Halloween time read. This one seems poised to be just as romantic as it is spooky so it really is offering something for everyone.

Expected release date - October 8, 2019

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

Lots of exciting things being revealed this week! I am especially excited that covers for books coming out in fall 2019 are starting to be revealed!

BOOKS

Cover of Renee Ahdieh's The Beautiful (goodreads)

This book has shown up on my blog a few times already but I am excited that it now has a cover!

I think this fits the synopsis perfectly and is really pretty! It fits the vampire theme and catches your attention. I am so excited to get my hands on this one!

Cover of Victoria Aveyard's Broken Throne (goodreads)

I loved the Red Queen series so I am really excited that Victoria is returning to that world for a collection of short stories to finish off the series.

The cover is just as amazing the previous ones in the series. I love that it has a different colour palette than the main series while still matching it.

MOVIE / TELEVISION

Spider-man: Far From Home

This trailer promises as much fun as the Homecoming trailer did and manages to make the idea of a Spider-man movie that takes place outside New York seem like a good one.

I love the bit with Flash Thompson at the end. Tom Holland is a perfect Peter Parker and Spider-man so I am excited we get to see him in another movie.

Lords Of Chaos Trailer

The amazing podcast Disgraceland made me aware of this story that will appeal to any other Murderinos out there. It is beyond messed up and the trailer only starts to capture that.

I wasn't sure what to make of this when I first saw the trailer. This happened in Norway and those are American accents I hear. However, the reviews I have read are largely positive and I think the story could make an interesting movie if done well.

What are you obsessed with this week? Let me know in the comments.

2019 Most Anticipated - The Beautiful

The next book in my 2019 Most Anticipated event is set in one of my favourites cities. I absolutely fell in love when I had the pleasure to visit and cannot wait to go back.

Yup, New Orleans!  Renee Ahdieh's The Beautiful combines a New Orleans setting, a murder mystery and VAMPIRES! Yup, vampires are (hopefully) coming back to young adult books and I could not be more excited for it to happen.

The Goodreads synopsis for this novel sets up our heroine Celine, probable vampire hottie Sèbastien, and a historical setting that is perfect for the story being told.

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 Sèbastien 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 Sèbastien'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.

At once a sultry romance and a thrilling murder mystery, master storyteller Renée Ahdieh embarks on her most potent fantasy series yet: The Beautiful. And these vampires don’t sparkle. They slay.

This already sounds spooky, sexy, and is the book I am hoping will be at Book Expo America in 2019. It's got everything I love in a book premise so I am pretty much obsessed.

As part of offering up a variety of posts this year, I am going to share my personal top three reasons to be excited about this book!

1 Vampires!! I have been wanting paranormal to make a comeback and vampires are a particular fave of mine. They are sexy and these vampires sound vicious which is just a bonus. 

2 The New Orleans setting immediately drew me to this one. I fell in love with New Orleans when I visited and cannot wait to read a story set in this city. The vampires element only adds something extra to the setting because of the vibe New Orleans has. 

3 The murder mystery is another reason I cannot wait to get my hands on this one! I cannot wait to follow Celine as she gets further and further pulled into the sinister events happening in the city. I also love that this is a series and that not all the answers may not be giving in this first installment! 

The Beautiful releases October 8, 2019 and is currently not up for pre-order but be sure to keep an eye out for when it does come available from your favourite retailer and pre-order. If you're anything like me you'll be itching to get your hands on this one!

You can find out more about Renee by following her on Twitter, and by visiting her her website. You can also find out more about her books on the publisher website.

Do you miss the paranormal genre as much as I do? Are you excited to see it have a comeback? Let me know what you think in the comments.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow to for the next book on my 2019 most anticipated list. 

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

BOOK

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh (Goodreads)

Paranormal is one of my favourite genres. Vampire stories, in particular, are my favourite. You can imagine my excitement when it was announced that a new vampire series was on the way from author Renee Ahdieh. Her new series, The Beautiful, blends vampires, a murder mystery, New Orleans, and romance into what sounds like an INCREDIBLE read. I am hoping it marks the return of the paranormal genre!

The first book in the series will be released in October 2019 so it's a long wait for it but go ahead and add it to your 'to be read' list because I predict this is going to be a massive hit.

MOVIE / TELEVISION

Dirty John Trailer

One of the more current true crime podcasts to become extremely popular is now a television show. It has Connie Britton in it (just in case the whole true crime thing wasn't enough for me to watch it) and look really intense (and really good).

Eric Bana is nailing this charming/scary thing his character has going on. Connie Britton looks amazing as always. I have high hopes for this one.

Tell Me A Story Trailer

A new show on CBS All Access that takes fairytales and puts a modern and dark twist on them. The first season's trailer has me pretty convinced that I could become OBSESSED with this show.

I see Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, and Hansel and Gretel being adapted in the first season. I love anything that is a retelling of fairytales and this has a darkness that I think is going to be really interesting.

Daredevil Season Three Trailer

Daredevil is one of my favourite Netflix/Marvel series. I love the characters and the world that they have created in the first two seasons. This third season looks to be even better than the previous ones though and I cannot wait!

You could say that Marvel / Netflix hit the bullseye with this one (pun totally intended). I am so pumped for this upcoming season. It looks dark, and the new villain is already giving me chills. There is a second, more spoiler filled video that Netflix also released if you want to learn more about the newest bad guy Matt will have to deal with.

The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina Trailer

I shared the teaser trailer for this a little while back. I thought I was excited but the full length trailer has somehow made me even more so.

The tone is perfect. It balances the humour with what looks like some serious scares.

Harvey is already adorable. Salem is already perfect. I love Sabrina's Aunts already. This is going to be one fun Halloween binge!

What are you obsessed with this week? Let me know in the comments.