For the majority of the book, it’s a historical romance with an interesting mystery.ĭespite it not being what I expected, I really did love the plot of this book. I think a lot of people were thinking this book would be more like Twilight or other previous YA paranormal romances, but the paranormal aspect really doesn’t come to play until close to the end. I know a lot of people were excited about the vampires, but the entire vampire aspect really doesn’t play a large role until the latter half of the book, and even then, it isn’t quite what most people (myself included) expected. It’s about uncovering each characters past and seeing how and why it’s influencing the present. This book is about Celine, Bastien, and the murderer. This book is primarily a romance, with a hint of murder mystery, but overall it’s heavily character driven. Now for the second reason why people might not like this book (or why they might love it!)- the plot. “No matter where she went, danger followed.Īnd it horrified her. She captures the sights and smells of 1870’s New Orleans so well, you feel transported there while you’re reading.

The way she describes the food and fashion of the time is absolutely mesmerizing.

You can tell Renee Ahdieh did her research when writing this book. There is a benefit to the denseness of her writing- it really, really helps set the scene and make the setting feel alive. If you’ve read Renee Ahdieh, this will be no surprise to you (in fact, I think her writing has gotten even better than previous books), but if you’re coming into this expecting something easy to jump into, you’ll be disappointed. However, the reason I think the writing might be a downside to some people, is that it’s a little dense. While I loved each perspective, I think the mystery murderer was the most interesting (plus they quoted Aida so I love them now). The majority of the book is in 3rd person, following Celine and Bastien, but there are 1st person chapters interjected, told from the point of view of the mystery murderer. The prose is elegant, while still including fun banter between the characters and interesting asides. If you’re familiar with Renee Ahdieh’s books, then you know her writing style.

There are two aspects of this book that I think are causing people to not enjoy it. I promise I will never forget you.” Writing & Setting I watch as you step into my web.īut do not fear.

Renee ahdieh the beautiful