The Beautiful starts off in compelling fashion, following Celine as she flees her life in Paris for the sultry melting pot of New Orleans in the 1780s. The scenery and settings are described sumptuously, making for a city of years past that you can practically see. Celine is a strong female character and loyal to her friend Pippa, who came over with her from the Old World to live at a convent while striving for a better life. But it isn't long before darkness draws Celine into its fold and sees her as a pawn in a game among immortals. This is the point where the book gets stuck in neutral for me. You don't really know why Celine is a target, just that she is and she spends her time flitting in and out of parties and the headquarters of La Coeur de Lion trying to deduce why someone is out to get her while falling in love with Bastien, a dark moody young man that has the whole city in thrall. While the reason Celine is being hunted is disclosed by the end of the book I felt more than a little confused and the ending didn't help any. I can tell that Ahdieh left it open-ended to provide a next chapter to the story, and yet in the same regard created closure that makes me wonder just how many characters in this story will be a part of the next one.