The story is set in the 1800's. Anne Rice started writing about vampires and one of the settings is New Orleans, which has a gothic feel to it with the above ground graves, historical buildings and unique flavor. In The Beautiful, which I fell in love with the cover, the paranormal is present. The main character Celine seems to be drawn to the danger of some of the citizens, and one in particular. There is the touch of mystery, and questions of why certain things are happening. So, if you like gothic romance, paranormal, mystery, then this is a story you may want to read. For me, I think that the unraveling of why Celine left Paris is a bit slow. I get impatient with characters at times. She definitely has daring. The question is, what will happen next?