THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE DAMNED is about a girl named Cyn who mysteriously blacks out and after waking finds herself in some weird predicaments. She does not know where she has been or what she has done. Cyn is on the run from her old life in Sleepy Hollow where she did something so unforgivable that she walks around in her new life in constant fear of being caught and disguises herself to help smother her fear.

When an officer starts showing special interest in Cyn she gets frightened and turns to a church for help, but instead finds Avian, someone much worse to fear. He is the definition of evil. Avian immediately knows what Cyn is—an echo—and wants nothing to do with her because of his past experiences. When tragedies and circumstances push them together they realize that they must work together to fix what is wrong with her.

To be honest, THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE DAMNED was a very hard read for me. I was not able to connect with the characters at all. There was just nothing intriguing about them. There were a few moments where I had a little interest spark but it was very short lived. Cyn wasn't anything special, in my opinion. I felt her tone stayed the same throughout every situation which made it really hard for me to be sucked into the book. Avian was intriguing to me at first, but all too fast along came the instant love scenario and I was quickly withdrawing again. It took me three times picking up this book to finally get through it.

It might possibly be that it is just me. Verday's writing was beautiful and I could see the setting in my mind perfectly. I felt like I was there, I just didn't care to be there. I had no need to know what was going to happen with anyone or anything. The last 10 percent of THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE DAMNED also completely would have ruined the book for me if I had enjoyed the other parts of it. I felt it made the rest of the entire book pointless when everything was revealed to Cyn about her past. I felt like all the turmoil that she did experience was for no purpose what so ever.

THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE DAMNED just was not the book for me. I would recommend it for any of her fans that like her series, THE HOLLOW and people who are new to the fantasy genre.

Book Summary

Cyn’s blackouts have deadly consequences in this sexy, suspenseful spinoff to the New York Times bestselling Hollow series.

Cyn and Avian are far from a perfect match. She’s a witch who casts spells on men so she can steal their cars. He spends his time being judge, jury, and executioner to the truly evil in the supernatural realm.


When the blackouts Cyn’s been having ever since her time in Sleepy Hollow start escalating, she finds herself unable to remember where she’s been or what she’s been doing. Frightened, she seeks guidance at a local church, and it’s there she meets Avian.


The unlikely pair soon discovers that her blackouts are a side effect of what she truly is—an Echo—a conduit for souls of the dead. The only way to prevent Cyn from losing complete control is to return to Sleepy Hollow and vanquish the source of her power—but she may not survive the process. And if she does? She won’t ever be the same…