The Beautiful Ones follows Nina’s entrance into society, thanks to her well-off family members. She’s long been the cause of gossip because she struggles to control her telekinesis and the different effects her powers have had. When she meets Hector, another telekinetic, she is immediately taken with him, as he aims to help her master her power. But Hector also has other goals.

The Beautiful Ones is written beautifully. I had heard so many good things about Moreno-Garcia’s other works, that I really wanted to try this one. Her writing is beautiful, and I see why she has such a following.
The writing, though, is really the only part of the book that I loved. I expected romance. That was going to be fine with me, even though romance isn’t my most sought after genre. What I didn’t expect was love triangles, deception, constant heartbreak. I also don’t love the older man always going for the younger woman, especially when it’s actually a deception at first and she’s just naive enough to fall for it.

It’s basically a daytime soap in book form. I see so many other reviews for this talking about what a wonderful romance it was, but it just seemed questionable to me, The whole book was dramatic deception that ends in love, and I want some healthy happy relationships in my stories. I know, I know - than what’s the point right? Where am I getting my exciting story for if I don’t want heartbreak and love triangles and deception? I thought the point was going to be the telekinesis. I thought I was getting a magical, whimsical story with a happy, slow burn to a healthy relationship.

I see why other people love this. I saw a lot of Austen comparisons, and I understand why people love it. For readers that want a romance filled with strife and confusion, little bit of revenge, this is the kind of book they are going to love! It’s definitely written for a specific kind of reader, and I totally recommend this to them! Lover of soaps and telenovellas - read this! If people are picking this up based on other Moreno-Garcia books, they should know she’s said all of her books are very different genres, and to not expect the same thing they’ve read from her before. And if you’re like me, and were picking this up because you wanted a magical romance, there isn’t a lot of the fantastical in this, so don’t be too disappointed if you still decide it interests you.

This book was solid! Not the most interesting ever but a decent book. The setting was great, I loved the world and the magic, and Moreno-Garcia is a gifted and practiced writer. However, I’m not a fan of love triangles, and I did not enjoy the Valerie POV. Hector was hit-and-miss for me.

when an author has amazing skills, she can build her own genre and fans will follow her to it. Silvia Moreno-Garcia moves deftly between historical fiction and romance with sp many extras thrown in that's she's very hard to pin down. As a young Nina moves to the city so her cousin and his wife may sponsor her launch into THE BEAUTIFUL ONES, she must learn the many rules and strictures that govern high society or fail in her first season. It's only when she meets Hector Auvrey that she starts to believe in herself and soon she has fallen for him. But Hector loves another. The love story winds throughout the journey Nina must take to find happiness.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback.

Another great read from this author. After reading Mexican Gothic, I was worried I would be disappointed. This is more of a historical romance, in my opinion, so fans of Jane Austen will probably be stoked. I am not a fan of Jane Austen. Probably because THIS is what I wish her books were like. So give it a try, but don't go into this one expecting Mexican Gothic Part 2 -- if there's one thing I realize, it's that this author likes to stretch her wings into lots of genres, and refuses to be pidgeonholed.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of my favorite authors currently publishing today. Although not my top pick among her works, this novel - a reissue from a few years ago - still surpasses the majority of contemporary fantasy. The world-building is understated but lovely, the characters are all multi-dimensional, and the prose sparkles.

I have always enjoyed this authors writing, and this book is a slightly different vein for her but still compelling. I loved the main characters character development and her story arc.

A lush and beautiful world awaits readers in this book from Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Nina is more concerned with beetles than becoming a bride. But she finds a friend, and hopefully more in Hector. After all they share a talent. But Hector's dark past threatens to consume them.

Lush, heady and wonderfully written. A complete jewel of a book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

If Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes it I'm going to read it. I loved this so much, it was so incredible. It was perfect historical romance but make it magical as well. I loved and hated every character at any given time, they were so well written and human. I won't get over this anytime soon and would even reread it.

I can confidently say that I think Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of the best writers ever. Her style and ability to craft a narrative is unmatched in my opinion. After reading and loving Gods of Jade and Shadow, I have slowly been making my way through the rest of her books. When I saw this one was up on NetGalley, I could not pass up the chance.

Who doesn't like a romantic book that also make you a little nervous? I would maybe put this under the category of second chance romance, but it isn't what you think and it doesn't always go the way you think. Wholly unexpected and delightful.

I was lucky enough to receive an e-ARC of The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia from NetGalley a few months ago, but was not able to read it until recently. I have enjoyed two other works by this author, and I was looking forward to reading this one.

The author herself has stated that this book is very different from Mexican Gothic, a previous work. She is correct. I went in, not knowing what to expect. It is a novel of manners, with some magical realism and romance. I really enjoyed this book. It was fun and engaging. I liked Nina, the MC, very much. I also liked Hector quite a bit. I wanted to like Valerie, but I just couldn't. I tried to feel sorry for her, but as the book went on, my compassion for her waned.

I thought the whole "Beautiful Ones" concept would be more prominent in the book, since it is named after it. I kept forgetting about it until it was mentioned (which didn't happen often). I think the concept didn't even need to be in the book at all. It wasn't necessary.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and will definitely read more by this author. I can't wait to see what she writes next.

I really enjoyed reading this book, I liked that to me it felt like if Jane Austen wrote an almost Crimson Peak-esque story of obsession and love breaking free. I'd really love to see a tv or film adaptation of this book, and I like that there was a small touch of magic in it without the entire story being overrun by telekinesis. Another great book from Silvia Moreno-Garcia!

If you loved Bridgerton but thought to yourself, “I wish this had just a hint of telepathy”, I have the perfect suggestion for you.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s newest novel, The Beautiful Ones, is a fantasy of manners and etiquette told with elegance and grace. Nina is wealthy, but she grew up in the country and knows nothing of the social graces and decorum she’s supposed to possess. Living with her doting cousin and his calculating wife for the Grand Season, she tries to find her perfect match among the Beautiful Ones of the city. Instead, Nina’s debut is a disaster. The telekinesis she struggles to control makes her the victim of vicious gossip; behind closed doors and waving fans, people even call her a witch.

When Hector Auvray arrives in town, everything changes. He is telekinetic too, but unlike Nina – a wealthy woman – people celebrate him for it. High society considers telekinesis vulgar and low class, but as a man, Hector can perform for adoring crowds and travel the world without any judgment or scandal. While he teaches her to control her abilities and even enjoy them, Nina falls for Hector. He seems to fall for her too, but will the secrets he holds keep them apart?

The Beautiful Ones is completely different from Moreno-Garcia’s other work. It’s not a mythological romp like Gods of Jade and Shadow or a feminist horror story like Mexican Gothic. It’s quieter and subtler; the book’s only fantastical element is Nina and Hector’s telepathy, and the fictional Loisail could easily be Regency England or France during the Belle Époque.

The novel’s strength lies mostly in its characters and the way Moreno-Garcia plays with traditional romance elements. Nina is the romantic heroine, a naive outsider who is too smart and honest. She’s more interested in etymology than fashion, and she’s even a brunette. As she matures, she has more poise and confidence but keeps her love of nature and forthrightness. Hector is a wounded loner with a broken heart and a secret who softens around the woman he loves. In Nina and Hector, Moreno-Garcia creates well-rendered and interesting protagonists, even if background characters remain within their archetypes.

Readers primarily interested in fantasy based on showy magic may not find what they’re looking for in The Beautiful Ones. However, fans of light speculative elements, romance and gorgeous prose will be satisfied. If this intrigues you, I would also suggest C.L. Polk’s The Midnight Bargain and Mary Robinette Kowal’s Glamourist Histories.

This article was originally published on 3/31/21

After reading Mexican Gothic, I was excited to give Moreno-Garcia another shot. *sighs*

Nina, a young socialite has come out and is ready to be on the market for love. Through her well connected cousin and his wife, she meets Hector Auvray. Little does she know, Hector is connected to her cousin's wife through a previous engagement. While Nina is put off by their former relationship, their connected ability as telekinetic individuals she can't seem to stay entirely away. But Hector has more that he is keeping to himself.

I will admit, I couldn't finish this book. Hector and Valerie's previous relationship made things very difficult to begin with. You add on the fact that Hector couldn't seem to entirely let Valerie go in his mind. The first 1/3 of the book just seems to be about the two of them going back and forth taunting and bickering with each other. I get that there was a lot of unfinished business. That makes it hard for either to entirely move on. But, it kind of made it hard for me as a reader to want to continue the book. Valerie was such a despicable character in this view, I just couldn't understand her appeal at all. Granted Hector had issues too. I got about 50% in and threw my hands in the air.

I do truly like Moreno-Garcia's style, I just wish she'd went about this story a little differently.

Thank you for the ARC.

Silvia Moreno-García is a wonderful writer and a master of setting. I enjoyed the slow, glittering romance and the character development, although the magic seemed a little bit extraneous to the story (and ultimately unnecessary, as the story was quite magical without it). Thank you so much!

I've read everything by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and I just love all her books, and this one was such a great read. highly recommend.

This was a delightful romance of manners and misunderstandings, with protagonists who just happen to be telekenetics! I loved the evocative descriptions of the costumes and the houses and thought that the prose in general was gorgeous. Nina is a fabulous main character, towing the line gracefully between shrinking violet and modern woman and I was rooting for her throughout. Similarly, Valerie makes for a wonderful antagonist, as her motivations are understandable, albeit, unpleasant. Overall, this was a really enjoyable read and I would definitely recommend it to anyone with a love for regency romance.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A surprising historical romance from the author of Mexican Gothic.

As I started reading The Beautiful Ones, I had to pull up Goodreads to look and see if I had mixed up the author's work as this is so very different from Mexican Gothic.

There is a small element of magic in this story but it isn't really important overall. The characters are front and center in this story. I enjoyed the love triangle, romance, the heartbreak and the character development.

I was swept along in the beautiful writing and enjoyed every moment of this read.