An Austen-like love story with modern twists and a heroine that you’ll love to root for.

SYNOPSIS
Hector is a world renowned performer, famous for his telekinesis talent. We see him coming back into high society, searching for a ten year gone lost love- Valerie - and finding instead her husband’s young cousin, Nina. Nina also has the talent and she’s a fumbling 19 year old who speaks her mind and enjoys bugs over jewelry. As Hector uses Nina to get to Valerie, something new and much more real develops. There’s plotting, heartbreak, frustration and the quiet friendship that exists in true love.

THOUGHTS
I was surprised by this new book of Moreno Garcia’s - it was much more love story than I expected, and I felt as if I was reading Pride and Prejudice for the first time again. There was the calm of quiet and solid love, the frustration and anger at crossed wires and stubborn feelings and the whimsy of society life compared to the realness of the countryside. The very very slight addition of magic (or really just telekinesis only) was a nice little modern twist but I wasn’t sure how effective it was. It truly only played a part in signifying lower status and in bonding Nina and Hector. I felt like there was a missed opportunity to open that world up more instead of making it just one more known fact of this society. Regardless, I sped through this, pulled along by my utter frustration at Hector and Nina for not seeing what was there in front of them and by my complete adoration of Nina as a character. Its a story that will leave you wrapped around it’s finger and remind you of the magic of the classic push and pull love stories we never forget.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia again demonstrates how well she can tackle diverse subject matter and style in The Beautiful Ones.

This is far less dark than much of her other work, and is best described as a justice-is-served style fairy tale, in which the nice gal wins, the villain gets exactly what’s coming to them, and loads of angst and uncertainty preclude much in the way of action.

Moreno-Garcia, predictably, has no problem taking this kind of relatively low-stakes, caper romance and turning it into something fun, sharp, and compelling.

The story is sort of a spin on Cinderella, if Cinderella had some problematic fairy godmother-like magical powers and was the oddball rather than poor relation. It’s probably best classed as a happily ever after romance, though that feels like an oversimplification and doesn’t do justice to Moreno-Garcia’s wit and clever reinterpretation of a familiar topic.

I personally prefer the author’s darker stuff, as I feel it gives more opportunities for her to showcase her tremendous talent, but this is a fun, satisfying read and is far smarter and funnier than your typical fairy tale romance.

I wish we’d been treated to some sort of magicians’ duel or at least been allowed to see Nina put her skills to more frequent use, but she does come up big in this regard when it really counts, and that paves the way for the ending the reader wants.

I had no idea this was a reprint, but I really loved it nonetheless! Such effortless style and great character development. I'm a romantic at heart and Nina and Hector's relationship really struck me, it was about the growth and the generosity.

While I had such high expectations because I love this author, it just didn't live up to the hype for me. I honestly dread when I start to not like characters in books, and I really only like Nina the main character. Everyone else I didn't care for or just genuinely didn't like. I think this was a somewhat slow book and it felt like nothing happened for a lot of the book. I really wanted to love this book, but I just couldn't get into the story and world.

I think one of the big questions I have is why does magic have to be involved. Nina is telekinetic and there really is no point to have magic in this book. I think it is only in this book because Hector is also telekinetic and that is what draws them together, other than that nothing happens with the magical aspect.

I think back to Mexican Gothic which I loved and devoured in one sitting and while the writing is similar this one just did not have the same energy. It just felt drab and it didn't make me want to pick it up.

I am still going to read the author's other books, I think this one was just not for me to be honest.

First, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I wanted to love this. It sounded like it was up my alley, but sadly I DNF around 30% mark. I loved Mexican Gothic but The Beautiful Ones was just a bit too slow for me. Silvia's writing is descriptive and well thought out, but just wasn't gripping me in the way her previous work did. Silvia herself posted on Goodreads and warned that this book was nothing like Mexican Gothic. It wasn't a bad book. Just not every story is for everyone. I give it 🌟🌟 2/5 stars.

Review posted on Instagram username: booknookcook04

This was magical and enchanting. I loved the setting and the premise. It had the right touch of magic to keep me engaged. I wish the pace was a little slow for my taste, but the plot was good. I wouldn’t call this a beach read. I think this would be great for book clubs. It has so many wonderful discussion elements.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia has incredible range in her writing, but The Beautiful Ones was not the sweeping romance I was expecting.

Young Nina was taken in by her cousin and his wife, Valerie, to debut for the season. While she had no interest in parties and beautiful gowns, Valerie was determined to make a match for Nina. When Nina stumbled upon Hector while at a party, the two drummed up an interesting friendship. Little did Nina know, Hector was using Nina to get close to Valerie, the woman he had loved a decade ago.

The Beautiful Ones sounded like a beautiful and sweeping romance but the execution was poor. I enjoyed the French-inspired world, but the magic and telekinesis were barely addressed. It was those aspects of the world that I thought could have been expanded upon. The character themselves served a purpose, but they were one-dimensional. Nina was the naïve country girl who would rather chase butterflies and collect other insects. She was likable and I enjoyed the chapters told from her perspective, but she lacked depth. Valerie could have been the most complex character but instead, she was portrayed as a cartoony villain. The romance between Nina and Hector could be described as slowburn but I never believed that the attraction went both ways.

The Beautiful Ones didn’t work for me as an epic romance but other readers who don’t need complex characters might find themselves at home in Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s words.

The story. The characters. The detail. The cover. I loved it all. This book is going to be so popular. It's the perfect mix of action, drama, and special powers.

Set in a fictional world, similar perhaps to late 19th century France, The Beautiful Ones is a romance book with a spark of magic, compelling characters, and the most despicable and horrible villain I have ever read in a book.
This is the fourth book that I read by this author and I have to say that I love her writing style, and the versatility that Silvia has to write different genres.
AMAZING BOOK HIGHLY RECOMMEND🙌
4.5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
Thank you so much to Macmillan -Tor for this Arc in exchange for a honest review.

"You’ve come to toy with us. Feel free to toy with her. But you’ll find I am not a piece you can slide across your board.”

This story follows Hector Auvray, an entertainer returning home to try and win back his beautiful first love, Valerie Beaulieu. Valerie had ended their secret engagement so she can marry into the wealthy Beaulieu family. Hector begins to 'court' someone within the Beaulieu family, Nina Beaulieu, as a way to get closer to Valerie. **This is a tale of love, betrayal and the struggle between conformity and passion, set in a world where scandal is a razor-sharp weapon.

This was historical fiction with romance and a splash of fantasy. There is telekinesis in this books but the story doesn't put much focus on those aspects. You get to read through the perspective of these three incredibly flawed and complex characters as you watch their romance and lives unfold. I loved getting to see these characters develop and also show their true colours. I loved Nina, she was wild, honest and youthful, and I felt so protective over her.

As someone who enjoys a great antagonist, I am very pleased with the ones in this story. They were just so good, I loved and really really hated them. I usually don't often read books like this, especially ones with 'drama and scandals,' but I honestly enjoyed it. Overall it was very beautifully written and I was completely invested despite the pacing. I think this book was way better than Mexican Gothic and I was very satisfied with how it ended.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.*

dnf @50%

I received an arc of this book and was thrilled to get the latest Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Mexican Gothic was one of my top reads in 202o. I feel like this must have been a pet project for Moreno-Garcia, maybe something she's had cooking up for awhile but needed to make sure she dropped a few money makers before sharing with the world.

I can not say the same about The Beautiful Ones, which is tonally much different than Mexican Gothic. My primary issue was how much of this already snail-paced plot hinged on a love triangle between our three main characters that is largely based on bitterness and deception. I just struggled to root for any of the characters and found their issues petty and hard to empathize with.

I can maybe see this appealing to fans of slow historical romance (not slow burn, just SLOW) or people who really like love triangles. The writing is beautiful because Moreno-Garcia is a legend, but this one didn't do it for me.

I went into this boon expecting it to be perfect. Normally this is not something one would recommend, considering the obvious. However, it’s absolutely a sure bet when it comes to Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

The Beautiful Ones is honeyed tea and summer heat. It’s the sticky comfort of a hot day and a breeze on your neck.

Nina is to spend her first great season with her cousin and his wife, learning the tools of the trade in order to find herself a husband that high society deems worthy, but she’d much rather spend her time quietly learning, reading books, exploring life and nature around her.

Hector is a man jaded yet devoted. He’s built himself from the ground up, becoming one of the worlds most famous performers of the magus nature. He’s dedicated his life to proving the woman who left him wrong, and he’s finally come to make that promise to himself come true a decade later.

I love this book. It’s fun, exciting, soft at times and will have you cursing the characters at others. I think we all feel relatable to Nina, and it’s hard not to be so completely charmed by her. Hector is much the same, though there are definitely more times that I wanted to shake him by his lapels.

Not a single thing didn’t work for me when it came to this book, which also might be something one shouldn’t say in a review. But it’s perfect, and I love it, and I’ll come back to it again and again, on warm summer days with a cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy of this book.

[Review is scheduled to post on April 14, 2021]

I don't read a lot of romance: I picked this book up solely because it's written by Silvia Moreno-Garcia... and I think I want/need more romance in my life now???

The Beautiful Ones is a beautiful story of love and betrayal, of innocence and depravity, of conformity and passion, of youth and adulthood, of privilege and entitlement. Fast paced and instantly engaging, this book is told in the third perspective of three main characters who are inextricably linked and made me feel so many varying emotions while reading it.

"She existed and colored the city for him, lit it brighter than the elegant iron lampposts."

The book may be titled The Beautiful Ones, but the story highlights how insidiously ugly a world of privilege is. The rules and regulations of the Beautiful Ones are always top-of-mind for our characters. Class, privilege, and status are all at the forefront; each character's place within society and how the adhere to the rules are an undercurrent for all of their actions.

"In Loisail, certain things were not said out loud. Secrets were written in the movement of a fan or the gestures with a glove. Innocent words hid the sharpness of knives."

This is primarily a romance novel; the fantasy elements are important to the characters and the way society sees them, but the magic is not the main focus or driver of the story. This is a great book for readers who are hesitant to fantasy as it's light on the worldbuilding as it's similar to a tangible part of history. I liked that Loisail and the world in general largely feels like our world about 100 years ago; the motorcar and camera are recent inventions and in many ways the technological advances mirrors the telekinetic abilities developed. (It makes me think of "Heroes" and how humanity could just be evolving.)

Believe me when I say that I've never been so fully invested in a cast of POV characters with such an array of emotions. The way my feelings changed for each of them as the book continued? That's the mark of amazing character arcs and development. I could pen countless paragraphs about Nina, Hector, and Valérie but I think this is a book where it's best to go in as blind as possible so I'm keeping it spoiler-free. (I might have to write a spoiler essay about this one, friends!) But I absolutely love how every action each character makes is informed by a thousand tiny bits of their personality; each character is three-dimensional and as real as you or me.
"I am glad of who I am now. You don't know that when you begin a journey, and looking back the picture is not always pretty, but I wouldn't take any of it back."

One of the things I love so much about this book is it captures the unique and all-encompassing feeling of first love and shows different perspectives on it through time. How it shapes the characters and how that youthful innocence can be lost if we succumb to the pressures of society to conform. There's sadness in it, but there's also a lot of hope that passion can be found again once we let go of the echoes.

"Desire was not passion and passion was not love."

I am not a well-read romance reader, but The Beautiful Ones makes me want to become one. This book captures the high society romance hijinks of regency romance (courting and escorts and debuts) and tore at my heartstrings. I screamed, I scolded, and I cried. Oh, how I cried... I spent the last 15% of the book with terrified tears leaking from my eyes and me wondering what happened to me. Not only do I highly recommend reading The Beautiful Ones, but also all of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's work. Everything she writes is different yet so inherently hers; she is a master of genre and emotion, and is an insta-buy author for me.

Content warnings: age gap (unsure of Hector's age but my guess is mid-late 20s), betrayal, suicidal thoughts referenced

eARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley for review. This does not impact my opinion or content of my review. Quotations are from an unfinished proof and subject to change upon final publication.

This is my first book by this author and not the last!

I loved that the story took us back to a historical time and she explained the traditions and culture so beautifully you became a part of them.

The story itself has different points of view because it’s more than just Nina’s and Hector’s story. It’s also Valeries! We learn that Hector and Valerie have a history that Nina might not be able to overcome! Especially when Valerie will stop at nothing to gain for herself and her family!

I will say justice is served beautifully at the end and the true hero in my eyes because of his patience and love of family is Nina’s cousin Gaetan!

There are many different secondary characters in the book but none shine brighter than Nina and her authentic outlook on life. She truly is herself and though she tries to blend in she is just her and it’s that natural beauty and curiosity that draws Hector to her!

A very lovely story! Thank you to Thank you to Tor (via NetGalley) for the ARC in return for my honest review!

This is the third book I've read by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and I must say she does not disappoint! This one is different from the other two that I've read (Gods of Jade and Shadow and Mexican Gothic) but still had the author's signature style. This was definitely less dark than Mexican Gothic but not quite as fantastical as Gods of Jade and Shadow. The best way I could describe it was "Jane Austen with telekinesis." It was an intriguing love story with great characters. Admittedly, this is a slow paced books and if you aren't a fan of Jane Austen or other regency romance books you may not like this. It's a bit of a slow burn, but after about the first quarter of the book, I could not put it down. There's also some veiled references to women's place in this society and what happens when they break the rules (or don't) and some criticism of social hierarchy. Definitely worth a read if you are more of a character than plot kind of person, though I did enjoy the plot as well.

You will be absorbed into the uniqueness of The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Each page fills you with palpable emotion and grandeur. Your heart soars for Nina, our main character, and her light-heartedness. Thrust into the Grand season to find a suitable husband. She wants more than anything to find the love she reads of in romance books. She desires for a gentleman to whisk her off her feet, and they live happily ever after. She thinks she finds this romance in the irritable Hector when she bumps into him at a party. The two share a unique ability to move objects with their minds. This extraordinary ability is helpful for Hector because he is not a part of The Beautiful Ones. He was not born with prestige and money. So, he used his gift and worked his way up in society to be a leading man—a performer and entertainer, using his telekinesis to build a fortune and a reputation. Nina, on the other hand, has money and her family name. However, her special ability irritates most people—especially her cousin-in-law Valerie. Valerie is mostly irritated by everyone, though. Valerie is of high standing and stature and did not find the love she wanted but settled for Gaetan Beaulieu to bring her family out of financial disparity. She gave up on love, and it just so happened to be Hector's love. Now seeing Hector with Nina, Valerie will do anything to keep them separated. Since Valerie didn't marry Hector, she refuses to let Nina have the love she wants no matter the cost.
With intense scenes and brilliant prose Moreno-Garcia puts together an impeccable story. With more profound messages of hope, regret, and how to hold onto love no matter how hard it can be. While reading, one can only wish for more magic, more scandal, and of course, more romance!

Thank you to Tor (via NetGalley) for the ARC!

4.5 stars

I first want to note that I LOVE the cover of this book. I am trying to find out who illustrated and designed it, but I have had no luck so far. Will report back if I do!

If you are coming into this book as a fan of Moreno-Garcia's super popular MEXICAN GOTHIC, be warned, this is very different. The author has said herself, she doesn't tend to stick to the same genre across her novels, and that is definitely exemplified in this novel. This is a re-release of a book that was originally published in 2017 and is being reprinted because of the popularity of MEXICAN GOTHIC. I'm glad her older novels are getting more attention because of that book, but I'm also slightly worried people will be disappointed because they are so different.

Personally, I really really enjoyed this book. It is very much character-driven and doesn't have much in the way of plot except that Nina (arguably the main character) has come to Losail from the country to find a husband during the Grand Season. The story is set in a fictional world that is probably-maybe based on early 1900's France that happens to have a little bit of magic thrown in: both Nina and Hector, the love interest, are telekinetic. And while that's not considered unusual in this world, it's definitely not socially acceptable to flaunt one's abilities. Nina's ability becomes a point of contention between herself and the more "respectable" people in society. She even grew up being teased for it and called a witch by her family. She finds a friend and confidant in Hector who has made a career of his ability, performing across the world for audiences as a sort of magician. The main conflict comes from Valérie, the wife of Nina's cousin Gaetan. Valérie is obsessed with image and appearance and has been tasked with finding Nina a suitable husband from the Beautiful Ones of Losail's high society. But she disapproves of almost everything about Nina: she is too plain, too careless about how she acts and definitely not refined enough to be considered a proper lady. Tensions increase when Nina is drawn to Hector because, although Valérie is married, she has not let go of a summer romance she had with Hector ten years prior and cannot bear anyone else claiming him, especially not this unrefined girl who came flitting in from the country. The fact that Nina is unaware of this past relationship just adds to the drama.

The book is written from 3 POVs: Nina, Hector, and Valérie. This is done exceptionally well, in my opinion. I've read books with multiple POVs where I was confused as to whose chapter I was reading and the narrative voices were so similar that they would run together in my head. That is not the case here. Each character has a very distinct voice, and even without an explicit label at the beginning of each chapter as to whose POV it is, it is almost immediately clear whose perspective we seeing.

Because the book is so character driven, it does move somewhat slowly. It took me longer to read this book than I would usually take for a novel of this length, but I'm not sure that was a bad thing. It gave me time to delve deep into the characterizations and spend time with the perspectives of each person. It was really fascinating to see how each main character viewed the side characters as well, given that they all had different relationships with them. For example, Gaetan. To Nina, he is a beloved cousin, almost a father figure. But to Valérie he is a loathsome figure, someone to be tolerated (barely) because marrying him was her only hope of a "successful" life (which for Valérie means a life of wealth and access to the best people in Losail's society).

Now on to the characters: One thing that was really interesting to me was that I didn't particularly like any of the three main characters, but I still really enjoyed the book. Nina is naïve, but still the most likable of the three. Hector is stuck in the past and obsessed with his one-summer fling with Valérie ten years ago. And Valérie is just outright awful to both of them (although in a very underhanded and secretly manipulative way) while seeing herself as the victim of everything that happens in her life. But Moreno-Garcia does such an excellent job of writing each of their perspectives that I found myself sympathizing with all of them at certain points (much less so with Valérie because she is just plain cruel, but there were a few moments!).

Like I said before, this was very different from MEXICAN GOTHIC, as well as her fantasy-adventure GODS OF JADE AND SHADOW. I have two more ARCs of hers to read, which are both supposed to be very different again, so I'm excited to see what's in store for those. I love when authors don't restrict themselves to a single genre because it lets readers really see the the range of their talents, and I'm glad that readers will get to discover some of Moreno-Garcia's older writings because of her recent popularity. This will be re-released on April 27th, so definitely check it out!

Once I started this book I couldn’t put it down. With most romance novels I can predict the ending after the first chapter or two, but with this one I couldn’t figure out how it would end and was hooked from the start. I love the main character, Nina, and how she stays true to herself throughout the story, even if society wouldn’t approve of her and her lack of “manners”. The addition of fantasy, with her and Hector’s telekinetic talents, felt natural and its importance was clear by the end.

Sylvia Moreno-Garcia is an excellent writer. I loved the characters and how they developed throughout the story. Sylvia is an expert at writing in a way that makes you feel like you are there witnessing the story first hand. I will happily read anything she writes!

The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the fin de siècle fantasy I never knew was missing from my heart. Representation matters, and it brings me to tears to read these gorgeous novels by Moreno-Garcia that are so full of magic, horror, romance, and drama, but that are also a vibe while giving me Latinx or Hispanic representation. Like it's as if House of Spirits had a gothic baby and gave us Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Just read her novels.

This book follows our main character Nina as she enters society to find a husband. During her first party she meets Hector a talented performer who previously was involved with Nina's cousin's wife Valerie. I really enjoyed the characters in this book and the plot, but I found myself struggling to really enjoy the reading experience for this book.