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.

When Silvia Moreno-Garcia gets down to business she means it. This is evident through her beautiful style of writing, world building and narration. The author has constantly delivered through her writing no matter the genre and The Beautiful Ones is no different.

The story follows Antonina Beaulieu and her adventures with the socialites, the high life and her telekinesis. This book felt like a Jane Austen novel with the romance and the drama. The atmosphere and the world is so well defined that the reader can't help but feel like their a part of the story. The story itself is beautiful and very interesting to read with the highs and the lows of familial and societal expectations is brought out really well. The character arc various characters go through also feels very complete and justified.

Any amount of praises for the author's writing is not enough. Though slow, it seamlessly manages to drag the read into the world and helps experience Antonina's life first hand.
Overall I loved this book and would highly recommend it.

This is my second book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and I fell in love with it right from the beginning. It's the Grand Season in Loisail, and it's time for Nina's debut. In Loisail, there are the Beautiful Ones, the wealthy and stunning members of high society. Nina is not considered one of them. Although she is wealthy, she hasn't been able to control her telekinesis, causing many whispers in Losail. When entertainer Hector Auvray comes to town, Nina is immediately drawn to him; he also has telekinesis powers. Hector begins courting Nina, but he has other intentions. Hector has come to Loisail to reconnect with his long-lost love, who happens to be married to Nina's cousin. Now Nina is unknowingly caught in a love triangle. The book captures jealousy, love, and fantasy in such a beautiful setting with unforgettable characters. This book is perfect for those wanting to venture into the world of fantasy. I would definitely recommend this one!! Thank you, NetGalley

Trigger warnings: Gas lighting, manipulation, bullying
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, slow burn friends to lovers, arranged marriage(s), regency romance
Rating: 5 Stars

Originally published in 2017, this reprint is absolutely gorgeous inside and out. The story introduces us to Antonina Beaulieu, who is making her entrance into society, and her cousin Gaetan and his wife Valerie. Antonina, or ‘Nina,’ for short, is a sort of odd duck out from the rest of the beautiful socialites. She meets a telekinetic performer, Hector Auvray, which sets the both of them off on an intense of hurt and healing. Hector’s secrets come to light, and the pair of them struggle to navigate the limits of friendship and love. Antonina struggles to master her own telekinetic abilities and learns more lessons in life than just strength of mind.

After an all-night binge reading session that lasted into the next day, I can confidently say that Silvia Moreno-Garcia is an accomplished and amazingly talented author. While I initially heard of her name connected to other tales such as Mexican Gothic, this was the first novel of hers that I have read. And I will certainly be reading anything else that she pens to paper from this point on.

The Beautiful Ones is a mix of regency romance and magical fantasy, meshed on a colorful cultural backdrop, and spell-binding scenery. So basically, it was one of the best books ever.

Moreno-Garcia manages to combine an enemy to lovers trope, and a slow burn friendship to lovers. Don’t ask me how, I’m still trying to figure that out myself. Just know that it was fantastically and masterfully done.

Many thanks to Macmillan and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was amazing and phenomenal and had me HOOKED from the first page until the last. It had romance, revenge, angst, heartbreak, heartache, and a little bit of magic.

The pace of the novel is what got me. It enveloped me into the story while sprinkles of words of magic and whispers of love kept me flipping the pages eager for more.

This novel is a historical fantasy romance novel. Those who enjoy Bridgeton and possibly a touch of A Night Circus or A Discovery of Witches mashed together would enjoy this novel. I found this novel unique as it spans multiple genres.

I fell in love with The character of Nina. She lived life without care for what was proper of the time and of her age. If she wasn’t placed under the care of her cousin’s wife, I believe the story would not have unfolded the way it had. Instead, I believe, the first encounter with Hector would have been less demure and each one thereafter even less than the first. She spoke her mind often. I find that she spoke her mind less when others were in her ear about what to do and not to do.

The romance between Hector and Nina was a slow burn that I loved and hated at the same time. In part one I was anti Hector. He was the villain of the story. In part two I noticed that the season changed and as the season changed my villain changed as well. This leads me to believe that Silvia has the writing ability of a goddess because I usually stick my feet in the mud about character traits but my mind changed with her written words.

I love that the novel depicts socialites as The Beautiful Ones, ones lower classes look up to and gossip about. The novel is set in a time Where woman marry wealthy Noble men of royal status and do everything they can do to keep that status. Rules are created to avoid scandals and old hens are around every corner waiting for someone to break the rules so a scandal can be gossiped about.

I was given an ARC from NetGalley and TorBooks for an honest review.

*Thank you to the publisher, Tor/Forge, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book before its release on April 27, 2021.*

This was a beautiful blend of historical fiction, fantasy, and a romantic triangle. The writing style made it read like a Austen or Bronte novel. The touch of magic gave it a personality of its own. The story tells three points of view- Hector, Nina, and Valerie. It was slow burn and very character driven but in this novel it worked. In the world this author has created some people have telekinetic powers. Hector is a renowned performer of this art. Nina also has the talent but is expected to hide it as it is considered in appropriate for ladies. Valerie was engaged to Hector years ago but married someone else. She can't have him but doesn't want anyone else to. This was a story of love, betrayal, and non-conformity that will have you rooting for a happy ending.

The range of Silvia Moreno-Garcia as a writer is amazing. From her Gods of Jade and Sorrow to this "newest" offering, you never know what's coming next out of her pen.
I enjoyed this book a lot. It read like a mashup of a gothic romance (Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre) with a little bit of Austen sprinkled in. It's hard to describe, but Moreno-Garcia's world building in incredible. It starts of slow, but once you hit a certain part of the story, you'll be flying through the pages. What a surprising, enjoyable, atmospheric read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the arc.

Seamlessly blending a complex romance with worldbuilding that is magical in more ways than one, The Beautiful Ones is compelling and dramatic.

Hector and Nina, both telekinetics, both in search of love, arrive in the fictional city of Loisail just in time for the Grand Season of parties to commence. Hector seeks to reconnect with his former fiancée Valerie, who vanished from his life to marry someone else a decade ago. Instead, he meets Nina, whose social graces leave much to be desired. When he learns that the man Valerie married is Nina's cousin, he decides to court Nina as a way to get close to Valerie.

As always, Silvia Moreno-Garcia's worldbuilding is masterful. She weaves a rich tapestry of details that bring the universe to life. One example of this is that the use of telekinetic abilities is seen as vulgar and base. This develops in the story as Nina attempts to control her abilities, with instruction from Hector, who is a professional telekinetic performer. The descriptions of places in this novel are vivid and and immersive.

In the first part of this book, I was so anxious that the resolution wouldn't be satisfying. The web of lies and manipulations seemed too much for the characters' relationship to bear! I've read too many romance novels where they wrap up all betrayals and put a bow on the relationship so close to the end of the book. Allow me to reassure you that this is not the case for this story. Over half of the book involves repairing any damage to the relationships in question. The tension between characters serves to make their relationships feel real and adds to the drama.

I was immensely glad that much of the book is from Nina's perspective, since Nina is my favorite, I related to her lack of social graces, inability to control her reactions, and deep love of insects and interest in the natural sciences.

I'd recommend this book to fans of Jane Austen and The Greatest Showman.

A beautiful historical romance w/ lots of supernatural twists. I also love how different this one is from Mexican Gothic. What a lovely chameleon Silvia Moreno-Garcia is!

I was so incredibly excited to read The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. With fantasy and historical romance being my two favorite genres it seemed like it could do no wrong. In the end, my feelings about this book were split down the middle. This book was just, alright. The whole time I didn't feel particularly invested in the characters, which is hard when it is a very character-driven story. I found that Nina was the only person I was rooting for and the others were unlikeable to the point where it ruined a lot of the story for me. The only thing that kept me reading was just the constant drama that was happening. If there is one thing that will keep me hooked throughout a book it is rich people drama, and this book had plenty of that. I really wish that this story had touched more on the "fantasy" elements in this world. Although I know that was not the main focus of the book I was very interested in it and left the book disappointed that we did not get more.
Overall this book was a true 3⭐️ read. I think if you are looking for a historical romance with a little twist then give it a shot, but go in with low expectations.

When I say I devoured this book, I mean I read it within 24 hours and went to sleep late knowing fully well I’d regret it in the morning. This novel is dramatic and beautiful. It’s about imperfect love and scorn, innocence and heartbreak. Silvia Moreno-Garcia has a way with words and once again she gifts us with a wonderful story of two people drawn together by tumultuous forces. In a fictional world where telekinesis exists and pedigree and wealth are key to success, fantastic elements slide into the background as we delve deeper into characters’ intricate stories.

A beautiful romance novel with a touch of fantasy. The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia follows Loisail’s most notable socialites. This is a character-driven story and, for me, it lacked world building. A quick and lovely read for everyone who enjoys a good romance.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia gives us a beautifully written, atmospheric romance with a touch of the fantastic with the two main characters' ability to perform telekinesis. This story is slow-moving but never boring, as her writing carries us through this character-driven romance. I love that Moreno-Garcia never writes the same book twice. She is as versatile and surprising as an author can get. This is different from both Mexican Gothic and The Gods of Jade and Shadow. I have enjoyed her writing journey with each new release.

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher, Tor/Forge, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book before its release on April 27, 2021.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I don't know how Silvia Moreno-Garcia keeps doing this but every book of hers that I read is always amazing. She has a way of showing all the sides of humanity especially the gray and darker sides so well.

In The Beautiful Ones, we follow three main characters. Nina, a young smart woman coming to live with her cousin and his wife in the city. Her family hopes that her cousin and his wife can teach Nina how to behave like a "proper" lady of society and possibly find a suitable match. Her family especially wants her to find a suitable match in the city because she is seen as a witch in their country town because of her ability to move objects with her mind.

Her cousin's wife is Valerie, an elegant, "proper," beautiful woman who everyone talks about and is envious of. She is a controlling and manipulative woman who thinks she is better than everyone else. She is in a loveless marriage and despises Nina and her family.

Hector is a performer who has the ability to move objects witj his mind and has made a good living and wealth from his talents. He is a handsome quiet gentlemen who has only ever wanted one thing; to be together again with his love from 10 years earlier, Valerie. Valerie who ended up breaking their engagement in a letter with barely any explanation.

Hector attempting to run into Valerie at a ball, ends up meeting Nina. Once Hector discovers Nina's connection to Valerie, he decides to befriend Nina in order to get close to Valerie again. Things move on from there and this incredible well written story kept me engaged the entire time.

Do yourself a favor and read this book when it comes out and every other Silvia Moreno-Garcia book out there.

#netgalley #thebeautifulones

This novel lacks “world building”, it is never clear what the significance of “the beautiful ones” is. It is assumed “beautiful” is replacing “old wealth”. The setting, much like many other features, is ambiguous and confusing. The story has a nice pace and is a fun, predictable, quick read.

Originally published a few years back, Silvia Moreno-Garcia's new found popularity with Mexican Gothic is bringing back a few books that may have been missed on the bookshelf. One of these titles is The Beautiful Ones, and it is being reissued this April.  

Nina is not what one thinks of when one pictures a socialite. Sent to live with her cousin and his bitter wife Valerie, Nina finds herself running afoul of her almost immediately and making a mess of her Grand Season. With genetic skills of telekinesis, Nina has to hide her greatest gift to run from her nickname back home in the county, The Witch of OldHouse.  Nina encounters entertainer Hector Auvray, a man who has powers similar to her own. He has recently returned from traveling the world with the hope of reclaiming the love of Valerie, who while he was away broke their engagement to marry Nina's wealthy cousin. To get close to Valerie, Hector begins to court Nina so he may be in close to her in her home.  Nina must learn to play the games of socialites, while learning how to control her gifts, and falling in love with the one man who can help teach her. Valerie's calculating and wickedness create serious drama, and Nina will need to choose whether to fall apart or grow in who she truly is. 

The Beautiful Ones starts off a little slow, but that's because there is a lot of backstory between Hector and Valerie. I don't like bullies, and Valerie is no exception. She is calculating, cruel, and because she has suffered she wants others to do the same.  Nina, however, is charming and original. It was hard not to fall in love with her.  The Beautiful Ones is a delightful read.

*Thank you #NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.*

I didn't know what to expect when I picked up "The Beautiful Ones." I appreciated the style of "Mexican Gothic," but the story itself was just a tad too bizarre for my liking. "The Beautiful Ones" had all of the rich detail with none of the horror of "Mexican Gothic."

I really enjoyed the main thrust of the plot--the love, the heartbreak, the cruelty, all felt real but I wish that the "talent" aspect and and even the term "Beautiful Ones" had been a bit more fleshed out. Ultimately, I felt like I was reading "Pride and Prejudice" with a bit of a twist.

Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read this ARC, which I simply devoured. The Beautiful Ones is certainly a novel of manners in this tale that takes a rather reproachful stance on Edwardian propriety. At the heart of the novel is a love triangle between telekinetic artist Hector, his cold-hearted sweetheart from youth, Valérie, and Valérie's cousin through marriage, the naive and passionate Nina who also shares Hector's telekinetic talents and who is a wild woman at heart.

<i>Delightfully written with notes of whimsy and delicious detail, The Beautiful Ones is a lovely read that will upset you at times but will also restore your faith in the power of love and karma.</i>

In the opening chapters, I did not imagine that I would hate Valérie as much as I did by the end. The author detailed this character's journey from bitter spite to abject wretchedness and jealousy with surprising perfection. I kept waiting for the character to get her comeuppance and started to worry that in the end, she would win in keeping Hector and Nina apart, either through his death or by the vicious lies she spun. And even though I was repulsed by this character, there was a bit of me that understood and even empathized with the sacrifice she made when she was younger.

As for Hector, I was quite relieved when he started coming to his senses. Had he continued to be a lovestruck idiot for Valérie throughout the novel, I'm not sure I would enjoy it as much as I did. Still, he took some time to see the truth of what kind of person his sweetheart really was. I almost found myself disliking him. Almost. But finally, he came around at the eleventh hour, and it could have been no other way.

As for Nina, I was shocked and almost disappointed that she didn't give Valérie a dose of her own medicine. But then again, Nina is not in the business of ruining lives like so many other characters around her. Naive, passionate, perhaps sometimes a bit childish, she spent the first half of the book as Valérie's unwitting prey and barely escaped the clutches of her bitterness. The naivete of this character made her easily tossed around from person to person, and it was painful to see her used as a pawn so often. I'm surprised that she did not recognize Valérie's handiwork more often. Still, she was an interesting, delightful, raw, and completely unpolished woman, and I was constantly worried that she wouldn't get the ending she deserved.

The ending of the novel was not predictable, as I had originally thought. Because of all the melodrama, I half expected Hector to be shot and killed by Luc, that Nina would die by a stray bullet or be married and shipped off without realizing that Luc was only marrying her for her money and that after Hector died, Valérie would throw herself off the clocktower. None of these things took place, and the novel of manners ended just as a Jane Austin novel would: with a wedding! I was relieved when the author left it to the imagination as to what their future held, and I'd like to think that Nina finds a way to join Hector on the stage and that the two spend the rest of their days travelling the world and not caring one bit about high society and the Beautiful Ones.

I didn't love Mexican Gothic but I adored the Gods of Jade and shadow and I'm happy to day I did really like this one! Nina was a wonderful character and I probably could have spent more time with her and the beetles. Lovely book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

The Beautiful Ones is a remarkable story. Once again, Silvia Moreno-Garcia has created an immersive and endlessly fascinating world with characters that are so alive you feel like you've already known them for ages. It was so easy and effortless to fall into this world.

It's hard to really compare it to anything other than her other works as there's little that comes close. It's different to GODS OF JADE & SHADOW and MEXICAN GOTHIC (and some of her other works) but also seems to fit alongside them perfectly. The author truly has her own voice and style that may have echoes of gothic, mystery, horror, and romance, but achieves its own singular feel.

If you loved GODS OF JADE & SHADOW and MEXICAN GOTHIC, you'll certainly love this, as well. I do have a feeling that readers will connect with this who are new to the author, as well. It's a truly enjoyable read.

Without spoiling anything, just know that there are many unexpected twists and turns. This may feel carved out from some traditional materials, but Silvia Moreno-Garcia sculpts her own unique and fantastical story as only she can.