Spoiler alert!

As I read Siliva Moreno-Garcia’s The Beautiful Ones, I kept thinking of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, with its theme of lovers given a second chance. In Persuasion, young lovers Anne and Frederick are parted when her family persuades her to reject his proposal because of he lacks riches and aristocratic standing. Years later, when he returns as a rich naval captain, they gradually overcome misunderstandings, jealousies, and broken hearts to re-kindle their devotion. The Beautiful Ones begins when a pair of youthful, parted lovers, Valérie and Hugo, meet again. By this time, however, Valérie has given in to family pressure and married, whereas Persuasion’s Anne remained single, a spinster ignored by her family. Valérie’s husband is rich and boring, his sole virtue seems to be his affection for his niece, Nina, who visits him. Hugo, like Frederick, is now rich and Valérie the icy, elegant queen of the social scene (“The Beautiful Ones” of the title). Magic comes into play since Nina, like Hugo, can move objects with her mind. While attempting to get close to Valérie, Hugo becomes Nina’s mentor in levitation. She falls in love with him and is shattered when she walks in on him and Valérie in a passionate embrace.

Here the parallel breaks down. Our sympathies are with Nina, not Valérie, who has become an unrelentingly selfish, vain, mean-spirited, possessive woman. Who she might have been if she and Hugo had stayed together is a matter of conjecture because the unfolding story makes it plain that theirs was a tempestuous, immature, and problematic infatuation that both have outgrown but not been able to let go of.

This leaves the issue of Nina and Hector, her heartache and anger at him, his gnawing guilt at having caused so much pain to someone he actually loves. Hugo’s struggles to come to terms with how he betrayed and injured Nina force him to review his past and himself in an uncompromising light. It’s a reversal of roles from Persuasion, where his was the broken heart, but strongly parallels the journey to understanding and forgiveness, both of self and the beloved, with renewed appreciation for how each enriches the other’s life. It’s a gorgeous, emotionally generous tale worth savoring again and again.

I have to admit I can not pass up a novel that has magic. But, author # Silvia Moreno-Garcia mixes romance, betrayal and her magic. # The Beautiful Ones her new novel is a wonderful historical fantasy.

Thank you for the advance copy,

#Netgalley, # Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and # Tor Books

This story was not what I expected it to be.

The characters were all difficult to enjoy, the plot felt very pointless, and the most fascinating components only appeared to be included as side notes instead of focal points. This story paid attention to everything I disliked, and none of what I wanted it too.

That being said, it was very well written. It was compelling and held my interest for the most part I just didn't enjoy it.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a prolific and remarkable voice in our times, and while I don't think this stands out from her other work also in the pipes this year, it was enjoyable.

Lush writing and beautiful atmosphere! This was just the dash of magic I wanted in this kind of story. I loved the slow burn of the romance and the period-drama quality of this. The only issue I had was the repetitiveness of some of the Hector Valerie interactions (yes, I know she's vapid but it only took a few interactions to get that point and I think it eventually became repetitiveness with trying to reinforce her awfulness). Otherwise, a fantastic story that deserves so much more recognition.

The Beautiful Ones is a historical romance with side fantasy. Nina and Hector the main characters have telekinesis and Nina’s telekinesis is a manifestation of her ADHD. Nina is young, naive, and looking for a true romance. Hector is older, more reserved and still hopelessly in love with Valerie, Nina’s cousin-in-law. This novel is more slow paced, and features a lot of drama. If you enjoy romance, beautiful historical settings, and an couple to scream for then this is a book for you. The writing is flowery, whimsical, and a lot softer than Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic as well.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc! This was a beautifully written story that will stay with me! Had to order my own physical copy!

4.5

Sweetly romantic and full of tension. Nina and Hector are great characters, and I love how bold Nina was, how much agency she had in this story. And obviously Valerie was hateful, but I really did enjoy reading from her perspective. She was deliciously, unapologetically villainous.

Not the most original story, but it was angsty and character-driven and I couldn't put it down.

This almost felt like two books, and I liked part two more than part one! I really enjoyed most of the book, though, except how annoying Valerie was. Overall it was a good read with a satisfying ending.

I think I will enjoy anything by SMG puts out. this was just as atmospheric as mexican gothic. I felt like i was in Europe ready to enjoy tea or a social even with the characters. I did not like Valerie AT ALL. it was fun reading about a love triangle tht was really a square then briefly a pentagon. the ending was very good there were somethings I didn't enjoy but luckily they didnt overshadow the story

This book wasn't for me. The writing is lovely, but it's taking a bit too long to get to the interesting or magical parts of it. I wouldn't rule out revisiting it though,

I think that the concept is interesting, but it was too long winded to get to the crux of the issues. Not m,y favorite from Moreno-Garcia

Silvia Moreno-Garcia can do no wrong. Her writing has gorgeous depth and magic in its narrative. From the start, the author breathes life into every setting, every scene, every first impression and lasting impression of her masterfully crafted characters. The writing here is stellar, gliding through with elegance and emotion. Reading her work is a master class in how to write. This title brings us a journey through her magic, but she took some risks with her characters that gave this reader a bit of a challenge in staying immersed. Perhaps it's just an outgrowth of our stressful times, but encountering different energy like having an unlikeable character feels more impactful than usual. Perhaps we want more of what we know from the author's prior, flawless books. 'Don't go surprising me with unexpected distaste' is the call of the reader who didn't expect the author to veer away from what the *reader* wants her to be. Silvia Moreno-Garcia states up front on Goodreads that she takes artistic license with her work, does things differently because that's what novelists do! We can love her for the types of magic we love from her, and if this story doesn't check the boxes for you, doesn't cast a spell on you, perhaps it's more that this book should be tucked away into your bookshelf for less stressful living, so that we're not triggered by just the energy and challenges we didn't expect. I love this author more for taking chances and going for it. I'm just among those for whom the book didn't show up in the right timing. I'll come back.

This was a beautiful, epic story of love and so much more. Morena-Garcia can do no wrong in my eyes. A mix of Great Gatsby and Sense/Sensibility set in Mexico. And Hector! OMG, my new favorite male character in a novel. I hope this becomes a movie.

Very excited for this! i also got the physical copy of it in a giveaway so I'm glad to have that on my shelf. I've loved SMG's writing in the past (especially Mexican Gothic) so i'm very happy to have been given the opportunity to read this. highly recommend!

The Beautiful Ones is an epic love story with plenty of twists and turns. This book is perfect for fans of Jane Austen. It reminds me so much of P&P how the narrator gets inside the heads of these characters as they fumble. It's beautifully written and transportive. I love Silvia Moreno-Garcia's descriptions—she completely transports you to a different time and place. Nina is also such an adorable, loveable character; you can't help but root for her along the way.

I loved "Mexican Gothic," and while this book was completely different, it still had the same epic feel, detailed descriptions of setting and characters, and fun twists and turns.

Like me, you may have been captivated by Mexican Gothic, also by Silvia Moreno=Garcia that came out last year. Her follow up did not disappoint. Like Mexican Gothic, it's also magical.

This book reminded me of being inside Bridgerton – it’s set in the Belle Epoque era of the coming out season, society’s rules and scandal that boils underneath.

We are immersed in the world of the Beautiful Ones, the notable socialites, and this spring is Nina’s chance to join their ranks, courtesy of her well-connected cousin and his calculating wife. But the Grand Season has just begun, and already Nina’s debut has gone disastrously awry. She has always struggled to control her telekinesis—neighbors call her the Witch of Oldhouse—and the haphazard manifestations of her powers make her the subject of malicious gossip. When entertainer Hector Auvray arrives to town, Nina is dazzled. A telekinetic like her, he has traveled the world performing his talents for admiring audiences. He sees Nina not as a witch, but ripe with potential to master her power under his tutelage. With Hector’s help, Nina’s talent blossoms, as does her love for him.

It's slow paced, so my advice is just sit back and get swept up in the romance, the intrigue, the magic.

While the writing was skilled, this book was too much of a slow burn for me. The characters were difficult to connect with and the story didn't flow for me as I would have liked.

As far as I can tell, Silvia Moreno-Garcia can do no wrong. As soon as I see her name, I get the book and I haven't been disappointed for a moment since starting to do that. The Beautiful Ones has a bit of a slow start as the setting and characters get fleshed out but it's well worth it to keep reading through the first few chapters.

For me, the characters made this book. Hector, loveably broken and at times absolutely infuriating. Nina, a ray of light, goodness, and inner beauty. Valerie, the worst human being ever and I can't stand her. So you see, I feel very strongly about them all! The switching between these three POVs is expertly done, each one providing the best lens for that part of the plot at the time. I enjoyed each of them to the point where I wasn't just waiting for my 'favorite' to come back up.

I would recommend this book to any historical fiction or romance reader. For me, there wasn't enough of the fantasy aspect to recommend it to fans of that genre but in that case I'd point them to other Moreno-Garcia novels. Overall, very pleased with this read and would give it to any friend!

Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

This was very slow moving and it was hard for me to stay engaged and involved in the love story. Too much flip-flopping/will they or won’t they.