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.

From the author of Mexican Gothic comes a captivating Victorian era romance. Filled with angst, tension, and elements of magical realism, The Beautiful Ones provides the kind of story I didn't know I needed. Strong female protagonist and feminist telling, this novel slowly and methodically builds up to a climactic conclusion. A wonderful read that fans of slow burn, character driven storytelling are sure to love.

I really enjoyed The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. She’s definitely one of my top favorite authors and will continue to read everything she writes. It’s a beautiful, slow pace book and definitely worth the read. It’s a character driven story filled with romance and slight magical elements.

I am always awed by Moreno-Garcia’s writing and her ability to put you in the world that she’s created. She’s also a master of making you feel deeply for her characters and once you finish reading her books, you want to continue to live in their world. I would definitely be recommending this book to a variety of readers.

This story is the perfect combination of Pride and Prejudice-esque angst, magic, and high society drama. The first part was a bit slow, but the slow burn was worth it. I will read literally anything Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes, and I'm pretty sure it'll be perfect every single time.

This book is a good read, especially for those who have a passion for romance novels. If somewhat summoned memories of reading pride and prejudice for the first time, but in a more fantasy-based setting. However, it is an overdone genre. Predictable at best. However, the characters are unconventional and a fascinating point of view from which to experience such a story. Both are unconventional in looks, outsiders, and one is a rude and unbecoming. However, In the beginning, I never expected what became of Valerie. they grow over the course of the book - and it’s an engaging watch.

The pacing is very slow, and it took me longer then half the book to get into the romance. Though, the author is amazing at prose and making you feel like you’re in the Mexican socialite scene. I do recommend this to those largely into romance. As it is the main focus of the book, while fantasy and powers take the back burner.

‘The Beautiful Ones’ was indeed a beautiful book! Riveting, engaging, with well thought out and executed plots and storytelling, and characters that made you forgot you were reading a book! Really hit the spot for me!

4/5 stars

I received an eARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

My curse with ARCs is broken!! Thank you, Silvia Moreno-Garcia

I wasn’t sure what rating I’d give until the last twenty pages. The first third felt like it was shaping up to be 3 stars (which would’ve been incredibly disappointing to give, since Moreno-Garcia is one of my favorite authors) but there were some parts where I was sure I could give it five. I settled on four stars because while the plot and the characters captivated me in the end, I can’t forget the boredom I felt within the first 100 pages.

PROS:

Antagonist: Goddamn was Valerie a FANTASTIC character! By far one of my favorite antagonists of all-time now. Moreno-Garcia is great at capturing negative emotions; couple that with an ambitious antagonist and you’re bound for a good time. Valerie had so much personality, so much depth, so much contempt and resentment and possessive welled up inside her beautiful, porcelain frame. Sometimes I thought “yeah, you know, if Valerie got what she wanted I’d be okay with it honestly.” Her motivations are clear, her ambitions are clear and while I wouldn’t go so far as to say she's a tragic villain, I’d claim that the choices and sacrifices she made at the expense of her family’s continued livelihood sent her down a tunnel she could not escape. Of course, had Valerie made the best of her circumstances rather than drowning in pessimism and jealousy, she could have easily avoided her befitting fate.

Romance: It took me a while to really get into it – as I wrote before, the first third of this book outside of Valerie can lull you to sleep. But once you get to the climax of Part 1, the narrative shifts, feelings change, and the way Hector and Nina revolve around each other without even knowing it definitely enticed me. I found Nina to be particularly believable in her naivete and romanticism. On the other hand, Hector’s slow-growing feelings for Nina were a little harder to swallow, partially because his feelings of friendship so quickly shift into feelings of desire. The narrative can explain it away given Hector is so consumed by a toxic devotion he doesn’t understand what a tender and kind truly love feels like, but I don’t completely buy it.

Themes/Narrative: I LOVED how Nina and Hector’s telekinetic powers are a literary conduit for outcasts in a society that values rules, manners, tradition, and old money above all else. I would have liked a bit more explanation of their powers and perhaps another character with telekinetic powers outside of the romance, but mostly, it worked for me. Narratively, their powers were a great fit for the story and I loved how they could reflect their true thoughts and feelings. Just great stuff.

Secondary Love Interest: He was great fun, and his ending suited him.

CONS:

Pacing: As I said, the first third of this book is a bit of a bore. Nothing really happens outside of Valerie's plotting against Nina, Hector doing everything in his power to win Valerie over, and Nina completely oblivious to it all. While I understand Moreno-Garcia is giving us a better sense of who the core characters are and what motivates them, I would have liked a bit more activity.

Repetition: Happened more than it usually does in a Moreno-Garcia novel, but it is a pet peeve of mine. I’m not a fan of uncommon words being used twice in five pages. It just throws me out of the story and I’m left to wonder why that word twice and then never again. Some of Valerie and Hector’s thoughts recycled as well, and it could drag the pacing down.

Nina is young, innocent and wants to find love like the novels she read. she leaves her town and goes to the city for her debut on the Grand Season. And she is really different from the other girls, she is telekinetic, but can't control her power.

One night, at the ball she meets Hector Auvray, a telekinetic like her, but unlike her, he has the control of his power, and travels around the world creating illusions that amaze everyone.
Nina thinks that she finds her match in Hector and soon he starts to woo her, but he has a secret and when Nina finds out she'll feel betrayed.

I adore the atmospheric, very world upper-class lifestyle, reminded me classics like The Age of Innocence, the balls, the forgiven romances, and secrets. All the drama.

Even though Nina is telekinetic, the magic in the story its subtle, its not the important part, but I love read how Nina learn more about how control her powers.

This was a fun story. Nina is a likeable character. The book have different POV, but she was my favorite.

Scandalous witches, dark gossip, glorious atmospheric writing. It wasn't as earth shattering as Mexican Gothic but I still found this hard to put down. Very well done!

I went in this expecting a dramatic romance with a small sprinkle of telekinesis-- and that was exactly what I got! I really enjoyed the characters, each of them are so vibrant and full of depth and I as the reader felt well-integrated into each of the points of view. The story moves along at a decent pace, each dramatic reveal creates more tension, increasing until the final third of the book I just could not put down and had to keep knowing what happens next. A complete review will be written and shared closer to the release date. Thank you so much Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review!

Predictable and honestly, boring. I stopped about half-way through and couldn't force myself to pick it back up and finish it. I don't get the hype or the critical acclaim.

Beautiful people, decadent parties, broken hearts, and fantastical abilities come together to form an elegant novel of relationships and love. The voice of this novel provided a delicate telling of Nina, an upper class young woman with telekinesis, who falls rapidly in love with Hector, an entertainer with a romantic connection he is trying to keep secret.

Secrets, distrust, and old-school elegance provide a glamorous setting and passionate plot. The fantasy element of some characters having telekinetic powers was a unique gift to the storyline and was seamlessly part of the world. As a lover of fantasy and magic, I was hoping for more development of the powers shown by the characters, but it was not the focus of the story so it took a side role. I did find the plot was a bit slow-paced in the beginning and I struggled liking any of the characters, but soon changes happened, and I became invested in the budding relationship and the action that started bursting out. If you enjoy historical fiction, character-driven plots, and beautiful writing, definitely give this novel a try.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillian-Tor/Forge for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

"From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic comes a sweeping romance with a dash of magic.

They are the Beautiful Ones, Loisail’s most 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.

But great romances are for fairytales, and Hector is hiding a truth from Nina - and himself - that threatens to end their courtship before it truly begins.

The Beautiful Ones is a charming tale of love and betrayal, and the struggle between conformity and passion, set in a world where scandal is a razor-sharp weapon."

A re-issue not to be missed from one of the hottest writers on the scene!

A delicious love triangle, almost Gothic in the intensity of its emotions. Managing to be both angsty and sweet, this was a delightful gem of a story.