Silvia Moreno-Garcia's The Beautiful Ones, Mexican Gothic and Gods of Jade and Shadow have similar strokes when described on the macro level: beautiful, rich individuals go about their lives in sliiiightly magical locales. Plus, enjoy this soupçonne of romance and at least one character you can love to hate the life out of! But the nuance this author is able to create and expand between these worlds? I’m. Oh my what. I will fill my library with the infinite possibilities.

This did have the least in the way of magic when compared to the other titles listed above. While I thoroughly enjoyed the intricate courtly dance of this narrative, personally I could have done with a bit more telekinesis. Other than that? Stunning ✨

I absolutely loved this book! I was so engrossed by the characters right off the bat. Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing is out of this world, if you've been in a reading slump this is a great place to start, it absolutely blew me away!

Ever since I read The Night Circus, I have hunted for a book that will give me the same indescribable sense of magic and wonder. *Sob* I finally found it.

In Loisail, the most notable figures of society are called the Beautiful Ones. They are wealthy and beautiful and manipulative. Nina, having come to stay with her cousin, is properly thrust into this world for the first time as a young woman. As a telekinetic, her skill is frowned upon by most of society as not being very "lady-like." But Hector Auvray, a well-travelled and renowned telekinetic, sees her as both pupil, and access to Valérie. And Nina, sees him as a suitor. This is a sweeping tale of magic, romance, and betrayals that will leave you quite literally breathless.

In case you haven't figured it out yet, I find this story to be stunning. I received an ARC, opted for the audiobook, finished it in 3 sittings, and then promptly bought a physical copy for myself. Set in a world with a French flair, theatres for telekinetic displays of magic and opulent parties, characters navigating vicious societal expectations and broken hearts, this book had me captivated from the first page. It was not what I expected at all, and the romance at its heart surprised me with its incredible depths. It is wretched and swoony and worth spending an entire afternoon absorbing into your very bones.

This story is quite character-driven, and the characters themselves are wonderful. Told in three POVs, each made me feel something deeply. One character you want nothing but the best for, one you need a little time to forgive for their stupidity, and another you cannot wait for them to reap what they sow.

Nina is a darling girl, albeit young and naive in her first season in Loisail. She has such a good and willing heart, and I wanted nothing but the best for her. When she falls for Hector, it is very much a precious thing to her, and she nurtures it how she can while under the thumb of her vicious cousin Valérie. The rules of society do not bother her, and I enjoyed how she flaunted them—going out on her own without an escort, showing off her telekinetic skills at parties, and taking delight in all the wonder the city can offer. I will protect her at all costs.

Hector certainly took me for a ride in my opinion of him. In the beginning, he uses Nina's fondness for him as a way to get close to Valérie. Years before he became a famous performer, they'd been engaged after a whirlwind summer, but while he was away in an effort to build his name, Valérie married someone else with little consideration. But Hector is still in love with her, and it takes shattering Nina's heart for him to realize that Valérie is not the woman he once fell for. And once he figured that out, I was fully in support of him.

Valérie is a vindictive and manipulative witch. She married Nina's cousin over Hector for wealth, despises Nina and her family, yet believes she is still owed everything she demands, including Hector. The games she plays to get what she wants at the expense of everyone else are truly breathtaking. But her conclusion was satisfying as hell, I promise.

This is my second Silvia Moreno-Garcia novel. It is completely different from Mexican Gothic, but the same magnificence has resulted. There is something so beautiful and magical about her writing, and I need so much more of it in my life.

I have a lot of trouble getting through Moreno-Garcia’s books. I like the writing style, but something about the plot typically falls flat for me. I liked Nina, and I liked the world this book is set in, but I didn’t like any of the other characters, and I hated reading Hector’s perspective. The magic system was a little strange as well. I really wanted to enjoy The Beautiful Ones, but I think this author’s books just aren’t for me.

The Beautiful Ones is another amazing story by Silvia Moreno-Garcia! I would definitely recommend this book to romance or historical fiction readers. #TheBeautifulOnes #NetGalley

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is quickly becoming one of my most anticipated & must-read authors - her written voice is addictive, whether she's writing about society's elite or vampires or something in between. Fans of Mexican Gothic may not expect Moreno-Garcia to be so adept at writing things other than spooky gothic horror, and I love the range and versatility with which she writes.

The characters are so well done in this - fully fleshed out, which isn't something really easy to do when writing from so many points of view. I started out hating some of them, and grew to love them over the course of the book - it takes skill to do that and I applaud Moreno-Garcia for the accomplishment!

I never know what to expect from this author. This was fantasy and romance, and maybe also historical fiction (is it historical if she made up the setting?). It's engaging and I definitely enjoyed it.

The Beautiful Ones is a genre-crossing atmospheric YA romance with elements of magical realism by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Released 27th April 2021 by Macmillan on their Tor imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in most formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a very well written but slowly developing narrative about family, love, loyalty, social constraints and expectations with magic. The author is quite adept at her craft and her command of narrative prose is exceptional and impressive. Despite that, I found my interest flagging at several points. It took much longer to finish reading than it should have and my overall impressions were no doubt negatively impacted by having picked it up and put it down over a period of months (I generally finish books in one or two sittings).

There is an overarching grand theatrical feeling to the work which, although unquestionably original, called to mind Wuthering Heights, Pride & Prejudice, and with a shading of tortured Russian grand literature. My difficulty with the reading was at least partly due to the antipathy I felt toward the deeply unhappy character Valerie.

Beautifully well written. It didn't enthrall me. Three and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This book had just the right amount of angst to make me eager to continue. The main character Nina was unfailingly charming and sweet and the love interest Hector while irritating and almost despicable at times was a sweet and loving man. The romantic relationship between these characters made me cry and scream and smile and rage. The rage and fondness this elicited from me were shocking in its intensity. Overall, this reading experience is not one I will soon forget.

This is a reissue of an older book but very good story. Highly entertaining and different than her last book. I enjoyed the fantasy aspects as well.

A stunning and beautiful book from one of my absolute favourite authors. Silvia Moreno-Garcia once again demonstrates her incredible talent for writing complex characters and fantastic stories across genres.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia always surprises me. All her books are so different, yet so interesting and they really draw me in every single time. This one did not disappoint.

As always, Silvia Moreno-Garcia blends fantasy and historical fiction in such a refreshing way. This was the historical urban fantasy I wish I had growing up.

This novel gives a Victorian/Edwardian/Gregorian 18th-early 19th-century romance a la Jane Austen with a pinch of telekinesis. Totally recommend it for those who were a part of the Bridgerton craze, but always craves a pinch of fantasy in their contemporary novels (aka me). Pick this up for a fun read.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia did it again, this story is so well done and the characters are perfect. I really enjoyed going on this journey and loved reading this.

This was a good story, but not Mexican Gothic good. Little disappointed in it. It's kind of like a historical fiction soap opera. The characters are well drawn--they should be, it's character-driven--but the unlikable character is too unlikable, and it was hard to read her POV sections.

Redeeming the whole thing is Nina, self-styled naturalist, who loves insects. I happen to be interested in insects and spiders, so I was drawn to her. She's spunky (did I just use that word!), fun, and does her best to not conform to their strict society.

The last scene in the story is beautiful. Truly loved it.

A big thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of the ARC.

This was a very simple love story! I found the love triangle did not add to the novel. The story did drag a bit. Still, I liked the magical elements in this novel, and it was superbly better than Mexican Gothic! I recommend this romance fans!

The Beautiful Ones is a masterful Regency-esque love-triangle romance with a dash of fantasy. While two of the main characters possess telekinetic powers, the magical elements take a back seat to what is essentially a standard story about finding love while finding yourself and overcoming the obstacles to your own happiness. Much of the slow burn elements involve the struggles of entering polite society and the restrictive social protocols of the day. Each of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's books stands apart from the others, and The Beautiful Ones is very different from the creeping horror of Mexican Gothic or the futuristic vampire world of Certain Dark Things. It's a delightful tale with beautiful prose and love at the center of it.

This was a beautifully written book by an author that I have never had the pleasure of reading the works of before. There is the typical love triangle, along with the person who feels like they have been wronged even though they are truly the person who should be repenting for their deeds. It was refreshing that this book did not have the rather unbelievable love at first sight. Hector is a talented man. He can make objects move or fly. He is also a wealthy man who is where he is in life due to a decade of hard work. Hector has a sad past. He was orphaned young and the woman he loved was the woman he could not have. Hector grows from an okay, not much to him, character to a character that a reader could get behind and cheer for. This book was sweet, with a touch of vengeance, jealousy, toxic love, and finally true love. The author painted a beautiful background for the characters and where they lived. I will look forward to reading future books by this author.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

DNF @ 35%. This was a disappointment. I loved the pitch but there's no plot here, just feelings and angst between three flat characters. I can usually imagine the readership for books that aren't for me personally, but I have no idea who I'd recommend this too since there's just not enough story. I was expecting a kind of high society comedy of manners, like Oscar Wilde with magic, but this was so drab I couldn't read more than a little at a time without getting irritated by how little was happening.

4.5 stars! The thing I most love about Silvia Moreno-Garcia (other than her beautiful writing and fascinating characters) is that no two books of hers are the same. This is my third by her so far and it reminded me of a Jane Austen love triangle (square?) with a hint of magical realism and a climatic conclusion I did not see coming. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was outstanding. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Moreno-Garcia or anyone who is reading her books for the first time. It is not as strange/fantastical as Gods of Jade and Shadow nor the dark horror of Mexican Gothic, but I've loved all three and can't wait to read more by her.

Thank you NetGalley, Moreno-Garcia, and publisher for the ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.