Losail is home to the Beautiful Ones, the gentry with historical names, title, homes, and money. The story follows Antonina Beaulieu (Nina), who is visiting his cousin, Gaeton, and his wife, Valerie, from the country for the Grand Season after being dubbed the Witch of Oldhouse for her telekinetic abilities that she cannot control. Though fueled by the idea of finding true romance, Nina is more fond of her time in the country where rules and decorum do not dictate her life. Not only that, but at least her family in the country actually like her whereas the people of Losail--and especially her sneaky snake of a cousin-in-law--find her to be a nuisance without grace or charm. Nina finds friendship and comradery with Hector Auvray, a fellow telekinetic and stage performer, but so ensues a love triangle and deception Nina could not have foreseen.

Written in third-person from the POV of many of the main characters in the span of one year. This novel was a slow burn of first love, unrequited love, and the love that blossoms with time. The majority of the action is towards the end of the novel and much of the telekinesis is sprinkled throughout the story. This is, primarily, a historical fiction novel with a style akin to Jane Austen, despite the presence of telekinetic abilities. I love a good slow burn and a selfish, complicated villain! Though the pacing may seem a bit slow for some, I think it truly highlights the nuances of falling in and out of love with the passage of time. I enjoyed seeing the love triangle(s) develop and Valerie's manipulative ways. The characters are flawed, confused, and unsure of what they truly want, which is relatable and makes their respective motivations much clearer. Overall, this is a great read for those who enjoy Jane Austen or the Bronte sisters.

This delightful, charming, magical novel was originally released in 2017 and is back in paperback print with this gorgeous new cover. I read this book in one sitting last week on my sick day and loved it — it’s the third book I’ve read from SMG which has fully cemented that I will read and love basically everything and anything by her!

This tale felt very Austen-like with its romanticism, but also had touches of magic that reminded of why I love SMG so much. No one book of hers is like the last, which I think takes such talent to be able to successfully accomplish as a writer. Fans of SMG are sure to love this, especially if you loved Gods of Jade and Shadow, which I feel had a similar tone, with its perfect balance of romance, betrayal, and magic. While I didn’t find Nina to be as memorable as Mexican Gothic’s Noemí or Casiopea from GOJAS, she was still in the vein of smart, striking leading ladies who I admire greatly.

The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a paranormal fantasy that is beautifully written and reads at a slow, steady pace that is sure to pull you in with each page you read.

This was a delightful book of manners as the tagline claims! Whenever I read a Silvia Moreno-Garcia book, I always know to expect something new and exciting and she has done it again!

It is a historical romantic drama, a slow burn that is mesmerizing in every page and never bores you. I think that is something that Silvia Moreno-Garcia does so well, she has this way of making every word count and making you want to turn the page!

This was very character driven and it was lovely, the characters put me through a lot. So many feelings from every range of emotions, I kept clutching my heart at times. I love a book that makes me feel things like this. So happy to see The Beautiful Ones re-printed in this stunning new paperback edition, now many readers will get to love it!

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I want to thank @netgalley @torbooks for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!! I was so excited when I was approved for it!
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I gave The Beautiful Ones ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5 stars. I honestly didn’t read the synopsis, I just dove in blindly. One thing that is so impressive to me is how Silvia Moreno-Garcia can switch genres so effortlessly. This book is Historical Fiction/Romance with a little bit of magic sprinkled in. It does start off a little slowly but that’s because we have the introduction to the three main characters. I enjoyed the world building as well. Once I got to the second part of the book, I just couldn’t put it down! Honestly towards the end, I was crying! 😭 It surprised me how attached I had become to the characters!! Overall I enjoyed this book so much!! Such a great romantic read!

This story straddles the line between fantasy and romance as both genres are represented. The Beautiful Ones are the elite high society, featuring the most prominent families. People from lower classes are seen as lesser than and they believe themselves to be superior. This story takes characters that were married into the society, those that belong by birth, and those that are present, but do not “belong,” and weaves them together in a story about love, deception, and society.

Antonina (“Nina”) Beaulieu is 19-years-old and staying for the season with her cousin and his wife, Valérie. As she is from the country, Nina does not quite fit the profile of the elite, Beautiful Ones, with her lack of high society etiquette. Her mother sent her to the city of Loisail (a fictional city reminiscent of Victorian Paris) where Valerie is to teach her how to be a proper woman and to lead to obtaining a respectable marriage for Nina. She is a fantastically written character as she is naïve of the way of life in higher society, but she is comfortable with who she is and does not wish to compromise herself just to fit in. Although she is not accustomed to high society, she is still polite and respects those around her. Nina was a fascinating character as she had a unique interest as a naturalist, particularly entomology (beetles and butterflies). Additionally, she is a novice telekinetic in a world that accepts them as performers (males), but not for proper women.

While at a society party, she meets Hector Auvray, an older man, who is a world-famous telekinetic stage performer and is in town to perform at the Royal Theatre. Nina takes an immediate shine to him as she not only finds him attractive, but she wants to learn more about her ability. Things become complicated, as there is a secret connection between Hector and Nina’s family. Hector and Valérie were sweethearts over ten years prior to the story’s beginning. Before his claim to fame, he was a poverty stricken romantic with his eye on marrying Valérie. Due to her need to marry above her station, she promised to wait for him to have money, but ended up marrying another in the interim. Hector spend the next decade pining for his lost love.

Although the story focuses primarily on Nina, the story contains three perspectives: Nina, Hector, and Valérie. At first, I was unsure about the inclusion of Valerie’s side of the story, but all three are necessary to enjoy the overall picture. Although Valerie was written very well, she was a character that I greatly disliked from start to finish. On the other hand, you have Hector who I did not like at the beginning, but I grew to love as the story moved through each chapter. Nina was a character that I loved and sympathized with from start to finish, as she was an outcast that was just trying to find a place in the world. She goes through a lot throughout the whole story and you just wanted to root for her to have a happy-ending.

At first, Hector’s goal is to court Nina once he finds out her connection to Valérie. As he gets to know Nina, he ends up conflicted and has to figure out how to deal with the potential aftermath. Valérie, who has always been jealous of the privileges given to Nina from birth, while she has struggled, has her own agenda. Together the three characters create a dynamic tale and it becomes a story that toys with the readers emotions all the way until the end. Additionally, Hector and Nina share their telekinetic abilities, which adds a new layer to their romantic entanglements as Hector is accepting of Nina’s abilities and Nina is anxious to learn from Hector.

Overall, I love the in-depth look at societal expectations. Both Nina and Valérie are members of the higher society with the same expectations given to them, but they each handle them in their own way. I loved the general contrast between the two characters and their different approaches to interact with those around them. All of the minor characters were very well written and prominently featured to naturally in the story. Etinenne, Hector’s friend, and Etienne’s younger brother, Luc, were fun support for Hector and I loved their interactions with both Nina and Valérie as Etinenne was the more conservative and Luc was the more impulsive. Even Gaetan, Valérie’s husband and Nina’s cousin, was well done, even though he is not featured on the page right away. This is a very character driven book that was very difficult to put down and I ended up reading it in a single sitting! It is difficult to believe this is my first Silvia Moreno-Garcia, especially with her other famous works like Mexican Gothic so prominently read, but I absolutely was drawn into the world that she created in this story and would gladly read more!

**I want to give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Tor Books, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, for a review copy of this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

The Beautiful Ones is an adult fantasy that takes place in an time and setting similar to Victorian Era Europe. Originally released in 2017 The Beautiful Ones has a stunning new cover in hopes of capturing a new audience and capitalizing on the success of Gods of Jade and Shadow and Mexican Gothic.

A decade prior a humble young magician and performer Hector met a beautiful young woman named Valérie. They embarked on a summer long romance and Hector promised to return from a trip abroad to marry Valérie after making his fortune. But within a year Valérie caves into family expectations and marries a wealthy gentleman with the right lineage.

Now Hector is back in town after becoming wealthy and popular performer. Valérie is mentoring her husband’s nineteen year old cousin Nina for her first “season” in the city where her family hopes she can put her reputation as a witch behind her and find a husband. Nina is curious about Hector who she has read about in telekinesis books and seen on posters around town but has no idea of his secret past romance with her cousin’s wife.

When Nina and Hector meet he will embark on a journey that brings him closer to Nina and back into Valérie’s orbit which can only end in disaster.
The Beautiful Ones is an angsty romantic novel that has both fantasy and magic elements plus the romance of a bygone era where women had little control over their own destiny and family name was everything. Unlike popular “historical romance“ novels of decades past this is not a sex filled romp with romantic trysts and heaving bosoms but instead is a quiet melodrama.

I recommend The Beautiful Ones to romance fans of all ages that enjoy historical novels with elements of magic, fantasy and whimsy.

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Silvia Moreno-García's ability to tell stories is something fascinating, and I do think of it highly. However, this book was not the match for me. This is a very slow pacing romance, which is the main characteristic of a slow burn and not something I'm criticizing, it is just that I was expecting more substantial subplots. I was hoping for the telekinesis to be something a little bit more impactful, but this it is a preference as a reader, where I automatically expect for the magic elements of a story to be multi layered. I did enjoyed the romance after a while, and I can see how this book might work and be enjoyed by with its expected audience.

My first introduction to Silvia Moreno-Garcia was reading GODS OF JADE AND SHOW in 2019, and one of my favorite aspects of that novel was the romantic writing. Reading THE BEAUTIFUL ONES brought back just how much I enjoyed Moreno-Garcia’s ability to pull you in with her use of language and description. This also gave me heavy Pride and Prejudice vibes when I started it, with how it focuses on the absolutely incredulity of a societal expectations and what is considered proper. It pulls you in with elegant writing without being pretentious, and I found myself constantly drawn back to the book until I finished it.

I liked the plot of this novel and how it kept me on the edge of my seat. The author did a great job of weaving in magic as a caste system. That said, the romance bothered me a lot in parts. I didn't love reading a book where a main love interest had to learn a person was human. I also hated how a woman was made a villain more and more as the plot went on. It felt like we should be sympathetic and then suddenly should hate her. Overall, enjoyable, just lots of caveats.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia crafts a delicate love story set in fictional Loisail. She tells the story of 19-year old Nina Beaulieu, in the city for her first Grand Season to secure a husband. She’s staying with the male head of her wealthy family, Gaetan Beaulieu, and his icy and beautiful wife Valérie, who is part of an impoverished but old money family.
Nina likes to study insects (beetles are of particular interest), stomp about in the countryside, speak her mind, read, and can also move things with her mind, though only when agitated or highly emotional. In this world, telekinesis is seen as somewhat shameful, so Nina is not skillful at it, and has to hide this, and most of who she is at the various teas and balls Valérie ensures Nina attends. No matter how hard Nina tries, she, does. Not. Fit. The Old money families of Loisail, the Beautiful Ones, are frequently surprised and shocked by Nina’s nonconformity, and at a dance, Nina further surprises everyone by dancing with Hector Auvray, a wealthy entertainer, in town after many years abroad. Hector also has telekinetic powers, but has spent years honing his skill to stage elaborate feats.
Hector is in town to perform, but also to reconnect with Valérie; they had an intense and passionate relationship years before, in moments stolen away from her demanding family. While he was away from Loisail making his fortune, she spurned him, marrying Gaetan.
The pace is slow, and Moreno-Garcia gives us lots of moments with each character; this isn’t a story with a great deal of action, but I never once felt bored or needed the pace to pick up. We see Nina’s naïveté, and her difficult relationship with Valérie, and her developing feelings for Hector. We see the circumscribed role of the Beautiful One’s women, and the caustic effect it has on Valérie’s behaviour and feelings. We also see the erroneous perceptions and dreams that have propelled Hector for years, and how little he understood the pull family, responsibility and wealth would have on a member of the Beautiful Ones.
This is a quiet, moving romance, and the dance amongst Nina, Hector and Valérie of fascination, longing, hurt, misunderstandings, anger, desire and awareness is lovely to watch.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for a review.

Hello,, Upper East Siders, The Beautiful Ones is one of my new favorite books, and I think you should read it!

This novel gave me Classics vibes like House of Mirth, Anna K, and anything by Jane Austen meets Cruel Intentions with some magic thrown in for fun!

The Beautiful Ones are HIGH SOCIETY. They’ve got money, they’ve got status, and they’re all obviously gorgeous.

Hector Auvray has been harboring a love for our Serena Van Der Woodsen, Valérie Beaulieu, since she promised to marry him ten years ago. BUT, she ended up marrying someone else instead, someone who had money and status, while poor Hector was just trying to make a name for himself in this world as a telekinetic entertainer in order to give her ALL of the things! 😩

At a party, Hector meets Nina Beaulieu, the cousin of Valérie’s husband, who is in Loisail for the Grand Season; her “coming out”. Nina is similar to Hector, she also has telekinetic abilities, and she’s obviously smitten at first sight. Hector, on the other hand, is still too wrapped up in Valérie to notice. Nina isn’t really a “society lady” either. She’s no Serena.

“She was not an enviable beauty - somewhat run-of-the-mill, to be frank - and her square jaw, black hair, and thin lips were rather unstylish.”

SMG makes it a point to tell us that Nina isn’t exactly a beauty, compared to Valérie, who “...was beautiful. She was the kind of woman...who made heads turn when she walked into a room.”

But beauty is only skin deep, ya’ll!

As Hector and Nina spend more time together, could they possibly find love? Will it work out for them? I did say this gave me Cruel Intentions vibes so...don’t get your hopes up too quickly!

Beautifully written and atmospheric and filled with full, well rounded characters. It addresses wealth and classism, and the expectations society places on women (and what happens when we don’t necessarily meet those expectations). It’s about what society deems as beautiful vs. what is true beauty. There’s romance and love and it’s the kind of book you hug when you’re done because you loved it so much.

This is out April 27th. Thank you @torbooks for the #gifted ARC!

This story is as beautiful as its cover! Nina has come to stay at her cousin Valerie’s house to join society with the Beautiful Ones, the uppermost class of the city of Loisail. However, her telekinesis and history of that ability gone awry keeps her from fitting in with her surroundings. However, when an entertainer named Hector arrives to town showcasing his similar talents, Nina is in awe and instantly taken. However, her cousin’s hidden past will threaten Nina’s hopes for the future.

This book is reminiscent of the romances of the classic literature era, but with a tinge of magical realism infused that make it unputdownable! I was swept up in the world of Nina and Hector and never wanted to leave. The plot of the story, the character development, and overall writing of this story were superb.

What kept this book from being a 5⭐️ for me:
- A couple quick changes in characters’ personalities that felt a little rushed to further the story along
- The telekinesis was my favorite part, as it sets it apart from most other stories I’ve read. However, at times, it seems to barely be included in the plot, but then is thrown back in as an aid to scenes or plot points. It felt a little uneven.

If you like hints of fantasy, a good old-fashioned romance novel, or settings of the past, this would be the perfect book for you!

Jane Austen with a touch of magic. I absolutely adored this book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, the acclaimed author of Mexican Gothic. This was a slow building and captivating story of the power of love. When I first started the book, I wasn't convinced that I would come to root for Nina and Hector--particularly because Hector was using Nina as a way to get closer to her cousin who he had a previous relationship with, but I was absolutely won over and swooning by book's end.

I am consistently impressed by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

I absolutely adored Mexican Gothic and Gods of Jade and Shadow, so naturally I jumped on the chance to read and review The Beautiful Ones. I think it’s important to note that this is a re-release of a previously published novel, and that this version is Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s preferred text.

Now onto the book itself; if you love Jane Austen and the Bronte Sisters, then this is the book for you. The Beautiful Ones is very much a comedy of manners, but it has an excellent paranormal twist. It’s a bit slow paced, but I was never bored. The characters were exquisitely written.

The Beautiful Ones is, simply, a beautiful book. I was enchanted by this elegant love story, reminiscent of Edith Wharton, Henry James, or E.M. Forster, but with an extra spark of magic - literally. It reads like a delicately perfume just covering up some bitter, sharper scent. This is definitely a character-driven story, a portrait of three hearts revolving painfully around one another - Nina, young and innocent and brilliant, with a lot of maturing to do over the course of the story; Hector, trying to freeze his own heart, thinking himself so old and jaded; and Valérie, sharp and cruel and fragile as a thorny rose. And it's to Moreno-Garcia's credit that I feel just as much for Valérie, in all her defensive self-absorption and contemptuousness, as I do for the more easily lovable Nina. The fantastical element, the magical talent that brings Nina and Hector together and that sets Nina somewhat apart from her debutante peers, is secondary to the social whirls and romantic entanglements, but it adds a sparkle and a gloss to what is a clever, charming story, straight out of the Belle Époque.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the advance review copy!

SIGH...

While this wasn't my favorite book, I still found it an enjoyable read. I liked it but didn't love it. I guess I was looking/expecting more of a Mexican Gothic tone/vibe but without the horror.

AGAIN-I knew this wasn't going to be like Mexican Gothic I just felt the voice was different, if that makes sense?

That might be a tad unfair of me, but I'm being honest about my two cents.

I'm not sorry I read this, but I did find I was a bit bored despite being intrigued by the world building & setting. It was whimsical(if that's the word I'm looking for??)and a pinch soap opera like(if that makes sense too?) LOL. I'll add that the characters were very well written and I loved to hate them...or is hated to love them... LOL

I absolutely loved this book! I did not know how this book would play out after reading the blurb, but after reading it I can say that it's absolutely worth giving a chance to especially if you are a fan of historical fiction and romance!

While reading it I was like how is it going to go, why do we have three PoVs, is there going to be a love triangle?

Well, even though this book did have a sort of a love triangle, I loved reading it, mainly because it had a clear distinction and had parts that signified the end of something and beginning of another.

It wasn't a typical romance book that portrays conflicted feelings and stuff, I would say that this one actually showed the flaws in people and gave so many emotions-namely jealously, greed, envy, love etc etc.

I liked both the protagonists and felt that there was a spark of a connection between them from the start, it gave us a glimpse of both loves- love at first sight, and love that gets transpired with time.

Title: The Beautiful Ones
Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Genre: Fiction, fantasy
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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 both magical and beautiful, with a Jane Austen-like feel for its also being a comedy of manners. Nina is a brave girl who stumbles as she enters a new world she doesn’t understand. Nina’s propensity to speak her mind and act without thinking gives her trouble at the hands of the elite of society, but her love for Hector gives her hope.

Hector is battling demons from his past, and his good intentions are often derailed at the hands of long-held dreams. The battles he faces are as hard as those of Nina, and the darkness threatens to overtake them both. I loved this book! Very different, with hints of steampunk twisted with a classical literary feel.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia was born in Mexico. The Beautiful Ones is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Tor Books in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog links live 4/27.)

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well, I know it’s been previously published but this was a new ARC. At any rate...

Antonina Beaulieu, or Nina as she prefers to be called is a bit of an odd duck in a world of hens. She has a penchant for beetles and can move objects with her mind. When staying with her cousin’s wife, Valérie, one of the “beautiful ones” of society, it’s easy to see where they clash. But then she befriends Hector Auvrey, a performer with the same gift of moving objects with his mind.

So if you LOVED Mexican Gothic, this may or may not be your thing. It’s completely different. I enjoyed Mexican Gothic, but The Beautiful Ones was (for me) a much quicker paced novel. I’m a sucker for a good romance and while I thought Mexican Gothic was brilliant, it was a very different kind of brilliant.

But uh, if slow burn romance is your thing, you need this book immediately! Hector is so easy to just fall in love with, even though he is a complete moron at times. But then, so is Nina. The real villain is Valérie who has a past with Hector—surprise! But it’s not at all like your typical love triangle. It’s far more enjoyable. Seeing Valérie’s demented dive into absolute crazy town is fascinating. And many of the side characters are quite enjoyable as well! I always love a gentleman named Étienne.

5/5 stars. I finished it in less than a day.