Title: The Beautiful Ones
Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Pages: 320
Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books
Release Date: 27th April 2021
Blurb from Goodreads:
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.
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Bookshop
My Review:
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Jo Fletcher Books*
Nina is an outsider
in Loisail where the wealthy, well-established families are known as
the Beautiful Ones. She is staying with her rich cousin and his
socialite wife while she is in Loisail for her first Grand Season.
Nina’s ability of
telekinesis has always made her the subject of gossip and is
something she struggles to control.
At a party one
evening, Nina meets Hector Auvray, a performer who has telekinesis
like Nina.
Nina and Hector
spend time together and grow close, but Hector is hiding a secret.
Will Nina’s debut
go to plan?
As a fan of the
author’s more recent novels, I was really excited when I heard that
some of her backlist books were being republished. The Beautiful Ones
especially intrigued me with its mix of telekinesis and the
regency-esque/society backdrop.
Nina was a likeable
and relatable protagonist. She was quite naive in some ways, but this
contrasted nicely with Valerie who was in many ways the antithesis of
Nina. It was interesting to read their interactions and what they
thought of each other. I have to say that I definitely preferred Nina
out of the two, but Valerie was a complex, rather bitter, character
who I did feel for at times. Another character I felt for and found
interesting was Hector, who I enjoyed getting to know more.
The setting of
Loisail was quite intriguing, but I preferred the sound of Oldhouse,
where Nina usually lived. It sounded like a unique place with that
would be nice and peaceful.
Plot-wise, not much
really happened, but this was definitely a book that was more focused
on the characters. So, I think I would have enjoyed this more if I’d
felt more connected to the characters.
I liked how sweet
and understated the romance was, and while I did root for them to be
together, it wasn’t one of my favourite romances.
I liked the writing
style, which was easy to read and follow, but despite this it did
feel like it took me longer to read the book than I expected.
While I did enjoy
this novel, I wasn’t gripped by what was happening or enthralled
with the characters. I’m disappointed that I didn’t enjoy this
more, but I did enjoy it overall and found it to be unique and
interesting.
Overall, this was an
enjoyable read.
