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.
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