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hjb_128's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Bullying, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Infertility and Infidelity
yourbookishbff's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I LOVED this hot mess of a love triangle. For historical romance readers, I would highly recommend this to lovers of Sherry Thomas. We have a cast of deeply flawed and self-absorbed characters caught between naivete and cynicism and heartbreak and hope. Nothing actually happens, except they ruin their lives and break each other's hearts. If you love character-driven historical fiction with a strong romantic through-line (and a happily-ever-after) and don't mind messy, often unlikeable people, this is a compelling and honestly gripping read (again, this is largely plotless, but if you love character work, this is delicious).
Be warned, romance readers, this is a heady love triangle, with a slow-paced build in the first half, some repeated light infidelity (betrothals in historical romance often feel more transactional, but I do know crossing even this line is a deal-breaker for some in Romancelandia, and I get that!). We also have a capital-V-villain/Other Woman with a dedicated POV throughout - again, a choice not all romance readers will care for, but I loved it.
I would also note how timeless and ethereal this feels. It's set in an imagined city that draws on the structure of European aristocratic society and la Belle Epoque era (though it feels really worldless in a lot of ways). I loved this decision to deny the reader a sense of being truly historically grounded, as it makes the romance feel that much more consuming and isolating. And the light touch of magical realism (the characters each have telekinetic abilities in a world where this is rare but not unheard of). This cemented Silvia Moreno-Garcia for me, looking forward to reading more of her backlist!
Note for audio readers: I loved the narration by Imani Jade Powers and how it brought to life Silvia Moreno-Garcia's vivid scene-setting and prose.
Be warned, romance readers, this is a heady love triangle, with a slow-paced build in the first half, some repeated light infidelity (betrothals in historical romance often feel more transactional, but I do know crossing even this line is a deal-breaker for some in Romancelandia, and I get that!). We also have a capital-V-villain/Other Woman with a dedicated POV throughout - again, a choice not all romance readers will care for, but I loved it.
I would also note how timeless and ethereal this feels. It's set in an imagined city that draws on the structure of European aristocratic society and la Belle Epoque era (though it feels really worldless in a lot of ways). I loved this decision to deny the reader a sense of being truly historically grounded, as it makes the romance feel that much more consuming and isolating. And the light touch of magical realism (the characters each have telekinetic abilities in a world where this is rare but not unheard of). This cemented Silvia Moreno-Garcia for me, looking forward to reading more of her backlist!
Note for audio readers: I loved the narration by Imani Jade Powers and how it brought to life Silvia Moreno-Garcia's vivid scene-setting and prose.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Classism, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Bullying
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Sexual content and Suicidal thoughts
alysereadsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Typically, historical romance isn't my thing, but I really enjoyed the slow-burn romance. I liked the incorporation of magical realism with telekenesis.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual content
leenzreadz's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Listened via audiobook and it was very engaging and easy to listen to. I often did not want to stop listening or couldn’t wait until I started it again.
Slightly predictable plot but that didn’t mean it wasn’t juicy and intriguing. Nina is a badass and deserves the world. Not exactly the outcome I would have liked for her but if she’s happy, I’m happy.
Slightly predictable plot but that didn’t mean it wasn’t juicy and intriguing. Nina is a badass and deserves the world. Not exactly the outcome I would have liked for her but if she’s happy, I’m happy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
alicelalicon's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Bullying, and Classism
esme_may's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Such a good read! Not without its flaws (a little slow paced at first) but the author can really write a good sentence. Found myself underlining things all over the place! Going to read more from her for sure. The more I think about this book the more I like it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Sexism, Grief, Gun violence, Misogyny, Violence, Abandonment, and Classism
Minor: Alcohol, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
mooshake's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
valéries playing 4d chess while everyone else is playing checkers
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Classism, Gun violence, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
takarakei's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Having read some of Moreno-Garcia's other work, this wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I would categorize this as a historical romance, with a bit of magical realism. It's definitely not fantasy!
The basic premise is around a very messy melodramatic love triangle or almost like a love web of many characters (but not in a poly way haha). I found Hector to be a wet noodle. Many of the chapters from Hector's POV were hard to get through because of his whining. I found Hector and Nina to be a bit one-dimensional. Valérie at least has clear (evil/selfish) motivation behind her actions and that gives her character a bit of depth.
I hesitate to really say much more because it just wasn't for me because I'm not a bit fan of this genre, or the love triangle trope. If you are a historical romance fan you might enjoy this book more.
The basic premise is around a very messy melodramatic love triangle or almost like a love web of many characters (but not in a poly way haha). I found Hector to be a wet noodle. Many of the chapters from Hector's POV were hard to get through because of his whining. I found Hector and Nina to be a bit one-dimensional. Valérie at least has clear (evil/selfish) motivation behind her actions and that gives her character a bit of depth.
I hesitate to really say much more because it just wasn't for me because I'm not a bit fan of this genre, or the love triangle trope. If you are a historical romance fan you might enjoy this book more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Bullying, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Classism, Sexism, Gaslighting, and Gun violence
Minor: Sexual content
jhbandcats's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The three main characters, Nina, Valerie, and Hector, are fully-fleshed and complex. While the other characters fade into the background, these are vibrant. We learn of their desires and motivations, their frustrations and anguish.
Nina starts as a naive, happy-go-lucky country girl learning the ways of the well-to-do in the big city but she grows and matures into a sympathetic young woman. Hector, too, grows and matures; even though he’s nine years older than Nina, sometimes she seems the wiser. Their lives are made hell by the narcissistic and hateful Valerie, who demands the world revolve around her.
The love story is believable and painful, and my interest never flagged as I looked forward to the resolution of Nina and Hector’s distress. I would have said that Valerie’s character seemed overblown had I not learned so much about narcissism since 2016.
I’m really enjoying making my way through Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s wonderful books - each one is new and fresh, vastly different from the others.
Nina starts as a naive, happy-go-lucky country girl learning the ways of the well-to-do in the big city but she grows and matures into a sympathetic young woman. Hector, too, grows and matures; even though he’s nine years older than Nina, sometimes she seems the wiser. Their lives are made hell by the narcissistic and hateful Valerie, who demands the world revolve around her.
The love story is believable and painful, and my interest never flagged as I looked forward to the resolution of Nina and Hector’s distress. I would have said that Valerie’s character seemed overblown had I not learned so much about narcissism since 2016.
I’m really enjoying making my way through Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s wonderful books - each one is new and fresh, vastly different from the others.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Classism, Grief, and Toxic relationship
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Silvia Moreno-Garcia captured the attention of the online book community at large with Mexican Gothic in 2020, but her brilliance didn’t start there. While not her debut, The Beautiful Ones is a book of particular note, managing to both entice and disgust in easy flourishes. This book has one of the best crafted villains I’ve ever read, and an ending I didn’t expect.
The Beautiful Ones is more magical realism than fantasy. It is a bit of romance and a bit of the unusual, but the cold steel heart of it is an examination of social structure and elitism and it is harsh. Harsh in the best way possible. Subjects such as old money vs. new money, decorum, family responsibility, and honor are all on bright display here. I love being able to fall into step with the characters, but also the ability to detach and watch the storylines play out to their own nefarious ends. I savored The Beautiful Ones in a way I did not expect.
All the characters are intriguing, although the contrast between Nina and Valerie was my favorite. Valerie was a surprise – not mentioned in the book’s description but a constant presence in its pages. What a good foil they are to one another! I think, in its depths, this is more Valerie’s book than Nina’s. I generally find the description misleading, as it is much less about Nina’s ability and more about the twisted relationships between various parties.
Without specifics, the scene at Clocktower Hill and leading up to it was my absolute favorite. I was so, so certain there would be a different outcome. No idea what I’m talking about? You’ll have to read the book to see.
The Beautiful Ones is an easy recommendation, particularly for those who enjoy period romances without too much steam and with a great deal of manipulation. I would read it again, and I have placed it on my long list of books I want to purchase in hardcopy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and Alcohol
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Sexual content