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A review by lauriereadslohf
The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
emotional
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
3.75
The Beautiful Ones is a historical romance with a wee little side of magic. I’m a fan of both but not so much a huge fan of the dreaded love triangle, if I’m being honest here, but it’s been a while since I’ve read one and these characters both engaged and enraged and never bored me so I’m likely going to be more forgiving here than if I’d just read a bunch of them.
It’s a story set in historical times amidst the wealthy, the supposedly well-mannered, and the super snooty. I believe it takes place in France in a place called Loisail but don’t hold me to any of this because my brain is a flighty thing. Just know that it’s a story of manners and reputations and false faces, set in a place and time where appearance and old money rule the day. Anyhow, into this world comes a showman named Hector who is friendly with the “Beautiful Ones” but who doesn’t really fit in. He has returned to attend a fancy soirée hoping to rekindle the flames of an old lover who tossed him away a decade ago. Ohhhh Hector, you lovestruck fool, this is not at all a good plan but you can’t tell a man that . . .
At the ball, he meets Nina. She is a young woman experiencing her first taste of society. She is there to snag a suitable husband but instead finds herself entranced by Hector. Apparently, she has powers of telekinesis and people whisper that she’s a “witch!” but not Hector. Nina is open and honest and she charms him a little. But he’s not there for her. No, that would be too easy and there is nothing easy about the road to romance in this story.
I’m not going to carry on too much about the plot, the love triangle, and the machinations, the betrayals, secrets, and the perfectly evil, insufferable villain who needed someone to sprinkle some arsenic on their cookies because I hate it when a review tells me everything. Just know that there was more than a time or two that I almost hoped that Nina would pull a Carrie on some of these folks!
From the moment Nina appears I loved her character. Unlike many of the people in this story, she isn’t overly concerned with society’s rules and if it weren’t for Nina being such an appealing character this book might’ve been a struggle. At times it gets a bit melodramatic and if you’ve read a few too many historical romances (as I have) you will recognize some of the dramatics in play here but I kept reading to see how Nina was going to maneuver all of it. It’s most definitely a romance and if you go in thinking it’s a story filled with magic or a straight-up fantasy you may be disappointed. But if you like character-based tales of friendship and devotion and complicated relationships this may be your new favorite.
The Beautiful Ones kept me entertained which is all I ever ask for out of a novel. 3.75 rounded up to a four for Goodreads.
It’s a story set in historical times amidst the wealthy, the supposedly well-mannered, and the super snooty. I believe it takes place in France in a place called Loisail but don’t hold me to any of this because my brain is a flighty thing. Just know that it’s a story of manners and reputations and false faces, set in a place and time where appearance and old money rule the day. Anyhow, into this world comes a showman named Hector who is friendly with the “Beautiful Ones” but who doesn’t really fit in. He has returned to attend a fancy soirée hoping to rekindle the flames of an old lover who tossed him away a decade ago. Ohhhh Hector, you lovestruck fool, this is not at all a good plan but you can’t tell a man that . . .
At the ball, he meets Nina. She is a young woman experiencing her first taste of society. She is there to snag a suitable husband but instead finds herself entranced by Hector. Apparently, she has powers of telekinesis and people whisper that she’s a “witch!” but not Hector. Nina is open and honest and she charms him a little. But he’s not there for her. No, that would be too easy and there is nothing easy about the road to romance in this story.
I’m not going to carry on too much about the plot, the love triangle, and the machinations, the betrayals, secrets, and the perfectly evil, insufferable villain who needed someone to sprinkle some arsenic on their cookies because I hate it when a review tells me everything. Just know that there was more than a time or two that I almost hoped that Nina would pull a Carrie on some of these folks!
From the moment Nina appears I loved her character. Unlike many of the people in this story, she isn’t overly concerned with society’s rules and if it weren’t for Nina being such an appealing character this book might’ve been a struggle. At times it gets a bit melodramatic and if you’ve read a few too many historical romances (as I have) you will recognize some of the dramatics in play here but I kept reading to see how Nina was going to maneuver all of it. It’s most definitely a romance and if you go in thinking it’s a story filled with magic or a straight-up fantasy you may be disappointed. But if you like character-based tales of friendship and devotion and complicated relationships this may be your new favorite.
The Beautiful Ones kept me entertained which is all I ever ask for out of a novel. 3.75 rounded up to a four for Goodreads.