Valerie Beaulieu – social goddess of Loisail and Hector’s former fiancée – is easy to dislike. She refuses to fear the things that have hurt her, and she has a heart of gold – you have to despise Hector for not noticing what a gem he’s toying with, and dislike Valerie for trying to change her. She’s also a telekinetic, whose socially-inappropriate talent tends to get away from her when she’s emotional.

She’s the down-to-earth girl from the country who stands to inherit a fortune, an amateur entomologist and voracious reader of romance novels and scientific journals (so, one of my favourite archetypes already: bookworm, clever, learned, into science, and not really bothered with this high society nonsense). I still cheered when it all went horribly wrong at Oldhouse, because it seemed like a chance for Nina to free herself and find someone better as she deserved.

And gosh, was it clear that Hector had much to learn – about himself and others. But I have time for redemption arcs (although I wasn’t sure he deserved one) and personal growth through learning experiences.

I found Hector creepy, frankly (a decade obsessing about the girl that dumped you for the wealthy guy is not a good look), and his deceit made me wish him deep disappointment on every front. I couldn’t engage with a desire for the romance to somehow work out.Įither romance, in fact. I enjoyed the prose – I think Silvia Moreno-Garcia gets better with every book, and at this point I’ll read anything she writes – but I actively wanted Nina to just get the hell out of Loisail and leave the poisonous vipers to themselves. I spent the first half of The Beautiful Ones reading with gritted teeth, getting increasingly frustrated. Like Hector and Nina, it took a while to win me over – but I have consumed the second half in an afternoon, twisting and yelling and ultimately wiping a little tear from my eye. These days, I’m more interested in family and friendship while I like a romantic subplot, it tends to leave me cold as the main event. In romance, half the point is seeing the tropes explored and taking joy in discovering how this couple will work things out.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: I rarely read romance novels, because I’m frustrated by the narrow paths they necessarily tread. Can she be satisfied within its constraints? But Nina has a mind of her own, and talents that aren’t welcome in polite society. They will usher her into a glittering world of balls and find her a suitable husband. Nina Beaulieu is a debutante, spending the Season with her cousin Gaetan and his glamorous wife Valerie.

The beautiful ones novel