Everyone has heard of the Beaufort twins Octavia and Flora, but few have ever seen them, and on the night of their twenty-first birthday party the girls are finally launched into society amongst a crowd anxious to see the two girls who are about to inherit a vast fortune. Octavia and Flora have been kept out of the public eye for their entire young lives by their aunt Frances after their father died and their mother seemingly abandoned them. Now that the girls have come of age Frances has no choice but to hand over the girls' vast inheritance from their father and take a step back from running their lives.
| Beautiful Creatures by Lulu Taylor | |
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| Category: Women's Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Katie Pullen
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| Summary: Lulu Taylor whisks us away to a world of wealth, glamour, fashion, sex and romance as she opens the doors on the lives of the beautiful creatures, Octavia and Flora Beaufort. Reading like a modern fairy tale this is an indulgent and escapist read, perfect for the beach this summer. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 672 | Date: January 2011 |
| Publisher: Arrow Books Ltd | |
| ISBN: 978-0099550457 | |
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Octavia is dazzled by her new wealth and plunges headlong into spending like crazy, partying like mad, amassing new friends in fashionable society (including a hot new designer and his muse), and finally experiencing the sexual fulfilment she craves. Flora, however, is more restrained, uncomfortable with her inheritance and unsure of how to move away from her repressive upbringing until she is rescued from a mugging by a handsome stranger who seems able to provide the kind of security and love she needs.
As the girls get to grips with their new found wealth, freedom, friendships and romances, unaware of the pitfalls and dangers they are prey to, can they ever really trust anyone but each other?
There is a lot to be enjoyed in this third book from Lulu Taylor. Like her previous novel Midnight Girls, Beautiful Creatures carries the reader away to a world that most of us will never inhabit, a world full of privilege, money, power, designer clothes and multi-million pound houses. With most modern novels needing at least two storylines to keep the narrative flowing, Taylor has hit on a winning formula by writing about twin sisters. Although it might appear somewhat of a cliché for identical twins to have such opposing personalities, without this the novel just wouldn't work as the twins need to set out on very different paths for the novel to remain fresh and interesting throughout. But one thing remains true for both girls and that is their craving for love, affection and security from the men who come their way.
Taylor's writing itself is modern, dramatic and shot through with plenty of twists and turns. Although there is a lot going on in this book (which at times is entirely predictable), it never feels like overkill as Taylor carefully juggles it all with ease, and forgets nothing come the end. There is one little mystery surrounding the girls' parents that kept me turning the pages, but ultimately left me a little frustrated, but I am happy to forgive this when the rest of the book is so entertaining.
Blockbuster or bonkbuster, call it what you will, this is one book I would expect to see all over the beach this summer. But if you can't wait till then it's sure to beat the January blues instead.
I'd like to thank the publisher for sending a copy to The Bookbag.
Further Reading Suggestion: If you like the sound of this book you may also enjoy Lulu Taylor's Midnight Girls or Tasmina Perry's Kiss Heaven Goodbye.
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