Wow this book was like.. crazy haha. (idk if that's a good thing or not though).. like literally so much happened. but honestly there were often times where stuff didn't make a ton of sense. like there were so many times i didn't know if it was the characters going through hallucinations or me LOL!! 3.5ish stars rounded up :)

anywho i quite liked the main characters i think. I'm not really sure if i understand much about them yet though tbh. this book definitely reveals so much about them as the book continues. and has literally so many character driven plot twists.. and it's a surprisingly small cast, but still feels like a large cast? like everyone was very unique and different in their own ways. and like i said the further you read the more you learned about literally everyone. absolutely crazy honestly.

the story was in many ways confusing, but also so exciting. the vibes of this book like previously mentioned basically felt like a giant hallucination lol! there were so many crazy things that happened. like i think this book features an unreliable narrator, AND has different timelines/ povs and sometimes that can give you conflicting information that creates a sense of eeriness and confusion. but honestly i will admit i got confused several times. and it felt sometimes like things weren't quite adding up. but maybe that was the point.

i listened to this book on audio, and it was such a good time. honestly think the narration saved this story for me in many ways! i was pleasantly surprised by the sound effects that were featured. there were things such as phone sounds, ocean waves, and even the crackling of walkie talkies. i also quite liked that this was dual narration! the book is divided into two different POVS (a man and a woman) and they are both narrated by different people, which is such a nice tough.

all that being said though i would definitely still recommend this book! I don't think i would read it again, but i'm so glad i got the chance to! I want to thank Netgalley, Macmillan Audio for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

Publication Date: January 14, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5/5

I was initially skeptical about another Alice Feeney book, as Good Bad Girl didn't work for me.

Mini Synopsis:
Grady Green, a successful author, believes he has it all—a beautiful wife, Abby, who is an investigative journalist. One day, Grady calls Abby to share some exciting news, but during their phone call, he hears her slam on the brakes as she sees someone in the road. After the crash, Abby disappears without a trace. Is she dead? Did she fake her death? No one knows what happened to her.

Kitty, Abby's godmother and Grady's publicist, suggests a solution. Grady, who received an advance for a two-book deal but has only delivered one, is facing pressure to return the money. Kitty's idea? Send Grady to a house on the isolated Scottish island of Amberley, once owned by Charles, one of her former clients who is now deceased. The island can only be accessed by boat, and visitors are forbidden to bring cars.

While there, Grady discovers Charles's last book hidden under a floorboard. Grady, a once successful author, now feels overshadowed by Charles's legacy. Desperate for a hit, he decides to rewrite Charles's manuscript and claim it as his own—his path to a New York Times bestseller. But as Grady spends more time on the island, his sanity begins to unravel. He starts seeing Abby everywhere and wonders if she faked her death and left him because he was a terrible husband. Abby wanted children, but Grady, consumed by his writing, didn’t.

The island is home to a small group of women, who are still haunted by a terrible accident that occurred years ago. The local sheriff, Sandy, has implemented strict rules for safety. Everyone carries a walkie-talkie, and communication with the outside world is limited to snail mail—there are no phones, no internet, no connection to the modern world.

Review:

I absolutely loved this book! Going into the audiobook, I had some mixed feelings, but Alice Feeney completely exceeded my expectations. From the very beginning, she masterfully develops each character with depth and complexity, which kept me engaged throughout the entire story.

At first, I thought I could predict where the plot was headed, but I was quickly proven wrong. The twists and turns that Feeney weaves into the narrative kept me on the edge of my seat, and I was shocked by each unexpected revelation. This book is a perfect example of how to deliver suspense, mystery, and thrilling twists, with a plot that never lets up.

The pacing is spot on, and the way the author keeps you guessing until the very end is brilliant. It's a beautifully crafted piece of literature that I'd be happy to revisit again, as the story is layered and keeps you thinking long after you've finished.

If you enjoy books full of suspense, unexpected twists, locked-door mysteries, and psychological tension, this one is definitely for you. A must-read for fans of domestic thrillers!

Alice Feeney is an auto-read for me. I am an avid mystery/thriller reader and this one was another good read! There are many twists and turns along the way and definitely a few things that I absolutely did not see coming. I go back and forth on my feeling about this book as a whole- some seriously good twists, but also, there was something that made it stay "good" and not "great" for me.

*3.75 stars

4 1/2 Stars

I love that Alice Feeney will be forever tricking me with her words. I listened to the audiobook version of this story and it was great. The narration and accents of the characters felt perfect and spot on.

While best-selling author, Grady Green is in the midst of celebrating his newest book, his wife is in the middle of disappearing. As Grady listens on the phone, his wife is lured into stopping her car to check a body lying in the road. She then vanishes and Grady is devastated. He can barely function and can't write at all. His life is in limbo and only Abby's return will help.

When his agent gives him the use of a small retreat on a somewhat rural island, Grady jumps at the opportunity. But this tiny island isn't exactly what he expected and it will gradually show its true colors over time.

Thank you to NetGalley for the early copy of this audiobook.

It was easy to listen to and the voice actors did a phenomenal job.

The storyline was good but I couldn’t stand the main character, Grady, although I think that was the point. The twist caught me off guard which is what I like in these types of books.

I recommend this as a quick read or listen.

I enjoyed the narration of this but that's about it. It's twisty just for the sake of being twisty without making much sense.

Another excellent novel written by Alice Feeney! As one of my favorite authors, I know I can count on Alice to have twists and turns galore. My favorite part of her writing is the point of view. You never really know how reliable the MC is…and in this case, I was pleasantly surprised by the major plot twist! Although I could see some parts coming, overall, this was not a predictable read. The ending wasn’t quite what I was expecting but I can’t say I was disappointed. The setting being an isolated island with minimal characters gave it a bit of a claustrophobic feeling, which just added to the suspense.

I listened to this as an audio and absolutely adored the performance by the narrator. His voice had me totally sucked in and kept me fully engaged in the story. The audio quality gets a well-deserved 5/5 stars. Overall, I rate the story 4/5 stars.

A huge thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me with this gifted audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

🏔️ Beautiful Ugly - Alice Feeney

4.5 ⭐️- Alice, my thriller queen, does it again. The way my jaw was on the floor when this ended!! Anyone who knows me, knows I’m a thriller girlie and a big time Alice Feeney fan. I’ve read them all and now I’m sad I don’t have anything new one. Beautiful Ugly sure did scratch the itch tho! It’s only right that this is my last review of the year!

Again, my jaw was on the floor. I did the audio of this and loved it! The added aspects of sound effects gave the story more depth and imagination. The characters are unreliable, untrustworthy, and frankly, creepy. There were multiple times I thought I knew what was happening, I was wrong. I loved the setting, the thrills, the twists and turns. The pace keeps you engaged and the suspense keeps you going. This one is deff worth adding to your TBR if you’re looking for a quick bingeworthy thriller for 2025!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the early audio and BOTM for making it an early release pick in December’s box! This one hits shelves on 1/14!

Thank you MacMillan audio for an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I have read two of Alice Feeney's other books and was excited to get an early copy of Beautiful Ugly. Alice Feeney is the queen of epic twists and this book did not disappoint. The narrators did a great job reading the book. I felt like I did not know what was going on in the book up until the very end. My only complaint is that the ending seemed a little too far-fetched to be real. I also found the MMC to make poor choices that made it hard for me to sympathize with him.

I do think Alice Feeney has stronger books, but this was is just as twisty and unexpected as her others!

Good book… creepy and weird all the way up until the last page! Will definitely read more of her books!

Wow! The story opens with a bang, grabs your attention, and then doesn't let go until the stunning conclusion. I'm a big fan of Alice Feeney and this is my favorite book of hers so far. The plotting is mysterious, creepy in spots, and so well-executed. Grady is an intriguing main character and the book delves so deep inside his head which I found so satisfying. The narration was also amazing and mood-evoking.

Another great Alice Feeney book. I have not been disappointed in anything she written! Twists, turns, page turning, yes please.

This audiobook was phenomenal! The subtle sound effects enhanced the dark atmospheric story perfectly! I enjoyed it very much!

What is this book about? If I tell you to much you will miss out on the surprises that are in store. Here are five things I can share:

🐕 There is a lovely dog named Columbo -- a black lab who is the best of companions.

📚 Just like the book itself, the chapters are oxymorons like "Awfully Good," "Deafening Silence," and "Clearly Confused." And those phrases don't just describe the chapter, you will find them included in the narrative.

🎧 The audio book is excellent! Narrated by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton with sound effects. One little niggle: did anyone else picture Mrs. Doubtfire when Richard was delivering a woman's dialogue?

😬 This book will give you goosebumps. The island of Amberley is quite a creepy place and the more you know. . .

🥂 While I had some issues with the last 10% -- a little rushed, perhaps; the ending was one I will never forget.

This is definitely one of my top reads by Feeney. A big thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you @NetGalley and @MacmillanAudio for the ARC. Alice Feeney has become one of my favorite authors. Her books are written so well and full of suspense. Author Grady Green gets the best call from his publisher and can not wait to celebrate with his wife. Unfortunately his wife disappears and all he know is that she was checking on a women who was in the middle of the road. Grady can't write and he sets off to an Island for inspiration. Yet, the island is not what he signed up for and he needs to leave. Beautiful ugly pulls you in and won't let go till the end of the book.

personal thoughts: just, not my favorite. I did not connect with any of the characters, and I found myself just not caring what happened to anyone, except maybe the dog. was a bit spooky at times, especially on my early morning dark dog walks.

even though it wasn’t for me, a big thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC.

our library system will add this book to our collection, as Alice Feeney is a very popular author and her books always have a wait list.

Alice Feeney is always the queen of twists and suspense. I'm honestly jealous of those who get to read this for the first time as this will surely stick with me, as Feeney's other books have as well.
The island and it's inhabitants are so unusual, they definitely fit the title "beautiful ugly".
I can't even find the words to say how much I loved this book, but I absolutely loved this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Alice Feeney, and Macmillan audio for my advance copy of this audiobook.

Alice Feeney is back with another delicious tale with Beautiful Ugly, twisty and psychologically thrilling adventure. In her latest novel, Feeney takes readers to a remote island off the coast of Scotland in a "locked" room" type thriller.

For MMC Grady Green, tragedy and success befall him on the same day. As he calls his wife Abby to announce his book hit the NY Times Bestseller list, he hears his wife pull over to help a woman fallen in the road. After her act of kindness, the line goes dead and Abby seemingly vanishes. A year later, Grady is dealing with the confusing disappearance of his wife and a painful dose of writer's block. His agent suggests Grady takes a working vacation to a remote cottage located on a Scottish island to help inspire his writing and deal with this grief. With each passing day on the island, Grady catches glimpses of a woman who looks just like his missing wife. That, along with the strange customs and stories of the island causes Grady to grow suspici0us. Is there more to the story of his wife's disappearance? Does someone on the island know something or is Grady simply slipping into a state of insanity?

With alternating narratives and time hops, Feeney's latest release shows the beautiful ugly parts of life, love, and relationships across all facets of humanity. If you're looking for a unique and interesting page turner, Beautiful Ugly should be on your 2025 TBR.

I have loved all of Alice Feeney’s books so far but this one was a fail for me. I have to be honest here … I found her writing as readable and cohesive as always but I found my thoughts roaming and me registering several times. I do not know if the story wasn’t keeping my attention or if it was the holiday season and some family problems that caused my attention to just not be there.

I hate to rate this as I’m not sure the problem and because I know I will read her again

I found this book entertaining overall, but the ending left me disappointed. In a thriller, I look for twists that are not only unexpected but also believable and logically consistent. Unfortunately, the twists in this story fell short. For instance, trying to kill your wife over a suspected affair felt like an extreme and unrealistic reaction. Additionally, while the narrator is portrayed as 'unreliable' due to his heavy drinking, his attempt to kill his wife felt completely out of character and inconsistent with the rest of his behavior. Although the writing itself was strong, the plot holes made it hard to fully enjoy the story.

I rated the book 4 stars on goodreads, but after thinking about it more I am giving it 3 stars here as I feel that is a better reflection of the overall book.