Wow. This book was intriguing. There were times throughout while I felt the slow burn was a little too slow, then it would pick up at the end of a chapter and capture my attention for the next chapter. I enjoyed how often you were left on a cliff hanger.

A year ago, Grady's wife calls while she is stopped on the road. She pulled her car over to help a woman in the street to then never be seen again. Grady, a successful writer, misses his wife and can barely write without her. His agent offers him a writer's cabin on a small secluded island to limit his distractions and hone in one his creativity. He takes this opportunity in hopes it will distract him from missing his wife. When he arrives on the island, he realized right away.. something isn't right.

This book is one of those stories that really takes time to build. It's full of twist and turns and definitely parts where I wanted to scream at Grady. It had some parts that were hard to believe but overall kept me entertained.

ARC Review (Audiobook)- 5 ⭐
Publication Date- 1/14/2025

WOW, I really enjoyed this book--and as an audiobook that really speaks volumes. I am not normally one who can enjoy a book that way. The narrators did this book PERFECTLY. I loved the different voices as well as the sound effects that punctuated the book.

The story is that of Grady Green, a thriller author who's wife suddenly disappeared a year ago. He is grieving and unable to write. His agent suggests a trip to a remote island as a retreat to spark his creative genius. He agrees and sets off his with faithful companion Columbo.

This island is not what it seems. Nothing here is normal. Strange and odd things begin to happen, but then Grady begins to see his presumed dead wife...or does he? Is the island playing tricks on him or is his wife here also?

This book was great from start to finish and I highly recommend to anyone looking for a thriller that would satisfy even the harshest critic. Alice Feeney--you have done it again!

The queen of twists has done it again! I love the bread crumbs left throughout the book that lead to the culmination of the story. I loved this book and will continue to read every Alice frenzy book I can get my hands on!

Thank you to Flatiron Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for an audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

I need to preface my review by saying that I believe Alice Feeney may be one of my all-time favorite domestic thriller authors. This is the fifth book I've read from her, and I have loved them all. Beautiful Ugly is no exception.

Beautiful Ugly follows an author and his dog, in an isolated cabin, on a remote island, a year after the disappearance of his wife while he is trying to write his next novel. That is all you need to know going into this story! You do HAVE to listen to this book via audio, though. The production quality is incredible and includes really great sound effects that add an element of tension to the story. I read the book in tandem with my BOTM copy, and it was a perfect reading experience because there was also a map at the beginning of the book! Who doesn't love a map?

I highly recommend Beautiful Ugly to any fan of domestic thrillers. I also think Beautiful Ugly would be a good starting place if you are new to Alice Feeney's work. Pick. This. Book. Up!

This was my first book by this author so I don't have a writing style to compare this novel to. The build up was very dramatic and kept me quite engaged. I figured out parts of the story's plot twist throughout but never the how or the why. This was written differently than most psychological thrillers I read but it was a page turner for sure. I was shcoked by the reveal and the outcome. I don't know if I was satisfied with it but I definitely enjoyed it.

A slow burn in Feeney fashion. Enjoyed that the audiobook was narrated by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton. Author Grady is having trouble writing another book after the disappearance of his wife. His agent, Kitty, sends him to a cabin on an island which was previously owned by a stellar writer who has since passed away. Upon arriving to the island, Grady senses that everything is not as it seems.
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Alice Feeney tends to be love her-or-hate her, though I think for me it's varies book by book. This one was solidly in the medium ground for me. Loved the setting of an island of women-- very fun and spooky-- but in comparison the mystery was far less interesting to me. If you're a Feeney "love her," definitely give this one a try.

Beautiful Ugly just took the place of Daisy Darker for my favourite by Alice Feeney!!!

This twisty psychological thriller is both diabolical and unhinged. It's propulsive, addictive and deranged.

No truer words were uttered than: "I no longer know what to believe. Or think. Or Feel."

The further the plot progressed, the more insane I felt and the more questions I had!

What the F is up with this island? It's remote and creepy AF. Is this island purgatory???

The amount of times I gasped while listening to this audiobook hit a record! I should have no gasps left in me! It caught me by surprise multiple times with its haunting and ominous additions - crashing waves, crackling, tick-toking - these sound effects are not for the faint of heart, and certainly not for the late night audiobook listener! The atmosphere this audiobook created made me feel like I too was starting to lose my mind alongside Grady; I second guessed noises, looked over my shoulder and questioned everything around me as I listened from the edge of my seat!

-Locked room thriller
-Unreliable narrator
-Atmospheric
-Creepy audiobook

When the questions are answered and you think it's all over, there's a shocking twist to beat all others. And then it happens again.

Listen. To. This. Book.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary audio copy to read and review.

Grady’s a best selling author whose wife, Abby, has gone missing while driving home late one evening. The worst is that he hears her disappearance play out over the phone and can do nothing about it. Fast forward a year to Grady, who cannot sleep nor write a book with the constant unknown of his wife’s absence. Referred to a remote Scottish island by his agent to get away and focus, Grady feels as if he is losing his mind on this odd, quirky, secluded place. Plus, he swears he keeps seeing his wife. What is reality and what is fiction — and more importantly, what happened to Abby?

The audiobook was well done. The narrators and sound effects together made a vibe that supported the suspense and plot development. I easily listened at 1.5x speed.

This was also a perfectly suspenseful novel. Each piece of the story was craftily unveiled right up to the conclusion. I truly enjoyed. 5 stars.

Based on an Advanced Audiobook provided by Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an honest review.

Wow the twist that I never see coming from Alice Feeney. How badly do you want to write? That’s the question for our main character. Great audiobook

Grady Green is an author who has recently lost his wife to a tragic accident - the same night of his greatest achievement. A year later, he is still trying to pick up the pieces of his broken life as he continue to grieve for her. He is unable to write, his career as an author is going nowhere, and he has lost his home. Thankfully, Grady’s agent, Kitty, rescues him by convincing Grady to stay in a rural cabin on a tiny island off the coast of Scotland. Kitty is hopeful that it will not only help Grady heal but also help him write again. Interestingly enough, Grady soon discovers that the island is not quite what it seems. And WHY does he keep seeing his dead wife?

I really enjoyed this book. It has many twists and turns. There are actually insane amounts of suspense where I found myself gripping my chest. I loved the setting and the characters. They contributed to making the book feel eerie and sinister. What a genius read.

I started listening to this audiobook to distract myself after the devastating LA wildfires ravaged my city. I'm not sure what I expected, but I was immediately intrigued and delighted by the narrator of the audiobook. Although this is the first Alice Feeney book I've read (but def not the last), I was well aware before reading that the author is the queen of plot twists. I do love a plot twist, and I have to admit, I did not see this one coming. It was quite far-fetched, but even so, I found myself eager to finish the audiobook and figure out how this ends. I've even since read the reviews on Goodreads, and I have seen how divisive this book seems to be amongst the authors loyal fans. Overall, I really enjoyed this ride of an audiobook - the pace was a bit of a slow burn, but the author's prose was perfect. And ultimately, the central theme of the book really rang true: life is both beautiful and ugly, and people must learn to live with both sides.

This was a solid 3.5 star for me. It was definitely suspenseful and I didn’t see the end coming. It took me in a million different directions along the way and had me second guessing everything. However, without giving away any spoilers, I thought parts of the twists weren’t fully explained or hashed through which left me scratching my head at times but overall a solid thriller.

Alice Feeney’s Beautiful Ugly opens with a bang: Abby Green’s car is found abandoned on the edge of a cliff, but where’s Abby?

Her husband Grady is left reeling, consumed by grief and unanswered questions. Desperate to escape his unraveling life, he retreats to a remote Scottish island. As secrets begin to surface, Grady realizes the island is hiding answers he might not be ready for.

Interesting points: complicated marriage dynamics, remote Scottish island setting, dual POV, unreliable narrator

The audiobook narration was top-notch, and those sound effects? Chef’s kiss—completely immersive.

If you’re a fan of twisty mysteries and don’t mind an ending that’s a little out there, this one’s for you.

I was so excited to read this book - it has a beautiful cover, an interesting blurb, and Alice Feeney is an author I could get behind. I went into this book expecting to love it, but unfortunately, I left feeling confused and disappointed.
The premise was great - an author, Grady Green, receives some good news and wants to share it with his wife. He calls her to tell her he is a NY Times best-seller and suddenly hears her step on the brakes. She says there's a woman lying in the road. She gets out to check on this woman, and when she does, something happens that causes her to go missing. Grady is distraught and grieving, and after a year of no trace of his wife, he decides it is time to finally start moving on with life. He travels to this remote island off the coast of Scotland in hopes that he can start turning things around and possibly start writing again. However, once he gets to the island, things start getting weird. The whole island is an eerie, isolated, awkward, uncomfortable mess, with a population of only 25 people.
The idea was good, but the execution was not. A lot of the book is spent on island description instead of building up the plot. The reveal was very farfetched and outlandish, as was the explanation that went along with it. This book would have been a 3 star for me, but then came the reveal that tore it all apart. I was honestly hoping for more from his book. 2 stars.
Thank you NetGalley and Alice Feeney for this ARC.

**I hope you die in your sleep** weird way to say I love you but… my dark side can get behind it.

Grady has just become a New York Times bestseller and is on the phone with his wife Abby, who is on her way home to him, telling her his news when Abby stops to help a person laying in the middle of the road. Grady asks her not to get out of the car and instead to come home but Abby is a decent person and gets out to assist and is never heard from again.

What follows is a twisted story similar to Gone Girl with a sprinkle of the wicker man and obviously some new concepts.

Was this story original? Not really but that did not take the enjoyment out of it for me. I was able to predict the twist very early on but with its short chapters and dreadful atmosphere this book really does make you want to keep reading it.

Also, can we appreciate what Alice Feeney did at the end of her novel. After reading that Grady published his stolen novel, Beautiful Ugly, and putting a hidden message in the first 14 chapters of his book, you as the reader are able to go back to the first 14 chapters of your book and read his message. That was such a fun touch that I really enjoyed.

I have not read an Alice Feeney book I have not enjoyed yet and if you love a quick Woman Scorned book then definitely give this book a read!

I really enjoyed this twists and turns in this book! I wasn't sure where Mrs. Feeney was going with this book but I loved the end!

I enjoyed this book. I'm still getting used to audio books but it was good. I liked the character build and the twists. Didn't see the ending coming.

I thought Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney was an interesting read, though it was a bit slower than I expected. The atmosphere was moody, and the suspense definitely kept me intrigued, but I found the pacing to be a little sluggish at times. The twists were good, but they took a while to build up. Overall, I liked it okay—it had some great moments, but the slow burn made it hard to stay fully hooked at times. If you enjoy atmospheric thrillers and don’t mind a slower pace, you might really enjoy it!

This book was really suspenseful! I was confused as to what was happening, in a good way. I don't usually come across unreliable narrators, not sure if I love that or not. But, very well written, very dark.