Author Grady Green went from the pinnacle of becoming a best-selling author to the lowest of lows after his wife vanishes into thin air while driving home.

One year later he’s a shell of his former self. He finds himself unable to write, putting his book contract and career in jeopardy. And last but not least, Grady is about to become homeless. He’s offered a cabin on a secluded Scottish island. A place of rustic peace where he can hopefully find himself and perhaps begin writing again.

But Grady quickly realizes this is no idyllic island. Someone, for reasons unknown is mentally manipulating him! His gut tells him there’s something very sinister about this island and he’s not at all sure how he can leave.

This was definitely looking like it was going to be a five-star audio for me. I was absolutely enthralled by the premise and storytelling.

But alas, the ending…😫. It just didn’t work for me. The more the author tried to spell out the ending, the more she lost me along the way. Just too much for me.🙋🏼‍♀️ taking back one 🌟.

There are so many readers that loved the ending and felt it delivered a jaw-dropping twist so be sure to check out those reviews as well!

🎧: Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton did an amazing job with the narration. RA’s voice is absolutely mesmerizing and chilling in equal amounts.

Thank you to McMillan Audio via NetGalley.

A slow burn with an atmospheric setting. Locked room mystery told from two points of view. A narrator that I wasn’t sure I really liked and didn’t trust. I enjoyed this book and eagerly looked forward to finding time to listen to it. Four stars instead of five because the ending was a little over the top for me.

The narration by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton was outstanding, and I enjoyed that sound effects added to the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook.

Really good audiobook narration by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton. It was my first Alice Feeney story and now I understand what all the noise is about!

Author Grady Green is having some trouble coming up with an idea for his next novel since his wife Abby disappeared one night on her way home from work. After a year without her return, Grady’s agent suggests he try a change scenery, namely to a tiny Scottish island accessible only by ferry (on occasion). And thus begins a slow burn leading us to the climax.

The suspense surrounding Abby’s vanishing and the following chapters on the island and the multiple quirky characters who live there are great plot draws. There were so many twists, turns, and mysteries that I had a hard time keeping up! I would never have imagined the plot resolution points, and I wasn’t disappointed.

I’m going to start another Alice Feeney book as soon as possible!

Four stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

This book was so not for me. While I did not love her last book, I have overall enjoyed her work in the past and I was looking forward to something new. However, this book is dreadful. Having the main POV of a sad man who lost his wife and thinks everything is unfair is just suuuuuch a drag to read. While the twist was engaging, the amount of effort it took to get there was monumental.

I just cannot in good conscience recommend this book to anyone.

Alice Feeney is a master of the craft and her books never disappoint. As in most thrillers, there were times when I "knew" what would happen. Many times, I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong and, in the instances in which I was right, there was always more to the story than I could have guessed. The artifice of the "beautiful ugly," "silent scream," "along together," got "old fast" and I wasn't a huge fan of the male audio book narrator, but otherwise highly recommend this book. I look forward to the next!

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan audio for the ARC.

Oh wow! So many twists, really amazing twists you will not see coming. Grady Green is an author who is having his best day until it turns to the worst. He has hit the NY Times Best Sellers list and on the same day his wife disappears. A year later he has literally lost everything and cannot write a word. At his end, his agent sends him to Scotland for a much needed break and a chance to get his mind and heart back in it and start to write again. What he finds is an island full of women and glimpses of his wife. This one kept me intrigued and listening. The twists were weaved throughout and kept coming when least expected until that ending. WOW!

I finished this one up and had to sit on it a little to figure out how I felt about it. I finished it and it had its creepy points and suspense that kept me going.. but at the same time, it just wasn’t the best thriller I’ve read. I think there was just a lot going on to build into the twist (which was a lot) that it just wasn’t my favorite. I would still say it’s worth a read - but not one I would actively recommend to friends.

I wanted to love this! I was intrigued throughout my reading, but the ending kind of....pooted out for me (the conclusion left me feeling unsatisfied, because the explanations were not enough.) I'm all for organized efforts to make men think they're going crazy, but this was not fleshed out to my satisfaction.
Beautiful Ugly gave off Hot Fuzz vibes plus....They Never Learn maybe? But it was not as good as either of its inspirations.
Also I did not enjoy the sound effects of the audiobooks, such as the bells, walkie talkie crackles, and the waves. They very much detracted from my experience!

I have to admit, this wasn't my favorite Alice Feeney book. I was intrigued by the first chapter, but once the main character got to the island, I lost interest. It just seemed far fetch for me.

We all know that any book that makes you actually say "wait, what?" out loud is a great one! I was following along with this very interesting story and genuinely thought I understood what was happening... but, well, no. Alice Feeney is a pro in the thriller world and creating those moments. This book is no different. I certainly would recommend this book. I also had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook and will add that the narrator was very easy to listen to and articulated very well. He and the other sounds throughout the audiobook were very engaging. Thank you to Alice Feeney, Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy.

Quick easy read. Bit suspenseful and ghosty in some parts. The dog was my favorite character. I didn’t enjoy some of the plot as I felt it was a bit far-fetched for my taste.

Happiest of book birthdays to BEAUTIFUL UGLY by @alicewriterland. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher @macmillan.audio for the audio-ARC.

Abby Green is missing. About a year ago, when author Grady Green was waiting to hear from his publisher whether his new book was an NYT bestseller, he is on the phone with his wife Abby. She is driving home and sees a woman lying in the road and goes to help her and is never seen again. A year later, When Grady's agent sets him up with a writing retreat on a remote island named Amberley, it seems like just the ticket to get his head back into writing.

But after he arrives, still struggling with writer's block, he finds a book manuscript in the cottage he is staying in and turns it into his agent as his own. Then he starts seeing and hearing strange things, he receives unsolicited old articles written by his missing journalist wife and he realizes, Amberley has many secrets he was not prepared for.

🔥🔥🔥

This dueling POV thriller was one of my favorites I have ever read by this author. I loved the bread crumbs and puzzle pieces that were dropped along the way, the remote and isolated setting, and for once, we watch a man grapple with his sanity instead of a woman. It had some GONE GIRL vibes for sure and the full sound production of the audiobook kept me in the story.

I also loved how the two POVs started from the same point in time but headed in different directions - Grady's heading toward the future and Abby's diving back into the past. There is a slicing feminist bent to this story and I was here for all of it!!

What an excellent book! I have enjoyed Alice Fenney books but this may be her best so far.! I was lucky to listen to it and the narrators, Richard Armitage , (known for his role in the Hobbit films), along with Tuppence Middleton, (known for her role in Downton Abbey), both did an amazing job. The audio is fairly short at 9 hours and 19 minutes which is good because I could not stop listening it was that intriguing. Of course there are the fabulous twists and turns that Fenney is known for but it was the ending that really blows the mind!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this book for an honest review.

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney is a psychological thriller with many twists that I didn’t see coming.
The story had me second guessing everything.
I listened to the Audiobook and the narrators, Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton, did an excellent job.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gotta say I did not like this book at all. DNF at 38%. I didn’t find it spooky, or atmospheric, or mysterious. Not sure what the author was going for. Maybe I needed to get farther into the novel where the “twists” were, but I just couldn’t force myself to do it.

The first 19% was sloooow. When Grady finally got to the island I was halfway interested, but I think that’s because there were additional side characters with accents (even though the characters were dull).

There were some instances where a character would mention something in conversation that I don’t recall anyone else ever relaying to them. Like when Grady is initially at dinner with the sheriff and her sister. In one chapter they’re eating, and then the next she’s talking about how she needs to inspect what Grady found at the cabin. Huh? Where did that come from? While it wasn’t a pivotal part of the story, it’s indicative of how the author made some leaps. Was it because it simplified the story, or they were just lazy? I don’t know.

I will say the narration itself was spot on, but the audio effects (waves, music, phone ringing, etc.) were absolutely unnecessary. It sounded like the dramatics of a daytime telenovela.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

WOW!

This book had so many twists and turns, at 90% my mind was blown. I enjoyed listening to this audio book- both the male and female voices were relaxing and soothing to listen to.

Beautiful Ugly

What did I just listen to? The audio was so well done. Great narrators and extra audio effects. I found myself wanting to jump in the car so I could finish this one. Super unbelievable plot and unreliable narrators. Who doesn’t love that! I can’t wait to talk to someone else who has read this!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the ALC.

Well, I finished this in less than 24 hours so that should tell you what a propulsive read this was. I had the book in both formats- kindle and audio (Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an listening ARC in exchange for an honest review) and I was so happy that I didn't have to stop reading when it was time to do things like feed my children. The audio was great- noises of the sea, walkie talkie crackles, etc made the experience better than a typical audiobook. The reader is kept guessing what in the world is happened to Abby and what is happening to Grady and on the island of Amberly. There were many twists and turns, and I didn't guess too many of them. I think this is my favorite Alice Feeney novel yet- I think it's her best.

Thanks again to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an listening ARC!

Alice Feeney's books have been hit or miss for me and this was definitely more of a miss. This was a thriller that had twists just to be twisty but with writing that made no sense. The change in POVs was meant to be confusing I guess so the reader wouldn't catch that the story didn't really make sense.

The premise is interesting. I liked the island setting and the eerie tone.

In general I'm finding I don't like popular thrillers like this one, especially from authors that publish multiple a year... they are all starting to blend together for me and the only thing that makes them original are weirder and nonsensical twists.

2.5 stars rounded up

Thank you Macmillan audio for giving me an advanced review copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

All the twists! Love the intertwined and developed characters. Dark but still draws you in. Definitely recommend!