3.5⭐ (rounded up because I loved the audio narration)

One year after the mysterious disappearance of his wife Abby, author Grady Green is facing financial troubles and struggling with his writing career. Despite his last book being a NYT best seller. Consumed by grief for his missing wife, he is unable to write and his publishers aren’t happy. His agent, who was also his wife’s godmother, throws him a lifeline, offering him the use of a cabin on a Scottish island, previously owned by a successful writer, which she inherited upon his demise. But the remote island of Emberly, population of twenty-five, holds many secrets. From seeing a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to his missing wife, to the eerie occurrences at his cabin and the strange behavior of the locals – Grady soon realizes that not all might not be at it appears on this isolated island and he is trapped. Is there any truth to what he is experiencing or is his mind playing tricks on him? Will he be able to figure out the truth behind his wife’s disappearance and escape before it's too late?


With its vivid atmospheric setting, intriguing plot and interesting cast of characters Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney is an engaging psychological thriller. I enjoyed following the narrative, which is shared from dual perspectives, as it progressed and thought the author did a good job of building tension and at no point did the narrative lose its momentum. there is a lot to unravel and the author does a great job weaving the different threads of the plot into a well-paced, fluid narrative. You will be required to suspend disbelief (as is to be expected from novels in this genre), but the twists and turns and eerie occurrences will leave you unsettled (more than a few spine-chilling moments!) and keep you guessing. Though there were a few elements in the plot that didn't quite appeal to me and a few aspects of the mystery were not too difficult to predict, I was surprised by more than a few of the revelations along the way. I wasn’t particularly taken with the ending, but overall, I did find the story engaging. Though Beautiful Ugly won’t rank among my favorite Alice Feeney novels, I certainly enjoyed it more than her last two offerings.

I listened to the audiobook which I thoroughly enjoyed with the brilliant narration by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton (9 hours and 19 mins at 1x speed) complete with sound effects that made for an atmospheric and immersive audio experience. The audiobook certainly enhanced my overall experience with this novel.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for the ALC via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Beautiful Ugly pulled me in more than any book has in the past few months due to its quick approach to setting up the weird and mysterious circumstances around Abby's disappearance and it's ability to make you question everything and everyone. By 50%, I was even questioning myself - was the reason I was so in the dark about all of our characters and what was really going on due to missing information from the narrator or my own warped perception of each character?

This is more than an unreliable narrator it's a play on the mysterious nature of all of those around us. I can't wait to discuss this book more and believe it is a great "we stay in the dark" style book to buddy read.

I HIGHLY recommend the audio book. The cast is perfect for this one, and I loved the subtle audio cues regarding the characters' environment/surroundings throughout.

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillanaudio for giving me an audiobook copy.

This book was alright, there was so many different twists and turns. However, it was somewhat lacking in the plot department. The plot dragged along for more than half the book. And after the non-existence plot, the ending just fell flat. The ending had almost nothing to do with any clues and hints along the way. It felt so random, that I laughed out loud. Now that I've tried a few of Alice Feeneys books and haven't loved any of them so far, so I might just skip the next one.

Beautiful Ugly was such a wild ride of a book. I thought I knew where the story was going and then I was shocked at the twist. Then, I thought ok that makes sense and boom! Another twist. I listened to an advanced copy of the audiobook and thought it was so well done! The narrators were great, the sound effects, everything. I flew through this book because I wanted to know how it ended. If you love a fast paced thriller, this would definitely be a good one to pick up!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and netgalley for the ALC to review!

Not my favorite by the author but i still really enjoyed it. The pacing is good and the mystery too but a bit predictable

*4.5 Stars On My Instagram*

"I'm not a bad person, I just did a bad thing."

"Sometimes I think we are all the unreliable narrators of our own lives."

She did it to me again! Listening to the unsettling atmospheric Beautiful Ugly, by the twisty sneaky beyond talented psychological thriller author Alice Feeny, I smugly thought I had it all figured out. HAH! So wrong. The last ten percent of this WTF just happened thriller left me with my eyes bugging out and my jaw permanently dropped.

Author Grady Green just made the NY Times best seller list. He's upset his wife, Abby, is not there to celebrate with him. She's late again. Then she calls, she's on her way, so happy for him. He hears her slam on the breaks. She sees a woman in a red coat laying in the road. Grady begs her to stay in the car. Call the police. But she has to help. He hears the door open...then nothing... absolutely nothing. When he finds the car, Abby's pocketbook and phone are in the car, but there's no sign of her or the lady in the red coat.

A year later he's a wreck. Can't write. His manager offers him a cabin on a small Scottish island, "...shaped like a broken heart." With his trusted dog Columbo he's on the ferry to where only 25 people live. Wait, are there only women here? OMG, did he just see Abby? No it can't be her...can it?

If the build up to the wild twists weren't enough, the incomparable actor Richard Armitage gives an award-worthy performance as the put upon Grady. Joining him is the can do no wrong actress Tuppence Middleton. Also shout out to the sound design seamlessly upping the eerie tension.

There are dark ugly moments that are perfectly creepy and for this thriller lover it's a beautiful thing.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Macmillan Audio via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney follows the story of Grady Green, an author whose book has just made the bestseller list. Excited to share the news, he calls his wife, Abby, as she’s driving home. But their conversation is abruptly cut short by the sound of squealing brakes. Grady hears Abby get out of the car to investigate an accident—then nothing. Her car is later found abandoned, her phone still inside, but Abby has vanished without a trace.

One year later, a grief-stricken Grady is struggling to write his next novel and fulfill his contract with his publisher. Desperate, his publisher offers him the chance to stay in a cabin on a remote island, a distraction-free retreat where he can focus on his work. But as soon as Grady arrives, he begins to catch glimpses of his missing, presumed-dead wife.

The secluded island is the perfect setting for a thriller: no way off, no contact with the outside world. Grady starts to experience strange and unsettling phenomena—seeing things that vanish when he looks again—and, along with the reader, begins to question his sanity. The island itself is a bizarre and eerie place, and its inhabitants are just as unsettling. Nothing is as it seems.

Alice Feeney’s skillful writing pulls the reader into Grady’s unraveling world. Just when I thought I had a grasp on the story, she’d twist it in a new direction, leaving me questioning Grady’s reality as much as he does. The pacing is engaging, with each chapter compelling me to keep going to see where the story would lead next.

It’s not a perfect novel. There were moments where I had to suspend disbelief, but it’s a well-crafted thriller that balances tension and twists to make it worth the ride.

I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton, and their performances were outstanding. Armitage, in particular, excels at bringing Grady’s inner turmoil and confusion to life, making his struggles all the more vivid. If you’re deciding between the print and audio versions, the audiobook won’t disappoint.

Overall, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It’s compelling, twisty, and while some parts required me to roll with the narrative, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey. If you’re a fan of Alice Feeney or thrillers in general, this book is definitely worth checking out.

Wow! The twists and turns at the end of this book were wild! While I had figured out some small things, the big twist was something I NEVER expected. Highly recommend this one!!

Wow!! Alice Feeney has such a way of crafting stories that keep you guessing right to the end!

I had the advanced audio and LOVED it. Would highly highly recommend!! Enjoyed the added effects, the accents added to the story for me! Listening upped the spooky events for me but found I really enjoyed it.

I did find the beginning tk be a tad slow but found it was laying the foundation for everything that came towards the end of the story!!

Rock,paper,scissors still is my favourite of hers and didn’t believe this would come anywhere near-but the ending for me definitely put it very close!!

Add it to your TBR!! It is getting lots of well deserved buzz!

This book was a twisty ride. I did like how immersive the language was of the island and of the cabin. I really enjoyed the audiobook format as well and that contributed to my experience. However I thought the book was a slow pace and then sped up to 1000% with too many twists and reveals in the last couple of hours. I thought the ending was a disappointment for where the story was heading. All around I liked it though.

3.5⭐️
As my first experience with Alice Feeney's writing , I went in with high expectations, especially given her reputation for amazing books. While the book certainly had it's moments, I found that it didn't quite live up to the hype surrounding it. The book is about Grady Green, an author devasted by the sudden disappearance of his wife, Abby. Grady's life takes a turn for the worse on what should have been the best day of his life. While on the phone with Abby she just disappears, Grady only finds her abandoned car by a cliff. The mystery of her disappearance sets the stage for a suspenseful story of grief and his inability to move forward. So Grady's agent decides to send Grady to an isolated cabin on an island so he can try to get back to the writing that he was use to. However, after arriving on the island he sees a woman who resembles Abby, which adds an intriguing twist and send the story into unknown territory. Feeney's writing is undeniably engaging, and she skillfully builds tension and suspense throughout the book as Grady tries to come to terms with whether he is delusional or his wife is still alive and her disappearance was a lie. Despite the captivating story I felt the plot was just missing something. I enjoyed the twists and some of the shocking revelations but I think the ending just left me wanting more or something different. Beautiful Ugly is a great thriller, while it may not have completely met my expectations, it was still a good read and I would recommend it to other readers of the genre. I will still pick up the next Alice Feeney book and see what else she has to offer. So if you are looking for a dark exploration of marriage and the lengths someone will go to for love and revenge this book is worth picking up.

I'm a huge fan of Alice Feeney, but this book really had me puzzled. As the book start nearing to the end, I became more frustrated with Grady, and the characters on the island. I'm not a fan of week men characters at all. I kind of knew where the story was going but not the dark plot twist. I'm just really torn with this book.
This book focuses on an author named Grady who seems to have the best life with his wife. Then one day his wife Abby disappears, and after a year of being depressed about Abby not reappearing his agent Kitty offers him a way out. Grady is offered a writing house on a remote island, where he feels that he sees his missing wife, Abby.
This story tells the story of the couple of characters which help us to the last five chapters of the book that puts all the people together.
Alice Feeney is a great writer, and she always has these wild plot twist that are very dark. I highly recommend this book for a group club reading because it would be interesting to hear each member's take on the book.
I recommend this book for lovers of thrillers.
Thank you Net galley and Macmillian audio for the opportunity to review this arc.

Classic Alice Feeney - twisty, somewhat dark, quirky characters, page-turner. Enjoyed the narrator and the story. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen and share my honest review.

Yet another thrilling installment by Alice Feeney, in Beautiful Ugly we find Grady one year out from the disappearance of his wife. He's struggling to get his book written and bogged down in this grief when his editor offers him the chance to escape to the remote island retreat of another author, who has died. While on the island, Grady sees a woman who bears a striking resemblance to his wife--could it be??

Beautiful Ugly is one of my favorite premises by Feeney. I'm not always drawn in by thrillers but I loved the eerie atmosphere in this one. Grady as the only character for the bulk of the book was wearing at times. I think Feeney did an excellent job considering the challenges of the structure of the story. Altogether this was a fun read, and perfect for a chilly winter day. Richard Armitage always does a fantastic job as a narrator and this was no exception.

Rating - 4.5 stars

The queen of atmospheric and twisty thrillers strikes again!

Thank Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC.

Synopsis-

Grady Green has just received some exciting news and is eagerly sharing it with his wife Abby as she drives back home. But Abby has had to brake abruptly and he can’t hear anything at her end. When Grady eventually finds her car along the cliff road, Abby has disappeared. Now, one year after she’s gone, Grady is struggling with his life and is burdened with her absence. He takes the opportunity that comes his way to get his life back on track by going to a remote Scottish island. But what awaits him there?

Review -

Wow, this was a fantastic audiobook that holds your attention throughout! The sound effects at the right times create the perfect ambience for the island setting. The narration by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton is excellent as they bring the plot and the characters vividly to life. The Scottish accent makes it all the more authentic.

Feeney has once again proved her mastery over atmospheric evocation as she teleports us to the quaint little Isle of Amberly in Scotland. We can really feel the island’s beauty in its serene mountainous landscapes, the sea spray on our skin, the misty overcast weather, the lush vegetation and a certain eerie vibe that she adds in.

If that’s the beautiful part, we have the ‘ugly’ side brought out in the plot construction. Feeney veers to the darker side by introducing islanders who have bizarre outlooks and questionable pasts. Nothing is what it seems to be and no one is who they say they are.The remoteness and isolation of the island only contribute to the rising sinister quality.

So watch out as Grady’s island life begins and he starts hearing/seeing the impossible, learns creepy island legends - until he feels as if he is going crazy, only to further drive us the readers, already teeming with questions and speculation into deeper bewilderment. An unreliable narrator at his best.

As I raced through to the end, my worst fears were confirmed and I realised how far from the truth I had been in my mind! The ending delivers a high octane climax and though some may find it hard to believe, it somehow totally works and I loved it. Trust Feeney to pull off the impossible!

Definitely a brilliant thriller read for your 2025 list! Run, dont walk if you a are a Feeney fan. She seems to be on an “opposite” words spree with her titles! (Good Bad Girl, Beautiful Ugly 😉)

4⭐️ [Really liked it]

The writing was excellent, as always. This author never disappoints on that front. It was a very suspenseful story, right from the very first chapter. A binge worthy read for sure, I always wanted to find out what happened next. The audiobook as a whole was really good but sometimes I didn’t enjoy the male narrator’s portions as much. The plot was far-fetched but the twist near the end didn’t blow my mind. Still a very enjoyable book that I would recommend! Fast-paced thriller whenever you feel like one.

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for providing a free advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 ⭐️. I thought I knew exactly where the book was going but the twist GOT ME. Found myself reaching for this book over others on my TBR, a fun listen!

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This author always comes up with something rather creepy with a big twist. She gets you rooting for someone only to find out they are not what they seem

Beautiful Ugly is the story of an author and his wife who love each other but stop communicating well. Dire consequences follow. There's the mystery of what happens when the wife disappears. Then the downfall of the husband as he can't write without her and is financially ruined.

Finally, the husband goes to a remote cabin on a Scottish island owned by his agent. He has his dog and his quiet. He does something questionable but he does manage to start writing well. Because of his grief, or guilt, or lack of sleep or hallucinogenic tea or his drinking, he sees his missing wife everywhere.

There was sort of a feminist vibe to supporting women on the island. It seemed ironic with how they had no qualms about stealing money / work from men but wouldn't consider that being done to a woman.

I won't spoil the twists but there are some big ones. We get flashbacks from the wife leading up to her disappearance. The pacing was comfortable but I got a little bored with the creepy dreams / visions. But everything ended up starkly realistic.

Narration:
I don't believe I have listened to these narrators previously but I appreciate their performance keeping me in the story. The voices were appropriate and allowed me to feel and think about the happenings. There were some accents which sounded right to me. I listened at my usual 1.5x speed.

Thank you MacMillan Audio, Flatiron Books, and @NetGalley for the Advanced Listening Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 3.75 Stars
Beautiful Ugly hooked me in from the very first chapter. It had the right balance of story telling and anticipation to keep me engaged.

What to Expect:
😳Attention Grabbing
👥Dual POV
🏝️Isolated Island
🔍Missing Wife
👀 Paranoia
⛈️Atmospheric

😊What Worked-
Alice Feeney does an excellent job creating an eerie feel throughout the whole book. Fog, the sense of being watched, and other strange oddities. I also found the pacing to be great. The chapter titles were also a nice touch.

The audiobook is well done and even has some sound effects sprinkled throughout the story such as cracking radios and a piano metronome. The book is told from the view points of a husband and wife. I always appreciate when two different narrators work together to bring an audiobook to life.

🫤What Didn’t-
I’ll admit that the ending wasn’t my most favorite. It just didn’t fit with the rest of the book. I was left with more questions than satisfaction. However I think if you enjoy psychological thrillers, then you should still read this book. It got a lot of things right.

The other thing that I wasn’t a fan of was the fact that Beautiful Ugly didn’t feel very original. It has several elements in common with one of Feeney’s earlier books: Rock, Paper, Scissors. Out of the two I still prefer RPS.

Personal Note- There is more adult content in this story than the prior books of hers that I’ve read. I probably would have not finished the book, but because it was an arc copy that I agreed to read and review, I did. The plot was fine, just an individual preference.

This was a great novel! The story drew me in from the beginning and I found myself trying to guess the entire time I was listening what I thought the twist(s) may be. The characters, while not really likable, were intriguing. The setting descriptions were fantastic and made it easy to visualize what was happening at all times. This novel would make a good film.

There were two narrators for this book. I enjoyed listening to both however, I thought that the parts of the story told by the second narrator were a little more confusing and I had to listen to one part of a chapter twice in order to follow who was speaking.

Thank you to #NetGalley for an audioARC in exchange for honest feedback. -4 stars