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

Thank you for the ARC! I really enjoyed the audio. The narration was perfect for the story and I loved the added soundscapes. This one kept me at the edge of my seat and I couldn’t see the twist at the end coming. Well done, Alice Feeney!

Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and Alice Feeney for the ALC of this mind-blowing book.

There is so much that I want to say about this book, but I will spoil it. I have experienced ALL of the emotions: joy, pain, happiness, confusion, fear, all of them! I never knew what was going to happen. I was rooting for Grady the entire book, but then there was an unexpected shift that had me looking side-eyed.

THIS BOOK ENDED IN A WAY I NEVER EXPECTED!! WHAT!?!

Yes, Alice Feeney, this is how you write a mystery thriller!

New must-purchase author activated!

This book was a ride!

I am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

LOVE any book by Alice Feeney!!! I am so thankful to have received this! It was such a great read and i am so happy i got to listen to it early. Loved sitting on the edge of my seat with this one

A new book from Alice Feeney! I've read or listened to all of her books. There's no way to predict what's going to happen in a Feeney plot and that's definitely the case in Beautiful Ugly.

Grady Green is author who has hit the brick wall - he simply can't write anything, His editor has a great idea and Grady calls his wife to let her know what his editor has suggested. She picks up her mobile and then....nothing....until...

I was hooked! I needed to know what happened in the past and what is happening now. Grady isn't sure what is going on at all. I don't want to spoil this book for you, so I'm going to let you discover alongside Grady.

Now, I've said it before and I'll say it again. I often feel more immersed in a book when I listen to it. Beautiful Ugly is one of those books. The readers were actor Richard Armitage and actress Tuppence Middleton. They both did an excellent job. They spoke clearly and were easy to understand. They captured Feeney's work and used their voices to capture and present the emotions and action of the plot. I liked the presentation - the chapters change with sound effects such as water/waves and the sound of a metronome ticking the time away.

I loved this from the publisher's page...

"Wives think their husbands will change but they don’t.
Husbands think their wives won’t change but they do."

9 Hours, 20 Minutes. A five star listen for me.

Beautiful Ugly is a great suspense novel with TONS of well crafted hints and foreshadowing. Opening scene definitely hooks the reader. I couldn't wait to see how the disappearance of Abby unfolded. As the story progressed, the setting was everything! The remote island with detailed descriptions of the named buildings and twenty-five residents was intriguing. In addition, the altering points of view by chapter added a layer that gave the rising action more depth. In addition, the main characters hallucinations added some great curiosity to the story, but were not confusing.The plot twists at the end were creative, but realistic and believable.
I'd recommend this book to all Alice Feeney fans as well as psychological thriller groupies.
Topics of interest; authors, remote islands, second chances, journalists, justice, relationships, love, family secrets

Grady Green is a NYT bestselling author whose life has been turned upside down. After calling his wife to share the news, he hears Abby slam on the brakes and tells him she sees someone lying in the road. He begs her not to get out of the car, but of course she does anyway, then nothing, total silence. He finds her car abandoned by a cliffside, but she's nowhere to be found. A year later he is struggling to move on with no answers and has developed terrible writer's block. He is given an opportunity to go to a remote cabin on a Scottish Island to try to get back to writing. Once he arrives he realizes there is no cell service, or phones and no way to really leave. The island is definitely a character in it's self and it provided the perfect creepy, off balance vibe. As we go along a lot of strange things start to happen, including Grady seeing what he thinks is his missing wife. You're never really quite sure who or what to believe, is Grady loosing it or are these things for real. It definitely keeps you guessing. Some of the plot twists were a bit predictable and I am just wasn't crazy about the direction that the ending went, it just felt over the top and a bit off the rails. I think this book had a lot of the classic Alice Feeney writing and plot that I love, and I will definitely keep reading anything she writes. This one just wasn't my favorite of hers, but still good. The audiobook was very well done with dual narration and also some atmospheric sounds thrown in as well.
Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillanaudio for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Publishes 01/14/2025

This was the first book I’ve read by Alice Feeney, and I’m impressed! It honestly took a little bit to get into, because to me it read more like the MMC was writing a memoir than the start of a thriller novel. It ended up being a twisty story between MC’s Grady and Abby, and that END LINE!? Wow!
Grady’s wife Abby, disappeared, he can’t find her anywhere. A year later he goes looking and lots of things unfold on a little Scottish island he makes his way to.
The book is written mainly from Grady’s POV with little important pieces of Abby popping through in various chapters, with duel timelines included.

I’ve long been a big fan of Alice Feeney’s thrillers, especially Rock Paper Scissors. Her books excel at delivering a twisty take on domestic issues, and while I know her books are divisive, I remain a fan.

In Feeney’s newest book, Beautiful Ugly, Grady is struggling with the mysterious disappearance of his wife the year before. A New York Times bestselling author, he’s been unable to write since she vanished. Grady’s agent offers him her cabin on a remote Scottish island as a writing retreat. But once there, Grady begins seeing visions of his wife. Are they real or is he on the verge of a psychotic break??

I am struggling to rate this book. On one hand, it delivers some very unexpected twists. I particularly enjoyed the POV of one of the characters, which I won’t spoil here. Most of the ending caught me off guard and the book was undeniably a page turner. I would give this aspect of the book four stars.

However, I often found myself questioning the story’s plausibility. While the ending was certainly twisty, it was a bit too outrageous to be satisfying. For example, one character commits an act so completely out of character that it is impossible to believe. Worse, the final two pages are so implausible and completely unnecessary that any satisfaction that I may have felt from the resolution. Two stars for how the story wrapped up.

Overall, Beautiful Ugly is receiving a three star review from me. As long as readers don’t go in with high expectations, I think they may enjoy the journey. But don’t think too hard about the ending.

On a final note, British actor, Richard Armitage, narrated the audiobook and did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life. However, I could have done without the sound effects (ringing phone, waves crashing on a shore, etc.) that were unnecessary and a bit distracting.

Beautiful Ugly opens with author, Grady Green talking to his wife Abby, on the phone. She is on her way home and suddenly slams on her brakes. She gets out of her car to see who is lying in the road and is never seen again. Fast forward a year and Grady is still overcome with grief. He still doesn't know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, he can’t write and is about to lose his home and have nowhere to go. His agent offers a solution. He is invited to stay at a writers cottage on the small Scottish Island of Amberly, to try and get his life back on track. He has nowhere else to go, so agrees. When he arrives at the ferry to the island, he is told that he isn't welcome on the island, but once he explains about the cottage, he is taken over. He can't take his car and most of his possessions get left behind. Just him and his dog head over. It doesn't take long for him to realize something is not right. And who is the woman he keeps seeing that looks like his wife?

Wow, this book grabbed me from the beginning and had me twisting and sitting on the edge of my seat right to the end. Grady is the MC, but Amberly is a close second. The small island is atmospheric, and the views are amazing, but why is it so isolated. The story is told mainly from Grady's POV, but there are some flashbacks of Abby's life and we get to see more of what they were like as a couple. I was always waiting for a shoe to drop, and like watching a horror movie, I wanted him to get off that island. The final twists threw me for a loop. I wasn't expecting the ending, but that is what Alice Feeney is so good at. I never knew exactly what was going on, but all came together at the end. The audiobook was brilliantly narrated by Richard Armitage & Tuppence Middleton. They gave voice to the characters and their storytelling was excellent adding even more enjoyment to the story. If you enjoy listening to audiobooks, I recommend that is the format you choose for Beautiful Ugly.

You know that part in "Jurassic Park" when Samuel L. Jackson’s character tells everyone to hold on…🍑? Well, do THAT if you decide to read this eerie thriller! I thought I knew where things were going, and was a little bit right, but then the book took a HARD left down a path I didn’t even consider. And then took a couple MORE unexpected turns for fun before the final, twisted moment. It legit left me cackling and wide-eyed from shock!

My biggest piece of advice is to stick with this one because the first two-thirds is more of a simmer. I enjoyed the moody, slow-burn mystery vibes but could see some people losing interest due to a lack of action. Stay the course, friends! It’s so worth it and the wait makes the ending even more mind-blowing.

I also highly recommend listening to the audiobook. It features atmospheric sound effects that transported me to windy Scottish shores, plus music transitions that helped indicate when a POV shift was about to happen. Speaking of those POVs, the narration was excellent! There were several characters but I had no trouble keeping track of everyone.

If you like your thrillers dark and broody, with tons of well-earned revenge and a “down with the patriarchy” vibe, then grab your headphones, hold on, and get ready to get shocked!

Over the years, I’ve crossed paths with a lot of Alice Feeney books that sounded really good, but haven’t ever actually picked up one of her reads until now. This one sounded like it was made just for me, since it featured all of the aspects I love to see in a mystery. Even better, I was approved for the audiobook. So why wasn’t this one a five star read for me? Let me get into that.

To start with, the audiobook is narrated in dual timelines, by two narrators. Richard Armitage voices Grady, in both the present and past timelines. Further, he also does all of the voices for anyone that Grady comes in contact with, and demonstrates his versatile range using many different vocal tones, inflections, and even accents ranging from posh London to remote Scotland. Tuppence Middleton voices Abby’s character, and for both narrators, everything was easy to listen to and clear to understand.

The bones of this story were all things that I enjoy reading about in other books. Stories set in remote and isolated islands have always captured my attention, especially those featuring an author and a disappearance, so I was primed to love this book. But as the read went on, there were some things that led to my lowered rating.

Grady seems like a rather nice guy who is just going through a hard time when we first meet him. He’s waiting for his wife to come home to celebrate his good publishing news, and while they are on the phone, he hears his wife slam on the brakes before exiting her car. He is immediately concerned, and heads out to look for his wife. When he finds her car, it looks like his wife vanished into thin air, leaving the car and her phone behind. The police get involved but don’t make much headway into the case, and a year later, Grady is still deep in a depression, facing symptoms of grief even without any knowledge of what had happened to his wife.

Obviously, Abby sounds like a jerk face for doing that if she did run away on the same day as a celebration of good news for her husband, but he suspects foul play. We get to know more about Abby and what she did in the days leading up to her disappearance. As I started to feel more like I knew her, I got more invested in her side of the story.

Initially, the pacing is extremely slow, and stays that way for more than half the book. The setting on the isolated island in the Scottish Highlands was described in such a beautiful way that I was able to practically picture myself right there with the characters. The island itself almost read as another character, making this an incredibly atmospheric read. I could picture cold winds whipping across the land, and a sea frothing with whitecaps.

As much as I loved the setting and the narrators, the plot involves a LOT of willing suspension of disbelief. I don’t mind when a story gets a little bit over the top, but when each plot twist feels like a new level of unbelievable and unrealistic, it was hard to get excited by the plot twists, although I saw part of the big twist coming a long way off. I rarely reread mysteries, because a big portion of the fun is not knowing what is going to happen next. But with this book, I caught myself not being as interested in the surprise, because of how far off the rails this story went. In the beginning, I thought it was going to be more of a somewhat realistic story, and boy was I wrong.

Overall, this was not my typical mystery read, and it impacted my enjoyment of the story. I listened to the entire thing because I always try not to DNF an ARC, but also because I wondered what illogical thing was going to occur next. You know those books that you have to finish but aren’t fully enjoying? That was this book for me. I was underwhelmed by the character development, with the vast majority of side characters feeling flat and underdeveloped, and only the main characters feeling somewhat rounded out, but still not fully. This might be a good read for you if you’re: a fan of Alice Feeney, books set in Scotland, over-the-top mysteries, and dual perspective/timelines.