I listened to an advanced audiobook copy of Alice Feeney's forthcoming Beautiful Ugly. This is a well narrated story. The book tells the story of a writer who goes to a remote island to re-spark his writing, after his wife's disappearance a year earlier. It's a bit of a slow burn, but the back story becomes very important, and in the end, it all comes together, but not necessarily the way you expect. No spoilers here, but it's a suspenseful novel which keeps the reader on edge, and that is what makes it a great book.

"I hope you die in your sleep". Alice Feeney's "Beautiful Ugly" is a psychological thriller that will leave you on the edge of your seat. I was given an advanced review copy of the audiobook, and I have to admit, listening to this story made me finish it in under 24 hours, as it is really done well as an audiobook. The narrators tell the story of Grady and his wife Abby, and their lives together from meeting on a flight to becoming man and wife. Grady is an author and Abby is a journalist. As the storyline unfolds, there are many unusual twists and turns that will have you realizing, so that's how all of this ties together. I have not read any books by Feeney and I will definitely read more! I really enjoyed the special effects of the audiobook, as the setting of the story takes place on a tiny Scottish island called Amberley, and the sounds of the ocean, waves crashing on the rock cliffs, and the church bells ringing in the background, really provide the reader with a chance to feel like you are actually in Scotland experiencing Grady's journey. I highly recommend this book, as it is filled with plot twists, unpredictable moments, and lots of intrigue! Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

Standby for unpopular opinion. I didn't love this. The first half or more of the book goes on and on and nothing happens! I had this audio sped up quite a bit and it still didn't make the story move any faster. The second part was over the top theatrical and so unbelievable that I just found it difficult to take seriously.

The good parts of this book and the reason for the 2 stars are the narrators (brilliant, exceptional work and probably the only reason I kept reading!) and the sound effects! I loved hearing the ocean... I want more audios with sounds!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and I'm so sorry I didn't love it. :(

Thanks to Net Galley for this ARC. This novel revolves around Grady, a best seller author whose wife goes missing. Since she has disappeared, he can’t move on and write so his agent suggests he go to a remote island for inspiration. The story is a bit slow but very atmospheric. Everything seem to be built on the twists and turns, which I did not find believable, so this one missed the mark for me.

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for this book!

This is the first Alice Feeney audiobook I've had the pleasure of listening to, and it's easily landed in my top ten for the year. Usually, I'm that smug son of a gun who figures out the twist in a book or movie before anyone else (and insists on sharing it before the book ends so everyone knows how smart I am), but this time? I was floored when the beat dropped. Well played, Feeney.

Here's the setup: An author, anxiously awaiting news on whether his latest book is any good, has a casual chat with his wife that quickly turns into, "Don't get out of the car, Abby!" But of course, Abby's like, "I'm a badass, and I'm not leaving a woman in the road." Next thing you know—missing, possibly dead wife, distraught husband, and a sudden case of writer's block.

Thankfully, a possible cure exists on the Isle of Amberley (Googleing to see if this place exists cause I want to visit). Here, our sad author meets a cast of creepy characters who spin him tales about the island's sinister past (cancel Google search). At this point, I'm feeling deeply intrigued and a little trapped, anxiously hoping for the next ferry. And yet, I was also desperate to unravel the mystery, so… ferry can wait, I guess.

The pacing starts slow, but once it ramps up, it's an absolute rollercoaster of "wait, that makes no sense" and "why are there so many conflicting povs?" topped with a generous sprinkle of "did I mishear that?" and "who's even narrating this part?" It's a bit of a mental maze, but everything ties together in the end—though you might need a moment to recover from the mental gymnastics.

What I loved most was how the story makes you question everything, leaving you in a delicious fog of disorientation, like someone slipped ghost tea into your cup. Bonus points for the unexpected moment of genuine fear—it's rare for an audiobook to creep me out like that. (Or maybe I just forgot? My memory isn't great, so don't quote me.)

A special shoutout to the audio production team: the sound effects were spot-on and added a touch of atmosphere to the experience. I've already followed Alice Feeney on Instagram, so I guess you could say things are getting pretty serious.

Thank You to Macmillan Audio for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley Shelf. Reviews are my opinions alone but don't worry, no one else would ever want to claim them.

WOW, I can't believe what I just read! This was a very well written fast read! It pulled all the stops... mystery, thrill, suspense, etc!! This is definitely a must read!! You won't be sorry you picked it up!

This is one of my most anticipated 2025 releases from one of my favorite authors and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I love a juicy revenge thriller and this one hooked me from the beginning! It was fast-paced, mysterious, atmospheric and unpredictable! The audio production was so well done and the narrators were fantastic!

What is it with tiny little Scottish islands?

Grady Green, bestselling author, is struggling to work after the disappearance of his wife Abby. Finally at a breaking point, his agent sends him off to a remote Scottish island, where another famous author used to live, to pound out his next great work. He's not in a good mental place, and the island and its inhabitants are more than a little strange.

This is a true psychological thriller. Grady is at the end of his wits over what happened to his wife, literally. He never sleeps, he's drinking far too much, and when he's given a hallucinogenic tea on the island, we can't tell what is real and what isn't. He sees his wife's face everywhere, and the red jacket she was last seen with. But every time, he blinks and he realizes his error. His mind is playing tricks on him, and he's about as unreliable a narrator as they come.

This story doesn't have a lot of action, but it keeps you on the edge of your seat. There are mysteries on the island that he's sure he's not imagining. It's a strange place, objectively. There are no birds there, for example. No phones, and an unreliable ferry is the only way on or off the island.

Even if he wanted to leave, it's not that simple.

I loved it. I've never read a book by Alice Feeney before this, but based on Beautiful Ugly, she really knows what she's doing. It has a similar tension to a book like The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley. Twisted and sinister, but on another face seemingly pretty innocent. Brilliant. Captivating. Beautiful, and Ugly.

Note:: I received the audiobook version of this book for free via the publisher and netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. (And the audiobook narrators did a fantastic job, as well!)

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the free ALC of Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney in exchange for an honest review.

I've taken a detour into audiobooks lately and have read about two dozen or so recently. BEAUTIFUL UGLY (coming January 14, 2025) is a standout audio production with great narrator (Richard Armitgae with spectacular Scottish accents and different intonations for different characters), as well as atmospheric sounds that really fit the book. It's one you should do on audio if that option is available.

The book is solid and interesting, following Grady, an author of novels whose wife, an investigative journalist, disappeared a year ago. His editor encourages him to go to her home on a remote Scottish island for inspiration, as he has been dealing with writer's block since his wife vanished. Once on the island, Grady is convinced that he sees his wife. And then things start to get even stranger.....

I am very hard on thrillers, but Feeney is a reliable author who works for me most of the time. I'm happy to say, her newest book will be a hit and the audiobook is pretty spectacular.

Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared.

I enjoyed this book from start to finish! I mean…who doesn’t love a book set on a remote island in Scotland! Not only that…the intensity and the mystery just keep swirling around. As the reader, you are questioning your very own existence by the time Alice Feeney is finished. Such a twisted read, especially with the characters on the island. They truly keep you (and Grady!) on your toes!

As with all of Alice Feeney’s books, the ending is a bit out there. So, be prepared! Her books never end the way you expect! This one is definitely one you don’t want to miss!

The narrators, Richard Armitage Tuppence Middleton…OMG! They knocked my socks off. Fantastic!

Need a good intense tale…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this audiobook from the publisher for a honest review.

While sharing his exciting news about his new book on a phone call with his wife, Grady hears the brakes, the car door and then nothing else. When the car is found by the edge of a cliff, there is no sign of Grady's wife, Abby.

Struggling to come to terms with her disappearance, Grady decides to head to a Scottish island to get his writing back on track for his next book. But then he sees Abby there...

Alice Feeney has done it again! With so many twists, this fast paced storyline will have you not wanting to stop reading. I listened to this one on audiobook and the narration was exceptional. And that ending - wow! I didn't see it coming at all. Buckle up for a wild ride!

This book took me a while to get into but once I was hooked, I was IN IT! I loved the second half of this novel - fun twists and turns. Maybe a tad predictable, but it was still a fun read!

Thank you to the publisher and author for this ARC!

This was a great book and I really enjoyed the story but wish I had of read a paper copy as I did not enjoy the sounds that were in the audiobook.. I would be completely immersed in Alice Feeney wonderful story telling only to be interrupted with unnecessary noise.
It was super annoying.

Alice Feeny is one of those authors that I read most of what she puts out there and some of it I've absolutely loved and wish I could read for the first time again, and some titles I wasn't the biggest fan of. With that being said, I was still excited when I got approved to listen to her newest coming out, Beautiful Ugly. This title fell right in the middle for me. There were parts that I really enjoyed, and parts that fell a little flat or not fully laid out. Overall, I was engaged the entire time, which is very important to me when listening, or even reading, a book.

The narrators were consistent and the sound effects added another layer to the storyline. The characters were a little bit of a miss for me. Most were not relatable or even likeable, which I'm pretty sure was the intent, but it just didn't work fully for me.

The twist was also a little bit off for me. Overall, I liked the twist but wish it had been a little more fleshed out.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. It just wasn't at the top of the list for the books I enjoyed the most. I would like to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this advanced copy in return for an honest review.

The audiobook for Beautiful Ugly was expertly crafted, combining both an engaging narrator who did an arrangement of accents and sound effects that matched certain scenes to provide an immersive experience. The book itself was not a favorite of mine and I found it to be extremely predictable and dull at moments. The ending was lackluster and the whole storyline felt extremely unreal with how certain characters interacted with one another and how specific scenes unfolded. The main character was barely surviving because it seemed as if he never slept and ignored all the red flags that were vigorously waved in front of him. The flashback scenes were interesting enough but it was a lot of trauma dumping and became very repetitive.

First off, I absolutely loved the narration in this audio. Engaging and made the story so incredible. I couldn't finish this book fast enough. In a good way! I wanted to know everything immediately and when I thought I did, boy was I wrong! The plot, twists and characters. just excellent!

I really loved the voices on this audiobook. The sound effects were also very immersive. I am always looking forward to Alice Feeney's releases as she always has an incredible twist at the end and Beautiful Ugly does not disappoint.

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney is a super twisty-turny thriller that had me hooked from the start. I only had the advance audio copy, but there were definitely moments I wished for a print version to go back and re-read certain parts—just to fully process what had just happened. There was so much going on (in the best way) that I couldn’t even attempt to solve the mystery during the slower moments, which I often try to do.

This is one of those books where, once you reach the ending, you feel like you need to reread it with fresh eyes to catch all the clues you missed. The audio production was excellent, with enhancements like ocean sounds and bells that really added to the atmosphere and immersion of the story.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this audio ARC.

Full disclosure: I will listen to Richard Armitage read a phone book and love it but still.

Man, when Alice Finney is a hit, she is a hit! I was completely absorbed in this novel. After thinking her last book was just okay and hating Rock Paper Scissors, I went into this book with low expectations. I am leaving it though with a storyline that I will think about for a long long time and part of me just wants to reread it again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC of this book.

This was FANTASTIC!! Mark your calendars, this was an absolutely wild ride that I devoured!!

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