<i><b>"I hope you die in your sleep."</i></b>

Grady Green’s life is upended when his wife, Abby, mysteriously vanishes during a routine phone call, leaving behind her car at the edge of a cliff. A year later, consumed by grief and writer’s block, Grady retreats to a remote Scottish island to find peace. But his fragile reality shatters when he spots a woman who looks exactly like Abby. As he unravels the truth, Grady must confront haunting questions: Is this a chance at closure, or has his nightmare only just begun?

If you, like myself, are a Feeney fan, this is definitely another one in the win collum. Not once did I know what was going to happen next and that just kept me hooked from start to finish.
Richard Armitage does an incredible job narrating this book and adds such depth to the story. The subtle use of sound effects was just enough to be enticing without being distracting. Though the first time I heard the bells, it scared this shit out of me. 🙃

<i>Shout-out to my homies at Netgally and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

Alice Feeney did it again! Another novel that keeps you guessing. It's not a twist and turn psychological thriller that I'm used to. It's just one that is bizarre enough to keep you guessing. Definitely grabbed me and held my interest throughout the book. The characters were very eccentric and I enjoyed the way they interacted with each other and Grady and how their relationships developed. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Narrator: they were ok, they did have an English accent which wasn’t as distracting as I usually find narrators with accents. The male narrator was kind of monotone through the book so it was hard to differentiate when it was supposed the FMC monologging and when it was the MMC monologging.

I was a bit confused and bored in the beginning of the book after the abduction happened... There was a lot of back and forth between the characters and a lot of background on the MMC The second half was as good but the plot twist was a bit nonsensical to me. It was crazy unrealistic. The whole book was written around it and to build up the plot twist I get it, it’s a thriller, but it took away from character development. I never fell in love with the characters so when the plot twist happened it was “blah” for me because I didn’t care for my MC it just seemed over the top. I can believe what happened to the FMC and the abduction and the struggles she went through (I’m trying not to give any spoilers) but the whole thing with where she was and who helped her was too unreal for me.

I DO NOT hate the book, it just wasn’t for me. If you’re a Freda McFadden fan then this book is for you! You’ll probably give it a million stars. I’m not I don’t like her books they are kind of bland for me although I do agree she is the queen of twists and turns. I’d rather stick to a more realistic and believable thriller.

Please keep in mind this only my personal opinion.

Thanks NetGalley, author , and publisher for the audio ARC, here is my honest review.

100% a huge Alice Feeney fan and honestly this one just plucked all the right strings for me once again. This audiobook kept me listening on the edge of my seat and kept me wondering where the story was going. When the end came I was breathless and felt fully content with the story. Truly another great story by the author.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Dark, intriguing, and such a mystery of what truly happened. I loved the different POVs. It truly gave more depth to the characters. I was on the edge of my seat, then shocked! The narrator did an amazing job with some sound effects, too! Truly helped me process and love the story even more!

I received this Audiobook ARC from NetGalley and MacMillan Audio to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully listening to this Audiobook.

Audiobook/Book Review 📖🎧🌊

thank you partner @flatiron_books @macmillan.audio for the gifted audiobook! #macaudio2024

Beautiful Ugly
by Alice Feeney

About the book 👇🏽

Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life.

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

A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible: a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.

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


🌊 My thoughts:

Wow!!! Another five star read. I could not put it down and I didn’t want to. If I wasn’t reading it, I was listening to it and my goodness was it so good! I am so happy I chose this as my BOTM choice this month. The details are beautiful. I’ll tell you right now… I did not expect that plot twist! oh wait AND that ending. I think this might be my favorite Feeney book yet!! It’s addicting and unputdownable, absolutely brilliant! It’s definitely a must read of 2025. Beautiful Ugly hits shelves 1/15/25!!

Happy reading 📖 🎧🌊

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced reader copy of Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney. I highly recommend listening to story, as there are many added extras to enhance the listening experience.

Author Grady Green is ecstatic to call his wife and let her know he’s finally made the bestseller list when he hears the disturbing disappearance of his wife at the end of the line. Still mourning a year later, he heads to the isolated island of Amberly to clear his head and write his follow up novel at the recommendation of his agent.

This book contains some major highs and lows with the high point being the fantastic island setting. It’s isolated, remote and unwelcoming, creating an immediate sense of tension. The lows unfortunately come in the form of the plot just doing too much. I knew to expect the unexpected but with so many twists, it was easy to get disoriented and ambivalent about the outcome.

Give this book a try if you don’t mind a bit of thriller whiplash, and skip it if you have a lower threshold for the unbelievable.

A satisfying new thriller from Alice Feeney! I was engaged in the plot the whole way through and thought the audio narration was exceptional. I thought I knew where it was going, but I was wrong. The plot twist took me by surprise, which always makes for a satisfying read.

What an incredible read! From the very first chapter I was completely sucked in. The time jump references made me question every prediction I had. The atmosphere of the island its characters were perfection!

Grady Green may have been having the best day of his life in the beginning, but so was I when I picked up this book! The twist just kept on coming and coming and I truly felt like I had to pick my jaw up off the floor! How amazing!

This was, by far and away, my favorite audiobook of the year. Beautiful Ugly transports us to a sparsely populated Scottish island, where the author, Grady Green, is hoping to finally be able to write again a year after the disappearance of his beloved wife.

It sounds like a cop-out to recommend jumping into this book without knowing much, but the slow unraveling of the plot is a big part of the magic here. Much of the story is told from Green's perspective over a period of time in which he may or may not be losing his mind. Even when I thought I had figured some things out, new entertaining twists and turns changed my whole understanding. It's all capped off with a truly wild ending.

Honestly, this was just a ton of fun and definitely my favorite Alice Feeney book to date. The audiobook production is fantastic and transports you to the secluded Scottish island with copious creepy sound effects that, I promise, never get overused or feel hokey. I highly, highly recommend this thriller and clearly think the audiobook is the best way to enjoy this wild ride.

Omg, what an ending!

I absolutely love Alice Feeney books and I was incredibly excited to be approved for an early audiobook! The narration was wonderful. The story was engrossing and strange and I spent the entire book wondering what happened before, what was actually happening now, and what would happen next.

I loved the book the whole time, but the ending was fantastic. I think I sat in my car in silent and just said “holy shit” out loud.

As with most Feeney novels, I don’t want to give too much away about the story because I love being along for the ride. It was an atmospheric story and I highly recommend it.

BRIEF PLOT EXPO:

Grady’s wife is missing and presumed dead. He has writer’s block and can’t seem to write a word for a new book.

Grady’s agent knows of a small island retreat, once home to another author, and she sends Grady there. He is running out of money and his agent, Kitty, is the only person he trusts. He goes along with the plan. Hopefully the quiet and isolation will help him write another bestseller.

However things don’t go as planned. Grady finds the island residents strange and he keeps thinking he sees his wife, wearing the red coat that she wore when she disappeared.

Grady’s insomnia along with his lack of proper food and consuming some strange teas make him wonder if he is losing his mind!!

PROS:
Unique premise and storyline

The setting on an island only accessible by ferry (when it operates!) The island is a character itself

Characters are well described, I could envision them talking and interacting. There was definitely an ominous, eerie tone throughout

Great narration and sound effects i.e. ocean waves crashing in the distance, music playing etc The narration by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton was spot on

CONS:
You have to suspend believability for this one

Repetitious in parts - going over the same events multiple times

The ending left me wanting more

A fun and entertaining audiobook with lots of Feeney’s twists and a plot that changes direction multiple times.

I received the audiobook from the publisher, Macmillan Audio, through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this novel.

I have to say this book was creepy! The entire atmosphere from the start of the book was creeptastic. Some authors are not able to maintain the creepy setting without it getting relative and boring. Alice Feeney did a fantastic job in this book if not only keeping you on edge but keeping you guessing.
A despondent writer goes to a remove (very remote) isomer write his new book. He’s had severe writers block since the disappearance is his wife. Things are about to get a whole lot worse for him.
Definitely a page turner with a very interesting twist. Maybe a bit of a reach with the plot but still a fun time and interesting read.

Author Grady Green is still devastated by the unexplained disappearance of his wife one year ago. Laden with grief and struck by writer's block, Grady decides to go to a remote Scottish island in hopes of finishing his next novel. But when he arrives at the island, he keeps seeing glimpses of his wife . Or at least, he thinks he does.
Is he going mad with grief? Or is his wife somehow still alive?

This is such a fantastic book! Feeney's best yet IMO. The twists and turns were so well done and completely unexpected. It was dripping with atmosphere. And I loved the nods to Don't Look Now and The Wicker Man.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This audiobook was truly amazing. I loved the sound effects, and all of the twists and turns. This dark thriller was so impressive!

The entire time I was reading (listening to) this, I was thinking “Where is this going..?” I knew twists and turns were coming, but when the BIG twist came…I was floored. I did not see it coming! The whole book has you questioning what is truly going on and I finished the whole thing in three days.

I listened as an audiobook and the majority of the book takes place on a small, secluded Scottish island so the accents were fun. Now I’m from the US so whether or not they were accurate, I don’t know. But every time the narrator did his Scottish woman voice I giggled a little to myself because he sounded like Mrs. Doubtfire.

If you like an atmospheric mystery with a surprising twist, I definitely recommend this one!

I listened to the audio version of this book and really enjoyed the narration. I think they did a great job with the voices and sound effects in the audio. It really helped add to the atmosphere. The book itself was a good book, for the most part I did not predict the twist that happened through the book. I found myself engaged through the book and wanting to keep listening to it and to know what would happen. The reason I gave it 3 stars was because I maybe just didn't love the ending. Even though I felt that way I did still really enjoy he book and do recommend it!

★★★★★ 5/5 stars!
Pub date : Jan 14, 2025.

✦ 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 :
-unreliable narrators
-dual pov
-isolated Scottish island setting
-eerie + ominous vibes
-author main character
-absolutely shocking twists
-Nina Simone
-short reads that pack a punch

✦ 𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 :
The Queen of Twists has done it again 👏🏼
If you know me, you know Alice Feeney is one of my most favorite authors. I have read (and adored) every one of her books, and I’ve been eager to get my hands on this one for months. Let me tell you.. Beautiful Ugly is one of Feeney’s BEST. (I don’t know if anything will ever top Daisy Darker for me, but this is a close second!)

In contrast to her previous books, I thought it was interesting that this was mostly a male POV. I’ll admit I was a tiny bit disappointed that the audiobook wasn’t narrated by Stephenie Racine like her others, but I ended up really loving it! It was very well produced and so fun to listen to.

My favorite part just may be the unique setting. The secluded isle of Amberly really became a character itself. The strange residents of the island set an ominous, eerie tone that I just ate up. I was never sure of where the story was heading. The layers of this mystery were revealed in perfect timing, with her signature twists that have you second guessing everything!

My recommendation? Go in blind, listen along to the audiobook, & know you’re in for a super satisfying read!

Thanks so much to @macmillan.audio & @netgalley for my ALC! #MacAudio2024

Author, Grady Green is having the best and worst day of his life. His wife Abby disappears on the eve of his “big news”. Paralyzed by grief Grady’s life is shattered so he agrees to escape to a remote Scottish island in hopes of writing again and reigniting his career. The island’s residents total 25 and in a shocking twist, one is a woman who looks just like his missing wife.

Although Beautiful Ugly can be a bit slow-paced, the eerie setting, Grady’s insomnia, the cast of characters, and the mysterious tea keep you in consistent suspense. As the lines of reality become more blurred you become drawn into a continuous guessing game of what is going on. It builds up to a twist that you won’t see coming!

The narration by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton, was wonderful with music and sound effects to further enhance the listening experience.
Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley Shelf. As always, these are my honest thoughts!

This book was on its way to becoming a good mystery until we got to the end. Ugh, the plot twist and explanation were terrible. If you spend a few moments thinking this through you will be disappointed. After this grand reveal, Grady is given the position to be the writer for the island. This island is run by only women which mistrust men but a man is still the only way they can make any money or livelihood. So they couldn't find a woman to be a best-selling writer for this island? That seems so problematic. So disappointed.