4.5⭐
What in the world? This is Feeney's darkest yet!

Grady Green gets a key to a writing cottage on a lush island off of Scotland coast. Green hasn't been able to write ever since the disappearance of his wife a year before. His agent thinks it's time for him to move on and get into writing again.

Scottish island of Amberley is so secluded, calm and eerie. A perfect setting for a thriller. Give me a small cabin, "strange" townsfolk and unsettling island tale and I won't be able to put this one down. There are so many layers to this story and Feeney did a fantastic job switching perspectives and kept me on my toes. My jaw dropped in disbelief when the reader gets the reveal. I had NO WORDS (and no spoiler) about that ending. What did you think?? omg omg. 😱😱

The audiobook was perfection. I love Richard Armitage (always Thorin❤️) and Tuppence Middleton both were fantastic narrators.

What did I just listen to? 🤯🎧📚

Twists, turns, confusion, but always holding my attention! Also the narration was 🧑‍🍳💋!

Thank you @alicewriterland and @macmillan.audio for the ALC!

5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley for the ALC. Grady is an author who just received a phone call with some good news and can’t wait to share with his wife, Abby. Abby is on her way home and while she is on the phone with Grady, she sees someone in the road and tells him that she is going to check to make sure the person is Ok. She goes to check on the person and never comes back on the phone; she has disappeared.

Fast forward a year later, and Abby still hasn’t been found and Grady is still lost without his wife and grieving. Grady’s publicist tells him that he should go to Scotland in hopes of being able to finish the book that he was working on, and he decides to go. When he arrives, he thinks he sees Abby, or is it someone that looks like her.

The story was soooo good and was enjoyable from beginning to end. This book was so much more than a thriller and discussed real life topics, and the narration was really good. If you enjoy fast-paced thrillers with multiple twists and an unexpected ending that will make you ask with the hell did I just read, this is the book for you!

I love thrillers, and a strong setting plays a crucial role in creating the perfect atmosphere. This one nailed it.

I love Alice Feeney's books, and in addition to the atmospheric setting, this one kept me intrigued and fully engaged in the story. I had my theories while reading and thought I had it all figured out, only to be surprised by the twists! If you're a fan of addictive stories with fantastic writing and immersive settings, definitely pick this one up.

This audiobook was phenomenal and the narrator did very well at bringing the story to life. I love Alice Feeney and will read all her books, however, this wasn’t my favorite. The ending was underwhelming after such a good set up.

Man I was not expecting the ending! It was a massive curve ball! I liked it, but it was also very unexpected / drastic. I also had a hard time fully understanding the ending. The narration was great, though. And overall the story was engaging. Solid read!

This book is Alice Feeney at her best! I was given an audiobook to listen to and it made the whole experience so atmospheric. I felt like I was in the story watching it unfold, fabulous narration!
I love an unreliable narrator in a story, it kept me on the edge of nerves.
Creepy island, strange townsfolk, a perfect read!
Highly recommend 5 amazing stars!!

Thank you, Alice Feeney, for another ultra suspenseful psych thriller with an unpredictable ending! It's getting harder to find these gems that are absorbing from start to finish. This book took me on a riveting ride. I could sense the tension building with each chapter. And seriously... that ending was brilliant!!!

Also, it was incredibly atmospheric and dark. The characters came alive in the audiobook. It's probably one of the best audio performances I've heard this year! Not only were there different narrators for different perspectives, but some fun sound effects as well.

Definitely a must-read, in my opinion, if you enjoy this genre. Can't wait for her next one!!

Thank you, #NetGalley, and #MacMillaAudio, for an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
#BeautifulUgly

This book grabbed me from the beginning and kept me wanting to keep going! I really enjoyed the story and how this book flowed. I love Alice Feeney's writing and will certainly read/listen to more! Love the twists and turns and the final twist at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

Alice Feeney, the undisputed Queen of Twists, returns with Beautiful Ugly, a darkly gripping psychological thriller that peels back the layers of marriage, identity, and revenge. A masterclass in suspense, Beautiful Ugly is an intoxicating blend of mystery and mind games that will leave readers questioning everything they think they know—right up until the final, jaw-dropping page. Feeney proves once again that in her world, nothing is ever as it seems.

Feeney’s signature storytelling is on full display here—hauntingly atmospheric, laced with tension, and brimming with shocking revelations. As the narrative weaves between past and present, readers are pulled into a labyrinth of secrets, betrayals, and the ever-shifting power dynamics within a marriage. The prose is razor-sharp, the twists unpredictable, and the psychological depth chillingly immersive.

I really do not know what to say about this book.

I had such high hopes for this one and was instantly intrigued by the opening chapter and was very curious to see how this would play out.

The first bit was extremely hopeful. I was engaged, I was turning the pages quickly and I needed to know what was going on.

Sadly, that is where the good in this book ends.

About 50% in this book started to become boring and far fetched and at one point I thought I had figured it out. I would have almost preferred what I thought was the twist to be the case, because the real twist was extremely disappointing.

I listened to this on audio, and I will say the narration was excellent and I loved the little addition of sound effects and music!

Overall, I would say if you like page turning thrillers then definitely try this one out and form your own opinion as it seems there are mixed reviews. But I would suggest listening to the audio if you do!

Hands down my favorite Alice Feeney book!!
BEAUTIFUL UGLY was a spectacular story. I never saw the twist coming which was the best part. What a chilling ending. If you can only listen to one audiobook this year, make it this one. The sound effects added a whole additional layer to the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC audiobook. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are my own.

4 out of 5 stars and my respect to the author.

Gotta love unreliable narrators!
Twisty-turns with a little darkness and vengeance.

My first book by Alice Feeney and my first ARC audio book from #NetGalley and Macmillan Audio.

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

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.

With a description like that, who wouldn't want to read (or listen in my case) to this story. While I loved the narrator's voice, the story started off with a bang, but then left me wanting more, even with the plot twists. The story is shared by two POV and goes into the past and present time. I found myself increasing the speed of the narration as parts felt repetitive. I didn't bond with either character. And the ending left me wanting more.
Three stars with a 5 star rating for the narrator. I am going to be looking for more a

Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life. After calling his wife, Abby, to share exciting news, he hears a sudden crash, followed by silence. When he finally finds her car abandoned at the cliff’s edge, headlights on, driver’s door open, and her phone left behind, Abby has vanished without a trace.

A year later, drowning in grief and unable to write, Grady retreats to a remote Scottish island in search of clarity. But then he sees her—or at least, a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife. What follows is a twisting psychological thriller filled with secrets, grief, and lies.

Alice Feeney can be hit or miss for me, but this one was a solid hit. The mystery was gripping, the atmosphere eerie, and the suspense kept me engaged throughout. While some twists were a bit predictable, the novel’s emotional depth and tension made up for it. If you love moody, character-driven thrillers with an intriguing premise, *Beautiful Ugly* is worth the read!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Alice Feeney for the opportunity to read an advance copy of *Beautiful Ugly*!

Grady’s wife is missing and has been for a year. He is an author who hasn’t been able to write since and has lost everything. The opportunity to stay on a remote island to write seems like a good way to get back on his feet. But, did he just see his wife on the island ferry? And the people on the island seem a bit peculiar. He needs to write this book but there are so many things that are strange going on around him, He learns more about the island’s history and wants to leave….but can he find a way off the island?

I think I enjoyed the journey more than the destination. Although, the cast of characters was interesting and intriguing! The reveals were surprising and clever. It was one I’ve thought about after and I consider that a good thing.

I gave it 3 stars

this was a really good book/ audio book! I really liked the themes of this story, and loved the way the book flowed. I loved the way this author writes, and the narrator did a great job with reading this book. Overall it was great!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

‼️4 solely for my audio rating.

I’ve never read an Alice Feeney book before, but I’ve heard great things about her writing. I can confidently say this was one of my most anticipated reads. I chose it as my physical copy for my December @bookofthemonth. It sounded intriguing, promising, and I was excited for it to be my first book by Alice Feeney.

I was a little bummed because I wanted, so badly, to love it. It’s a slow burn with such eerie, weird vibes, and an island — loved that! The vibes basically have you waiting on the other shoe to drop. I was super engaged with the first half of the book, but I was losing interest in some of the second half. However, I feel the audio helped bridge some of this gap.
One of the plot twists just didn’t do it for me. It didn’t make sense, and I’m almost positive it would’ve been figured out prior because of the surrounding environment at that time. Another plot twist was…weird, but ugh I don’t know, it didn’t really hit the spot for me. I guess because I understood a few motives, but not all. It’s difficult to talk about either of these dislikes without revealing too much.

I struggled with my coffee cup rating because of my losing interest/audio bridge predicament. I finally decided to round my rating up to a 4 solely for my audio rating. The duet narration was well done! Without the audio consideration, I would definitely side with a 3. Now that I listen to audiobooks a little more regularly, some books are better listened to and, to me, this is one of them.

✍🏼 writer’s life
🌊 multiple viewpoints
✍🏼 nonlinear timeline
🌊 marriage issues

5 ⭐

First, let me say thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine only.

>>QUOTES<<
I am absolutely a quote collector so I will add in some of my favorite quotes from the book. I don't believe they give anything away but show how beautifully this story is written.

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

"People rarely know what they have until they lose it. They spend their lives searching for a better one, wanting more, needing more, blind to the fact that they already had it all. I think sometimes it’s only when something gets taken from a person that they appreciate what they had."

"My books have always been a place to hide myself inside myself when the real world gets too loud."

"Marriage is made of a million beautiful and ugly moments stitched together into a shared tapestry of memories, all of which are viewed and remembered slightly differently, like two people staring at the same painting from opposite ends of a room."

"Life is beautiful and life is ugly and we have to learn to live with both sides of the same coin and see the light in the darkness. The world is Beautiful ugly, relationships are Beautiful ugly, and life is Beautiful ugly."

>>REVIEW<<

I'm going to be honest -- I wasn't a fan of the audiobook... For some reason I just didn't connect with the male narrator, especially when he did Sandy's voice or the other female voices which meant I didn't finish it... His pacing was way too slow for my liking so I had to speed it up, but I did enjoy the small sound affects letting us know when a new chapter came and it definitely gave that eery feel of the island. But I've read Alice Feeney before and I knew I was going to love this story so the very day that it came out, I drove an hour away just to pick up the book and I am SO GLAD I DID!!

As someone who reads primarily in the thriller and horror genre -- I will say that the first part of the book (which I listened to on audio) does go slow but it's important! Once I got to the PLOT TWISTS I had to go back and reread chapters because I was SO SHOOK!!! And I don't even use that word as a 37 year old woman but it's literally how I felt! I 110% recommend giving this book a try but I want everyone to remember that this is a FICTIONAL BOOK - it's NOT a true story .. so if you go into thinking that anything is possible... You will absolutely enjoy it! The details and atmosphere around the Island of Amberly is so creepy and foreboding that you can't help but sit in dread wondering how everything is going to come together. There is a huge character development from one of the main characters and I was so here for it! I felt really connected to the wife and the amount of tabs I have in my book is insane... I think that is why I loved it so much because it felt so personal to me. I'm currently in the same situation she is after being in a relationship for 10 years and you start to feel invisible and ignored (this is NOT how a relationship, a good one anyways, should make you feel). I also rate on how the book made me FEEL. I don't get so technical as to worry about plot holes because again, it's fictional -- it's not true anyways! Just strap in and enjoy the ride and try not to think about everything that others say is wrong but focus on the way the story makes you feel! I think that plays a huge part in why I loved this so much, and I hope you do too!

Unfortunately, I can't recommend the audiobook but 110% can recommend the physical or ebook so you can pay better attention to little red herrings thrown throughout the story.

** I go into more detail on my goodreads on why I think people are rating lower and not enjoying the story and I think it's important because people are missing the point on a lot of different things (in MY opinion) so if you are someone who read the book and didn't understand some of the plot, I write out why I think that is.

Enjoyable thriller! Kept me guessing, didn't see the end coming (and the fact that I'm still thinking about whether or not the ending was justified house later means it will stick with me, even if it isn't how I would've ended it)!