Narration and production was very well done. Excellent choice of voice actors. The book was entertaining and I flew through it. Awful people doing awful things but in an interesting way. Thank you for the chance to read and will recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review this book!
"There's a reason people paper over the cracks in their lives— or, in this case, hide things under the floorboards. It's easier to pretend your problems don't exist if you can't see them."
I guessed at a lot of endings while listening to this book, but I never came close to predicting the actual conclusion.
Beautiful Ugly presents a complex, twisted storyline set against a haunting, mysterious backdrop. The story follows Grady, a washed-up author consumed by grief and unable to function. Sent to a secluded island by his editor in an attempt to jumpstart his writing, he's confronted by the ghosts of his past and forced to unravel the unsettling mysteries surrounding his sorrow.
The book introduces a variety of characters, none of whom are particularly likable, yet each plays a role in the unfolding narrative. What makes this story so compelling is its moral ambiguity-it's difficult to determine who's right or wrong.
The characters are unhinged and unpredictable, yet there's something oddly captivating about them. As I read, I found myself torn between wanting to understand their motivations and, at times, even sympathizing with their struggles. It's one of those rare books where you're unsure what you want to happen, yet by the end, I found myself strangely content with the resolution, despite its unexpected turns

Alice Feeney’s Beautiful Ugly starts with a chilling mystery that instantly hooks you. Grady Green’s wife, Abby, disappears under bizarre circumstances—her car abandoned by a cliff, headlights still on, but no sign of her. A year later, Grady is still lost in his grief and heads to a remote Scottish island to piece his life back together. But when he sees a woman who looks exactly like Abby, the story takes a thrilling turn. It’s a suspenseful setup packed with questions about what really happened that night and whether Grady’s life will ever be the same.

This book is full of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. Feeney is brilliant at weaving together storylines and characters in surprising ways, and this story of love, lies, and mystery is no exception. The multiple POVs add so much depth to this story. Towards the end of the novel just when you think you’ve figured something out, another twist comes out of nowhere. I absolutely loved the audiobook—it pulled me even deeper into the wild ride. Feeney nailed it again, and I’m giving this one a well-deserved 5 stars!

Thank you to the publisher, author and netgalley for an arc of this for a review!

I received a copy of this audiobook from the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The audiobook version was a delight, with varying voices and sound effects that made the book even more enjoyable. In typical Alice Feeney fashion, Beautiful Ugly had twists and turns that were unexpected and kept me on the edge of my seat. The story took a bit to get me drawn in, but once it got going, the ride was a great one. Books with twists like this book are the best. Another great book that I thoroughly enjoyed

Thank you to NetGalley, Alice Feeney and Macmillan Audio for providing advanced access to the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! It was full of twists and turns that kept me guessing the entire time. I think it would make an excellent choice for a book club discussion.

The audiobook is definitely the way to experience this book. From the ocean sounds to the walkie-talkie effects and the outstanding narrators, I highly recommend giving it a listen.

Alice Feeney’s ‘Beautiful Ugly’ is a captivating page-turner! The audiobook narrators brilliantly brought the characters to life, infusing the story with authentic accents and emotions. My first Feeney book, and I’m certain it won’t be the last. The suspenseful plot kept me guessing until the end, making it an unforgettable read.

Book: Beautiful Ugly
Genre: Mystery
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 — gets better around 60% in, in my opinion
Key Details:
- Main character is an author
- Wife mysteriously vanishes
- Duel Perspectives
- Author becomes trapped on an secluded island with interesting, yet seemingly kind inhabitants
Thoughts:
The back and forth of Grady (the male main-character) thinking he sees his wife vs thinking his grief is causing him to see things was a bit much for me. The build up to the major twists was very slow, and it was hard for me to stay motivated to listen closely to all the details until over half-way through the book. I didn’t really know which characters I was rooting for, but I did want to see how the story would end. As I was reading, it gave me The Guest List and Rock, Paper, Scissors vibes— but I enjoyed both of those books a bit more than this one. I think Alice Feeney’s writing style just isn’t 100% for me based on the books I’ve read by her. If you like her other books I’m sure you’ll love this one! And her use of oxymorons in every chapter was very impressive!

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney is chiefly the story of Grady Greene. One year ago he was on the phone with his wife who was in a car accident “on the cliffs.” As he is speaking with her he hears her walking away. Then she disappears.

A year later, Grady heads to a remote Scottish Isle to write his next novel. The eerie cabin on the end of edge of the ocean is a scary, beautiful oasis and he runs into multiple townspeople along the way. The individuals who live there are well defined, quirky characters, each odder and more interesting than the last.

I enjoyed the lilting Scottish brogues and English accents of the narrators. The different individuals had distinct voices and intonations and led to an enjoyable audio atmosphere.

The story is a taut, electrifying thriller full of multiple twists and turns. Told mainly from Grady the protagonist’s point of view, with the occasional viewpoint of his presumed dead wife and interjected with the colorful characters of the town of Amberly. I was consistently on the edge of my seat or guessing what was going to happen next. At about 70% of the way through I swore I had guessed what was next and boy was I wrong. The last twelve perfect was nonstop action. I really enjoyed this story and highly recommend. Five stars.

I received this advance audio copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

I enjoyed this audiobook -- the performance was great and even helped add to the mystery of the story. This is Alice Feeney, so you know there are going to be surprises. Our main character is stranded on an island, and that may be a trope, but I still enjoy it when it's done right, and this was fun and atmospheric for people like me who enjoy thrillers.
The main character, Grady Green, is an author, and that is another trope, but it's important to the story. He's pretty unlikeable, but he's grieving his missing wife, so I was sympathetic to him up to a point. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook.

There isn't a lot I can say about this book that wouldn't spoil elements of the experience unfolding - you kind of have to go in as blind as possible. So I will say it is twisty, moderately-paced, has lots of triggers, a satisfying conclusion, and that's all I can really share.

The audiobook was the way to go with this book. The narration was fantastic! The storyline went a bit off the rails at the end, but I can see this being a popular thriller.

4/5 stars! I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narration was fantastic. It kept my attention, kept me guessing, and I did not see the ending coming. That being said, the whole premise at the end was a little far fetched. I definitely had to suspend some disbelief. But not enough that it wasn’t enjoyable!

I love Alice Feeny and often use her novel "Sometimes I Lie" as a great example of an unreliable narrator. So, I was thrilled to get the chance to review the audiobook "Beautiful Ugly."
This one starts off pretty slow, and has a bit of a "Gone Girl" vibe - Grady is a NYT Bestselling writer whose wife mysteriously disappears when she pulls over to check on a body she finds lying on the road. Losing his wife completely shatters Grady, rendering him unable to write. So his agent, hoping he'll benefit from a change of scenery, sends him to a remote Scottish island to try to reignite his creativity, From there, the book starts to pick up, as the island is not as it seems. I thought this was a fun one, and got pretty engaged once the story picked up, though I admit I struggled a bit to get into it in the beginning.

Thank you, NetGalley and publisher for this arc. I am a big fan of this author. I love her books and I absolutely loved this book as well! The story had such a unique plot, and the character development was fantastic. I got obsessed with the book from the first page till the last, I never saw the end come coming, it is a short book but it definitely packs up punch. I love how it was a Christmas thriller book! It felt like the two movies Silent Night, Deadly Night meets Saw! I truly hope this book becomes a movie because I would definitely go and see it. It’s such a spectacular thrill ride. I would highly recommend this book and will continue to read more from this amazing author.!

Beautiful Ugly is the story of Author Grady, his wife Abigail, agent Kitty, and the Isle of Amberley. Grady just finds out he is offically a NYT best selling author, and momets later discovers his wife has disappered... or did she? The story is narratored from 2 view points and the twists and turns keep coming throughout the book, some you wont seeing coming... I really enjoyed the narrators and the audio used to enchace the text. I wanted to leep listenting.

My only critique is towards the end, some parts are over emphasized, while other major twists could have been more developed, explained, explored. Overally I enjoyed this and people who love mysteries, psychologic thrillers, and books about complexes relationships will also enjoy this book.

Thank you to MacMillian Audio for the advanced review audiobook through NetGallery in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney was an audiobook that I had the honor of receiving an ALC. First, the narrators Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton were topnotch and gave me the full experience I was looking for. This had edge of your seat thriller mystery and each chapter brought more twists that begged me to not put down. Where was his wife?? And is this husband who he says he is?
I found it entertaining and a pleasantly new plot. I recommend listening to this one.
Thanks Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

2.75
I'm all caught up on Alice Feeney's books, and I have to say this one was my least favorite. "Sometimes I Lie" and "His & Hers" are my top picks from her, while the other ones were decent reads imo. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have finished the ebook if I hadn't had the audiobook. The audio production and both narrators were amazing, and I really don't know if I would have stuck with the book without that.

I felt a bit let down since not much happens for most of the story. You quickly realize that the people on the island are clearly psychologically tormenting Grady, which is entertaining for a while, but then it just became kind of dull. I did predict a twist or two, but none of the other twists surprised me enough to give it a higher rating.

I received this ARC audiobook early in exchange for a review. This ending will leave you thinking about it. It’s so different from everything I’ve read and I really enjoyed the crazy ending. For quite a bit I couldn’t see where this was going and right around 60% is when I was starting to get pulled in. The ending was worth the read. Alice Feeney gives a lot of background on characters, if you like being fully immersed with your thriller characters then this is something you will enjoy.

This was such a good book! I really enjoyed “rock, paper, scissors” by this author and this one was just as good. I loved the alternating POV and the sounds that went along with the narration. The twist was amazing.

This book will take you on a wild ride. I'll admit it kept me guessing and had a twist at the end. I recommend listening to the audiobook. The Scottish accent alone makes it worth a listen.