I've never read an Alice Feeney book before but have a few on my TBR list and I've heard good things about them. I assumed they're just thriller/mystery kinda books. I suppose I wasn't wrong but this was the most thrilling mystery book I've read in a long time!

Grady is a New York Times best selling author, he just finds out at the beginning of this story. He has a wife, who is his entire world...aside from his writing. When he gets the call about the best selling author title, he wishes his wife was with him but she's on her way. They talk as she drives, but she sees someone in the road and stops to help, only to disappear. Grady's life falls apart without her and a year later, he can't even write anymore, is broke, and has lost most everything except his dog. He's offered a cabin on a small island to hopefully getting his writing spark back. The island is quaint and seems charming, but things start to disappear from the cabin, notes are left for him, he hears and sees things that can't possibly be there...like his wife. There's no phones, there's no way off the island, and Grady starts to think he's going crazy. But is he?

The island is so mysterious, the people are so mysterious, there's a little supernatural element to things (like the creepy woods that surround the cabin perched on the edge of a cliff). I didn't even know where to start to figure it all out, so I just enjoyed the ride of the book. But the last 10% was bananas! It was unexpected and made perfect sense for being so out of left field. And just when you think it's okay to settle down, there's nothing more that can happen, there's one last little twist 🤯 I don't know if all Feeney's books are like this, but I can't wait to read more and find out!

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was great. He did do voices for the island residents, at first I rolled my eyes but half an hour later, I was enjoying it and could even tell them apart. There is a second narrator which may be a bit of a spoiler and they are decent enough for the short time they narrate.

4.5 /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"I hope you die in your sleep."

The Queen of Twists does it again!

Beautiful Ugly is a gripping psychological thriller about marriage and revenge that kept me hooked and guessing from start to finish. It might just be Alice Feeney’s best book yet.

✨ Unpredictable
✨ Unreliable Narrator
✨ Duel First-Person POV
✨ Twists & Turns
✨ Locked Room (Island)
✨ Hidden Message 😉
✨ Tension & Suspense

The story follows Grady Green, an author whose best and worst day collide when he hits the bestseller list on the same day his wife, Abby, goes missing. A year later, consumed by grief and unanswered questions, Grady accepts an offer to retreat to a remote Scottish island in hopes of rebuilding his life and career. But things take a sinister turn when he encounters a woman who looks exactly like Abby. Is it really her?

This book is thought-provoking and chilling. Grady’s struggle with insomnia blurs the line between reality and hallucinations, adding to the mystery and tension. While I didn’t find Grady very likable, I connected deeply with Abby’s character. The island setting is beautifully and creepily described, giving the story depth and atmosphere.

The pacing is steady, with most of the action packed into the final quarter. While the ending felt slightly rushed, it tied everything together nicely and left few unanswered questions.

"The only way out is to write."

I experienced this as an audiobook, and WOW! Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton’s narration was phenomenal. The addition of audio effects, like ocean waves and walkie-talkie static, made the experience even more engaging. This is a must-listen!

This is one of the best books I’ve read in a while. If you love psychological thrillers with shocking twists, Beautiful Ugly is the perfect book to kick off the new year when it releases in January.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of Beautiful Ugly in exchange for an honest review.

Great creepy thriller. MMC is definitely not likable, but doesn't' detract from all the twists and turns as the mystery is unveiled. Sort of crosses categories as far was thriller types--psychological thriller, closed-door thriller, action thriller . . . hard to classify. Unlike anything I've read. Start of your year with a bang and look for this January 2025. Great audio book. Thank you to Flatiron books and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to share my review.

The book starts with Grady having the best worst day of his life. He is a newly annointed New York Times best selling author. His wife goes missing the same day. Devastated, he has basically lost everything the following year. His literary agent comes to his rescue, by allowing him to temporarily live in her recently inherited cabin in the Scottish highlands. The small island is accessible via ferry. The island is inhabited by an odd but accepting group of only 25 people.  Things are moving along, and Grady thinks he sees his missing wife. This book is so many twists that I never saw coming. This was my first but definitely not my last Alice Finney novel.

I listened to the audiobook, provided by Macmillan Audio. The narrators Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton were amazing. The quality and production of this audiobook was phenomenal.

As with most Alice Feeney books. I did not see this one coming. Grady was not portrayed as a protagonist that a reader necessarily wants to root for in my opinion, but it was fascinating to experience his time in Scotland from his perspective.

One thing that threw me a bit was the second narrator because she ended up being an unreliable narrator and that is not something that I particularly enjoy; however, I understand why it was helpful for the plot twist that plays out at the end of the book.

This was a pleasant audiobook with the ambient noise that helped create the atmosphere that the characters were in.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced audio copy.

4.5⭐️ Alice Feeney deserves all of the hype she gets. This was beautifully written and I was shocked for most of the twists/reveals. The few that I did predict beforehand didn’t feel like a let down, but rather that I was let in on a secret before the lead knew what was happening. The continual nod to oxymorons made the writing just that much more amazing. “Beautiful Ugly”, “Best Worst Day”, “The Wise Fool”, just to name a few. Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton both narrated well (4/5⭐️). this is a book I will buy once it is officially published. if you’ve loved any of Feeney’s books, please check this one out!

The author’s ability to create suspense and deliver twists is certainly on display in this book, making it a very engaging read. I really enjoyed the opening, which immediately drew me in. However, as the plot unfolded, it felt like the author was trying to pack in too many twists, some of which didn’t feel fully developed. Additionally, there were quite a few unnecessary details about the characters that distracted from the main storyline. On a positive note, I loved how the book ended and I really liked the narrator’s performance, which added an extra layer to the story.

I was apprehensive going into this story because Alice Feeney books can go either way- love it or hate it, but there’s no middle ground! I settled in and finished in one sitting. One of the plus sides of going in blind is that you’re on this roller coaster of not knowing the premise for the book or where it’ll take you. The downside? You’re always waiting for a big “wow” moment. In this case, the wow moment was muted. I absolutely loved the premise and the flow of this story- but it really did lack building suspense to deliver the big “tada”. So I guess timing wasn’t so great … felt abrupt. But the story was so good that I still give it a 4⭐️!

Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron books for the ARC!

Akuce Feeney is back with another banger!

Grady's wife disappeared one year ago on the night his book hit the New York Times bestseller list. Now, Grady is broke and broken, can't sleep, function, or write. His agent, Kitty, offers him a chance to go to a remote Scottish island to recover and write. On his way there, Grady is convinced he sees Abby, his wife.

This was creepy, atmospheric, and twisty, and I did not see that ending coming. You should definitely read this book.

Beautiful Ugly - Alice Feeney
Pub Date - 1/14/25
Rating - 2/5
Page Numbers - 320
Media- Audio

Summary - Upon finding out that he is a New York Times Best Seller, Grady Green calls his wife, eager to share the news. When she picks up, she tells him that there is someone on the road and she needs to go check it out. Everything goes silent after that and she's never seen again.

A year later, Grady is in the worst position of his life. Since his wife's disappearance, he can't write, doesn't have a home, and is struggling to keep it together. His agent sends him to a secluded island to a cabin to help get his juices flowing and his life back on track. When Grady gets there, he starts seeing his missing wife everywhere and strange things begin to happen.

Thoughts - Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Alice Feeney is one of my favorite authors since I stumbled upon Rock Paper Scissors and I was THRILLED to get this audiobook. Unfortunately, the last two releases of hers have been a miss for me, including this one. The story is very slowww and there are so many details and characters in this that I felt were unnecessary. The ending had a twist, but not enough to increase the rating or even shock me. I felt like I needed more.

On a positive note, this is probably the best audiobook I've ever listened to! The sound effects, narration, and everything in between was very well done! As an audiobook apart from the story, I was very impressed!

Author Grady Green is thrilled to share some great news with his wife Abby, an investigative reporter driving home. As they are talking on the phone, she stops and says she needs to get out and check on a woman lying in the road. He says no, call the police. But of course she gets out of the car....

A year later Grady is still lost without his wife. Where is she? And how can he get his love of writing back without the love of his life?

Twisty and compelling story line that had me hooked trying to figure out what was going on. And of course, you must suspend some reality to fully be immersed in this book. I only hope the book, when published, has the map of the island!

Great narration by actor Richard Armitage.

My thanks to Net Galley and Macmillian Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook.

I loved the opening of the book and the direction I assumed it would go in. But, I was totally off base with my guess and the story seemed to creep along slowly with me gradually and increasingly losing interest until about 70-75% into it when we start getting bombs and twists. I loved the dual POV and am so glad I was able to listen to the audiobook (which I loved the narration!). I was reined back in toward the end of the book but it wasn't quite enough to save the rest of the journey for me. Not my favorite from her but ultimately, a wild and fun conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review this ARC.

The story centers on a husband who is grappling with the disappearance of his wife. Additionally, it explores the life of a writer on a mysterious Scottish isle who believes he has seen his missing wife.

Initially, I considered giving this book a three-star rating, as the early parts didn't fully engage me. However, the final 25% of the book significantly shifted my perspective. This segment of the story really picks up the pace, introducing some startling twists and turns. The concept of "beautiful ugly," which Feeney intricately weaves throughout the narrative, adds a compelling layer to the tale.

Despite its slow start, I highly recommend "Beautiful Ugly" to readers. Just be prepared that the true depth and thrill of the story emerge later on. It's a journey that's well worth the wait!

I always love a well narrated audiobook. This was well done, the voices and the background music really planted me within this island's world. I've read several of Alice Feeney's books and they're always suspenseful, with unexpected twists and turns. Beautiful Ugly, did not disappoint. I found myself wondering with each new development and was completely surprised and shocked as the story continued to develop. Just as I was understanding one character and one possibility, another would jump out and have me questioning what truly happened.

There were a couple of developments that at times felt rushed or confusingly didn't feel fleshed out enough, towards the end of the book. However, I did very much enjoy this book and it's well done and fits well within Alice Feeney's repertoire.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC!

If you are a fan of suspense, you MUST read or listen to this book! So well written, so unexpected, so well narrated. I couldn't stop listening to the audiobook.

Ms Feeney did a great job portraying the angst felt by protagonist Grady Green. He is an author who's wife Abby disappeared on the night his book made the NYT best seller list. Her body was never found and he could not let her go. He couldn't write, he couldn't sleep, and he seemed to be losing his will to live. His agent needed a new book from him. Instead of firing him, his agent offered to send him to a secluded cabin on a Scottish island for some quite and introspective time to help him get started again. The cabin once belonged to a well known writer who died and he decided to take the chance to jumpstart his career again. He and his dog loaded up the car and make his way to the island. The locals did not like visitors in the off season, but when they found out that he was a writer going to that cabin, they made an exception.

As soon as he got there he felt comfortable, but uneasy, as if he was being watched. He still wasn't sleeping well and his therapist told him extreme insomnia could cause the hallucinations he was having. He saw his missing wife everywhere, people were leaving notes and news clippings in his cabin, and he kept hearing things. He just wanted to finish the book and get off the island.

I loved the description of the island and it's eccentric inhabitants. As with all good suspense novels, there had to be a twist, and this one caught me by surprise. And then there was a second twist!

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher and Macmillan audio for the ARC of this audiobook.

Huge thank you to Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook!

WOW- this audiobook truly blew me away. It may have been the best audiobook production I've ever listened to! The sound effects, the narrator, the music all were absolutely PERFECT!

As for the book itself, it was utterly brilliant as Feeney always is. She may be the smartest thriller writer of our time period. Her books are so much more than a thrilling story, but rather they are a intrinsic puzzle that somehow always blows my mind. Whatever you may think the twist is in this book, I can guarantee that you will be wrong, and that's the best feeling. Being absolutely GOBSMACKED by a thriller twist is so rare as an avid thriller reader, but it's also the reason I'll never stop reading thrillers, because there is nothing like it when it happens.

Read this book. You will not regret it!

This psychological thriller is crafted to keep you guessing until the very end! If you love unreliable narrators, you won’t want to miss this one. The story focuses on Abby and Grady, whose seemingly perfect lives begin to unravel as their dark histories and hidden truths surface. Each character has their own twisted motivations, leading to a chilling yet authentic revelation of secrets. The alternating perspectives kept me intrigued about where the plot was headed, and the details in Abby's narrative all came together beautifully at the end. I was completely blindsided by that final twist! If you decide to read it, I highly recommend the audio version. The dual narration and sound effects are incredibly well done.

Thank You NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to review this audiobook

What on earth did I just read? Definitely fiction, this was not very believable at all to me. Interesting premise, but a strong no.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
What an awesome book with a crazy twist. Just wow! I love Alice Feeney books and this one was brilliant. I listened to the audiobook version. The narrators were amazing, they told the story so well. The characters, plot and setting all complimented the others so well. I loved Grady and Abby, the two main characters as well as the other characters in the novel.
I finished this in two days, just didn't want to stop listening, I needed to find out what happened. There was so much suspense in this novel, and twists, and the reader isn't sure what's real or imagined at some points
I'd say one of Alice Feeney's best books. Highly recommend

Holy smokes! Alice Feeney knows how to captivate you and keep you guessing the entire time! This was absolutely fantastic. I thought I had things figured out and it felt like a little ping pong back and forth. The audio version was great, I loved the narrator. Highly recommend this one.