Beautiful Ugly is a thriller about Grady, an author, who travels to a remote island to try and get his life back together and on track after losing his wife nearly a year before. He encounters many interesting people on the island, which leads to lots of twists and turns. Overall the story was like one I hadn’t read before but it just moved too slow for me and fell flat in some places. There were some really good parts though and I liked how the ending came together. The narrators were really great and I loved the added sound effects in the audiobook!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

Like so many others, I had high hopes for Alice Feeney's newest release. Although she has been hit or miss for me in the past, it's been mostly hits. This offering, however, is in the miss column for me. I will preface this by saying that I listened to this on audio which could be a different experience from reading it. The narrators were great. I really enjoyed them.
The plot and characters were not.
I LOVE a good atmospheric novel. And the beginning of this one didn't disappoint. A missing wife, a secluded island, lots of weather, no cell service, and zero birds. Creeeepy - and I'm here for it. Unfortunately, the setting is about all I can recommend from this book. The pacing was a bit slow and repetitive especially with the insertion of the past timeline of before the wife, Abby, went missing. Then it seems like we have to rehash what happened in the current timeline before moving on to new things. The amount of times they mentioned no cell service on the island was "drink a shot" game worthy. If you're looking to get smashed.
Then the ending... oh lord. It couldn't really possibly make sense, not with the way the earlier chapters (especially the flashback chapters) were set up. And the unreliable narrator thing is becoming overdone. And then it morphed into a feminist manifesto? Out of nowhere? With no real reason? I just... why?
And the last chapter made zero sense to me given the ultimatum given in the earlier chapters. I wanted to throw the book across the room when I was finished with it. But I listened on audio, so that wasn't an option.
The audio was a bit weird too. The narrators - great (like I said), but every time they mentioned a walkie-talkie static played. That was like literally the only sound effect, which was odd and jarring. There was also some light music or waves crashing when the POV changed. And if anyone was talking on a phone or walkie-talkie the voice sounded more tinny. Just some weird choices in my opinion. If you're going to do an immersive audio - go all in or not at all. Why just the walkie-talkie static?
Overall, this was a miss for me. I found zero characters likable, the ending implausible, and the last chapter unnecessary. It is only 2 stars because I did finish it, the narrators were great, and the setting was reminiscent of gothic fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for a copy of the book.

Reviewing for the audio version of this book!

Overall, I really enjoyed both narrators.. I personally like when audio books use multiple actors and bring a story to life. As this book is written from the POV of two characters, it worked very well!

My other favorite things in this book are its setting and the HUGE plot twist at the end that I did not see coming. That made for a very fun read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book!

Grady Green lives for his writing. Or he used to, before his wife went missing and his life changed completely. Abby’s body was never been found and one year later Grady isn’t sure if his wife is alive or not. He also hasn’t been able to write or take care of himself, and is swiftly running out of money. Thankfully his editor (and wife’s godmother) loves him and offers him use of a cottage she’s inherited. The isolated setting will be perfect and free of distractions so he can finally get back to work.

But the people of Amberly have rules and are wary of new visitors. Grady must leave his car on the mainland, there is no cell service, and the phone lines don’t work. He’s now truly cut off from the world. And then he sees a woman he’s sure is his wife. Or is he hallucinating? Did someone come into his cabin while he was gone? Or was it just the whiskey talking?

I absolutely loved the setting in this book. The mysterious, isolated island of Amberly and it’s 25 residents had me intrigued from the very beginning. After Grady spends a bit of time on the island, I started to realize something about the general population of Amberly, and once I came to that realization I couldn’t stop reading. I just wanted to know more. This book was super twisty and while I saw a few things coming, this definitely kept me guessing the whole way through. The ending overall was pretty satisfying.

I read this via audiobook and really enjoyed it. The added sound clips were minimal, but added to the experience - the crackle of the walking talkies was especially eerie for some reason. This was my first audiobook narrated by Richard Armitage and I’ll be keeping my eye out for other works by him.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a review copy. This is my first Alice Feeney and I’ll be looking into her backlog for sure!

The audio was very well done, with accents and different sounding voices/accents for different characters. The plot itself wasn’t exactly for me, but I enjoyed the listen and was entertained.

This thriller is already making a run for one of the top releases in 2025. When Grady’s wife Abby suddenly disappears on the side of the road the night he’s received some of the best news of his life about his writing career, his world is turned upside down. A year later and there’s no sign of Abby, Grady has a hard time continuing on as normal. He hasn’t been writing and he’s been worrying about her even more, causing his editor to suggest he take a break at an elusive Scottish island home of a previous writer, making him realize this might be exactly what he needs to churn out a new book. But when he gets there, he finds pieces of Abby everywhere, haunting him, and opportunities to find success that are less than deserved. When he’s ready to leave, the island is anything but ready to let him go until they’ve taken what they deserve in return.

This novel is full of twisty secrets and half truths, with surprises at every corner. With multiple perspectives and shifting timelines, the story unravels in an enticing way that leaves you wanting more. I couldn’t stop listening, waiting to see how the characters navigated their problems and what truth lay beneath the surface. The plot is a rollercoaster that you don’t want to end and the characters are developed so well, their interactions gripping in the best ways. There are a few moments of confusion I had when things were unwinding towards the end, but overall this was a phenomenal read that I would probably read again on paper.

Highly recommended for people who enjoy thrillers, multiple perspectives or timelines, karma, or revenge.

Beautiful Ugly is a haunting psychological thriller that expertly balances grief, mystery, and self-discovery. Grady Green, an author devastated by his wife’s inexplicable disappearance, retreats to a remote Scottish island a year later to heal and rediscover himself. However, his fragile reality is shattered when he encounters a woman who looks just like Abby, igniting questions about truth, perception, and trust.

The novel captivates with its atmospheric setting and layered characters, drawing readers into Grady’s spiraling psyche. The exploration of marriage, identity, and loss adds depth to the suspense, making this a compelling read for fans of emotional, twisty thrillers.

Alice Feeney is the thriller queen!

This book follows a husband in the year after his wife has disappeared. He is an author and has struggled to write anything since she has disappeared, so his publisher comes up with a solution. She is going to send him to a secluded Scottish cabin, there he can focus on writing with a new environment and less distractions. When he gets to the island, he is not expecting all of the strange things that begin to happen....

I swear that each book Feeney writes is a masterpiece, I did not expect the twist and it thoroughly had my shocked. I loved the fast paced chapters, and felt like she captured the setting so beautifully. As always, I love her prose and just all of the commentary about marriage and life. While it did not give me a five star feeling, it was a solid book and I highly recommend!

The audio production would get a 5/5 on its own. The narrators did a wonderful job and I loved the inclusion of the sound effect!

Grady's wife disappeared years ago on the night he found out his book became a New York Times bestseller. She was driving home, stopped to assist a woman she found lying on the ground, and was never seen again. A year later, Grady can't write, can't sleep, and can't get over what happened. His agent suggests he get away from it all and escape to an island cabin that used to belong to a writer his agent represented. With no better options and no money to live elsewhere, he takes her up on the opportunity. When he gets there though, he sees a woman that looks exactly like his wife, and he needs answers.

I used to be an Alice Feeney stan, I would read everything she wrote regardless if the plot had me interested. This plot was not interesting to me in the blurb, but it was a Feeney, I had to read it! Unfortunately, this one didn't hit with me and I believe it has finally broken the hold Feeney had on me. Yes, she has had ones in the past that I greatly disliked, but this one was just, meh.

The plot took a long time to go anywhere, and if I hadn't been listening to it, it would definitely have been one I couldn't finish. There are long spans in the middle where it feels very little happens. Grady meets many of the islanders, and some slightly spooky stuff happens while he is at the cabin, but it really takes a long time for him to even see the woman that looks like his wife on the island, and even when that happens, the pacing still didn't feel quick enough.

When the reveal is finally made, it felt more like a sigh of regret. It wasn't all that surprising, but it also wasn't exciting. It was dark, but could have been darker. It shared the hopelessness of the ending of Gone Girl, but didn't go far enough, it was just okay. This book needed more of something in the middle to keep it interesting, but I don't know what that something is. More side character backstory? More creepy happenings? More all of the above? Not sure, but this definitely won't be my most favorite Feeney, nor will it be my least favorite.

The narrators for this audiobook did a great job. I loved the accents they used for the Irish accented characters and I never questioned who was speaking as they changed their tone enough to differentiate.

Alice Feeney’s Beautiful Ugly is a psychological thriller that lingers in your mind like a half-remembered dream—haunting and disorienting. I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton. Their voices don’t just tell the story; they embody it, bringing layers of tension, grief, and unease to life in a way only truly skilled narrators can.

The book focuses on Grady Green, a successful author whose life unravels when his wife, Abby, disappears under chillingly strange circumstances. After leaving her car by a cliff with the door open, Abby vanishes without a trace. Grady, full of grief and questions that never find answers, retreats to a lonely Scottish island to escape the world—and perhaps himself. But when a woman who looks eerily like Abby crosses his path, he’s drawn into a web of obsession, memory, and dangerous hope.

Beautiful Ugly messes with your perceptions. Feeney toys with you, twisting the narrative in ways that made me question not just Grady’s reality, but my own grasp of the plot. The themes of grief and memory are weaponized, shaping every decision Grady makes and every interaction he has. This isn’t just a whodunit—it’s a why-did-it-happen and can-it-ever-be-untangled kind of story.

The setting plays a massive role in the book’s mood. The Scottish island, with its windswept cliffs and pervasive isolation, is an active participant in Grady’s downward spiral. It magnifies his loneliness, feeds his paranoia, and creates a sense of dread that creeps into every scene.

The audiobook narration is excellent. Richard Armitage’s portrayal of Grady captures every nuance of his unraveling—his sorrow, anger, and desperation are palpable. Tuppence Middleton, meanwhile, adds a mysterious quality to Abby and the other women in the story, blurring the line between the living and the lost. Together, their performances amplify the novel’s unsettling atmosphere.

If I had one critique, it’s that some of the twists didn’t surprise me as much as I'd expected. Feeney is known for her jaw-dropping reveals, and while there are plenty of those here, a few felt more telegraphed than usual. That said, the emotional weight of the story more than makes up for any predictability, and even the expected moments feel satisfying in the context of the whole.

Beautiful Ugly is a masterful exploration of how grief warps our perceptions and what it means to truly let go. It kept me guessing, unsettled, and deeply invested until the very last page (or, in my case, the very last line of the audiobook). If you love stories that are as emotionally resonant as they are twisty, this one should be on your list.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advanced copy of this book for review.

NYT Bestseller Author Grady Green's wife has been missing for a year. She was the love of his life, and he's never been able to get over her disappearance. And he's been having trouble writing. When he gets the opportunity to write on a remote Scottish island, he jumps at the chance. Soon he's seeing things and among them is a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.

Despite Grady being the protagonist here, there was something about him that just got under my skin. I read this whole book thinking things just aren't right but what level of not right are they? I must say I enjoyed this book immensely. I honestly couldn't put it down, and I was dying to find out where this all ended up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. I really enjoyed the sound effects which gave this a real cinematic feel. Plus, Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton were great narrators. I absolutely recommend this book.

This was a great thriller read!! Great twists that I didn’t see coming! And some that I did, but I still enjoyed the book! 🙌

I listened to the audio ARC and I felt the narration was well done by both narrators! Definitely recommend giving this one a listen!! 👏

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review!! Alice Feeney continues to be one of my favorite authors!! ❤️

This is my first Alice Feeney read. I thought that the writing was well done. I did feel like it was just another Thriller. The story was okay but I didn't feel like it hit as hard as some of the other thrillers I have read,

Wonderful! I would have never suspected him. The island was so creepy once I realized it was all women. I wish there had been a TW for the piano teacher.

What did I just listen to! I really didn’t like the story. Nothing against Alice Feeney. I should have DNF’ed but it was a NetGalley and I wanted to finish! Ah. Not for me. So odd all the way up to the end. Especially the last few pages. Not sure wtf happened lol.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

Grady Green's dreams came true one year ago when he became a New York Times best selling author, that same night his wife vanished a mile from their home, turning his world upside down. After her disappearance he couldn't write or sleep and lost everything. When his agent offers him the chance to stay at her cabin on a remote Scottish island with the hope of clearing his head to start writing again he jumps at the chance. The island is as remote as it is beautiful, there is no telephones, or internet and the only way in or out is via ferry with no time schedule. Then he sees her... his presumed dead wife, but is she real? The mysteries and the secrets of the island haunt him as he tries desperately to write and follow the trail to his lost love.

Alice Feeney returns with another twisty domestic thriller. The story is told mostly from Grady's POV with a few sprinklings of his wife Aubrey in the days leading up to her disappearance. Grady is the perfect unreliable narrator, as I couldn't tell if he was really encountering all of these sightings and strange happenings or if they were his imagination running amuck. The dark island of Amberly almost became its own character with secrets buried below its beautiful façade. There are bizarre situations across the island that I picked up on quickly but in true Feeney style some twists that I did not see coming. Some I liked and some felt far fetched. Overall the dark suspense is an enjoyable read.

I had the audio version read by Richard Armitage, with a few chapters by Tuppence Middleton. Armitage does most of the heavy lifting and provides an excellent narration which held my interest throughout the story. I liked the addition of sound effects including the crackling walkie talkies for a nice effect. A very enjoyable audio book.

To preface this I don’t get scared by books easily, and I have read some dark and scary books. However, this book actually had me feeling scared and jumpy. The audiobook was amazing and the background sound effects added to the whole experience. The narrators did a fantastic job telling the story and making me genuinely scared at moments. Our library will be purchasing this book immediately. Thank you!

⭐️⭐️Review⭐️⭐️
📖: Beautiful Ugly
🧍‍♀️Author: Alice Feeney

About? Author swimming in grief from his wife’s disappearance can no longer write. His agent sends him to a remote Scottish island for a change of scenery that will possibly cure his writers block and help him heal.
Makes you feel? This is wild! I love domestic suspense thrillers. So this was the perfect book for me! This one led you in so many directions and you definitely had no idea how it would end up! It was eerily atmospheric. So many layers that ALL come together in the end!! My favorite quote….

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

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to @Netgalley for an advanced audible copy in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, BUCKLE UP, because I have got some things to SAY. I’m not sure if I’ve ever felt so conflicted about a book before. And I also never do this, but I wrote a separate Goodreads review that is riddled with spoilers, so if you’ve read the book and want some of my truly unfiltered thoughts, you can check that out over there.

I’m going to try to do this justice with no spoilers! For the first 90% of this book, I LOVED it! I’ve read three of Feeney’s other books, and this one by far sucked me in the fastest. I felt like it had fantastic pacing, and the build up of suspense was so well executed. My mind was going a mile a minute as I tried to figure out how all of the pieces fit together—and honestly, I couldn’t figure stuff out. Even the setting was love for me! A remote Scottish island?! Yes, PLEASE! I was positive this was going to be a five star read to start off 2025.

(Insert record scratch) But then I got to the end. Most of us who frequently read thrillers know this typically can make or break the book. And for me, Feeney just completely negated all the good I had finished reading. I’m obviously not going to say what here, but one of the big plot twists was very, very poorly written. In fact, it downright makes me mad still when I think about it. Also, a lot about the ending felt very far fetched. Is that alone enough to make me drop the score? No, but the plot twist I can’t talk much about was truly enough to ruin the book for me, and I’m just still really sad about it.

🎧Can we talk narration though? I’d give the audio a FULL 5 stars for SURE! I absolutely adore Richard Armitage in particular and he was perfection. I also loved the random sound effects (waves, walkie talkie scratches, bells, etc.) included. 1000% would recommend listening to this on audio should you choose to read it.

Always lots of twists and turns and suspense in Alice’s books. This one did not disappoint!!! I was thrilled to see the audiobook as I thoroughly enjoyed a previous book of hers. This is not my go to genre, but I definitely enjoy her reading her books and will always seek them out and read them. I like the suspense, but I also like that they don't scare me too much or keep me awake at night! I loved the plot, and especially loved the sneaky message that was left in the book!!