Absolutely couldn't this book down. Flashbacks and forwards keep the tension tight. Characters well-drawn both in the plot and in psychological descriptions. Ranges from Bulgaria and Macedonis to Kansas. This book is really scary and engrossing at the same time. Highly recommend it if you like a combination of graphic thriller and psychological mystery.

The ending of this book was chilling and twisty and fabulous. This was an entertaining domestic thriller mystery that is told from multiple perspectives and points in time. The different international settings helped make this unique. This one had me turning pages because I was both dying to know and dreading what was going to happen. I may have actually gasped out loud towards the end. I think this is best read without knowing more than the book description reveals about the plot.

Um...wow.

This book opens with a 911 call featuring a frantic woman begging for help and a terrified child shrieking in the background. Police are dispatched and there is blood, a lot of it, all over the kitchen. Who does all of that blood belong to and who is the killer?

This story takes place in three time periods, the present, 10 weeks ago and 20 years ago and is told from multiple points of view. We visit Kansas, the Balkans and Iraq and we learn that all of the characters, Maddie, Ian and Maddie's friend, Jo have seen some stuff. All are well-written, as is the detective, Diane.

The twisty psychological piece is not learning until the very end who's blood was spilled and why.

I enjoyed this book and I thank Annie Ward, Harlequin, and Netgalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very twisted story. I was hooked from the beginning. The story keeps you engaged and turning the pages. The ending was very unsettling to me because I never saw the ending coming. I had it all wrong. It’s a very gripping story. I received an advance review copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting thriller that I had trouble following at times. It goes through different time periods and points of view, which had me paying more close attention to the characters and details. Maggie’s character was certainly intriguing and I wish I had more of her than the others. Overall it was a decent storyline with some good characters.

(4 Stars) Many books are described as being <i>Gone Girl</i> read-alikes, but this is one that truly fits the label.

Everything worked -- the alternating time periods, the character development, the slow unwrapping of the story -- but I could have done without the final over-the-top developments. It was overkill to an otherwise solid story.

In an unsuspected novel full of PTSD and very raw emotions. This story is wonderfully written. There were many twists and unexpected turns.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. What a great way to shed light on Anxiety and PTSD. This is a book you really have to stick with it you will be lost. It jumps from past to present quite frequently, but you get to Maddies's story unfold and truly explain her. It is raw and at times graphic, but a very good read.

4.25 stars!

This book sucks you in right away and is extremely hard to put down. Like most other reviews I would put it in a similar category as Gone Girl. The book starts with a 911 call and an office arriving at the scene of a murder. From there the story is well paced with chapters jumping from the past and present as well as the view from a few characters to help us figure out how we ended up with a murder. I thought the author did a nice job of setting the scenes throughout the US and Europe and developed the characters well. The only criticism I had of the book is that it could be ~25 pages shorter.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a thriller and am excited to discuss this book with others when it releases in early 2019.

Very engaging psychological thriller. Good unexpected twists and turns. Complex characters that you will either hate or love. Overall a solid 3 star read!

Beautiful Bad is one of the best three books I’ve read this year (Woman in the Window and Bring Me Back being the other two favorites so far). This is a suspenseful psychological thriller that I could not put down.
The story starts with “The Day of the Murder” and the narration teases the reader, following three timelines until they all come together. Each timeline, the immediate aftermath, the distant past when all the characters first met and the recent past leading up to the murder, is riveting, there isn’t one that I would skim through to get back to the “good part.” They were all good parts, and at the end of each chapter, the frustration of the cliff-hanger was quickly replaced by the anticipation of picking up another timeline. And when everything comes together, and the reader thinks it’s all over, it’s not. Even when I was guessing a few things right along the way, I had no idea what was coming in the end, and it was wonderful, and, to steal from the title, beautifully bad.
Every character is flawed, and every character has a secret or two that lead to the unraveling. Maddie refuses to see the flaws in Ian, and even though she’s warned by her best friend Jo, she chalks it up to jealousy. The conflicts and the ties between all three create a tension which is far more intense than a basic love triangle. Then throw in a crazy ex-girlfriend, a little PTSD, and strained family dynamics and you end up with a psychological thriller like no other.
I hope that the author, Annie Ward, stays in this genre for a while, she’s got a real knack for it and I’ll be looking for her next book. Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Umm... I’m at loss for words. The first 50 percent of the book really dragged for me. The ending was good and almost made up for the slow parts. Almost. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy.

Beautiful Bad by Annie Ward. As the story unfolds the timelines go from present to past and into different countries frequently. The story started off strong, dragged out in the middle and then picked up again at the end. The ending was unexpected. Had a difficult time relating to the characters.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Annie Ward does an absolutely brilliant job of keeping her twists and shocking turns close to the vest right to the very end! Maddie is kind of a 'do-gooder' thrill seeker as she helps the impoverished in third world and often war-torn countries. She has a very good friend who does the same, Joanna, and the two of them dash through danger zones partying with all kinds of ex-pats who have ended up in the same places for various reasons. During one such get-together, the Maddie is introduced to Ian, a British body-guard-for-hire. They spend very little actual time together and there are numerous complications (his girlfriend, Fiona as well as a little fling with Joanna), not the least of which is his constant need to be in danger's path. But his heart keeps him focused on Maddie and building a life with her. Maddie and Ian marry and settle down in Kansas, Ian's idea though he still occasionally travels for he and his brother's company now. They have a son they name Charlie and spend a great deal of time outdoors. On a camping adventure, Maddie, a little under the influence, trips and falls, leaving a terrible scar down one side of her face. Now her memory is fuzzy and her psychiatrist is concerned for her and she believes Ian is planning something terrible. The best part about this book is that what we think to be true is not true at all.....but we don't realize that until the last pages! Fabulous, fantastic and cannot wait to read more Annie Ward!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book focuses around a few main characters. This book starts with Maddie and Jo...they are two friends. The love to party, drink, and sleep around. Reading about them they don't seem to have any cares or morals and love to party in a foreign countries. I disliked both of the characters personally, but that doesn't reflect on the authors writing.

Maddie meets Ian at a party. He is in the British army. They are on and off again for years but finally decide to get married and have a child. Ian moves to middle america to be with Maddie and to raise their child. We learn that Maddie suffered an injury and cannot recall what happened to her. She thinks she fell, but Ian has a bad drinking problem and he gets angry a lot. He also suffers from PTSD. This part of the story leads you to believe that just maybe Maddie didn't have an accident.

Throughout the book, Maddie is talking to her therapist. Her therapist suggests several activities to try to remember and some include writing assignments. One of her therapy sessions has her wanting to make contact with her estranged best friend Jo, who she cannot remember why they aren't friends anymore. (You will learn why they aren't friends anymore in the book).

This book jumps between present day and the day of the killing. You will need to read it to find out who actually gets killed and how. There were lots of twists leading up to it and during it. I didn't see the ending coming at all!!

Thank you for this book! So many twists and turns. Defiantly a page turner for me. I read this one in TWO DAYS!!!! I can't wait for others to read it so we discuss it. The characters were so well written you felt like you really knew them and felt so bad for them with the horrific events they have been through. Please write more books! Thank you for this advanced copy!

3 Stars

"Hurry!" she screamed "Please help us! Hurry!" Then the line went dead.

After the 911 call is placed in a small town in Kansas, police officers arrive at Madeline Brandt's home. What police officers find is a gruesome mess that started over 10 years ago.

Maddie, an American, is a journalist living in the on the outskirts of Macedonia. But she is not far from her friend Joanna who is across the border is smuggling in goods to help the poor. At a party, Maddie meets Ian a member of the British Army. Although they had completely different upbringings, there is something that draws Maddie and Ian together. And although they are at the wrong place and time, eventually they find each other and start the pedestrian lifestyle they have been avoiding all their lives.

Settling in her hometown in Kansas, Maddie has the life she dreamed. A husband, Charlie her son, and another on the way. Things have started to unravel over time. Ian's PTSD has been impacting the family. There was an accident on a camping trip. After a few, too many glasses of wine Maddie falls in the dark. She cannot remember any other details. Secretly, Maddie starts to seek help from a therapist. And as she dives in deeper, the past invades their lives.

Beautiful Bad is told in alternate storylines. Suspense is created right from the beginning. We arrive at a gruesome scene at a suburban house. The story is then told in alternating points of view and timelines, from Maddie to Ian and from past to present. In the past, we see the strange courtship of an emotionally dark man and Maddie. We see inside the character's plights which gives insight into their behavior. As the story unfolds the timelines culminate to a dark night.

This is one of those novels that I find difficult to review because of mixed feelings. The actual story itself is very intriguing with compelled my will to read. However, I found several of the characters unlikable with dialogue that was challenging to follow. Furthermore, the timeline and countries skipped around so frequently that it became unbalanced. One of the reasons I persisted was that I found Maddie endearing and I was anxious to see what the therapy sessions revealed. Having one of the storylines set in the Balkans during tumultuous times created a great atmosphere for the backstory. And finally the conclusion of the "The Night of the Killing" emotional.

Thank you Netgalley, Harlequin, and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The beginning of this book started of with a 911 call and immediately hooked me. It was written in reverse chronological order which was o.k except that in my opinion there were too many graphic details and descriptions that did not add anything to the conclusion of the story. The characters were well written and my heart felt for little Charlie. I wished there had been a different ending although I know this added to the thriller aspect and will be one that many may like, it just was not one of my favorites.

Best friends Maddie and Jo have met Ian in Europe where they all are working. Both women have a relationship with him at different times. Maddie ends up his wife. They have a son, Charlie.
Maddie and Jo’s frienship falls apart for years until the friends reconnect. Ian suffers from PTSD and anger issues. Maddie seems trapped and scared.
Just when you think you have things figured out, they take a twist and you are stunned.
It is hard to put this book down. You need to keep reading straight through and then, you will need to read the ending again!

"Things that make me scared: When Charlie cries. Hospitals and lakes. When Ian drinks vodka in the basement. ISIS. When Ian gets angry… That something is really, really wrong with me."

Maddie and Ian’s romance began with a chance encounter at a party overseas; he was serving in the British army and she was a travel writer visiting her best friend, Jo. Now almost two decades later, married with a beautiful son, Charlie, they are living the perfect suburban life in Middle America. But when a camping accident leaves Maddie badly scarred, she begins attending writing therapy, where she gradually reveals her fears about Ian’s PTSD; her concerns for the safety of their young son, Charlie; and the couple’s tangled and tumultuous past with Jo.

The characters were great and we'll developed. Anyone who enjoys this genre of books will love this one!

Thanks to #NetGalley for this ARC of #BeautifulBad
Pub Date: 19 Mar 2019