Had some really good parts, but there's too much jumping around! AND there is too much given to the past with Jo and Ian! If the past could be cut down a lot, it would be much more enjoyable to read!

I really really enjoyed this! I was always on the edge of my seat and while I normally am not interested in books involving the military this was super compelling.

WOW! I liked this one a lot. Beautiful Bad is a great psychological thriller and much more. It is beautifully written, with fascinating and well developed characters. It is filled with unexpected twists and turns. It has a little of everything, it’s a love story, a murder mystery, a psychological thriller, with a terrific ending. This book grabbed a hold of me and wouldn’t let go from beginning to end. I highly recommend it. I will be reading more of this author. I was provided an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The prologue was so interesting but then the next two-thirds of the book were a chore. After that the story picked up and was really well done. Quite a twist of an ending!

I fell in love with the main character in the first few pages. I remember thinking to myself: "Maddie, I love your sense of humor." Unfortunately, that side of Maddie was never seen again. The remaining pages were filled with an over-abundance of flashbacks which could have been greatly edited and still allow for the reader to get the gist of the story/characters. Maddie became a boring namby-pamby until the ending when we find out she was a bit unhinged. For me, the story was told in fits and starts, and never really grabbed hold of me.

Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

This book was amazing. Read very quickly but I did not want it to end. Can’t wait to see what Annie Ward comes up with next

A chance encounter in a foreign land brings together Ian, a war beaten British soldier, and Maddie, an American ex pat travel writer living in Bulgaria. Their intense yearning for each other finally culminates in marriage, a baby and a seemingly idyllic life in small-town Kansas. Things start to unravel when a camping accident leaves Maddie badly scarred, physically and emotionally, and Ian’s volatile temper and PTSD driven excessive drinking escalate. Beautiful Bad is thrilling voyage from Bulgaria to Macedonia to Manhattan. These damaged characters will grab you with their stories and the ending will take your breath away.

I couldn't finish the electronic copy of Beautiful Girl by Annie Ward I received to review because I completely lost interest ! I was disappointed in this book and I had such high hopes for it.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Beautiful Bad reminds me of many thrillers I have read but Ward manages to infuse familiar territory with some new twists. Maddie is a solo adventurer and writer who travels to dangerous parts of the world. As she sees it, her destiny is to travel, write, and live a life free of entanglements. That all changes when she meets Ian - a soldier, bodyguard, and mercenary. Ian exudes danger and Maddie is instantly smitten. Her best friend, Jo, another thrill-seeker, discourages the relationship between Maddie and Ian and her dismay causes a rift between the two women. Maddie and Ian's attraction is mutual but years pass before they actually consummate their relationship.

Part of what Maddie sees in Ian is the way he lives on the edge, going from one danger zone to another. What Maddie doesn't realize, however, is that Ian views Maddie as a lifeline that must be protected at all costs. There are clear signs of Ian's mental anguish. When they marry and have a child, Charlie, there is just more for Ian to protect.

The plot line includes frequent flashbacks that allow readers to get glimpses of the early stages of the relationship and the gradual fraying of reality. Much of this might sound familiar but the ending is an unexpected stunner.
#NetGalley #BeautifulBad

I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. The plot was good, but the book just dragged so badly. I felt there were whole sections that could have been cut (such as some of the "day of the killing" scenes). A lot of what was repeated could have been nixed as well, or at least condensed. After a while, it became a tedious read. By the end, I honestly didn't really care about the why of the killing. I just wanted the book to be over with. Perhaps if the pace was picked up a bit, and there were a lot of edits to the timeline and characterization, then this book would be stronger.

I couldn't finish the electronic copy of Beautiful Girl by Annie Ward I received to review because I completely lost interest within the first dozen pages and so, unfortunately, I won't be reviewing the book.

Thank you.
Wendy Ward
http://wendyrward.tumblr.com/

This book kept my interest throughout and the ending really surprised me. I would recommend it to friends.

There were some heavy topics in this book. You're pulled in right from the start and I would highly recommend this book for fans of mysteries and psychological thrillers.

The book is about a couple that are in distress. They have a son, the wife has worked overseas and the husband is military and had previously been stationed overseas and is suffering from PTSD.

It starts off with a 911 call and you know there has been a murder. The book takes you to before the murder occurs an leads you up to what happened. You're able to see how everything comes together.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

One of the best books I have ever read. And I've read hundreds!

This is the story of a young woman who falls in love with a bodyguard in terrorist countries. They meet, part, and years later meet again, however, they have both undergone changes, not necessarily for the better. Explosive, shocking, and like nothing you have ever read before, You will be holding your breath right up until the shocking ending, you won't have seen it coming and it will leave you reeling!

Ten stars to this author for incredible writing and a story like nothing you have ever read before Mesmerizing!

Wow; just wow! This is a domestic thriller unlike any I've ever read; a true standout in a crowded genre. Told over many years, we get to know Maddie, an adventurous and impulsive woman running from an average midwestern life. She ends up in a far-flung eastern European country with a friend from high school a few hours away in a neighboring country. They met interesting people from around the world, and Maddie falls in love with one. What follows is an epic love story that literally traverses the world over a decade - and what a treat; experiencing parts of the world rarely written about in popular literature.

But not every love story is made of functional, healthy love. Some love is dependent, entitled, obsessive, misguided...even dangerous.

And then, into this troubled love story, a child is born. What next?

I worried at first that this tale would be disjointed, because it jumps back and forth through three time periods and sometimes even two points of view. However, it truly flows flawlessly.

While I did guess at part of the ending, I was surprised by a lot. And the last "chapter" of the book left me truly awestruck and horrified, though also strangely satisfied. Never have a I wanted justice to be served so badly, and never have I wanted just one more chapter in a book. I was satisfied, heartbroken, and horrified at the ending - a collection of emotions I've never experienced simultaneously!

5/5 stars; I can't recommend highly enough. What a literary treat. I would absolutely jump at the chance to read another book by this talented author.

Oooooh, I liked this one quite a bit!

I don't want to say too much because I don't want to spoil it, but this one was deliciously twisty, and while I figured out a little bit of the how, I was caught off guard with the why.

I will definitely be looking for more from this author!

This book had me in tears. It is a book with a romance but far from a book about romance. It was the life of Maddie and Ian. The life of Maddie and Charlie. It was a heartbreaking look at the affects of war, of love, or loss and of determination. This was an incredible story and one that I will have to re-read.

While I love psychological thrillers, this particular one wasn't one of my favorites of this year. Although it was good, it just wasn't great! I have to say I was mostly surprised by the ending being written the way it was. I feel like the author needed a bit more suspense and details in the middle of the story. The beginning and the end were well thought out, and I am anxious to see what else this author has written so I can see what other writing styles and conflicts/plots they have come up with.

I was super excited to read this book after the description compared it to The Woman in the Window. While I didn’t find it quite as explosive as The Woman in the Window it was still an interesting thriller! The story goes back and forth along three different time lines, when Maddie and Ian first meet, weeks leading up to the crime, and the day of the killing.

Maddie has suffered a few traumatic head injuries, once when she was little, and the other while camping with Ian. Ian isn’t well either, due to his military background he suffers from pretty severe PTSD. I wouldn’t call their relationship a healthy one, even from the beginning, but the attraction between them was incredibly strong. Their mental health may have been the very thing that drew them together and also the catalyst for the nearly perfect crime.

Wow! I did not see the ending coming, I wasn’t sure who committed the crime until I finished the book. I am still not sure what to make of the ending! If you like twisted thrillers, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this one!

Thank you so much to Harlequin, NetGalley and the author, Annie Ward for this advanced copy for an honest review. All my opinions are my own.

This book was good but I didn't LOVE it. Interesting start pulled me with an emergency 911 call so something bad had happened. Then we flash back to different times during the narrator, Maddie's life, and her marriage to Ian. I liked the writing and the story for the most part maybe a little hard to follow with the time jumps. I just really did not identify with or like any of the main characters. they were just unlikable and their actions throughout the story were implausible to me. I did not have any idea how the book was going to end so that was good too, and, although left the story somewhat unresolved, it made the book better for me. Thanks to NG for the ARC!!!!