"Maddie and Ian's romance began with an encounter at a party overseas, Now almost two decades later, married with a beautiful son, they are living the perfect suburban life. But one day the sixteen years of love and fear, adventure and suspicion culminate when a frantic 911 call summons the Police to the scene of a shocking crime".

This story is told from multiples POV as well from different time laps, fluctuating from "the day of the call" (Now), "weeks before the killing" and events in the past (when Maddie and Ian's relationship begin). For me, the story that I enjoyed the most was Maddie's.

The story is well written and although the book may be seen at first more like a romantic drama than a psychological thriller let me tell you It will surprise you! it is filled with tension and it has a couple of unexpected twists that will keep you reading until the end.

Ward manages to keep you guessing over and over again. It is a story about love, lies, and betrayal. worth reading it.
Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley who provided me with an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. #BeautifulBad #NetGalley

A novel that travels through different countries and back and forth through time? You know I'm going to love it?

This book tells the tale of Maddie and Ian's romance, from how it from began to how it ended with a 911 calls and a horrifying crime scene. With an unreliable main narrator, Maddie, you have to wonder exactly what happened the day of the killing and who is really to blame.

This book was a slow read for me. I didn't necessarily devour it, however by the end I had to know exactly what happened. Although the ending may be unsatisfying to some, I kind of liked it. I also really enjoyed Maddie as a narrator because I kept wondering if she was telling me the entire truth, and when I finally made it to the end of was all sorts of shocked and a little disgusted too. I have to say, I love a novel that can make me FEEL something.

If you like a good twist and a narrator that'll keep you guessing, this book may just be for you.

This book was interesting enough that it kept me reading, but overall it fell flat to me. None of the characters were very likable, the "twist" was just meh, and the ending wasn't great.

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.