Extremely well plotted psychological thriller. The three main characters - Maddie, her best friend Jo, and the love of her life Ian - are all expertly developed and engage the reader right from the start. The reader becomes the voyeur of their exciting and daring lives in some of the most unsafe countries in the world. Even when Maddie returns to the States, she chooses to live a darker personal life, preferring places where “the ragged people go”. Both Ian and Jo have other people in their lives, but the complex intensity of their individual relationships with Maddie - and the triad they form - dictates their fates. Only one of them is both irrevocably damaged and sociopathically dangerous, but which one? Excellent foreshadowing, but only for the most discerning fan of the genre!

Beautiful Bad sounded like just my thing: psychological thriller, plucky heroine, remote locations, etc. So I was happy to provide an honest review in return for a copy from Harlequin/Park Row and NetGalley.

This one has several of the things I like (listed above), and a few that maybe I have just gotten tired of, having read so many in this vein: alternating points of view, plot jumping back and forth in time, etc. But the cover blurb ("The perfect marriage leads to the perfect crime") kind of hooked me.

The story opens with a chapter entitled “Maddie: Twelve Weeks Before,” told from Maddie’s point of view, followed by a chapter “Day of the Killing,” switching to third person. Fortunately, I read the whole thing in a couple of days so I was able to keep track of what led up to the killing, and that the center of the story is the story of travel writer Maddie’s romance and eventual marriage to Ian, a British soldier. The story includes Maddie’s best friend Joanna, who Maddie is visiting when she first meets Ian. After nearly 20 years, Maddie and Ian are settled down in the quiet Kansas town Maddie was so eager to escape when she began her travels in the Balkans. They have a son, Charlie, and seem to be living a perfect suburban life in Middle America.

Maddie suffer an accident (or was it?) on a camping trip and begins writing therapy to help her deal with things, including her scarred face and deteriorating relationship and disappointment with Ian. She tells her therapist in her writing assignments about Ian’s PTS, which have led her to be worried about Charlie’s safety (and her own). The story takes Maddie and Ian to various locales, including the Balkans, Iraq, New York City, and Kansas.

On the “Day of the Killing,” a frantic 911 call summons the police to the scene of a murder.I did NOT see the ending coming until very near the end…not unusual for me, but still a nice twist. As I said, I may be up to my eyeballs in the whole plucky-heroine-in-danger-thriller genre, but I didn’t LOVE this one. Might also be somewhat due to the lack of characters about whom I cared if anything bad happened to them. Three stars, probably would be four if I weren’t cranky today...

I have mixed feelings regarding Beautiful Bad. While the plot did intrigue me, I have to be honest that the title probably would have potentially turned me off from purchasing. It might seem silly, but I definitely base my purchasing decision at least partially on the cover art and title.

This story is told in a variety of ways and from multiple viewpoints. I mostly enjoyed how it was told through the multiple time periods, viewpoints, and the writing therapy (though I didn’t love the handwriting font used for the writing assignments). The story immediately drew me in starting with the day of the murder, and I definitely thought I knew where the story was headed. There were a few decent twists, some expected, some not, though I felt that the end reveal/resolution came a little too fast. One thing about this book that was tricky for me is that none of the characters really end up being likeable, which is usually something I struggle to identify with. Overall I would say that I don’t feel like this book is in the same league as some similar thriller heavy hitters, but it was enjoyable.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I just finished a crazy, complicated mystery/thriller, Beautiful Bad by Annie Ward, and it was a good one! I'd say this book fits nicely in the Gone Girl literary lane. This book was full of twists and surprises and cringe-worthy moments, and I appreciated the background of the characters. The book begins as a police officer is called to the scene of a potential domestic incident. Deciding not to waste time waiting for backup, she enters the house and witnesses the aftermath of an obviously brutal crime. To make matters worse, a child was heard in the background of the 911 call, but she doesn't see anyone....is the child okay? THERE IS BLOOD EVERYWHERE.

Then we're transported almost two decades earlier, where Maddie and Ian meet in 2001 in the Balkans while she is working as a writer and he is a member of the British Army on a dangerous tour mission. Times are tough, the entire area is on the brink of war, yet they are immediately attracted to each other. Ian's keeping secrets, however, and is clearly troubled by his dangerous job and past experiences. 

Masterfully weaving past and present, I thought the lead up to what actually happened in the house was great. In addition to the captivating mystery in the story, I appreciated the descriptive background of the Balkans, as well as the lives of humanitarians and the military who work in the most dangerous parts of the world. War affects people differently, and the PTSD and paranoia that the characters deal with was difficult to face and read about but also felt very authentic.

I had NO CLUE what actually happened until the very end of the book, and my guesses kept changing at every chapter. I loved that! The ending was tough for me, but also satisfying. I finished the book thinking "Is anyone really who we think they are??"

Sooo good.

4 out of 5 stars for Beautiful Bad by Annie Ward, which comes out March 2019.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin- Park Row for the wonderful opportunity to read and review this book.

Words that could describe this novel inclde: Brilliant, real, shocking, and unforgettable. I absolutely adored it and couldn't put it.down for two days until.I was finished.

Maddie is living the life she was meant to have... Writing a travel book on the remote war-torn region of Bulgaria where she has escaped to live far from the dull.plains of.Kansas where she grew up. Her best friend, Jo, is only a bus ride away in Macedonia, and it is on a trip there that she meets Ian for the first time.. He is beautoful, yet foreboding with his oversized muscles and mysterious title.of "bodyguard" .

They continue to run into each other throughout the years and Maddie's feelings continue to grow. After many years Ian finally asks Maddie to marry him and they begin their life together....but Ian's past is not easily forgotten and his temper.can.be.explosive. ..the happily ever after Maddie longed for may be a fairytale. after all.

Can't recommend this too highly! Five stars!!

I really tried with this novel but those opening chapters were difficult to get through. The writing is pretty bad and I ultimately shelved it.

Woah! I did not see that ending coming! I loved the way Beautiful Bad is put together, moving back and forth in time. The characters are extremely well crafted. I feel I would recognise them on the street. Now that I am finished I have more questions than I did as I read it, and I am wondering if I missed something. This would make an incredible movie and a great book discussion selection.

When a book is described as “In the most explosive and twisted psychological thriller since The Woman in the Window, a beautiful marriage turns beautifully bad” then I know I must get my little hands on it as soon as possible.

Beautiful Bad by Annie Ward looks like it could be an unputdownable thriller and those are the best kind! Take a look:



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.

From the Balkans to England, Iraq to Manhattan, and finally to an ordinary family home in Kansas, sixteen years of love and fear, adventure and suspicion culminate in The Day of the Killing, when a frantic 911 call summons the police to the scene of a shocking crime.



WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN? I love a domestic thriller full of secrets!

Really more of a 2.5 for me, middle of the road. There was tremendous detail and backstory. More than I needed or wanted for the insight it provided.

Maddie, Ian and Jo are not very likable. Sometimes that works for me (Gone Girl), sometimes not. Here not so much. Maybe it’s because I want the unlikable characters to be wickedly evil or unbelievably clever and over the top and these weren’t.

Multiple narrators gave the story additional depth. There were some good twists and then some things left unresolved. The story wandered off the path a few times and could use a bit of trimming. The ending though; that was crazy and fun!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Harlequin - Trade Publishing for a copy in exchange for a review.

Annie Ward has written a page turner that will appeal to readers who enjoy Gillian Flynn and Ruth Ware. Because you know from the outset that someone is killed, there is a suspicion of almost all the chief characters from the beginning. It was a thrilling read, but not one that ends particularly happily.

Good Writing. Good Story. But When You Tell Me It's Like Gone Girl Meets The Girl On The Train That's Definitely What I'll Expect Or Better. .

It Was Good Just Maybe Not For Me. Kudos To The Author.

This book kept my attention but I didn't find it spectacular. I think I've read far too many mysteries that it is hard to surprise me, but I did appreciate the work and author's effort.

I wanted to like and tried to like it, I liked the story line and the war tie-in but the writing just seemed disjointed to me. I think I got lost in some of the flashbacks. I am not saying YOU will not like it but rather it was a DNF for me.

The exotic locations in this book is what grabbed me first. The book starts with Maddie, Ian and her friend Joanne all living in the Balkans in their twenties as part of school or service. And while the characters weren't overly concerned with danger in the parts of world they live in, they are young, and it was right before September 11, before many of us felt we had to worry as much--whether we were right or wrong.

One thing I craved more of in the beginning of the story was more history and insight into the conflicts in the regions the characters lived in, more physical descriptions of the places they traveled. Because this book definitely starts differently than many thrillers and I wanted more of that.

As the story unfolds, we are taken through the intense and deep friendship that Joanne and Maddie share. We also see Maddie and Ian's toxic relationship unfold...with what starts as a deep undeniable attraction that smolders and smolders, erupting several times before the inevitable end. And we all know that type of relationship does not provide the stability to last, to live with every day. But those relationships are also the most tempting and memorable ones.

This review will be posted to my blog, womenintroublebookblog.com on February 19, 2019.

I didn't dislike Maddie, but I certainly felt she was not capable of making good decisions. There is some insight later on the book that helps explain why she would be this way, and I really appreciated that. All in all though, the end of the book left me feeling extremely unsettled. And I know that can leave a memorable mark sometimes when a book ends that way. But I wanted more of a resolution.

Beautiful Bad is the sweeping international story of a bad romance. There were things about the book I didn't love, but I still really enjoyed the book as a whole. Those traits and baggage that when we are dating we pass off as fixable or just a phase, can have long-lasting impacts on our lives. Ward does a great job illustrating these toxic relationships.

A special thank you to Park Row and Netgalley for an advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Beautiful Bad unraveled very slowly. It was full of back story about several young people in Eastern Europe prior to 9/11. Maddie and Ian eventually marry, and Maddie gives birth to baby Charlie. Maddie learns Ian has been setting them up to live in a bunker to be safe from his PTSD nightmares. We know there is a murder, but tying in all together in an amazing knot makes this a decent read. Thanks to NetGalley and the author for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my fair and honest review.

What an amazing twist of a novel!! Could not put it down - felt like I was living this life...amazing ending that I am in awe of

I’m not a fan of comparing books to others like Gone Girl or The Woman in the Window - but this one lives up to the comparison! This tumultuous tale takes place in various war-torn countries, as well as Kansas, hooking me from beginning to end!

The opening scene was graphically intense and I had hoped the rest of the story would maintain that edgy pace. Unfortunately, with the story referring back to the past the story switched gears to a more somber period of time.
There’s a lot to process in this story and it doesn’t help with the way it’s delivered. I’m not sure how to sort through all this information.

This became a very political story in regards to Ian’s character. Ian’s character spent his youth in war-torn, terrorist-ridden, third-world countries. It’s no surprise that he is edgy, angry, and skittish around crowds of people. Ian was paranoid about his safety after spending years protecting other people living in countries where attacks occurred frequently. He was molded by his circumstances in life.

This could be referenced as a second chance romance despite not really having a beginning. The timing was never right. Distance separated them, yet their hearts remained the same.

The reader gets an in-depth view into the past lives of Ian, Joanna, and Maddie before the day of the killing. Yet, I didn’t like 60% of the story. I ask was it necessary to build an extensive backstory on these characters? Maybe, yet not this extensive. Not to mention I had no idea where the story was taking me. With the initial opening scene I thought I was headed into a different type of story. It wasn’t until the last 30% did I figure out the purpose of this story. I could forgive the other 60% given that the ending blew my mind. Did the author redeem herself? Absolutely. I’m glad I persevered even though I skimmed because the ending was worth the wait. If the entire book was written like the opening and final scenes then this could have been a 5 Star read.

Probably closer to 2.5 stars than 2 based on the plot alone, but this was probably the most unlikeable cast of characters I've ever encountered in one book. For supposed best friends, Jo and Maddie are complete and utter awful people to each other, and Ian was a complete mess of a stereotype. He was like a walking poster boy for what civilians expect soldiers coming back from Iraq to be like, with some kind of childhood trauma mixed in that never gets properly explained. There's some kind of accident that completely disfigures Maddie's face that the police say couldn't possibly have happened the way that she says it did, but that never gets properly explained either. The entire book is really a hodge podge mish mash of back and forthy timey wimey (sorry, I had to) timelines that just make the book nearly impossible to keep up with, so not only are the characters awful, but the story line leaves you reeling as well. And then, the cherry on the cake, spoiler b-tee-dubs, there's NO RESOLUTION. We couldn't even get that. Sorry, this one is a hard nope for me.

This was a fascinating book; Ward opens with a murder and then unravels it slowly until the final page reveals the "truth." Maddie and Ian appear to be a happy couple with son, Charlie but of course there is appearance and then there is reality. We flashback to see how Ian and Maddie met in a war-torn country and follow their relationship along with Maddie's best friend, Jo. We all know that relationships are hard work--both in love and in friendships, and these often test the boundaries of sanity and reason. Throw in a little PTSD and paranoia and things get dicey. I enjoyed the past/present aspect of this novel and even though I didn't always like the characters, their stories seemed real and relevant. There's plenty of tension and it's poignant and well-written. The end may leave you gasping but to me, those are the best kind!