This book is great for fans of psychological thrillers such as Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. It'll make you wonder how well you know your spouse! 

The book opens up with a dropped 911 call, but when the police arrive at the scene, the house is empty, the phone is smashed and there's blood in the kitchen. From there the story focuses on Ian and Maddie's relationship, going back and forth between 12 weeks prior and their early courtship. There is a big twist, fun side characters and a lot of suspense. It was a super fun, quick read and one I definitely enjoyed!

Looking for something that will chill you to the bone? Something that is truly mysterious, and will take you through turns you never expected? Than "Beautiful Bad" is perfect for you. Though I wasn't completely sure what I was getting myself into when I started it, and wasn't even sure I would like it, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I know it's going to be something I will think about for a good amount of time after I finished it.

Following the life of Maddie, it shows her in first person switching between past memories, the weeks leading up to a killing, and present day. The other characters in the book, Joanna, Ian, and occasionally Diana, shown through third person, rather than first, like Maddie. She's had a strange life, from almost dying as a child in a boating accident, then travelling European countries with Joanna, her downward spiral, and then later, her marriage to Ian and the birth of her son Charlie, and another accident that leaves her with an intense scar across her face.

This book was a wild ride from start to finish. Although I'm not usually a fan of chapters jumping around as much as they did in this book, I think it fit perfectly with the story, and it kept things incredibly mysterious, learning about the characters in chunks. I couldn't believe the ending, yeah it's one of those books, and I just know it's something that needs a place on my bookshelf.

I can't choose my favourite character. I loved them all, for very different reasons. They are some of the most gritty and real characters I've read about this year, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm sure that many other readers will feel the same way that I do about this book, and thoroughly enjoy this story. I also think that the morale of the story is that things aren't always as they seem, as they are with most mystery novels.

Thanks for reading!
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)

This book starts with Maddie seeking help 12 weeks before. Before what? Then it jumps to the day of the killing. Who died? Why? This was a great way to ratchet up the suspense and keep you reading. Then we go back to explore the past. Maddie, a writer living in Sofia, Bulgaria and Jo, an aid worker in Skopje, Macedonia, are best friends and visit each other often. The author does an excellent job describing these locations and the wartime conditions in Macedonia in the 2001. The reader can feel the fear and despair. It is there they meet “the bodyguards”, a group of Englishmen who are private bodyguards for government officials. Maddie immediately falls for Ian but he seems more interested in Jo. The narrative goes back and forth in time between the early 2000s and present day Kansas where Ian and Maddie are living. Maddie, disfigured in a recent camping accident, decided to seek help through writing therapy. She describes a troubled marriage to a man she is still in love with but somewhat fears. The characters are well developed as Maddie sees them. The author has written a powerful story mostly from Maddie’s viewpoint. But there are always two sides to every story. I’d like to thank Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the chance to read and review this dark and twisty book

How well do you know your significant other?

Do you know what are they capable of?

Beautiful Bad is a well written, twisted tale about the main characters, Maddie and Ian, their relationship and the trials along the way. Maddie has had a traumatic brain injury that leaves her with panic attacks and other struggles. Ian has witnessed the carnage of war first hand and upon returning home struggles with flashbacks, survivors guilt, and adjustment back to his home life.  These struggles put stress on their relationship but not only for them. Ian and Maggie have a little boy named Charlie.

Overall, I did enjoy this book! Early on I had figured out "who'd done it" and the outcome. However, for me, it was more of a story about how it was going to play out and how "she/he" were going to get away with it.  The main characters are well developed, as are the secondary characters. The story itself did jump around a bit.  There were past and present scenes, a countdown to the murder and time lapses after the murder.  Lastly, the ending left some open-ended events that I would have like to have known more about.

Many thanks to Annie Ward, Harlequin Books, Park Row, Netgalley. I was given this book in return for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Beautiful Bad is a slow-burn psychological thriller that builds from multiple points of views and time frames. I was really engaged with the book at the beginning when I was trying to understand how and why the main character Maddie had changed over time. I enjoyed the different settings of ex-patriates from Britain and the US in different parts of war-torn countries in Europe and Africa. Somewhere in the twists and turns closer to the end, I lost some of my initial interest. There was something off with the friendship between Joanne and Maddie and part of Maddie’s character came across as contrived. I still enjoyed the book and would read more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin – Trade Publishing and the author Annie Ward for an advanced electronic review copy.

This is a love story. It is also about friendship .. and loyalty ... and love ... and secrets and lies.

Maddie and her friend, Jo, are working overseas. Ian is serving in the British Army and he is instantly attracted to Maddie .. but then he's also attracted to Maddie. Maddie falls head over heels almost immediately. Many years pass with Maddie and Jo out of touch and Maddie and Ian also out of touch.

Nineteen years later, Maddie and Ian are married and the parents of a young boy, Charlie.. the light of Maddie's life. Ian is still working sporadically overseas, and when he comes home, he's different ... changed. Ian is is huge Vodka drinker which doesn't help the situation. He's not physically abusive, but he yells a lot, calls her names, questions the things she does.

But when a camping accident leaves Maddie with short term amnesia and 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; and the couple’s tangled and tumultuous past with Jo.

The story runs the gamut of places from the Balkans to England, Iraq to Manhattan, and finally to an ordinary family home in Kansas. The chapters are mainly told by Maddie intermingled with Ian's voice. There's a lot of back and forth leading to an explosive ending with a twist that I never saw coming.

This is a well written Psychological Thriller with credible characters that are finely drawn. The dynamics among the main character is what kept me glued to the pages. I think I read this one in record time ... just couldn't seem to put it down. Secondary characters, such as the writing therapist and the female detective held the suspense from start to finish.

Many thanks to the author / Harlequin Books / Park Row / Netgalley / Edelweiss for the advance digital copy of this Psychological Thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Beautiful Bad is a psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. The story opens with police being called, the sound of a child’s voice. The author uses flashbacks to various periods in the characters lives to set up the story for the reader. Throughout the telling, I thought I knew what was going to happen and then...a twist. Maybe I was wrong maybe it is the husband. Oh wait it’s the friend no it’s the husband and so it went until the end.

The story is intricate and complicated. The characters are flawed and well written. There are clues and false clues. It is a really riveting book.

I highly recommend this book to fans of psychological thrillers and anyone who just likes a good book.

Thank you to #Netgalley and #ParkRow for approving my request. All opinions in this review are solely my own.

This was a good psychological thriller. Not an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride but a slow build up to an interesting twist. Three different dysfunctional characters, various timelines, and settings in several war torn third world countries to ... Kansas. Maddie and Jo have been longtime bff’s, then along comes Ian. As you can imagine, trouble ensues as he becomes involved with both women. None of the characters are likable except for poor little Charlie, who I’m still worrying about after having finished the book yesterday!

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This book was just okay for me. The first three quarters were mainly filled with long ago background and I felt it could have been condensed a great deal. Also the protagonist was slightly annoying. The final quarter picked up the pace and I did really enjoy the ending, but it wasn't enough to redeem the story as a whole. 3 stars.

Beautiful Bad starts with a crime and then slowly unravels what happened. It takrs many years of backstory to get to the reaolution. 

What I liked:
*I loved reading about life overseas. The main characters meet in Macedonia and live in Eastern Europe throughout much of the book. Very interesting setting.
*The suspense level was great! I enjoyed trying to figure out where the story was going. 
*The characters were unique and had compelling backstoriess

The multiple POV was difficult for me, especially since the majority of the book is told from one POV and then when others chime in at the end, it was confusing and jarring for me.

Overall, a fast and intriguiging book.

This book was fun. That’s really the best way I can describe it. I enjoy thrillers — they’re quick-paced, they keep me interested, and I like to try and guess what happens at the end.

The main character in this book — Maddie — suffers a mysterious and disfiguring accident while camping with her husband and son. She seems like a timid woman — though the reader quickly learns that she wasn’t always so. The novel hops back and forth in time, allowing the reader to see Maddie as she is now (anxious and stifled), and as she was in the past (adventurous, intelligent, seeking danger and thrills in third world countries — this is where she meets Ian).

After her camping accident, Maddie begins to deal with large amounts of anxiety, and she seeks help through writing therapy. Through her writings, we learn about her best friend Jo, her son Charlie, and some important nuances of her marriage with her husband Ian. Despite her self-proclaimed love for both Jo and Ian, we find out that Maddie’s relationship with Jo was tumultuous and we find out that her husband Ian is dealing with PTSD and paranoia due to his time spent at war.

This book moved quickly, I read it fast — the plot kept me interested, and the writing was good. I can’t say that the story is entirely unique, though honestly, I don’t know how one would go about writing a unique thriller, as the market is saturated with this type of novel right now. I knocked off a half-star only because I was able to figure out the ending — and every thriller says “you’ll never be able to guess the ending.” I was hoping I’d be shocked, but I wasn’t.

If you’re looking for something fun and quick, that will keep you guessing (for much of the story), then I’d recommend this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the e-arc of this book.

BEAUTIFUL BAD enters the, now crowded, collection of thrillers with unreliable narrators as their hallmark. In this tale, a seemingly brain-injured wife might, or might not, also be a battered wife with a villainous husband intent on harming her. The rest of the tale is meant to confuse or inspire the reader. At times it does, other times not so much. There are some really good scenes, others drag on forever. How I wish there had been a really good twist at the end to really set this book apart and make it memorable. For me, there wasn’t one. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

You know when everyone says how great a book is and you start reading it and it's not quite what you expected? That's what happened with Beautiful Bad by Annie Ward. I'm not saying the book is bad but it simply did not grab my attention. I would have loved it more if there was more chapters about the actual killing and whodunit and why instead of all the different timelines that goes back and forth and only ended up confusing.

The pacing is slow and at times, some events seemed unsignificant. Even though the ending was predictable, the final twist was shocking as I didn't realise just how crazy the murderer was. What made the book a little bit more interesting was Maddie's character.

As I've said before, my low rating doesn't necessarily mean the book is bad. It just didn't fall into my prefered genre.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Good story! This story is told in alternating voices and dates that are all over the place covering more than a decade, Beautiful Bad has it all. It starts with a potential murder scene, but who, if anyone, has been murdered? Then we learn the back stories of Maddie, Ian, Jo and Charlie; how they met and how their lives all became intertwined.

Since we meet Maddie first, it's easy to feel she is a victim and Jo seems so strong, but roles are reversed at times leaving the reader not quite sure where things stand. Ian, from Maddie's eyes, seems loving, but troubled. Jo sees him as trouble, bad news, but does she/did she once care for him and that colors her thinking?

Just as we really get into the part of the story being told, the dates change and leave the reader hanging. It is frustrating at times, but adds to the suspense.

I still don't understand the title, but other than that, thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

What did I just read? Beautiful Bad is the first book by Annie Ward that I have read, so I didn't know what to expect. The blurb of the book grabbed my attention, and I did have a good feeling about this book. However, little did I know that I would be… Totally. Blown. Away.

Beautiful Bad is well written. This book takes us from Bulgaria to Macedonia to Iraq and then to a quiet little town in Kansas. The author does an excellent job of setting the scene for all these places, which in my opinion make for a better story. The story is mostly told from Maddie’s perspective and jumps between three different timelines. We also hear from Ian, and that part of the story is written in the third person point of view. Jo, Maddie’s best friend, is weaved into this twisted tale as well. The relationship between Maddie and Ian is filled with drama and agonizing intensity. These characters are damaged, peculiar and devious and I found myself liking them and disliking them at the same time.

Now on to the story, I feel that I can't say too much about the story without giving away its twisted nature. What I can say is that it kept me reading well into the night. The author has a cunning way of building and building the story - she will have you thinking one thing and then twist it around to where you haven't a clue as to what is going on or whose story we are to believe. The only thing I would have liked to see a bit more of was the criminal angle of this book. Overall, Beautiful Bad is a tense psychological thriller that will keep you guessing till all is revealed.

***I kindly received this galley by way of NetGalley/publisher/author. I was not contacted, asked or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion .***

Beautiful Bad by Annie Ward delves into truly ugly lies and deceit. It takes the reader to some interesting locations, third world countries as well as more affluent settings. Although the characters are interesting, they’re not very likeable.
I questioned friendship and trust throughout the entire reading of this novel. Maddie and Jo have been friends for a long time but what is true friendship to them? Both women are well traveled, highly educated and have interesting jobs: Jo works for nonprofit organizations helping women and children in war-torn countries, Maddie is a travel writer. Maddie travels to Macedonia often to visit Jo, or is she really going to visit Ian?
Ian works for the British military and then opens a security business with his brother. He suffers from PTSD and is living on the edge. He is drawn to Maddie but still maintains contact with a former girlfriend. Ian and Jo were friends in the beginning, but Jo quickly takes a disliking to him. Is it because of his interest in Maddie or is there something else going on there?
The story switches between the past and the present and is told by multiple narrators. It begins with a 911 call and then immediately flashes back to the beginning. The interweaving between the past and the present leads to unforeseen plot twists and at times some confusion.
Beautiful Bad is fascinating at times but there were also times when I just got lost in unnecessary detail. There is a lot going on in this story which slowed down the pacing a bit.
Thank you NetGalley for the review copy.
3.5 stars

In the description, this book is compared to The Girl on the Train, this book does not have what The Girl on the Train had, nor does it even come close to Defending Jacob. Not saying that it was a bad psychological thriller, it just wasn’t a remarkable one, and far from perfect. It had its moments, but I did not feel the all-encompassing dread that something terrible was going to happen and it didn’t have the overwhelming, oh WOW, blow me away moment at the end.
The story is told via different chapters, listening to Maddie’s story as told to her writing counselor or her daily activities, and then from Ian’s point of view. I will say there is one surprise the story alluded to, but in the end it had no relevance. I really liked that each chapter had a timeline, which always helps in keeping track. I found the story engaging, I just never felt that I cared for Maddie, she was an odd character and I came to have much more compassion for Ian, than I did for her. Jo was just a byline.
If you like psychological thrillers, I would say you may enjoy this one, but I have read many other gripping, surprising, pathological thrillers that carried a bigger punch. I will give this one 4****’s, it held my attention and did have a few twists.
I found this to be a quick read, and was allowed an advanced copy from Harlequin – Trade Publishing through Net Galley for my honest review, this one gets 4****’s.

Three stars because I liked the ending, but it was kind of a slog to get there. Didn't like Mady, didn't like Joanna, really didn't like Ian and could not for the life of me figure out why anyone would be attracted to him. But, like i said, good ending.

From different time periods and different points of view, Annie Ward takes you on a journey through the dynamic of Maddie, Jo, and Ian that results in a murder and a twist you don’t quite see coming. From the minute they meet Ian in a war ravaged Eastern European city as ambitious twenty-somethings, the relationship between Maddie and Jo is never the same. Ian is ever present in their lives as the years go on, and when you add a marriage and a child, things start to go awry. The way the relationships unfold and the troubles caused by this friendship triangle is one readers will be dying to find out.

Such a thrilling ride! Many unexpected twists and surprises in this book! I loved the wife between us and this reminded me of it and definitely worth the read!!!