As a fan of Alice Feeney, she delivers another mystery that keeps you listening. This book will keep you guessing! 4 out of 5 stars!

I’m a huge Feeney fan, and generally give her books five stars. If I could give this one six, I would. I would argue to anyone that this is her best yet.

I was hooked from the very beginning. The premise of a best selling author’s wife just disappearing…and then he starts thinking he’s seeing her on a remote Scottish isle? Absolutely captivated me.

Also, can we talk about the setting for a sec? Unreal. Remote, can’t access it but twice a week (weather and ferry captain allowing), no cars for non-residents, absolutely tiny, tiny place with a sense of both reverence and magic in the places that were described.

Overall, this was a suspenseful read with twists I didn’t even come close to guessing.

After reading a few romance books in a row, I needed to jump back into a mystery/thriller and this one did not disappoint. Ever since I read Rock Paper Scissors, I knew I was going to be a huge Alice Feeney fan and that has not wavered. If you love thrillers or mystery books, then you should definitely go pick up this great book.

Alice Feeney is truly a master of the twist and Beautiful Ugly is no exception. This book was slow to build, but I would recommend listening to it on audiobook, as the narrator's voice keeps you engaged while Feeney builds up the dueling points of view. If I had read this in print I probably would have gotten through the first several chapters at a slower pace. I've also come to expect that Feeney's characters are unreliable narrators, so I constantly found myself wondering what was real and what would later be proven to be lies or a character's overactive imagination. I was not expecting the twist toward the end of the book, or the ending. Both had me gasping!

I flipped between reading and listening to Beautiful Ugly. I strongly recommend listening to it as it's far more interesting than the read. The audio book tells the story better which I found interesting as I usually prefer reading the book. I was able to "see" the characters more and grasp the isolation Grady experiences.

Beautiful Ugly is about Grady Green. On what is supposed to be the best day of his life his wife goes missing. He spends the year fueled by grief. He can't sleep or write. He has lost everything. He is given the opportunity by his agent to go to a secluded island and stay at the cabin once owned by a famous author. While staying there he is to write his next novel.

Once on the island Grady discovers that it's rather unique and peculiar. The island is full of secrets and as the unravel your hit with twists and turns the build the suspense and keep you on edge

Dark and twisty! I really liked this book. I love mysteries and this one kept me on the edge of my seat. A fast read that keeps you wondering what is next!

Mystery thriller that kept me turning the page, but I didn't feel like it was the best one I've ever read, although I did enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC Audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Beautiful Ugly is a poignant and thought-provoking novel that explores the raw complexities of identity, love, and self-acceptance. The writing is beautifully evocative, drawing readers into a world where imperfections become something to be celebrated rather than hidden. The characters are deeply human—flawed, vulnerable, and navigating challenges that feel incredibly real.

Despite a few pacing issues, Beautiful Ugly is a compelling read that stays with you. It’s an emotional journey worth taking, filled with moments of heartbreak, hope, and ultimately, transformation. Highly recommended for those who love introspective, character-driven stories with a meaningful message.

📚ABOUT THE BOOK📚
Grady Green's world has shattered. He should be celebrating the success of his first bestseller. Instead, his life has become a nightmare of unimaginable proportions. When his investigative journalist wife mysteriously vanishes after discovering a stranger lying in the middle of the road, Grady's life spirals into an abyss of grief and uncertainty.

Months of sleepless nights and financial strain have pushed Grady to the edge. Salvation arrives unexpectedly when his agent offers a lifeline: a remote writing cabin on the isolated Scottish island of Amberley. With nothing left to lose, Grady and his loyal black lab Columbo pack their meager belongings and embark on a journey of potential redemption.

The ferry ride becomes a living nightmare when Grady catches a glimpse of a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife. His desperate search yields nothing – she vanishes as quickly as she appeared. Is this a cruel trick of his imagination, or something more sinister?

The island of Amberley promises both sanctuary and potential danger. Will this remote location provide the answers Grady desperately seeks, or become the stage for an even more terrifying chapter in his tragic story?

MY REVIEW
Alice Feeney just dropped another mind-blowing thriller that'll have you OBSESSED. The audiobook? Next-level amazing! Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton brought these characters to life. The spine-tingling musical interludes? Chills! Every chapter had me holding my breath, wondering what mind-blowing twist was coming next. Seriously, drop everything and grab this audiobook ASAP!

💭FINAL THOUGHTS💭
OMG, Alice Feeney WRECKED me with that ending! 🤯 I'm torn between mind-blown and traumatized. I know all the book club girlies will eat this book up!

Alice Feeney never disappoints, and this book was no different. For fans of stay up all night to find out just WHAT is going to happen, this one is for you!

The pace of this book is a bit slow, so much so that I almost didn’t finish it. Boy, am I glad I stuck to it, the ending – what can I say but WHAT????
Anyone looking for a good psychological thriller, this one is for you.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copy.

I don't read a ton of thrillers, but I was very compelled to check this one out! It sounded so interesting to me.

Luckily, this did meet my exceptions! I really enjoyed it. I always love a good mystery in a thriller, and Feeney delivers that as Daisy tries to figure out what is going on.

You can really feel the intensity of this story! I loved the suspense as everything was told,

If you like thrillers, check this one out!

Well wow. 🤯 this is my first Alice Feeney book (rock paper scissors is on my TBR) but NetGalley approved my audio of this one and so I was so excited to start with this one first!

what a clever idea, and the whole vibe of this book was just eerie… And I liked it! The pacing at time felt a little slow, I did get a little frustrated at how Grady didn’t really seem to grasp what was going on around him for so long.

I really love a good shock when reading thrillers! when I totally thought I had it figured out, there was several (totally unforeseen) plot twists. 🤯🤯

I did enjoy the narrators of this book as well since I listened on audio❤️

Also, I loved the writing style! Honestly I’m different than a lot of readers I know because I have a hard time visualizing book descriptions, especially when they are too overly described-it’s like my brain shuts off instead of absorbing it (I don’t know how else to convey what I’m trying to say) but just some authors describe things perfectly (not too much but not too little) so I can actually get a visual in my head. I felt like I could visualize this island and the characters and that is rare for me.

Thank you to Alice Feeney and NetGalley for letting me listen to this book! ❤️

🌟🌟🌟🌟

Creepy and compelling, this suspense novel starts with a bang — a missing person — and evolves steadily into a spine-tingling remote island creepfest — where nothing is quite as it seems, for both Grady, our main first-person POV protagonist, and the reader.

Grady Green is a disheartened author, experiencing total unfathomable grief after the sudden disappearance of his much-loved wife, Abby — and the worst case of writers block of his career. Struggling to get his footing back, financially destitute, and running out of options, when an offer, out of nowhere, is presented, Grady cannot help but reach for it.

Amberly is far and away the most beautiful island imaginable — a Scottish paradise, hidden away from all but the most discerning traveller. And peopled, unexpectedly, with the strangest folks. As Grady begins what is purported to be a cozy retreat in a secluded writing nirvana, the plot begins to swirl, quirks steadily evolving into what feels like looming menace. And danger.

With an ending this reader absolutely did not guess, and more than one twist out of nowhere, this is a recommended read for thriller lovers everywhere.

Note : the lushly textured tones of the narrator contributed greatly to the atmospheric intensity of this audiobook thriller, making for a particularly special treat surrounding this readers enjoyment of this book.


A great big thank you to to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7190851713

https://www.instagram.com/p/DGDYA_lRK33/?igsh=dndmNWYzOXQ1ZzQ5

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid05Y45wuRp6WciHU1mRYBtPjJ28v1nDcbJjXBV72UmNcddr2oHRsLyRrDQfRVzsBYHl&id=100079858331313

https://booklymatters.com/beautiful-ugly/

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney is a gripping and emotionally charged psychological thriller that explores themes of self-perception, guilt, and redemption. The story follows a woman named Daisy, whose life is turned upside down after a tragic event. As secrets unfold and her past collides with her present, Daisy grapples with the consequences of her actions. Feeney’s writing is sharp, with unexpected twists and a dark, introspective tone. The book is a thought-provoking exploration of how we see ourselves and the lies we tell, making it a compelling read for fans of suspenseful psychological fiction.

I love me some Alice Feeney! She’s a must read for me and her latest was so atmospheric and unique. She’s very never read a book quite like this! Creepy island and an unreliable MALE narrator really made my day! I started to notice little glues, but the details of the ending were so unexpected! The sound effects in this audio literally made me jump a couple of times! So immersive!

Alice Feeney has done it yet again! In this new novel, Grady Green (an author) is figuring out how to deal with the grief of losing his wife and continue life at the same time. Grady has been unable to write since the day his wife disappeared on a road near their home... while on the phone with him. With the help of his agent, Kitty, Grady is able to take a trip to a remote Scottish island to try to write again. Only when he arrives on the island, he thinks that he sees his wife and the people on the island become increasingly strange. Grady's one-month island writing retreat soon becomes so much more.

Alice Feeney's writing style has to be one of my favorites. She is able to wrap the reader around her finger, encouraging you to read her books in one sitting! In this book, Feeney wrote about a male main character, which is uncommon in the mystery/thriller world. While this is sometimes hard to tackle well, I enjoyed how Feeney portrayed Grady. The audiobook was very engaging, with a 10/10 reader. This was more of a mystery than a thriller in my eyes, as well as a slow burn for sure. Not my favorite Alice Feeney I have read so far, but a good one I am happy to have picked up.

Alice Feeney’s newest thriller, Beautiful Ugly, will keep you guessing until the very end! The story immediately grips you from the very first chapter.. A woman is on her way home and while on the phone with her husband, slams on the brakes because there is a body in the road…she gets out to investigate and then disappears. Her writer husband processes his grief by heading out to a small island off the coast of Scotland to try to write his next great novel and get his life on track. But from the moment he steps off the ferry, weird things begin happening. Feeney’s normal twisty storylines stay with you the whole story—I literally had no idea what was going on for a majority of the book—I just couldn’t guess where she was going next!

I enjoyed the narration of this audiobook—loved the accents and sound effects.

I did not finished this one. The narrator wasn’t for me but will try to read the physical book soon. Thank you for the opportunity. My rating might change once I fully read it.i

I enjoyed this book. It kept me wanting more. I felt it was a little predictable for a thriller. I was never shocked, but I did enjoy the book. Grady annoyed me a little especially in the end. Thank you for the advanced copy!