The twist was good, but there was a lot of nothing leading up to it. I loved the narrators, but they were not enough to keep me interested. I only finished because I knew there was a big twist coming.

Alice Feeney has done it again - Beautiful Ugly is her best yet!

Grady Green’s life is shattered when his wife, Abby, mysteriously disappears. A year later, he encounters a woman who looks just like her on a secluded Scottish island, and the mystery deepens from there.

The audiobook is expertly produced, with a gripping atmosphere that makes the island of Amberly feel like a character itself. Feeney’s signature twists are timed perfectly, keeping you on the edge of your seat.

If you love psychological thrillers with unexpected twists, this is a must-listen. Go in blind—you won’t regret it! 10 out 5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was given an advance reader copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I loved the premise of this book and is told in a very compelling way. However the big reveal was a bit of a letdown for me and found the underlying premise very off putting

This one wasn’t for me. I got bored and really struggled through it .

Some may like it but I didn’t

I feel incredibly lucky to have received an ARC audiobook of *Beautiful Ugly* by Alice Feeney! As a long-time fan of Feeney’s work, this book made me realize exactly why I’m so captivated by her storytelling: it’s not just her intricate plots, but the unforgettable experience of being completely engrossed in her world.

Feeney has an unmatched talent for keeping me utterly perplexed yet thoroughly hooked until the very end. Her signature style involves dropping tantalizing breadcrumbs about 75% of the way through the story—just enough to make me shout, “WHAT?!”—and then *BAM*! She delivers a twist that flips everything upside down and makes me question everything I thought I knew.

Not all her characters are designed to be relatable, and honestly, I love that. Feeney’s storytelling isn’t about catering to comfort—it’s about delivering a narrative that takes you from Point A to Point Z with wild, unexpected detours along the way. Every twist feels like a perfectly plotted surprise, making her books an exhilarating journey I never want to miss.

Notice how I’m not telling you a thing about the plot? That’s because you don’t need to know. Trust me—go in blind, buckle up, and enjoy the rollercoaster ride. *Beautiful Ugly* is another stellar hit, and I’m recommending it to everyone I know!

This story hooked me from the very first pages. We start with the mysterious disappearance of a journalist, and then follow her husband as he figures out how he's going to continue his writing career without his muse. So many unexpected details, ominous characters, and unreliable narration make this an excellent thriller and suspense novel

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! This storyline was very unsuspecting and suspenseful. Wife gone missing but may actually be alive while on a secluded mystical island.

Thank you #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for granting me access to the ALC for my honest review!

Holy Moly Good Golly.....I have read all of Alice Feeney's book and I was waiting to see if she was going to write another....and she did! There is so much I want to say, but I don't want to spoil any of these words Feeney has written. The overall meaning is like a ray of sunshine coming through the clouds onto the sea. Enlightening, suspense, powerful and perfect is what I would say describes this book. Don't worry, there is Feeny's usual twist and turns.... but she doesn't is to elegantly!

My first book by Alice Feeney was Daisy Darker and I really enjoyed it, but Beautiful Ugly definitely tops it! This book is by far one of my favorites and I highly recommend it for the tension, eerie vibes, and just the twists it gives throughout as the story unfolds where everything is perfectly executed and leaves the ending a complete shocker!
If you like dark psychological thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seat then this book is for you!
Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Alice Feeney, and NetGalley for my advanced copy. I really enjoyed this audio book and the narrators as they did a great job!

A suspenseful read that kept my attention the whole time. I wish it would have had a few more twists, but overall was really enjoyable!

this review will contain spoilers.

the narration was done very well. Especially when they added the additional sounds like a telephone ringing. I honestly thought that was happening around me and not in my headphones.

I didn't super love the unreliable narrator. this definitely had Gone Girl vibes. I also didn't love how sexist the island was. That men were only a problem. Yes, bad things happen and people do horrible things, but women are also capable of heinous actions.

overall this was interesting, but I wouldn't read it again.

I plan to share this title with my instagram page on Tuesday, January 14th.

www.instagram.com/robinashleyreads

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

The book's premise is intriguing and unsettling, yet it failed to fully captivate me. This isn't entirely unexpected, as I've had mixed experiences with this author's previous works. It seems to be a matter of personal preference; her books haven't resonated with me as much as I'd hoped, and this one was no different. That being said, I believe this is my favorite of her books so far. I was engaged until the conclusion, which, unfortunately, lacked the same appeal. The cover, however, is stunning with its foil lettering, a detail I greatly appreciate.

Thank you @netgalley & @macmillan.audio for the early audio copy

4.5/5 stars!!
Grady is devastated by the mysterious circumstances surrounding the disappearance of his wife and eventually tries to keep doing what he loves by taking an opportunity to get good writing time in on a practically deserted small island in an isolated cabin in the woods. There are so many creepy scenes that play out in this book that was on the verge of giving me goosebumps. I can’t remember the last time a book truly creeped me out. I loved every second of it and couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen next because it truly had me guessing.

The audio book was fantastic along with the narration and sound effects. Definitely recommend listening to this one to get the full experience! Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron Books for this ARC!

Grady and Abby are married. Grady calls Abby to tell her something. The next thing he hears is Abby slam on the brakes of her car. He finds her car abandoned and that is that; Abby is gone. A few years pass and Grady is missing her. His agent books him a stay on a remote island, in order to reignite his writing career, and get him away from it all for a while.

While on this island, strange things begin to happen. Is Abby dead, missing, or right in front of his face? This isn’t a regular “vacation” island. There are some sinister things going on there.

All in all, I enjoyed the eeriness of the story. We get a little bit of haunting and spend time with some strange individuals. Also, an unreliable narrator is always fun. The narrators are Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton. We mostly hear from Armitage though. His accents are spot on. Both truly make the story better. I am glad I listened to the audiobook.

I think the spookiness and thrilling events could have had a little more oomph! Nothing really made me look under the bed while reading or sent a chill down my spine. However, I do love Feeney’s writing and do think it’s worth a listen or read. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of this book.

I absolutely adored this; it was fantastic! It was highly gripping and full of suspense with plot twists that had my jaw on the floor. The plot was excellent, the writing was engaging, and I loved how the story developed. The narration was fantastic and I absolutely loved the narrators. They really brought thr story to life.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful Ugly is the quintessential thriller. At the start of the book, you meet Grady and his wife Abby and shortly after Abby goes missing. The story then time jumps to a year later when Grady has lost everything, and his literary agent sends him to a remote Scottish island in hopes of getting another book out of him. While on the island Grady continues to unravel and is kind of pushed into focusing on his wife's disappearance. This book slowly explains the connections of each of the islanders in a very Agatha Christie kind of way and the end is just absolute magic.

I loved the way the mystery was teased in this book. Beautiful ugly is told in two timelines and POVs but the majority of it was from Grady's and throughout the book, you never know what to trust about his narration. There is the constant feeling of not being told the whole story which frustrates the reader in the same way that Grady is. The ending being a twist I not only didn't see coming but literally never would have guessed was a treat and really offers this psychological question of if you would trust the wrong person and if how people present themselves to the world, is the truth.

I usually keep notes on books that I know I will be reviewing, and I feel like these really capture the essence of the last few pages of this book:
If this is punishment for something, then it better be really bad because what in the world could he have done to deserve this?

Only like 10% left and literally nothing is making sense.

Oh my effing god.

What a twist. I genuinely never would have seen that coming.

What in the absolute universe did I just read?!?! Holy cow I did not see that coming. One of the best thrillers I have ever read.

I enjoyed so much h of this book! I really liked the narrator. The final sentence sent a chill down my spine. Many great twists and turns as you would expect with this author.

Thank you to NetGally and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of Beautiful Ugly.

All I can say is "Wow". I have read several books by Alice Feeney, and I enjoyed all of them, but this one blew me away. The suspense and build u in the novel was amazing. The location where the majority of the novel occurs adds to the atmosphere that.Feeney creates. Grady is a character that at times you feel bad for (with his wife disappearance), but at the same time some of actions make you question his integrity and morality.

At the end, when you think everything is tied up nicely, Feeney throws in one final curve ball that left me just saying "wow" after I had finished.

4.5 ☆
Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible—a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.

Wives think their husbands will change, but they don’t. Husbands think their wives won’t change, but they do. This is the truest quote I have ever heard or seen.

Man, this story was wild! I mean, mind-blowing wild! This is my second book by this author, Alice Feeney, and she did a good job with this story. I don't even know how to put it into words. I just highly recommend reading this story! But please check the trigger warnings before reading.

The audiobook is amazing. I mean, the production is amazing, with the sounds before every chapter. It's dual-narrated, and both narrators did a great job telling the story and were easy to follow.

Thank you, Netgellay, and MacmillanAudio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒐𝒏 𝑰𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎, 𝑩𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒌𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒔 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒍𝒆 @𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒊𝒕𝒂_𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒔 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌’𝒔 𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.

Oooooo Alice Feeney, you are so good at tangling the stories and then with one thread pull, it all straightens out. The last chapter felt a bit confusing for me, just with how the main male characters end. Ill have to read it again to see what I missed.