What are the odds that our narrator is telling us the truth? How much of what readers are getting is paranoia? Insomnia? A drug induced haze? Beautiful Ugly had me hooked from the beginning because it was difficult to discern what was true. Another winner from Alice Feeney!

Beautiful Ugly is a masterclass in psychological suspense. From the opening pages, I was hooked by the intriguing premise and complex characters. The narrative is intricately woven, revealing new twists and turns at just the right moments to keep the reader on edge.

What stands out most about this thriller is its unpredictability. Feeney expertly balances tension and pacing, unraveling secrets at a pace that feels both surprising and satisfying. I particularly appreciated the depth of the characters and how the author made even the impossible seem plausible. The plot developments left me stunned at times, as they were entirely unexpected yet perfectly crafted. Beautiful Ugly is not just a thriller; it's a reflection on the gray areas of morality, trust, and the complex web of human relationships.

I was able to snag this as an arc audiobook, & glad I did! Alice Feeney does it again with all the many different characters. An author (Grady Green) whose wife (Abby) disappeared & he lost the love for writing & doing anything until he was giving a second chance to write again! The way my mouth dropped when the saying they tell each other before bed was said! Yeahhhhh that’s real different. Dang, when you to worried about what you don’t have, you lose sight on what you do have! Grady, Grady, Grady….WOW the way this ended, I enjoyed listening to this book!

Grady calls his wife and heard her slam on the brakes and open the door, then nothing. Her car is found with the door open and her phone inside.

It's been a year and author Grady hasn't been able to focus to write. What happened to his wife, where is she? When he travels to a small Scottish town he sees a women who looks so much like his wife.

The twists and turns keep coming and listening to the audiobook was when better with the great narrators. I zipped through this book, wanting to know what happens next. I definitely recommend this book to the thriller book lovers out there!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of this book!

If you like your thrillers as twisty as a rollercoaster, this book might be a good choice for you, because Feeney has plenty of surprises in store. That said, while I've really enjoyed some of the author's books in the past, this one will not go down as one of my favorites. I found the characters largely unlikeable, and while I don't necessarily have to love every character, I'd prefer to like at least a few! The motive behind the crime also struck me as bizarre and, while it's not uncommon for this genre to veer into unbelievable, "Beautiful Ugly" goes straight over the top. While I didn't love this one, I'm still a Feeney fan and will happily pick up whatever she puts out next.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advance copy for honest review.

This book sucked me in, I could not stop listening to it! So good, love this author. It did not go in the direction that I expected...

What a roller coaster of a book. Honestly just when you think there couldn't be another twist it just slaps you with another. I don't think I've had such a wild time reading a book before. I did see some things coming but not everything. The last 10% of this book I yelled WHAT like 5 times.

The book can be confusing I honestly felt like I was going a little crazy reading this book which is the point with a book like this you're meant to question everything you're reading, it's not meant to make you feel comfortable. So well executed. like I'm honestly still in like a book hangover with this one!

I loved the creepy island, the group of characters were all great and mysterious, it was really a beautifully plotted book.

The writing was honestly so good, I'm beating myself up over the fact it took me this long to read an Alice Feeney and I can guarantee it won't be the last.

Grady is an author whose passion is writing and his wife. The night he makes the NYT best seller list is the same night his wife disappears while he is on the phone with her. He can’t write and is a mess since then and his agent helps him with a place to stay on an island for a few months to write and hopefully get back on his feet. Weird things start to happen on the island and he doesn’t know what’s real anymore.

So this is a somewhat of a slow burn, but the kind I typically like. It had me wanting to keep listening to see what was going on. Weird things kept happening and you knew they would lead to something but didn’t know what. I loved that part, which was about 85% of the book. I also really enjoyed the setting of the book. Feeney is the queen of twists and this book is no different. However, the twists in this book weren’t my cup of tea. They felt so bizarre and outlandish. This isn’t my fav of hers.

I will say the audiobook was done fantastically! The narrators were great and the sound effects they put in there really added to the ambience!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audio copy of this book!

Haunting, chilling and wickedly twisted describe the latest creation by Alice Feeney. I was fortunate to listen to the audiobook and have to say it’s without a doubt the best audiobook I have listened to in a very long time. The sound effects, eerie music and superb narration by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton create a realistic journey to a remote Scottish Island where all is not as it seems. Alice Feeney masterfully crafts an atmospheric, enigmatic and mysterious story where truths are stranger than fiction. This thriller is a perfect example of why Alice Feeney is known as the queen of twists. “Fear can make something beautiful appear ugly.” There are countless moments throughout this twisted tale where actions are driven by fear and the line between beauty and ugliness is blurred. The final seconds of the audiobook gave me chills. I was captivated from start to finish. I highly recommend this to all of those who love thrills and chills. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my audiobook.

Beautiful Ugly
by Alice Feeney

Thank you NetGalley, Alice Feeney and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of “Beautiful Ugly”
The queen of twist Back at it again. My mind was completely blown. The narrators did a great job bringing the book to life. Highly recommend.

I was honored to receive an audio arc from NetGalley. I loved the narration, the way the storyline flowed, and the suspense I got from the audiobook.

Alice Feeney knows how to write a thriller with non-stop twists. She even had me second guessing myself when I thought I had something figured out. If you are new to thrillers I would recommend this book. This book comes out January 14 2025, and I can’t wait for others to read it. I need to talk about those twists! A solid 4⭐️

I love Alice Feeney. I wasn't the biggest fan of this book. She is amazing and I love majority of her books but not so much this one,.

I had very high hopes for this book given the author, but it did let me down a little bit. The story never had a very good climax and just felt altogether boring overall. The ending was decent, but I really wanted something big to happen in the book and it didn’t.

I found this incredibly dull and redundant. Neither character was likeable and the plot twists were unfathomable. This was such a bummer for me because I've loved just about every other book that Alice Feeney has written

Alice Feeney does it again! This book will move to the top of your favorite Alice Feeney book list! It did not disappoint. From the beginning the author makes it so you’re wanting to read more and never stop until you’re finished. Clear your day.. this thriller is for you. A TBR must for all Alice Feeney fans.



Thanks Netgalley & Macmillan Audio for this advanced Reader copy.

Although I overall did enjoy the storyline, I felt the resolution was a bit confusing. The twists and turns were good but again felt a little confusing with who was really to blame for all the issues

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Great mystery with lots of twists. I kept getting inklings of what I thought was going to happen and multiple times I was surprised with twists.

Grady's wife Abby goes missing on her way home to celebrate some big news for him. He has lost his ability to write his next novel and is suffering from insomnia. He goes to a small cabin in a remote Scottish island to focus and is convinced he sees his missing wife.

thank you to Net Galley + Macmillan Audio for letting me listen to a copy of this early!

overall, i liked the eerie, mysterious vibe that was going on. i was very keen to figure out what was happening! the ending, however, left me less than satisfied. there is a reveal that very conveniently fuels the entire plot yet NEVER gets explained. a lot of unexplained character motivations and convenient actions.

i would recommend this for a fast read with good mystery vibes. just don’t go into it looking for all the answers or satisfaction.

my little annoyances:
firstly - stop putting smut scenes in your non-romance books. there was at LEAST 5 over described sexual scenes in here for WHAT????? for literally what.

second - just a little quip but by the end of the book it started to annoy me: each chapter title is an oxymoron (ie. ‘beautiful ugly’) and the phrase is so purposely emphasized in each chapter it’s jarring 😭

the audio book features sound effects which i found to be a great touch!

I really enjoyed this book! The beginning and Abby's disappearance were so strong and left me with so many questions that I needed to know what happened to her. Even then, I wasn't totally sold until Abby's first chapter. So much intrigue baked into her storyline! Grady's storyline was full of creepy small-town-everyone-is-watching-you-and-you-might-be-losing-your-mind vibes, which is top-tier suspense, in my opinion!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I went into this read with limited expectations…only that Feeney is an automatic read for me.

The first chapter and the cover…I was instantly hooked. While the plot dragged along at times, this suspensful thriller provided a bevy of plot twists to keep the readers chugging along. Once the book was finished, all I could think was… “well that was interesting.” I had hoped the ending would be the icing on the cake…but it was lacking. It was difficult to connect with any of the characters.

Hats off to the narration (aka the production) because it was fantastic...sound effects and all. You felt as though you were in Scotland with the characters, especially with the Feeney’s depictions. If opting to read this book, definitely recommend the audio version.

I’d recommend this book; however, this was not Feeney’s best work. A slight letdown but will read any future books.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted ARC (audiobook)…as all opinions are my own.