Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of Beautiful Ugly.

This book follows Grady, a writer who is having an unbelievably bad year. First, his wife Abby goes missing, and then he’s hit with writer’s block. In an effort to escape, he travels to a remote Scottish island—only to see the impossible: his missing wife.

While the premise sounded intriguing, I had very mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, the concept held so much potential, and there were countless ways the story could have unfolded. However, the execution didn’t work for me. The pacing was a significant issue—it was far too slow to build, and the tension I expected was missing entirely. Then, around 80% in, the story suddenly felt rushed, with too many elements thrown in at once.

I also struggled to connect with the characters. Grady wasn’t likable, and none of the other characters stood out in a meaningful way. Abby’s point of view and motivations were especially confusing, leaving me with more questions than answers. The unreliable narrator aspect added to the confusion rather than enhancing the plot.

At times, the book almost felt like it was written with a TV adaptation in mind—it’s easy to imagine it becoming a mini-series. Unfortunately, as a novel, it didn’t quite land for me. Despite the authors popularity, the far-fetched plot and inconsistent pacing made it difficult to enjoy.

'Wives think their husbands will change but they don't. Husbands think their won't change but they do.'

Grady speaks to his wife, Abby, on the phone on her way home. Abby stops the car and gets out - but doesn’t return to the car... and she doesn't return home. A year later Abby is still missing. Aspiring writer, Grady, is offered to take residence in a writer's house on a small island off Scotland, shrouded in mystery and inhabitants that seem to know more than they let on.
In true Aluce Feeney fashion, this is another suspenseful, gripping read from the very start right til the last page

Alice Feeney is a bit of a hit or miss author for me. I like her setups and the ideas, but I'm often a bit disappointed with her twists and endings. "Beautiful Ugly" gave me exactly that.
The premise is an old hat, admittedly. Man is on the phone with his wife, overhears his wife leaving her car because she sees a woman lying in the street, and it's the last time he ever hears from her. But old hats can still be fashionable and I do like that kind of setup.
Feeney's writing is as accessable as ever so once again her thriller turns out to be a quick read, and there are creepy elements throughout the story that I really enjoyed. Sadly, I did not care at all about our main character so I was pretty indifferent towards his ultimate fate. And sadly the big twist is one I saw coming because it's such an overdone twist in thriller books right now, so I was actually actively hoping it wouldn't be that, but yeah it was. Some things also simply didn't make any sense because of the twist, and it genuinely felt like the story was simply written around it instead of it being an organic solution to the mysteries. This is something I've noticed a lot in recent thriller fiction - it's like the Shocking Twist is the most important aspect of the story to a degree that almost seems forced instead of focusing on a coherent mystery that unfolds organically. Here's my apparently unpopular opinion: Not every thriller needs a shocking twist.

So yeah, lacklustre main character, pretty boring side characters, a rather meandering pace, plot holes and big parts of the story where simply nothing happens with a disappointing twist as the cherry on top. The actually really atmospheric setting and the interesting premise couldn't really make up for all the issues I had with this one.

A very slow book.
Grady is on a phone call to his wife Abby when the call ends and she disappears.
A year later Grady goes to a small Scottish island to hopefully write a book in peace, but that's when strange things start happening and he believes he has seen Abby.
The plot is very strange and a bit unbelievable so I Gave it 2 1/2-3 stars
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC and I give my honest review

I usually write a review immediately after I finish a book, but in this instance, I let the book wash over me, I sat with my thoughts, before I tried to put in order how I felt. This is an incredibly hard book to review, without giving away spoilers. There is so much more I want to say, but am unable to.

Grady Green is an author, desperate to be acknowledged as a New York Times bestseller. So much so, that all he is, all he feels is dependent on whether this dream is realised. On that highly anticipated day, the highest of highs, is followed very quickly by the lowest of lows. His wife, Abby, disappears on her way home. Her car, with their fish and chip supper, is found abandoned on a remote cliff top road. Fast forward a year, and Grady’s life is understandably in tatters.

I found this character driven thriller to be very intense. It is brimming over with locked room claustrophobia. The characterisation is deep, the Isle of Amberly itself is a rich, brooding landscape. So much time is spent within Grady’s head. I questioned his perception of the events surrounding him continuously.

As I’m sitting here, the significance of a small detail towards the end of the book has just registered with me, though I can’t share this with you sadly.
There are so many different elements to the book, so many story strands; that it is only when everything is drawn together by the conclusion, that I understood how intricately woven the plot was.

I wholeheartedly agreed with some of the sentiments expressed by the characters. Authors are my rock stars, and I do enjoy a revenge thriller.
I thought I was reading a book about an author trying to piece his life back together, but the reality was, I was reading an entirely different book; and I loved it. 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.

Alice Feeney has done it again. This thriller had everything. The intensity throughout is what Alice Feeney does best! This may actually be up there with one of my favourites! The characters were amazing as always. I absolutely loved this book

Alice Feeney is one of my favourite authors. I love her dark twists, messy characters, and effective atmospheres. Her books always entice me straight away with the promise of an unnerving mystery, and Beautiful Ugly certainly hooks you with a banger of an opening.

From then on, I was completely taken in by the beautiful but chilling atmosphere. Set primarily on an island with only 25 residents, I loved the confining pressure that this created with the curious characters, claustrophobic mist, and eerie goings on.

There’s also a brilliant exploration of marriage at the core of this story which I think really makes you re-evaluate some of your priorities. I love this quote:

“Wives think their husbands will change, but they don’t. Husbands think their wives won’t change, but they do.”

However, while I love Feeney for her messed up characters, these guys should not have been together! Brilliantly written, but it’s no wonder they had issues!

Unfortunately, I have this knack for predicting Feeney books and it’s really annoying for me! Her books are far from predictable, but this is the third time now that I’ve had an inkling early on that has been right. So that’s the only reason this book was deducted half a star from me, as it lacked that shock factor in the concluding scenes.

Of course, there were many other twists that took me by surprise, so this is a classic Feeney thriller that will keep you on your toes! Definitely one to add to your wishlist if you love a thriller with an isolated setting and dark twists.

This was a thriller with many layers and a twist that I never expected - didn’t see it coming at all. Grady Green is a writer who has just found out that his book has become a New York best seller. Calling his wife Abby, who is driving home, to share his excitement, he hears her stop the car because she has seen something in the road, he hears her get out and then nothing. Abby has disappeared. A year later, still grieving, he cannot write and is running out of money. His agent, Kitty, suggests that he take himself off to Amberley, a remote Scottish island to live in a cottage that used to belong to another writer but which she inherited after his death. Thinking that getting away will be just what he needs, Grady agrees but the first thing he sees when he arrives is, he thinks, his wife. But it can’t be, Abby is dead. The sense of isolation on the island is very well done and there is a sense of calm and peace which is just what Grady needs. But there is also a growing sense of unease. Grady has questions that he can find no answers to. He seems unable to get back to the mainland. There is no phone or internet service, cutting him off and all the time he feels that he is being watched. And then we get the drip, drip, drip of strange occurrences and strange behaviours displayed by the women on the island. Strangely, there seems to be no men. I like the growing sense of tension but I wasn’t a big fan of the reveal/twist. I didn’t expect it but felt that it needed me to suspend my belief a little although looking at other reviews, I’m in the minority. Told with some flashbacks giving Abby’s POV, Grady is not someone who gets my sympathy, where as Abby maybe does. A twisty thriller that doesn’t do what I expected it to do.

Grady is an author whose wife has disappeared. He is unable to write and losing everything. His agent suggests he goes to a cabin on a remote island to write where he thinks he sees his wife. You also get her viewpoint and it is clear from early on that Grady is not a reliable narrator. There are several twists before the end of the book. This wasn’t really for me as it was too far fetched and I really didn’t warm to any characters at all. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.

The book started off good and was intriguing in true Alice style. However, the latter part of the book was a bit ridiculous and rather predictable. The ending was silly and farcical. Definitely not Alice’s finest.

My Rating: 1⭐️ sad to say, I didn’t enjoy this one at all!!

I am not going to recap this one, Goodreads does a decent job of it and I am told by my reliable source (GR friend Kristy) if you love Alice Feeney you will love her stuff and if you don’t then you are likely going to hate it… I unfortunately fall in the latter category.

To say I hated it would be harsh, but I did not enjoy it at all.

I think it would be fair to say that this is very much a popcorn thriller, very far fetched and over the top. That is all fine I can deal with that very well… I do in fact love myself some over the top ridiculous plots… BUT… the writing needs to be good, engaging and entertaining. For instance, the M.W. Craven, Ben Koenig series… that is like Die Hard on steroids but the writing is “chefs kiss”…. To me!!!

I guess that is the kicker isn’t it… we all have our tastes and this one did not cater to me at all. I found Grady insufferable, again not a deal breaker but we twirled around and around and around with his moaning and insomnia and obsession going almost no where so so long…it was so repetitive I just couldn’t handle it. I actually didn’t think we were going to get to the point and I was going to be in a loop of Grady complaining forever… but thankfully that did eventually come to an end.

I felt like the plot was a bit all over the place, like the author maybe had so many ideas but perhaps didn’t need to put them all in the book. Like the fact that the Island had no birds… that was actually to me (and maybe I drifted off) completely pointless, I mean aside from the fact that would be my dream come true as I hate birds so much, it was actually just a nothing point…

That in itself does not ruin the book of course but when there are so many little things that you go… really you spent words on that… it just all becomes a bit much, I think the book was too long for the story she was trying to tell and I think the execution was a bit off. I found myself bored, in a book where there were actually quite a lot of twists and turns.

A lot of weird stuff happened at the cabin…and I know it was intended to be creepy, I unfortunately just found it cringy.

I didn’t really like any of the characters at all to be honest, which again is not a deal breaker but no one really stood out as a hero… and then in the end the whole reason for Grady being there became a moot point because of… well thats spoilers and people love this author and will love this book so I wouldn’t do that.

Overall, for me this was a disappointment, it actually does nothing to make me want to read anymore of her books. But I am glad I tried because now I can say I have. I think that a lot of people will love this, and already do. So perhaps don’t listen to me. My one GR friend that I don’t think will like this at all is Rosh (unless Alice Feeney is your guilty pleasure author) then do yourself a favour and skipparoo this one hahaha.

Everyone else… I feel like there is a good chance you will like it so ignore my grumpy ramblings!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Flatiron Books and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

he ending might have dragged a bit, but this book is a good mix of quotable and mind-boggling, and one that will have you lookout for her next.

“Wives think their husbands will change but they don’t. Husbands think their wives won’t change but they do”

Grady Green is a best selling author. When his wife Abby disappears, he loses his will to write. His publicist sends him to a cabin on the remote island of Amberly hoping it will reignite his creativeness. But when strange things start happening on the island, Grady starts to wonder if he’ll get out alive, let alone with a new book.

In true Alice Feeney style, Beautiful Ugly is packed full of wonderfully quotable one liners. Sentences that really make you think. Ones you read more than once because they just make so much sense in so few words.

Told in a dual perspective of Grady and Abby, the story unfolds in such a clever way it just keeps you guessing and guessing and on your toes throughout. It’s like an impossible jigsaw trying to piece together the puzzle.

The characters are likeable, well developed and there are some really relatable and believable marital scenes.

Another hit from Feeney, she’s turning in to a go-to author for me. 5*

Deliciously weird and very dark this book was a joy to read and another page turner from Ms Feeney.
The plot is difficult to describe, but includes unreliable narrators, an author in an isolated cabin on a remote island peopled by strange inhabitants and a severed hand among other things. Add in a loveable labrador, some outrageous twists and turns, and I was up way past bedtime determined to find out what happened.
Thank you to netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy of this book .

Thank you Netgalley for my ARC.
I loved the previous book I’d read so I had to request this.
I couldn’t put it down.
A missing wife. A famous writer. But a whole host of other background characters.
Grady is on the phone to his wife when she stops the car for a body in the road. She gets out and Grady never sees her again.
A year later he’s struggling to concentrate or even continue writing. He’s obsessed with what happened to his wife as she just vanished that night.
Grady is invited to a remote Scottish island to use a writer’s cabin in the woods. Is this the break he needs? Will it allow him to get writing again.
Well it would if someone wouldn’t keep slipping news articles that his wife had previously written under his door. Who else is on the island with him? And what do they know about his wife?

So good! One of those books that you’re desperate to finish but you’re also gutted to finish. I sped through this in a day because I was fascinated to see where the story would lead but I’m already worried that my next read will never live up to this in terms of engagement.
The backdrop is stunning and remote and the descriptions of the scenery make you want to be transported there yourself but this contrasts with the bleakness and remoteness and the feeling of being trapped and without any means of contacting the outside world. Definitely yin and yang stuff, entirely relatable to want to be away from an environment that is too peopley but also stark loneliness.
The premise of the book is really disconcerting, with Misery vibes and more than a healthy dose of gaslighting and not really knowing what’s going on. There are enough twists and turns to keep my brain pinging and me on my toes and I was grateful that I didn’t quite like the main character but no spoilers here. Clever, entertaining and very compelling, great writing, thank you.

3.5 rounded down for goodreads and netgalley.
Overall, it was a solid mystery thriller. Definitely more mystery than thriller, because it is slow-paced and not much happens until the final reveals. I did appreciate the originality of the plot and the atmospherical setting. However, some bits of the plot, especially at the end, were a little bit underwhelming. The main character, Grady, is unreliable and multi-faced. Some of the other characters, like Abby, are full of enigmas. I would definitely recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Grady Green is a New York Times best selling author, he is on the phone to his wife when she finds someone lying in the road, she gets out to check and disappears. A year later, Grady goes to the Isle of Amberly to write a new book, whilst there he keeps seeing a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.

This didn’t really get going until just over halfway though, I am glad I stuck at it just to find out what the hell was going on with the residents of the Island! I didn’t really care for any of them to be honest. The last couple of chapters were packed full of information & it was slightly confusing.

I have read a few of Alice Feeneys books, she is great at a plot twist but this just dragged on too much for me personally.

Here is the blurb "Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life.

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. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared.
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."

This book was good at times and at others not so much? I enjoyed reading the book on the whole it had a good build up. However, the big reveal just didn't make sense to be honest and I found myself scratching my head a little. I was also unsure which characters I had empathy for, and found myself switching between characters. It was an ok read but found the ending a little disappointing.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Pan MacMillan for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
Alice Feeney is a master at delivering a twisty dark story, this is also a clever game of cat and mouse between husband and wife.
The story is set in a remote island of Scotland, Grady who is a best selling author, is going to be staying in a cabin which had belonged to a deceased writer, he is hoping that he will find his words again and be able to come up with a new bestseller, he hasn’t been able to write since his wife Abby mysteriously disappeared one year ago he has been wallowing in grief, unable to sleep and drinking too much.
The islanders welcome him but he finds them all a little odd, they are all women and there are no children.
Grady keeps seeing his missing wife, she is always wearing the red coat she had on when she disappeared, is she still alive, or is his lack of sleep making him doubt what is real?
Great descriptive writing giving the reader a real feel for the remote island, a few interesting characters which add to the twisty, suspenseful story which I finished in 2 sittings and highly recommend.
4.5 stars