Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I'm always very happy about an ARC and being able to give it a review! <3

Finally a story with an unreliable MALE character. Usually you only read from a woman's point of view...*smh* So I think it's great that Alice Feeney chose a male character! I think we've all had enough of a "insane" female character...

Of course you notice a few things in the book that make you wonder how it all fits together and at the end everything is explained well. It's not really a page-turner for me and I would have preferred a bigger shocker at the end, but I still had a really good time reading the book and I kept thinking about it whenever I put the book down.

A really great and exciting story that unfortunately also shows a little bit of the reality of woman.

A cracker of a book. Pure entertainment with more than a dash of mystery and thrills. Surely this will be a TV Series - looking forward to viewing it! Shades of the "The Wicker Man", perhaps.

My initial feelings were to have doubts - mainly because the location of the Isle of Amberley didn't feel Scottish (to me) - especially the name. I was hooked regardless though.

The characters and relationships in the book were all very important and central to the very creative plot. I must say that I was intrigued by the beautiful relationship between Abby and her husband, Grady Green. The book started with huge sensation as Abby disappeared while on the phone to her husband and you could not help but feel sorry for the him. To grieve or not to grieve.

The plot developed cleverly as Grady tried to regain his ability to be a top-selling author. The island community was most helpful but unsettling at the same time. They all seemed very nice but the reader always had a feeling that all was not as it seemed.

The ending for me was totally unexpected. What a clever twist. The author must be commended for the huge drama as the plot unfolded.

I loved the book and have no hesitation in recommending this sensational book to others.

This is a brilliantly addictive psychological thriller. It is fast paced, with lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing right to the very end. It is one of my favourites by this author who does dark domestic thrillers so well.

What an absolutely amazing story! I could not put it down and the twists just kept coming. I will most certainly recommend this book to anyone! Well done, Alice Feeney!

An absolute masterpiece with twists you just won’t see coming. You will be captivated from the first page to the last, a genuine page turner at its finest!

I devoured this within 24hours, it would have been less if I didn’t have to par take in real life!! You will want to give yourself a clear few hours as you literally will not be able to put it down.

I read this after it was recommended by a friend and didn’t even read the blurb on the book, this is the best way to go into this one, totally unexpecting of what might happen. I’m not going to give anything of the plot away here, just to say if you enjoy a rollercoaster of a ride, with surprise twists and turns, this is for you!

You will wonder about the characters, maybe begin to like them and feel sorry for them as the story develops, but just who can you trust? Is everything as it seems?

This is my first book from this author but I will be seeking out more now I have discovered her.

So my advice? Buy it, find yourself a quiet hidden corner and loose yourself in it, you will not be disappointed!

Alice Feeney’s The Beautiful Ugly explores the intricacies of a marriage unraveling due to miscommunication, assumptions, and unspoken truths. Unlike Feeney’s usual fast-paced thrillers, this novel adopts a slower, more introspective approach, focusing on the emotional distance between a husband and wife who struggle to bridge the growing chasm between them.

The story poignantly captures the subtle ways relationships erode when communication fails, making it relatable for readers who appreciate character-driven narratives.
Though the pace may be slower, Feeney delivers a satisfying twist that adds complexity and intrigue, rewarding patient readers with a clever payoff.
Feeney’s prose remains elegant and evocative, painting vivid emotional landscapes that highlight the beauty in the ugliness of human relationships.

For those accustomed to Feeney’s gripping suspense, The Beautiful Ugly may feel like a departure, with a pace that can feel dragging at times. While the twist at the end is compelling, the conclusion may leave some readers wishing for a more fulfilling resolution.

Despite its slower pace, The Beautiful Ugly is a thought-provoking exploration of love, loss, and the complexities of marriage. Readers who enjoy introspective stories with emotional twists will find much to appreciate, even if the ending doesn’t completely satisfy. Overall, it’s a unique addition to Feeney’s body of work, offering a different but memorable reading experience.

Wow Alice Fenney back to her best!!
Once I started I was gripped!
I always love readings Alice’s books but her last two just didn’t hit like work before so I was on the fence which way this book was going to go but my my it did not disappoint!
I will most definitely be purchasing a trophy copy for the shelves!
Definitely recommend

I'm a huge fan of Alice, so thanksm you so much for this ARC.

Beautiful ugly is a slow paced thriller that traps you since the beginning, and makes you fell the isolation of being in a small island without a way to communicate with the world. Besides, living with the islanders, who are sometimes a bit creepy and weird.

The story is good, the plot twists also are surprising but I guess some of them and that made a bit less interesting the discovery.

Also there's a hidden message, don't forget to look for it.!!

On the worst best day of his life, author Grady Green finds out his latest novel is a New York Times bestseller — just moments before his wife Abby vanishes. A year later, with Abby still missing and unable to write, Grady heads to the Scottish island of Amberly in an attempt to cure his writer’s block. I was immediately pulled in by the voice of Grady and the mystery surrounding Abby’s disappearance but the Isle of Amberly really stole the show. Beautiful but isolated with a bunch of strange residents and even stranger events that keep on happening… Part thriller, part mystery, part horror, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough and the final third hits you with twist after twist. Beautiful Ugly is my first Alice Feeney book but it won’t be the last. Oh and no spoilers but the fourteen words thing at the end was a nice, clever touch!

'I hope you die in your sleep'

This is one incredible twisty, dark, domestic psychological thriller that will keep you hooked from the first chapter!

Grady is awaiting a call from his publisher about whether his book is New York Times Best Seller but his wife is running late and he desperately wants her by his side to celebrate the good news. However during their call she comes across someone on the road and stops to help and Grady is frantic when his wife disappears. Not only his wife disappears, his life, money and ability to write disappears and an opportunity to live on an island in a remote cabin to have peace to try and spark his writing career arises and he takes it.
However strange things happen and the island is not all that it seems and he keeps seeing Abby his wife who has been missing for a year. Is it Abby? Is he hallucinating?

Beautiful Ugly unfolds with twists and turns throughout and is told in multiple POVs and past and present timelines. All of which work perfectly to keep the reader hooked and begging to know what is happening and leads you to a plot twist you did not see coming!

Thank you for the ARC and oppourtunity to read this! My first Alice Feeney book and I certainly will be checking out her other books!

A brilliantly messed up story with so many twists and turns in it, you aren't quite sure where it is going to end!!

5 star recommendation.

Beautiful Ugly is an atmospheric, mysterious read set on a remote Scottish island. A writer, Grady, is sent to the island by his agent following the loss of his wife and his writing ability. Completely cut off from everything he is used to and worrying that he is imagining things, he must try to write his next novel, come to terms with the loss of his wife and adjust to life on the island. The story is told from multiple POVs and constantly challenges the reader to question whether they are reliable narrators. I don’t think anyone will guess the twists and turns the propulsive story takes.

Set on the remote and beautiful island of Amberley off the coast of Scotland this is a stunning piece of writing that had me tied up in knots trying to figure out what was coming next. The plot is a complex one and try as I might every time I thought I knew where the story was going I was thwarted again and again and I loved that!
The writing was pure perfection as was the pacing and the reveals and oh boy this was one very twisted story all the way till the last few pages when I was well and truly gobsmacked!
Loved the characters, loved the setting and was completely blown away by the plot this a not to be missed fantastic read that anyone who loves a good story and superbly crafted mystery should read as it won’t fail to impress I’m sure.
Many,many thanks to Alice Feeney and a massive ‘Wow what did I just read!’
My thanks also to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I've read books by the author in the past and heard enough about her through other reviews in recent years that I knew this was going to be a good read.
I was prepared to give this 4 stars for probably 75% of the book - a really good read but not hitting excellent. The last part turned from slow chill into fast paced thrill and pushed it up to 5 stars for me. The twists, to be expected of course, were a little on the farfetched side, however it does mean that the reader is very unlikely to guess them through the book. There was a final little addition that had me flicking back to the start which I loved - a fun touch!
I'd definitely pick up another by Alice Feeney in future for a nice brain exercise and as a palate cleanser book between my current usual fantasies. This would have been my perfect book a few years ago!

This is a strange book - being Scottish, I was looking forward to an atmospheric thriller but the island of Amberley seems more like a cosy English village transposed into a Hebridean island. In my opinion it just doesn’t work. The idea is good but it was obvious to me early on what was happening and I found the whole novel frustrating. Just didn’t do it for me - sorry.

I really enjoyed this book, it had plenty of twists that I didn’t see coming! The main twist, however, seemed to come from nowhere and a little unbelievable.

Such a queen of twisty plots and building mountains of tension, Alice Feeney has smashed it out of the park with this one. I was hooked from the beginning and didn't put it down until the end.

I don't think I've read another book where all the characters have secrets, and their personalities are so complex I hadn't a clue who was speaking truth and who wasn't.

The story was atmospheric. I was easily able to imagine this Scottish island with the writing cabin deep in the woods. It all felt so sinister. It's definitely a perfect book to read as we're heading towards Halloween.

A superb thriller, which will have you second guessing at every corner. Huge thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy.

When your wife suddenly disappears and you can no longer function as a writer.
Sent to a remote Scottish island to try and write again by his agent.
Caught up in the reasons why his wife disappeared has robbed him of sleep and creativity.
Rewriting an undiscovered manuscript and sending it off as his own work, opens more secrets and lies.
Is there any way out?

Wife disappears, husband is broken, gets writer's block, goes to island to get over it - and then all isn't as it seems.

The first part of the thriller works as a thriller should - I turned those pages, ignored the washing machine and was pulled in. Then things start getting a bit fishy, and it wasn't just my neglected washing machine load. The twists and turns are there as expected but once the curtain is pulled away I felt thoroughly cheated. Trying to explain why I felt so conned without spoiling the story is difficult - so suffice to say I felt that one of the major plot devices is pretty basic.

Having let it sit for a few days my annoyance has increased - why on earth would a group of self sufficient men haters insist on getting a male author to the island? There are successful women authors around and they could have all got along nicely. Also what if the baby had been a boy? Anyway I must move onto another boo0k and stop worrying!

I really enjoyed this book by Alice Feeney. I've read a couple of her books before and I'll definitely be reading more from her in the future.

What stands out in this novel is the amazing setting. The eerie, remote island is perfect. It is remote enough that Grady is cut off from the mainland and anything could be happening in the woods surrounding the cabin he is staying in. But the island is small enough that he continually runs into the odd characters of the island. It leaves you continually off balance.

Feeney struck a great balance with the character of Grady. He is a sympathetic character but an unreliable narrator. This balance worked perfectly for me, leaving me continually unsure about him.

The plot was excellent. Prologue aside, the start of the book was a little slow which is why it went down to 4 stars for me. However, I was gripped to the book just to find out what was going on. I read the second half of the book in one sitting because I couldn't wait to find out what would happen.

This book is full of plot twists and I didn't guess any of them. Feeney is definitely the queen of plot twists.

I would highly recommend this book to thriller fans. It is an intriguing and gripping read. This book will be released on 30th January 2025 so make sure you check it out.

Thanks to NetGalley, Alice Feeney, and Pan Macmillan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.