Beautiful Ugly

Flew through this one. I didn’t want to put it down. Loved the twists and turns. Slight little issue with the epilogue, but this one is worth the read!Listen to All to Well- the 10 minute version- while reading.

Wow. Just wow. This book completely messed with my head—in the best way possible. I thought I knew where it was going, but nope. Every time I thought I had the plot figured out, it twisted into something even crazier. The suspense had me hooked from the very beginning. I couldn’t stop flipping pages. The author really knows how to keep you guessing until the very end. Total rollercoaster.

I really enjoyed listening to and reading Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney. I say both because I like to read along with the audiobook, and this experience was especially immersive thanks to the excellent narration. The voice actors brought the story to life in a way that made it easy to stay engaged from beginning to end. I particularly appreciated that the male narrator didn’t resort to an exaggerated or high-pitched tone when voicing the female characters, a detail that often pulls me out of the story in other audiobooks. Instead, the delivery was smooth and respectful of the character dynamics, which added to the overall quality.As for the plot, I thought it moved at a strong and steady pace. It kept me intrigued without dragging or feeling rushed. There were plenty of moments that made me pause and reconsider what I thought was happening. At one point, I was pretty confident I had figured out the twist, but as it turned out, I was only partially right. The actual reveal caught me off guard in the best way and made me appreciate the layers Feeney weaves into her storytelling. The ending was both unexpected and satisfying, making the journey all the more worthwhile.Overall, Beautiful Ugly was a compelling read that I’ll definitely be recommending to others. Whether you prefer physical books, e-books, or audiobooks, this one is worth the time. It’s well-written, well-performed, and full of surprises.

The fast pace, the idyllic setting, the charming characters, the stories within the story, the numerous plot twists, loved everything about this book! It even has a dog to keep you company throughout the book & for dog lovers don’t worry, the dog is okay. 😊

Twists and turns. Story of a writer whose wife is missing. Grieving He goes to a quiet cabin on a remote Scottish island to try to get past his writers block It is full of strange people and strange unexplained things. Many oxymorons. Each chapter title an example of contradictory words like the title, beautiful ugly.

Since this novel is a bestseller, most readers enjoyed it (I think). That makes me an outlier. I didn't like it and I'll tell you why. First of all, the male narrator (there is a secondary female narrator) is what is called an "unreliable narrator." This type of narrator has become all too popular among fiction writers. It means the narrator has been lying to you, the reader, after sucking you into the story. Second, a single plot twist isn't enough for this book. The twists just keep coming. Unfortunately they don't make sense. It's as if the writer made up the plot as she went along. The novel started out just fine. Then it slid downhill into "Huh? What the hell?" and careened into "This is just plain dumb." I felt as if I were watching an outdated rerun of The Twilight Zone on Air TV. I don't want to spoil the "surprises," farfetched as they are, but every single novel I've read lately has to have a lesbian couple. It must be a new rule. So there is a same-sex couple as the "big surprise" of plot twist number 4 or 5. All in all, you might find it entertaining. I found it not worth the time or money.

This book had me on the edge of my seat right up until the end. Beautiful Ugly had me in its grip so much so I dreamt about Grady Green. Fantastic read!

This is a book I’m sure I will think about for a while. Lots of turns and surprises. Complex enough to keep one guessing. Some story lines are repeated unnecessarily, imo. First read by this author and I did enjoy it!

Wow wow I actually couldn’t put this book down once I started it. I had to get answers and figure out what was going on.. and let me tell you the twist at the end really got me. I had some theories.. nope wrong.

This book has a nice rhythm and is an enjoyable read! Great plot, the story moves along nicely. Highly recommend.

The story of Grady and Abby...just when you think your life is good. In a second things change, but the more we read, the more we find out life was not so good...at least for one of them. I loved this book and was surprised (love surprises) how things turned out. Definitely not what I expected. The author kept me in the dark for most of the book, feeling sorry for Grady....while I can say I didnt like all her books, this one grabbed me and would not let go.Go to your nearest book store and get it, you wont be disappointed. Loved it!

The writing in the first few chapters was somewhat annoying. Can't really remember why, but it improved . basically I liked the book and it had some good twists. However, when I found out who Abby hit on the dark road, I felt betrayed. This happens when an author is so determined to keep the reader from guessing what happened that he or she adds a twist that seems not plausible or not to fit the character. I don't know how this works for other readers, but for me don't like it ; I feel deceived!

I gave it three stars because she’s a decent writer. However, the story was too bizarre for me. I was initially engrossed in the story but lost interest midway through and just wanted to see how it ended. And the ending just didn’t make sense. Everything we were initially told about Grady and his missing Abby was a lie. That the whole island was in on this big scheme was ridiculous. I don’t even know what genre this book fits into. Psychological thriller? Ghost story? Magical realism? Or just a poorly conceived, convoluted plot. Now that I’m thinking about it, three stars was too generous.

I did not expect that. It blew my mind. I'm still trying to grasp what I just read. Throughout my life, I've read a lot of thrillers with many twists. Beautiful Ugly surprised me with many unexpected twists, which I loved. There were a few twists that were more believable than others. There were a few twists that had me wondering what I just read. I even went back and re-read it to be sure I got it right. In some cases, I wondered how it was possible. Beautiful Ugly had everything I enjoy in a thriller, with the story keeping you on the edge of your seat until the end. I could not stop turning the pages.I sensed something strange about people living on the island; something was wrong with them. I didn't trust any of them; I tried, but it was difficult not to, just based on how they acted. I felt that they knew something that they weren’t telling Grady. I liked how the story was told from two perspectives, one from an unreliable narrator, which added to the suspense. Reading from both perspectives, I sometimes didn't know who to believe and wondered who was telling the truth. Beautiful Ugly is the book that will make you think because each chapter will have you second-guessing everything.My first book by Alice Feeney was Beautiful Ugly. I was thrilled to get the opportunity to read her book when it was selected for my book club. I can't wait to read the rest of her books now. The book's setting—a Scottish island—is among my favorite aspects of it. One of the countries I hope to visit in the future is Scotland. The island's name, The Isle of Amberley, was something I adored. Because the people and the setting were so vividly described, I imagined the story in my head as though I were watching a movie. Several of the twists seemed a little overdone to me. Overall, I was captivated by the story. I would highly recommend it to thrillers fans.

The climax quite surprised me, which is good. Normally I can predict these things or suss them out. I knew that there were no u know what/who's on the island. That occurred to me right away. But what really happened to Abby, not at all, because there were zero leads to it. (Though in reality as the mate is 1st in question, they would have seen his phone using same cell tower), trying to keep out spoilers here. So, yep, I was pretty mystified as to what happened w/her.I knew things were kooky at Amberly (sp?), but wasn't sure how much was in his head, his insomnia, etc. It was smart of the author to lay it out that way, so u didn't know + couldn't guess. I was pretty glued to it. I HAD to know what the heck had happened w/Abby. And I felt for him too. Love too is really subjective. Crazy how true that is.I didn't love how she + K. had same name, same exact meeting w/first love + like same exact experiences w/so much. That was a bit off putting, more so confusing. I kept going wait WHO is speaking now? Checking back + forth going "no, that's what happened to A not K. So, I felt that was a bit cliched or lazy writing. Just my opinion.I DO totally get + agree w/most of the islanders choices + philosophies as well. Up until murder, etc. It's all true! Men start war, problems, hatred, racism, greed, everything that was listed, yet a woman never gets to run this country of ours, the U.S., though we so badly need it. Now we're in the worst mess ever + possibly and it's gonna b a nightmare trying to fix it once the orange monster is gone. But I digress...I'm not for a moment saying that women r perfect or angels, there r plenty of bad women in this world too, but a lot of women being bad, or in trouble, is BECAUSE of a man! Most or all of the women in prison r there because of a man. Being stupid for a man, being abused by a man, being talked or tricked into something by a man. I think this story is very timely for sure. Made me think of some fables, etc. w/women in similar positions. No spoilers again.This is crazy long. My review I mean, but I did enjoy the book. A little pricey for the page amount, I thought. I had just read one w/double the pages & almost half the price. That was better too, no offense. 😊

Enjoyed the story in Beautiful Ugly except for the seemingly constant reminders by the author to the reader that Grady, our main protagonist, suffers with insomnia -- reiterating over and over the miseries, both physical and mental, an insomniac endures. He also drinks too much (which doesn't help insomnia!) and is insecure, sees himself as a failed writer, etc., etc. Sigh. There are a lot of twists in this tale that surprised me. Said aloud more than once: 'Well, I didn't see THAT coming' which made the book endurable for this reader. The writing became even more repetitious; it was as if the author couldn't figure out how to end the story. In the end things seemed rushed. A good read all told but could have been better. ADDENDUM: Now that I've read the book's ending I have to add this note. The ending makes no sense. I re-read the last 2 or 3 chapters thinking I missed something but still do not get the ending of the tale. I see, too, that others agree. What in the world happened to Grady? It is a mystery to me. If anyone figures it out, please let the rest of us know. This is the first and last Alice Feeney book for me!

"Life is beautiful and life is ugly and we have to learn to live with both sides of that same coin and see the light in the darkness.""Beautiful Ugly" took me on a wild ride with its twisty narrative, and its final revelations left me shocked and a little unnerved… in the best way possible.The story begins with Abby, who disappears after a strange encounter on a dark, windy road while on the phone with her husband, Grady. Understandably, Grady falls apart after his wife's disappearance and struggles to put his life back together. Along the way, he experiences mysterious sightings and events that challenge his understanding of reality,AND THEN... everything you think you know will betray you.This gripping page-turner kept me in suspense and left me questioning everything right up to the very last moment. Run now for the book. This is one you do not want to miss!

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.Wives think their husbands will change but they don’t.Husbands think their wives won’t change but they do. My Thoughts:Alternating characters tell the story in Beautiful Ugly. Between Abby and Grady, we slowly come to realize how their story began and ended.A disappearing wife, a move to a deserted island, discovering how to jumpstart a writing career…it all seemed perfectly put together. But there were many mysteries and unanswered questions.I am still reeling from how it all unfolded. I am unsure if anything was real, or if as a reader I have been drugged. I do know that I couldn’t stop turning the pages, and if I could, I would give this book ten stars!***

Alice Feeney has written another twisty story with unreliable characters and a very cool set-up, and although it’s not my favorite of her books, it was a lot of fun.We follow writer Grady Green, who, when the story opens, is waiting anxiously by the phone for a call from his agent to hear if his latest book has become a New York Times bestseller. Grady’s wife Abby is on her way home, and Grady is a little peeved that she isn’t standing by his side. He wants her to be there when the call about his book comes in. He calls Abby to find out where she is, only to hear her slam on the brakes while they’re talking. Abby says there’s a woman lying in the road and she’s going to stop to help.But that’s the last that Grady hears from his wife, because after she gets out of the car, he never sees her again. What happened to Abby? A year later, Grady is still mourning her loss and asking questions.Depressed and unable to write or sleep, Grady’s agent Kitty suggests he take a break and stay in a small cabin she owns in Scotland, located on a remote island called the Isle of Amberly. With no cell service and very limited access to the mainland, it might be just the thing he needs to jump start his next book.But when he arrives, he notices things are a bit…strange. Only twenty-five people live on the island, and tourists are only allowed to visit a few months a year. There’s no cell service or even land lines, and all the locals carry walkie-talkies around with them. When Grady moves into the cabin, he has the feeling that someone is watching him, and he’s certain that someone has been inside the cabin and moved things around. The ferry that services the island is the only way on and off, and it’s schedule is spotty at best. And when he thinks he sees his missing wife Abby, he realizes that something odd is going on.Feeney sets up some intriguing mysteries right off the bat. First, there’s the mystery of what happened to Abby. Did she leave Grady and stage a dramatic disappearance? Was she kidnapped or murdered? No one found a body, so her fate is unknown. Then there’s the mystery of the Isle of Amberly. Even though Kitty has paved the way for him, and even though the locals seem to be friendly, Grady does not really feel welcome. At first he enjoys the quiet and change of pace, but little by little Amberly takes on a sinister air. Is he just paranoid, or is something going on behind the scenes? Feeney does a great job of hooking the reader with lots of little events that all add up to a whole lot of weirdness, and I flew through the pages to find out what was really going on. There’s almost a Twilight Zone vibe to the scenes that take place on the island, which I loved.While most of the story is told from Grady’s first person point of view, we also get chapters from Abby, which fill in some blanks and also give the story a “he said, she said” dynamic. Abby’s narrative turns everything Grady has told us on its head, and instead of explaining the mystery, it only makes things more confusing. I have to say that Abby comes across as much more sympathetic than Grady, who comes across as a whiny, entitled author who gets expects to get everything he wants.Feeney is known for her epic twists, and she doesn’t disappoint here—although the twists this time were the reason the story didn’t completely work for me. Instead of blowing me away with their revelations, I was mostly confused. Of course I won’t go into details to avoid spoilers, but going back over the details of the story only created more questions for me. One twist in particular involving what happened to Abby make NO sense and left me puzzled rather than shocked.Still, there’s a lot of entertainment value here, which is why I’m giving Beautiful Ugly four stars, despite some of the unsatisfying twists. This is one of those stories that makes you want to reread it to spot the clues you missed the first time.

‘25 - 5 STARSDESCRIPTION : 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.REVIEW :Previous books by this author were Good Bad Girl (‘23 - 3 Stars), Daisy Darker (‘22 - 5 Stars), Rock Paper Scissors (‘21 - 5 Stars) and His & Hers (‘20), I Know Who You Are (‘19) and Sometimes I Lie (‘18) which all received 4 Stars.Lots of very mixed reviews so I read the sample. Sample didn’t thrill me but since I usually love this author I decided to give it a shot.Sale $11.99 (14.99 -3.00 Kindle Rewards).At 30% I like the authors writing like always. So far a slow mystery but it has enough intrigue to keep me reading. The eeriness of the island and the strange happenings really kept me entertained and guessing. Lots of twists, especially in the last 20-30%, which I definitely did not see coming. I had some bad feelings about where this story ended-up going, but since I was shocked & unprepared, I say BRAVO to the author! Even though this book was a little slow at the beginning, I went with 5-stars because of the build-up of tension that kept me reading-on until late in the night. Well done Alice Feeney !