Book Review | Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney – Chapter Chats with Caroline

Thanks to the Netgalley, the Publishers at Pan Macmillan and Author Alice Feeney for this  Arc.

Click to read the Synopsis

The million-copy bestselling Queen of Twists Alice Feeney returns with a gripping and deliciously dark thriller about marriage. . . 
. . . and revenge.

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.

My Thoughts on the Book

“I keep my thoughts to myself because silence cannot be misquoted.”

― Alice feeney, Beautiful Ugly

It was January 2022 when I read my first book by Alice Feeney, Rock, Paper, Scissors, and here I am two years later (2025), starting my year with another Alice Feeney book, Beautiful Ugly.

Beautiful Ugly is the story of Grady, who is on the phone with his wife, sharing the most exciting news of his life—that his new novel is a New York Times bestseller. But everything changes when his wife, Abby, mysteriously goes missing on her way home. A year later, Grady is still consumed with grief and desperate to uncover what happened to his wife. Unable to write since her disappearance, he feels lost and broken. When his agent suggests he travel to the Island of Amberly to find peace and rediscover his creativity, Grady reluctantly agrees. However, when he arrives on the island, he finds himself surrounded by eerie mysteries and a sense that something is deeply wrong with both the place and its people. Then, one day, he sees the impossible—his missing wife.

“When life blends itself into a question mark
You start looking for answers
And when you can’t find the right ones
You go looking for the wrong ones instead.”

― Alice feeney, Beautiful Ugly

This is the second book I’ve read by Alice Feeney, and I’ve noticed several similarities in her writing style. Her stories often revolve around a couple whose marriage has soured over time, are set in remote parts of Scotland, and delivers major twists and turns at the end—many of which are hard to see coming. That said, I have to admit that Alice Feeney writes beautifully. Her words and quotes are so captivating that they kept me hooked till the end, regardless of how strong or weak the plot is.

“No man is an island
But a woman can be
If she wants.”

― Alice feeney, Beautiful Ugly

Beautiful Ugly is a slow burner, even though the chapters are short. The book offers a good amount of eerie moments, and, true to Feeney’s style, most of the major twists and turns arrive at the end. However, some of these twists felt quite predictable. The characters weren’t exceptionally compelling, and there were parts of the story that didn’t sit quite right with me—such as the subplot involving the baby and the history of the island’s mystery, which felt disjointed. Even the central plot of Abby’s disappearance seemed unresolved, as if the author wasn’t entirely certain who to pin the blame on.

“Life is beautiful and life is ugly and we have to learn
To live with both sides of the same coin
and see the light in the darkness.
The world is Beautiful ugly,
relationships are Beautiful ugly,
and life is Beautiful ugly.”

― Alice feeney, Beautiful Ugly

The conclusion of the book didn’t leave a strong impression on me either. It wasn’t exceptional enough to elevate the mystery, especially having read other books of a similar kind. However, I still give this book 3 stars, mainly for the incredible quotes it contains. Alice Feeney has a way with words that never fails to impress.

“Sadness can consume a person if it is allowed to linger too long. It takes root and buries itself inside a person’s soul, until every thought is too heavy, too painful to think.”

― Alice feeney, Beautiful Ugly

The cover of Beautiful Ugly is stunning and could be a good reason to pick up the book on its own.

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

― Alice feeney, Beautiful Ugly

Will I recommend this book?

Yes, if you’re looking for:

• A slow burner with short chapters.
• A book filled with beautiful quotes.
• A gorgeous cover.
• Stories with major twists that come at the end.

“One person’s nothing is sometimes a whole lot of something for someone else.”

― Alice feeney, Beautiful Ugly

Let’s talk

Which is your favourite book by Author Alice Feeney?

Happy Reading!

_{Disclaimer: While I express my opinions openly, it is not my intention to disrespect or undermine the hard work and creativity of authors. Constructive criticism is provided with the understanding that art is subjective. Note: Books gifted or sent to me by the author or Publisher doesn’t mean my review is influenced or biased in any manner. Read full disclaimer & Affiliate disclosure}