Welcome to Litsy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2. A slow building story and then that ending…. What???

**spoiler alert** This book had a lot going on. Maybe too much? It was very convoluted, especially towards the end. The map at the beginning of the book gave it a fantasy feel, when it was in fact a thriller. The horrible deed that the protagonist did didn‘t seem believable for his character. It came out of nowhere. This book was a quick read, and it kept me interested until the end.

Well that was something else. What an odd ending…a crazy, twisty thriller. The parts of this I didn‘t like were the parts I perceived as man hating. I just don‘t like when one sex or the other is villainized or generalized...it‘s derivative. #botm
Book 5 of 2025

This has all the trademark Feeney vagueness, twists, and misdirection that I, personally, have come to love. I never truly know what is happening when reading her books and just love going along for the ride until all the pennies drop. This isn‘t my favorite of her books (Rock, Paper, Scissors holds that spot) but I did enjoy the ride. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Finished Beautiful Ugly while I was at the emergency vet with this baby last night.

I will say, it definitely kept me guessing. It reminded me of how I went back and forth trying to decide which reality was the real world when I read Shutter Island or the Wayward Pines trilogy. I didn‘t guess the ending before I arrived there! I loved all the twists and turns, it was such a fun read.

This is twisty dark thriller that I could not stop listening to. I did have a guess at the ending, but there were additional twists that very much surprised me. It is best to go in knowing nothing. 5⭐️

Usually an Alice Feeney novel grabs me from page 1. This one took me at least 60 pages to get into it. But when I did, I was in. It was a mind meld for sure and I there were a lot of moving parts that were still a puzzle to solve at the end.

I seem to be a heat-seeking missile toward sketchy author plots. (In fact, I should pull my index cards to see which ranks as my favorite!). This one was giving my SK Misery vibes then went in a direction I surely didn‘t see coming. I found it very entertaining. I did have to do a quick review of the first 14 chapters🤣

I received an audio from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I loved this audio. Both narrators were so good. Both portrayed the characters supremely. Both gave me exactly what I expected in a great audio.

I loved it. This was my BOTM choice and I'm very happy with it.

Full review: https://lsmoore49.blogspot.com/2025/01/beautiful-ugly-by-alice-feeney.html

Beautiful Ugly was a very good thriller. I understand why others thought the ending was a little rushed, but it worked for me. This was a pretty dark tale about an author dealing with his wife's disappearance. He goes to an isolated island to write. Then he sees her on the island. There is a lot to look into, including the island's history. A strong thriller. 4.5 stars.

Wow! Did not see that twist coming!

#bookspinbingo
#pop25 - book with silver on the cover or in the title
#LitsyAtoZ #LetterF
#jumpstart2025
#read2025

Alice Feeney‘s latest mystery is true to her style . . . with mixed results. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#beautiful-ugly

Publication is expected January 14.

#NetGalley #MacmillanAudio #BeautifulUgly

Still chugging along through my tattoo appointment.

First thriller and first paczki of the year! 🥳🎉

I‘m about 55 pages in and I‘m already glad I picked this for my next read (should be studying but shhh). Short enough that I‘m going to breeze through this because I can already tell I‘m not going to be able to put it down. We have ghosts of the past, creepy gift boxes, moral dilemmas, oddities and a beautiful forest with old deep soul vibes. And The Edge of the World is described as my perfect escape from people (so far).

A month behind but starting December‘s #BOTM choice. Have heard pretty decent things about the audiobook so here‘s to another lit adventure for this month.

While Feeney‘s 7th novel isn‘t my favorite, I still found myself listening to this at every opportunity! With dual perspectives, this one hooked me from the start. Author Grady Green‘s whole life has crumbled in the wake of his wife‘s mysterious disappearance. But his agent (and wife‘s godmother) throws him an opportunity to write in the isolated cabin she inherited on a remote Scottish island. It‘s quickly clear that the island harbors secrets!

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.

3⭐️
I went into this expecting to love it. I have read the authors previous work and enjoyed it. This book left me feeling unconnected to the characters. I couldn't find a single character that I enjoyed. I do think to make the story work it had to be that way.

Surprisingly, this is my first Alice Feeney book and it was a gooood one! First 5⭐️ read of the year!

This was a twisty good psychological thriller with a lot of beautiful ugly and I loved every bit of it!

“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.”

These two books helped me meet my #20in4 goal of 20 chapters. With a husband who works crazy hours, a son who is sick, a daughter who wants to do everything but clean her room, it was a struggle. I met the goal around 9pm CST and didn't get a chance to post until now. Hopefully, 2025 reading isn't all like this first batch.

I have read over 20 pages, lets try to hit 20 chapters. #20in4

Wow. This is a dark, dark read. Starts out pretty tamely, but we end up in a place that I could never have foreseen. Obsession, disappearance, obfuscation, abduction, cult(?), murder, bombastic gaslighting, Scottish island. This book is one helluva ride. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A gorgeous setting, a twist I NEVER saw coming, a creepy ending.

Beautiful Ugly did not disappoint.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I always love a dark and twisted thriller by Alice Feeney!😱

I loved it!

https://reecaspieces.com/2024/12/16/beautiful-ugly-by-alice-feeney-macmillanaudi...

This book was PHENOMENAL 🤩 5⭐️s for me!

I am beyond disappointed. I usually love Alice Feeney, but this was not it. The build-up is painfully slow, but I was okay with it because it was still creepy from time to time, just enough to keep me reading. The ending killed it for me. I literally said out loud, Oh great, it's a I hate all men book.I fully support women getting revenge and taking back their life from messed up men. But I can't get behind hating all men for one man's actions 2/5

Well, it was worth succumbing to #botm to get a hold of this early. It starts out feeling like it‘s going to be a predictable thriller, but it‘s not at all. I loved the people on the island and the humor woven in. And the many layers revealed at the end were very satisfying.

#38 of 2024! #BOTM December 2024
Started:12/9/24
Finished: 12/11/24
3 Days
Excellent Book!!!!

Well, I succumbed. #BOTM had a Black Friday offer of rejoining for free (it requires at least one month renewal) and they had the new Alice Feeney which isn‘t out until the end of January and I wanted it early. And it got here SO fast! I‘m actually stunned. And delighted. Hoping to start this soon.

My #botm books arrived and they are SO PRETTY!! The tagged book has a cool textured cover that looks like it has a rip down the middle. I‘m excited to read them both, though things are busy with setting up the store and I‘m not sure when I‘ll get to start them!

Audiobook 47% in

I‘m really excited to read this book! I chose 2 books through #BOTM for December and hope that I have time to read them at some point. What books did other #BOTM people pick?

I'd skipped November's #BOTM, but they lured me back in with December's picks -and I had my challenge reward coming. What did you chose?

I am soooo excited for Beautiful Ugly!!! #BOTM did well this month!!

My Goodreads Giveaway arrived!!! Want. To. Read. Have. To. Work. 😩

Alice Feeney writes another edge-of-your-seat thriller with an ending you won‘t see coming! She is masterful at pacing and storytelling. Until almost the end I really couldn‘t see where the story was going, but it all just clicks into place right when she wants it to.

There‘s even a hidden Easter egg revealed at the end that is incorporated seamlessly and will have you flipping back to try to find it. I can‘t wait for others to read it!