If you are thinking of reading this one, I highly recommend the audio for a great way to engage with the story and tone that Feeney creates. 5 stars audio, 4.5 stars book

Thank you MacMillan for the early review audio for Beautiful Ugly, one of my more highly anticipated books for 2025! The production and voice acting is outstanding in this book, adding richness to a layered plot filled with the usual Feeney twists. The plot, though slow paced, offers a range of themes, a sense of growing unease, and a welcome exploration of women's lives, secrets, and once again the hidden worlds that Feeney often creates with her more isolated settings. Talking about the plot here takes away from the experience of getting caught up in the "what is really going on, what really happened" story; for me, particularly as I reflect on the whole bigger story and how Feeney pulled the puzzle pieces together, Beautiful Ugly is a big win, rich with book discussion potential.