We Could Be Beautiful - Hardcover

Huntley, Swan

3.21

7,785 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0385540590 ISBN 13: 9780385540599

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers, 2016

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

A spellbinding psychological debut novel, Swan Huntley's We Could Be Beautiful is the story of a wealthy woman who has everything--and yet can trust no one.

Catherine West has spent her entire life surrounded by beautiful things. She owns an immaculate Manhattan apartment, she collects fine art, she buys exquisite handbags and clothing, and she constantly redecorates her home. And yet, despite all this, she still feels empty. She sees her personal trainer, she gets weekly massages, and occasionally she visits her mother and sister on the Upper East Side, but after two broken engagements and boyfriends who wanted only her money, she is haunted by the fear that she'll never have a family of her own. One night, at an art opening, Catherine meets William Stockton, a handsome man who shares her impeccable taste and love of beauty. He is educated, elegant, and even has a personal connection--his parents and Catherine's parents were friends years ago. But as he and Catherine grow closer, she begins to encounter strange signs, and her mother, Elizabeth (now suffering from Alzheimer's), seems to have only bad memories of William as a boy. In Elizabeth's old diary she finds an unnerving letter from a former nanny that cryptically reads: "We cannot trust anyone . . . " Is William lying about his past? And if so, is Catherine willing to sacrifice their beautiful life in order to find the truth? Featuring a fascinating heroine who longs for answers but is blinded by her own privilege, We Could Be Beautiful is a glittering, seductive, utterly surprising story of love, money, greed, and family.

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Review:

Posh Manhattanite Catherine West has everything but the family she's always wanted. But when she falls for the man of her supposed dreams, she unravels a web of deception that upends life as she knows it Mesmerizing As elegantly plotted as it is and it is Huntley's debut stands out not for its thrills but rather for her hawkish eye for social detail and razor-sharp wit. It is more than a classic psychological thriller: it is also a haunting and weirdly moving portrait of love and family among Manhattan's flailing upper crust. An intoxicating escape; as smart as it is fun.
"Kirkus "(STARRED REVIEW)
Swan Huntley intimately explores the psyche of a 43-year-old, still single, affluent New Yorker in her first novel, "We Could Be Beautiful" Aspects of deception and greed are suspenseful undercurrents that propel this well-plotted, seductive psychological thriller. Huntley has created a riveting yet flawed heroine in whom readers will eagerly invest as she is forced to unravel the truth about a man who seems too good to be true and a shrouded past that may hold the key to her future.
Kathleen Gerard, "Shelf Awareness
" A riveting psychological thriller, Huntley s debut takes you inside the world of Manhattan s elite and keeps you on tenterhooks.
"People," Book of the Week
Love, money, and secrets collide in this intoxicating debut novel Will make your head swirl.
Melissa Ragsdale, "Bustle "
A novel that is deeper than its heiress-meets-man-of-her-dreams setup. The reason: Huntley s uncanny ability to detect the fault lines in Manhattan s glitterati as if flaws in a precious diamond and make us laugh about them.
"O Magazine"
This psychological thriller will keep you up all night turning pages.
Elizabeth Rowe, "Bookish "
""
Catherine West is the woman we all love to hate: Beautiful, rich, and self-absorbed. When William Stockton appears to make her his bride, Catherine does her best to keep his shady past at bay, but it catches up with them in the end.
"Meganne Fabrega, Minneapolis Star-Tribune "
Full of secrets and a quickly moving plot, "We Could Be Beautiful"is the perfect addition to your reading list, and the perfect book for fans of"The Girl on the Train."
Amy Sachs, "Bustle"
"Here's a thriller we can sink into. Deeply psychological and nuanced, Huntley's"We Could Be Beautiful"follows one wealthy Manhattan woman who has nearly everything. The one thing she lacks, however, is a relationship. That is, until her white knight comes along one evening. But it never"quite"works out that way, does it? (Not in a book like this, certainly.) Huntley's novel is a twisting, turning, secret-filled story that's worthy of your precious summer reading time."
Meredith Turits, "Elle
" A fast-paced, page-turning thriller that also serves as a subtle comedy of manners . it s clear that Swan knows how to get at Manhattan s elite and wealthy with wit, humor and a satirical eye Literary suspense at its best.
"Brooklyn Daily Eagle"
This romantic thriller is engaging at every turn. Intensely psychological, Huntley s debut novel follows the romance between a wealthy Upper East Side woman and her old family friend. The book moves quickly, but not without digging deep into the twisted minds and lives of New York s affluent set. The pages practically turn themselves.
"Travel and Leisure
"
"We Could Be Beautiful"is a sexy psychological thriller about wealth and class and the endless mysteries of romantic engagement. At the heart of Swan Huntley s sly and witty debut is the unsettling question that anyone who s ever been in love has wondered about the person they'vegiven their heart to: "Who are you"?
Dennis Lehane
Sharp, hilarious and thrillingly unsettling. This well-crafted page-turner about a woman trapped in a gilded cage of her own creation is a sheer pleasure to read; it's also complex and multilayered, much like the characters that inhabit it.
Stephanie Clifford, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Everybody Rise"
"A terrifically smart, funny, tender debut from the absurdly talented Swan Huntley. With astonishing acuity and compassion, she locates all the foibles and frailties and unexpected moments of courage that make us human. Beautiful, indeed."
Stacey D'Erasmo, author of""Wonderland"
"We Could be Beautiful" is a hilarious look at the wealth and excess of Upper East Side families and the secrets they keep. Part satire, part page-turner mystery, it skewers first, then reveals a yearning heart pounding at its core."
Diane Cook, author of "Man V. Nature""

"Huntley is adept at deploying Catherine's good fortune as a fulcrum of suspense... Huntley deftly establishes Catherine's tendency to rationalize and repress... Lively... Huntley writes with wit and verve, excelling at economically hilarious descriptions... The book's strengths lie... in the zippy social satire, in the portrait of a dysfunctional family (Catherine's relationship with her sister turns out to be especially affecting) and, most of all, in Catherine's voice--strange and funny and engaging to the very end."
--Jennifer DuBois, The New York Times Book Review

"Here's a thriller we can sink into. Deeply psychological and nuanced, Huntley's We Could Be Beautiful follows one wealthy Manhattan woman who has nearly everything. The one thing she lacks, however, is a relationship. That is, until her white knight comes along one evening. But it never quite works out that way, does it? (Not in a book like this, certainly.) Huntley's novel is a twisting, turning, secret-filled story that's worthy of your precious summer reading time."
--Meredith Turits, Elle

"A novel that is deeper than its heiress-meets-man-of-her-dreams setup. The reason: Huntley's uncanny ability to detect the fault lines in Manhattan's glitterati as if flaws in a precious diamond--and make us laugh about them."
--O Magazine

"A riveting psychological thriller, Huntley's debut takes you inside the world of Manhattan's elite--and keeps you on tenterhooks."
--People, "Book of the Week"

"A sparkling dark romance... Huntley strings you blissfully along (like a great con man)...right up until that epic twist."
--Redbook

"Quite the psychological thriller that keeps readers on edge wondering how far Catherine will go and how much she'll sacrifice for the truth... Brilliantly exposes the life of an affluent family and what greed, lies and wealth can do to them."
--Amanda Douville, New York Daily News

* "Posh Manhattanite Catherine West has everything but the family she's always wanted. But when she falls for the man of her supposed dreams, she unravels a web of deception that upends life as she knows it... Mesmerizing... As elegantly plotted as it is--and it is--Huntley's debut stands out not for its thrills but rather for her hawkish eye for social detail and razor-sharp wit. It is more than a classic psychological thriller: it is also a haunting--and weirdly moving--portrait of love and family among Manhattan's flailing upper crust. An intoxicating escape; as smart as it is fun."
--Kirkus (STARRED REVIEW)

About the Author:

SWAN HUNTLEY earned her MFA from Columbia University. She's received fellowships from the MacDowell Colony and the Ragdale Foundation. She lives in California and Hawaii.

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