Book Review - We Could Be Beautiful by Swan Huntley

"We could be beautiful" by Swan Huntley came to us almost 2 years back in form of a review copy. The book went through 2 of our teammates but they were not able to make a bond with the book. According to them something about Catherine (lead character) didn't let them enjoy the story. That statement made me curious so I checked reviews by other book lovers, and I found it common in 2 out of 5 reviews. But the book is a book, I thought of giving one last chance and decide whether to put it under DNF or not. Luckily I was able to finish the book

Book Blurb

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.

The story goes like this our protagonist Catherine was in her early forties and recently went through a breakup. Her boyfriend left her for an elder woman for money. Again Catherine herself was getting 80K $ cheque monthly from inheritance (trust). She owned a small time shop which she visits once in a while. The majority of her time spent in the leisure of shopping and self-maintenance. She hardly cared for less-fortunate people but she considered herself miserable. The ray of hope appeared in her life as a new guy entered her life. She started planning her future with him. She found something fishie about him, but she ignored it. Whether her call to ignore his dark side would affect her life or not. Check the book to know more.

I hope I haven't revealed much. Now coming to my view, Catherine character is portrayed as a confused woman who is in her forties but feels like twenties, priorities in her life were missing. The book is a part thriller, part drama, part romance, and slight suspense. You need a taste to like this book.

I would like to point out I selected this book by just cover and title. I didn't check the blurb. I was under impression that book was self-help.

Talking about ratings

1. Cover - 5/5
2. Concept - 3/5
3. Characters - 3/5
4. Overall - 3/5

The book can be found at Amazon India and Amazon USA

Reviews from other readers can be found at GoodReads