Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Jun 2016
352 pages
Genre: Thrillers
Publication Information
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.
"Starred Review. 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
"This is slow-burn suspense - more of a character study than a thriller - but Huntley has expertly created her characters and ekes out just enough tension throughout, leading readers on a compelling trip to the unexpected conclusion." - Booklist
"Here's a thriller we can sink into. Deeply psychological and nuanced ... Huntley's novel is a twisting, turning, secret-filled story that's worthy of your precious summer reading time." - Elle
"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've given 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
This information about We Could Be Beautiful was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
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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