
We Could Be Beautiful
A Novel
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $20.25
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Cassandra Campbell
-
By:
-
Swan Huntley
About this listen
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 and 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.
©2016 Swan Huntley (P)2016 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
The First Shot
- A Prequel
- By: Liv Constantine
- Narrated by: Suzanne Elise Freeman
- Length: 2 hrs and 35 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this gripping prequel to the blockbuster best seller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick The Last Mrs. Parrish, listeners will discover exactly how Amber Patterson transformed from small-town girl to master manipulator - after all, practice makes perfect.
-
-
I was not disappointed!
- By KKEC Reads on 11-14-20
By: Liv Constantine
-
One Day in December
- A Novel
- By: Josie Silver
- Narrated by: Eleanor Tomlinson, Charlie Anson
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Laurie is sure love at first sight doesn't exist anywhere but the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there's a moment of pure magic...and then her bus drives away. Certain they're fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for him. But she doesn't find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they "reunite" at a Christmas party, when her best friend, Sarah, giddily introduces her new boyfriend: the man from the bus.
-
-
It's Not Romantic, Not Joyous, and Not for Me
- By D. Fields on 12-01-18
By: Josie Silver
-
The Turn of the Key
- By: Ruth Ware
- Narrated by: Imogen Church
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When she stumbles across the ad, she’s looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss - a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten - by the luxurious “smart” home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this picture-perfect family. What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare - one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder.
-
-
Wow. So awful I can't even describe how awful.
- By Amazon Profile on 08-12-19
By: Ruth Ware
-
The It Girl
- By: Ruth Ware
- Narrated by: Imogen Church
- Length: 17 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
April Clarke-Cliveden was the first person Hannah Jones met at Oxford. Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends—Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily—during their first term. By the end of the year, April was dead.
-
-
Way too long and way too whiney - needed editing
- By Lynn on 07-14-22
By: Ruth Ware
-
The Blade Itself
- By: Joe Abercrombie
- Narrated by: Steven Pacey
- Length: 22 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he's on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian - leaving nothing behind him but bad songs, dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies. Nobleman, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, Captain Jezal dan Luthar has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends at cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle. But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by altogether bloodier rules.
-
-
Characters drive the story. The Narrator rocks!
- By Brian Alsobrook on 11-01-16
By: Joe Abercrombie
-
The Paris Apartment
- A Novel
- By: Lucy Foley
- Narrated by: Clare Corbett, Daphne Kouma, Julia Winwood, and others
- Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there.
-
-
A cash-grab, plain and simple
- By bugsmeany on 02-28-22
By: Lucy Foley
-
The First Shot
- A Prequel
- By: Liv Constantine
- Narrated by: Suzanne Elise Freeman
- Length: 2 hrs and 35 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this gripping prequel to the blockbuster best seller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick The Last Mrs. Parrish, listeners will discover exactly how Amber Patterson transformed from small-town girl to master manipulator - after all, practice makes perfect.
-
-
I was not disappointed!
- By KKEC Reads on 11-14-20
By: Liv Constantine
-
One Day in December
- A Novel
- By: Josie Silver
- Narrated by: Eleanor Tomlinson, Charlie Anson
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Laurie is sure love at first sight doesn't exist anywhere but the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there's a moment of pure magic...and then her bus drives away. Certain they're fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for him. But she doesn't find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they "reunite" at a Christmas party, when her best friend, Sarah, giddily introduces her new boyfriend: the man from the bus.
-
-
It's Not Romantic, Not Joyous, and Not for Me
- By D. Fields on 12-01-18
By: Josie Silver
-
The Turn of the Key
- By: Ruth Ware
- Narrated by: Imogen Church
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When she stumbles across the ad, she’s looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss - a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten - by the luxurious “smart” home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this picture-perfect family. What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare - one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder.
-
-
Wow. So awful I can't even describe how awful.
- By Amazon Profile on 08-12-19
By: Ruth Ware
-
The It Girl
- By: Ruth Ware
- Narrated by: Imogen Church
- Length: 17 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
April Clarke-Cliveden was the first person Hannah Jones met at Oxford. Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends—Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily—during their first term. By the end of the year, April was dead.
-
-
Way too long and way too whiney - needed editing
- By Lynn on 07-14-22
By: Ruth Ware
-
The Blade Itself
- By: Joe Abercrombie
- Narrated by: Steven Pacey
- Length: 22 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he's on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian - leaving nothing behind him but bad songs, dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies. Nobleman, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, Captain Jezal dan Luthar has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends at cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle. But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by altogether bloodier rules.
-
-
Characters drive the story. The Narrator rocks!
- By Brian Alsobrook on 11-01-16
By: Joe Abercrombie
-
The Paris Apartment
- A Novel
- By: Lucy Foley
- Narrated by: Clare Corbett, Daphne Kouma, Julia Winwood, and others
- Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there.
-
-
A cash-grab, plain and simple
- By bugsmeany on 02-28-22
By: Lucy Foley
-
The Woman in the Window
- A Novel
- By: A. J. Finn
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee
- Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Anna Fox lives alone - a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times...and spying on her neighbors. Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, mother, their teenaged son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn't, her world begins to crumble. And its shocking secrets are laid bare.
-
-
An excruciating listen.
- By Debra on 01-12-18
By: A. J. Finn
-
Local Woman Missing
- By: Mary Kubica
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley, Jennifer Jill Araya, Gary Tiedemann, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Shelby Tebow is the first to go missing. Not long after, Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah, vanish just blocks away from where Shelby was last seen, striking fear into their once-peaceful community. Are these incidents connected? After an elusive search that yields more questions than answers, the case eventually goes cold. Now, 11 years later, Delilah shockingly returns. Everyone wants to know what happened to her, but no one is prepared for what they'll find....
-
-
Best Kubica yet!!!
- By LA book lover on 05-18-21
By: Mary Kubica
-
We Are All the Same in the Dark
- A Novel
- By: Julia Heaberlin
- Narrated by: Jenna Lamia, Catherine Taber, MacLeod Andrews, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s been a decade since Trumanell Branson disappeared, leaving only a bloody handprint behind. Her pretty face still hangs like a watchful queen on the posters on the walls of the town’s Baptist church, the police station, and in the high school. They all promise the same thing: We will find you. Meanwhile, Tru's brother, Wyatt, lives as a pariah in the desolation of the old family house, cleared of wrongdoing by the police but tried and sentenced in the court of public opinion and in a new documentary about the crime.
-
-
On the edge of my ladder
- By Deirdre Hoinoski on 08-27-20
By: Julia Heaberlin
-
Something in the Water
- A Novel
- By: Catherine Steadman
- Narrated by: Catherine Steadman
- Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Erin is a documentary filmmaker on the brink of a professional breakthrough, Mark a handsome investment banker with big plans. Passionately in love, they embark on a dream honeymoon to the tropical island of Bora Bora, where they enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other. Then, while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they find something in the water....
-
-
No Thrill Here
- By Sara on 06-08-18
-
Pretty Things
- A Novel
- By: Janelle Brown
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan, Lauren Fortgang, Hillary Huber
- Length: 16 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nina once bought into the idea that her fancy liberal arts degree would lead to a fulfilling career. When that dream crashed, she turned to stealing from rich kids in LA alongside her wily Irish boyfriend, Lachlan. Nina learned from the best: Her mother was the original con artist, hustling to give her daughter a decent childhood despite their wayward life. But when her mom gets sick, Nina puts everything on the line to help her, even if it means running her most audacious, dangerous scam yet.
-
-
SO GOOD
- By sandraleeweston on 04-28-20
By: Janelle Brown
-
Nine Perfect Strangers
- By: Liane Moriarty
- Narrated by: Caroline Lee
- Length: 16 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to lose weight, some are here to get a reboot on life, some are here for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. Amidst all of the luxury and pampering, the mindfulness and meditation, they know these ten days might involve some real work. But none of them could imagine just how challenging the next ten days are going to be.
-
-
Everyone Has Already Said It...
- By Nikki Trulen on 01-16-19
By: Liane Moriarty
-
The Priory of the Orange Tree
- By: Samantha Shannon
- Narrated by: Liyah Summers
- Length: 25 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction - but assassins are getting closer to her door. Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.
-
-
In a word, WOW
- By Kevin Potter on 03-09-19
By: Samantha Shannon
-
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
- By: Erika L. Sánchez
- Narrated by: Kyla Garcia
- Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents' house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family. But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga's role. Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed.
-
-
FOR LATINAS WHO ARE OFTEN TOLD THEY "SOUND WHITE"
- By Alex on 12-14-18
By: Erika L. Sánchez
-
The Great Believers
- By: Rebecca Makkai
- Narrated by: Michael Crouch
- Length: 18 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1985, Yale Tishman, the development director for an art gallery in Chicago, is about to pull off an amazing coup, bringing in an extraordinary collection of 1920s paintings as a gift to the gallery. Yet as his career begins to flourish, the carnage of the AIDS epidemic grows around him. One by one, his friends are dying and after his friend Nico's funeral, the virus circles closer and closer to Yale himself. Soon the only person he has left is Fiona, Nico's little sister.
-
-
A story for all time
- By Carla jo Thompson on 08-06-18
By: Rebecca Makkai
-
I Almost Forgot About You
- A Novel
- By: Terry McMillan
- Narrated by: Terry McMillan
- Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In I Almost Forgot About You, Dr. Georgia Young's wonderful life--great friends, family, and successful career--aren't enough to keep her from feeling stuck and restless. When she decides to make some major changes in her life, including quitting her job as an optometrist and moving house, she finds herself on a wild journey that may or may not include a second chance at love. Georgia’s bravery reminds us that it’s never too late to become the person you want to be, and that taking chances, with your life and your heart, are always worthwhile.
-
-
I Almost Forgot About You
- By Brown Sugar Carolyn on 06-11-16
By: Terry McMillan
-
The Light We Lost
- By: Jill Santopolo
- Narrated by: Jill Santopolo
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
He was the first person to inspire her, to move her, to truly understand her. Was he meant to be the last? Lucy is faced with a life-altering choice. But before she can make her decision, she must start her story - their story - at the very beginning. Lucy and Gabe meet as seniors at Columbia University on a day that changes both of their lives forever. Together, they decide they want their lives to mean something, to matter. When they meet again a year later, it seems fated - perhaps they'll find life's meaning in each other.
-
-
Meh.
- By L. Shoemaker on 08-28-17
By: Jill Santopolo
-
An Anonymous Girl
- By: Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen
- Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik, Julia Whelan
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Seeking women ages 18-32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed. When Jessica Farris signs up for a psychology study conducted by the mysterious Dr. Shields, she thinks all she’ll have to do is answer a few questions, collect her money, and leave. But as the questions grow more and more intense and invasive and the sessions become outings where Jess is told what to wear and how to act, she begins to feel as though Dr. Shields may know what she’s thinking...and what she’s hiding.
-
-
Amazing
- By Frances Hampton on 01-09-19
By: Greer Hendricks, and others
Critic reviews
What listeners say about We Could Be Beautiful
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Talismom
- 03-08-17
Shallow characters, shallow story
This book would be better rated as young adult if the incongruous sex scenes were deleted, or a marginally better written 50 Shades if more sex scenes were added. The characters were one dimensional, and in many cases totally superfluous, with a story that was cliche save one small twist that was fairly obvious. I stuck it out to the end because I didn't really need to pay attention to the story, and I quite liked the narrator. I would definitely not read another book by this author, but I would assuredly listen to this narrator again. She made it better than it was.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lisa
- 07-06-16
A bit slow moving but good.
An interesting story but a bit too detailed on the representation of daily life at times
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jamiee Blaharski
- 09-20-16
Slow
The story line was decent, yet fairly predictable. Also, it was very slow. It could have been half the length.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jenn
- 07-01-16
fairly complete & satisfying
First, it's important to note that the main character quite unlikable, there were points in the story when I would say out loud things such as "get over yourself already". I am sure this is intentional but it got a bit much at times. I say the story is compete because I didn't feel left hanging at any instance. I think the story builds well and the character development was very good. The pace was good especially considering how long it is. There were a few unlikely scenarios that seemed hard to believe but it the author worked them well into the plot as a whole. The plot twists are juicy so that holds interest very well. This is better than a lot of similar books with confusingly higher ratings. Lastly, the narrator does a good job of playing the different genders.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kim
- 11-21-16
Good but frustrating
Overall the story was okay. Was hoping for a bigger twist at the end! Kind of saw it coming.
Also, I think I was supposed to be sympathizing with the main character but I couldn't. She was so spoiled and out of touch with reality, I kind of felt more sorry for William!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Audrey
- 08-10-16
Hated for first 2/3 but ended up really liking
The characters in the story are so shallow, it is difficult and boring to go through their day-to-day existence but there are some twists and turns in this book that make it worth reading,
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- ann munger
- 08-01-16
Another world
I felt like I had an honest glimpse into the life of the very rich. It was hard to put down. Bravo!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Molly
- 07-21-16
Completely bratty, unpleasant heroine...
I was disappointed with this one - the alleged "heroine" is an obnoxious, entitled beat, so much so that the reader is actually HAPPY when you see she gets her comeuppance, which by the way, is such a let down once revealed, you feel they might as well have been "revealing" vanilla ice cream. There are soooo many better versions of this exact story with characters that are so much more enjoyable and that actually encounter a narrative arc in the story...
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- Lisbeth
- 07-16-16
dull ending
This was a fun, engaging book with a totally flat ending. We never found anything significant about William to pull it all together.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- JoAnn
- 07-10-16
Predictable ending.
About half way through I anticipated the ending, but kept on listening to confirm and gather all the sordid details.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful