You join a remote reality TV show and the worst thing possible happens, a massive storm comes through and hits your remote island with incomplete infrastructure. That is the premise of One Perfect Couple. Lyla agrees to go on a brand new reality TV show with her boyfriend, Nico where the goal is to find out of one of these couples is the "perfect couple". It is being filmed at a resort in the middle of the Indian Ocean that has not yet opened nor been through a bad weather season. On the first night, a terrible storm comes through destroying all but three villas and leaving the "contestants" to figure out how to survive with limited resources. Can these influencers survive until rescue comes?

There is only so much one can say without giving away too much but I will say that this one follows her other books in that not everyone is who they seem nor are everyone's motives apparent from the get go. This one was not my favorite of Ware's books but it was a perfectly fine read, Because it revolves around social media influencers of various types and control, the book can be very frustrating and make the reader upset. It is not one I would recommend but if you are interested in reading it, I would say go ahead.

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware has an intriguing premise and the promise of suspense, but it didn’t quite deliver the tension or twists I was hoping for. The reality show setting felt fresh, but the pacing dragged in places and some characters felt underdeveloped. While there were moments of genuine intrigue, the overall story didn’t fully click for me. A decent read, but not one of Ware’s strongest.

One Perfect Couple is a tense, atmospheric thriller that blends reality TV satire with survival horror, as a remote island getaway turns deadly. Ruth Ware keeps the suspense simmering with her signature twists and creeping dread, while probing the masks we wear - even with those we love. It’s fast, fun, and deliciously sinister, but stays on the surface.

One Perfect Couple is a novel that reality television enthusiasts and readers alike will enjoy. It blends the world of suspense thrillers with the world of tropical romance reality television so well. This novel covers a new reality television show on a tropical island gone wrong. Unsurprisingly, the light-hearted environment of the reality show becomes akin to Lord of the Flies survival of the fittest situation very quickly. Who will be the fittest among a cast of attractive and physically fit characters paired with one unlikely contestant?

This gave me big Love Island vibes and it was very good. The middle felt a little scattered, but I enjoyed the ending. Great thriller by one of my fave authors.

Absolutely love me a good thriller! And this cover is perfect. I love a good, quick read in the summer time that keeps me on the edge of my seat! Ruth Ware is always amazing.

In true Ruth Ware form, I was hooked on this story from the first page. The plot twist wasn't as wild as I expected but that didn't take away from how much I loved reading it. It was tense and a little claustrophobic. Loved the MC too!

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware.
One Perfect Couple is a book version of a reality tv show. Often predictable, often over-the-top, it is still a book that entertains. With a large group of characters it is hard for the reader to connect with all of them. Overall a good story, but not a favorite Ruth Ware novel.

This was an enjoyable book that I kept wanting to pick up, but as a whole, fell kind of short. I love the concept of Survivor meets Love Island or something similar, but there were a few things that were a bit to out there. Lyla made some strange decisions and was a bit repetitive with her thought process. I wanted to keep finding out what was going to happen but it just dragged at parts.
I like the female empowerment message, but getting there was rough. I also don't love all of the parts of the ending (no spoilers). Enjoyable read, but nothing that was super memorable. Also - not a thriller.

I would consider myself one of Ruth Ware's biggest fans. I own every book she's written. I enjoy her style of writing, its very easy to read. This is not one of those books that requires you to think deeply. It's an easy read, and it's enjoyable. I tend to devour Ware's books within days of acquiring them, and One Perfect Couple was no exception. I really enjoyed the character development. I didn't find the book difficult to follow. I prefer books without too many characters because they tend to confuse me.The plot is paced well, with enough twists and turns to keep the reader interested without feeling overwhelming or confusing. The main characters are relatable and undergo meaningful development throughout the story, making their journeys satisfying to follow.

One Perfect Couple is Ruth Ware’s tale of reality television gone horribly wrong. Our protagonist, Lyla, agrees to appear on the show because Nico, her boyfriend, is trying to boost his acting career, and the show won’t accept single applicants; if he’s not there as half of a couple, he can’t even apply, let alone be chosen. So, fine fine fine. Lyla will go, and since she’s not a glamour girl, she figures she’ll get eliminated within the two weeks’ vacation time her job permits, and then Nico will get his show and she’ll get to go home.

It doesn’t work that way.

My thanks go to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the review copy. This book is for sale now.

First, a word: because I was running late with this one, I borrowed the audio version from Seattle Bibliocommons. This proved to be disastrous! The actor voices Nico in such an exaggerated manner that nobody, myself least of all, could imagine someone as smart and savvy as Lyla pairing up with such an egotistical, whiny brat. I drop the audio before the twenty percent mark and from there forward, read it digitally. This is an improvement.

Lyla and Nico are directed to board a ship with the other contestants, and it takes them to a tropical island. Once there, however, they are besieged by a terrible storm. The crew members and producer are asleep on board the ship at the time because the show is a new one, and the crew’s cabins and other facilities are still being constructed. The contestants have been forced to turn in all of their digital devices so that none of the show’s progress will be leaked online before air time, and so when the storm smashes into the island, their communication devices are on the boat; they have become castaways. Worst of all, there is a serious shortage of fresh, potable water. Elements of well loved classics are borrowed; we have tidbits reminiscent of Lord of the Flies, smidgens of—I was going to say Robinson Crusoe, but that’s overstating it, so let’s say Gilligan’s Island instead. One by one, people start dying, and there is no way for the survivors to call for help.

I have read and reviewed almost everything Ware has written. She’s been a reliable source of enjoyable whodunits, usually four stars, sometimes even five. But here I feel as if she has missed the mark. There’s a fair amount of repetition, and whereas the first half is reasonably suspenseful, I found that the longer I read, the less I cared what became of the contestants. One thing I did like, however, was seeing these lovely women that, given the show’s parameters, should have been enemies, supporting, relying upon, and helping each other. That is the one sparkle I found here, and nobody can take it away from me.

The book itself, you can have. Or not. My advice is that if you are going to read it, get it free or cheap; don’t spend your precious dollars buying this one at full cover price, and avoid the audio. As for me, I will hope that Ware is back on track next time around.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware in exchange for my honest review and feedback. This was a great, fast paced read that I've come to expect from Ruth's books. Once you start, you will be hooked until the very end. Lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end. Keep writing Ruth!!!!

I really wanted to like this one, especially after all the hype I saw with this book. It felt like it was over the top and I couldn’t get into believe it the storyline.

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware is a twisted psychological thriller. I was interested in this book because of the author and I was not disappointed. Ms Ware is a consistently strong writer and readers of this genre will be thrilled. I was also interested in this book because it was marketed as similar to one of my favorite books, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. On that front, I was disappointed. The book loosely appeared similar at then beginning but that did not last long. Still, it was a great novel and I recommend it. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware: I enjoyed the suspense in this twisty murder mystery. 5 couples selected for a reality TV. show meet up on a small island. Of course, there will be bodies, and the couples are stranded with no ability to communicate with civilization. I enjoyed the story, but it has its flaws. Still, though, a fun read.

If you’re a reality TV fan, this is the book for you. It’ll make you think twice before trying out for Survivor for sure! It has all the elements of sinister suspense I’ve always enjoyed in her books. What starts out as an exciting, if ill fated, adventure turns ugly and deadly soon into the competition. The main character Lyla is at a point in her professional and private life where she's in need of a change. Her boyfriend Nico is set on joining the cast, and this show seems to offer Lyla the chance to do something new. Everything about this show seems off from the start, if only she’d listen to her gut... If you’re an Agatha Christie fan, you’ll love Ruth Ware’s books.

A solid Ware read that was tightly plotted and as always, well written. Twisty, as we have come to expect from her!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

2.5 STARS

One Perfect Couple was not a perfect read for me. The plot with an absurd reality competition turned nightmare just fell flat for me.

A low-budget Love Island/ Perfect Match type show quickly spirals out of control. Lyla, our very unlikely protagonist, should never have set foot on this tropical island., She should never have participated; she is an academic deeply immersed in her postgraduate research. It's true that she had hit a bit of a roadblock, but why would a woman like her agree to go to an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean to participate in an elimination-style love coupling reality show? The answer is simple: her harebrained boyfriend, Nico, an actor who is persuasive enough to drag his much more intelligent girlfriend halfway across the world to humiliate themselves—well, actually, they plan to humiliate her. Lyla is supposed to be eliminated early so Nico can stay, shine, and fake a new coupling to gain clout.

Of course, things go awry when Nico gets booted off the show. Lyla is left behind as a massive storm begins to batter the island, taking everything and everyone down with it.

The story features a classic Agatha Christie-style introduction of the other couples, who, aside from a studious guy, fit the profile of usual suspects in these types of shows. As the chaos unfolds, the narrative is cleverly intercut with passages of someone desperately trying to get help on a ham radio. Ruth Ware skillfully plays with the confusion of what really happened versus what is being broadcast to the world. This has been pitched as "And Then There Were None," so as readers, you can only imagine how things will progress. The Perfect Match concept devolves into a Survivor nightmare, and egos begin to swell and explode like the waves, creating tension among the other contestants.
This is loads of fun, especially for those who watch those shows. However, it made me wonder if the book really managed to surpass the drama that reality TV offers, and therein lies the danger in this subject. Nevertheless, there are characters to root for, unexpected eliminations, love stories gone terribly wrong, and a blurry line between reality and fabrication. So, sit back and enjoy, but be careful not to get hit by a falling coconut!

Ruth Ware is one of my favorite authors!! I love her books so much I recommend them to everyone and even picked it for my book club choice (and everyone else also loved it).

This book was a cross between a reality dating show and survivor gone wrong with a tiny pinch of 10 little Indians.

I loved all the different personalities and how they reacted to the events. Will they survive? Will they be rescued??

I also loved the in between portions where they flipped the story.

Its the perfect beach read and I highly recommend it!!