Ruth Ware is one of my favorites. This was a fun read. I love the idea of how uncomfortable that reality show could have been. Then it took a turn and became a book about survival. I wasn’t sure how it was going to end but I knew who I didn’t want to end up in top. I always enjoy Ware’s books and look forward to the next one. This is recommended to mystery readers.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Ruth Ware for allowing me to review this page turning thriller. I loved this book so much. I am a sucker for anything reality tv and it’s even better when the contestants go missing one by one. While those aspects are part of the book it quickly shifts to more of a survival on a deserted island with strangers type of a thriller. I loved the shift in the storyline just as much. The diary entries were so interesting and kept me guessing the entire time. I stayed up late to finish this book! I just couldn’t put it down. I adore Ruth Ware and can’t wait to read what she writes next. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys thrillers.

Ruth Ware is a a really good mystery and suspense writer. This new title is set in an reality show paradise where 5 couples are vyig for the title of The Perfect Couple. Contestants have various reasons for wanting to compete-most looking for publicity to further their entertainment career. A storm interferes with the competition which quickly turns to survival. Reminescent of Christie's THEN THERE WERE NONE, I hadd to set that aside as I read.

3.5 stars rounded down

This story was crazy. Lyla agrees to go on a new reality tv show, despite reservations, at the urging of her boyfriend. He believes this is his moment to get famous, so they make a plan that will best put him in the spotlight. From the start, she doesn't get a good vibe from production. Once filming starts it only gets worse, a freak storm cuts off their connection to the mainland and claims the lives of some of the cast members. Things only go from bad to worse, and they soon realize that something very sinister is at play and there is a killer amongst them. The story is told from multiple points of view, and catalogs their fight for survival. Secrets and twists abound.

This was prolly my favorite Ruth Ware book yet. It was a page turner. Lots of characters and not the easiest to keep track of them all but the main ones stick through and keep the ball rolling. I appreciated every bit of the wrap ups and felt pretty fulfilled by the end of the book. Was super excited to read this book and it was a well worth the wait pick!

Not her best work. Story line seemed pretty out there. Reactions of characters weren’t very believable.

Ruth Ware has the ability to grab me from the beginning and keep me hooked until the last page. Her writing style is top notch. I love the array of characters and this read like a movie playing out in my head. I was anxiously waiting for whatever was going to happen next.

This book started out so interesting! I was intrigued with the whole set up...filming a couples reality show on a remote island...a storm comes and causes them to be stranded with no communication..and then people start dying one by one. I'm always game for a good stuck on a deserted island with a killer story! So I was ready to dive with my popcorn and eat this one up.

But then it just fizzled out in the last third of the book. So many of these modern thrillers have a wild crazy twist at the end, and I appreciated that this story was not super twisty. But at the same time, there was also no mystery or suspense or intrigue as the story progressed. It really dragged at the end as the author tried to explain the story and make all the ends meet.

It started with promise but ended up being not my favorite.

Ruth Ware's One Perfect Couple throws you right onto Ever After Island, where couples are chasing fame and fortune on a reality TV show in the middle of the gorgeous Indian Ocean. It starts off feeling like a mashup of Survivor and Love Island, but things take a serious turn when a nasty storm hits, stranding everyone and kicking off some seriously unsettling stuff.

The book dives deep into survival, lies, and how people crack under pressure. It starts with all the drama you'd expect from a reality show, but then it gets into the heads of the contestants. Ware digs into their secrets and struggles, showing us what really makes them tick and how they handle tough situations.

Unlike your typical mystery, One Perfect Couple isn't about whodunit but more about the messed-up dynamics between the characters. They're stuck dealing with not just each other but also the dangerous aftermath of the storm. Even though it's not a twisty mystery, Ware's storytelling keeps you hooked. It's all about how people act when pushed to their limits, and it makes for a gripping read that's more about human nature than solving a crime.

I’d give this 4.6/5. This is my first Ruth Ware novel but with a comparison to Agatha Christie, I felt compelled to check out One Perfect Couple. I thought it was a clever premise. The characters felt fully fleshed out and believable. The suspense was enough to keep me curious but did not lead to a stressful read. This was a great mystery for the summer.

This was a fun, fast-paced read that felt like a feminist Lord of the Flies. I really enjoyed this one, and it's ending was satisfying despite not featuring the typical thriller plot twist!

This one didn't work as well for me as some of Ruth Ware's other books. That said, if you are a fan of the jerk getting his just desserts, then this is a great one for you!! There are strong women characters and women characters that find their strength as well.

What didn't work for me: The murderer is obvious from very early on. Any twist is about relationships and motives for things that didn't happen. Not the killer's motive, which is written off to psychopathy. My disconnect may also be related to not being into reality TV or online personalities. I had a very hard time relating to characters until their pretences were stripped away, letting some humanity show through. And I've been through grad school like our main narrator! Unfortunately, this was only true for a few characters, and for the most part characters actions were just the thing for the plot to move along.

3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4

This was fairly good as mild thrillers go. I liked it because it actually didn't feel like a thriller for the first part. And even when it started to, it was kind of in an eery creepy way and less in an omg serial killers, murders, etc. thriller kind of way.

I'm a reality show fan, so I enjoyed that One Perfect Couple is about the filming of a couples adventure type dating show on an island. The main character, a scientist named Lyla, is an unlikely reality show contestant. But her boyfriend Nico is an aspiring actor and thinks this could be the big break he needs for his career. So, she agrees to go on the show with him, which is being filmed on a remote island with several other couples. But soon after they arrive, things start to go very wrong.

There were a few details that drove me a bit crazy... Like the fact that none of the reality show contestants seemed to realize they'd have to give up their phones while filming. Anyone who's seen pretty much any reality show competition knows this is pretty much always the case. Some of them were also shocked there were cameras in the bedrooms, which hello?? It didn't appear that anyone had actually read the contract for the show before they signed it.

Anyway, this didn't really feel like typical Ruth Ware to me, but I was entertained enough and think it will be a great summer read for many.

What happens when you are stranded on a desert island with strangers? This is the tale of Lyla after her boyfriend lands them a spot on a new reality TV show. But when the storm of the century hits the island, the remaining contestants are stranded with no ability to contact the outside world. How will they survive? Ruth Ware has done it again with another thriller. Enjoyable every second, even when it started to have Lord of the Flies vibes.

This was such a fun read since I am a huge fan of reality tv and I love thrillers. The author did a great job of tying the story together in the end. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

If Ruth Ware has no fans, I’m dead. This was soo fun. Especially because I love reality TV and I love thrillers even more. This was basically if Love Island and Survivor had a baby, and that baby grew up to be homicidal. Perfect summer beach read IMO! Her books never really have any major twists or turns… but her stories are always so…cozy for me? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

WOW 🥲🤩

At 45% in, I found myself a bit puzzled about where the story was heading. However, if there’s one thing Ruth Ware excels at, it’s delivering plot twists and masterfully connecting all the dots by the end!

Having previously devoured her novel “It Girl,” I was both pleasantly surprised and extremely excited to receive an ARC of “One Perfect Couple.” This new novel is set on a supposedly “romantic” island, where one perfect couple challenges the endurance and resilience of five other couples. What the participants don’t realize is that the grand prize at the end isn’t a pile of cash—it’s the chance to leave the island with their lives intact.

Who will make it out? Which couple will emerge victorious? You’ll have to read it to find out!

Couples travel to a remote island in the Indian Ocean to film a reality television show called One Perfect Couple. There they will perform challenges and the one who under performs will be sent packing. The characters are an interesting mix of people who are hoping to use the show to jumpstart their aspirations for fame. Then a brutal storm hits, and the contestants will be tested in more ways than one! Having handed over all their phones upon arrival, the contestants are cut off from the mainland and the real challenges begin. Faced with death, injury, dehydration, alliances, and dwindling supplies, survival becomes the name of the game. I found this book to be captivating and tense! Set on a remote island, it also had that trapped feeling that I enjoy in books. I enjoyed how realistic this book felt. When the cameras were no longer rolling, we got to see their true personalities and motivations. The book kicks off a bit slowly, but don't let that fool you. Once it picks up, it's a rollercoaster! Ruth Ware has a knack for crafting thrilling tales, and this one is no exception, even without her signature big twist at the end.

What I love about Ruth Ware is that her stories never get stale or plot repetitive; she has the ability to keep her readers guessing, on the edge of their seats, every single time.
With a sort of "Survivor" set-up, One Perfect Couple brings together a cast of unique characters, each finely developed, and a few unlikely heroes. The plot unfolds to a completely satisfying ending and leaves you wanting more Ruth Ware.
Highly recommend!

this is for fans of THE BACHELOR, LOVE ISLAND or LOVE IS BLIND… but want more thrill. orrrr should i say, murder 👀

read if you like: reality tv shows, books set on private islands, murder mysteries, slow burn mysteries

a moment for this book cover 👏🏼 now let’s get into it. Ware’s books have always been hit or miss for me. even though i rated this 3.5 stars, i enjoyed it and its in the top 4-5 of her books for me! the setting of this is a vibe and i liked the premise as well—it gave me THE GUEST LIST meets ONE BY ONE. lots of drama, tension, a slow burn mystery and lots of twists. the ending was too wrapped up for my thriller taste, but this was an easy popcorn thriller binge that you can enjoy poolside this summer! it would also make for a fun book club pick. much to discuss 👀🌴🔪

ONE PERFECT COUPLE follows four couples on a new reality tv show set on a private island where they compete to see if their bf/gf truly makes them “one perfect couple” or if they’re actually better off with someone else on the island. juicy!! the problem? the MC has a plan and it gets blown up the first day—and then a huge storm comes and they’re cut off from the mainland

why 3.5 stars—the ending, but the pacing was also a bit off. it started super interesting, then was slow, then really shocking things happened (no really, i gasped at some of them iykyk) and then it ended. i also had to take notes to keep all the people straight 😅 there were 2 parts of the ending that made me *eye roll* and if those were tweaked, this would be a strong thriller. part of the ending was savage and as a girlie, i’m v happy about it (you’ll know what i mean when you finish 😉).

some twists really shocked me and i’m happy Ruth Ware went there. i favor THE TURN OF THE KEY, but i liked this new trope for her. despite being hit or miss, she will remain an auto-buy author!