I mean - you can't really ever go wrong with Ruth Ware, right? A really unique take on reality TV. Loved the twists and turns. Some details didn't add up completely during the book - but I was kept guessing the entire way through! Very satisfied by the ending. An awesome summer read!

Ware's talent for creating palpable tension is on full display as the contestants face unforeseen challenges that quickly escalate into a fight for survival. The setting of Ever After Island transforms from a tropical paradise to a menacing, isolated trap, amplifying the suspense. The novel's strength lies in its vivid character portrayals and the psychological depth Ware brings to their interactions and conflicts. "One Perfect Couple" is a testament to Ware's prowess in crafting edge-of-your-seat thrillers, leaving readers questioning the thin line between reality and survival.

Popular author Ruth Ware turns paradise into a new form of hell in her latest novel, One Perfect Couple.

Depending on who you ask, Lyla and Nico have been together for two-and-a-half years or three years. Nico counts their relationship as starting from their first hookup. Lyla doesn’t think that drunken groping was really the beginning since it was at a friend’s party, and they just got together for convenience’s sake. But when they met up again six months later, deliberately? They haven’t been apart since.

The differing opinions on how long they’ve been together reflect how Nico and Lyla view the world. Nico, an actor, has an emotional response to everything. Lyla, a scientist, is practical. Which is why she is in the process of carefully contemplating her future. She and Nico are at a crossroads in their relationship and Lyla, the elder by several years, is thinking it may just be time for them to part ways. She is ready to level up – to start thinking about family and forever. Not just with her love life but with her job, too, since it is looking like she isn’t going to be promoted and may need to change careers.

Then Nico is offered the opportunity to join the cast of One Perfect Couple, a reality TV show featuring authentic partners who must prove on camera why they are perfect for each other. Lyla doesn’t want to participate, but she also has nothing holding her back. And Nico is making all kinds of promises as to why this will be great for them both. She agrees to do two weeks on the show, confident she will quickly be kicked off the tropical paradise where it is being filmed, because audiences don’t want a pedantic nerd. They want someone like Nico – volatile, gorgeous, and emotive. The audition process is sketchy, but neither Nico nor his agent blink an eye at that, and before she knows it and despite her trepidation, Lyla is boating through the Indian Ocean towards Ever After Island.

Once on board, they meet the four couples they will be competing against – Bayer and Angel, Dan and Santana, Joel and Romi, and Conor and Zana – to win a cash prize. While everyone else seems media savvy, Joel and Lyla find themselves bonding over their odd-man-out status. Joel is a lecturer at St. Clements and, like her, is the more boring/normative half of the couple. They have a good laugh over it. Lyla continues to make the rounds, talking to the other contestants and the staff of the show as they prepare for landing. This is how she overhears talk of a dangerous storm potentially encompassing the island. The production crew dismisses any concerns, but she disembarks uneasily.

She is right to be worried. The first challenge proves a disaster for Lyla and Nico. She gets a near-perfect score listing his dreams, favorite foods, and most embarrassing secret, but after living together for so long, he still gets her go-to takeout order wrong, doesn’t know what her dream date would be, nor really much of anything about her. A furious Nico is escorted off the island, while Lyla is left to bask in humiliation. But this will not be the worst thing to happen that evening. The production company departs, taking the boat back to the mainland to deposit Nico and pick up supplies. And then the storm hits, leaving massive destruction in its wake. The contestants quickly find themselves struggling for survival, cut off from any form of communication with the outside world, and running low on food and water. It doesn’t take long for them to realize that starvation isn’t the only thing they have to fear. One couple is still playing the game, albeit under a very different set of rules. And they are determined to be the last pair standing.

This is less a mystery and more an action/adventure/thriller. That a villain is on the island is clear from the outset. Who it is is obvious by the midpoint. The only real question to be answered is if both members of the couple are complicit or if it is just the conspicuous half of the pair, with the other being forced to cooperate. There is a surprising twist at the end regarding why it is all happening, but it doesn’t play into how the plot unfolds until the final chapters.

Readers who love strong female protagonists will adore this story. All of the ladies are resilient, brave, and fiercely intelligent. I appreciated that each and every one of them – even Santana who is by far the most fragile – is grimly determined to survive themselves and help the others to do so. They are very much about doing what needs to be done, even when that is less than palatable.

Lyla is surprising in her ability to adapt. A kind of everywoman with few practical survival skills and only minimal fitness, her struggle to acclimate to the new conditions is very relatable and the author makes her growth believable without ever sacrificing the essence of who Lyla is. It’s easy to believe that the kick-ass version we see emerge as the novel progresses was inside our heroine all along.

There are plot points I found questionable, but the author’s easy-to-read writing style and brisk pacing kept me invested in what was happening. There are deaths here, but the gore and violence are kept to a minimum.

Ware’s obsession with failing machinery actually fits this particular scenario perfectly because it would be natural for an isolated location to have difficulties with technology after a massive, damaging storm. It also gives the characters – especially the women – the opportunity to show their unique skills since they have to be quite creative as they seek to find a way to communicate with the outside world.

One Perfect Couple isn’t a perfect book but it is pretty darn entertaining. I would recommend it to fans of the author, those who love the Reality TV scenario, and anyone in the mood for a heroine-centric adventure story.

Huge fan of Ruth Ware here, but this one didn't quite do it for me. I didn't like either character, and I found it hard to believe that Lyla, a virologist, would have been convinced by boyfriend Nico to sign up for a reality show. The plot itself just felt tired--yup, another reality show gone wrong. I struggled to finish this book.

The premise was a little ridiculous, but the characters and the mystery of it, kept me engaged and reading. I can see why my patrons clamor for the latest Ruth Ware book!

This book had me captivated as a couple's survival show on a mostly deserted island turns into a true test of survival. The story is fast paced and full of twists and shocking surprises. Although I thought the story was missing this author's usual major twist ending, I still loved the book and highly recommend it.
Thanks to Gallery Books through Netgalley for the advance copy of this book. The opinions in this review are my own and given voluntarily.

I loved this book! Ruth Ware can do no wrong. Loved the storyline and characters. Not so much a thriller but more a mystery but overall another win from Ware.

When a reality show becomes a thriller, prepare for a wild ride!

Characters - I enjoyed the tension between Lyla & Nico from the very start! The author was very creative with all the couples and interactions.

Plot - Captivated by the structure of the reality show and as the book progressed it provoked so many questions!

Pacing - The author is a pro at keeping the story moving

What I liked - Very unpredictable and kept me wondering how things would end

What I didn’t like - There were moments I lost interest during the Storm section and it felt a bit long

What I loved - I’m a devoted Bachelor Nation fan and I enjoy a good thriller…perfect combo for me! It also gave me glimpses into the show Survivor.

I would recommend to any thriller fans particularly when it comes to desiring surprises!

I would read the sequel (hint hint) if they reimagined the reality show on a new network—just like American Idol!

Imagine agreeing to go away with your boyfriend when you’re not even sure you want to go? Tropical island, reality TV, and a chance at becoming famous…what could possibly go wrong besides everything? As the story begins there’s hardly the undertone of what will slowly emerge to not only be a fight for survival when a terrible storm hits but also a true psychological twist in which Mother Nature is not the real enemy.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one started a bit slow for me. The story follows several couples who have signed up for the next reality show hit, One Perfect Couple. Lyla, the FMC is a virologist who likes to keep to herself but is dating Nico, an opportunist wannabe influencer / actor who convinces her to sign up for the show. The premise of the show is to get couples together and based on challenges, mix couples up with two people, one perfect couple, winning in the end.

From the very beginning, things are off- for example it’s discovered that the show hasn’t actually been picked up by anyone. More turbulence with broken cameras, lack of food, an incomplete resort, etc. questions what exactly is going on. After the first person is kicked off the island, a storm rolls in and changes the whole game. From reality show to a show for survival, the participants have to work together to survive and wait to be rescued.

Lyla and Nico's relationship isn't going so great. Lyla, a scientist, is very logical in her reasoning. Nico is the exact opposite. He's a wannabe aging actor who's still looking for his big break. With Lyla's career not going great and her relationship not living up to expectations, she's starting to question things. But when Nico is offered a once in a lifetime chance to be part of a new couple's reality show, he convinces Lyla this is his ticket to stardom. Reluctantly, she agrees to accompany him in a last ditch effort to salvage their relationship and to escape her work woes.
But as soon as they reach the island, things go from bad to worse. The competition is driving an even bigger wedge between the pair and a hurricane cuts them off from the mainland completely. Now they're stranded on the island with four other couples who aren't just competing on reality tv, but fighting for survival.

I haven't liked the last several books by Ruth Ware, and this one is no exception. It was pretty lackluster for me. The premise sounds amazing, riveting, intense. I, however, felt none of those things while reading it. The first part of the book dragged on with a lot of filler (there was a particular bit about mosquitos that went on forever) until the thrills came. Unfortunately, the thrills weren't so thrilling. The baddie was the most obvious person in the room, all the characters were unlikable and unpleasant to read about, and the conclusion was disappointing.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know if badass feminist thrillers are a new trend, but if they are, sign me the HECK up.

One Perfect Couple was *so* good. The cast of characters -- and their ambiguous connection to one another, and the show -- were brilliantly portrayed in this tale of reality tv gone so, so wrong. It was incredibly fun, edge-of-the-seat style storytelling, with a resolution that had me physically pumping my fist.

The incorporation of disability in the form of a diabetic contestant felt incredibly well-done, with constant considerations for how being disabled impacted that character's unique experience on the island.

I really loved One Perfect Couple. I want so much more!

Definitely not one of my favorites by this author.

I felt that the plot started out fine, but it quickly became too far fetched to be believed. Lord of the flies meets Love Island meets a typhoon disaster movie. The characters weren’t particularly likeable, I really didn’t care what happened to them. I was tempted to DNF several times but at least it moved along quickly so I got through.

Giving two stars because I have enjoyed the author’s previous works and will give future books a chance.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

A “Survivor-like” Reality-TV show tests a couple’s love and lives in “One Perfect Couple”


In Ruth Ware’s latest psychological thriller, “One Perfect Couple” (Scout Press) Lyla’s life and career are at a crossroads. Her postdoctoral contract in virology at a London University is expiring and her relationship with Nico, an aspiring actor, is stagnating. When Nico is offered the chance to participate in a new reality show, One Perfect Couple, he convinces Lyla to join the cast with him. This opportunity could provide the ‘big break,” and the cash, he’s been waiting for. He’s told her it is a couples’ elimination format, which could last ten weeks and is set at a brand new tropical resort. Considering it is the middle of a gray winter in London, Lyla is intrigued by the all-expense paid vacation ending with a cash prize. Besides, haven’t they earned the treat?
As a fact-driven sensible scientist, Lyla is also hesitant about the unknowns of the show. However, to placate Nico, she agrees to attend the initial interview. The whirlwind audition process has found Lyla saying “yes” while meaning to say “no way,” and the next thing she knows, she and Nico are Jakarta-bound. Upon their arrival in Indonesia, they join four other couples and the production team preparing for the series. The lucky entourage is then whisked across the Indian Ocean on a yacht to Ever After Island, a deserted island where the games will begin.
They arrive at a paradise of azure waters and pristine villas, and Lyla’s trepidations are quelled, but not for long. She senses that the production has hidden problems, and that the other contestants possess secrets. The show’s producer is a bully with a sharp tongue. The other photogenic and athletic couples are influencer stereotypes ripped from YouTube and TikTok, and even her boyfriend, Nico, is a hunk. Plain, girl-next-door Lyla is the odd woman out.
After one day of shooting, life on the island goes awry. When a hurricane batters the island, the contestants are cut off from society. Most of the villas have been destroyed, the food stores and potable water are dwindling, and the contestants must band together to survive amidst the growing tensions in the group. Having been stripped of their cellphones, their only means of communicating with the outside world is a ship-to-shore radio, but its battery is fading fast.
Lyla and her fellow castaways are left wondering when will the producers return to collect them? Has anyone heard the distress calls? Will anyone notice they are missing? Will anyone arrive to save them before it is too late?
Without revealing any spoilers in this page-turning thriller, soon the paradise of Ever After Island becomes a living hell. Filled with an array of back-stabbing, volatile, and unreliable characters, “One Perfect Couple” is part Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians, Golding’s Lord of the Lies and Orwell’s Animal Farm. It is a story about the breakdown of a society transitioning from a democracy to an autocracy, and how Lyla struggles and creates alliances to survive the disaster.
Pulling back the curtain on reality television, Ware makes the reader question whether those shows are staged and how much is “reality”. In “One Perfect Couple,” the lines become as blurred as a mirage on the horizon. Each post-hurricane day mirrors the life on a reality program, presenting another survival challenge to the castaways. Out of her element, Lyla, discovers whom she can trust and that each decision could mean life and death. Not only for her, but also for everyone on Ever After Island.
Ware’s “One Perfect Couple” takes the reader on the breathtaking flips, peaks, and valleys of an endless rollercoaster ride. So, jump on, strap on your seat belt, and enjoy the thrill ride.

I already had my bags packed and I was headed to this gorgeous tropical island, just from reading the synopsis. The windswept beaches, sparkling blue water as far as the eye can see, coconut trees dotting the landscape. Who would say no to a free trip and to be on a reality show?

Lyla has some concerns; she is a scientist whose last job has taken a nosedive and needs a distraction. Her boyfriend Nico is a struggling actor who believes he has one last chance for everyone to notice him. The new reality tv show, The Perfect Couple. Nico has a way to convince Lyla that this trip will be his big breakout and a free trip to paradise for her. When they meet with the producers and the man with the idea. Red flags are popping up everywhere, Nico says this is show business, it is how it is done. When they finally spot their slice of paradise for the next few weeks. Lyla begins to relax, until weirdness starts to occur. Nothing is lining up. There is a small crew, the ship they came in on was a bit sketchy, and the cameras audio is not working. This is the big lead up to the entire crew staying on the boat and leaving the cast on the island overnight. When a storm blows in and leaves the cast stranded with limited amounts of food and water on the island, and the boat no longer insight...

This is a fast paced, intense game of who did it. I do not want to get into more details or giveaway the entire book. This book is meant to be devoured. I could not put it down. It did feel a bit long toward the middle. It did not take away from my overall enjoyment. Thank you to Ruth Ware and Scout Press for my gifted copy.

I think I am officially done with Ruth Ware. This (too long) book was pretty ludicrous and not much of a thriller. It’s possible people who like Ware will enjoy it though. She’s just had too many misses for me.

3.5

5 couples are chosen to compete on a secluded island for the title of “The perfect couple”. The main character Lyla was convinced by her boyfriend to join him. She’s hoping to be there a short time before getting kicked off and sent home. The opposite happens, Nico is the first to be sent home and right after a major storm hits the island leaving the remaining contestants stranded. Will they survive? Can they work together or will they be torn apart? Even when the cameras stop rolling there’s a sense of “who will win” due to the need to survive.

I was intrigued by the premise of the book and interested at the beginning but I was left wanting a bit more.

One Perfect Couple
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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What a wild ride this was!!! Taking a thriller and making it set on a Reality TV show?! I knew this would be my kind of book!
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The journey that Ruth Ware takes us on was eery, chaotic, and then at the very end, predictable. But not in a normal way that I guessed it from the beginning.
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I had a hard time throughout the story picking up on exactly how it was going to end. Some of the solutions seemed too obvious to be true, some of the things that my brain was coming up with seemed way too far out.
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I honestly was a little disappointed by the ending. The entire journey to get there was so fun and I just felt like it didn’t fully pay off.
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I am still giving it 4 stars because it was such a fun read!

Stranded on a storm-swept island, five couples battle the elements—and each other—as they struggle to survive in this paradise-turned-nightmare thriller.

Lyla and Nico’s relationship seems to be going nowhere. But out-of-work actor Nico pleads with Lyla, a virologist, to join him on a reality TV show. For Nico, this is the opportunity of a lifetime, and for Lyla, this is the chance to see if their relationship has a future.

From the beginning, however, the show feels thrown together, falling short of the professional expectations of such a production. Lyla and Nico join four other couples—Angel and Bayer, Santana and Dan, Romi and Joel, Zana and Conor—and venture to a remote Indonesian island to take their shot at the grand prize. After their first challenge, the aggressive and ever-shady director departs with the crew and first cast-out contestant, leaving the group for the night. A massive storm hits the island however, and they awake to a terrifying nightmare—most of their huts are destroyed, bodies are found, food and water supply are minimal with only a battery-powered radio remaining.

Distress calls through the radio go unanswered, however, as days turn into weeks. Worse yet, someone on the island forcefully takes over, willing to kill if they don’t fall in line. Division sows, alliances are forged and broken, and more bodies get buried beneath the sand, as hunger and dehydration take root in the sweltering tropical heat.

As their numbers and resources dwindle, and matters of life and death beckon action, it’s unclear whether anyone will make it out alive.
Love Island turns Survivor in this taut, immersive psychological suspense. The narrative—a fresh take on the locked-room mysteries Ware is known for—plays like a movie. Lyla’s pragmatic perspective unfurls the story with clarity, and I felt captive to sheer insanity of everything these people went through. I particularly loved seeing women band together fiercely and problem solve their way through their many situations. While the story touted propulsive pacing overall, my only minor callout is that the ending wrap-up felt a bit like a fizzle down from the high of the well-executed climax. Nonetheless, I loved this book. I couldn’t put it down.

This is the summer thriller you’ve been waiting for.

I have not read a Ruth Ware book in several years, but after hearing some early reviews and reading the blurb about One Perfect Couple, I was eager to get my hands on it. At the start of the book, we meet Niico and Lyla, a young couple who are both struggling with getting their careers up and running. Nico is an actor who has had no more than walk-on roles and is looking for his big break. Lyla is a scientist whose most recent experiment did not have the outcome she was expecting which causes her to question her future in this field. Nico’s agent presents him with an opportunity to be a part of a new reality show One Perfect Couple which he thinks may be just what he needs to increase his exposure and ignite his career. The catch is, Lyla would have to join him as this is an elimination-based show for couples. The two ignore the sketchiness of the premise (they’d have to change partners with other couples each week) and the lack of details about the prize winnings. They think the show may just be the right move for them that has come at just the right time. Within days, Lyla has taken a leave of absence from her job and the couple are on their way to a remote island near Indonesia to start their reality TV adventure.

The premise of a smart woman with a selfish, climber of a boyfriend always hooks me and has me rooting for a breakup! Nico annoyed me from the opening chapter and had me hoping the couples’ time on One Perfect Couple would lead to their relationship’s demise. However, once the couple set sail for the remote island, things began to fall apart for me. The story became less of a story about the couple and more a tale of survival and I lost interest. The tension didn't build and the ending felt rushed. Also, based on the reviews and blurbs I was expecting a nod to Agatha Christie and it just wasn’t there for me. I have loved some previous Ruth Ware locked room style mysteries, but this one didn’t work for me. 2.75 stars rounded up

Thank you to Net Galley, Gallery Books and the author for the opportunity to advance read this book in exchange for an honest review.