One Perfect Couple - This story is about several couples who are picked to live on an island and one by one they are eliminated until the perfect couple is left. There are no surprises in this book in my opinion. I kept waiting for the twists and for me there were none. I could not bond with the characters and while I finished the book, it is not my favorite Ruth Ware. I am looking forward to discussing this with others to see if I missed something. While it was not my favorite I do encourage you to read it and see for yourself, I do think there are great discussion points in this book.

This is the best thriller I have read in a long time. I am currently reading 2 other books - one from my all-time favorite author, Stephen King, and another for a book club I'm a part of. This book should have been on the back burner... but it wasn't, because the second I started it, I couldn't put it down. I found myself getting short-tempered with my children for asking totally reasonable requests because it was so hard to step away from this storyline for even a few minutes. I devoured this book in one day, and I would do it all over again if I could. You know how sometimes you find yourself really engrossed in a thriller, only to get to the end feeling a little underwhelmed and unsatisfied? This is not the case with this book as every part of the story is so captivating. From the characters to the storyline to the setting... I absolutely loved it. I also love that Ware didn't seem to try too hard with twists or with trying to include some unrealistic turn, just to elicit some jaw-drops. It was perfectly shocking, captivating, and unique... the way all thrillers should be crafted.
Ware's legacy precedes her. I know a lot of people love her novels. And while I can't say that I've read all of her works, I think I can confidently assume that this will always remain my favorite of hers. I don't know how it could be beat. It isn't often that this mom of 2 shirks all responsibilities for the day in order to consume a book in one sitting. It's just that good.
*Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read and review such a captivating novel.*

(this review will probably contain spoilers fyi)

I was over the moon when I was approved for this arc!!! I am a huge fan of Ruth Ware's work.

H O W E V E R...........................

This book was a bit of a flop for me. I had SUCH a hard time with the entire plot. Reality TV shows seem so overdone and I wasn't sure if another one from a thriller perspective was really necessary. I found Nico utterly insufferable. Which I assume was the point of is character, however it didn't make me warm up to him at all. Lilla was so smart and put together and interesting and I found their pairing pretty unbelievable from the beginning.

The show seemed SO SUS and I had so many qualms about it. I thought the entire premise was goofy and but the storm hits so incredibly fast, I wasn't sure how that was going to fill up an entire book. Since I knew that Ruth had said this book was inspired by And Then There Were None, I felt like I knew the twist pretty early on, and that kept my brain working, paying close attention to the smaller, quieter characters to see who would pop up again. I wasn't sure WHO it was going to be, but I just kept waiting for that to be the case. But when people kept dying...and they were BURIED.....I just couldn't solve it.

In the end, I felt the ending was quite a let down. I wanted more of a fight scene, more struggle, more resilience and a better conclusion than the one we got. I hate to say it but this was 3 stars for me.

I am a loyal Ruth Ware fan for liiiiiiiiife but this is not a new fave......

I may be in the minority here but I don't think this novel lived up to my possible high expectations. Ruth Ware is a best selling author, and has many excellent, plot-twisting novels under her name, but I was disappointed by One Perfect Couple. The plot seemed very predictable and I felt like little effort was given in keeping the atmosphere suspenseful or thrilling. While the conclusion came together with a nice little bow, the reader absolutely understood which characters were easily going to make it "off the island".

I loved that this is a nod to one of my favorite books, "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie.

The premise of this book includes couples on an island competing on a romantic reality TV show. The pace was slower than I prefer, but around page 120ish things started getting good! I slightly predicted the ending, but it played out WAY better in the book. I won't elaborate because I want to avoid spoiling anything, but I liked it and the message being told 🙌

Ruth Ware keeps getting better and better, in my opinion. I really like the way that she has more subtle twists; the suspense is more about how the characters will handle what's happening, rather than having a lot of random twists that make you gasp but maybe don't really make sense.

Reality TV shows are having a real moment in fiction, and One Perfect Couple is the latest novel to join the trend. Lila, a lab scientist, and Nico, an aspiring actor, are a bit of an odd couple, with Lila supporting (and resenting?) Nico as he strives to achieve his big screen dreams. The couple are approached by TV producer Baz about joining a reality TV show, which Nico believes will launch his big break. The downside? It's a package deal -- Lila and Nico sign on together to join several other couples on a remote, paradise-like island to see which couple is meant to be. But when a major storm leaves the cast without a boat, electricity, adequate supplies, or a connection to the outside world, the group quickly fractures, embodying their reality TV personas in unexpected ways.

I'll read absolutely anything Ruth Ware writes, but admittedly, this wasn't my favorite. Unlike many of her other novels, this one lacked the twists and turns I've come to expect as a reader, and the villain was fairly obvious from the start. But there's lots to enjoy here for summertime mystery readers and reality TV fans. Plus, fans of dystopian classics will enjoy many nods to Lord of the Flies!

This one kept me on my toes the whole time. Deserted Island meets reality TV show meets murder mystery. Lots of twists and turns that were played out really successfully. I would highly recommend this one from Ruth Ware!

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware is a fun and suspenseful read! It takes a familiar reality TV show concept and throws a thrilling twist into the mix. The characters are interesting, and you'll find yourself racing to see what happens next. If you're looking for a quick and entertaining escape, this is a great choice!

Thanks NetGalley for this digital ARC. I really enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I love Ruth Ware's writing, and this book is just as good if not better than her others!

The basic synopsis of the plot is that Lyla and her boyfriend Nico join a reality TV show to find the "perfect couple" on a paradise island in the Indian Ocean. However, things quickly begin to go wrong and a disastrous storm leaves the contestants stranded on the island with dwindling resources. Despite the fact that the game show has come to an abrupt halt, a new game begins on the island- and it is much more deadly.

Overall, this book was great and I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Ware's previous novels, although it felt less like a mystery novel this time around than a survival thriller with mystery components. The characters were compelling and multifaceted, but the mystery itself felt fairly straightforward, and there truly were not any huge twists. Despite that, I would still recommend this book to any mystery fans.

These books are harder to review without giving anything away, but Ware consistently lays out a compelling story that keeps you turning the page well past when you said you would go to bed, and this book is no different. Highly recommend!

Whoa 😳 This book was almost a slow start but it really went deep into getting to know the characters a little bit. Although they were on a remote island with no connections to others besides the people they were with, it seemed like a "survival" mission. But, did they all make it or did they fake it to make it? Did some fall down? The book started getting wild at about 50% and I was instantly hooked into it even more! Then things were getting even more intense...until some were not the One Perfect Couple.

”All you need to know is five couples go in, one couple comes out…”

Happy release week to One Perfect Couple! This was such a fun read, with the perfect blend of guilty-pleasure reality TV show vibes and whodunnit murder mystery thrills.

”Could it be that your perfect match is on the island . . . but arrived here with someone else?”

Ten contestants are transported to an idyllic island paradise for a unscripted reality TV competition where they have a chance to rekindle the romance with their current partner or find love with a new partner. Things go awry when their ship and their crew disappears during a storm, and they are left to fend for themselves on the island. Imagine Love Island meets Lost… but it gets worse, because there could be a killer in their midst.

”This is life or death, and we are stuck on this fucking island with a murderer.”

I loved all the drama, the tension, and all of the twists. I appreciated the fact that the entire book was narrated by just one character, because it prevented me from getting confused by multiple perspectives, and made it harder for me to predict what would happen or figure out who to trust!

”I knew it was all over. I knew that this was how it ended. I knew I was going to die.”

A solid 4-star read, perfect for poolside entertainment this summer!

——

A huge thank you to Ruth Ware, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lyla and Nico are a mismatched pair romantically but yet they seem to work. Lyla is a scientist and Nico is an aspiring actor. Lyla is in her 30s, still slogging the academic game and finding that she is falling behind. Nico is mostly a barista with a few TV shows to his credit. Nico's agent tells him about a new reality TV show "One Perfect Couple" that is filming in the South Pacific. Nico convinces Lyla to try out and they find themselves winging their way across the globe to a beautiful island with four other couples. What could go wrong?

Well the weather for one. A huge tropical storm devastates the island and the contestants are left without access off island. One by one the contestants are whittled down until just five remain....who will survive? Will they be rescued? What went wrong?

Ruth Ware rarely disappoints with on the edge of your seat thrill rides and this one is no exception. A great read and one that will keep you up late trying to finish it!

I’m a huge fan of locked door thrillers and Ruth Ware has written several of my favorites. They’re dark and twisty stories, and reading about people being trapped and fighting for their lives is always just such an intense experience. That’s exactly the experience of One Perfect Couple, except that instead of being trapped in a room, a cast of ten aspiring reality TV stars is trapped on a remote island.

Lyla is the character we follow throughout the story. She has no desire to be a reality TV star and is there because her partner Nico is an actor who is desperate to give his stalled career a boost. He thinks a new reality show called One Perfect Couple is exactly what he needs.

Ware takes a bit of time to set the scene, as all of the cast members meet and then hop on a boat and journey hours in the middle of the Indian Ocean to be dropped off at the newly built resort where the show will be filmed. I like to think of this part of the story as starting that first big climb on a roller coaster. There’s that slow build up as you climb to the top and crest the hill, and then it’s a scream-at-the-top-of-your-lungs adrenaline rush for the entire rest of the ride. In this book, what’s at the crest of the hill is an absolutely devastating storm that practically destroys the entire resort and leaves the show’s cast stranded with little food and water, minimal medical supplies, only a radio for communication, and as it turns out, a killer among them!

Ware does such an incredible job ratcheting up the tension and suspense as each day passes without someone coming to rescue them and bodies start to accumulate. I was glued to this book from the moment that storm hit and couldn’t put it down until I knew how it would end.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced thriller to kick off your summer reading, be sure to pick up a copy of One Perfect Couple!

This was a perfect book to read going into summer time! If you like bachelor in paradise or love island and thriller books, this is for you! One Perfect Couple is about a new reality show that is trying to prove who is the perfect couple. It takes place on a remote island off the coast of Indonesia in a new resort that’s not quite finished yet. Lyla is a scientist who is convinced to join the show by her aspiring actor boyfriend Nico. She’s not the typical contestant, but she’ll do anything for love.

Then after the very first elimination ceremony, there’s a huge storm and the villas are destroyed. They also lose touch with any staff, as they were staying on a boat nearby. They also had all their electronic devices confiscated for the show, so they have no way to communicate. They so find a contestant and a producer have been killed in the storm. The contestants are left to fend for themselves and forced to divvy up the remaining food and water. They have no idea if they when or if they will be rescued. As the days go on, emotions are high and soon more people end up dead.

This was such a fun book! I like how the couples were set up into teams and they create new friendships quickly as they have to rely on each other. I will say this book will make you thirsty as they keep having to ration their fresh water. The locked door aspect of the remote island was very clever. Each of the contestants had their own strengths and Lyla was often called up for her medical advice despite having a science background and not medical. They thought they would win cash, but is survival the ultimate prize?

Thank you to @gallerybooks and @scoutpressbooks for my advanced reader copy.

Note to self, never go on a reality show about finding the perfect couple when you and your boyfriend are barely holding on as it is.

As with other Ruth Ware books I've read, this one was a roller coaster of suspense and survival. I will say the action was a bit slower than I expected and the story shifted from what I thought I was going to be getting, but it was a highly enjoyable read.

Lyla and Nico are a couple who have been together the past 3 or so years. Lyla is the breadwinner and an introvert who is working on her post doctoral research, struggling to find her place in a program where there aren't too many women. On the other hand, Nico is an outgoing wanna-be actor who is extroverted and go-getter, who adamantly wants Lyla to join him on his next venture which is a reality TV show about 5 couples going to a desert island and through the process of elimination, finding "the perfect couple".

So much happens, but let's just say things don't go well. All of the couples have their own issues. I am not 100% certain I would call it a harkening to "And Then There were None", I don't think enough of THAT sort of thing happened to really put it in that category, but it was pretty darn good,

Definitely a fun, easy poolside read if you are into thrillers and suspense. I want to thank NetGalley and the Publishing company for providing me an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

When five couples are stranded on a deserted island, they must choose sides to survive.

I'm not sure what it is with Ware's books lately, but her last three have just been such a miss. I'm not sure if she forgot...but she already wrote an Agatha Christie <u>And Then There Were None</u> spinoff titled <u>One By One</u>. So the fact that this is being marketed as such is funny to me. The fact that this is just another stranded murder mystery where people are being picked off one by one made this a bit droll. Not to mention there is no real mystery as the villain is apparent just a few chapters in. There's plenty of blood and gore I guess, if that's your thing. Other than that there were few to no redeeming qualities about this book and I felt that reading it was a waste of time I won't get back...

Lyla and Nico have been dating for a while. Nico is an aspiring actor and he thinks he has found the perfect activity to help him gain fame; a reality television show! Nico convinces Lyla that she needs to help him gain his fame and come with him as a couple to a deserted island and be on ONE PERFECT COUPLE.

Lyla reluctantly takes time off of work and flies with Nico to the middle of nowhere. Once they arrive, they meet the other couples and start the filming. Unfortunately, after the first game is played, Nico is sent home and is no longer in the game. Nico is returned to the boat and is going to leave the next morning for the mainland.

A huge storm comes in the night and changes the course of the whole game. With no electricity, running water, and limited food, emotions run wild. As the days progress, anger arises, people fight, and death visits the island.

The book is a written form of "Survivor" and "Love Island." Ware has developed a plot that will keep the reader interested. Only time on the island will show who are the stronger players and who survives!

Ruth Ware never disappoints—I was quickly drawn into this survivalist tale of a couple’s reality show gone awry on a beautiful remote island. I couldn’t put it down! Thanks to #netgalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review..

Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery/Scout Books, and Ms. Ware for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I think the book blurb suggesting that this is a take on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None does this book a disservice. Frankly I think this was a departure from Ms. Ware’s usual murder mystery/thrillers. In my opinion it was a more suspenseful Lord of the Flies, but with women, and with a touch of Animal Farm added in. I really liked the combination of the elements: the desperation to survive, the mental tension as resources dwindle, the natural progression of power struggles and their impact on each group member, the isolation and privation of the island.

The premise is a bit far-fetched (there are certainly some stretches in the book): a handful of couples agree to participate in a couples-competition reality show on an island in the Indian ocean (I believe it is supposed to be near Indonesia). Lyla, a virologist, has misgivings but agrees to go to support her actor boyfriend Nico. Almost immediately a strong storm hits (a hurricane, possibly) and the contestants find themselves stranded on the island. Lord-of-the-Flies -style power struggles near and contestants die, one by one. It isn’t as much a mystery as it is suspense: what will Lyla do? How will she survive? WILL she survive?

Despite the plot gaps and unresolved character storylines I enjoyed this a lot. It was a bit of a slow start but once it got going I really enjoyed it. I am not much of a survivalist (who am I kidding, I would be a dead weight in this situation) so it was fascinating to watch Lyla and her companions struggle to survive their tropical island. The mental and physical deterioration seemed very accurate. I really liked the departure from the usual mystery formula although I could see that fans expecting another of Ware’s usual books might be surprised.

I would have liked a little bit more information about what happened to Joel, and I would have appreciated more information on the surviving characters: what happened to them? Where did they go? Were they all alright? What about the production company? Was there any footage after all? I guess I would have liked a little more closure.

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2