I couldn’t put this down! I started this book on a very busy weekend for me and was sad I couldn’t read all in one sitting, it’s that good. I loved the characters, the setting and the twists. I feel like this book was unique in that it had twists all throughout the book rather than just one sole twist at the end. I also loved the ending, I don’t think I could’ve picked a better one. I am going to be adding other titles by this author to my TBR.

3.5/5 ⭐️

Lyla and her boyfriend Nico are picked to be contestants on a new reality show about couples on a remote island. However, soon after arriving, they get stranded completely by an intense storm and no way of communicating with anyone on land except for a spotty radio. Tensions arise and soon it’s not just about surviving the elements.

This one was very different than I expected. I thought it was going to be more like one of us is a killer on the island and we gotta figure out who. However, it was more Lord of the Flies esque with regards to two groups fighting and there was a clear bad guy. It was super quick to read, and I thought the first part (of three) was really good and suspenseful. But then after the storm, it became a survival story with an abusive leader and not really the suspenseful tale I wanted.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐️ - One Perfect Couple is another fun and twisty popcorn thriller by Ruth Ware. In this novel the reader is introduced to Lyla, a virologist, and her aspiring actor-boyfriend, Nico. Nico convinces Lyla to join him on the cast of a new reality show titled One Perfect Couple where five couples will start out together, yet vie to be the last one standing. Lyla agrees to participate only to help Nico further his career. Her goal is to get sent home within the first couple of weeks and return to her research job. This show is low budget and set on an isolated island. Things do not go according to plan....

There is a large cast of characters in this novel and at times it is hard to keep them straight, although the reader is getting mostly one perspective. I have consistently found Ware's books to be engrossing, and I finish them in a day or two. The plot moves along nicely, but there is little character-development. This is a good palate cleaner book.

Thanks to Scout Press and Netgalley for this ARC.

Lyla is in a rut. Her job is going no where, her relationship feels stalled, and she feels like life is jsut passing her by. So when her boyfriend asks her to go with him to be a reality show, “one Perfect Couple” to help his acting career she agrees. Maybe this is the break she needs. Situated on a gorgeous beach across the world the couples get situated and the games begins. When a storm hits soon the contestants are fighting for their lives, not only from the island but from each other.

Ruth Ware is a favorite of mine so when I got to read this ARC I was excited. I really liked how this story was such a great atmospheric read that kept me wanting to know more. While not very “twisty” I still loved the thriller component and would recommend this book to anyone who loves a great thriller. Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

This was a. HUGE miss for me. I am usually a Ruth Ware auto buy...but this MAJORLY missed the mark. I think that wanted to create a twisty suspense that incorporates themes of reality TV (think Love Island, Survivor, Feyre Festival) but spent zero time developing the characters and most of the time giving play by plays of how to survive on a deserted island. With the little time that she did spend talking about the characters, they were all unlikable (I think she meant to create vapid Tik Tok/Youtube stars, but no thank you). Additionally, the reality of this situation is SLIM to none. When reading a suspense, I like to think that these events COULD happen in some world, but this was so unrealistic.

Lyla and Nico have been dating for 3 years. Nico, a struggling actor, asks Lyla to go on a reality TV show in order to finally get an acting job and be seen by agents, producers etc. Lyla is hesitant. As a she is the rational scientist , but she is also on the verge of losing her job so she agrees. They meet the producer (who gave them little to no details) and agreed. They headed off to the deserted island to meet their cast mates and their "dream villas". Two days into shooting, a huge storm comes and the yacht houses the entire staff disappears, the cast is left to survive. As the days drag on, the cast begins to get desperate and their true personalities begin to show. Some need PURE control, some need more basic needs such as food and water, and some need to be protected from an abuser. Will they survive the Island or will their fellow cast mates be the death of them?

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for ARC!

A reality show is filming on a small island near Indonesia. 10 people are on the island when a storm hits and strands them all with no communication and limited supplies. As they try and find a way to stay alive and get off the island, it’s clear that one of them doesn’t want everyone to be rescued.

I’ve really been loving Ruth Ware recently as I’ve made my way through her books. This one was one of her best! It’s kind of a Survivor meets Lord of the Flies with a lot of modern drama thrown in. The author does a great job with character and storyline development. The characters were all well written and likeable and even the characters you don’t like are so well written to be great villains. And the ending was great and satisfying . Really I couldn’t put this book down. Great read!

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Gallery Books for the advance reader copy. This is my honest review. Publication date May 21, 2024

Ruth Ware! She’s one of my favorite authors. I’ve read all of her books. I was very excited and thankful to receive this ARC (advanced reader copy) through NetGalley before its release in May.
In Ware’s newest book, we meet Lyla, a virologist who agrees reluctantly to join her boyfriend, Nico, on a new reality show, One Perfect Couple. They travel to a remote island that houses a brand new resort where they, and 4 other couples, are the first guests. The couples are vying not only for the top prize but their 15 minutes of fame (with the exception of Lyla). But things get off to a deadly start the first night when a huge storm rolls in and destroys the resort and kills two. From there, the remaining guests fight to stay alive.
This book started out so strong. I was picturing the beautiful setting, I was interested in the characters, and I was excited and anticipating a plot twist. Sadly, this book fell flat for me. I started to think surely there’s more to come, but there wasn’t. There was a twist, but it was hardly interesting. I was disappointed, as I am a big fan of Ware’s other books. This one just didn’t do much for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

Ruth Ware is an author that I'll read immediately when I see her name, so I feel badly in saying that I really didn't love or connect with this book. Multiple couples are set to compete on a reality show set on a remote desert island. Seems fine, until a devastating storm comes through, and characters have to survive on their own.

I kept waiting for a twist, where this was all part of the show, and I think that would have made the plot better. The characters were all grating and full of themselves. The twist near the end came a little too late with too little payoff.

Disturbingly good. Ruth Ware has another winner. It's a dark story with several twists and turns. But it will keep you turning the pages well into the night. Alternating the narrative with snippets of increasingly desperate radio broadcasts and seemingly contradictory diary entries is a great device and adds to the tension. Great story, fast moving plot and surprising characters. Enjoy!

Ruth Ware will always be exciting and fresh. This deserted island/“locked door” mystery had a few twists and turns that took me by surprise. The final speculation and conclusion could’ve been revealed to the reader in a more show-don’t-tell fashion.

Ruth is usually a solid mystery/thriller writer for me and this one I enjoyed quite a bit. It kept me wanting more, and was a page turner.

I did not enjoy The It Girl much (Ware's previous book), so I was both wary and excited going into this one. I was pleasantly surprised! There is the reality TV element, with many toxic, or just confusing, romantic couples, and an island setting that feels straight from Netflix. Of course, things go awry quite quickly with excerpts from radio SOS calls at the end of the first few chapters, and building tension between the couples in light of the competition. I'm not sure I would describe the characters as well-developed, but with the plot line that would be challenging to achieve. That being said, Lyla and Zana are the characters I found most fleshed out, with Bayar and Conor coming off as one-dimensional. One very entertaining moment that stood out to me was when the characters burned a copy of The Woman in Cabin 10 (another of Ware's previously published books), which was a lovely tie-in.

Once again, Ware has written a thriller and I do mean thriller. I started and didn't stop reading until I had finished. I couldn't' stop until I had found out how the story was all going to be resolved.
It's a contemporary tale. Lyla, who is at a crossroads with her career, and her actor boyfriend, Nico, also in a slump, agree to sign up to appear as couple contestants on a reality TV show. They are whisked off to an island of paradise where they join 4 other couples to compete.
Once that hurricane hits, it's all about surviving. The best of human nature is juxtaposed against the worst.
Expect an all-nighter once you begin. Spellbinding!

Ruth Ware is undoubtedly one of my favorite authors. Ware's The Woman in Cabin 10 was one of the first books that I read in that genre. I have been hooked ever since, and especially hooked on Ware's novels.

One Perfect Couple is intriguing from the beginning, capitalizing on the popular reality shows that abound and have millions of viewers. When Nico, an aspiring actor, convinces his girlfriend, Lyla, to join him in a new reality TV show, they quickly become embroiled in a network of mysteries surroundings the other four couples. Though Nico would like to win the cash prize, he mostly believes that the exposure will lead to his chance at stardom. Lyla, a scientist working on a post-doctoral degree, is not so sure about the whole idea. Especially the locale of a real deserted island. She reluctantly agrees and they embark on an adventure. An adventure that turns into a harrowing, deadly cat and mouse games among the 5 couples. The mysterious and tragic events will keep the reader turning the pages to find out who will win the contest and who will still be alive when it is over.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this ARC.

A group of couples are taken to an island for a reality show. Things immediately go wrong and it quickly becomes a fight for survival. I thought it was an interesting story!

I received an early copy through Netgalley, but all opinions are my own.

The ultimate reality tv show of survival of the fittest.
Grab your factor 50 and be prepared to be whisked away to paradise and be grateful you’re only watching from afar as paradise soon becomes hell!
What should have been the chance of a lifetime, on a beautiful tropical island soon turns deadly as a storm rips through the Indian ocean, decimating their paradise as well as leaving them stranded with out any way to reach safety.
As the chances of the boat returning for them slowly ebbs away so do the remains of their supplies.
Water is the commodity of live and there is only so much drinking water left as well as a meagre amount of food. Add to that a diabetic who relies on insulin to stay alive and only a certain amount of vials of insulin on the island, cracks soon start to appear in the group as rationing begins and temperatures begin to flare. True characters begin coming to the surface and not everyone is what or who they seemed.
The different range of characters makes this a really interesting character driven read and the main protagonist is impossible to not like and to will on in the quest for survival, whereas the antagonist is so easy to dislike that this truly makes this an easy read that is impossible to put down.
Ruth Ware has done it again with One Perfect Couple. It is going to be another huge smash hit!

A gripping, propulsive foray into the perils of reality TV culture and survivalist mentalities! Ruth Ware delivers an addictive new thriller that will be perfect for summer reading! I finished in a matter of days!

So good that I read it in a day. I couldn't put it down! The premise - 10 contestants on a reality TV show stranded on an island - was intriguing, and I love a good survival book. Mix in a little mystery and murder, and this is a solid beach read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

I love Ruth Ware's fiction not just for the nail-biting suspense but also for her ability to communicate the things that make us people, and how relationships are complex and constantly evolving. So many mystery novels are surface-level when it comes to characters - and in this novel it would be easy to fall into that trap. A young couple, both struggling in their careers - one as a post-grad scientist and one as an actor - decide to compete in a new reality show for couples set on a tropical island. Despite the sleazy tone and half-truths she detects, our young scientist Lyla decides to give it a shot. She has nothing to lose, as her research has fizzled out to nothing and her boyfriend Nico is sure it'll be the break that helps his career. Things go awry though when a storm appears on the horizon. Who are we when the artifice is stripped away and there's no one to perform for? Paradise is not all it's cracked up to be when tensions rise and people's true nature start to come out. Another winner from Ware - again showing why I'll always pick up her new titles as soon as I see them.

4.5 stars!

I was SO excited to get approved to read this advanced copy of Ruth Ware’s new book! Ruth Ware was the author who got me into the genre and I’ve read all of her books.

I will say that this book is probably a little different from her typical thrillers, in that it is a little more straight forward. That does not mean it isn’t suspenseful though! I flew through this and could not put it down!

Do you like reality tv? If so, this book is for you! In this book, couples are sent to a remote island to film a new reality TV show- think Love Island/Survivor. When a hurricane hits the first night, things take a terrible turn as communications are cut off from the main land and people start to die, one by one.

This is one of Ruth’s best works. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced ecopy in exchange for my honest review.