I really wanted to love this one, after reading the premise and the beginning, but it kind of fell flat for me. It had great promise, but maybe just the way it was marketed as a comparison to “And Then There Were None” led to my disappointment. The comparisons between the two were surface level, with the overarching character dynamics, conflict, and “twists” not relating to the referenced Christie story. I think overall the book was enjoyable and interesting, but I kept expecting more because of my own preconceptions.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

(3.5 stars rounded up)
This is a reality TV-setting survival thriller that’s fast-paced and pretty good! I felt like the different characters were pretty distinct, which is sometimes an issue with this type of book. The beginning caught my attention and the ending tied everything together well. The middle dragged a little bit for me, but I was glad I finished it.
Heads up that this is not really a murder mystery. There’s death and an isolated setting, but no real mystery to keep you guessing. I was surprised about that based on the description.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I enjoyed this! The story was propulsive and tense all the way through. I thought the explanation for the show was a bit convoluted and far-fetched but it didn't take away from the overall story.

I absolutely loved this book - I love Ruth Ware's writing and her innovative plot lines. This kept me hooked and was an adventure until the last page.

Ruth Ware is the mystery thriller QUEEN!

I think this is now my favorite book of hers. The suspense will keep you on your toes. The snippets at the end of chapters will keep you guessing until the very end.

I love the way she expands on the characters and how they are important to the entire story. She is so detailed oriented, I can guarantee if I read this again I will notice even more details that pertain to the big picture.

Highly recommend, you will not be disappointed!

Ruth Ware writes a unique story of what we will do to survive and the lengths that we could be tested. This was filled with strong women who banned together to stay alive and went on, despite their fears.

Ruth Ware’s “One Perfect Couple” is a perfect summer beach read. While it did not include the twists and turns of her previous novels, it was a compelling survival tale. My only complaint is that the author could have taken a clue from her reality show inspiration and had a clearer characterization from the start.

Another hit for Ruth Ware! This book was so good and I could not put it down. I was glued to each page wanting to know what would happen next. She is a master storyteller.

Another fantastic read from Ruth Ware! As is usual with her books, I couldn't put it down. Great sense of place, excellent plotting and character development. Looking forward to recommending this one to our patrons!

A great thriller, with people trapped on a remote island after a storm. I didn’t love the beginning with the reality, show couples, and I’m even a big fan of The Bachelor.. but once the storm comes in, the action really takes off. I was frantically reading to see how it ended.

This thriller kept me guessing! If you are a fan of reality television and thrillers, this book is for you. A isolated island seems like a perfect destination for couples to see if they are destined to be the one perfect couple.... until disaster strikes and the couples are left in a game of survival. Throw in jealousy, fights for basic supplies, and mysterious deaths. This book has it all

If you love reality tv especially the Bachelor and Survivor this book is for you! This book included everything from relationships, to thrilling scenes, to funny moments. It was fun to read and I found the character development done really well.

Absolute perfection. This is a must read if you enjoy a who-dun-it. Very reminiscent of Agatha Christie.

5 couples compete to be the One Couple left on the island, but when a storm hits and 2 people die it quickly becomes a Lord of the Flies moment.

This is my favorite Ruth Ware book. I could not put it down.

Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery/Scout Press for the pre-release copy of this one. Below is my honest review.

I am a big Ruth Ware fan. I'm also a fan of the cheesy reality shows like Too Hot to Handle, Are You the One, and Perfect Match. So when those two worlds collide, I'm obviously going to have to pick that one up and give it a read.

Ware's mind is so twisted! The brutality of this one, the darkness that eats away at the group as they sit on this island, fighting each other and the elements... so compelling to read. Watching them all lose their walls and their secrets come out was written so well.

And the ending... well, I'll say this - justice comes in all shapes and sizes, and can't always be doled out in the exact way we want. But dang, what an ending.

Definitely recommended for Ruth Ware fans, cheesy reality show fans, and fans of dark, twisty, murdery stories.

Post-doc student Lyla and her model-perfect aspiring actor boyfriend Nico are recruited to star in a new elimination-style reality show set on a tropical island. Nico is thrilled at the opportunity to jumpstart his non-existent career, and Lyla wants to please Nico and also escape her failing research project. Lyla suspects they may have been misled by the producers, and some things are just not adding up. The trip turns into a life-or-death scenario when a storm hits, they have limited supplies and no way to contact the outside world....and they may also have a killer in their midst.

I love Ruth Ware, and this title was a hit for me. It is exciting, and fast-paced, with a brilliant female protagonist.

This was my 6th book by Ruth Ware and I’ve enjoyed them all but this is probably my favorite!! All the twists, jaw-dropping, mind-blown- all the things! 5 stars. The tension in this one kept me reading, I needed to know what was going to happen. A beautiful island cut off from the rest of the world- reality show turns into survival.

The premise for this novel broke away from Ruth Ware's typical mystery writing, but it did not disappoint! Five couples travel to a remote island in Indonesia to participate in a reality show, but not all will make it out alive due to an unexpected storm and the conflicts that ensue as a result. It was a bit difficult to keep track of the characters and their relationships in the beginning of the book. I had to tab the pages where each couple was introduced so I could refer back when needed. It might be beneficial to have the dossier for the One Perfect Couple contest at the beginning of the book for readers to refer to. The characters were well-developed which encourages the reader to root for the "good guys." The plot is well-organized and thought out, although the ending felt a bit rushed after all the turmoil of fighting to survive on the island.

Ruth Ware is always at the top of my list for most anticipated reads when she has a new book coming out! One Perfect Couple follows Lyla as she joins a reality show with her boyfriend, aspiring actor, Nico. He convinces her to do it for him as he's hoping it'll be his big break even though she's not in the movie business at all. She's looking forward to an all expenses paid vacation on a remote tropical island but things do not turn out the way she expects them too. On their first night, a storm racks the island and destroys a good amount of the newly built resort. The actors realize they're stranded when the boat that contained all the crew doesn't show back up after a couple days. Tensions began to rise as they figure out how to wrangle their diminishing provisions and people start winding up dead!

Ware can be a little all over the place for me. Most of her books I love but there are a couple that fall flat for me and unfortunately One Perfect Couple is one of them. I enjoyed the ride, for the most part, and I loved Lyla's relationship with the other women on the island but there's an added element that I didn't particularly love. It stressed me out too much to make the suspense enjoyable and I couldn't wait for that part to be over! I still give this book 4 stars, it just wasn't as fun of a ride!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm rating this high because it's my first Ruth Ware and I had a pretty good time. The reviews were right: this is very Lord of the Flies mixed with And then there were none. Both classics, and I almost always enjoy when I read books with those themes.
It was a little difficult to get the people straight at first and maybe they could have had better descriptions. But I liked them, except for the bad guy -- and I didn't mind finding out that he was bad early.
It was easy to see how civilized people could hesitate to strike back, and this was a group that started out looking great and trying to keep up appearances. Even our main girl, a scientist, starts out trying to pull off what's needed for a reality show. Reality shows, secrets, simmering resentment... This is a perfect beach read.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

This book is fast paced and has a lot of twists and turns. However it is hard to follow all the characters in the beginning.
I loved it as I started reading it but lost interest as I got further into the book.
I love Ruth Ware books, but this does not compare to her other books.
By the end of the book I didn’t care how it ended. I just wanted to finish reading it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.