Thank you to Net Galley, Gallery/Scout Press and author, Ruth Ware for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of One Perfect Couple. This is an interesting story about five couples competing on a reality TV show which takes a big turn for disaster. I wanted more background knowledge in getting to know the characters. Many of the couples felt mismatched and incompatible. Many were unlikeable. It was easy to mix them up at the beginning. I also wanted more description of the reality show and what it entailed. Too quickly, the tropical storm hit the island and disaster took place. I prefer a slow build up and anticipation of conflict.
The plot moved quickly but the story was not the thriller I was looking for. The rescue was anti-climatic and discovering communication with the outside world was a bit unbelievable. This was more a bad guy vs. good guy story than mystery/thriller. This is an enjoyable read but not my favorite Ruth Ware novel.

4.5 stars

This is a fast paced mix of Perfect Match and Lord of the Flies. The fact I can’t stand the second one should have detracted from my enjoyment, but I was caught up with the story by that point. I always think the mark of a good thriller is one where you end up staying up past your bedtime because you need to read on-and in that this definitely hits. There were some things I was banging my head at how the characters reacted (or really didn’t react). I found myself getting thirsty for our characters and chugging my water bottle. I am quite satisfied with the ending, even if it doesn’t have the usual twists and turns. I feel like this would be the perfect summer beach read.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ruth Ware has done it again. Wow - this book blew me away. A reality dating TV show meets Lord of the Flies? Count me in! It was a little slow to start, but once it picked up, I was completely invested. The writing style really pulls you into the world of the contestants... I felt the hunger, desperation, thirst, confusion, fear and panic. Each character was incredibly developed and brought their own quirks to the group, so we had a great understanding of how the group operated as a whole, within each couple, and individually - something that is not an easy feat in writing. Be warned - read this book when you have plenty of free time because once you really get into it... you won't want to put it down. Highly recommend!

Thank you, Gallery Books and Ruth Ware for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am a HUGE reality show fan and I love reading about them just as much as watching them. I love reading more behind the sense perspectives as well. I also enjoyed how Ruth Ware mentioned some popular reality shows to compare the one she wrote about. I am honestly afraid if I go into detail, I will spoil the whole story. but it really held my attention from the very first page. I also love the random SOS radio calls during the book, it made me want to figure out what was going on, especially a certain one! Again, I absolutely loved this one and devoured it in a day!

Another winner for Ware, and I enjoyed every page as usual. Exciting and a perfect Bach read. Great characters and pacing. Another book to talk up for sure.

Ruth Ware knocks it out of the park with her newest thriller "One Perfect Couple". I don't watch reality shows so I was hesitant that I would really enjoy this book but it had all the right elements and kept my interest from the first page to the end. You get to know 10 characters. But do you really know them? Do they know each other? How long will each characters survive? 5 stars!

I've always been a fan of Ruth Ware and her writing I've read several of her other books so was excited to receive an arc of this book. Thanks to NetGallery, Edelweiss, Scout Press and Ruth Ware for the e-copy of this book


The book is about a bunch of couples that go on an island for a reality show to find "The Perfect Couple." The first night a horrible storm hits and the couples are left to figure things out for themselves.

Twists and turns throughout the novel a fairly quick read however I did feel it got kind of drawn out towards the middle. The ending definitely made the book worth reading!!

Gosh, Ruth Ware used to be one of my favorite authors. I knew, that by requesting this, I was in for reading subject matters that usually grate my nerves (TV reality shows, actors as main characters). But, I trusted Ruth, and wanted to give it a try. This book was not for me, and I should've listened to my instincts about the plot subject matters. I MISS Ware's gothic, creepy, somewhat dark novels. I just don't think trying to fit into the niche of writing about reality show competitions and the whole last to survive an island story is working. Please bring back your atmospheric gothic novels, Ms. Ware! 2.5 stars.

If I've said it once, then I've said it a thousand times and I'll probably say it a thousand more. I will read literally any take on And Then There Were None. Having said that, when I read this book's description, I was intrigued, but also confused. Like, didn't Ruth Ware already write a take on ATTN? Yes, she did--that one was set at a ski lodge, while this is on a remote island. That doesn't matter to me, though--please read my second sentence again. Anyway, this is actually only barely that--there are closer analogues that I won't reveal for fear of spoiling potential readers. In any case, I enjoyed this quite a lot and I'll read whatever take Ware devises next. Maybe a desert setting?

Thank you Gallery Books and Ruth Ware for the advanced copy of One Perfect Couple in exchange for my honest review!

3.5 stars rounded up.

As someone who looooves a messy reality TV show, I was super excited when I read the synopsis of this one, considering I'm a huge Ruth Ware fan as well. I wish we would've gotten just a little bit more mess before the storm hit, but I won't fault Ware for it, that's just the Bravoholic in me coming out.

The twist that comes at the end of the book was pretty interesting, I don't want to say too much more about it for fear of spoiling anything.

Suffice to say, Ruth Ware could republish the phone book and I'd still go out of my way to read it!

The Perfect Couple US pub date: May 21

This is my first Ruth Ware book, though I've been meaning to try one of her offerings for a while. In One Perfect Couple, Ware uses a reality TV competition as the setting for a story that has elements of Agatha Christie's classic And Then There Were None. Five couples arrive on an island ready to compete to be the one perfect couple. When a storm comes, everything changes and each contestant must not only fight to survive the elements, but also fight to survive a killer. The characters pretty much follow the stereotypes you would find on an actual reality TV show - the hero, the villain, the tough guy, the nerd, the girl next door, the model, etc. The novel was a quick, decent read, though it does drag slightly in some places. The identity of the killer seemed fairly obvious to me, but there is another twist involving why these people were sent to this island.

Despite some elements being predictable and the And Then There Were None trope being fairly common, I did enjoy this read, and will check out some of her other books in the future. I'd give it 3.75 stars, rounding up to four.

Thank you to @NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

I loved Ruth Ware's latest about a group of people on an island for a reality show, only to be stranded by a storm and picked off one by one. (I also love Lost and Yellowjackets, so if you enjoy those shows you might like this book as well.) A solid mystery with a satisfying ending, plus lots of action scenes along with some strong female characters.

Ruth Ware dips her toes into a survivalist thriller with One Perfect Couple.
When Lyla reluctantly agrees to go on a couples reality show for her wannabe actor boyfriend Nico, she soon realizes she’s in for more surprises than what the producers are throwing at them. After one day of filming, a storm wreaks havoc on their deserted island a full 24 hours by boat away from the mainland.
The boat the producers were living on is gone and it’s only the couples left to fend for themselves.
As supplies start to dwindle, people become more desperate and things start to get dark. Now it’s no longer just the elements they have to protect themselves from, but each other.
What would you be willing to do for your own survival?

Ruth Ware always has some good surprises in her story lines and this one is NO exception. 4 couples are chosen and whisked off to a remote island for a new reality TV series, only to have it all go wrong on the very first night! Readers will be transported to this remote island and will be cheering for the characters and will see at the end the MAJOR twist that no one saw coming!

The author is a hit or miss for me, and this was slightly more of a miss. I loved the premise, and the plot was definitely propulsive, but there was not enough mystery to it for me.

Ruth Ware is one of my favorites, and her newest one doesn't disappoint. I loved the setting on the remote island, the tension, the fight for survival after a horrific storm. No real twists or wow moments, but great writing and character development. I enjoyed this ARC very much, thanks to #netgalley.

This book comes straight out of a modern day reality show except with the added twist of a storm, being stranded, adventure, and thrills. Lyla is talked into going on a couples reality show with her actor boyfriend Nico. The cast of contestants is interesting and like all reality shows there is sure to be a villain, but who? After the phones are taken away and a storm hits, dead bodies begin to turn up.
Although not my favorite bookby this author, it was tense and kept me reading til the end. There were a lot of characters and at times I had to stop and try to remember who went with who. This was an entertaining book and a fast read.

This was sadly not my favorite. It had all the elements of a story I should love- reality TV, game show competition, suspense and survival… but the marketing is really off here.

Advertised as a “And Then There Were None”-esque thriller with a game show backdrop, it really is more of a survival story, reminiscent of Lord of the Flies.
The pace was VERY slow, and though over time the characters developed into distinct narrative personalities, for at least the first 1/2 I couldn’t tell anyone apart beyond the MC.

I didn’t dislike it enough to DNF, and the ending was okay, but overall it was just too slow for me. It also wrapped everything up in like the last 5 pages, which felt crazy rushed after 100 pages of finding coconuts for water.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this one. I went into this one somewhat blind, I didn't read the blurb, I just saw Ruth Ware's name and was instantly sold. The plot is an interesting one and the twists begin immediately. Lyla is a likeable character as are many of the other reality show "contestants." Throughout the book, I wasn't sure who the good guys were and who the bad guys were. While I did enjoy the story, it's not my favorite of Ruth Ware's books.

3/5 ⭐️

From the synopsis, I was hooked. I thought this book was going to be an amazing, suspenseful book regarding an island where there was a murder/more of a survivor story. However, when they got to the island, what I thought was going to happen simply did not. Every time I thought "this would be a great twist!", the plot did nothing. It was very lackluster. There was so much promise!

I really wish there was a big twist at the ending, or something to make the book feel more redeeming. The book felt like is just simply... ended. Everything that was supposed to be the suspense in the book was so spelled out that it was not a surprise. There was no mystery, no thrill! The premise of the book was good, and the writing was good, which was the other redeeming factor and the only reason I rated higher than a 2 star.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!