Ruth Ware’s new book is about a remote island where five couples arrive to compete to see who is the one true couple. Even before they arrive, things are muddled and not as they should be. As the book continues, the characters find themselves in many “Lord of the Flies” moments.
I’ll first start by saying I read this book in one day. The good part of that means it was interesting and I was drawn in. The negative of that, it was almost too easy of a read, you could skim or even skip over chunks and still get the story.
It’s worth a read, I love the direction her books are taking. More action and events happening than previous novels. The ending fell a bit flat for me and loose ends were haphazardly tied together.
I would recommend this book as a fun read. A beach read. A vacation read.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Gallery Books for an advance copy of this thriller that takes place on a tropical island that has been cut off from civilization and civility, leaving a couple who thought their relationship was their biggest problem, struggling to survive.

As much as people want it to be, life is not a reality show. There are no roses, no perfect mates, no wacky trips, or wacky tricks. Life is sometimes exciting, most of the time drudgery. To make a relationship work, takes work. And time, and energy. What if though, a show was looking for contestants. To find a perfect couple. Sure things are a little rough now, but this might be the perfect spark to bring everything back to the inferno that was, not the embers it is now. Plus a free vacation, other cool people. What could go wrong? Let the high jinks prevail. This being a Ruth Ware novel One Perfect Couple, these high jinks might include murder, and a narrator who might be playing a little loose with the truth.

Life is not proceeding on the course that Lyla expected. Lyla's postdoctoral work has hit a dead end, putting her job at risk, and her relationship is probably about to suffer the same fate. Nico, her boyfriend is an aspiring actor, who has yet to get a solid role, and the magnetism that was once so strong seems to be getting weaker. Nico gets an offer to join a new reality show, One Perfect Couple, and Lyla thinks this might be a great, at least they will be doing something together even if it doesn't work out. Somehow they both ace the auditions and soon are jetting to Asia, destination an island in the Indian Ocean named Ever After Island. There they meet their fellow competitors three other couples, and the show begins. Which does not go well. After a bad start, a storm blows through wiping out all ways to contact the outside world. Soon resources are starting to stretch, as are patients, and things get much, much worse.

A story that has a lot of familiar elements, however this being a Ruth Ware book, there are a lot of twists and turns. Ware is really good at creating and developing characters that seem real, and react to things as a normal human would. No breathless stares, no wasted words. Including the idea of this being a reality show is kind of amusing as the characters are being observed by readers, which adds a nice meta influence. Ware has a real strong narrative sense, able to control the tension that while feeling uncomfortable and concerned for the characters, one really can't stop turning pages. The promise of one chapter before bed is truly not possible.

There are a few surprises in here, and I don't wan to give anything away. A really good story that can serve as a good jumping on point for new readers. Fans of course will love this, and want more.

Lyla's life is not going how she planned. Working a temporary job that will run out when they lose funding, she's feeling uncertain. She thought she knew where her life was headed but now she's not sure. When her boyfriend, Nico is given the opportunity to be on the new reality show "The Perfect Couple", Lyla immediately declines. Nico explains they both have to attend, all or nothing. Lyla jumps. Life isn't what she wanted right now so why not give it go. They're whisked away to a private island where they'll compete against four other couples to find out who's the strongest. The show isn't all they hoped for though, between the cast of characters and the ever changing twists, Lyla is beginning to think this is more than she bargained for. After the first challenge, emotions are already running high when a storm strikes leaving a path of destruction in its wake. This couples game show just turned into a game of survivor. Who will make it off the island alive?

Ruth Ware is queen of locked room mystery. A beautiful island paradise and a group of characters set to destroy each other. This story felt more high stakes drama vs true thriller. Was I captivated and engaged, absolutely. I was invested, the tension was on point. Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy.

Another great read from Ruth Ware!

Several couples are chosen to compete on a new reality tv show, “The Perfect Couple”. They are taken to a tropical island, where they will be eliminated, one by one, and test their relationships with games and challenges….or so they thought. After a powerful storm moves through the island on the first night, tragedy upon tragedy strikes the couples. It becomes a test of survival, but will any of them survive?

Ruth’s writing style has already been a favorite of mine, so it was no surprise that I loved The Perfect Couple. I was intrigued from the beginning and couldn’t put the book down. I was immediately drawn to every character, wanting to know more about them and their back story. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a great psychological thriller!

I like this book, it was fast paced and kept you guessing. I did have a bit of trouble remembering everyone, I had to keep going back to remember. Would definitely recommend.

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware
@RuthWareWriter
Pub date: May 21, 2024

It’s no secret that Ruth Ware is one of my favorite writers. There’s nothing she’s written that I haven’t devoured and left no crumbs. With One Perfect Couple, I think she’s achieved another brilliant masterpiece that I will be singing the praises of for a long time to come.
This is told from the perspective of Lyla, a reluctant participant in a new reality web series, One Perfect Couple, joining along with her boyfriend, Nico, who wants to advance his stagnant acting career. There’s four other couples participating and each brings something unique to the story.

The setting is the chefs kiss and one of my favorites – a deserted island that at first feels like paradise but then hit by a storm and everything goes sideways. The couples are cut-off from the mainland and must work together to survive until help arrives. Seems like a good plan but there’s a nutter among them and they’ll have to use all their wits if they hope to survive.

When I tell you I was whipping through the pages, believe me, I was WHIPPING through the pages! I think I went through every emotion possible while reading this fast paced thriller and it is as tense as the day is long. I fell in love with the characters (well, most of them) and became invested in them so quickly.

There’s so much more I’d like to say about this unnerving psychological thriller but I’ll leave that for the reader to discover.

Tense, thrilling, brilliant!

My thanks to @GalleryBooks for this gifted DRC!

Ruth Ware's 'One Perfect Couple' takes readers on a thrilling ride unlike anything she's written before. In this gripping novel, five couples vie for a prize on a reality show, only to find themselves stranded after a storm. With echoes of 'Lord of the Flies,' Ware masterfully crafts a story of survival, betrayal, and the struggle for trust. References to classic literature add depth to the narrative, making this a must-read for fans of suspense and intrigue.

Ruth Ware has taken her writing to a whole new level in her latest thriller. Several couples go on a reality game show set on a remote, deserted island. A storm wreaks havoc on the island the couples must face dangers from both the island and each other.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and found it to be a refreshing and interesting page-turner. I loved the survivalist aspects and the multifaceted dynamics between all the characters. The ending was satisfying with several twists.

I’m a big fan of Ruth Ware so I was excited for this new release. At the beginning, I went into this book thinking it was going to be a typical murder mystery thriller; however, it quickly turns into an examination of relationships and the characters’ own personalities and strengths. While the hero(es) and villain(s) are pretty clear from the start, the plot events still managed to keep me intrigued. The writing is strong as always, you could feel the tension and desperation of the characters. There was one plot line that I didn’t think got resolved in the end, but the ending as a whole was satisfying. (4.25/5)

**This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

4.5⭐️ I’ve read every Ruth Ware, and this one was near the top of the list! At first I thought *𝘩𝘮𝘮 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮, 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘳.. 𝘰𝘬 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘦’𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦..* but I was pleasantly surprised how unique the storyline felt. I loved the reality TV aspect, and I felt like I was really watching it unfold. Though I can’t say the ending was my favorite, it still deserves a great rating. I really didn’t want to put it down.

Thank you to the publisher , Net Galley and the author for the opportunity for review. My review opinions are my own.

I was captivated by this book and read it in one night. It is a very exciting read with a shocking conclusion. The charactes are richly drawn to the plot, the mystery is intriquing from the beginning and the build up of suspense kept me reading. The remote island setting adds to the suspense of the book ., I highly recommend this book for all who enjoy thrillers. A fun read that will lead you far away from life until you finish and leave you wishing it never ended. A excellent read by Ruth Ware. Well done to the author. Bravo !

Finished this is one sitting! I really enjoyed it. What a freaking slap in the face the ending was for the characters. I wasn’t a fan of how rushed the ending was but overall this book kept me engaged and thoroughly entertained throughout. It delivered so much action.

One Perfect Couple is another must read book by Ruth Ware. This is very different from what she has done before. The book revolves around a 5 couples who are competing for prize on a new reality show. Layla is in a rut with not only her job but with her boyfriend Nico, who is an aspiring actor. The other 4 couples are Bayer and Angel, Dan and Santana, Joel and Romi, and Conor and Zana. The cash prize will go to last couple standing. Each week there will be a challenge where one person will be kicked off the island. The remaining contestents can choose to recouple with someone other than their significant others. The first night goes downhill when they discovered after a powerful storm has blown through the island that they are stranded. With limited supplies of both food and water they must now work together to survive. However there is a killer among them and now they have to make sure they can trust each other. I just read Lord of the Flies in book club and this had so many vibes from that book. Ruth Ware even mentions The Lord of the Flies, Animal Farm, and The Woman in Cabin 10. I absoultly loved this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware due to be published May 21, 2024.
When Lyla’s boyfriend, Nico – an aspiring actor – asks her to go on a new reality TV show she decides she will go. They will compete against four other couples for a cash prize. Let’s just say it doesn’t go well. It sounds like paradise, and is, until a storm comes, they are cut off from the mainland, and it’s a matter of life and death to survive. Will any of them make it out alive?
I am a big Ruth Ware fan, and this book did not disappoint. It was fast-paced and had me hooked from the very beginning. The “contestants” ended up turning their reality TV show into a real battle for survival until the shocking ending. Ruth Ware did a wonderful job of describing all the characters, so I was invested in them to make it out alive. It was all things you want a thriller to be – suspenseful, tense, terrifying, and action-packed.
I loved it – in my opinion one of her best - definitely recommend this one!
#NetGalley #RuthWare #GalleryBooks #OnePerfectCouple

This book was a bit like the show survivor but with some crazy twists!
Lyla and her boyfriend Nico decide to join the cast of a new reality tv show called One perfect couple! The basis is five couples go to a private island in the Indian ocean where they compete against each other trying to stay together and be the last couple standing! Not long after they arrive things start going horribly wrong! To make things worse a terrible storm hits the island leaving them stranded! No way to reach any help at all!!
What a wild ride! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one! I thought it might be a little played out but boy was I wrong! It was definitely different! Definitely hang on for a wild ride and enjoy the experience! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Thank you to Scout Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read One Perfect Couple early in exchange for an honest review, Ruth Ware is one of those authors that I read every single book coming out no matter what. One Perfect Couple was the perfect murder mystery/thriller I have read in a while. I'm usually tired of books taking place on a secluded island, but this one changed the vibe completely. I was hooked from the beginning to the end. Lyla is a virologist who is in a relationship with Nico who is an aspiring actor. Nico receives a call from his agent about a show called "One Perfect Couple" where five couples go to compete. Consider it as survivor, but with twists. Once they fly into Indonesia, Lyla and Nico meet up with the four other couples to get to know one another. Once the game begins, Nico is the first contestant to get eliminated leaving Lyla by herself on the island. However, that night a HUGE storm comes through knocking down the power, destroying a few of the huts. Some contestants die, but was it a result of the storm or is one of the contestants a murderer also? Read to find out :)

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware is a quick, addictive little read.

The first thing to know about this book is that unlike most of Ware’s books, this is part survival thriller and part psychological thriller. It’s got a couple twists in store, but fans of hers who are expecting a straight up psychological thriller should probably tweak their expectations just a little.

I don’t read a ton of “survival thriller” type stuff but I think the blend of that with the psychological thriller elements really worked for me. One Perfect Couple goes by really fast. The survival aspects of the story keeps thing moving at a rapid clip, while the psychological thriller elements give it that something extra where you know there’s more going on than meets the eye.

I would describe the plot of this as a locked island survival-slash-psychological-thriller. Five couples are on a deserted island filming a “Love Island meets Survivor” reality TV show called One Perfect Couple. Things go awry very quickly and there’s dead bodies washing up on shore before long.




Plot-wise, a lot of the book is focused on the survival elements. So, this book is much more straight-forward than your typical psychological thriller. If you’re hoping for something really tangled and twisty, this is probably not going to do it for you. However, I do think this book keeps things interesting. Straightforward definitely does not mean boring, and there’s plenty of excitement and wondering what might happen in this book.

A lot of that is a testament to Ware doing a great job of foreshadowing just enough and planting little hints of something “off” so you know there’s more in store. You can really feel her experience as a writer and her keen understanding of how to create tension and suspense, even outside of a standard mystery context.

Let’s be clear, this is not really a mystery novel.

I feel like I should really reiterate that this is decidedly not a who-dun-it. There’s a constant question of what will happen next, but this isn’t a psychological thriller where there’s dead bodies everywhere and no clear indication of who did it and a ton of suspects. It’s not that type of story. I mean, there’s a brief wisp of that in there, but that’s really the crux of the story.

One Perfect Couple is, however, a entertaining and quick survival thriller with some psychological thriller and suspense elements that I think was a lot of fun to read. I think if you can let go of the “murder mystery” idea and embrace that it’s a thriller with suspense, and there is some mystery in how the situation might be resolved, I think a lot of her fans will also like this book.

Read it or Skip it?

I think as long as you know it’s a survival thriller slash psychological thriller and that sounds good to you, this is easy to recommend. It’s fun and fast and exciting ride.

If you’re on the fence, as long as you’re okay with this not being a standard murder mystery novel, I’d say give it a shot, especially if you like Ware’s writing style. This book goes by quickly, and I think most thriller fans would enjoy it.

Ruth Ware is one of my favorite authors whose novels I find impossible to put down. Her latest book, One Perfect Couple, is a perfect example of why I enjoy her work. The story is centered around a reality show that features couples. However, things take a dark turn pretty quickly. As someone who loves reality TV, I was immediately hooked by the premise of the story. The novel also features several smaller mysteries that are woven into the larger plot, adding to the intrigue. I found the character development to be excellent, I was so invested in their outcomes. From the adrenaline-pumping premise to the lightning-fast pacing, this novel is the ultimate beach read for thrill-seekers and mystery lovers alike.

This novel by Ruth Ware follows the cast of a new Love Island type show designed to find one perfect couple. Lyla is the main character who reluctantly agrees to go to an Indonesian island for an elimination competition. Her apprehension is well founded: the young couples endure a harsh tropical storm, infighting, violence and deprivation.

This book is sure to be a huge summer hit! The action of fast paced, and the story of the couple immersed in a reality contest that turns into a battle for survival had me completely hooked!