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!

Ruth Ware has delivered another gripping book! She captured that trapped feeling that I enjoy in books. There is also tension, drama, and danger galore.

Couples travel to a remote island in the Indian Ocean to film a reality television show called One Perfect Couple. There they will perform challenges and the one who under performs will be sent packing. The characters are an interesting mix of people who are hoping to use the show to jumpstart their aspirations for fame.

Then a brutal storm hits, and the contestants will be tested in more ways than one! Having handed over all their phones upon arrival, the contestants are cut off from the mainland and the real challenges begin. Faced with death, injury, dehydration, alliances, and dwindling supplies, survival becomes the name of the game.

I found this book to be captivating and tense! Set on a remote island, it also had that trapped feeling that I enjoy in books. I enjoyed how realistic this book felt. When the cameras were no longer rolling, we got to see their true personalities and motivations. The book tells us that reality shows always have a villain. Who will be the villain in this book?? I am not a reality show watcher, but I image those who enjoy reality television shows will love this one.

There were some twists, turns and reveals along the way. I enjoyed the journal entries and thought they were a nice touch. While I can't say that this was my favorite book by Ruth Ware, I can say that I enjoyed it.

Well written, well thought out, and oozing with tension!

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

Lyla is a scientist, a virologist to be exact, but the research she’d been working on is going nowhere. She had spent months trying to replicate another scientist’s results, and she hadn’t been able to. Now she’s at the point where she has to write up her failure, and her contract is almost up, so with results like that she’s sure that her contract won’t be renewed, and she will be a 32-year-old scientist with no job.

She does have a boyfriend though. Nico is a little younger, someone she met at a Valentine’s Day party a few years back, or rather an anti-Valentine’s party, and they hit it off. Nico is an actor and barista, trying to find his big break before he turns 30. And then his agent calls. It’s a reality show where 5 couples will go to a deserted island. There will be challenges, and people will leave one by one until there is a winner. It’s called One Perfect Couple, and Nico being on the show can really boost his career.

Lyla agrees, as she can use the time to write her paper. And she can just fail one of the earlier challenges, get kicked off the island, and go back to her work while Nico works on becoming a reality tv darling. But when they get to the island, Lyla has a bad feeling. It’s a beautiful island, with white sand beaches and coconut trees, and their cabins all look beautiful. But the rest of the luxury buildings on the island aren’t finished. And the crew won’t be staying on the island. A lot of the filming is being done by remote. Nico tries to calm her down, reassuring her that a lot of entertainment is done on a shoestring, and that she is just getting a look behind the scenes. But she’s not convinced.

Their first challenge is to reveal how much the couples know about each other. And while Lyla does really well, Nico does not, and he’s the first one off the island. Before Lyla can even realize what’s happening, she’s alone on the island. But his tantrum is no match for the storm that arrives overnight. One of the cabins is down, collapsed under a tree that came down, and the only source of communicating with the rest of the world is a radio that no one knows for sure how to use. The production company had confiscated all their phones and computers, and the remaining contestants are alone on the island.

The contestants don’t know how much damage may have been done anywhere else. Did the boat with the crew and Nico make it back okay? Does anyone know they’re stranded there? Is someone coming to rescue them? The first day or two after the storm has the group trying to clean up a little and stay calm. But as the days go by, they start to get worried. They have limited supplies of food and water, and a couple of them needed medical care after the storm. Lyla did what she could, but she’s not a medical doctor and they didn’t have many medical supplies. They keep trying the radio, but they can’t get through to anyone.

The longer they are there with no communication from the production company, or anyone else, the more desperate they get. Factions start to form, and they start fighting over the supplies. Lyla and the other contestants who are left are no longer fighting for the prize or the notoriety of winning a reality show. They are just fighting to survive.

The master of suspense Ruth Ware is back with One Perfect Couple, a story that is part reality show, part Lord of the Flies, as she examines the inimitable strength of the human spirit. As these characters are put through the fight of their lives, readers are left wondering who will make it out alive and just how much they will have to struggle to get there.

One Perfect Couple is a powerhouse of a story, a combination of a locked-room murder mystery and a story of survival of the smartest. There are layers of secrets that get peeled back as these characters have to fight harder to survive, and just when you think that you know what’s going on, there is another twist coming at you. Reading through it again, knowing where the story goes, shows you all the bread crumbs that are there, leading you to all the answers, and reminding you again of the genius of Ruth Ware.

Egalleys for One Perfect Couple were provided by Gallery Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

One Perfect Couple was an entertaining book. I wouldn't call it a thriller, exactly, but more of a survival book. There wasn't too much of a mystery to solve and it was more about everyone trying to survive on the island after a storm leaves them stranded. The beginning set up Lyla and Nico's relationship and the reality show, but then the book quickly took a turn once they were actually on the island. It would have been kind of nice if Lyla's relationship with Nico was developed more or if we got to see more of the show itself, but ultimately this was more of a book about survival. The description is a bit misleading and I wouldn't really compare it to And Then There Were None, but it was still a fun beach read.

Ruth Ware’s newest novel, One Perfect Couple, drops today and it’s a juicy summer suspense! ☀️🫢

GENRE: Thriller/Suspense
MY RATING: 🌟🌟🌟 (3/5)
#gifted @gallerybooks — tysm!!

READ IF YOU LIKE:
▫️Reality TV shows 🎥
▫️Books with parts
▫️Journal entires 📝
▫️Slow burn thrillers ❤️‍🔥
▫️Island setting 🏝️
▫️Drama-filled suspense novels

MY THOUGHTS & RATING:
I owe Ruth Ware a big thank you bc her books helped get me into reading a few years ago! 🤩 She writes the BEST details that make you feel like you’re one of the characters on her eery scenes. Some of my favorites by her are: The Woman in Cabin 10, The Turn of the Key, In a Dark, Dark Wood & The It Girl.

One Perfect Couple was a solid summer popcorn thriller 🍿 It wasn’t my fave of hers, but it was enjoyable! The private island setting with a reality TV crew was a super intriguing start. But there were a lot of characters to keep track of and the reality TV aspect fell apart so fast?! 🤔 The middle got repetitive for my personal taste. I think if I was listening to the audiobook (Imogen Church— I could hear her voice while I was reading 😂) I wouldn’t have lost interest. Howeverrr, the ending was fab! 💥 The pace picked up along with my heart rate lol! I stayed up late to finish 👀 I’ll always be a big Ruth Ware girlie.

DETAILS:
▫️Publishes: 5/21/24 (today!)
▫️Pages: 385
▫️Format: Physical

Thank you NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Ruth Ware for the opportunity to read this e-ARC!

Ruth Ware does not disappoint. The premise: a reality tv show set on a tropical island - five couples, skeleton production crew, faulty cameras, and one massive storm.

After a massive storm wipes out the boat that is taking away the first person to be eliminated from the competition, the rest of the couples need to band together for survival...but people keep dying from unnatural causes.

The pacing kept me on the edge of my seat and I liked that the women were all strong and banded together.

Struggling actor Nico has convinced his girlfriend Lyla to go on a Love Island style reality show. He hopes it'll boost his career and give him the break he's been looking for. Things don't go according to plan when the ship that takes them to the island where The Perfect Couple will be filmed leaves for the night with the first contestant kicked off the show and a big storm rolls in.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I found it to be a mash-up of And Then There Were None and The Lord of the Flies. The author does a great job of giving the reader the claustrophobic feeling of being stranded on an island and builds the tension up in the characters reactions and interactions. I liked the art up of the radio calls in the first part of each chapter in the first section and the diary entries in the second section. It definitely keeps the reader guessing! Highly recommend for those who like locked room crime fiction!

Thank you to Gallery Books, author Ruth Ware, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.