Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

I have only read a few Ruth Ware books and each one has been incredibly thrilling and mysterious and unique. I'm so glad I requested this one centered around a reality tv show with competing couples. I read a similar one not long ago and I'm wondering if the reality tv thrillers are becoming a trend?? If so, I'm on board with it!!

So so good! Can't wait for the next Ruth Ware!

I'm not a fan of reality TV, but I am a fan of this book. I enjoyed the tense, high pressure setting on the beautiful tropical island. How difficult it must be to be stranded in "paradise" with no real hope for rescue. The lack of drinkable water would be agonizing. The addition of a
Psychopath only makes it more horrifying.
I did feel like a few things were a bit too nearly wrapped up, but I enjoyed the story overall.
TW: DV
Thanks to Net Galley for the book to review.

5 Stars for me! This book is a captivating! It has a modern vibe with the main part of the story being about couples going on a reality TV Show. Little did they know they would end up in a life threatening storm on a deserted island with limited rations. Ruth Ware once again proves herself to be a master storyteller, delivering a tense and atmospheric thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end. You do not know how the characters will survive or WHO will make it, if any at all. If you are a Ruth Ware fan, then it is a MUST read! If you like stories of survival, this is also for you!

3.5⭐️ Thank you NetGalley for the Arc of my first Ruth Ware book! I liked the spin of Love Island meets Survivor. I would say it wasn’t supper thrilling and I personally found it hard to follow all the characters at times. The ending felt a little rushed, but overall I was intrigued and kept me reading to find out what happens at the end!

I love the premise of this story- couples going on a reality show on a deserted island? Yes please.

The characters are well written, many that you love to hate. I’m always a fan of having a journal interspersed to keep the reader guessing on what’s happening.

Once all was revealed it all made sense. I feel like the connection of the characters could’ve had some more suspense to it.

The ultimate reality show is going to be filmed... maybe.... using real couples on a tiny island far, far away. Nico, an aspiring actor, feels it will be his chance to break into the big time acting leagues and pressures his girlfriend of almost 3 years to take time off from work to be a part of it for his sake. Her job as a virologist doesn't seem to be going anywhere so she consents in spite of the doubts she has after virtually meeting the producer, etc of the show.

Of course nothing goes as planned and a major storm changes everything for everyone. Will they survive? Be rescued in time?

Some of the reality rules were out of the normal range by quite a bit. The people chosen to participate were off the normal track, too. It was kind of draggy at times and a little too predictable, but mostly a good story.
Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy. Honest opinions expressed here are voluntarily given

Ruth Ware is a favorite of mine - and I know when she releases a new title, I'm going to dive in and finish it in a day! While I was enthralled with One Perfect Couple, reading quickly and carefully, waiting for the twist, I was ultimately disappointed that it never came. The book had me on the edge of my seat - until it didn't, and it simply...ended. I wanted more out of the conclusion, and while it was a thoroughly enjoyable read (as always with Ware!) it fell below my expectations.

Thank you to Scout Press, Net Galley, and the author, Ruth Ware for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Five couples are sent to an island to compete on a game show called One Perfect Couple. The island is in the middle of nowhere and it takes a long time to access by boat. The story is told from the POV of Lyla, a scientist currently struggling with her research. She is dating Nico, a wannabe actor. Convinced the game show will be good for his career, he convinces Lyla to compete. Their plan is for her to throw a few challenges and leave early while Nico stays and earns fame.

After getting to the island, things begin to go wrong. It seems like crew isn’t fully prepared for them to be there. After a major storm rolls in, the contestants realize they are in danger. The crew and boat are nowhere to be found. Who will survive and can they trust each other?

This did have a little bit of a Lord of the Flies vibe. Overall, I enjoyed it.
4 stars

A great idea ~ on a remote island ~ a reality TV show ~ beautiful couples ~what could go wrong
I could not put this down, another great Ruth Ware , did not disappoint! xxx Thank you @NetGalley@ScoutPress@RuthWare

I loved this book! An avid Love Island fan, I love that she tipped the romance reality tv genre on its head. Such good twists (multiple!) at the end and I really enjoyed the sprinkling in of relationship intrigue, survivor type drama, and a chilling villain.

Five different couples are invited to a deserted island to film a new reality tv series. Lyla is wary, but eventually decides to join her boyfriend Nico on the show. The producer is sketchy, a lot of questions go unanswered, and last minute rules are known. Lyla knows she needs to help her boyfriend get his big break but being on the show, but something just isn't feeling right. One Perfect Couple has beautiful imagery and lots of setting, but does take a while for the juicy stuff. When the inevitable storm hits, leaving these couples stranded. Suddenly, I couldn't flip pages fast enough. People are getting hurt and dying, but not all because of back luck. One Perfect Couple writes some characters that invoke sheer hatred, keeping the plot interesting. The surprise twist at the end will stay with me for a long time!

TW: Domestic assault

This book started off quick! It had a good premise, but I didn't feel connected to the characters. I felt like Nico didn't really care about his girlfriend and therefore, didn't have a good relationship. I felt that some of the characters were really likeable, like Dan. Some I felt like were very transparent. Some of the storylines seemed forced and I was trying to read through it quickly. The ending wasn't something I would have guessed, but it felt like it wasn't a surprise. Overall, a fast read, but not one of my favs of her.

What if your significant other convinced you to do a couples reality show? What the results left you feeling quite literally… stranded. Such a great thriller that kept me on my toes but also kept me laughing at the absurdity of reality tv.

Thank you netgalley for a copy of this book.

This author can be hit or miss for me. I typically find her writing decent and her stories entertaining. This was no exception, but somehow the plot gets lost and convoluted. It wasn’t much of a thriller/mystery but just an island survivor story with a reality tv twist that I thought would be more interesting. Not my favorite.

This was an interesting concept, and I enjoyed it overall. It felt a little predictable and slower paced near the end. I expected more suspense, more of a twist. But I did like the dynamic between the main characters, especially those remaining at the end. I also loved the inclusion of the misleading diary entries throughout!

Lyla is in a bit of a rut. Her post-doctoral research has fizzled out, she’s pretty sure they won’t extend her contract, and things with her boyfriend, Nico, an aspiring actor, aren’t going great. When the opportunity arises for Nico to join the cast of a new reality TV show, The Perfect Couple, she decides to try out with him. A whirlwind audition process later, Lyla find herself whisked off to a tropical paradise with Nico, boating through the Indian Ocean towards Ever After Island, where the two of them will compete against four other couples—Bayer and Angel, Dan and Santana, Joel and Romi, and Conor and Zana—in order to win a cash prize.

But not long after they arrive on the deserted island, things start to go wrong. After the first challenge leaves everyone rattled and angry, an overnight storm takes matters from bad to worse. Cut off from the mainland by miles of ocean, deprived of their phones, and unable to contact the crew that brought them there, the group must band together for survival. As tensions run high and fresh water runs low, Lyla finds that this game show is all too real—and the stakes are life or death.

This was a fun and modern spin on the thriller story, with the reality tv premise and the feeling of "Survivor" coming to life as the group faces one obstacle after another as they struggle to stay alive on the island. I liked reading the story from Lyla's point of view and discovering the problems in real time with her. Wondering how or when they might make it off the island and be rescued, and how many would still be alive to see a rescue, kept me turning the pages quickly! A quick read!

Thank you to Gallery Books & NetGalley for an ARC with my promise of an honest review. All opinions stated are my own.

The book's title is the name of a new TV reality show taking place on a private island with 5 preselected couples. Lyla is a scientist who comes to the island with actor Nico. She doesn't feel comfortable doing the show, with all the cameras and stage directions, and is even further upset when Nico is sent home the first night. An unexpected hurricane causes more trouble, even deaths, and forces the remaining group to band together to protect the food and fresh water. Although the reality show was supposed to be a romantic one, the entire scenario felt more like Survivor. Thanks to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Gallery/Scout Press for providing an ARC.

I definitely binged this one! Ruth Ware knows how to write a nail biter. I will say that it was easy to predict, but nonetheless my heart was racing. Think Fyre Festival meets Love Island with murder. I loved the cultural references and short chapters. I was hoping for some major twist at the end, but it felt lacking. If you want a quick thriller, this is the one for you!

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the ARC.

I was hooked on this book right from the first few chapters. Next thing I know, I'm 75% of the way through and trying to figure it all out. There wasn't really a huge twist like I felt there should be, and for a little while I pictured Tom Hanks sitting on the beach with his volleyball.

I'm impressed with the crew's fishing and cooking skills, and a little concerned with their health. One of the characters is diabetic and that played a large part of the plot. It was interesting to see how the group would handle survival with a diabetic among the group.

I think this book was well thought out and the plot was something new and fresh, at least it was for me. I haven't read a lot of Ruth Ware's books, but each time I do, I am just sucked into them. This book has quite a few characters, each with their own personalities, but they are easy to keep track of, which is something I generally struggle with. I think that over the next few days, as I digest and think more about the book, I'm sure I'll have more to say. Right now, I'm just left with a few questions about what happens when life on the island is over and how was the insulin pump never running out of battery?

Those who enjoy reality TV will definitely enjoy this.

One Perfect Couple
By Ruth Ware
Release date: 21 May 2024
• Amazing beginning but after a third through the story fell flat
• Mish-Mash of unbelievable play by play scenes from bad Survivor, the Bachelor & Love Island episodes combined
• Frustrating vapid characters
• Should be categorized as some kind of survivalist suspense book-not a thriller
• The premise was creative and this is a very cinematic book but it was lacking in suspense for me
• Found lacking in the gothic dark & creepy mysterious vibes of her previous works