Thank you netgalley for another masterpiece from the modern day queen of suspense, Ruth Ware! I loved this book. I could not put it down. Finished in 3 days. Thank you!

This book was a total surprise. It was not Ruth's typical thriller full of twists and turns. It was more of a slow and steady burn. With that being said, I really enjoyed it. It was a pretty quick read that truly left me wanting to read more each time I finished a chapter. The book begins with a couple, Nico who is a struggling actor and Lyla who is a brilliant PhD researcher, being asked to join the cast for a new reality show. Nico is all in because he feels it will advance his career. While Lyla is much more reserved and hesitant, but willing to be swayed by Nico in a last ditch effort to see if this relationship can work. I HATE spoilers, so I am not going to say much more about book specifics (0: I encourage all Ruth Ware fans and critics to pick this book up when it is released.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book, probably one of my favorites by Ruth Ware. The pace was kept a good clip the entire story. It was a fast read that kept my interest.

Ruth Ware has done it again with "One Perfect Couple". As the name suggests the idea is to find the perfect couple. Layla and Nico's relationship has stalled, He is a struggling actor and she is a research scientist. When they have a chance to live on an island with other couples and compete in a realty TV show, he jumps at the chance but she is not so sure, and hopes her stay on the island will be a short one. A bad storm damages their huts and sinks the rescue boat, leaving them with no communications with the mainland. They are afraid that there maybe a killer among them, when people mysteriously begin to die. Oh, did I mention they are running low on food and fresh water?

Totally different to other Ruth Ware novels and a definite winner..

This is my first Ruth Ware book and I can't wait to look for her other novels! This was a really fun, dark, and twisty take on "The Bachelor" or any other beachy dating reality TV show. Lyla's boyfriend convinces her to go on a new dating show only to be left stranded. While not so much "thriller" as some others, the survivalist theme shook things up and kept it interesting and fresh. I had a hard time putting this one down, but the ending fell a little flat compared to how action-packed the rest of the novel was! Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I plan on looking for more by Ware. Thanks for the ARC!

This is a step back to classic Ruth Ware. IT has the twists and turns we know. Left a few questions unanswered, but a great fast paced read.

I usually love Ruth Ware's books but this one fell flat for me. I think if you are a fan of the Bachelor tv shows you will enjoy this. I just didnt get into this.

Thank you Gallery/Scout Press for my free ARC of One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware — available May 21!

Read this if you:
📺 are a fan of reality tv shows like "Love Island"
🏝️ would totally volunteer for a free trip to a secluded island
🥂 are looking more for suspense than for thriller

Lyla's boyfriend Nico talks her into participating n a reality tv show with him, on a gorgeous but isolated island somewhere in the Indian Ocean. But the details are kind of sketchy, and Lyla's plan to go home first may go up in smoke when things get weird. A storm that night leaves the island cut off from communication, and the islanders are desperate to get help before injuries get worse and the food and water run out. And as tensions rise, personalities start to change...

You guys, this was amazing in the beginning. I was roped in, immediately invested and excited to see where things went. But. The story fell super flat for me by the end. I'm a bit confused about how this is even being sold as a thriller, because it's more survivalist suspense. But alas. Despite that, Ruth Ware can do no wrong in my eyes and her writing and characters are immaculate. The plot just wasn't for me! But I really enjoyed the first half or so.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m always excited for a new thriller from Ruth Ware. I had especially high hopes for this book since there were some comparisons to Agatha Christie’s, And Then There Were None.

Five couples are invited to compete on a new reality TV show located at a remote, resort island. When a storm hits they are left stranded without any outside contact and rapidly dwindling food and water. Soon other contestants start turning up dead. This first part of the book took me a little bit to get into the plot, but once it got going I couldn't put it down! It isn't super twisty and the plot was a little predictable, but it was a fun psychological thriller.

I definitely wouldn't compare this to And Then There Were None, other than the setting being on a remote island, it felt a bit more Lord of the Flies to me. Overall this was an enjoyable read and the survival on the deserted island aspect added to the drama and tension of the story and definitely kept me invested. This book felt more straightforward and less twisty/convoluted than a lot of thrillers, which I thought was refreshing. I kept waiting for a huge twist and there wasn't much of one, which I actually enjoyed. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers. Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I'll open with my one big disappointment; the diary aspect had me predicting one villain, and I was honestly a little disappointed to find out that what I saw was what I got. With that being said, what we got was a pretty ridiculous, fast-paced story of psychopathy, fear-building, and little seeds planted here and there hinting at what was to come. Ware does a great job of sprinkling in the day to day monotony of being stuck on the island, while also getting the nail-biting moments, and having that losing-all-sense-of-time feeling. Are we going slightly mad reading this? Maybe. Quick, dirty, and dare I say fun.

Ruth Ware is so good at bringing you right alongside her characters. As the water runs low on the island, I could feel my lips getting chapped. As our POV character has to fight for her life, I can feel the bruising. As the true horror of their situation sets in on the stranded, I too am overwhelmed by hopelessness. The interstitial radio messages and diary entries between chapters were well executed. They added to the overall sense of dread and loss of control. The interpersonal dynamics amongst the survivors felt visceral and believable, as well as the privations everyone was experiencing. Drinking a big glass of water while reading a book never felt so indulgent.

A lot of characters but you get to know them pretty quick. If you like Bachelor Paradise and have ever watched Survivor, this is book is for you! 5 couples put on an island and then after a storm, left to fend for themselves. What would you do to survive?

Lyla is a virologist and her recent project is not going well, which means her contract may not be renewed. Her actor boyfriend Nico has a proposition for her. His agent contacted him about a new show that was filming, One Perfect Couple, and Nico feels that this is just what he needs to really launch his career but he needs Lyla to join him. Against her better judgement Lyla agrees and they find themselves jetting off to a private Island in the Indian Ocean to join four other couples - Bayer and Angel, Dan and Santana, Joel and Romi, and Conor and Zana -in this Survivor meets Newlyweds game. Unfortunately Nico fails the first challenge and is the first to be kicked off the Island. As the yacht leaves with the entire production team and Nico to take Nico back to the Helicopter pad, the rest of the contestants settle in for the night to only be woken up by a huge tropical storm. With all electricity out and the island partially destroyed, the game becomes a game of survival. People die, alliances are tested and a murderer is loose within the group. I haven't read Ruth Ware before, but thoroughly enjoyed this book, start to finish. I loved Lyla and her keen eye and knowledge in helping her fellow stranded contestants. This was an amazing page-turner and I finished it in one day. I just could not put it down. Thank you to NetGalley, Ruth Ware and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this advance copy.

I've read lots of Ruth Ware's work and sometimes it's a bit hit or miss. In general, though, I find her books to be page turners, even if characters aren't fully fleshed out or plots move a bit too conveniently. This one definitely hits the mark for a fast-paced, summer read.

The protagonist for this one is interesting--Lyla is a PhD level scientist, trying to manage the (realistic) path of an academic trying to make their way through the labyrinth of research and development. I appreciated the approach here, that showed the work as it often is (tedious, difficult, little job security, constant pressure to perform and/or find funding, etc.) since too often this type of work is shown superficially. When Lyla's boyfriend (a wanna-be actor) gets the chance to join a reality show that puts 5 couples on a deserted island in an elimination game, Lyla grudgingly goes along to make him happy.

I liked the way the reality show was portrayed in this novel--I don't know much about how these shows are actually produced (and not sure if what is in the book is accurate) but I can imagine what we see in this novel is close to the truth: the way seeming spontaneity is manufactured, the reality behind the glamour, even the time manipulation. I enjoyed seeing how such a thing like a reality show might really come to be.

And I like the "and there were none" formula--it's just one I personally enjoy.

The end was a little wonky for me and some of the overall decision-making of the characters was also a bit too convenient. However, this book kept me hooked to see how it would play out. This would be a great summer beach read and, if you like Ware, I think you'll like this one too.

A surprising and totally engrossing tale that tackles dark issues with propulsive energy and wonderful sensitivity. Ruth Ware is always a stunning writer, but this book stayed with me for a long time.

Somehow I have made it this far in my life without reading a book by Ruth Ware. How? I do not know, but reading One Perfect Couple has caused me to realize that I should've jumped on this bandwagon a long time ago. One Perfect Couple is the story of Lyla, a postdoc who agrees to do a reality show to support her partner's career. And then, all hell breaks loose.

I love a good "locked room" mystery, and One Perfect Couple provides just that when Lyla and her fellow contestants get stranded on the reality show island and people start to die. This book was suspenseful, and kept me changing and refining my hypotheses right unitl the end. I also appreciated that the contestants didn't fall into stereotypical roles

Thank you to Ruth Ware and Gallery Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ruth Ware always manages to create suspense that is so intense you cannot put the book down (and end up staying up far too late) and she has done it again with One Perfect Couple.

The set up of this book is slightly different from some of the others she has written in that the previews/forecasting are very clear about what is happening (everyone is stuck on the island, some people have died, they aren't sure when or if anyone will be able to rescue them - these are not spoilers as you find this out very quickly from radio messages as soon as you start reading) instead of being vague or unclear. However, you don't know the details or the individual actors. There is also a diary that you read interspersed between chapters told from the narrator's perspective. Despite these different accounts and indications, I was not able to predict the ending and outcome of events. I also liked how the narrator felt like a real person and her relationships with the other people stuck on the island were very realistic (aside from the setting of being trapped on a deserted island of course).

A fun read that was very suspenseful - I'm rounding up to 4 stars as I thought the ending felt a bit rushed or too convenient, but I still really enjoyed reading the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ruth Ware for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 3.5/5

The premise of this story was so unique and fun, and I was definitely interested in seeing where it would go. A little slow for my taste, but a good story nonetheless!

I just finished the ARC of One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware! Great read with twists and turns! This will be a great summer read for a beach trip!

What begins as a reality show quickly goes horribly wrong as a storm crashes the tropical island, and the cast is stranded. Told from the point of view of Lyla, the book details a story of survival. Lyla, a scientist, originally enters the contest with her boyfriend, Nico, who dreams of getting his big break. Lyla and Nico are two contestants on a reality show looking to find the “perfect couple.” When Nico is the first contestant out, Lyla is forced to carry on by herself. A huge storm hits the island, and then each contestant is left to fend for themselves. One by one, it is survival of the fittest. Thanks to #netgalley, I couldn’t put this book down. Full of twists, this thriller is a page turner.