Member Reviews
Ruth Ware writes a unique story of what we will do to survive and the lengths that we could be tested. This was filled with strong women who banned together to stay alive and went on, despite their fears.
Ruth Ware’s “One Perfect Couple” is a perfect summer beach read. While it did not include the twists and turns of her previous novels, it was a compelling survival tale. My only complaint is that the author could have taken a clue from her reality show inspiration and had a clearer characterization from the start.
Another hit for Ruth Ware! This book was so good and I could not put it down. I was glued to each page wanting to know what would happen next. She is a master storyteller.
Another fantastic read from Ruth Ware! As is usual with her books, I couldn't put it down. Great sense of place, excellent plotting and character development. Looking forward to recommending this one to our patrons!
A great thriller, with people trapped on a remote island after a storm. I didn’t love the beginning with the reality, show couples, and I’m even a big fan of The Bachelor.. but once the storm comes in, the action really takes off. I was frantically reading to see how it ended.
This thriller kept me guessing! If you are a fan of reality television and thrillers, this book is for you. A isolated island seems like a perfect destination for couples to see if they are destined to be the one perfect couple.... until disaster strikes and the couples are left in a game of survival. Throw in jealousy, fights for basic supplies, and mysterious deaths. This book has it all
If you love reality tv especially the Bachelor and Survivor this book is for you! This book included everything from relationships, to thrilling scenes, to funny moments. It was fun to read and I found the character development done really well.
Absolute perfection. This is a must read if you enjoy a who-dun-it. Very reminiscent of Agatha Christie.
5 couples compete to be the One Couple left on the island, but when a storm hits and 2 people die it quickly becomes a Lord of the Flies moment.
This is my favorite Ruth Ware book. I could not put it down.
Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery/Scout Press for the pre-release copy of this one. Below is my honest review.
I am a big Ruth Ware fan. I'm also a fan of the cheesy reality shows like Too Hot to Handle, Are You the One, and Perfect Match. So when those two worlds collide, I'm obviously going to have to pick that one up and give it a read.
Ware's mind is so twisted! The brutality of this one, the darkness that eats away at the group as they sit on this island, fighting each other and the elements... so compelling to read. Watching them all lose their walls and their secrets come out was written so well.
And the ending... well, I'll say this - justice comes in all shapes and sizes, and can't always be doled out in the exact way we want. But dang, what an ending.
Definitely recommended for Ruth Ware fans, cheesy reality show fans, and fans of dark, twisty, murdery stories.
Post-doc student Lyla and her model-perfect aspiring actor boyfriend Nico are recruited to star in a new elimination-style reality show set on a tropical island. Nico is thrilled at the opportunity to jumpstart his non-existent career, and Lyla wants to please Nico and also escape her failing research project. Lyla suspects they may have been misled by the producers, and some things are just not adding up. The trip turns into a life-or-death scenario when a storm hits, they have limited supplies and no way to contact the outside world....and they may also have a killer in their midst.
I love Ruth Ware, and this title was a hit for me. It is exciting, and fast-paced, with a brilliant female protagonist.
This was my 6th book by Ruth Ware and I’ve enjoyed them all but this is probably my favorite!! All the twists, jaw-dropping, mind-blown- all the things! 5 stars. The tension in this one kept me reading, I needed to know what was going to happen. A beautiful island cut off from the rest of the world- reality show turns into survival.
The premise for this novel broke away from Ruth Ware's typical mystery writing, but it did not disappoint! Five couples travel to a remote island in Indonesia to participate in a reality show, but not all will make it out alive due to an unexpected storm and the conflicts that ensue as a result. It was a bit difficult to keep track of the characters and their relationships in the beginning of the book. I had to tab the pages where each couple was introduced so I could refer back when needed. It might be beneficial to have the dossier for the One Perfect Couple contest at the beginning of the book for readers to refer to. The characters were well-developed which encourages the reader to root for the "good guys." The plot is well-organized and thought out, although the ending felt a bit rushed after all the turmoil of fighting to survive on the island.
Ruth Ware is always at the top of my list for most anticipated reads when she has a new book coming out! One Perfect Couple follows Lyla as she joins a reality show with her boyfriend, aspiring actor, Nico. He convinces her to do it for him as he's hoping it'll be his big break even though she's not in the movie business at all. She's looking forward to an all expenses paid vacation on a remote tropical island but things do not turn out the way she expects them too. On their first night, a storm racks the island and destroys a good amount of the newly built resort. The actors realize they're stranded when the boat that contained all the crew doesn't show back up after a couple days. Tensions began to rise as they figure out how to wrangle their diminishing provisions and people start winding up dead!
Ware can be a little all over the place for me. Most of her books I love but there are a couple that fall flat for me and unfortunately One Perfect Couple is one of them. I enjoyed the ride, for the most part, and I loved Lyla's relationship with the other women on the island but there's an added element that I didn't particularly love. It stressed me out too much to make the suspense enjoyable and I couldn't wait for that part to be over! I still give this book 4 stars, it just wasn't as fun of a ride!
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I'm rating this high because it's my first Ruth Ware and I had a pretty good time. The reviews were right: this is very Lord of the Flies mixed with And then there were none. Both classics, and I almost always enjoy when I read books with those themes.
It was a little difficult to get the people straight at first and maybe they could have had better descriptions. But I liked them, except for the bad guy -- and I didn't mind finding out that he was bad early.
It was easy to see how civilized people could hesitate to strike back, and this was a group that started out looking great and trying to keep up appearances. Even our main girl, a scientist, starts out trying to pull off what's needed for a reality show. Reality shows, secrets, simmering resentment... This is a perfect beach read.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this
This book is fast paced and has a lot of twists and turns. However it is hard to follow all the characters in the beginning.
I loved it as I started reading it but lost interest as I got further into the book.
I love Ruth Ware books, but this does not compare to her other books.
By the end of the book I didn’t care how it ended. I just wanted to finish reading it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.
Loved this one! I'm a big Ruth Ware fan, and this one didn't disappoint. It feels like less of a mystery than her other titles (more of a survival story), but still very compelling. I do wish there had been one more twist -- Conor is the villain in the beginning, then essentially stays a villain. I kept expecting some sort of reversal, esp given Zana's diary entries! Could have been fun if she turned out to be the one pulling the strings, or something. Overall though, a fun read!
I was lucky to be selected on netgalley to read One Perfect Couple before it is released and it delivered! I devoured this book, absolutely could not put it down! It takes place as a reality tv show (one perfect couple) on an island that is being constructed into a new resort. Once they make it to the island they think its going to be a few weeks of paradise. However, after the first day a huge storm hits devastating the contestants and the island. The contestants are then working for their survival and rescue from the island as they have no way to contact anyone. With dwindling supplies the tension only rises creating rifts in the group. The question is, who is going to make it out alive?
I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but One Perfect Couple fell flat for me. Now, with that said, it’s clear that Ruth Ware is an auto-read author for me. Hell, an auto-buy author. I own all of her books and I’ve loved them all. I think of In A Dark, Dark Wood almost daily, because it was the first time I experience how talented Ruth Ware is at creating atmosphere in her books, and One Perfect Couple was no exception. The pace was fantastic, the tension thick, the premise anxiety inducing. The characters were worked out well in expert fashion, and I should hope so, because Ware is a thriller writing veteran. But I think the fault lies here with me. I don’t watch much reality TV - except for 90 Day Fiancé, ok lol - so the whole Love Island and Survivor craze has totally gone over my head. It isn’t something that interests me, and that translated to this book. I wanted to skim through it because stranded on a deserted island is not a trope I heavily enjoy. With all my criticism, I still think you should give One Perfect Couple a try when it’s published in May, especially if you loved Love Island! Ruth Ware is a talented writer who usually never fails to suck me into the deeply atmospheric worlds she cultivates. I will continue to happily display anything she writes, and that’s a promise.
Ruth Ware's new thriller is sure to be one of the hottest reads this coming summer! I gave this book 4/5 stars.
This new installment revolves around the filming of a Love Island like reality TV show. Our main character Lyla, a 3o something scientific academic, and her longtime boyfriend, Nico, an aspire actor, are given a once in a lifetime opportunity to be contestants on the newest reality dating show. This takes them to a remote island off the coast of Indonesia where things start to go south.
Ruth Ware is a mastermind when it comes to thriller novels. I always know when I am picking up one of her books I will end up binge reading until the very end. She draws you in with such real characters and relationships. This novel is reminiscent of the classic mysteries And Then There Were None and Lord of the Flies, while providing a modern twist.
This is was not my favorite of all of Wares thrillers, but did not disappoint in any way.
Thank you Netgalley and Scout Press for an Advanced Readers Copy!
Ruth Ware’s latest installment is sure to be on the top of everyone’s Summer TBR!
In One Perfect Couple, we meet Lyla, a 30 something post doc who’s found herself at a crossroad in both her scientific research on viruses as well as with her live-in boyfriend and aspiring actor, Nico. When Nico is handed a once in a lifetime opportunity to film a reality tv couples’ dating show off the coast of Indonesia, Lyla decides she has nothing to lose and joins him. What ensues turns out to be a whirlwind adventure that leaves Lyla fighting for her life…
This novel was nothing like what I expected. I assumed I would be getting Ruth’s rendition of a locked door island murder mystery, but it turned out to be much more than that. Her shift in POV’s and jumps in the timeline left me guessing the reliability of the narration, adding a level of tension that made me fly through the already fast paced plot. The in depth descriptions of the island and its effect on each of the characters really transported the reader into the scenery, giving a Lord of Flies feel that left me with a sense of dread as the tale unfolded. Ruth also did not shy away from discussing some hot topics as well, such as the exploitation of Reality TV cast members and the dangers of internet fame.
Thank you again to NetGalley and Scout Press for an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for my honest review!