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One Perfect Couple
Harkening to Agatha Christie’s classic And Then There Were None, this high-tension and ingenious thriller follows five couples trapped on a storm-swept island as a killer stalks among them.
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.
A fast-paced, spellbinding thriller rife with intrigue and characters that feel so true to life, this novel proves yet again that Ruth Ware is the queen of psychological suspense.
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.
A fast-paced, spellbinding thriller rife with intrigue and characters that feel so true to life, this novel proves yet again that Ruth Ware is the queen of psychological suspense.
385 pages, Hardcover
First published May 21, 2024
About the author
Ruth Ware
28 books43.1k followersRuth Ware grew up in Sussex, on the south coast of England. After graduating from Manchester University she moved to Paris, before settling in North London. She has worked as a waitress, a bookseller, a teacher of English as a foreign language and a press officer. She is married with two small children, and In a Dark, Dark Wood is her début thriller.
Find her on twitter at www.twitter.com/ruthwarewriter, on facebook at www.facebook.com/ruthwarewriter or via her website - www.ruthware.com
Find her on twitter at www.twitter.com/ruthwarewriter, on facebook at www.facebook.com/ruthwarewriter or via her website - www.ruthware.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 9,891 reviews
March 23, 2024
All right--there are a lot of problems here, but I enjoyed reading this one!
3.75 stars
Five couples are stranded on a remote island while filming a reality T.V. show--not all of them will make it out alive.
Lyla, a scientist struggling with her career, is dating struggling actor Nico. With the chance of a lifetime to film a reality show in the vein of Love Island, Nico persuades a reluctant Lyla to film with him. However, after they arrive on a beautiful island in the Indian Ocean, a hurricane hits, turning the relationship-themed show into one about survival. As a result, relationships flounder, power dynamics shift, and chaos ensues, leaving only the strongest to survive.
While there are multiple characters, the sole narrator, Lyla, makes it easy to keep track of each one. Had multiple perspectives been shared, there would have been too many voices, which would have diminished the tension and suspense. The reader is also privy to one contestant's diary.
The plot is one I have read before--a combination of Stranded, One by One, and (very loosely) And Then There Were None. I enjoyed this much more than One by One, which was insufferable boring. In this take, Lyla’s relatable voice and her struggle for survival had me captivated. There weren’t any crazy twists or OTT plotting, which is why I enjoyed it so much. I wasn’t quite sure which characters would survive, and I was happy to see a few of them die.
One Perfect Couple has a different feel from Ware's other novels, with parts reading like a popcorn thriller. Despite a few plot holes and a fizzled-out ending, it is wholly entertaining and worth reading.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review.
3.75 stars
Five couples are stranded on a remote island while filming a reality T.V. show--not all of them will make it out alive.
Lyla, a scientist struggling with her career, is dating struggling actor Nico. With the chance of a lifetime to film a reality show in the vein of Love Island, Nico persuades a reluctant Lyla to film with him. However, after they arrive on a beautiful island in the Indian Ocean, a hurricane hits, turning the relationship-themed show into one about survival. As a result, relationships flounder, power dynamics shift, and chaos ensues, leaving only the strongest to survive.
While there are multiple characters, the sole narrator, Lyla, makes it easy to keep track of each one. Had multiple perspectives been shared, there would have been too many voices, which would have diminished the tension and suspense. The reader is also privy to one contestant's diary.
The plot is one I have read before--a combination of Stranded, One by One, and (very loosely) And Then There Were None. I enjoyed this much more than One by One, which was insufferable boring. In this take, Lyla’s relatable voice and her struggle for survival had me captivated. There weren’t any crazy twists or OTT plotting, which is why I enjoyed it so much. I wasn’t quite sure which characters would survive, and I was happy to see a few of them die.
One Perfect Couple has a different feel from Ware's other novels, with parts reading like a popcorn thriller. Despite a few plot holes and a fizzled-out ending, it is wholly entertaining and worth reading.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review.
September 16, 2024
Updated review:
Well, I still don’t appreciate the publishers’ attitude of rejecting me each time I request any Ruth Ware thrillers, as I also emphasized in my previous review.
Nevertheless, it was obvious I would buy my own copy (if I enjoyed the ARC, I would also order a hard copy to add to my library, as I have done before). But in the long term, one thing has changed: I didn’t enjoy this book much! Maybe the publishers sensed that, which is why I got the rejection. So no worries, at least I had a little fun during the adrenaline-pumped sequences.
Let me explain why I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I planned:
Firstly, let me start with what I liked by attributing the book’s strengths: being abandoned on an island with a real-life Survivor concept meets “And Then There Were None” storyline with girl power vibes is an intriguing combination that I cannot resist.
The increasing pressure and nonstop action with Lord of the Flies-esque power games between the characters also kept me reading.
But I cannot honestly say this is much of a survival or adventure fiction combined with a domestic thriller than the mystery thriller I expected to read!
The couples are the worst kind of couples whose relationships are doomed to end as soon as the readers are introduced to them, including Lyla: a woman in STEM with a PhD, working on viruses, and a 32-year-old analytical introvert. Her extrovert, carefree unemployed actor boyfriend Nico is extremely self-absorbed and has no intention to tie the knot, buy a house, or have kids, which is the kind of future she wants.
The other couples include Angel, a Pilates coach and influencer who looks more sophisticated than her 28-year-old fitness instructor boyfriend Bayer, who gives off extra macho man vibes and shows off his mannerisms each chance he gets.
Dan (25) is a gay swimsuit model who secretly confesses to Lyla that he is on the other team and joined this contest to support Santana, his best friend and a champagne socialite.
Joel (33), a quirky introverted, shy teacher, also has opposite attributes to his 31-year-old beauty influencer girlfriend Romi, who likes the spotlight more than her boyfriend.
And the last couple, Connor (31), a successful YouTuber and NFT trader with millions of followers, is way too self-obsessed and power-hungry, acting with extra confidence. His young (22) girlfriend Zana, who doesn’t have any career and mostly lives in his shadow, keeps her silence as she’s afraid of something.
Instead of Lyla, I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters and wished the book would end a little faster so I wouldn’t have to think about them again. Especially Nico’s fake loving gestures around Lyla made me gag. I wanted to scream at Lyla, asking why she even cared about this man and spent three years with him, coming to an island to support his miserable career, even though she sees the red flags and inconsistencies in the production team’s declarations? It seems like none of the characters can be declared a perfect couple from the first scene, and we know the contest’s result even though it hasn’t started: nobody can or should win this!
Another thing that bothered me, in addition to my dislike of the characters, is the wrapping up and big revelation to fill the plot holes and answer my questions: sorry, but I didn’t buy this explanation much. There are still unanswered questions and some far-fetched explanations, and I also didn’t enjoy the outcome! I felt like all of these tragic events happened for nothing!
That’s why I lowered my grade to three stars. I didn’t give a lower rating due to the lack of twists and big mystery because I still enjoyed the heart-throbbing pacing. Some parts of the book truly kept you on your toes and made you jump from your seat. The execution was really good! That’s why I kept going, and if I had gotten a more favorable ending with a better, smarter conclusion, I would have given four stars without hesitation because the concept of this book had so much potential, and the progression was good enough, too.
Even though I didn’t enjoy this one much, I will keep sending my early reading requests for any other work of Ruth Ware as a dedicated fan since I read “Woman in Cabin 10.” And even though I will keep getting unfair rejections, I will keep buying my copies on the release date, reading, and reviewing them with dedication.
This time, I’m not thanking NetGalley and the publishers. I’m thanking myself for patiently reading and honestly reviewing this book!
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
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—————————————————————————-
Nope, this is no coincidence. Firstly, I got rejected for Christina Lauren's last two books, and now Ruth Ware's latest thriller. I think publishers might have formed a group aptly named 'Happily Rejecting Nilufer Ozmekik' without my knowledge.
Well, I still don’t appreciate the publishers’ attitude of rejecting me each time I request any Ruth Ware thrillers, as I also emphasized in my previous review.
Nevertheless, it was obvious I would buy my own copy (if I enjoyed the ARC, I would also order a hard copy to add to my library, as I have done before). But in the long term, one thing has changed: I didn’t enjoy this book much! Maybe the publishers sensed that, which is why I got the rejection. So no worries, at least I had a little fun during the adrenaline-pumped sequences.
Let me explain why I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I planned:
Firstly, let me start with what I liked by attributing the book’s strengths: being abandoned on an island with a real-life Survivor concept meets “And Then There Were None” storyline with girl power vibes is an intriguing combination that I cannot resist.
The increasing pressure and nonstop action with Lord of the Flies-esque power games between the characters also kept me reading.
But I cannot honestly say this is much of a survival or adventure fiction combined with a domestic thriller than the mystery thriller I expected to read!
The couples are the worst kind of couples whose relationships are doomed to end as soon as the readers are introduced to them, including Lyla: a woman in STEM with a PhD, working on viruses, and a 32-year-old analytical introvert. Her extrovert, carefree unemployed actor boyfriend Nico is extremely self-absorbed and has no intention to tie the knot, buy a house, or have kids, which is the kind of future she wants.
The other couples include Angel, a Pilates coach and influencer who looks more sophisticated than her 28-year-old fitness instructor boyfriend Bayer, who gives off extra macho man vibes and shows off his mannerisms each chance he gets.
Dan (25) is a gay swimsuit model who secretly confesses to Lyla that he is on the other team and joined this contest to support Santana, his best friend and a champagne socialite.
Joel (33), a quirky introverted, shy teacher, also has opposite attributes to his 31-year-old beauty influencer girlfriend Romi, who likes the spotlight more than her boyfriend.
And the last couple, Connor (31), a successful YouTuber and NFT trader with millions of followers, is way too self-obsessed and power-hungry, acting with extra confidence. His young (22) girlfriend Zana, who doesn’t have any career and mostly lives in his shadow, keeps her silence as she’s afraid of something.
Instead of Lyla, I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters and wished the book would end a little faster so I wouldn’t have to think about them again. Especially Nico’s fake loving gestures around Lyla made me gag. I wanted to scream at Lyla, asking why she even cared about this man and spent three years with him, coming to an island to support his miserable career, even though she sees the red flags and inconsistencies in the production team’s declarations? It seems like none of the characters can be declared a perfect couple from the first scene, and we know the contest’s result even though it hasn’t started: nobody can or should win this!
Another thing that bothered me, in addition to my dislike of the characters, is the wrapping up and big revelation to fill the plot holes and answer my questions: sorry, but I didn’t buy this explanation much. There are still unanswered questions and some far-fetched explanations, and I also didn’t enjoy the outcome! I felt like all of these tragic events happened for nothing!
That’s why I lowered my grade to three stars. I didn’t give a lower rating due to the lack of twists and big mystery because I still enjoyed the heart-throbbing pacing. Some parts of the book truly kept you on your toes and made you jump from your seat. The execution was really good! That’s why I kept going, and if I had gotten a more favorable ending with a better, smarter conclusion, I would have given four stars without hesitation because the concept of this book had so much potential, and the progression was good enough, too.
Even though I didn’t enjoy this one much, I will keep sending my early reading requests for any other work of Ruth Ware as a dedicated fan since I read “Woman in Cabin 10.” And even though I will keep getting unfair rejections, I will keep buying my copies on the release date, reading, and reviewing them with dedication.
This time, I’m not thanking NetGalley and the publishers. I’m thanking myself for patiently reading and honestly reviewing this book!
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium blog
—————————————————————————-
Nope, this is no coincidence. Firstly, I got rejected for Christina Lauren's last two books, and now Ruth Ware's latest thriller. I think publishers might have formed a group aptly named 'Happily Rejecting Nilufer Ozmekik' without my knowledge.
June 4, 2024
Very fun! Ending was okay, I was hoping for more of a shock though but I still enjoyed the ride anyway. Audiobook was great! 🎧
May 3, 2024
Let me save you some time: people are stranded on an island, bad shit goes down, what you think will happen actually happens, you’ll skim brutal scenes involving an abusive man because you are so tired of giving your time & energy to horrible men even if they aren’t real, you’re waiting for a twist that never comes, the end. You’re welcome.
November 20, 2024
**4.5-stars**
💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙
One Perfect Couple is the latest from one of my favorite Mystery/Thriller authors, Ruth Ware. As I normally do with Ware's books, I did listen to the audio, narrated by the always fabulous, Imogen Church.
Church's narration style if perfect for Ware's stories, IMO. I believe she's narrated all of them. She always has a bit of trepidation in her voice, which works so well for Ware's MCs.
With format notes out of the way, let's get into what this one is about, shall we?
Blending a classic Christie's And Then There Were None set-up, with the chaos and drama of modern-day reality television, One Perfect Couple, follows five couples trapped on a remote island with a killer on the loose.
Our MC is Lyla, who has begrudgingly agreed to join her boyfriend, Nico, a struggling actor, on a new reality show, The Perfect Couple. Nico is hoping it will be his big break, with nothing but stardom following shortly thereafter.
Lyla, a research scientist, is opposite to Nico in many ways. She thinks the premise of the show sounds terrible, but she wants to be supportive of him, so she agrees.
The show itself is quite mysterious. Since it is new, the creators don't want any information leaking out about it, its filming, prizes or participants. Lyla and Nico are whisked away to a private tropical island, where things immediately seem off; at least to Lyla.
It's not half as lush as she was expecting and the show is run with minimum crew. Each couple is given their own villa, that's a blessing at least, and the full expectations of their participation is finally revealed to them once they are settled in. It all sounds quite icky.
There's immediately tension amongst the couples, with individuals seeming to be vying for Alpha status, and Lyla is feeling incredibly out of place. It is a competition show, and honestly, Lyla cannot wait to be eliminated.
The first challenge takes them by surprise. Things get a little nasty and everyone leaves shaken and angry. They retreat to their villas for the night, ready to unwind after the stressful and tiring events of the first day.
Mother Nature has other plans though, and a devastating storm wracks the island overnight. The contestants find themselves cut off from the mainland with no means of communication, their phones having been confiscated.
There's also no crew remaining on the island, as they had retreated to the mainland for the overnight, so the contestants must band together and try to survive for God only knows how long.
When no crew or rescue shows up after the disastrous storm, and the days go by, their resources dwindle. Fresh water is in very short supply, truly making this a life or death situation.
With those sort of stakes, the already tense relationships are taken to a dangerous level. All agree, this is not what they signed up for. Will anyone make it off this island alive?
Apparently, Reality TV show-based Thrillers are something I am super into now. This is my third one this year, and I'm loving them all. This had a great, mysterious set-up.
I enjoyed how secretive the creators of the show were about what participation was going to entail, yet everyone was chomping at the bit for the opportunity to be selected.
Lyla was the only one who seemed to express any doubts, and she ended up ignoring her own instincts in order to try to make her partner happy.
I know some Readers may disagree, but I loved Lyla. I vibed so well with her perspective. I enjoyed being with her on this insane adventure that she didn't even want to be a part of.
I loved the island setting and felt it was so well done. It did feel remote and as the tension climbed into the stratosphere, it gave me such a sense of unease. It felt claustrophobic. I could feel how desperate the characters were.
I also found all of the relationships interesting. Each couple had its own dynamic, and then watching how they evolved, and how the contestants came to relate to one another over the course of the story was enthralling.
Ware did include a mixed media element as well via journal entries that take you through the events happening on the island. They way this was used to enhance the plot, and help to bring it to its ultimate conclusion, was so clever and satisfying. I loved that part.
My only slight critique, is that I was let down by the why. I loved the who, the where, the what was happening, but the why, after all that occurred, just seemed silly and anticlimactic. 100% personal opinion though, so take it with a grain of salt.
With this being said, the rest of it was so enjoyable and I would highly recommend this for your Summer TBR. If you are an audiobook person, I def rec that format as well!!
💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙
One Perfect Couple is the latest from one of my favorite Mystery/Thriller authors, Ruth Ware. As I normally do with Ware's books, I did listen to the audio, narrated by the always fabulous, Imogen Church.
Church's narration style if perfect for Ware's stories, IMO. I believe she's narrated all of them. She always has a bit of trepidation in her voice, which works so well for Ware's MCs.
With format notes out of the way, let's get into what this one is about, shall we?
Blending a classic Christie's And Then There Were None set-up, with the chaos and drama of modern-day reality television, One Perfect Couple, follows five couples trapped on a remote island with a killer on the loose.
Our MC is Lyla, who has begrudgingly agreed to join her boyfriend, Nico, a struggling actor, on a new reality show, The Perfect Couple. Nico is hoping it will be his big break, with nothing but stardom following shortly thereafter.
Lyla, a research scientist, is opposite to Nico in many ways. She thinks the premise of the show sounds terrible, but she wants to be supportive of him, so she agrees.
The show itself is quite mysterious. Since it is new, the creators don't want any information leaking out about it, its filming, prizes or participants. Lyla and Nico are whisked away to a private tropical island, where things immediately seem off; at least to Lyla.
It's not half as lush as she was expecting and the show is run with minimum crew. Each couple is given their own villa, that's a blessing at least, and the full expectations of their participation is finally revealed to them once they are settled in. It all sounds quite icky.
There's immediately tension amongst the couples, with individuals seeming to be vying for Alpha status, and Lyla is feeling incredibly out of place. It is a competition show, and honestly, Lyla cannot wait to be eliminated.
The first challenge takes them by surprise. Things get a little nasty and everyone leaves shaken and angry. They retreat to their villas for the night, ready to unwind after the stressful and tiring events of the first day.
Mother Nature has other plans though, and a devastating storm wracks the island overnight. The contestants find themselves cut off from the mainland with no means of communication, their phones having been confiscated.
There's also no crew remaining on the island, as they had retreated to the mainland for the overnight, so the contestants must band together and try to survive for God only knows how long.
When no crew or rescue shows up after the disastrous storm, and the days go by, their resources dwindle. Fresh water is in very short supply, truly making this a life or death situation.
With those sort of stakes, the already tense relationships are taken to a dangerous level. All agree, this is not what they signed up for. Will anyone make it off this island alive?
Apparently, Reality TV show-based Thrillers are something I am super into now. This is my third one this year, and I'm loving them all. This had a great, mysterious set-up.
I enjoyed how secretive the creators of the show were about what participation was going to entail, yet everyone was chomping at the bit for the opportunity to be selected.
Lyla was the only one who seemed to express any doubts, and she ended up ignoring her own instincts in order to try to make her partner happy.
I know some Readers may disagree, but I loved Lyla. I vibed so well with her perspective. I enjoyed being with her on this insane adventure that she didn't even want to be a part of.
I loved the island setting and felt it was so well done. It did feel remote and as the tension climbed into the stratosphere, it gave me such a sense of unease. It felt claustrophobic. I could feel how desperate the characters were.
I also found all of the relationships interesting. Each couple had its own dynamic, and then watching how they evolved, and how the contestants came to relate to one another over the course of the story was enthralling.
Ware did include a mixed media element as well via journal entries that take you through the events happening on the island. They way this was used to enhance the plot, and help to bring it to its ultimate conclusion, was so clever and satisfying. I loved that part.
My only slight critique, is that I was let down by the why. I loved the who, the where, the what was happening, but the why, after all that occurred, just seemed silly and anticlimactic. 100% personal opinion though, so take it with a grain of salt.
With this being said, the rest of it was so enjoyable and I would highly recommend this for your Summer TBR. If you are an audiobook person, I def rec that format as well!!
June 12, 2024
Was the thriller in the room with us?
One perfect couple is following Lyla who goes on a reality tv show called The Perfect Couple based on an island called Ever After Island with her boyfriend Nico to compete with four other couples for a grand cash prize. Shiii hits the fan real quick when a severe storm swept the island and to make matters more worse there is a k!ller amongst them.
NOW this is being compared to Agatha Christie And There Were None (borderline offensive imo), and I’m not quite sure why because with Agatha’s book it was definitely a mystery trying to guess who was the perpetrator. With One Perfect Couple everything is pretty much revealed early on?? When I got to the end I was like ‘wait where was the mystery?’ Things were happening and being announced immediately and I kept listening on thinking OMG there is going to be a major twist… NOPE
With Ruth Ware’s book I have always preferred listening to the audiobooks than the physical copy as the narrator for all her books (Imogen Church) is so phenomenal at her craft. She can read the thesaurus and have you feeling thoroughly entertained. Its because of her style of narrating that had me digesting this book as quickly as I did. She provided a suspense ominous feeling and hyped me up so much… unfortunately to nothing.
This is not a bad book by any means. Ruth knows how to write, but do not go into this thinking its going to be a high tension twisted read. It read more like watching how a bunch of Individuals deal/ cope with being stuck and abandoned on an island. So think TV Show Survivor but people are getting k!lled off one by one, but you know who is doing it…
⋆｡°✩WHAT I LIKED⋆｡°✩
➽ Audiobook was brilliant
➽ The atmospheric feeling of the island and storm was written well
➽ The drama was good I guess
⋆｡°✩WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE⋆｡°✩
➽ The characters were a bunch of cliches
➽ Part 1 nearly had me ripping my hair out… snooze fest
➽ No mystery no major twist, plot holes
➽ Way too long in my opinion
Hmmm for a easy digestible listen/ read on the beach, I guess this would surpass. I was looking for more thrills, excitement and high suspense vibes with this one but it was mid all round.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
⋆｡°✩pre read⋆｡°✩
After my last read I need a twisty and thrilling read!!
This has been on my 2024 anticipated read list!
For the love of books please don’t disappoint 🤞🏾🥹💖💖
One perfect couple is following Lyla who goes on a reality tv show called The Perfect Couple based on an island called Ever After Island with her boyfriend Nico to compete with four other couples for a grand cash prize. Shiii hits the fan real quick when a severe storm swept the island and to make matters more worse there is a k!ller amongst them.
NOW this is being compared to Agatha Christie And There Were None (borderline offensive imo), and I’m not quite sure why because with Agatha’s book it was definitely a mystery trying to guess who was the perpetrator. With One Perfect Couple everything is pretty much revealed early on?? When I got to the end I was like ‘wait where was the mystery?’ Things were happening and being announced immediately and I kept listening on thinking OMG there is going to be a major twist… NOPE
With Ruth Ware’s book I have always preferred listening to the audiobooks than the physical copy as the narrator for all her books (Imogen Church) is so phenomenal at her craft. She can read the thesaurus and have you feeling thoroughly entertained. Its because of her style of narrating that had me digesting this book as quickly as I did. She provided a suspense ominous feeling and hyped me up so much… unfortunately to nothing.
This is not a bad book by any means. Ruth knows how to write, but do not go into this thinking its going to be a high tension twisted read. It read more like watching how a bunch of Individuals deal/ cope with being stuck and abandoned on an island. So think TV Show Survivor but people are getting k!lled off one by one, but you know who is doing it…
⋆｡°✩WHAT I LIKED⋆｡°✩
➽ Audiobook was brilliant
➽ The atmospheric feeling of the island and storm was written well
➽ The drama was good I guess
⋆｡°✩WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE⋆｡°✩
➽ The characters were a bunch of cliches
➽ Part 1 nearly had me ripping my hair out… snooze fest
➽ No mystery no major twist, plot holes
➽ Way too long in my opinion
Hmmm for a easy digestible listen/ read on the beach, I guess this would surpass. I was looking for more thrills, excitement and high suspense vibes with this one but it was mid all round.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
⋆｡°✩pre read⋆｡°✩
After my last read I need a twisty and thrilling read!!
This has been on my 2024 anticipated read list!
For the love of books please don’t disappoint 🤞🏾🥹💖💖
May 11, 2024
4.5 stars - Truly, Ruth Ware saw me in my time of need and rescued me from my reading slump. This was so deliciously paced & had me hooked throughout. I'd describe this more as a suspense take on Lord of the Flies rather than a mystery thriller in the vein of And Then There Were None, so caveat there in terms of expectations. But that being said... this just worked for me! Including the commentary on red pill MRA internet culture
June 3, 2024
i feel like i really can’t talk about this book without getting into a little spoilery territory, so please skip over this review if you wish to know nothing about this thriller! (and i do say thriller and not thriller mystery because there really isn’t much mystery to this story whatsoever, which is also probably a reason i didn’t enjoy it as much!) but i picked this up because 1) i have enjoyed ruth ware in the past and 2) the girls were saying survivor meets love island and i will always be here for that set up! But instead of love island and survivor, we get lord of the flies and men's rights activists.
our main character, lyla, reluctantly agrees to go on a reality tv dating show, set on a secluded island, because her boyfriend is an actor and really begs her to do it because it could be very good for his career. lyla’s lab contract is up next month, and the funding renewal isn’t looking too good, so she also agrees under the condition that she can work on her paper and that she can only be on the island for two weeks. but after filming for only 24 hours, a big storm comes that is not only deadly but has completely made the people on the island not be able to contact anyone to come save them. And then she and the rest of the people are trying to survive while… red pill lord of the flies ensues.
i really do respect making the villain who it was, and i respect the talk of the manosphere and the following these mens right activities accumulate on youtube and other platforms that also leads to the perpetuation of violence against women. but oh my god, i just hated reading about this man with all the sum of hate i have in my body. after that storm, that man would have been GONE by me and me alone and i would not have… done what they did at the end (even though that's an important discussion too, and it does make sense, but again - i just hated reading about it!) i hope if you pick this one up, you have more fun reading it than i did, friends!
trigger + content warnings (these will content some plot spoilers so please use caution or do not read if you do not need to know any tw/cws): extremely bad storms, talk of fear of water, extremely abusive relationships, blood, death, drowning, talk of loss of parent in past (one sentence), suicide mentions, not having the insulin that you need, grief, depression, loss of partner, grooming in past, and discussion of men's rights activists throughout (always in a negative light but it is a lot)
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
➛ The Death of Mrs. Westaway ★★
➛ The Turn of the Key ★★★★
our main character, lyla, reluctantly agrees to go on a reality tv dating show, set on a secluded island, because her boyfriend is an actor and really begs her to do it because it could be very good for his career. lyla’s lab contract is up next month, and the funding renewal isn’t looking too good, so she also agrees under the condition that she can work on her paper and that she can only be on the island for two weeks. but after filming for only 24 hours, a big storm comes that is not only deadly but has completely made the people on the island not be able to contact anyone to come save them. And then she and the rest of the people are trying to survive while… red pill lord of the flies ensues.
i really do respect making the villain who it was, and i respect the talk of the manosphere and the following these mens right activities accumulate on youtube and other platforms that also leads to the perpetuation of violence against women. but oh my god, i just hated reading about this man with all the sum of hate i have in my body. after that storm, that man would have been GONE by me and me alone and i would not have… done what they did at the end (even though that's an important discussion too, and it does make sense, but again - i just hated reading about it!) i hope if you pick this one up, you have more fun reading it than i did, friends!
trigger + content warnings (these will content some plot spoilers so please use caution or do not read if you do not need to know any tw/cws): extremely bad storms, talk of fear of water, extremely abusive relationships, blood, death, drowning, talk of loss of parent in past (one sentence), suicide mentions, not having the insulin that you need, grief, depression, loss of partner, grooming in past, and discussion of men's rights activists throughout (always in a negative light but it is a lot)
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
➛ The Death of Mrs. Westaway ★★
➛ The Turn of the Key ★★★★
March 11, 2024
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 was a buddy read with Dorie. Please check out her review to read her thoughts on the book.
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
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 was a buddy read with Dorie. Please check out her review to read her thoughts on the book.
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
July 25, 2024
DNF @35%.
Life’s too short to read something that aggravates my agita. I can’t waste my time here. I’m nearly 36. I’m basically on my death bed.
So, this book…
I’ve had more fun with a stubbed toe and a sinus headache than reading Ruth Ware’s One Perfect Couple.
*Disclaimer: I have severe ADHD. Whenever I read something (and most especially if it’s something I HATE), I tend to jot down notes every couple of pages. So, this will be rambling. This will be incoherent and disjointed. This WILL be nasty.*
Strap in, folks. This review is akin to the opening sequence of a Final Destination flick. In other words: CHAOS!
Ahem, let’s begin.
One Perfect Couple is the book equivalent to a wet, overcooked lasagna. There are layers, sure, but they fall apart easily, burn your tongue, and are ultimately unsatisfying. What little bit you do manage to choke down your singed throat makes you nauseous and bubbles your guts.
That’s it, really. It’s not just metaphorical food poisoning: This book is literary cyanide!
The blurb is what drew me to it initially, but the blurb is one big fucking LIE! It’s more like the movie Cast Away mixed with Survivor. Not what I signed up for. I couldn’t bear it any longer, so I tossed this shit aside. Whoever decided to compare this pissed on trash heap to ‘And Then There Were None’ needs to be fired. But I guess they’re selling books on that deception, so, whatever.
The characters in this were INSUFFERABLE! For starters: Lyla and Nico were god-awful together. I saw no reason whatsoever why they were a couple, or what they saw in each other. Lyla is a drip, a wet blanket, a self-deprecating sad-sack who judges everyone, but Ware writes her like we’re supposed to agree with her bitchy, snide inner thoughts. Her whole persona screams from every rooftop in every city: “I’m not like other girls!” Nico is hot. Like, “extremely hot.” The “fantasy first boyfriend” is how he’s depicted. I’m surprised Ms. Ware didn’t describe him as a walking, talking dick with abs. That’s about it for his character development, honestly: he’s a sexy, struggling actor. Now, where have I seen this character before? Tell me you’re projecting without telling me you’re fucking projecting. It’s obvious. Don’t need the Hubble telescope to see it, any cheap lens from the hobby shop will suffice.
So, we have the super smart, home-y scientist, and the Adonis. Lame. Unoriginal. I don’t get it. Ware is pandering to the audience with these generic schmucks. Can’t we just have, ya know, normal fucking characters? Why can’t Lyla be a manager at H&M with an interest in virology? Why can’t Nico be an admin assistant that works out a few days a week? That would be more believable.
Lyla is supposed to be endearing/relatable for female readers. It really truly reads like, “Check out this genius Scientist! She’s the feminist Everywoman! She bagged a sexy man. She’s smart, and did we mention she’s a Scientist?” Literally, Lyla being a “Scientist” is mentioned on nearly every page, and gets pissy every time someone mislabels her career. “I’m NOT a doctor! I’m a SCIENTIST!”
Meanwhile, Lyla is making offhand comments and gross generalizations about the female contestants on reality tv shows: big boobs, skimpy clothes, perfect looks, and she didn’t say vapid, but I have a strong feeling she really wanted to say vapid. She makes surface-level snide comments about the other contestants (mostly the women!!), too. The producer has a tongue-ring for some reason, and he’s a smarmy douche. What are you trying to say, Ruth? If you’re not in MENSA, wearing wrinkled clothes, and don’t care about your appearance, then you’re… what, exactly? Lyla is a condescending, judgmental ass. I’m going off on her hard here, and it’s only because she’s written to be the moral, rational, agreeable MC, and yet, she’s kind of a Karen in disguise.
Lyla has nasty things to say about EVERYONE! What particularly irked me were her comments on Romi: “…made up to the nines with thick foundation, platinum hair, and lashes I was sure couldn’t possibly be real. I tried to imagine her pipetting a tray of samples and failed—there was no way you’d be able to fit a pair of nitrile gloves over those nails…” GIRL! COME ON! What is your damage? This woman can’t possibly be a scientist because she wears makeup and lashes?!?!? FUCK RIGHT OFF!
Of course, Lyla immediately takes a shine to the handsome “nerdcore” journalist. I bet Ware was just itching to write Lyla’s inner dialogue as “Yes! Another smart person amongst this sea of dum-dums!” Just because you’re a lecturer or a scientist doesn’t automatically make you a genius, you condescending bog toad! Conjunctivitis discharge is more appealing to me than the character of Lyla Santiago.
And don’t even get me started on the rest of this cast of stereotypes… they’re all caricatures; Overly exaggerated positively and negatively. But mostly, it was the latter. Every little snarky remark, or rude characterization, made the whole book scream BITTERNESS!
The writing, too, is subpar. There’s no sense of foreboding. No suspense to keep me intrigued. The foreshadowing is clunky and goes nowhere (I may have only read a fraction of this book, but I did skim the remainder to get key points!). It’s repetitious and infuriating (often!). There are red herrings and “mysterious” happenings and dialogue, but they lead to a desert of nothingness. It’s NOT a whodunnit, so, I was frankly bored. It’s like someone browsed the Wikipedia article for Lord of the Flies, while the trailer for FBoy Island played in a different Chrome tab. The stereotypes found here are lazy and so wholly simple, they could’ve been AI-generated. The plus side: this book read quickly at times (while still being a slog the rest). Parts of it were easy for my eyes to glaze over, but it was only because the language and structure used was sort of a juvenile’s attempt at writing mystery. A 14-year-old watches Survivor with their parents every Thursday night, binges Love Island in between shooting off texts, sees one episode of The Traitors at a sleepover, is socially conscious from whatever virtue signaling relevancy floats over their FYP on TikTok, and thinks they can come up with a decent mystery/thriller set on an island that involves reality TV. Does that sound right? It sounds right to me.
Ware doesn’t seem to know how to describe people properly, either. The characters were all so… cookie cutter and unimaginative. Her onlylazy crutch tool was to use famous folks as descriptors: “He looked like a young George Michael” “She looked like a blonde Zoe Kravitz” “She looked like a redheaded Adele”. Cue eye rolls galore. Getting through this book was like being told you have to backstroke the entire length of an Olympic-sized swimming pool filled with molasses, while being lobotomized by an overhead drone.
Okay. Back to the story: In less than 24 hours, Lyla had already told 2 other contestants her and Nico’s strategy. I know she’s not serious about the game show component, but that is just so damn idiotic to me. I mean, her bf still wants to play along, so why is this über smart Scientist spilling the beans to everyone?
One of the female contestants is picking at her food, and her partner looks worried. Immediately, Lyla’s mind goes to “eating disorder.” Yikes. Granted, she seems concerned, but seriously, chill with the assumptions. And that ending was such a fizzle. Ware lit a Roman Candle, shot off a few sparks at her readership, and threw the still-spitting firework into a nearby slop bucket. The ending to this book (I read the last few chapters in full) lacked any sort of punch. I’m not saying it needed BIG TWISTS and ACTION and A-HA moments, no. But it needed to deliver on what was promised, and it failed miserably. It was anticlimactic, weirdly sentimental like . It really rubbed me the wrong way, because it felt so insincere. I don’t believe for one second that
I need to point out here that I used to work in reality television. Some of this is standard fare, sure (like the taking of phones/electronics, the handful of takes in “unscripted reactions”), but Lyla acts all high and mighty, or shocked when something simple is brought up. Like, Ruth Ware over-dramatizes every little bit of a television production. It’s so silly to me. But I guess if you have no experience in that realm, you’d find some of the producer’s asks ludicrous, too.
Anywho, this is getting out of hand. I skimmed the rest of the book before I decided to pack up what little brain cells remained in my head. After over 150 pages in, One Perfect Couple left me feeling like I needed to be on a ventilator for the literary abused. I need book resuscitation. This shit nearly killed me.
Bottom line: This one didn’t work for me. Not in the slightest. I’m not discouraging others to read this. I know it will appeal to many people, but mostly to a casual audience, because it is so easily digestible. I’m just hyper-critical, a bit of a snob, and expect more from the genre.
This whole thing just reeks of ‘I needed to write something with lots of pseudo-cultural, political, and social relevancy, but not so much that it has anything meaningful to say about any of that. Just virtue signaling, buzzwords, and topical opinions, and you’ll have your readership nodding along.
I didn’t buy it. It’s disingenuous. It’s surface level BS, that treats the readers like morons. It was such a low effort, sneakily mean-spirited book, disguised as a feminist triumph. But it is so goddamn PHONY!
Fin.
Initial review:
I know what they’re trying to do here.
They’re comparing this book to one of my favorite locked-room whodunnits (Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None) in the blurb to get me to read it.
And you know fucking what?
It’s working!
Life’s too short to read something that aggravates my agita. I can’t waste my time here. I’m nearly 36. I’m basically on my death bed.
So, this book…
I’ve had more fun with a stubbed toe and a sinus headache than reading Ruth Ware’s One Perfect Couple.
*Disclaimer: I have severe ADHD. Whenever I read something (and most especially if it’s something I HATE), I tend to jot down notes every couple of pages. So, this will be rambling. This will be incoherent and disjointed. This WILL be nasty.*
Strap in, folks. This review is akin to the opening sequence of a Final Destination flick. In other words: CHAOS!
Ahem, let’s begin.
One Perfect Couple is the book equivalent to a wet, overcooked lasagna. There are layers, sure, but they fall apart easily, burn your tongue, and are ultimately unsatisfying. What little bit you do manage to choke down your singed throat makes you nauseous and bubbles your guts.
That’s it, really. It’s not just metaphorical food poisoning: This book is literary cyanide!
The blurb is what drew me to it initially, but the blurb is one big fucking LIE! It’s more like the movie Cast Away mixed with Survivor. Not what I signed up for. I couldn’t bear it any longer, so I tossed this shit aside. Whoever decided to compare this pissed on trash heap to ‘And Then There Were None’ needs to be fired. But I guess they’re selling books on that deception, so, whatever.
The characters in this were INSUFFERABLE! For starters: Lyla and Nico were god-awful together. I saw no reason whatsoever why they were a couple, or what they saw in each other. Lyla is a drip, a wet blanket, a self-deprecating sad-sack who judges everyone, but Ware writes her like we’re supposed to agree with her bitchy, snide inner thoughts. Her whole persona screams from every rooftop in every city: “I’m not like other girls!” Nico is hot. Like, “extremely hot.” The “fantasy first boyfriend” is how he’s depicted. I’m surprised Ms. Ware didn’t describe him as a walking, talking dick with abs. That’s about it for his character development, honestly: he’s a sexy, struggling actor. Now, where have I seen this character before? Tell me you’re projecting without telling me you’re fucking projecting. It’s obvious. Don’t need the Hubble telescope to see it, any cheap lens from the hobby shop will suffice.
So, we have the super smart, home-y scientist, and the Adonis. Lame. Unoriginal. I don’t get it. Ware is pandering to the audience with these generic schmucks. Can’t we just have, ya know, normal fucking characters? Why can’t Lyla be a manager at H&M with an interest in virology? Why can’t Nico be an admin assistant that works out a few days a week? That would be more believable.
Lyla is supposed to be endearing/relatable for female readers. It really truly reads like, “Check out this genius Scientist! She’s the feminist Everywoman! She bagged a sexy man. She’s smart, and did we mention she’s a Scientist?” Literally, Lyla being a “Scientist” is mentioned on nearly every page, and gets pissy every time someone mislabels her career. “I’m NOT a doctor! I’m a SCIENTIST!”
Meanwhile, Lyla is making offhand comments and gross generalizations about the female contestants on reality tv shows: big boobs, skimpy clothes, perfect looks, and she didn’t say vapid, but I have a strong feeling she really wanted to say vapid. She makes surface-level snide comments about the other contestants (mostly the women!!), too. The producer has a tongue-ring for some reason, and he’s a smarmy douche. What are you trying to say, Ruth? If you’re not in MENSA, wearing wrinkled clothes, and don’t care about your appearance, then you’re… what, exactly? Lyla is a condescending, judgmental ass. I’m going off on her hard here, and it’s only because she’s written to be the moral, rational, agreeable MC, and yet, she’s kind of a Karen in disguise.
Lyla has nasty things to say about EVERYONE! What particularly irked me were her comments on Romi: “…made up to the nines with thick foundation, platinum hair, and lashes I was sure couldn’t possibly be real. I tried to imagine her pipetting a tray of samples and failed—there was no way you’d be able to fit a pair of nitrile gloves over those nails…” GIRL! COME ON! What is your damage? This woman can’t possibly be a scientist because she wears makeup and lashes?!?!? FUCK RIGHT OFF!
Of course, Lyla immediately takes a shine to the handsome “nerdcore” journalist. I bet Ware was just itching to write Lyla’s inner dialogue as “Yes! Another smart person amongst this sea of dum-dums!” Just because you’re a lecturer or a scientist doesn’t automatically make you a genius, you condescending bog toad! Conjunctivitis discharge is more appealing to me than the character of Lyla Santiago.
And don’t even get me started on the rest of this cast of stereotypes… they’re all caricatures; Overly exaggerated positively and negatively. But mostly, it was the latter. Every little snarky remark, or rude characterization, made the whole book scream BITTERNESS!
The writing, too, is subpar. There’s no sense of foreboding. No suspense to keep me intrigued. The foreshadowing is clunky and goes nowhere (I may have only read a fraction of this book, but I did skim the remainder to get key points!). It’s repetitious and infuriating (often!). There are red herrings and “mysterious” happenings and dialogue, but they lead to a desert of nothingness. It’s NOT a whodunnit, so, I was frankly bored. It’s like someone browsed the Wikipedia article for Lord of the Flies, while the trailer for FBoy Island played in a different Chrome tab. The stereotypes found here are lazy and so wholly simple, they could’ve been AI-generated. The plus side: this book read quickly at times (while still being a slog the rest). Parts of it were easy for my eyes to glaze over, but it was only because the language and structure used was sort of a juvenile’s attempt at writing mystery. A 14-year-old watches Survivor with their parents every Thursday night, binges Love Island in between shooting off texts, sees one episode of The Traitors at a sleepover, is socially conscious from whatever virtue signaling relevancy floats over their FYP on TikTok, and thinks they can come up with a decent mystery/thriller set on an island that involves reality TV. Does that sound right? It sounds right to me.
Ware doesn’t seem to know how to describe people properly, either. The characters were all so… cookie cutter and unimaginative. Her only
Okay. Back to the story: In less than 24 hours, Lyla had already told 2 other contestants her and Nico’s strategy. I know she’s not serious about the game show component, but that is just so damn idiotic to me. I mean, her bf still wants to play along, so why is this über smart Scientist spilling the beans to everyone?
One of the female contestants is picking at her food, and her partner looks worried. Immediately, Lyla’s mind goes to “eating disorder.” Yikes. Granted, she seems concerned, but seriously, chill with the assumptions. And that ending was such a fizzle. Ware lit a Roman Candle, shot off a few sparks at her readership, and threw the still-spitting firework into a nearby slop bucket. The ending to this book (I read the last few chapters in full) lacked any sort of punch. I’m not saying it needed BIG TWISTS and ACTION and A-HA moments, no. But it needed to deliver on what was promised, and it failed miserably. It was anticlimactic, weirdly sentimental like . It really rubbed me the wrong way, because it felt so insincere. I don’t believe for one second that
I need to point out here that I used to work in reality television. Some of this is standard fare, sure (like the taking of phones/electronics, the handful of takes in “unscripted reactions”), but Lyla acts all high and mighty, or shocked when something simple is brought up. Like, Ruth Ware over-dramatizes every little bit of a television production. It’s so silly to me. But I guess if you have no experience in that realm, you’d find some of the producer’s asks ludicrous, too.
Anywho, this is getting out of hand. I skimmed the rest of the book before I decided to pack up what little brain cells remained in my head. After over 150 pages in, One Perfect Couple left me feeling like I needed to be on a ventilator for the literary abused. I need book resuscitation. This shit nearly killed me.
Bottom line: This one didn’t work for me. Not in the slightest. I’m not discouraging others to read this. I know it will appeal to many people, but mostly to a casual audience, because it is so easily digestible. I’m just hyper-critical, a bit of a snob, and expect more from the genre.
This whole thing just reeks of ‘I needed to write something with lots of pseudo-cultural, political, and social relevancy, but not so much that it has anything meaningful to say about any of that. Just virtue signaling, buzzwords, and topical opinions, and you’ll have your readership nodding along.
I didn’t buy it. It’s disingenuous. It’s surface level BS, that treats the readers like morons. It was such a low effort, sneakily mean-spirited book, disguised as a feminist triumph. But it is so goddamn PHONY!
Fin.
Initial review:
I know what they’re trying to do here.
They’re comparing this book to one of my favorite locked-room whodunnits (Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None) in the blurb to get me to read it.
And you know fucking what?
It’s working!
May 24, 2024
The book kicks off a bit slowly, but don't let that fool you. Once it picks up, it's a rollercoaster! Ruth Ware has a knack for crafting thrilling tales, and this one is no exception, even without her signature big twist at the end.
The story revolves around a fascinating couple: Lyla, a dedicated scientist, and Nico, a fame-hungry guy who's willing to do anything for his shot in the spotlight. Nico's cheesiness is off the charts, and when he pressures Lyla to join a reality TV show with him, she reluctantly agrees, thinking a couple of weeks off work won't hurt.
They find themselves on a remote island with an eclectic mix of cast members. But soon enough, things take a dark turn. A brutal storm hits, and suddenly, the island isn't just a filming location—it's a death trap. Bodies start piling up, and survival becomes the name of the game.
Lyla quickly realizes she can't trust anyone. She has to rely on her wits to piece together the clues and stay alive. This character-driven story keeps you on the edge of your seat, making it a thrilling read from start to finish. Ruth Ware delivers yet another gripping novel that proves you don't always need a twist to keep readers hooked!
The story revolves around a fascinating couple: Lyla, a dedicated scientist, and Nico, a fame-hungry guy who's willing to do anything for his shot in the spotlight. Nico's cheesiness is off the charts, and when he pressures Lyla to join a reality TV show with him, she reluctantly agrees, thinking a couple of weeks off work won't hurt.
They find themselves on a remote island with an eclectic mix of cast members. But soon enough, things take a dark turn. A brutal storm hits, and suddenly, the island isn't just a filming location—it's a death trap. Bodies start piling up, and survival becomes the name of the game.
Lyla quickly realizes she can't trust anyone. She has to rely on her wits to piece together the clues and stay alive. This character-driven story keeps you on the edge of your seat, making it a thrilling read from start to finish. Ruth Ware delivers yet another gripping novel that proves you don't always need a twist to keep readers hooked!
May 17, 2024
this was definitely one of Ware’s better releases as of late! it’s for fans of THE BACHELOR, LOVE ISLAND or LOVE IS BLIND… but want a little more thrill. orrrr should i say, murder 👀👀
the setting of this is a vibe…ish. i liked the premise as well—4 couples get picked to go shoot a reality tv show on a private island where they compete to see if their signifcant other makes the ”one perfect couple” OR if their soulmate is someone else on the island. juicy!
some of the twists really shocked me and I’m happy Ruth Ware went there. i think i still favor the likes of THE TURN OF THE KEY and THE DEATH OF MRS WESTWAY or even THE IT GIRL a bit more than this, but it’s definitely in her top 4-5 books for me. she will remain an auto-buy author!
the pacing was a bit off in this one for me. it started super interesting, then was slow, then random really shocking things happened (no really, i gasped at some of them iykyk), then it would get slow, then it kind of ended. i also like my thriller endings more shocking and less wrapped up, but maybe that’s just me. there were 2 parts of the ending that made me *eye roll* slightly and if those were tweaked, this would be a VERY strong thriller. but one part of the ending was savage and as a girlie, i’m v happy about it (you’ll know what i mean when you finish 😌😉).
this would be a fun book club pick and is a super easy thriller binge to save for a pool/beach day!
thanks to Gallery for the early copy 🫶🏼
the setting of this is a vibe…ish. i liked the premise as well—4 couples get picked to go shoot a reality tv show on a private island where they compete to see if their signifcant other makes the ”one perfect couple” OR if their soulmate is someone else on the island. juicy!
some of the twists really shocked me and I’m happy Ruth Ware went there. i think i still favor the likes of THE TURN OF THE KEY and THE DEATH OF MRS WESTWAY or even THE IT GIRL a bit more than this, but it’s definitely in her top 4-5 books for me. she will remain an auto-buy author!
the pacing was a bit off in this one for me. it started super interesting, then was slow, then random really shocking things happened (no really, i gasped at some of them iykyk), then it would get slow, then it kind of ended. i also like my thriller endings more shocking and less wrapped up, but maybe that’s just me. there were 2 parts of the ending that made me *eye roll* slightly and if those were tweaked, this would be a VERY strong thriller. but one part of the ending was savage and as a girlie, i’m v happy about it (you’ll know what i mean when you finish 😌😉).
this would be a fun book club pick and is a super easy thriller binge to save for a pool/beach day!
thanks to Gallery for the early copy 🫶🏼
November 1, 2024
You know that magical feeling when you’re reading and suddenly you look up and three hours have passed by in a blur? Well, that definitely happened for me with One Perfect Couple. An immersive storyline filled with a twisted game of cat-and-mouse, well-developed characters, and ever increasing unease, I was immediately pulled in from the very first word. Granted, I should have expected this before I even began as Ruth Ware is, without a doubt, one of my all-time favorite authors. Somehow, though, she managed to outdo even herself with this downright unputdownable psychological thriller.
The storyline started off just as you might expect—an escapist novel with plenty of brilliantly plotted thrills and spine-tingling chills. Somewhere along the way, though, heavier themes also emerged. When combined with the edge-of-your-seat foreboding and realistic verve, this humdinger of a book was how I imagine it would’ve been if Agatha Christie had penned Lord of the Flies. What was even better, however, was that it also had one of my favorite elements: the much loved locked room murder mystery trope. Needless to say, I fell for it hook, line, and sinker before I was even halfway into the book.
All in all, from the slow burn start to the two climax-like scenes, the reality TV show premise turned into a delicious survival of the fittest disaster. With a claustrophobic feel, genuine character dynamics, and oodles of twists, I just couldn’t put this book down. Quite frankly, I think that this just might be Ms. Ware at her best. I mean, take the deserted island setting, surprise hurricane, and ratcheting bad blood. Even without this author’s virtuoso-like skill, together they almost guarantee one utter home run. And let me tell you, she used those ingredients and hit it—as I’d hoped—straight out of the park. Rating of 5 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
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, One Perfect Couple, she agrees to try out with him.
A whirlwind audition process later, Lyla finds 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.
Thank you to Ruth Ware and Scout Press for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
Scroll down for my potentially plot spoiling trigger list.
Trigger warning: hurricane, domestic violence, controlling relationship, poisoning, mention of: drowning
The storyline started off just as you might expect—an escapist novel with plenty of brilliantly plotted thrills and spine-tingling chills. Somewhere along the way, though, heavier themes also emerged. When combined with the edge-of-your-seat foreboding and realistic verve, this humdinger of a book was how I imagine it would’ve been if Agatha Christie had penned Lord of the Flies. What was even better, however, was that it also had one of my favorite elements: the much loved locked room murder mystery trope. Needless to say, I fell for it hook, line, and sinker before I was even halfway into the book.
All in all, from the slow burn start to the two climax-like scenes, the reality TV show premise turned into a delicious survival of the fittest disaster. With a claustrophobic feel, genuine character dynamics, and oodles of twists, I just couldn’t put this book down. Quite frankly, I think that this just might be Ms. Ware at her best. I mean, take the deserted island setting, surprise hurricane, and ratcheting bad blood. Even without this author’s virtuoso-like skill, together they almost guarantee one utter home run. And let me tell you, she used those ingredients and hit it—as I’d hoped—straight out of the park. Rating of 5 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
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, One Perfect Couple, she agrees to try out with him.
A whirlwind audition process later, Lyla finds 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.
Thank you to Ruth Ware and Scout Press for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
Scroll down for my potentially plot spoiling trigger list.
Trigger warning: hurricane, domestic violence, controlling relationship, poisoning, mention of: drowning
March 31, 2024
I find Ware very hit or miss and I only read this one because it sounded similar to One By One, which I think is Ware's best. But this is so deeply phoned in it's barely a book. Comparing it to And Then There Were None is wrong on so many levels.
I kept reading thinking, but all the pieces are here so surely it will get better. It did not. Eventually I got to the point where it was short enough and going fast enough that I might as well finish. But you do not have to make that choice! You can just opt out! You should!!
Sometimes along the way you may think, "Huh, so mysterious" about certain details. But they are not mysterious. They just have not been thought through at all. You may think, "Oh that's ominous" except it's not it is just lazy. And if you know anything about reality shows or have just existed in the modern world for five minutes you will just constantly be thinking "But this doesn't make any sense." And it doesn't. All of this in service of a last minute "twist" that doesn't even attempt to be interesting or actually twisty.
The trappings are all there but the story itself is quite dull. And whoever decided to put And Then There Were None on as the big comp here is doing readers a big disservice. I'm actually wondering if 2 stars is too generous.
I kept reading thinking, but all the pieces are here so surely it will get better. It did not. Eventually I got to the point where it was short enough and going fast enough that I might as well finish. But you do not have to make that choice! You can just opt out! You should!!
Sometimes along the way you may think, "Huh, so mysterious" about certain details. But they are not mysterious. They just have not been thought through at all. You may think, "Oh that's ominous" except it's not it is just lazy. And if you know anything about reality shows or have just existed in the modern world for five minutes you will just constantly be thinking "But this doesn't make any sense." And it doesn't. All of this in service of a last minute "twist" that doesn't even attempt to be interesting or actually twisty.
The trappings are all there but the story itself is quite dull. And whoever decided to put And Then There Were None on as the big comp here is doing readers a big disservice. I'm actually wondering if 2 stars is too generous.
June 6, 2024
Calling all reality show fans!
We have a new series about to be released.
How well do you know your partner?
Enough to be crowned The Perfect Couple?
Five couples…one secluded island.
Nico believes signing up for this reality show is just what he needs to launch his career. Lyla his longtime girlfriend is to say the least...reluctant. It’s the last thing she wants to do, but how can she say no to Nico?
Oh Lyla! You need to trust your gut!
As they set sail for the final destination, disappointment and perhaps reservations begin to settle in. The ship's accommodations are sub par and the food...well let’s say there are no Michelin stars being awarded here! Maybe things will get better once everyone is settled in on the island?
Unfortunately things to go from bad to worse. A major storm arrives the first night leaving the couples completely cut off from the rest of the world.
Now it’s a matter of survival!
An absolutely addictive and propulsive read that you won’t be able to resist!
I chose the audio version and Imogen Church once again delivers the performance of a lifetime! Her ability to bring every character to life with a distinct voice and personality is brilliant!🙌🏼
We have a new series about to be released.
How well do you know your partner?
Enough to be crowned The Perfect Couple?
Five couples…one secluded island.
Nico believes signing up for this reality show is just what he needs to launch his career. Lyla his longtime girlfriend is to say the least...reluctant. It’s the last thing she wants to do, but how can she say no to Nico?
Oh Lyla! You need to trust your gut!
As they set sail for the final destination, disappointment and perhaps reservations begin to settle in. The ship's accommodations are sub par and the food...well let’s say there are no Michelin stars being awarded here! Maybe things will get better once everyone is settled in on the island?
Unfortunately things to go from bad to worse. A major storm arrives the first night leaving the couples completely cut off from the rest of the world.
Now it’s a matter of survival!
An absolutely addictive and propulsive read that you won’t be able to resist!
I chose the audio version and Imogen Church once again delivers the performance of a lifetime! Her ability to bring every character to life with a distinct voice and personality is brilliant!🙌🏼
September 1, 2024
One Perfect Couple is a good book that touches on influencers, social media, and reality TV. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. The dystopian vibes were fun, and the author decently built the characters up in such a way that I cared about some of them.
There is a character dealing with domestic violence, but the author touched on it in a way that might help people who are struggling in their own toxic relationships.
The novel introduces us to Lyla, a relatable character, and her manipulative, impulsive, and self-absorbed boyfriend Nico. Nico, a would-be actor, persuades Lyla to join a Survivor-meets-Love-Island reality TV show called "One Perfect Couple." Despite her struggles in her work life, Lyla agrees to Nico's request, hoping the exposure could open doors for him.
The story unfolds with gripping suspense as a storm hits the island soon after their arrival. The extreme nature of the storm leads to tragic consequences, with not everyone surviving. The majority of the characters show a caring and cooperative side, but we also witness the darker side of humanity: the selfish desire for self-preservation. The narrative follows a couple of characters who make questionable decisions. Soon after the storm, cast members of "One Perfect Couple" start disappearing under mysterious circumstances, adding to the intrigue.
The novel provides a gripping story about survival, love, selfishness, and cooperation. The book is well-written and keeps a good pace nearly the entire time. Some ideas may be almost impossible to very impossible, but I was caught up in the book and didn't mind. 4 stars!
There is a character dealing with domestic violence, but the author touched on it in a way that might help people who are struggling in their own toxic relationships.
The novel introduces us to Lyla, a relatable character, and her manipulative, impulsive, and self-absorbed boyfriend Nico. Nico, a would-be actor, persuades Lyla to join a Survivor-meets-Love-Island reality TV show called "One Perfect Couple." Despite her struggles in her work life, Lyla agrees to Nico's request, hoping the exposure could open doors for him.
The story unfolds with gripping suspense as a storm hits the island soon after their arrival. The extreme nature of the storm leads to tragic consequences, with not everyone surviving. The majority of the characters show a caring and cooperative side, but we also witness the darker side of humanity: the selfish desire for self-preservation. The narrative follows a couple of characters who make questionable decisions. Soon after the storm, cast members of "One Perfect Couple" start disappearing under mysterious circumstances, adding to the intrigue.
The novel provides a gripping story about survival, love, selfishness, and cooperation. The book is well-written and keeps a good pace nearly the entire time. Some ideas may be almost impossible to very impossible, but I was caught up in the book and didn't mind. 4 stars!
June 20, 2024
A for originality! ✅
I haven’t read a book quite like this or if I have, it didn’t stick out to me like this one did. Half adventure/half murder mystery-all thriller. Such a unique idea!
I also really liked the reality tv premise as I haven’t seen that in a book before either. However, I wish we saw more drama unfold there before the storm so the reader could get to know the characters better. I was halfway through the book and still trying to remember who was who so that got a bit confusing sometimes.
I really liked the ending though and how everything tied up and even though it’s a book about reality tv, the ending was totally realistic and surprising to boot!
3.5⭐️ rounding down.
I haven’t read a book quite like this or if I have, it didn’t stick out to me like this one did. Half adventure/half murder mystery-all thriller. Such a unique idea!
I also really liked the reality tv premise as I haven’t seen that in a book before either. However, I wish we saw more drama unfold there before the storm so the reader could get to know the characters better. I was halfway through the book and still trying to remember who was who so that got a bit confusing sometimes.
I really liked the ending though and how everything tied up and even though it’s a book about reality tv, the ending was totally realistic and surprising to boot!
3.5⭐️ rounding down.
May 24, 2024
4.5 rounded down for the "reality show" angle, but yay, it was really good! I kept thinking "Survivor" meets "Lord of the Flies"?? This one ramped up quickly & was really hard to put down - Ruth Ware comes through yet again - Love her so (and the "call back" to a previous title buried toward the end!!)! Not too many characters & easy to follow. Think it'd be a good summer read, but maybe not for the beach, LOL! There's been some disappointments so far this year, but this title is not one of them!
October 9, 2024
2.75⭐
Genre ~ survival thriller
Setting ~ island in the Indian Ocean
Publication date ~ May 31, 2024
Est Page Count ~ 395 (p+ 38 chapters)
Audio length ~ 14 hours 25 minutes
Narrator ~ Imogen Church
POV ~ multiple 1st
Featuring ~ 3 part story, reality tv show, stranded, survival, murder
Lyla is not interested in going on a reality tv show, but her boyfriend, Nico, is hoping it'll be his big break, so she's along for the ride 🙄
Currently reading notes:
I’m all about supporting your significant other, but why do I feel like this reality show isn’t going to go too well? Guess what ~ I was right🤣
Maybe if I watched shows like Survivor I would have liked this one more. It was waaaaaay too long with unlikable characters galore. Yes, there were some heart pounding moments, but overall I found it just meh and predictable. The end was fine~ish. Plenty of love for it, so don't take my word for it.
Narration notes:
She did great, as usual. She has a way of making you feel like you're right there getting drenched in the storm searching for coconuts.
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ X
Genre ~ survival thriller
Setting ~ island in the Indian Ocean
Publication date ~ May 31, 2024
Est Page Count ~ 395 (p+ 38 chapters)
Audio length ~ 14 hours 25 minutes
Narrator ~ Imogen Church
POV ~ multiple 1st
Featuring ~ 3 part story, reality tv show, stranded, survival, murder
Lyla is not interested in going on a reality tv show, but her boyfriend, Nico, is hoping it'll be his big break, so she's along for the ride 🙄
Currently reading notes:
I’m all about supporting your significant other, but why do I feel like this reality show isn’t going to go too well? Guess what ~ I was right🤣
Maybe if I watched shows like Survivor I would have liked this one more. It was waaaaaay too long with unlikable characters galore. Yes, there were some heart pounding moments, but overall I found it just meh and predictable. The end was fine~ish. Plenty of love for it, so don't take my word for it.
Narration notes:
She did great, as usual. She has a way of making you feel like you're right there getting drenched in the storm searching for coconuts.
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ X
May 2, 2024
Ruth Ware is an auto-read author for me, however her last three books felt a bit rushed and I haven't really enjoyed one since Turn of the Key. That being said, I truly believe that ONE PERFECT COUPLE is heading the author we all love back on track.
The story is very much a modern day And Then There Were None, taking place on an island in Indonesia, with several couples competing on a reality show for a final grand prize while also being awarded the "one perfect couple." Our main character, Lyla Santiago, is convinced by her longtime boyfriend Nico to join the show as he is an aspiring actor and believes this will jumpstart his career. Lyla is a scientist/virologist and did not have plans to do the show, but when in love, you make compromises with your partner, and doing the show is no exception. When they get to the set of Ever After Island, they meet four other couples—Bayer and Angel, Dan and Santana, Joel and Romi, and Conor and Zana. Each of the couples has their own unique stories and each of them have their own reasons for being on the show. However, after the first challenge on the show causes chaos, many are left wondering if this show is worth the drama. It gets even more chaotic when an overnight storm leaves the cast stranded. The show has now become a life-or-death situation.
This story was interesting because I didn't think that the twists were actually going to come because a big chunk of this book was the reality tv show set up and the storm. Ruth Ware uses setting as a character big time in this book and it definitely paid off. ONE PERFECT COUPLE is one of my higher ranked reads by Ruth Ware and I think a lot of people will love this book. It's pacing is a bit slower than I wanted it to be, but besides the pacing, it's a very fun and wild ride.
RUTH WARE RANKINGS:
1. The Woman in Cabin 10
2. The Death of Mrs. Westaway
3. The Turn of the Key
4. One Perfect Couple
5. In a Dark, Dark Wood
6. The IT Girl
7. Zero Days
8. One by One
9. The Lying Game
The story is very much a modern day And Then There Were None, taking place on an island in Indonesia, with several couples competing on a reality show for a final grand prize while also being awarded the "one perfect couple." Our main character, Lyla Santiago, is convinced by her longtime boyfriend Nico to join the show as he is an aspiring actor and believes this will jumpstart his career. Lyla is a scientist/virologist and did not have plans to do the show, but when in love, you make compromises with your partner, and doing the show is no exception. When they get to the set of Ever After Island, they meet four other couples—Bayer and Angel, Dan and Santana, Joel and Romi, and Conor and Zana. Each of the couples has their own unique stories and each of them have their own reasons for being on the show. However, after the first challenge on the show causes chaos, many are left wondering if this show is worth the drama. It gets even more chaotic when an overnight storm leaves the cast stranded. The show has now become a life-or-death situation.
This story was interesting because I didn't think that the twists were actually going to come because a big chunk of this book was the reality tv show set up and the storm. Ruth Ware uses setting as a character big time in this book and it definitely paid off. ONE PERFECT COUPLE is one of my higher ranked reads by Ruth Ware and I think a lot of people will love this book. It's pacing is a bit slower than I wanted it to be, but besides the pacing, it's a very fun and wild ride.
RUTH WARE RANKINGS:
1. The Woman in Cabin 10
2. The Death of Mrs. Westaway
3. The Turn of the Key
4. One Perfect Couple
5. In a Dark, Dark Wood
6. The IT Girl
7. Zero Days
8. One by One
9. The Lying Game
July 10, 2024
You may think, based on the title and the fact that it’s set on a deserted island, that One Perfect Couple is a locked room murder mystery. That’s a completely reasonable assumption, since it’s a Ruth Ware book. But also, it’s a Ruth Ware book, and she seems determined to always write different kinds of stories instead of sticking to what I perceive to be her strength: Gothic mysteries. So what One Perfect Couple is, instead, is a survival thriller. And not a very good one, in my opinion.
The idea here is that five couples travel to an island off the coast of Indonesia to compete on a reality show. The reality show concept sounds pretty sketchy from the get-go, but no one seems to question that. And it’s fine, anyway, because they’ve barely started filming the show when a tropical storm hits the island, stranding the couples with no electricity, very few supplies, and no way to contact the production boat off-shore – even if that boat hadn’t been blown off-course by the storm. The situation becomes desperate quickly as everyone finds themselves pushed to the brink, doing things they never imagined in order to survive.
It sounds exciting and suspenseful, and it should be – but I found there to be very little tension in the narrative. There is no mystery aspect to the plot. There is a bad guy, but an obvious and uninteresting one. There are some deaths that you may think are mysterious, but they aren’t. They’re just exactly what they appear to be on the surface. I don’t want to spoil anything for other readers, but you should know what you’re in for, which is an obvious, straightforward thriller that manages to be both over-the-top and uninteresting at the same time.
One Perfect Couple may be where Ruth Ware and I finally part ways.
The idea here is that five couples travel to an island off the coast of Indonesia to compete on a reality show. The reality show concept sounds pretty sketchy from the get-go, but no one seems to question that. And it’s fine, anyway, because they’ve barely started filming the show when a tropical storm hits the island, stranding the couples with no electricity, very few supplies, and no way to contact the production boat off-shore – even if that boat hadn’t been blown off-course by the storm. The situation becomes desperate quickly as everyone finds themselves pushed to the brink, doing things they never imagined in order to survive.
It sounds exciting and suspenseful, and it should be – but I found there to be very little tension in the narrative. There is no mystery aspect to the plot. There is a bad guy, but an obvious and uninteresting one. There are some deaths that you may think are mysterious, but they aren’t. They’re just exactly what they appear to be on the surface. I don’t want to spoil anything for other readers, but you should know what you’re in for, which is an obvious, straightforward thriller that manages to be both over-the-top and uninteresting at the same time.
One Perfect Couple may be where Ruth Ware and I finally part ways.
May 14, 2024
I don’t know why I keep reading these books. It’s always the same—she insults her readers (and her characters) with supposedly smart protagonists who make *staggeringly* bad judgment calls and fail to make the most obvious connections (which we’ve already understood for chapters and chapters because RW wouldn’t recognize subtlety if it tried to drown her beside a storm-damaged cabana).
I’m not sure if it’s disdain for her readers, genuine naivety, or just narrative laziness, but she’s got to stop doing things like having a bunch of influencers be flabbergasted that they can’t keep their iPads while filming a reality show.
She could have rewarded us for surviving being marooned in this boring-ass book for 400 pages with some kind of surprise, but no. Our only reward is not having to listen to the main character repeat herself anymore.
And this one has a bonus of an FMC who is So Not Like Other Girls (a person is concerned about how she’s going to compare to other women went on a TV show and it didn’t *occur to her* to pack mascara? Come on.). The author couldn’t even commit to that, though—how did Lila know what the Twitter reactions would be if she never watched reality shows, as she claimed entirely too many times in the first half of the book? We get it—she’s an intellectual. So why does it take her 100 pages to figure out every little thing?
Hey, Ruth: Watching reality TV and wearing makeup do not make a person ridiculous. It’s exhausting how much you seem to believe they do.
I’m not sure if it’s disdain for her readers, genuine naivety, or just narrative laziness, but she’s got to stop doing things like having a bunch of influencers be flabbergasted that they can’t keep their iPads while filming a reality show.
She could have rewarded us for surviving being marooned in this boring-ass book for 400 pages with some kind of surprise, but no. Our only reward is not having to listen to the main character repeat herself anymore.
And this one has a bonus of an FMC who is So Not Like Other Girls (a person is concerned about how she’s going to compare to other women went on a TV show and it didn’t *occur to her* to pack mascara? Come on.). The author couldn’t even commit to that, though—how did Lila know what the Twitter reactions would be if she never watched reality shows, as she claimed entirely too many times in the first half of the book? We get it—she’s an intellectual. So why does it take her 100 pages to figure out every little thing?
Hey, Ruth: Watching reality TV and wearing makeup do not make a person ridiculous. It’s exhausting how much you seem to believe they do.
October 3, 2024
My toxic trait is reading Ruth Ware novels and then almost never rating them above three stars. Glad to see I am still toxic. Why do I read her books? She is excellent at concept and tone, just never the execution.
One Perfect Couple follows Lyla, a scientist whose actor boyfriend convinces her to join a couples reality tv show. Whisked away to a tropical island in the middle of nowhere, things go wrong when a tropical storm devastates their resort and the boat that brought them there is missing. With four other couples there, tensions are high and things begin to get grim.
This is not really a mystery so much as a thriller. There's no whodoneit, you pretty much know what's happening as you read along. I kind of thought the characters were a bit dumb, but maybe that was the point? Some reality tv aspects are obvious if you watch and productions usually have great safeguards in place. By the middle of the book I honestly forgot the fact that this started as reality tv. I enjoyed this book for the most part but it's one of those thrillers that made me feel sick at times and I don't enjoy that with my mystery novels. But that's just personal preference. And you best believe I will keep reading Ms. Ware going forward.
One Perfect Couple follows Lyla, a scientist whose actor boyfriend convinces her to join a couples reality tv show. Whisked away to a tropical island in the middle of nowhere, things go wrong when a tropical storm devastates their resort and the boat that brought them there is missing. With four other couples there, tensions are high and things begin to get grim.
This is not really a mystery so much as a thriller. There's no whodoneit, you pretty much know what's happening as you read along. I kind of thought the characters were a bit dumb, but maybe that was the point? Some reality tv aspects are obvious if you watch and productions usually have great safeguards in place. By the middle of the book I honestly forgot the fact that this started as reality tv. I enjoyed this book for the most part but it's one of those thrillers that made me feel sick at times and I don't enjoy that with my mystery novels. But that's just personal preference. And you best believe I will keep reading Ms. Ware going forward.
June 20, 2024
Ruth Ware is an auto read author for me. Once I find out she has a new book coming out, I jump on my library’s waiting list to nab a copy. One Perfect Couple started out with promise but about halfway thru I realized I’m burned out with reality show and island survival thriller plots. Lots of action going on in the last half but it didn’t lead to a satisfying conclusion. I really needed an awesome ending to salvage the story but it fell short.
Not my least favorite Ruth Ware thriller but it ranks pretty low on the list. For what it’s worth, The Turn of the Key and The It Girl are my favorites.
Not my least favorite Ruth Ware thriller but it ranks pretty low on the list. For what it’s worth, The Turn of the Key and The It Girl are my favorites.
August 22, 2024
After reading a number of mixed reviews I was a bit nervous about One Perfect Couple and what my reaction might be. Especially since Ruth Ware has long been one of my favorite authors because her books have always more than excelled my highest expectations.
Well, I have to say this blew me away. In my opinion, this was the most action filled and suspenseful of all of her books to date. I would even venture to say this could also be considered a horror novel because it has numerous graphic scenes unlike any I have ever experienced in any of her previous novels.
The characters are well developed, authentic and all held my interest.
In summary, this page turner kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I was dreading its coming to an end. A most thrilling and riveting read which I will be recommending highly to friends, family and anyone else within ear shot.
Thank you, Ms. Ware, for another spellbinding read.
Well, I have to say this blew me away. In my opinion, this was the most action filled and suspenseful of all of her books to date. I would even venture to say this could also be considered a horror novel because it has numerous graphic scenes unlike any I have ever experienced in any of her previous novels.
The characters are well developed, authentic and all held my interest.
In summary, this page turner kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I was dreading its coming to an end. A most thrilling and riveting read which I will be recommending highly to friends, family and anyone else within ear shot.
Thank you, Ms. Ware, for another spellbinding read.
March 4, 2024
4.5 Stars — ONE PERFECT COUPLE is Agatha Christie meets LORD OF THE FLIES meets...dating reality TV? I'm not too familiar with the names of those shows, but you know what I mean! I really enjoyed this survival thriller set on a remote island in the Indian Ocean.
Lyla is a scientist whose wannabe actor boyfriend Nico talks her into participating in an upcoming reality show where they compete with four other pairs to be named the "perfect" couple. When they first get to the isolated island location for filming, they notice something is not quite right. Next, a terrible storm hits the island and chaos ensues. Then, it's truly a fight for survival as dead bodies turn up one by one.
There was a big cast of characters, and it took a minute to remember who's who, and who goes with whom, but ultimately they each had a unique voice. While this was an entertaining, escapist thriller, it also touched on the seriousness of bullying and domestic abuse. This was a page-turner that I flew through in record time. I also loved the little nod to THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10.
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for a copy of this book. Opinions are my own.
Lyla is a scientist whose wannabe actor boyfriend Nico talks her into participating in an upcoming reality show where they compete with four other pairs to be named the "perfect" couple. When they first get to the isolated island location for filming, they notice something is not quite right. Next, a terrible storm hits the island and chaos ensues. Then, it's truly a fight for survival as dead bodies turn up one by one.
There was a big cast of characters, and it took a minute to remember who's who, and who goes with whom, but ultimately they each had a unique voice. While this was an entertaining, escapist thriller, it also touched on the seriousness of bullying and domestic abuse. This was a page-turner that I flew through in record time. I also loved the little nod to THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10.
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for a copy of this book. Opinions are my own.
May 23, 2024
the setup…
Lyla is a scientist finishing up her latest post-doctoral research (unsuccessful) and will undoubtedly see her current contract end without renewal. Her boyfriend Nico approaches her with an opportunity to join a new reality TV show, One Perfect Couple. He’s an actor whose career has never taken off and sees this as his big moment. Wanting to support him, Lyla reluctantly agrees to participate in the audition and they’re selected on the spot. The show is on a remote island in the Indian Ocean “near” Indonesia. There are five couples competing to be the last remaining “perfect couple.” Things get off to a rocky start from the onset but when a devastating storm hits Ever After Island on the second night, it is the beginning of a very real fight to survive.
the heart of the story…
I don’t watch much reality TV, especially these type shows, so as much as I’m a fan of the author, this one gave me pause. Even though it began rather predictably as I’d imagined real TV shows like this do, after that storm, this became something very different. Each one of the participating characters are extremely well developed, leaving the door open for just enough mystery and questions about them when trust becomes an issue and people turn up dead. Lyla is the principal narrator though one other has intermittent points of view from her journal. Cut off from the world with only a battery operated radio as a possible communication, it couldn’t get more desperate with no power and limited water.
the narration…
Imogen Church is one of my favorites and she was masterful here in storytelling and voice distinctions. Each character was given a recognizable identity that was perfectly matched.
the bottom line…
There’s a reason why I don’t enjoy these type reality shows and it was wonderfully illustrated here. It typically brings out the worst of human nature and it did just that on Ever After Island. However, there were some profiles in courage that kept this from being a total mess. The story took a turn at just the right moment, shifting everything while steeping it in a bit of irony. I’m still pondering the implications of that ending, sure I’ll continue to reflect on it for some time to come. This was much more than your traditional reality TV…thank goodness!
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
Lyla is a scientist finishing up her latest post-doctoral research (unsuccessful) and will undoubtedly see her current contract end without renewal. Her boyfriend Nico approaches her with an opportunity to join a new reality TV show, One Perfect Couple. He’s an actor whose career has never taken off and sees this as his big moment. Wanting to support him, Lyla reluctantly agrees to participate in the audition and they’re selected on the spot. The show is on a remote island in the Indian Ocean “near” Indonesia. There are five couples competing to be the last remaining “perfect couple.” Things get off to a rocky start from the onset but when a devastating storm hits Ever After Island on the second night, it is the beginning of a very real fight to survive.
the heart of the story…
I don’t watch much reality TV, especially these type shows, so as much as I’m a fan of the author, this one gave me pause. Even though it began rather predictably as I’d imagined real TV shows like this do, after that storm, this became something very different. Each one of the participating characters are extremely well developed, leaving the door open for just enough mystery and questions about them when trust becomes an issue and people turn up dead. Lyla is the principal narrator though one other has intermittent points of view from her journal. Cut off from the world with only a battery operated radio as a possible communication, it couldn’t get more desperate with no power and limited water.
the narration…
Imogen Church is one of my favorites and she was masterful here in storytelling and voice distinctions. Each character was given a recognizable identity that was perfectly matched.
the bottom line…
There’s a reason why I don’t enjoy these type reality shows and it was wonderfully illustrated here. It typically brings out the worst of human nature and it did just that on Ever After Island. However, there were some profiles in courage that kept this from being a total mess. The story took a turn at just the right moment, shifting everything while steeping it in a bit of irony. I’m still pondering the implications of that ending, sure I’ll continue to reflect on it for some time to come. This was much more than your traditional reality TV…thank goodness!
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
July 22, 2024
Ten people (5 couples) on a remote island is the focus of Ruth Ware's latest novel. Always Christie-esque in her plots, I rush to read them. Sometimes they are super on point, other times they resemble Christie but fall apart in areas. One Perfect Couple falls in the latter category, but it was still a good read. A large portion of the characters are stereotypes, and when they begin to die, one by one, I'm feeling a nice groove. At first, it's just the intense and unexpected storm, but then it feels more intentional. Who's doing it and why? By halfway, substories begin to form, yet they never actually come to fruition. Stop reading if you don't want minor spoilers... okay, I warned you. So, what happened to the staff? All got out from the storm except the 1 dead body they find? Why is she significant? Then the first contestant kicked off makes it or doesn't make it out alive? We never really know. Add in a subplot where there is a connection between several of them, but no one could have predicted the storm would kill, and there really isn't a killer, per se, in this book, other than self defense. So.... it's kinda not a great one from a plot perspective. But the drama was strong, so I gave it 4 stars.
April 22, 2024
Is this a Thriller? Nope.
Everything is laid out very early on. If you're looking for that big twist, you're not going to find it. I wanted to love this one but it was a miss for me.
My thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for this gifted copy!!
Everything is laid out very early on. If you're looking for that big twist, you're not going to find it. I wanted to love this one but it was a miss for me.
My thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for this gifted copy!!
May 21, 2024
What a fun and captivating surprise! One Perfect Couple is an enjoyable book you are going to want to kick off summer with!
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?
I am always drawn to thrillers that are one big train wreck that you can look away from, and man was this a doozy! Each character had so much baggage and delicious drama. From the beginning I just kept having to keep listening to just one more chapter, which lead to me logging extra miles during my walk and looking like a weirdo sitting in my car listening while lecturing the characters😂
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
Locked Door Mysteries
Remote Island
Tension
Reality TV gone wrong
Destination Thriller
Fast Paced
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
I love Imogen Church's performances! She's phenomenal at bringing a story to life and this seemed tailor made for her talents. Her narration really made this thriller even more compelling.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
Fast and propulsive!
𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
If you are looking for an immersive and delicious tension filled thriller full of dramatic characters and one heck of a twist, then you obviously need this book in your life!
Thank you Scout Press and Simon and Schuster Audio for this gifted copy in exchange from my honest opinions.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?
I am always drawn to thrillers that are one big train wreck that you can look away from, and man was this a doozy! Each character had so much baggage and delicious drama. From the beginning I just kept having to keep listening to just one more chapter, which lead to me logging extra miles during my walk and looking like a weirdo sitting in my car listening while lecturing the characters😂
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
Locked Door Mysteries
Remote Island
Tension
Reality TV gone wrong
Destination Thriller
Fast Paced
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
I love Imogen Church's performances! She's phenomenal at bringing a story to life and this seemed tailor made for her talents. Her narration really made this thriller even more compelling.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
Fast and propulsive!
𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
If you are looking for an immersive and delicious tension filled thriller full of dramatic characters and one heck of a twist, then you obviously need this book in your life!
Thank you Scout Press and Simon and Schuster Audio for this gifted copy in exchange from my honest opinions.
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