One Perfect Couple

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars | 9,738 ratings

Price: 19.68

Last update: 01-04-2025


About this item

Harkening to Agatha Christie’s classic And Then There Were None, this high-tension thriller follows five couples trapped on a storm-swept island as a killer stalks among them—from Ruth Ware, the New York Times bestselling author who “is turning out to be as ingenious and indefatigable as the Queen of Crime” (The Washington Post).

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.


Top reviews from the United States

  • Laurel-Rain Snow
    5.0 out of 5 stars THRILLING CAT & MOUSE GAME...
    Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2024
    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 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.

    My Thoughts:

    As I followed the gathering horror show that was One Perfect Couple, I couldn’t stop turning the pages. A nightmare reality show that was geared to create life or death situations turned increasingly close to deadly moments as time passed.

    Stuck on the island, the characters are fighting for food, water, and their lives, and a psychopathic resident among them kept them all off balance as they began dying, one by one. A dramatic 5 star read.

    ***
  • BeckyW01
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good read to kick off summer
    Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2024
    I liked this book. It definitely keeps you reading throughout, and keeps you guessing until about the 60% mark. If you've read as many of Kindle Unlimited's psychological thrillers as I have, or if you've read other Ruth Ware books, you'll figure out the plotl ine at about that point.

    I love me some trash reality TV and I could really do with an island getaway right now, so that was an immediate draw. There are a lot of characters, but they are well written enough to keep everyone straight, and it's the right mix of characters. the behind-the-scenes piece of the reality show filming is true to life from what I know. I kinda want her to write a different book where the storm doesn't happen and we get to see how this reality show would have played out.

    The main plot point discussed in the product description, the storm and ensuing fight for survival, is super well written. Man, it was so hard to read. You felt their pain and panic, and accompanying physical / emotional challenges. There was a little bit of who's-the-bad-guy but not much.

    About 80% of the way through, it started dragging a little. The main plot points had all been resolved and you saw clearly how the book was going to end. I found myself skipping over a lot of the description to get to the end.

    Mild spoilers below
    I read and enjoyed The It Girl. I feel like the antagonist in this book was the same antagonist as that book. I feel like it's the same antagonist in a lot of these psychological thrillers I read, enough that I roll my eyes when I realize who it is. I get why they keep rewriting the same villain over and over, but mix it up a little, ya know?

    End spoilers

    Overall, I recommend this book. And now if you'll excuse me, I've been inspired to go watch Temptation Island or something :-D
  • Ines Davis Parrish
    3.0 out of 5 stars not so perfect
    Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2024
    I don’t know how to speak of this novel. Some of it was interesting-the premise was great. Couples on a far away island and the interactions that would create drama and continued interest for a TV show.
    But the darkness descended and just like in the classic “Lord of the Flies” chaos and madness arrived. Only it didn’t quite grab the reader like the original.
    The characters were a bit thin; some of the situations were very contrived. But overall a good read. Again some the extraneous detail…authors paid by the word count!
  • Cara F
    5.0 out of 5 stars love island meets lord of the flies meets survivor
    Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2024
    I enjoy all of Ruth ware’s novels. This one has a beautiful setting that turns horrific. The premise is that a handful of gorgeous contestants are stranded on an island and have to survive. They are all couples and very stereotypical. Love island turns into survivor when a huge storm hits, and they are fighting for their lives. The book then takes a plot turn into Lord of the flies. The book was very entertaining and kept me engaged. I read it in less than 24 hours. But the ending was not that satisfying. I thought it was abrupt and could’ve gone into more detail. It felt very Rushed. And it didn’t have to be that way. A few more chapters would’ve been nice.

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