An atmospheric thriller with nods to Agatha Christi, One Perfect Couple follows a group of reality show contestants as their scripts get cancelled and they’re forced to admit the reality of being stuck on an island. Lyla and Nico are in a rut both job wise and where their relationship is concerned. When Nico gets the change to be on a new reality show to boost his acting portfolio he leaps at the chance. The only catch is that Lyla needs to audition with him, as it’s a couples reality show. After their arrival to the remote island things quickly take a turn for the worse when a storm leaves the contestants stranded on the island. But it’s not just the elements they have to survive. They’ll also have to survive each other.
I used to be a huge Ruth Ware fan, but her last few books just haven’t done it for me. Maybe I read to many thrillers, but her newer books just don’t have the same all-consuming story lines that her earlier books had. This one was no different. What started out as a strong start, quickly lost steam. The entire story was fairly predictable and the only ‘twists’ that happened for me were a lack of twists and big reveals. All our characters felt one dimensional and Lyla, as our lead, tended to ruminate on the same things time and time again. I never felt I saw character growth, and plot wise our final ‘reveal’ and coincidences were a bit too far-fetched, even for a thriller.
The plot promised tons of reality drama, that is never delivered upon. It also felt different than Ware’s previous books, less thrillery and more contemporary fiction with a slight mystery (maybe). I’m not sure how to describe the difference but it was not a traditional Ware book. Overall, it was fine, but nothing that stood out. I was left with quite a few questions and an unsatisfying ending. If you don’t read tons of thrillers, you might enjoy this, it just didn’t rank high on my list.
One Perfect Couple is out now! Huge thank you to Gallery/Scout Press and Simon & Schuster for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books or on Tiktok speakingof.books
So disappointed. I like Ruth wate