Reviews with content warning for Violence - One Perfect Couple

While trapped on a desert island a group of strangers there for a supposed dating show must survive, as a murder tries to take them out one by one.

Review:
As to the ending, I knew something was hinky with the show they were supposed to be on, but not what it was exactly and I loved that final twist.
The book was a bit long though, it seemed to drag in parts which is why it took me so long (for me) to read, there were days I didn't press play to listen because it was hard to get through. Though some of that may have been the subject matter, lots of murder, domestic abuse, and gaslighting, plus medical-type content i.e., dehydration and starvation.
Overall a good book even if it was tough for me to read, it got into many topics that need to be discussed more.

Narrator Rating: 3.5 stars
I always have mixed feelings about this narrator. She does a good job with tonal shifts and emotions, but sometimes her voice grates on me.

Content Warnings

bmpicc's review

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dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

One by One type thriller, characters you love to hate (and you don't feel bad about it), might make you rethink your next vacation spot.

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achay91's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

One-part reality tv show production, one-part survival story, I thought this book was so cool and unique, totally different from Ruth Ware’s other books. I’d recommend going in without reading the synopsis or story comparisons because the guessing what’s next and uncertainty of where the story will go keeps you on the edge of your seat. I did not want to put this book down and it is the perfect thriller for summer!

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mollyb13's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was definitely not the And Then There Were None type story I was promised in the book jacket and much more of a Lord of the Flies/Animal Farm situation. I was definitely intrigued the entire time, but the book was much more of a survival thriller than mystery thriller. I was hoping that the reality tv portion of the show would be more prominent (big Bachelor/Survivor/Traitors/Love Island fan over here!) and the ending fell flat for me.

I kept thinking that Conor couldn't actually be the bad guy because that was too straightforward - that maybe the diary was accurate and that maybe Lyla was an unreliable narrator but nope... And the twist at the end that Baz set the entire thing up seemed kind of obvious the entire time?

Ware's last two novels have been a bit of a flop for me - hoping that she moves back into the mystery thriller genre with her next novel. Still enjoyed my time reading it though and worth a read if you are a Ruth Ware fan!

Content Warnings

mrscorytee's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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