Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - One Perfect Couple

if there’s one thing ruth ware knows how to do, it’s write a popcorn thriller!!! this one is perfect for a poolside binge or a fun vacay read!

… although like most popcorn thrillers, this one will be a bit forgettable in the future for me 😅

lyla, a scientist not a doctor iykyk, is coerced into a reality TV couples show with her aspiring actor boyfriend where she quickly realizes that she was kept in the dark about a majority of the details. and while there is a fairly broad cast of characters, having the book solely from lyla’s POV made it way easier to keep up!

I typically enjoy a locked door mystery, similar to AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, but there was absolutely no mystery about this one! the “villain” was laid out from the beginning with a bully characteristic and not much motive other than being abusive and psychopathic. I definitely would have loved a reveal of a whodunnit here instead!!

while I did appreciate the randomness of characters being picked off or succumb to the elements of a deserted island, I again wanted more of a mystery behind it all! instead, the lack of a twist or reveal left the story dragging a bit for me with a quick and fizzled out ending 🥴

TLDR: a bingeable popcorn read for the summer but not one that’ll stick with me!

rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: new zealand pinot noir

Content Warnings

sarah_reading_party's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

Ruth Ware is always a must-read author for me, but unfortunately I was not a huge fan of One Perfect Couple. The thriller element was strong in this one - a reality show set on a desert island, a storm rolls in, and then people start dying... Lots of elements here, right? Yup, but they aren't always what they seem.

The Good
Lyla was such an interesting character, and as expected, was the character I connected with the most since she's an academic. That being said, she's a bit naive and clueless which annoyed me. The book was written at a fast pace and in addition to the normal narrative, the inclusion of diary entries added a nice twist to the developing storyline. I really enjoyed that! I was able to correctly guess some of the motivations and twists, but others came out of nowhere which was fun to see.

The Bad
Some of what made this book flop for me was that there were so many characters. I had a hard time really caring about anyone until more people started dying. (That's weird, huh?) That being said, what really brought this book down from 4 stars to 3 stars (or maybe 3.5) for me was the ending. It was abrupt and seemed a bit of a cop out. Oh well.

I think this book will be enjoyed by many who are looking for an escapist thriller. Not the best book I've read this year, but not the worst either. Definitely a fun, readable book! I'll look forward to Ruth Ware's next book. :)

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

Content Warnings

nickel_books's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious fast-paced

4.0

Picture it: You're on an island with 8 strangers and your partner only to be cut off from the world when a storm strands you with limited supplies. Then surprise! There's a murderer among you! Will you survive? Well that's the task ahead of Lyla when she begrudgingly agrees to participate in a new tv show. A little Lord of The Flies, a little Agatha Christie, and a whole lot of Survivor. 'One Perfect Couple' is on the scary side of reality television.

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