One Perfect Couple (by Ruth Ware)
It’s always a treat to return to Ruth Ware’s world—she’s one of my favorite authors. I’m especially grateful to the Goodreads reading challenges for finally pushing me to pick up One Perfect Couple.
Lyla Santiago, a virology post-doc, finds herself in a professional dilemma. To escape her predicament, she joins her aspiring actor boyfriend, Nico, on the cast of a new reality TV show. The show takes five couples to a luxurious, isolated resort on a tropical island in the Indian Ocean. They compete in various challenges while being constantly filmed. However, their promising start takes a perilous turn when a massive storm hits, leaving them stranded and cut off from the outside world. Forced to confront survival in unexpected ways, the group must rely on each other to navigate this dangerous situation.
I’ll admit I was only cautiously optimistic going in. The premise heavily features reality TV, which isn’t usually my cup of tea. Thankfully, Ware crafted a smart, relatable protagonist who shares my skepticism, which immediately put me at ease. The show itself mostly serves as a clever framework to gather the characters on that remote island. From there, the story shifts into the kind of tense, locked-room mystery Ware does so well. As expected, the suspense builds beautifully, keeping me glued to the pages (or, in this case, my headphones).
I loved this one. The clever ending and satisfying wrap-up made it even more enjoyable.
I listened to the audiobook via Libby, narrated by the wonderful Imogen Church. She remains one of my all-time favorite narrators—her performance was pitch-perfect.
You’re welcome to read my review of Ruth Ware’s novella, Snowflakes, which is linked below.
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