Five beautiful couples.
One deadly game.
Who will escape alive?
Lyla Santiago has spent months working on a research project that could be the key to getting a permanent job in her field.
So, she can’t really drop everything to go to a desert island with her actor boyfriend Nico to film One Perfect Couple, a new reality TV show that Nico is sure will lead to his big break – can she?
Two weeks later, Lyla finds herself boarding a boat to an isolated luxury resort in the Indian Ocean.
The rules of the game are simple. Ten strangers have to survive together on the island - and the last couple standing scoops the prize.
There will be sun, sea, laughs and plenty of flirting.
What could possibly go wrong?
But when a huge tropical storm cuts them off from everything, the group must band together.
As tensions run high and fresh water runs low, Lyla realises that someone is playing this game for real – and they'll stop at nothing to win.
Ten might have arrived, but who will survive to the end?
I'm delighted to be hosting the blog tour for One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware today. Many thanks to Simon & Schuster and Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me and for my advance digital copy of the novel.
One Perfect Couple is described as And Then There Were None meets The Traitors. Comparisons with Love Island are inevitable too. However, although there are clear parallels with all three, it's a different book than I expected. That's not meant as a criticism though, this is a gripping read but it's more action than mystery thriller. Meanwhile, the reality TV show element serves as the catalyst which brings the characters together on a small island in the Indian Ocean, but the deadly eliminations aren't due to failing a task or being voted out by their fellow contestants...
We mostly follow events through the first person narrative of Lyla, a research scientist who reluctantly agrees to participate for the sake of her boyfriend, Nico. Nico is an actor, still in search of his break and he believes the exposure gained through being a contestant on this new show (which like the book, is called One Perfect Couple) could catapult him into the limelight. On the face of it, Lyla and Nico are a rather incongruous couple and there are certainly indications that their long-term future together doesn't look assured. They are clearly attracted to one another and despite the evident differences, both are still unfulfilled and desperate to achieve success in their respective careers. It's this juxtaposition between their chemistry and their doubts which ensures they are a believable couple who have probably come to a relatable crossroads in their relationship.
They don't meet their fellow contestants until they are on the boat, en route to the luxury resort island and so like Lyla, readers are quickly given a swift introduction to each. It means it takes a little while longer to become invested in these characters, who initially seem to be merely the typical sort of beautiful, image conscious and fame-hungry people you expect to find on reality shows. However, after just one task, events take a dramatic turn which changes everything.
There are definite red flags raised about the TV show, which is being produced on a shoestring budget for a brand-new streaming channel but it's actually a natural disaster which leaves them so dangerously isolated. Having been required to hand in all their electronic devices before arriving on the island, their one hope of rescue is a battery powered radio. With no electricity, a limited supply of food and water, and an uncertain means of communication, the stage is set for a compelling story of survival against the odds.
It's not long before the bodies start to stack up; at first it's the storm itself which is responsible but Ruth Ware ratchets up the tension with an antagonist whose identity is soon obvious. There is no mystery to solve here, the identity of the villain isn't what makes One Perfect Couple's storyline so addictive; the sense of peril and excitement is engendered through waiting to see who manages to survive both an increasingly challenging environment and a psychopathic killer who seems to hold all the cards.
As the dwindling group of survivors face a race against time before their meagre resources run out, Ruth Ware creates a vivid picture of the drastic physical impact on these once glowing individuals. Likewise, the emotional toll is a terrifying rollercoaster of hope, fear and despair. As they bond together, against insurmountable odds, we learn more about each and as well as being a compulsive action thriller, One Perfect Couple also explores coercion and control, both in real life and through the darker side of social media.
With its rich sense of place and nerve-shattering, action-packed plot, One Perfect Couple is a rivetingly suspenseful thriller; I enjoyed it immensely.
One Perfect Couple is published by Simon & Schuster, purchasing links can be found here.
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Thanks for the blog tour support x
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