The ending and reveal on how things ended up the way they did really just ruined my enjoyment of this book. I really wish that Ware had went a different way with this one. I liked the whole idea of this being a homage of “And Then There Were One” with everyone being moved to a deserted island via a reality tv show. But once you get to how they all got there and why and the big gaping plot holes about why X and others had to Y, I just gave up. Sigh. I could not give it more than 2 stars because it just bugged me so badly.
“One Perfect Couple” follows Lyla who is in an almost three year relationship with her younger boyfriend Nico. Nico is a struggling actor and he begs Lyla to go onto this reality show about being crowned “The Perfect Couple.” Lyla is feeling hesitant about the whole thing, but knows that this may be Nico’s last chance at stardom. Also she’s hoping that doing this show will allow her time to think of what’s next after her latest post doc research has disappeared after disappointing results. From the beginning of being interviewed and meeting the other couples though, Lyla feels like things are not what they seem. And after a terrible storm with barely any water and food, people start to wind up dead.
The plot was interesting and the flow of the book was very good. And I have to say, the island setting was great. Ware jumps between Lyla’s POV and then a diary left behind by a contestant explaining what happened to everyone as they were trying to survive.
I won’t spoil, but I think Ware was hoping for a send-up of the Andrew Tate types, but her twist and all just made it a downright terrible ending. I just felt aggravated. I was loving the book until we get to the twist/reveals, etc. And there was also one point when I totally missed what happened to one of the characters because it was just wedged into a sentence and I had to then do a search to make sure that I was reading what happened to them correctly.
