Member Reviews

🌊 What is the most beautiful, hidden secret town you have visited?! 🌊
.
Cleo writes a weekly column about finding your "flamingo" in the London daring scene. When her editor suggests she take a journey to a luxury cabin in a small, picturesque Irelqnd village and have a marriage to herself ceremony for her 30th birthday, she takes it with hesitation. In comes Mack: maybe getting divorced, father of two, photographer with family ties to the island. Unexpected overbooked visiter to Otter Cottage. Both won't leave: both draw a line in the middle with chalk. But with days passing and tempers lowering, what becomes "one night on the island" becomes something more....
.
Josie Silver is back once more with a charming novel about love and self actualization. Small town friendships and sewing circles. Told in a dual point of view, Silver allows readers to imagine themselves on the island and become inhabitants. While Cleo's story is fully developed, questions still arise on Mack's martial status and his choices. Readers of Robyn Carr and Nicholas Sparks will enjoy this new novel. It's medium pacing and picturesque detailing make it the perfect getaway from snowy weather!
.
Happy PUB day @josiesilverauthor !! Thank you @randomhouse and @netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts shared are my own!
.
#onenightontheisland #josiesilver #happypubday #februarypubdate #anticipatedread #irishsetting #holidayromance #netgalley #ballentinepublishing #romance #contemporaryfiction #imagerysetting #whatwillhedo #mediumpacedread #islandsetting #findingwhoyouare

Was this review helpful?

I was expecting a rom-com, but I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this one as much as I did. The description didn’t do the book justice!

The end of the book has to be the best epilogue-esque ending I have ever read. It gave you everything you wanted and so so much more.

I am a huge fan of dual povs, I enjoy the opportunity to dive into both characters and learn more about them. I feel like it is what tends to make me fall in love with a book and the characters.

📌 Pub Date: February 15, 2022

I was given an ARC of this story to read; but thoughts and opinions are all my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for the chance to read this book!

Was this review helpful?

“Life is the stuff that happens in the cracks between your plans and expectations.”

What can I say, I loved this story. I loved Cleo for finding a way to love herself, first and foremost. Everyone should self-couple at some point. Spend time being alone, listening to what they truly want and need and then being brave enough to go make it happen.

This book is truly a reflection of growing up. Even though Cleo is thirty in the story, I feel we all continue to grow. Youth is wasted on the young, you know.

Cleo and Mack meet on Salvation Island (what a great name!), where they are forced to share a small cottage. Chalk lines are drawn to keep them separated. Every night when the lights are out, they share 3 truths and in doing so create something so honest and intimate it hurt my heart. If we could all focus on ourselves before we make those huge life altering decisions, many of us would only benefit from that.

So with that, I will leave you with 3 truths.

One: Create empowering self-talk because you are listening.

Two: “Regrets get heavier as you get older.”

Three: Read this book

Was this review helpful?

This book is about Mack and Cleo, the former a father a of two boys struggling through the recent separation from his wife and the latter, a disillusioned writer from London who is struggling with where she’s at in life as her 30th birthday approaches. Their paths cross on a small island, Salvation, off the Atlantic coast of Ireland when they discover that the lodge each hoped to occupy privately has been double booked. Neither refuse to leave and from there a new and unexpected relationship unfolds.

I truly enjoyed Cleo’s perspective and thought her journey to self love was touching and largely relatable. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the story really centers on her journey to self acceptance rather than the romance. Mack wasn’t my favorite male character but I thought his struggle brought a realistic aspect to the drama. A well-developed and character driven story if a little long and redundant in spots.

Was this review helpful?

My first thought was, “Oh no, not another female dreading 30!” - at 44 myself this trope has lost it’s luster … Thinking that if anyone could pull it off Josie Silver would be it I still dove in and it was a great experience: an extremely readable book with wonderful characters, an amazing setting and fantastic and fresh storyline ...

A lovely cast of characters - especially the knitting circle and a picturesque setting - an isolated island of the coast of Ireland.
It was a heartfelt and entertaining romance, but I enjoyed the thread about being complete on your own just as much, and found Chloe's story believable and interesting. Mack is a great love interest, and his own journey is difficult and emotional but makes him a relatable real character.
There are genuinely touching, inspiring and tear jerking moments in this book and I will definitely be reading more by this author. Highly recommended for anyone who likes their romance with a bit a depth.

Was this review helpful?

Josie Silver is such a special author. She's become a must-read for me, and she never disappoints. One Night on the Island is no different. This book captured me from the start, and held me the entire way.

Was this review helpful?

“One Night on the Island” by Josie Silver
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release Date: 02/15/22
Genre: Contemporary Romance

I loved this one! I’ve also read One Day in December by this author and this one was just as good. Thank you Netgalley for this ARC! I’m so happy I got to read it right away!
This book was filled with so many emotions. Happiness, sadness, love, and joy! I felt the emotions from Cleo and Mack!

A gorgeous island. Salvation, Ireland. One Cottage on a hill. Two non-honeymooners.
Cleo is a romance magazine writer and she has come to the island to marry herself for her thirtieth birthday. She has spent years failing at loves and is ready to find herself and commit to her happiness.
Mack is a famous photographer coming to the island to gather inspiration for his next exhibition. His marriage has crumpled and he doesn’t want to disappoint his two sons. He needs a break and spend time on himself.
What these two didn’t expect was the cottage they rented was overbooked. There is no where else to stay on the island, so they have to share the cottage and make the next month work.
They discover they aren’t so lonely when they have each other. Will this unlikely pair come together?

Was this review helpful?

I was absolutely in LOVE with One Day in December and when I saw Silver’s newest release I was hopeful it was close… little did I know it’d completely blow me out if the water. Definitely a book you need on your shelf this summer!

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely LOVED this book! From the setting to the characters to the storyline, it was simply perfect.

When Cleo and Mac first met, they didn’t exactly get off on the right foot. After realizing there had been a mixup and they both reserved the same cabin for the same dates, they are forced to make due with a difficult situation. With no other accommodations available on the remote Irish island, Cleo and Mac agreed to deal with the inconvenience and share the cabin until the next ferry arrives. But the more time they spent together, the less burdened they felt by each other’s company, and it didn’t take long for something more to blossom between them. But all good things must come to end…or do they?

Overall, I thought this was a wonderful book. The characters are what really drew me in, and I loved how warm and welcoming everyone on the island was toward Chloe and Mac. They all had this witty sense of humor that made them seem like old friends, and it was no wonder that Chloe and Mac fell into a comfortable camaraderie with the locals. The ending wasn’t necessarily an HEA per say, but I thought it was a perfect ending for the two of them.

Highly recommend!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4481711722

Was this review helpful?

Cleo is going to find her truth and marry herself on her 30th birthday. This is all the idea of her boss. She will write her daily posts about it in their on line magazine. How will this happen? On a remote Irish island, of course! There is a lovely little lodge on this island, an island filled with the most wonderful cast of characters, especially the women that she meets. There is a hiccup in the plan, Mack Sullivan. His family owns the lodge and he has flown in from Boston to regroup. His wife has left him and he is at loose ends. They decide they can co-exist in the lodge, with the help of a handy dandy chalk line down the middle and a few rules to follow. What they don't plan on is falling in love.

Josie Silver knows her way around a sweet love story. There are some laughs, some tears. The characters are all so lovable. I would love to spend some time on this little Irish island. I love the intermix of a British gal, a Boston guy and this group of Irish natives. I absolutely love a very happy ending.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for a copy of this delightful book.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this book!!!!!!!! It is filled with charm, character, love, self discovery, lovable characters. Josie Silver has outdone herself with this one and I predict every romcom fan will love it as much as I do.

Was this review helpful?

"So basically, it's a huge birthday party, or I accept your proposal that I self-couple alone on a remote island no one's ever heard of off the Irish coast," I say summarizing the meeting."

One Night on the Island was such a beautifully written novel so different than the typical cliché rom-coms. The emotions were so raw and real with this one.

The book was packed with unforgettable characters including both Cleo and Mack.

Cleo Wilder is a writer for the top women's magazine in the UK. and writes about dating and finding your soulmate. However, Cleo hasn't had the same success that her columns would make others believe she has. Her boss, looking to push Cleo, sends her to a remote island to 'self-couple'.

Mack Sullivan is an American photographer who is looking to do a bit of soul-searching after leaving his estranged wife and two sons in Boston. He's trying to put the pieces of his broken family back together and figures some alone time will allow him to sort out his own issues.

What they don't expect is to wind up being double-booked for the same one-bedroom cabin. In order to survive sharing this tiny space the two develop rules to help them continue with their original plans for being on the island.

"We're like two jumbled-up jigsaw puzzles," I say. "A piece of you has turned up on my board and I can't work out where you fit."

But rules can get complicated especially when feelings get in the way. As Mack draws closer to Cleo, he struggles to come to terms with being attracted to someone that isn't his wife. Cleo, has had her heart broken before and is weary of letting anyone get too close until she meets Mack.

Without giving too much away this book is will transform you and make you rethink about everything you thought you knew about love and finding true happiness. This was my first book by this author and I am blown away. She writes so honestly and openly about difficult topics ranging from broken-relationships, loss, and navigating uncertain futures.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book is out now and you should run out and buy it immediately!

Was this review helpful?

A man dealing with a marriage in limbo, a woman feeling stagnant in both her romantic and professional life & a double-booked, one-room cabin on a remote island with no other options for either of them lends to an all too realistic and complicated story that will pull on your heartstrings in the best and worst ways.

Holy angst. I don't know why I'm suprised, every book that I've read from Josie Silver has led me on a will they or won't they ride with multiple bumps and bruises along the way. Honestly, were it someone elses writing, I'm not sure that I could withstand this type of story. I just felt way too many feelings.

Cleo and Mack's story was not a fun, light-hearted romance but more of a glance into the introcacies of love, change & acceptance and just how complicated relationships can be. While this doesn't read completely as a romance, it still fits within the confines of one.

* I receied an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary review

Was this review helpful?

Cleo has been chronicling her dating life in London through her job at a women’s magazine. As her 30th birthday approaches, her editor suggests she take some time to herself, on a remote island, for some self-care and reflection. When Cleo arrives to her cabin, she’s not alone. Mack, an American she’d met on the boat to the island, is also booked to stay there – in a one-room cabin. (Forced proximity, anyone?)

She’s a writer looking to come to terms with her single status and learn to embrace and love herself. He’s a photographer hoping to connect with his roots. There’s a lot of depth to these characters and this story. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill romcom – and for all the best reasons.

One Night on the Island is an engaging novel with well thought-out characters and a strong sense of place and community. You’ll want to move to the island after you finish this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

One Night on the Island by Josie Silver

Ratings: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.9)

“I don’t regret you.”

Thank you so much to Netgalley, author Josie Silver, and Random House Publishing for giving me a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

After years of disastrous dates trying to “find her flamingo,” columnist Cleo needs the trip to Salvation Island to spend her 30th birthday and to have self-reflection, self-care, and just to be with herself to figure out her next path in life. Mac, an American photographer, travels all the way from Boston is also looking forward for some time for himself and soul searching as his life began to crumble. He washes up in Salvation Island to search for his roots and clarity in his life. Unfortunately, due to a mix up, Cleo and Mac ends up reserving the same house during the same dates and are forced to stay in the one-bed studio cabin until the next ferry arrives. This novel is an enemies-to-lovers with forced confinement trope that explores how what we want is not necessarily what we need. This novel is about self-love and self-acceptance, as well as learning to open ourselves up to the opportunities that presents to us.

This novel is just AMAZING!!! It was such a breath of fresh air and just what I needed when I read it. Both characters needed time to reflect on their lives, to figure out what they want vs what they needed. Both struggled with how the direction of their lives are not going the way they wanted to, respectively. They found comfort in the knowledge that they are strangers and shared secrets in the dark, finding the honesty they needed in life and things they have been afraid to acknowledge themselves, This book is very much rooted in reality. The characters struggle with things that are relatable and are real life experiences.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of One Night on the Island. This book now holds a sliver of my heart (IYKYK).

Star Rating: 5 stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pub Date: February 15, 2022

I really enjoyed Josie Silver's other book, One Day in December (I haven't read Lydia Bird yet), but One Night on the Island is a special novel that I honestly feel has no comparison. I am a sucker for pining, and boy, this book is full of pining between Cleo and Mack. A story of forced proximity, a broken heart, and a hopeless heart, One Night on the Island weaves an intricate tale of strangers to lovers that beats with its own imperceptible heart beat.

I laughed, I cried, and I felt all the emotions as I read this story. I understood Cleo so well I almost felt like Josie Silver wrote a story about me in another life. I felt her frustration, her heartache, and her "micro-love" for Mack as if the emotions were my own. It's hard to love, in truth, but it's even harder when you feel like you're loving someone who can't be yours. Josie Silver makes the reader feel these emotions with every stroke of her pen, and my heart is better for having read her words. And Mack, oh Mack...with your camera, dry wit, and Bruce Springsteen loving ways, I think you might be the micro-love of my life, too (again, IYKYK).

I also fell in love with the island and the island folk in this story. There's just something magical about a group of people welcoming you into their world, and I felt like I had drinks in the pub, trudged up the hill, sat on Wailing Rock, knitted my way through the knitting circle, and felt the crisp (okay, probably freezing) wind whipping through my hair right along with Cleo and Mack. The island is my second home now, and I'll be staying there indefinitely.

I also liked that this book wasn't a book of picture perfect love. It has it's fair share of love and heartache intertwined with moving forward even through the pain and uncertainty of "what's next." I rooted for Cleo and Mack even as I feared my love story would not come to fruition. In true Josie Silver style, though, she saves the best for the end. I hung on every word of this book, and now I'm sad it's over. It was truly beautiful.

Was this review helpful?

Cleo writes a dating column about “finding her flamingo”. Her boss came up with the idea to send Cleo to an Irish island to celebrate her 30th birthday and commit herself, well to herself.
.
Mack is having troubles of his own and heads to the island to find solace but instead finds a mixup with his lodgings and Cleo and Mack are thrown together .
.
I really enjoyed the cast of characters and loved watching Cleo and Mack become closer as they open up to each other while finding their own identity.

Thank you for an advanced copy of this one!

Was this review helpful?

Book Review: ****/5

This book was definitely not what I expected. However, I absolutely loved it. It's a Romance that isn't completely wrapped around the relationship of the couple. Each Character has their own path that has brought them to this island, and they are determined to work out their issues.

Cleo is turning thirty and his set to go to a remote island to self-reflect on her love life and her next steps in life. While there her boss has talked her into doing a self-coupling ceremony to include in her magazine column. However, it seems that the lodge has been double booked and she now has to share her isolation with Mack an American who is trying to adjust to his separation from his wife and the new path of co-parenting their two boys.

I loved the way the Josie Silver was able to write a romance that allowed both of the main character to explore their needs in life. I love the turn in Cleo and the path that she found her life needed to take. I found the plot and character development in this story perfect.

I received this book as an advanced reader copy from Netgalley and Ballantine Books in return for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

DNF 18%

Unfortunately, I think this is going to have to be a DNF for me. When I requested the ARC, I didn't know that Mac would be married. I read a few reviews that commented on it, but I thought I would still give it a shot. However, 18% of the way in, and there is not really a concrete mention that Mack and his wife are separated. There is a vague reference to some trouble, but from what it seems, they're still actively together—no separation, no divorce in the works.
A character being married the beginning of the book isn't an immediate DNF for me, because divorce can take a long time and it can be really messy, especially if there are kids involved. But if it's marketed as a romantic comedy and one of the love interests isn't at a MINIMUM in the process of getting a divorce when the two characters meet, that's a bit of a red flag for me. I gave it until the 18% mark for there to be a reference to an impending divorce, but still nothing.
It's a shame because I've heard such great things about Josie Silver's writing (which was another reason I requested the ARC), and I did enjoy parts of it—the setting was great, the writing was easy to follow, and the basic concept of the plot was intriguing. But everything else didn't work for me.

Was this review helpful?

What a fun book! It’s a feel good love your self story that takes place on a small isolated island off the coast of Ireland. You’ll fall in love with Cleo and Mack and the rest of the residents who make you want to visit.

Was this review helpful?