I was so excited to receive an ARC of this book, and I'm happy to say that it didn't disappoint. Cleo is turning 30, and decides to go to Salvation Island to spend time alone and find herself. But, what she finds instead is Mack, an annoying American, in the lodge she'ssupposed to have to herself. From the beginning, I loved the back and forth between these two. They are on Salvation for different reasons, but the more time they spend together, the more the tension between them grows. For me, this was not a romance. This was about two people finding themselves and learning what really makes them happy. I loved that it was told from both the perspectives of Cleo and Mack. And the remote island atmosphere was perfect. The islanders were a lovely group of characters who really added to the depth and feeling of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the e-ARC of this book! It releases on February 15.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by a favorite, Josie Silver - 5 stars!

Cleo is a dating columnist in London, single, and about to turn 30 when her boss decides that she needs to celebrate her birthday by self-coupling, topped off with a ceremony on her birthday. Part of Cleo is on board with the idea of embracing her single hood but part still wishes for someone special. Her boss books her into a cabin on a remote Ireland island. But Mack, newly arrived from the US and seeking time to reconnect with his roots and figure out his family issues, is also booked into the same cottage. It's trouble from the start.

This is another fabulous read by Josie Silver - I absolutely loved it! She is so good at creating characters that feel so real and ones you can't help rooting for. There were a whole cast of such characters in this book, and it was so wonderful to see the whole island coming together for to support each other. The island setting and descriptions added so much to the story as well. I was unsure how the author could bring this book to a satisfying ending, but it more than met my expectations. Don't miss this one!

1.5 ⭐️ Not for me, but I’m clearly in the minority


I DNFed at 40%. I'm disappointed because it has all the elements I usually enjoy: romantic setting (a remote Irish island), booking reservation mixup, one bed/house trope, and immediate animosity between the MCs. Unfortunately, none of that was appealing to me in this story.

The writing is structurally and grammatically sound, but the story was boring and I hated the characters so much that I couldn’t continue.


Why did I think the story was boring? Well, after finishing 1/3 of the story, nothing happened except the reservation mixup and some boring arguments. Most of this story has been the inner thoughts of the two MCs (it’s dual POV), and they’re extremely long-winded. Specifically, Mack who thinks about his kids constantly - I don’t care about the scent of your kid’s shampoo or their sleeping positions - and Cleo who complains about her turning thirty, her friend Ruby, or her current dilemma with Mack. I’m usually one who enjoys details, but even I have my limits.


Why did I hate the characters? Well, based on some of what I said above, they aren’t presented in a likable way. Cleo is a 30-year-old love columnist who comes off as a self-absorbed brat who complains about everything. The only thing she seems to appreciate is Salvation Island. I’m sure she's supposed to have some character growth later in the story but I couldn’t stick around to watch. Mack on the other hand is a 34-year-old photographer who's on the verge of divorce and somehow comes to the conclusion that leaving his family alone is in their best interest. But all he does while away is mope about how he misses his kids.


There were also so many different, random things that didn’t make sense or were ridiculous:

- Mack believes that because his family owns the lodge, he deserves to stay more than Cleo, who paid for it and has email confirmations! How does that make sense??? Plus his 'family' is a second cousin twice removed.

- When Cleo calls her boss to tell her about the situation and says she wants to leave the island, her boss says “No! Cleo, you absolutely can’t. How’s that going to look to our readers? You know ninety-five percent of reader loyalty is based on trust.” Ummmm okay, no? She’s a freaking columnist and her readers would understand if she had to write about something else instead of staying on a small island in the same house with a random male stranger. I can’t believe her boss prioritized the paper over an employee's safety and well-being. And Cleo lets her.

- Mack leaving his family alone in order to give his wife, Susie, space is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard. She tells him out of the blue that she wants him to “step out of the picture for a while so she can think straight.” But she had plenty of time to think while he was away for months on assignment, and now she basically kicks him out again with no better reason than I want space? Wtf. And the worst part is, he leaves! He should have said no, put a pause on work trips, and scheduled couples therapy for him and his wife. You don’t leave your family when sh*t hits the fan. Leaving never solves anything.

- Mack is a married man and cheats. Sure they are 'separated' but he's also incredibly torn up about the possibility of divorce. Yet somehow he's going to develop romantic feelings for Cleo and act on them? Ick. Up until a few weeks ago, Mack thought his life was fine and loved his wife, so it just makes me hate him for getting into a romantic entanglement, or let's just call it what it is - an affair. Someone who truly loves their wife and respects their marriage wouldn't do this. I don't like stories about cheating, so this really bothered me.

- Cleo acts like a child. She’s so unnecessarily dramatic. When they get drunk, Cleo decides they need boundary lines in the lodge. So, she uses chalk to draw physical lines. This is ridiculous. Is she 5 years old?

- Cleo justifies losing her virginity to her English teacher at 17 because he was a substitute teacher, only 23, and 'wet behind the ears.' I’m sorry, no. Just no. While the age of consent in the Uk is 16 years old, it’s predatory because of the power dynamic.



Overall, this story was not for me. There are a lot of positive reviews though so read a few of those before deciding if it’s something you’d like to read. I really did try to get into this story though. Even picked it up three separate times but I just can’t continue to force myself to keep reading a book I’m not enjoying. Life’s too short.



Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! As always, all opinions are my own.

What a lovely book. I was excited to read a book on an Irish Coast & it sucked me in from there. I loved Cleo’s story. I loved all the Island natives. It made me laugh & cry.

At the behest of her boss, dating columnist Chloe Wilder, on the cusp of her thirtieth birthday, travels to isolated Salvation Island off the Irish Coast for a self-coupling ceremony, leaving the vibrant and fast-paced London behind.

Photographer Mack Sullivan, devoted father of two sons, reeling from a separation, travels to Salvation Island, a place of legend from stories he heard from his mother and grandmother, from Boston to reflect and regroup.

As fate would have it, Chloe and Mack’s trips coincide, but they’ve both arranged to stay at Otter Lodge. Since the island is sparsely populated with virtually no tourist, no other lodgings are available. Each believes they have the greater claim to Otter Lodge, an open-plan, single occupancy cabin, but the question is moot since the boat off island won’t return for another week.

At first, they are very snippy with each other, Chloe in particular being a brat (though in all honesty, I am sure in a similar situation, I’d act the same). Slowly, though, they begin to accept and even enjoy their arrangement—after Mack draws a chalk line on the floor delineating private space. But, lines are made to be crossed.

Chloe doesn’t like pugs or peanut butter. What?! But I did start to like her character as the story progressed and she used her time on Salvation Island to grow and consider her true desires. Though her hair and skin color were noted, her looks were never evaluated. Instead, Chloe observed that Mack’s photographs made her feel beautiful.

From the beginning, I liked Mack, who was consistently thoughtful and respectful. The best characters, though, might have been the denizens of the island, particularly the community of women who welcome Chloe into their knitting circle.

The book had too much repetitive navel-gazing for my taste which I thought slowed the pacing and was perhaps a little heavy-handed on the metaphors. I certainly found it emotional, tearing up at some scenes though.

The ending is true to the characters and probably realistic. Their individual journeys were satisfying but as a whole, I had hoped for something different. I think maybe I should have approached this as contemporary fiction instead of romance to have more realistic expectations.

Thank you to author, publisher, & NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed the story of Cleo & Mack so much. All of the characters around them are so enjoyable to get to know. So so sweet! Highly recommend for a quick romance read. Perfect for the month of love!

Thanks to Random House, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
One Night on the Island begins with a columnist who writes about looking for love who is on the verge of turning thirty. While a momentous birthday for many, turning thirty means Cleo will reach an age her father never got to experience, dying at 29 when she was very young. As a means to celebrate and make a feature out of the birthday, her editor books her a cabin on a remote island off the east coast of Ireland where Cleo will marry herself.
After arriving on Salvation Island despite the treacherous ferry crossing, Cleo finds she is not the only one who has booked the (small) cabin and has to adjust to sharing the space with Mack, a photographer from Boston whose mother’s family was raised on the island. Mack is also on a solo retreat, taking some time to photograph the island while giving an ocean’s worth of space to the wife he’s been separated from for about a year. It also means being away from his two young sons.
I took my time through this read, getting in just a few chapters each sitting as I had an exhausting week. While enjoying the read, I did not feel especially attached to the story or the characters until I was about 80% through the book. After this point, I could not put the book down and SOBBED my way through at least the last half an hour. I love an emotional read and this one did not disappoint! Finishing this made me want to go back and reread both previous books by @josiesilverauthor - One Day in December and The Two Lives of Lydia Bird. This one comes out Tuesday - if you’re looking for an emotional read that sneaks up on you, check it out!

Perfect story to read during Valentine’s month! Romantic and sweet, quirky remote island characters, and two unsuspecting adults thrown together and trying to make the best of an unexpected arrangement. I really enjoyed this authors writing style. She fleshed out her characters well, took a rom com to the next level with moments of raw vulnerability and I enjoyed the wild Irish island setting. Publication date is February 15, 2022.

Thank you Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, and Josie Silver for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars
This was a very sweet romance! I thought it was realistic and cutesy. Definitely not steamy, but honestly that felt refreshing cause sometimes you just need a closed door quieter romance.

It’s more complicated than a lot of romances, but again that, for me, isn’t a bad thing!

The ending was pretty unconventional. I definitely wanted more from it, and I feel like I still have questions!

One thing that did make me extremely uncomfortable was the swift mention of a teacher/ student relationship that was brushed over as being fine… definitely not okay!

“Just a couple of burgers.”

*special thanks to Ballantine books for an early copy for review

This book got me from the first chapter. I love the idea traveling to someplace remote to find yourself. The cottage is doubled booked and Cleo and Mack is forced to spend a few weeks together.

I love how they developed a routine that respected each other that gave them time to learn more about themselves as well as each other. I adore all the people that lives on Salvation and how much they added to the story.

While I went into this super skeptical of the idea of “self coupling”, I ended up very much falling for this story. There was so much more to it, and ultimately, I was cheering for her when she decided to love herself.
Cleo is turning 30 and writing a successful British dating column who gets sent by her boss to Salvation a island to find herself and figure out what she wants out of life going forward from her big 30.
However, when she gets there, she finds that th little cabin that she is renting for the next couple of weeks has also been booked to Mack, and American dad who has come to the island seeking answers of his own as his marriage is ending and he’s struggling with his feelings about that.
Once Cleo learns to truly love and accept herself, her heart opens up and she finds exactly what she’d been looking for, right under the same roof.
This is more than your typical rom-com. There’s so much heart and depth and honesty that you can’t help but fall in love. It’s raw and real and not perfect in any way and yet you laugh and cheer and can’t put it down.
Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my review.
Publication date: February 15, 2022

DNF @ 40%

This wasn't really bad. I sat down to read and got almost halfway through it no time at all. Unfortunately, just because this was easy to read doesn't mean I enjoyed it. I was so utterly bored while reading this, I feel like everything immediately left my head as soon as I read it. I stopped reading this only a few hours ago and I can't even tell you both characters names. Both Cleo and Mac (I had to look up his name) were blah characters. Cleo annoyed me in the beginning because she was so focused on the turning 30 and being single. And while I initially liked Mac's chapters, the more I got to know his situation, I just didn't care for the slow decay of his current marriage. Once I got to their romantic interaction, I knew I had to stop because I felt nothing and I wouldn't be fair to the book because my enjoyment was only going down.

Oh, my dears... I wanted to like this one. I really did... and there were pieces of it I did like – the island and its community, the fact that love wasn't Cleo's only and ultimate end, there was a particular line Mack says about sunflowers that I found really beautiful... but the things I didn't like outweighed that. First off, the story just fell a little flat for me. But most of all, I had a really hard time getting over the fact that Mack was still legally, officially, technically married. I know his marriage was rocky, I know his wife was dating someone new, but he was still so in love with and connected to his wife and family... and my thoughts about that were made stronger after Mack went back to Boston and we saw him with his family. I just really think he could have and should have made it work. I know that wouldn't have been the sweet ending for Cleo or for a romance... but I just can't look past it. And honestly, if I'd known one of the MCs were married, I probably wouldn't have jumped on this book or requested it from NetGalley because I know that bothers me.

If that doesn't bother you, you'll find a sweet love story about finding love and finding your own path in a beautiful setting.

I had a hard time with this one, not because of the meat of the story, but because I was dissatisfied with the ending. I was so hoping for it to be wrapped up in a neat little bow that would leave me feeling hopeful for the MCs of the story.

It's a straightforward situational romance with a good amount of self-discovery. Predictable, but comforting.

I loved the previous book by Josie Silver (gave it 5 stars!) but this one was just not for me. I probably went into this with the wrong expectations--"The Two Lives of Lydia Bird" was exactly my type of romance. It was unexpected, unpredictable, and a little bit magical and mysterious. Perfection. "One Night on the Island" was the exact opposite: straightforward, predictable, no magic or unique elements. Romance readers will enjoy this one, but it wasn't what I was looking for.

Also, the set up for this book is my absolute worst nightmare. A young woman shows up to the (studio) cabin she has rented to find out that it was also rented to a man that she has never met before and does not have a single connection with (not even a friend of a friend). AND THEY JUST STAY THERE TOGETHER. Maybe I've watched too many episodes of Forensic Files, but this isn't romantic. It's terrifying. The cabin is in a remote location without cell phone service or neighbors of any kind. There isn't even a bedroom door she can hide behind. I don't care how good looking this man is--I'm assuming I'm going to be murdered in that cabin, not seduced. I know romance loves the "only one bed" trope but this made me uncomfortable to read.

The book does have its good moments--Cleo's commitment ceremony to herself and figuring out her next steps in life are nice, and the local people are a fun group.

But I'm going to be honest here. This is a romance book, and I was rooting against the main couple. Make of that what you will.

I really wanted to like this book. The only reason I finished it is because I LOVE her other books and owe it to Josie to finish it to see if i like it.

I didn't like it and that makes me very sad. I did like Mack, I did not like Cleo. But this wasnt an enemy to lover situation. I felt like any romance that there was, it only started at 50% through the book so half the book felt like a waste.

I wont be posting this review anywhere except here. I dont want to take away the joy this book has brought others.

This is funny, heart warming, heart breaking and sweet. You feel as if you are on a journey with both characters during this whole novel, cheering for them the entire time. The life circumstances that both characters are dealing with are handled in a mature way. The author created a great community and a sweet love story in a beautiful setting.

Josie Silver has a gorgeous way of spinning her words into love stories that contain the gamut of emotions. One Night on the Island isn't simply a love story between two people. It is a love story about a family that is transitioning into something different, a love story where one young woman learns to love herself, and a love story between an island and its people.

This book didn't bring a sugar coated romance or even a happily ever after. It brings the uncertainty of love, the brokenness that a family sometimes can't come back from, the joy and passion of new love, and the ways that we have to piece our hearts back together to find our own way.

This was not the usual romantic comedy, but it was so much more. It was one of the poignant and beautiful stories that Josie Silver does so well.

Thank you so much to Random House and Ballantine Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have adored everything by Josie Silver so far, so I was very excited about this new one. The idea is great, and the characters are enjoyable, but I am struggling to get into the story. It is very slow.

I really hate to DNF ARCs because I love the fact that I get a sneak peal before anybody else, but unfortunately this one didn’t work for me. I couldn’t connect to Cleo or Mack. I enjoyed the first third of the book…liked the premise and the setting but during the second third I stopped reading. I felt the story wasn’t going anywhere and the relationship wasn’t developing. Way too slow of a burn for me. I understand the high ratings but unfortunately it was a miss for me.


Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.