Wonderful novel, a captivating story of love, community, and healing. Josie Silvers writes slice of life and romance so well, her characters and plot pull me in everytime.

Salvation Island, a small rainy outpost off the coast of Ireland, is aptly named, especially where Cleo and Mack are concerned. Cleo, a British romance columnist and Mack an American photographer each thought they would have Otter House to themselves to deal with their issues but alas- there's been a mistake, there's no other open housing on the island, and the boat that transported them won't be back for.....Cleo, columnist on love is about to turn 30 and, at the urging of her editor, going to marry herself. Mack's marriage is crumbling and he's, well, let's be honest, not really helping things (this is a big inconsistency) by planning to spend a month or so on the Island of his ancestors. You know how this is going to go from the start as these two find ways to share space but there are some delightful touches (the three things conversations) and then there are the people of the island. There's the pub but best of all there's the knitting group that Cleo joins. It takes a village, doesn't it? Yes this is more than a bit trope-y (fans of Jenny Colgan will love it) , turning 30 is not the end of the world, and so on but it's also quite charming. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

What an honor it was to be able to read an ARC of Josie Silvers, One Night on the Island. Silver has a way with words that transport you into the story and truly make the reading experience feel like a hug.

Cleo is sent away to a private island to honor her 30th birthday by marrying herself. What people think is a ploy for a new article, is really something sacred in Cleos heart. An American man struggling from separation comes to the little town of Salvation in Ireland to follow his roots in hopes of mending his broken heart. When their paths collide you have a story of enemies to something more than lovers.

This story is a testament to self love, healing, finding yourself, as well as finding unexpected love that is so fierce. Not just romantic love, but a love within a whole new community. It’s about finding your tribe in unexpected places, and never letting a good thing go. Truly a phenomenal story that if you’re anything like me, will warm your heart.

A novel that slipped quietly into my soul, wrecking me in the best ways, One Night on the Island by Josie Silver is more than a romance. It’s a story about loving yourself, finding your place in the world, and being the best version of who you want to be.

I’m not always an emotional reader, which is odd for someone who identifies as a hopeless romantic. I regularly blame it on my no-nonsense spouse. His more pragmatic views of how the world works have dulled the rose-colored glasses I wore in my younger days over the past… well, a lot of years together. I find myself more cynical than hopeful lately. But sometimes the right book comes along and once again I’m that giddy girl who loves love. One Night on the Island had me in tears. From heart-wrenching, gut-punched tears to heart-soaring, hope-consuming tears. I simultaneously wanted to fly through the pages and stay in this book forever.

The island that brings Cleo and Mack together is a special place. When I turned the last page of the book, I wanted to pack my bags, board a plane, and live on Salvation Island forever. Silver has made it absolutely magical. Not just the setting—the cozy lodge that has become our leads home away from home, or the wind-strewn beach where the icy water bubbles on the sand. But it’s also the people of the island, the found-family Cleo and Mack slowly discover. Silver has done such a good job fleshing out these side characters, I feel a whole history of their own tales without reading a word of their backstories. I came to love them almost as much as our main characters. And I have a budding hope that a few of them might get their own books. Especially if it brings me back to Salvation Island.

When I started One Night on the Island, I felt sure I was reading a romance, the kind of story I’ve come to know and love, but as I read more, I didn’t know if this book would have a happily ever after. Don’t worry, no spoilers here. (If you have to know, you can ask me!) But I was okay with it. I trusted the characters to find their way, to find the ending that was right for them. Because for me, it was more about the individual people—about Cleo and Mack as humans—-than it was about whether or not they found their happiness in each other. Which is kind of the point of a story about someone who goes on vacation to marry herself, I guess.

One issue that might have some readers stumbling is Mack’s relationship status when he meets Cleo. It didn’t bother me at all, though. Silver handled it expertly, illustrating how life is messy. Relationships are messy. And things aren’t always what they seem to be on the surface. That’s about all I can say without getting too spoiler-y.

It’s a dual point-of-view, which works splendidly. Open-door, but done beautifully. In fact, I highlighted many passages. Silver’s words are chosen carefully and lyrically.

In the end, I found this book hopeful, joyful, and inspiring! It’s a book I wish I could write. A book I wish I could live in. (You know, if I were single. And younger. Don’t worry, I don’t want to leave my family.) And now I’m off to languish in my book hangover for the foreseeable future.

This book gave me all the feels! It was a soul searching, self discovering, thought provoking, unintentional love story and a very emotional journey that had me enthralled to the end!

I can really get into books that are told from alternating perspectives because it allows you to see the story from mutiple angles. One Night on the Island is told by Cleo and Mack, two people from different countries who are visiting the remote Salvation Island in search of their own version of peace and clarity. Fate brings these two lost souls together to a small cabin on a magical island and keeps them there while they try to find what they need to carry on in their lives back home.

Mack has been separated from his wife for a year. He has two sons with her and is having trouble letting go of his idea of family and marriage. Cleo is turning thirty and comes to Salvation to make a commitment to herself which turns into so much more than the simple self-wedding ceremony she had planned. Both of them form special friendships with the warm and spunky crew of people that live on the small island. The islanders add so much to the story and by the end I felt as if I knew them personally. They are great people!

All of these individuals and their situations combine to form the most amazing story! Josie Silver's writing is so deep and emotional. I don't want to give anything away, but a couple of my favorite phrases were micro love affair and a sliver of her heart. When you read this book, you will know exactly why I love those words! I also admired Cleo for her inner strength and bravery in seeking her true self. It was inspiring!

This review will be posted to Netgalley, Goodreads and my bookstagram page today and will be added to Amazon and Barnes and Noble after the publication date of 2/15/22.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine for the ARC!

Set on the remote, Irish island called Salvation, Josie Silver weaves a charming (albeit familiar) romance of girl-meets-boy-while-trying-to-find-herself in "One Night on the Island." Set in alternating perspectives from our protagonists Cleo, a dating columnist from London, and Mack, a photographer from Boston, this romance unfolds in the tight-knit community of Salvation Island in a predictably sweet way, but maybe with a dash too much predictability and a dash too much sweetness.

If you're a romance reader, then you'll most likely find this book to be right up your alley. Its simplistic and internal dialogue-driven plot contains all the classic tenets of a contemporary romance as well as a refreshing ensemble of characters. Personally, I found the plot too surface-level to ever truly connect with; I didn't love Cleo, I didn't love Mack, and by the end of the story, I didn't quite realize why they loved each other, either. Had Silver dedicated more pages to more profound character development instead of Mack and Cleo's (repetitive and bit dull) internal commentary, I would have liked this so much more. I felt that the story could've been significantly shorter and that it dragged on toward the end.

Overall, a cute romance if you're looking for a "palette cleanser" read or if you're a true romance lover; not a title I'd go out of my way to recommend though, and likely one I'll forget about sooner rather than later.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted advanced reading copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

What can I say about this book besides WOW. I have read all of Josie Silver’s book and absolutely love her writing style. It’s a feel good book about finding yourself and what you want in life. It’s full of funny scenes as Cleo and Mack butt heads when they discover they are both booked in the same cottage on a hard to get to ( and away from) island. The setting is beautiful as I pictured it in my head. I felt as if I was on the island living with the characters. I loved this book and can’t wait to read more of her work!

I really liked this book. How descriptive the author was with the island, the characters and their lives really captures you and has you invested from the start. I felt like the issues the characters were working through were very realistic and relatable. Which you sometimes dont see in books, so i really appreciated that. Everything previously mentioned is what makes a romance novel good, because it isnt just about the romance!!

Another great book from Josie Silver! I’m a fan for life.

Cleo is a relationship columnist about to turn 30. Her boss sends her to remote Salvation Island in Ireland to write and perform a self-marriage (that’s right!) as she’s been unlucky at finding her own flamingo (mate) and wants to symbolize her own self-love/self-reliance.

Mack, an American photographer with generational roots on the island, journeys there to soak up its history and take photos for an upcoming showcase. Unfortunately they discover they are both booked at Otter Cottage with no other options available.

Starting out rather adversarial, the story follows as they share their problems/worries/dreams and fall under the spell of both the rugged island and its people. Silver does a wonderful job with beautiful, descriptive writing that brought the island front and center, a plethora of adorable characters and the vulnerability of two people sharing their innermost conflicts and dilemmas. Cleo’s self-journey is especially touching and uplifting.

Very well done and recommended.

My sincere thanks to #NetGalley, #BallantineBooks, and #JosieSilver for providing me the early arc of #OneNightontheIsland for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

I have to admit that I am conflicted as I write this review for One Night on the Island by Josie Silver. This book is extremely well written. The descriptions of Salvation Island are so beautifully done that I had a clear picture of it in my mind as I was reading. I wanted to go there! I also loved the residents of the island and how they were depicted. It is the two main characters that I was not as fond of. Both Cleo and Mack have come to the island to escape their personal problems and search for answers about how they should proceed with their lives when they return home. Without giving up too much, let's just say that I was not a fan of their decision making. Mack in particular could have been a lot more sensitive to who he was hurting by the choices he made. Cleo didn't help matters in how she pursued him. She was supposed to be exploring the idea of being happy without being with another person. I just wasn't happy with their so called "relationship" and how it played out. I think the idea behind the story was good and the setting was fabulous, but it just wasn't executed in a way that made me love it. I will read more Josie Silver in the future; this particular book just didn't hit the mark for me.

My sincere thanks to Random House/Ballantine Books, Josie Silver, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read One Night on the Island and give my unbiased opinion of it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this well-developed story which covers the lives and relationships of Cleo and Mack. This is not a novel full of clichés and predictable lines. The story explores self-discovery and finding what's important in life. It also explores the ideas of family and love. There are realistic scenarios and strong emotions in this novel that include feelings on divorce and parenting, friendship and career. Josie Silver does a solid job of creating well-realized and fully developed characters whose lives we enjoy watching unfold on the pages. The setting is another major participant in this novel and made me want to visit this island.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House, for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. One Night on the Island was a powerful, thoughtful novel that was so much more than just your typical romance. Cleo Wilder embarked on a mission to commit to herself and found true love in all of its messy and beautiful forms. I enjoyed everything about this book - from lush landscape to its quirky characters. I laughed, I cried, and I will undoubtedly recommend taking this literary journey to a friend. Well done, Josie Silver!

3.5 stars⭐️
Cleo is 29, and a London romance column writer who embarks on a self-discovery adventure as she bears her 30th birthday There she learns about friendship, romance and assesses what she truly wants in her next decade.

Admittedly, the plot is somewhat cliché, but there is something endearing about the characters & in truly leaving your comfort zone & being vulnerable to your truth, good and bad. Especially given the pre-text of Cleo’s quest for love.

Could easily see this becoming a film, and honestly, I would read Cleo’s book! It was a nice little escape on a cold winter day that had me yearning for a micro-vacation.

Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Random House for the advance reader copy!

Josie Silver has a way of making me fall in love with perfectly imperfect characters and this book was no different.

I loved Cleo's journey of self discovery and self love just as much as the romance plot line.

This book was a gem that left me wanting more!

This is my first Josie Silver -- her other two books lean a little too sad for me -- and I can absolutely see why so many people love her work. She's a wonderful writer, and this book balances the feels and the laughs really well. Cleo and Mack are two interesting and (fairly) mature leads, and the island is populated with a lot of really lovely characters.

ONOTI had me bad decisions book clubbing hard, keeping me up until 12:45 on a weeknight, but I just couldn't put it down. I wasn't sure if this would turn out to be a romance novel or just women's fiction with a strong romantic subplot, and I was dying to see how it all came together. In the end, it is a romance novel, but I found the HEA a little unsatisfying. For me, it was more of an HFN that could have been fleshed out in a paragraph or two more to really make it convincing. I'm subtracting a star because the end left me wanting just a bit more, but it was a really, really delightful read.

I'm a fan of author Josie Silver from her previous book, One Day in December, which is one of my favorite holiday reads. I was incredibly excited to receive a free copy of her yet-to-be-released book, One Night on the Island from the publisher via NetGalley. Wow. Just, wow. One Night on the Island made me laugh, it made me cry, and just in general gave me all of the feels. This is a story of self discovery for two amazing characters. Highly recommend!

I absolutely loved Silver's previous novels. This one took a little longer to grab me, but once it did, I was hooked. Great setting, memorable characters, and a great twist on the romantic trope of "forced proximity."

This was one of the easiest 5 star ratings I’ve had in a while! I immediately connected with Cleo with my 30th birthday just around the corner so I appreciated her journey so much.

I absolutely LOVED all of the characters. They were all connected in different ways and you really got to know all of them along the way.

Silver’s writing is just beautiful. It’s so real and emotional and had such an effect on me while reading. Since I could connect with Cleo on so many different levels, it made the story a lot more meaningful and made me super emotional at times.

This will definitely be a re read for me in the future and I would recommend to anyone!

I was so excited to get approved for this book and am so grateful for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review! Close proximity is one of my favorite romance tropes. "Oh no...there is only one bed" I LOVE IT!

Josie Silver is a master of writing real characters with real issues who may not always make the best decisions but have the best intentions! FIVE STARS!

Wow!! Josie Silver has done it again!! This book has all the feels and was just SO SO good! I loved Cleo and Mack and all the people on Salvation Island. Can it please be a real place so I can move there?! I really loved everything about this book, I just wish there was more! This book is definitely going to be one of my favorites this year.