Cleo writes a dating column, constantly searching for her flamingo, or the "one". She is looking down the road of turning thirty and her boss tasks her with going to a remote island to self-couple. While Cleo - and all of her family and friends - are hesitant about the idea, Cleo decides to take the concept personally and make it about finding happiness in herself without needing another half.
I cannot stand cheating. It's one of those things that automatically makes me cringe in any scenario. Almost as soon as we meet Mack, we know he has a family. What the state of that family is in is not understood, so there's a little bit of questioning if he's a widow or divorced or (insert broken relationship description here). So while this book made me chuckle out loud and is extremely well-written, this sticking point made it less enjoyable for me.
Otherwise, I loved Cleo's journey and the relationships she develops with others on the island of Salvation. There are several moments of brilliance and kindred feeling. Josie's ability to wrap me up in a certain space is encompassing.
Thank you to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Romance: one mild open door scene

ONE NIGHT ON THE ISLAND is a heartwarming, lovely novel by Josie Silver. I’ve read and loved Silver’s other two novels, so was eagerly anticipating this newest one- ONE NIGHT ON THE ISLAND did not disappoint. I loved Cleo’s journey of self-discovery and self-coupling, loved Mack’s warm heart and deep love for his sons. The setting was delightful and the story felt like a warm hug! I particularly loved the ending, which suited the characters so well.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC I received in exchange for my honest review.

It took me awhile to get into this book as it is more about Cleo’s discovery that she is enough before her thirtieth birthday than a true love story. There is a romance, but is is not the focus. I did really like the cast of characters (Her knitting group) and the people on the island. Still. A good read if you know what to expect.

Cleo, a dating columnist from London, travels to the remote Irish island of Salvation on assignment from her boss: to marry herself (which is really just committing to loving yourself). She arrives at the cottage she's rented only to find an inconvenient American photographer, Mack, already there. Mack has journeyed to Salvation to create a photo exhibit of the land of his ancestors after being separated from his wife for a year. Cleo and Mack co-exist in the cottage, each hoping the other will cave in and leave, until they decide to grant themselves permission for a holiday romance.

I'll never tire of stories about escaping to a small quaint seaside town. Never. Salvation had an A+ cast of friendly and welcoming residents - I wanted to pull up a chair at the pub or in the knitting circle and become best friends with them all. I was lucky enough to study abroad in Ireland for a summer and now I'm LONGING to go back.

The escaping-the-big-city romances can often seem a bit impractical but One Night on the Island felt so grounded and realistic. Cleo and Mack had real lives with real conflicts (I want to give them both a hug!!!) that were never forgotten, despite their romantic seclusion. Their love and heartache really burrowed into my soul - I truly wasn't sure what direction Josie Silver would take their relationship, which kept me invested until the very end.

Despite how much I enjoyed their romantic relationship, this book needed the extended friendships that Cleo found on Salvation and her seemingly silly mission to "marry herself." Had the book just been a romantic getaway it would have fallen flat - we needed to see Cleo find people like Delta and Brianne and start to listen to her intuition.

Thanks to NetGalley & Ballantine Books for the advanced e-book!

I loved this book. A little romance. A little finding yourself. A little bit of finding your people.

Great cast of characters. A fabulous storyline and an even better message about how it's so important to pay attention to yourself but also to surround yourself with the right kind of people. It was hard to put this book down.

I'd definitely recommend this to others.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Josie Silver has just cemented her spot on my autobuy list! I loved this book so much that I am getting a hard copy to keep on my personal bookshelf for comfort re-read purposes.

This book pulled on my heartstrings and made me smile and cry!!! Josie Silver has a way of writing that makes your emotions bubble up. Cleo and Mack are the sweetest and I LOVE Mack's love of being a father. I like the supporting characters/townsfolk on the island. They cracked me up! Knitting circle for life <3

Josie Silver is an amazing writer, and I will read anything she writes at this point. This story is less of a romance and more about self-discovery, and I really enjoyed Cleo's journey. It took me a bit longer to read than I expected, but overall, it was a fantastic read.

This is a romance with a dual point of view narrative of Cleo, a British columnist, and Mack, an American photographer, who have both booked a stay at a cottage on a small island off the coast of Ireland. There are no other accommodations available on the island, and both of them feel entitled to their stay, so you can guess what happens next. I enjoyed the parts of this book that took place on the island. Cleo's story was cute and heart-warming. However, I found Mack's part of the story sad and depressing, as it deals with his estrangement from his wife and children. Though the writing was excellent, I was expecting more of a fun rom-com, and in the end this story left me feeling a bit confused. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

This one was a slow start for me. There was one point early on where I had a moment of panic thinking I’d mistaken this book for a romance and that it wasn’t actually going to be a romance. Thankfully, my original impression was correct and this WAS a romance.

Forced proximity is one of my favorite tropes and I enjoyed that aspect of this immensely. The enemy roommates-to-lovers was great.

It was a slow burn and the character development was painful, but necessary. This is definitely the kind of book that’s a good romance if you’re okay with your heart being broken. There was a portion of the book where I was terrified the characters weren’t going to get a happily ever after. The characters experienced complicated emotions and that was mirrored in my own emotions as a reader. I had a hard time rating this one for that reason. I feel like I was hurting more often than I was happy but I was able to appreciate why.

Thanks NetGalley for this arc !

Chloe is still single and about to be 30. Her boss decided to send her off to an island in Ireland. But when she gets there she ends up having to share a cabin. Lol 😂 such a cute story I even had tears a few times !

Cleo Wilder is a dating columnist in London who escapes to Sullivan Island, a remote Irish island, for a solo retreat of self-care in order to refresh herself. Mack Sullivan from Boston USA goes to the same island as he needs some time to himself for soul-searching as his marriage is breaking up. A mix-up with the bookings means both have reserved the same one-room hideaway on exactly the same dates. They are not happy about having to share the room but as days go by, they start to enjoy each other's company. This is not your typical romance novel. It is a very low-key story of two people needing some positive attention at a bad time in their life. You, the reader, get to witness these two characters fight their feelings and finally come up with a solution of why they should have a holiday relationship. Things get to a teary-eyed climax when Mack decides he needs to go back to Boston to spend time with his two sons. This was my first Josie Silver's book but won't be my last. If you like feel-good stories, then you will love this one. Don't forget the tissues. I would like to thank NetGalley and Ballentine Books for a ebook copy for an honest opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5 stars

One Day in December is an all-time favorite, so I must read everything Josie Silver writes. One Night on the Island is about Cleo, a dating columnist who is tasked with writing an article on “self-coupling” and finding herself while on a trip to a remote Scottish island. However, when she gets to her luxury (one bedroom) cabin, she discovers it is already occupied…by the handsome Mac. Mac is also on the island to find clarity and refuses to leave. The two are forced to share the cabin and they may or may not find they enjoy the company.

This was a heartwarming read by a favorite author. It has a very tricky storyline to pull off, but Silver is able to find the hope and sweetness in the characters’ difficult and imperfect situations. The setting and cast of characters just add to the cozy atmosphere. One Night on the Island grabs you by the heart and delivers a bittersweet love story.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Full review to be posted on publication date.

Cleo is turning 30, and has had no luck finding (and keeping) love. Her next project for her dating column is to put men aside, leave her London home, and escape to the island of Salvation to marry herself. Maybe some time alone is just what she needs.

But alone time is not what she will get, when her peaceful solitude is crashed by fellow cabin-mate, Mack, who has been loaned this cabin by his cousin for the same time frame. And he’s not going anywhere, as he has his own reasons for wanting to be alone.

With no boats out of the island and nowhere else to stay, the two are forced to forgo their solitude and find companionship, or at least get along, for the duration of their stay.

Josie Silver has written a story that captures what it means to be beautifully human, combined with the setting of a remote Irish island had me completely captivated.

Initially I was uncertain about this, a premise of going to an island to “marry yourself” and a man who seems to already have a family of his own. However, knowing Josie Silver’s stories, I was sure there would be more to come. As the characters are built and connections are made, the story develops into something beautiful. There is a depth, pain, and love so deep that it’s enchanting to read. Engrained in this story is the truth that in order to love someone else, you must first learn to love and respect yourself.

Honestly, this one was hard for me to get settled into. But once I was in … man, was I in. I'm totally here for the "I'm my own happiness" vibe that this book throws the reader's way. The idea of a small island getaway sounds ideal! The characters you get to know are so well written. I feel like they are all living their lives on Salvation Island as I type my review right now. Thankful to have been given the opportunity to read this. It was a wistful read, but very grounded at the same time.

I am a fan of Josie Silver. I enjoyed every book of hers I read, and One Night on the Island is no exception. A dating columnist from London, Cleo, and a talented photographer from Boston, Mack, travel separately to a remote Irish island to re-examine and reset their respective lives. Both, Cleo and Mack, are looking for solitude, but due to a mishap with a booking are forced to spend weeks together in a remote cottage. Their relationship starts on the wrong foot, but the more time they spend together, the more they enjoy each other company, even though neither is ready for a romantic relationship.

One Night On the Island is an emotional story, and dare I say, even a little spiritual. It's a book about learning to love yourself and letting go of the past. I couldn't put it down and gobbled it up in one day. I cannot recommend One Night on the Island enough!

A lovely, entertaining and well written romance. This is not my usual genre of choice, but it is done in a light, accessible way that makes me excited to explore the genre, and particularly this author's work more.

I’m still not sure why the book is titled “One Night” unless it was because Cleo considered leaving after one night; since the story encompasses more than one night or one moment. What takes place happens over months, and for some, that feels like a lifetime in the making.

I am not usually a fan of romances, but I have read Josie Silver’s last three books (One Day in December, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird, and this one, One Night on the Island), and she is turning into an author I watch out for. Her approach to romance and women’s fiction, with a bit of humor thrown in, appeals to skeptics like me. Very little is over the top, and the characters come across as believable even though a few of the scenarios take a little getting used to.

There were a few points where I thought the author could have ended, but the chapters kept on coming where neat bows were put in place without leaving it up to the reader to jump to the wrong conclusion.

Good luck to Josie Silver, and I look forward to her next book.

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

This was a book of two halves for me. In the first half, I wasn't as quickly engrossed in Silver's writing and story as I have been with her previous two books. Those immediately hooked me in, but with One Night On The Island, something kept me a bit disinterested for quite a while. In part, I did find both MCs to be a bit annoying and childish.

However, once we moved into the latter stages of the story it really grew on me. There were some incredibly moving and emotional moments (as I've come to expect with Silver's stories), and a few lines that are still circling in my mind. In particular, I really liked the ending and thought it served the story and the characters well.

I think fans of Silver's other books will enjoy her newest as well.

3.5/5

I went into One Night on the Island blind, expecting it to be a light rom-com. Instead, it was unexpectedly complex and complicated. The story takes time to build and, before you know it, you find yourself completely immersed in the characters and environment. At many times, I was worried how things would end as it seemed like there was no way to make it all work. But isn’t that exactly the point of this book? Life doesn’t always happen as we expect. Sometimes there is no “perfect ending” and we have to make- and live with our- messy choices. My hat is off to Josie Silver for taking a situation that I was sure I’d never get behind and yet here I am, happy (for now) at the end!
*ARC provided by NetGalley. The rating and opinions are my own.