One Night on the Island by Josie Silver ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Pub Day: 2/15/22
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Cleo sets out on a solo vacation on a remote island in Ireland only to find out she and a brash American named Mack have been booked to the same cabin. With a boat that won’t return for a week, neither can leave and so they are forced to cohabitate. But instead of continued hate, over their week together the two begin to really enjoy each other’s company.
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“Life is the stuff that happens in the cracks between your plans and expectations.”
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My heart! First things first, this is not a rom com, it’s a heartfelt love story with tears of joy and sorrow. And it was exactly the type of love story I needed. Mack and Cleo were both fully fleshed out characters and I felt like I got to know each of them on a deep level independently and together. The writing was beautiful and emotional making me tear up more than once. One line in particular I cannot get out of my head, “I miss her violently.” It made me feel such strong emotions as a reader that gutted me to my core. One Night on the Island is a book about what really matters in life when you strip away all of the distractions. Absolutely beautiful. |Brit|
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Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5. This book is by far Josie Silver’s best book!

Cleo, a dating columnist, sets out to remote Salvation Island off the coast of Ireland to “self-couple” for her 30th birthday, only to find out her cottage was double booked, and has to share tiny living quarters with Boston photographer Mack.

Both characters are stubborn and unlikeable at first, but the more they learn about each other, their complicated lives are forever changed.

Thank you Ballentine Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy. This book is available February 15, 2022.

Cleo comes to Salvation, a remote Irish Island, to marry herself for her popular British dating column. Mack shows up to Salvation to experience his family lineage after his wife, in Boston, decides she wants a break from their marriage. After a mix up, Cleo and Mack end up staying in the same cottage. With a boat that only comes once a week, and terrible weather ruining the schedule Mack and Cleo are forced to get along. Rules are written and eventually broken as they decide maybe a vacation fling is a good idea... until it isn't! When Mack has to leave to help his sons. Both feel the ache from vacation fling for months but promised no post vacation contact. Can they heal go back to their normal lives or will their time on the island change their paths forever.

This book will leave you in your feelings! Seriously a beautiful story I couldn't put down! The emotions between them are stellar and I loved that Mack and Cleo weren't "perfect' They had clear issues and were at odds but not in an annoying way. You could really feel the hate and anger as well as the passion and love.

The title is a little misleading because it is not about one night its mostly takes time mostly over a month. But don't let that trip you up.

While I loved One Night In December, I found this book fell a little flat to me. I think some people will love it but to others it might be an ehh kind of book.

The characters grew a ton in this book. Which to me was probably the most realistic part. The development of Cleo was amazing and I loved how much more confident she became of herself. I also loved the setting! I mean someone take me to Otter Lodge!

However, I found the situation unrealistic. No female in their right mind would stay in a isolated cabin with a male they just met. It wouldn’t happen no matter the circumstances. And no one would just accepted that there’s no where else to go when the mix up can’t seem to be resolved.

While their love story was obviously bond to happen, I didn’t even love the complications. It made me feel a little icky once they weren’t together at Otter Lodge anymore.

I feel so bad that I didn’t love the book because Josie Silver is such a loveable author, but I wanted more depth from the book and a more realistic plot line.

Thanks NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ebook ARC.

4.5 Stars- Thank you to NetGalley, Josie Silver, and Ballantine Books for an E-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. Josie Silver does it again with this beautiful, yet different love story. I loved watching Cleo try to find her flamingo but instead she found so much more. The characters and setting of this book just made me smile. You can pick this one up on 2/15/22 and it would make a great Valentines gift for any book lover in your life!

This was the first book by this author for me. Overall I did enjoy this book, but I didn’t like the family life of the main character without giving too much away.

I received this ARC through #netgalley and I am voluntarily reviewing this book.

I received this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. The ideas of being true to yourself, being content with where you are in life, being true and kind to yourself, and not changing for anyone are lessons we could all learn from. Imagine a world where we were all unabashedly our true selves. I think I’d enjoy that place…especially if I could be on an island with good people.

I wanted to love this book…I really, really did. Especially after loving both One Day in December and The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver. But, while it was really well-written, the story just didn’t resonate with me at all.

Cleo Wilder is a journalist from London who is celebrating her 30th birthday by staying in a remote cabin for weeks for her column and marrying herself. She’s disinterested in her life and has to make some big decisions while she’s on the island. I have to say that I disliked her for most of the first half of this book but started to warm up to her by the end. Her solitude is interrupted by Mack Sullivan, a photographer from Boston, with family ties to Salvation Island. He’s going through a lot back home and it felt like the perfect time to go to the island, photograph its magic and take advantage of the isolation. Mack is such a sweet guy who loves his family more than anything, but he’s also confused about where to go next and definitely influenced some of his decisions.

I really struggled with some of the aspects of Mack and Cleo’s relationship. Without giving anything away, I’ll say they both disappointed me when they decided to start their holiday romance. Cleo was on such an interesting journey to figure out what she wants out of life and Mack is dealing with so much in his own personal life that their relationship just felt confusing.

Salvation Island felt like a really cool place with so many interesting characters. But, I felt more of a draw to them and wanted to learn more about them than I did to Cleo and Mack at times. I simultaneously thought this book was too long and that I wanted more - there were a lot of times where things dragged on, but I also wanted more conversations between Cleo and Mack…more of their story, deeper connections, more substantial things to make me feel something between the two of them and make things not so shallow/surface level.

I enjoyed Cleo’s journey toward self-discovery and the realistic depiction of Mack’s home life, but I just didn’t feel the romantic connection. While this book doesn’t end with a traditional HEA (I definitely don’t think it would have worked), it ends really interestingly and not in a great way. I just wanted more from this book and, ironically, could have done without the romance all together.

The streak of excellent 2022 books continues. ONE NIGHT ON THE ISLAND by Josie Silver was an epic read for me. The romance and the comedy in this novel are perfect, as is the imagery of Salvation. Writing and photography are ways to capture the world around you so putting Mack (the photographer) and Cleo (the writer) into a single cabin together unexpectedly is bound to have crazy results. Mack and Cleo are so well written, their dialog so special and fluid, and the writing is fantastic. The little nuggets that come from the nightly three things and the knitting circle provided many of my favorite moments in this novel. I have a special love for romantic comedies. Even if you don’t, this novel should be read by anyone who wants to read an enjoyable story with some steam and some laughs. I have not read a book by Silver that I haven’t adored but this is my favorite. It helped me escape to my own literary island for a while and, even though it’s all fiction, it made me think a lot about the people we are, the people who helped us become them, and how we get to where we want to be. I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I adored everything about this book! The main characters- Cleo and Mack - are both beautifully flawed and on an adventure to get back in touch with themselves.

The side characters were superb and added so much to the story. The knitting circle in particular- loved!

The location. I want to go. The story was so beautifully written that you could “see” the island!

Amazing love story, but even more so the growth of the two mains was fabulous.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really struggled to get into this book. After loving One Day in December so much, I really had high hopes. Unfortunately I found myself struggling to get into this book and ultimately did not end up finishing. I may try again.

I love a Josie Silver book. I think she does an absolutely wonderful job creating a cast of characters that emotionally draw you in, and a story that makes you NEED to know what happens next. One Night on the Island was no different.

Cleo was a very relatable character. Being in your twenties and dating is a PAIN, as any woman can tell you. And while the idea of self-coupling was not Cleo’s, the desire to stop dating and just take a step back definitely is one a lot of women can relate to. Mac, on the other hand, was a very lovable hero. He was broken in just the right way to tug on your heartstrings. When it comes to them together, I just felt fireworks.

The journey that Mac and Cleo take is, truthfully, a beautiful one. We see Cleo find herself and Mac support her. While they have their bumps and their ups and downs, the support of the community really helped them on their journey. Which reminds me, the community of the island was such a wonderfully done one. Josie Silver was able to create a community of characters that were as well developed as her main characters.

In the end, I really did enjoy this book. I would recommend anyone who likes a romantic comedy that has some depth give this book a read

One Night on the Island was not the story I expected but in a good way. It was poetically profound and honest about the messiness of the changing of life and relationships. Cleo experienced unimagined growth on the island and found solid ground to stand on. Mack came to the island lost at sea looking for many answers and found strength from the island, it’s residents, and his unforgettable and unexpected roommate. Both Cleo and Mack’s experiences on the island allowed them to make necessary changes in their lives to move forward. I know the ending won’t jive well with some but I think it’s the right ending for Cleo and Mack and where they are right now. Who knows maybe there will be a follow up story on them later on *hint hint*


Thank you @netgalley , @randomhouse and @josiesilverauthor for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback

4.5*
Thank you to Random House Publishing and Netgalley for an e-ARC of this book. I went into this book thinking it was a romance when it was more of women's fiction or contemporary. Cleo started out cold, unsure of herself and her path and went to someone who loved and accepted herself. Her development was so special and the whole idea of her marrying herself was really well done. I think the Ireland island setting was so gorgeous and I love the small close-knit vibe that I got from there. This book truly gave me the warm and fuzzy feelings and I loved the relationships that were created in this story. There was a lot of healing, a lot of growth and a lot of love felt throughout. Mack was also so loveable and I enjoyed how dedicated he was to he family as well as his career. This was truly a fantastic book.

Do you love yourself enough to marry yourself? Cleo, a dating columnist looking to find some peace and quiet, does.
Mack is a photographer from Boston seeking solitude and a chance to give his estranged wife and two sons some much needed space. Both Cleo - to better her writing and to celebrate her 30th birthday - and Mack are set to stay at a one-room cabin on the remote Irish island of Salvation. They are both unaware of their predicament until they both show up on the same day, expecting to be alone, and immediately butt heads.

This book was good, but it was all style and no substance. Cleo is an underwhelming protagonist. Still, every time she refers to Mack as Han Solo, I giggled. The women on the island were far more interesting than Cleo in which they made for an enjoyable island dynamic to read about. Mack’s backstory as a father and a husband separated indefinitely from his wife carried the story.

The plot itself dragged. It made for an intriguing premise but the execution fell short. Cleo and Mack lived in a fairy tale land where no ruled existed and real life didn’t apply to them. The short time they spent together, they acted like children and kissing made all their issues go away!

It was cute enough, and if you’re a fan of the film “The Holiday,” you’d enjoy this book.

I will admit I have not read any of Josie Silver's novels before this one but now I will. One Night on the Island was a beautiful journey that I was happy to be on. Cleo is *forced* by her boss to go on a self-coupling vacation where she is to marry herself on a remote island. As a woman that is over 30 I love how Cleo is trying to take back the narrative of being single. There are so many societal norms that we have to meet and if we don't, have to weirdly come to terms with it. I will also say I love Mack's character. The banter between the two is quite hilarious and watching them try to "wait out" the other leaving the cabin first was very funny, What I found to like the most about this novel is that neither character is perfect. Mack is married and lives in another country, Cleo is working on herself and coming to terms with the fact that she might not love her life (even though at one point it was her dream). When they meet is doesn't feel like they will work out and in a sense they don't have a traditional HEA. I felt that was refreshing and enjoyed watching two people leave the confines of their own life to try and unpack what is holding them back. I would absolutely recommend this novel, especially to contemporary fiction/romance readers. It would be hard to read this and not feel something for Mack and Cleo, separately and together.

Really enjoyed this book! Such a fun read with great character development! Such a fun one and great to grab!

It was such a cozy read. It was beautifully written, a sweet romantic story that surprised me at the end. It gave me all the feels and a big cheesy smile on my face.

It's about a woman, Cleo who  is about to turn 30 and goes on a solo trip to marry herself. Crazy right! She has been having difficulty in the love dept, and it doesn't help that she is a writer for a romance column. She has spent the majority of her 20s trying to find Mr.Right and now she has finally decided she has to put herself first, that she is enough. And that she doesn't need a man to complete her. She goes to a remote island to essentially find herself. Think Eat, Pray Love vibes. But then she quickly realizes the trip took a turn for the worse and fast. She and a man named Mack booked the same cabin. There is no other vacancies in the island and the boat doesn't come for another week. So they are both stuck, 2 strangers 1 cabin and a whole lot of issues. What follows is a must read.

4.5 stars
Such a lovely book, and not a typical romance. Cleo heads to Salvation on a writing assignment to "marry" herself and spend time alone leading up to her 30th birthday and "wedding." Mack heads for his distant cousin's cabin to get away from the disaster his separation is turning into and to discover the place his mother's side of the family is from.
It starts out as hate, both of them trying to get the other to leave asap and get the cabin as intended for their solitary trip. But the days go by, the ferry boat doesn't come, and they grow on each other. They have nothing to lose since they both think one of them will be gone shortly and never seen again, so they open up to each other.
As much as the relationship is lovely, I almost enjoyed even more seeing how Cleo and Mack each grew. And the residents in Salvation are both heartwarming and hilarious at times.
The book made me cry in places and reflect and wish for a sweet little Irish island to make my own visit to.

💁🏻‍♀️Overall Impression: I also want to runaway and leave my life to hide on a remote island and then stand at the top of a mountain and scream at the top of my lungs.

📖 Synopsis: Nearing her 30th birthday, dating columnist Cleo is sent to a remote island to marry herself for her next article only to find out the only rental cabin was double booked with hot single dad photographer Mac.

💭Thoughts: I love that this is an atypical romance. As a single woman, I went through a similar journey at Cleo just before turning 30 and it’s when I left to become a travel nurse (the first time). It’s so freeing to realize you don’t need other people to be happy with yourself and that some friendships aren’t meant to last forever. You must find what serves you.

Now to Max and Cleo. Y’all know I’m a sucker for a dual perspective romance so of course I loved that aspect. I loved seeing inside each’s thoughts as they turned from annoyance, to friendship, to the possibility of more for now.

As potentially bittersweet as the ending could be, I think it was perfect. Life isn’t always a perfect HAE and everyone has their own version of what that looks like for their life.

My only mild annoyance really was the self coupling ceremony. While I liked the idea of it in general, I found it a bit corny. But I do love how it made our heroine feel about herself. Self love is so important ❤️.

The islanders are so great and endearing and interesting. They are in the story just enough to keep it interesting without taking over.

The scenery of this story sounds so amazing. Who wouldn’t want to stay on a private beach with their own otter and dolphin show every day. 😍.

Thanks so much to @netgalley @josiesilverauthor and @penguinrandomhouse for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Popsugar prompt 32: book with quote by favorite author on the cover