A bubbly romance columnist and a grumpy photographer end up stuck sharing a small rental house on a remote island- what could possibly go wrong (or right)? The quick witted banter between Cleo and Mack plus all their antics to annoy each other made me laugh out loud multiple times. The quirky, helpful community of island dwellers added a lot of interesting depth and fun to this romance. The only part that was a bit much for me was the "marry myself" on the beach scene. I see where it was an important part of the storyline but it was a bit awkward reading that chapter. Otherwise I enjoyed every bit of this story. I've read all of Josie Silver's books and this may be my favorite one. Makes me want to hop on a boat to find my own adventure (and love!) on a small island.

3.75 happily rounded to 4!

I enjoyed One Night on the Island though it was more women’s lit than romance. The writing at the beginning of the book especially gave me mega Jojo Moyes vibes which I loved. The storyline is unique although I personally didn’t really connect with Cleo and her “marry herself” assignment and her woe is me I’m turning 30 and am reevaluating things and coming to terms with things and finally moving forward storyline. I can see how many are going to love this though! Mack was a great counter character, clearly a good dad who wants to do the right thing. Might have been overplayed just a little.

For me, the last quarter of the book is where the storyline really shines. (I did also really love the island itself and descriptions and people throughout the book.) But I wanted to see how things settled in the end and was satisfied enough. It was a bit of a “safe” ending, to appeal to the masses I imagine.

In comparison for those familiar with this author - I personally would rate this just a tad bit below One Day in December which I loved. And well above Lydia which I did not love at all mostly because it just was a totally different story than I was expecting based on the blurb. In fact I would say this story has redeemed the author in my opinion. She really writes beautifully and her characters have some very poignant and quotable thoughts!

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the eARC!

Thank you Net Galley for an ARC of One Night on the Island by Josie Silver. This novel makes me want to read EVERYTHING this author has written (oh, I already did that, OOPS!). This isn't one of the good ones, It's one of the great ones! Do yourself a favor and pick this one up on February 15th, 2022, you surely won't regret it!

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC publication for an honest review.

One Night on the Island Josie Silver February 15, 2022

I absolutely adored this book! Honestly, I already have the urge to read it again because…sigh, oh my heart!

Cleo is an almost 30-year-old columnist who writes about dating and her search for “her flamingo.” Since she is yet to find “the one” her boss decides to give a twist to her column, sending Cleo to an Irish island to experience and write about her journey of finding herself, ending with a “self-coupling” ceremony on her birthday. In essence, she is to be her own flamingo.

Mac is an American also on a journey of self-discovery. Both Cleo and Mac are expecting solitude and instead find out they are both booked in the same one room cabin due to a mix-up. They are broken, lost, stubborn people who go from enemies, to friends, to something more. I was so invested in not only how their relationship changed over time, but their growth as individuals as well. This is one of those rare books where the quirky side characters captured my heart as much as the main couple. I don’t knit, but I really want to be part of a knitting club!

One Night on the Island is everything you could want in a book. You will laugh and cry. Your heart will swoon with joy and then hurt oh so much on the very next page. Simply put, this book will make you feel all the feels…perfection-5 stars.

Read this book if:

✨You've ever thought about marrying yourself
✨You're looking for a love that feels like swallowing the stars
✨You enjoy writing with chalk

✨Brief Summary✨

Cleo is a columnist who writes about all her failed dating attempts. As she approaches 30, her boss has the grand idea to send her to a remote island for "self-coupling". When Cleo arrives on Salvation Island she discovers that the cabin she is staying at has also been rented out to a surly American man. The two travelers instantly butt heads as they were both envisioning a quiet vacation by themselves. Mack brings his own set of baggage to the island. He has two kids and an ex wife back home. Will the visit to Salvation Island help Cleo learn to love herself? And will she find some other love along the way?

✨My Thoughts✨

Although I find the idea of "self coupling" a bit odd, I did like the twist on the typical romance novel. I liked that the novel wasn't just about loving another person, but also loving yourself.

This novel was by no means a happy romance novel, but Josie Silver's novels rarely are. The book covered a myriad of topics from death to marital problems to discovering a calling in life. I liked that there was substance to the novel. It made both the characters and the storyline more relatable.

Lastly, the setting of Salvation island was just idyllic. I loved hearing about Wailing Hill, the local pub, knitting club, and the cozy lodge they rented. It made me want to jump on a ship to visit the small secluded island.

Thank you to @netgalley and @josiesilverauthor for the ARC of One Night on the Island. Grab your copy on February 22!

What is it with these cute books making me cry 😭

Thank you @randomhouse for this @netgalley arc of One Night on the Island!

I was so excited to get approved for this book; I’ve loved all of Josie Silver’s books and definitely should have expected parts of this to be tear-jerkers. This one isn’t nearly as heartbreaking as The Two Lives of Lydia Bird, but it definitely has its moments. It’s continuously bittersweet and funny, a perfect blend of coincidence and charm.

When Cleo arrives at the isolated one-room cabin on the even more isolated Salvation Island, she’s planning on a few weeks of solitude, to reconnect with and “marry” herself for an article in the column she writes for work. The Irish island is quaint and quiet, the polar opposite of her life in London. She’s turning 30, single, and wants to prove to herself as well as everyone else that she’s perfectly okay with that.

But when she enters the cabin, she finds it already occupied - by a man named Mac who has traveled all the way from America in the hopes of finding his roots and coming to terms with his crumbling home life.

The cabin has been double-booked - and with the lone way on or off the island being the boat that comes only once a week, and the permanent residents of the island not equipped for guests - they each have one week to convince the other that they need the cabin more.

But in the meantime, a begrudging truce is struck - Cleo will stay on her side, and Mac on his (they even have a chalk line), with nightly meals and conversations had at the kitchen table. And the two unlikely roommates begin to find that each may be just what the other needs.

I loved this book! Cleo and Mack were both likable, relatable, and complex characters and you really rooted for their relationship! The island itself felt like just as important, and just as rich, a character as the two human protagonists. And, as a bonus, the other island residents were also lovely, well-drawn characters and their storylines felt important too! The book made me want to take a trip to a secluded cabin and curl up with other great books!

Oh my gosh! I loved this so much! The writing was sparkling, and the romance was a slow burn that hit the mark. I’ll read any books by this author, even if it’s just her grocery list.

DNF @ 54%

I feel badly saying that I did not finish this book, but there were a few things that did not work for me. I thought Cleo’s “self marriage” concept was a little cheesy and cringeworthy. I enjoyed Mack’s character and his backstory, but for a character that is supposed to be American, I had a hard time picturing him in that way. I’ve enjoyed Josie Silver’s other books, but this one was just off for me.

I was very excited to be given the opportunity to read One Night on the Island by Josie Silver as I have enjoyed her books in the past. After indulging in a few chapters, it was evident that One Night on the Island was not like other rom-coms. The story follows Cleo-single and turning thirty- and Mack- American, married with kids. While both Mack and Cleo had their own reasons to be on this remote island I was interested to see where each of their paths would take them as individuals and together. . One Night on the Island is an emotional story of inspiration and growth while also bringing the perfect amount of comedy to an uncomfortable situation. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I first fell in love with Josie Silver’s debut, One Day in December, and now, I have a new Josie Silver favorite to add to the list with One Night on the Island. This book follows Cleo’s journey of self discover as she leaves her London life behind and moves to a small rock of an island off the Irish Coast, called Salvation. As with all good romances, Mack, an American from Boston, also shows up to the island in search of a place to find himself. When both Cleo and Mack are forced to stay at the same idyllic lodge right by the sea, sparks start to fly but both owe it to themselves to remember just why they came to Salvation in the first place. This book reads as a love letter to embracing your own self worth while also allowing yourself to fall in love, not just romantically but with those willing to open their arms and hearts to you. I loved every single character in this book and got completely lost in the romantic idea of finding yourself on a beautiful remote island. I highly recommend this book and look forward to anything Josie Silver writes in the future!

This was only a three-star read for me, and I think it's because I found the central romance distasteful because the hero was still married.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Cleo, a 29 year old aspiring writer from London and Mack, a thirty-something photographer, trying to figure out what’s next for him, both end up double-booked in a cabin on remote Salvation Island.

Normally, it would be easy to find alternate accommodations, but not here. This is the only cabin that is available to tourists. So Mack & Cleo grudgingly agree to reside together, counting down the days until the other will leave.

As time goes on, Cleo & Mack start to enjoy each other’s company & the company of Salvation Island. As Cleo is here for work, she finds herself enamored with the remoteness of the rugged island, and her boss also is enjoying the work Cleo is sending home. But, all good things must come to an end, or do they?

My thoughts:
Gahhhh this book! This is my first Josie Silver book & I will admit it was a little slow-going at first. But once the storyline started to develop, wow. Such a beautifully written story. Highly recommend.

I was really touched by this novel. I love Josie Silver and was so stoked about the plot of this new book. It was fantastic.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This will be one of my favorite reads of 2021. For starters, Silver's writing is impeccable. She draws you into the story and I found myself re-reading certain parts because her words were so perfect.

I adored this story. I loved Cleo and Mack and the forced proximity trope. Both characters are flawed, with detailed backstories to help us understand more of who they are now. The island of Salvation and its inhabitants worked their way quickly into your heart. This book is not a light romance, but an emotional and at times heavy read, that still managed to make me laugh.

In my opinion, this is Silver's best book yet!

Fans of Jojo Moyes "Me Before You" trilogy will love this journey of self love and discovery.

Cleo is almost 30 years old and burnt out on London's dating scene. Her boss decides to send Cleo to the secluded Irish island called Salvation so that for her 30th birthday, Cleo can have a conscious 'self-coupling' and marry herself. More to placate her boss than anything, Cleo makes the journey. She writes a bucket list of things to do leading to her birthday and hypes herself up that this is her moment to really find herself.
Mack is a dad in his early thirties who escapes to his distant relatives cabin on Salvation Island to create some distance, as requested by his estranged wife. He's missing his kids and still hoping, almost a year later, for reconciliation. He's brought his camera along to capture the island his grandmother told him stories of as a boy.

Through a scheduling snafu and inclement weather, Cleo and Mack are forced to share a cabin for the foreseeable future. Frustration eventually turns to cautious pleasantry, before moving to an all consuming fever pitch. Cleo and Mack spend their time learning about Salvation Island, each other, and most importantly what they are looking for in the future.

I found Cleo very relatable as a 28 year old still wading through the dating pool. The growth in Cleo as a person throughout her time on Salvation makes your heart sing. She's strong, outspoken, and needing to fall in love with herself more than anyone else. As someone who dreams of moving to a small island and calling it home, this book was perfect for me. The dual perspectives really help you understand and root for both Cleo and Mack, together and in their personal journeys. I loved the way Mack captured life in his photographs, like he's trying to pull you into the moment itself.
The storyline is easy to follow and though the beginning takes place over just a couple weeks, it feels like we've known Mack and Cleo forever by the time you reach the end of their story.


"To beginnings, and to inevitable ends."


You'll love this book if you enjoy enemies to lovers (well, enemies to friends-ish to lovers), charismatic main characters, small town feels and Hans Solo looking love interests.

Thank you to Ballantine and Net Galley for the arc. This is my voluntary review.

4/5
🌶🌶🌶🌶/5

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. I had high hopes - but alas, the characters and the plot just did not grab me in any way.

Cleo Wilder is a dating columnist for a British magazine, approaching her 30th birthday and trying to sort out her love life and her career. When her editor plans a solo retreat for her in a luxury cabin on remote Irish island, Cleo heads out of London to hunker down. Things don't go as planned when Cleo and a man name Mack, also heading to the island for some soul-searching, realize that the cabin is double booked and they have to figure out how to co-habit the one room space for a week until the next ferry arrives. At first, there is much animosity between the two, but as the days go by, they no longer seem to mind each other’s company as much as they thought they would and a romance starts to evolve.

I wish I liked this book more than I actually did, but the characters had very little chemistry. The supporting characters who live on the island were lots of fun, but I never quite felt like they all "gelled" with each other. Overall, Silver is an engaging writer, but this one fell flat for me.

This is a contemporary romance between two complete strangers. She has been searching for love and unable to find forever. He is married with kids but his marriage is falling apart - he and his wife are separated. The writing is great, the story is fine, the setting is unique and interesting. For some reason I did not care for either of the main characters - they did not like each other at all in the beginning - and the plot was a little too slow for me. However, I’m sure other readers will find it charming. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to read and review.

LOVE the One Night on the Island! I loved the idea of "marrying yourself" because we are all worthy of being as committed to ourselves as we are to others. This was a beautiful storyline about taking care of yourself, prioritizing what you need, and then being able to take care of others. This had me thinking deeper about how I take care of myself.

Cleo is a relatable twenty somethings feeling the pressure of age in her dating life and career. Mack also gives us a truly relatable look at life in your thirties as his marriage crumbles and he navigates fatherhood through that. They come together for a romance that is a bit far fetched and sudden. Although the romance aspect of this book was a head scratcher for me- the friendships Cleo formed on Salvation Island were everything! The community that welcomed her with open arms and sweetly and softly allowed her to discover herself was heartwarming. Reading through Cleo revaluate her career, friendships, and relationships as she opened up to this group of strong women was nothing short of inspiring!