I really liked this. It was more emotional than I was expecting and that was a pleasant surprise. It was compelling and I easily finished it in a day. Some things I noticed were that it was maybe a. little too realistic. I usually like some level of escapism and because Mack was married, it felt a little distressed by the situation, like maybe he should go back home and fix that first. But overall, I think any book that makes you emotional and elicits thoughtful thinking in additional to the romance is a book worth reading.

I finished One Night on the Island the other day and I’m having quite a difficult time not just starting over and diving right back into the world of Salvation Island, Otter Lodge, Cleo, Mack, & the island community. What a book! I have not been so transported or so moved by a story in a while (& I read relentlessly).

Josie Silver is a master of words, her descriptions are beautiful and soul deep. The pictures she paints with words are so vivid that they feel real and tangible. I want to open my eyes and live among these people!

I loved the way that this loving and romantic story also holds all the weight of heartache & sorrow (loneliness, marriage separation, single parenthood, loss), making the beauty and joy of found friendship and love all the more precious. The descriptions of Slànú are magical and make me want to pack a bag and find refuge on an Irish island STAT. Slànú reminded me of the remote areas of the Dingle Peninsula or the sea air at the Cliffs of Moher. I want to crawl into these pages and stay awhile at Otter Lodge.

This book is a solid 5 star read for me! It’s messy and beautiful, heartbreaking and heart-mending. I pre-ordered a copy for myself the second I was done (along with a copy of One Day in December which was already on my TBR list). I can’t wait to read it again … and probably again and again.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for the early access to this book! I can’t wait for pub day! Mark your calendars for 2.15.22!

Cleo is a writer for a women’s magazine in London and is about to turn 30. Her editor gives her an assignment to ‘self-couple’ or marries herself on a remote island in Ireland. Mack is a photographer from Boston who comes to the island to learn more about his heritage and spend some time apart from his estranged wife. He desperately misses his two sons and is heartbroken over his marriage imploding. There has been a reservation mixup, and both are forced to share a small cabin with one bed.

This story begins as enemies to friends to lovers, with a lot of forced proximity, but don't be fooled into thinking this will be like any other romance or rom-com book. This story focused more on personal issues and struggling to accept how life has veered around for each character—embracing the changes and moving forward in a new direction when all they want is to be where they are.

I enjoyed the premise, and the first few chapters hooked me. I loved Mac’s story and his growth more than Cleo’s, if I'm being honest. The ending was realistic. It was a hea but not in the way I expected, and I liked that.

Thank you, NetGalley, and publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

Cleo and Mack both arrive to Salvation Island for completely different reasons. Cleo is a dating columnist whose boss from London insists she goes to the island for some inspiration as she turns 30. Mack is a photographer from Boston whose life is crumbling back home. They both arrive to Otter Lodge and think they will be alone. But instead, they learn it's double booked and neither one is willing to budge. With tropes including forced proximity and enemies to lovers, I was completely swept up in this unique storyline and setting.⠀
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I loved being a part of both Cleo and Mack's journey. What started off as being an escape from reality turned into a place where they both felt like they belonged. They found comfort not only from each other, but also from the island itself. This book heavily focused on self-discovery and character development. The author wrote such a beautiful description of the island. It felt almost magical and the close knit community gave a feeling of being home.⠀
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It's been a while since a book has made me cry, but there was one part where I broke down. I felt very attached to both characters and their relationship. Some of my favorite scenes were when Mack and Cleo really opened up to each other and shared "three things" about themselves.⠀
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This book will be released on February 15, 2022. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.⠀
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Josie Silver is always an immediate buy for me, and One Night on the Island is no exception. Add in one room, one bed, enemies to lovers, and the Irish countryside?!? I couldn't request this fast enough!!

While I was immediately swept up in Mack and Cleo's amazing chemistry (I literally JUMPED out of my chair with glee when The Chalk Line fell), I know my real joy, and the reason I'm still sporting this huge book-hangover, came from meeting and falling in love with Salvation and its people. The vivid imagery brought me home to Ireland, where Mack and I share a common heritage and culture, and it was clear from the first note on the door that the island was the exact right community for Cleo to both find a family and herself. Each character who came into the picture was painted and crafted with such care that I could feel their support and love as clearly as if were at my own door, birthday cake and knitting needles in tow.

It's not too often that you can find a coming of age story for the thirty, flirty, and thriving crowd, but One Night on the Island delivers just that. With enormous amounts of heart, heartbreak, gorgeous writing, and all versions of love, I absolutely recommend this book. I know I'll be returning to Salvation again and again.

May the road rise up to meet you, and may the wind be always at your back...

When Cleo goes of a “30th Birthday, Self-Marriage” holiday, she ends up sharing a cabin with an American photographer tracing his roots, Mack. While both are working on their own goals, they find comfort in the other. But their agreement for a holiday romance must eventually come to an end. I mean you can’t just stay on vacation…can you,

3/5 stars: honestly, I wanted to like this book so much more than I did! I loved the premise of Cleo finding her new identify, but I wasn’t really a fan of Mack’s storyline (and lack of Cleo level growth), and just couldn’t stay gripped to the storyline. I can see how this was some people’s cup of tea, but I guess I’m more a coffee person at the end of the day.

Cleo and Mack are both facing some personal and professional challenges, and for different reasons, these two strangers book a storybook vacation cottage on a remote Irish island. The problem is, they've been accidentally booked at the exact same time, there are no other accommodations on the island, and the ferry back to the mainland only runs about once a week. Can they get along until then? Or will they do more than just get along? This is a charming romantic comedy with lots of appeal. I look forward to recommending it.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and opinion. This is my first Josie Silver book and let me just say it was so well written. The writing was amazing and the she did a great job with the characters as they were funny and loveable. Everything in this book felt like real life however I must warn you -- it's a tear jerker! I found myself with tears rolling down my face multiple times.
I highly recommend this and can't wait to read more by this author.

Never have I ever so wanted to trade lives with a character in a book - transport me to the Irish island of Salvation, because I am ready for dolphin-watching, a cozy cabin on the sea, and a holiday romance with a Han Solo look alike ;).
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One Night on the Island gets a solid 3.5 stars from me. I loved the beginning and was immediately intrigued, and I also loved the end, satisfied with how the story wrapped up. The middle of the book was slow and left me wanting, and was the main reason it took me almost a month to read this novel. I know Josie Silver often writes slow builds, so I wasn't particularly surprised, more that my mood was dampened a bit because of how exciting the beginning is.
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Overall, this is a very well-written and endearing story and I love the central themes of self-love, perseverance, slowing down, and enjoying the most simple things in life like tending a fire or watching the sunrise. The character development is spot on - and while I found Cleo a weeeee bit annoying, she redeemed herself in the end. Mack could absolutely be one of my new book boyfriends ;).
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One Night on the Island publishes on February 15th, 2022. Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s hard to bill this book as a pure romance… it’s more about self-discovery and finding love within yourself.

Cleo is journalist for a women’s magazine and is about to turn 30. Her editor gives her an assignment to marry herself on a remote island in Ireland, leaving her London lifestyle behind for a few weeks. Mack is a photographer who comes to the island to connect with his heritage, and to spend some time apart from his estranged wife. He desperately misses his two sons, and is heartbroken over his marriage. There has been a reservation issue, and both are forced to share a small cabin with one bed. This really begins as enemies to friends to lovers, with a lot of forced proximity.

One word of caution: if you’ve read other reviews, you might have seen that some reviewers believe that Mack is cheating. He has been separated from his wife for a year, and Mack finds out while on the island that she has been in another relationship for 5 months. In my opinion, it isn’t cheating - but your mileage may vary.

Things I loved about this book:
💕 the writing. Josie Silver has a simply stunning way with words, and she brings the island to life completely.
💕 the villagers. Salvation Island is magical because of the warmth of the people.
💕 Cleo. Although this book is dual-POV with Mack and Cleo alternating (which I love), this is really about Cleo’s personal growth, and I adored her as a heroine.

Don’t read this expecting your typical romance… but read this if you are craving a lyrical journey of a woman discovering self-love and romantic love, becoming who she was always meant to be.

“Make yourself some promises. Tell the wind your secrets and the ocean your dreams.”

Thanks to @netgalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC. The book comes out on February 15, 2022 - mark your calendars.

Cleo is a dating columnist that is about to turn 30. there is no happily ever after on her horizon so when her magazine sends her to a remote island off of Ireland to marry herself she figures what does she have to lose. Mac's life is falling apart, his wife no longer wants him but he doesn't want to not be a part of his son's life. He travels to Salvation to see the land of his bedtime stories, work on a project, and try to figure out what is next. What neither expects is to be sharing a cottage on a beach with no where to go. It might not be what they expected but what if it is exactly what they need? Could not put this down!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC and opportunity to read and review this book.
Josie Silver has created a novel that you won’t be able to put down. For the first time ever I had to stop 70% in to write an update in Goodreads about how amazing the book was. The writing is beautiful, the characters are incredibly likable, the backdrop description is amazing, and you probably cannot read this book without crying because of the tenderness of the story. There are multiple strong female characters, and the lovable men in their lives, that provide so much depth. Self discovery, true love won and lost, friendship, and family are woven throughout. This story will stay with me and a copy of the book will definitely sit on my shelf for a reread after publication. You need to read this book if you love fiction in general. Put it on your TBR list and add it to your book cart for March. I can see movie potential here.

Rating: 4.75/5
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Women’s Fiction
Warnings: Divorce, loss of a parent
Read if you liked: After I Do or Two Lives of Lydia Bird
Steam: 2/5
Tropes: Holiday Romance, Slow Burn, Forced Proximity, Sad Romance

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. One Night on the Island will be released on Feb. 15, 2022.
Like After I Do and the Two Lives of Lydia Bird, I would consider this book more of a sad romance with a side of women’s fiction. These stories are at their core, women’s stories of growth and self-love with a romance. This one does have a bit more of a romance, but it has a HFN (happy for now) ending which I love…it feels so honest and real. You see the messiness of the human experience in this book.

Things I loved: Meet cute, so much forced proximity…literal chalk in the middle of the room. Theme of second chances and loving who you are. The knitting group and the community of characters. First kiss, three things. Micro-level love and I don’t regret you. The photo album and all the photos. The gallery moment, I felt for Susie. The notation that you can love someone and still not be meant to be with them. The growth of these two characters. How much Mack loved his boys. How much Salvation Island was literally salvation for so many people. The loss of life and birth on the same day is such a beautiful, melancholy part of life.

Things I didn’t care for: I wanted more from the ending, it did feel a bit rushed but honestly I just wanted to keep reading this book.

Pre-Order, mark on your TBR or request at your local library…I adored this book and can’t wait to own it!

I don't even know where to begin with this review. I fell in love with Josie Silver's writing when I read her debut novel, One Day in December. There is something about the way she writes her characters that makes them so real and their feelings so raw.

I was so excited to get approved to read One Night on the Island and I should've known that in typical Josie Silver fashion I would be leaving the book in tears. What I thought would be a fun, romcom, was actually so much more.

Cleo, an almost-30-year-old dating columnist from London finds herself spiraling as she rapidly approaches her 30th birthday. Her boss sends her on a trip to Salvation Island to essentially self-couple and marry herself. On her way to the island, she ends up on the same boat as Mack, a photographer from Boston who recently separated from his wife and comes to Salvation Island to find his roots and figure out his next steps forward. After a mishap of double booking, these two end up staying at Otters Lodge. Of course feelings and tensions are running high, after starting off on the wrong foot, but slowly, the two develop a sense of rhythm and peace on Salvation Island.

This book hit me way more than I expected it to. It made me laugh, it made me cry (several times), and I found myself connecting with Cleo in so many ways. It was comforting to see so many of my own thoughts and feelings reflected in Cleo's journey, and I loved that Cleo found strength within herself and not a man. I also loved that this was a love story not only about the relationship between two people but also about relationships with ourselves, friends, and family.

The residents of Salvation Island made me want to climb into the book and hangout with them at Salvation Arms. I wanted to laugh with Delta, knit with the whole group, drink with Raff, get a piggy-back ride from Cam. This book was like coming home in a way I didn't think was possible.

I recommend this book with my whole heart and can't wait for a physical copy so I can reread my favorite scenes. Thank you so much to Netgalley, Josie Silver, and Random House for the opportunity to read an earc of this early.

This book is just darling. I devoured it in less than 48 hours.
SPOILER ALERT: This book is about two people that meet by (bad?) luck, or rather, fate. Their lives are changed forever when they are accidently booked into the same vacation rental. This book wasn't one of those happily ever after books, where everything works out perfectly for two strangers that met in the most bizarre encounter. In fact, that is why i dont usually love a romance story - it is usually too unrealistic, too much of a perfect ending that usually has me rolling my eyes. Not this one! This story was so well done. When Mack left on the boat to go back to his children, i welled up with tears. I felt their emotional connection in my core and became so attached to these flawed yet real characters. The author hit on being on the verge of 30 and trying to figure out your place in the world and acceptance that your path may be different than others (single, rather than married with kids, etc).

I cant say enough great things about this story - it will stay with me for a while. I loved One Day in December and did not think this one would top it- it definitely did! I will be purchasing Lydia Bird immediately!

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publisher and Josie Silver for the advanced copy. LOVED!

First I want to say thank you for the publisher and netgalley for an and saved copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a DNF for me. The book started out interesting, Cleo was a great main character who goes in a solo trip to marry herself for her 30th birthday. When she gets to the cabin, she discovers Mack will be staying there as well.

The plot took too long to progress for me, they have zero relationship the whole first half of the book then they can’t take their hands off each other once you get halfway through. Their relationship was not realistic at all and just bored me.

I did enjoy the supporting characters in the town. They were developed well and were funny to read about.

This is my second book by Josie Silver and I think this just may be an author that isn’t for me.

This funny and heartwarming book has an endearing combo of fun and likable characters and enchanting sense of place. I couldn’t stop daydreaming about visiting the remote island and cozy cabins. The plot is fast-paced and still touches on deep issues and moving character development. This book is an absolute gem!

Thank you to Net Galley and Ballantine Books for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I thought One Night on the Island would be a meet cute/rom-com but it turned out to be more.
Cleo is a columnist from the UK. She goes to Salvation Island to marry herself for her 30th birthday. Mack comes to the Island to photograph and re-discover his ancestry. Due to a mix up, the both of them end up staying at Otter Lodge which is one big room that has a bed, couch, kitchen and bathroom. I loved the quirky community of Salvation Island. What an enjoyable read. Thank You NetGalley and Penguin Random House. This is my own opinion.

This is my first book by Josie Silver and I’m not quite sure what took me so long, but I need to immediately pick up her other books.

This book is messy, complicated and unsettling. But also beautiful and lovely. I’ve had so many conflicting emotions in this book. If you’re looking for a light romcom read this is NOT it. If you’re looking for a complicated romance adjacent book that portrays a realistic scenario, than this is your book.

I absolutely loved it and haven’t stopped thinking about it.

In full disclosure, the guy is married. Separated, but married. I have a feeling people are going to rip that apart and hate this book because of it. But I think that’s the point of this book. Love doesn’t always look like you imagine it.

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Have you ever read a book that gently, quietly wraps itself around your heart? Rare indeed…and this was one of those reads!

Cleo writes for a popular British magazine detailing her search for her flamingo. The one love certain to last a lifetime.

Have you found your flamingo?

As you may have guessed, she’s been rather unsuccessful in love. So with the backing of her magazine, she’s off to a remote island…not to find love but to “marry herself”.

But life might have other plans for her.
After a cold and miserable boat ride with a surly American, Cleo finally arrives at the remote Salvation Island. There she discovers both she and the American, Mack are booked into the only lodging on the entire island. Great! Now with no way off the island for at least a week it’s up to them to figure out how to make it all work under one roof.

Is it possible to fall just a little in love….Micro-love❣️

This book started off slowly for me. But before I knew it, I suddenly fell in love with this sweet romance. The island is magical and certainly somewhere I would love to lose myself in. The cast of characters who inhabit this remote, mystical place was amazing. I felt as though I were right there in the pub with the entire village, being warmly welcomed as though I were one of them.

This book will always hold a….Sliver of my heart♥️

The romance was slow and sweet with the perfect ending that fit the book so well. This is my third read by this author, and once again she has blown me away with her unique ability to touch my heart and leave me in tears by the end of the book.

A buddy read with Susanne.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine.