Oh my… my poor heart… my delved heart bleeds… Ms. Silver’s perfectly chosen words like ripped my heart apart ! I cried! I literally howled! I stopped reading a few times to check my emotional state: was I doing okay? Was I able to finish a chapter without hiccup-choking-sighing ritual? Absolutely I wasn’t!

Ms. Silver created a big winner: the main characters who are genuine, flawed, broken but resilient, determined, lost but strong enough to pick up the broken pieces to stand up and draw a new canvas of their life stories!

Dating column writing Cleo feels lost in her own life: she’s youngest member of her family, considered as little baby sister, never having a chance to know her father, dreaming of finishing to write a novel, suffering from the mistakes at her love life is ready to marry with herself. At least her insistent editor pushes to challenge her lifestyle ( of course she also inspired by Emma Watson’s self marriage decision) So she finds herself running away from her crowded and protective family’s surprise birthday party plans, her so-called, demanding and selfish London friends, leaving for her self- couple ceremony and apply each entries at her bucket list on a remote island called Salvation. So poetic, isn’t it?

But she wishes her self- couple-moon holiday isn’t sabotaged by charismatic, brooding American in big read coat and ridiculous head torch who insists to stay at the same room with her. Actually he thinks that’s his reserved room and he’s playing “ I’m related with manager and I came here to connect with my ancestors so I deserve more to be here than you” card!

But you may guess: both parties are too stubborn to leave and because of the weather conditions :the boats aren’t working as they’re scheduled. So they’re trapped in a place they came for different reasons.

Let’s hear out about Mack more: he left his estranged wife and two boys he adored in Boston, missing them a lot, trying to gather the pieces of his broken family life without making mistakes his father did. He’s a gifted photographer, looking like Han Solo, struggling to find balance between the attraction he feels for the unconventional, exceptional woman he shares the room by drawing chalk lines and being faithful to his wife who thinks she’s not happy with him anymore.

This is not a traditional, foreseeable romcom with full of cliches. The emotions are raw and so real. The complex characterization of Mack and Cleo helps you to empathize with their predicaments, reasonings, hesitations so easily.

That’s why I was about to blow up! There was so much angst. You’re easily shaken. As you see the true colors of the characters, you adore their honesty. Especially the conclusion was unusual and amazing!

I loved Cleo, Mack! I loved their individual journeys of self- discovery and I loved their unfinished love story!

And let’s not forget: those vivid, sassy, smart, entertaining supporting characters, yes I’m talking about island’s knitting girls group! Do they remind of us the group of powerful women at Winona Ryder’s “How to make an American Quilt” played by fantastic Ellen Burstyn, Anne Bancroft, Louis Smith. Sassy, sarcastic Delta, logical, mature Dolores, blue haired- straightforward, hilarious Ailsa ( yes, she’s my favorite), friendly Brianne, peacemaker Erin, snarky-the oldest- erotic romance author Carmen: those girls stole the show! They were AMAZING!

That’s one of the books rock your world, transforming you, shaping you, ripping a unique piece from your heart.

When you finish you think about the characters, their stories, their challenges which resonate with your own lives. In my opinion, this is the best work of the author which highly deserved more than my five years, sentimental, beautiful, angsty stars!

As I listen to Springsteen’s Thunder Road for the third time, I’m finally ending my review!
“Oh-oh come take my hand
We're riding out tonight to case the promised land
Oh-oh Thunder Road oh Thunder Road oh Thunder Road”

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/ Ballantine Books for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

One Night on the Island by Josie Silver is an excellent contemporary romance that is truly heartfelt, entertaining, and just honesty wonderful from beginning to end.

I have loved every book that I have read so far from Ms. Silver, and this is a great addition. Cleo and Mack are the perfect combination of troubled souls looking for their place and purpose in life…being brought together in surprising circumstances of miscommunication…opposites attract…enemies turning to friends turning to romance….it was just spot on. The connection…the progression…the chemistry….beyond excellent.

And let’s talk about the picturesque location…Salvation Island…remote, ideal, wild, wonderful, and full of life and a great collection of inhabitants. Such a gorgeous backdrop to a romantic story about finding love and finding yourself in the process.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Random House/Ballantine for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.