I love Josie Silver but this book didnt do anything for me. The characters were not very likeable. I had high hopes for this book but couldnt even finish it.

Thank you to Netgalley for letting me receive an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This is my first Josie Silver book and let me just say it was beautiful. The writing was amazing and the characters were so funny. I didn’t see this book to be so deep but it really was I wouldn’t really call this a regular rom com. Everything was so real and overall was just a tear jerker. I don’t want to spoil so I won’t, I just hope everyone marks this on their tbr and reads it for when it comes out on February 15!

One Night on the Island feels like it so badly wants to be its predecessor, it has even nicked its naming convention, however it falls short. On the plus side, Silver’s writing has matured, with complex characters and detailed descriptions that come alive off the page. If I were solely to judge this book on its ability to transport readers to the rural, sparsely inhabited island off the coast of Ireland, to feel the misty morning chill in your lungs, hear the crackle of a log fire as you sit wrapped in a woolen blanket, I’d say it’s a real winner. And that’s no small feat. But as a romance? And a story about a woman reevaluating her life, priorities, etc, as she turns thirty? It didn’t really work for me. The cusp of thirty hook really caught my attention because I just turned thirty myself, but this wasn’t relatable in the way I expected. It doesn’t come across as a millennial update of Nicholas Sparks, it feels like regular Sparks, but without the same emotional stakes. Which is to say, dated and dry, too atmospheric. I found myself skimming through much of the detail, the dull pontifications of the characters as they perambulate. It’s tough to really place my finger on, the reason this didn’t connect for me, but if I had to point to one thing, it would be that despite the cute device of the three confessions or “this I believe” exercises, both characters were flat. And I don’t think that’s down to bad writing, hence the three stars. No, the writing, as I said, is quite good. It’s the choice of characters in combination with the setting and tone that I think was wrong for a ‘holiday romance’ novel, because two depressed people on a dismal, remote island, told with such realism, makes for a dreary slog of a read. Had any of those elements been changed— one character is depressed, seeking an escape or to ‘find herself’, while the other is an overachieving, enthusiastic artist who will stop at nothing to get new photos for his next show, then I’m interested. Or these same two depressed/longing/flailing characters wind up in Los Angeles or Ibiza, somewhere bright and poppy. Anything that would’ve broken up the dour mood that overshadows the romance altogether.
But all of that aside, I think loads of people will like this book, particularly older readers. It’s not overly flowery or ‘chick lit’-y and it will make you feel as though you’ve taken your own remote sabbatical.

One Night on the Island by Josie Silver will take everything you think you know about a romance book and turn it on its head in the best possible way.

Londonite, Cleo is sent away to a remote island off the coast of Ireland to reconnect with herself and write some articles for her online blog about a 'self-commitment' ceremony. She's expecting to spend some time alone, but discovers that the remote beach cabin her boss rented out for her is accidentally rented to Mack Sullivan at the exact same time. Mack, seeking time away from his strained family life in Boston, is equally surprised that he has to share his lodging with Cleo and neither of the two are willing to leave early. Holed up in chilly Otter Lodge, the two discover that Salvation Island, and all of its Irish inhabitants, might just be the secret to thawing the tension between them.

I am a sucker for forced proximity romances and this was the creme de la creme - Josie Silver crafted a unique and touching love story for Mack and Cleo that showed how important it is to truly love yourself before you can love someone else. The other inhabitants of Salvation Island - Delta, Dolores, Raff, and Aisle - are my neighbor envy and the perfect characters to help guide Cleo and Mack on their various journeys. The island itself was described so beautifully and I could picture myself walking the shore or sipping coffee on the front porch of Otter Lodge.

I was a little skeptical about this book after not particularly enjoying The Two Lives of Lydia Bird, but this blew my expectations out of the water. I wish I could go back and re-read this as if it was the first time - highly recommend for those looking for a story about self-discovery sprinkled with some romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars - ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for allowing me to read and review this title! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

One Night on the Island is about Cleo, a turning thirty dating columnist is given the chance to take a remote vacation retreat in Ireland. But so is Mark. Mark is from Boston and is looking to soul-search and find some alone time on the island. When Cleo and Mark arrive at the cabin thinking they'll spend some time alone to figure their lives out, they are surprised to find the booking for the cabin was glitched. Though they are at odds at first, a couple of days pass and they realize that maybe the other is not so bad to be around.

After reading The Two Lives of Lydia Bird and One Day in December, I knew I would love One Night on the Island. Josie Silver has quickly become an author I look out for and pre-order instantly. I love her writing and development of realistic characters who tug at your heart-strings. The story is well-written, warm, and bittersweet. I enjoyed reading both Mark and Cleo's POVs. Josie Silver just knows how to hit you in the feels and capture your attention from the first page to the very last word.

I am looking forward to reading all future books from Josie Silver.

5 stars!

Cleo and Mack find out they are both given the same cabin on the island.I should say the only cabin available on the island, and neither one is willing to give it to the other one. Both have their reasons for coming to the isolated Irish island, and both find what they are looking for on the island. I really enjoyed this one and found it hard to put down. Good back and forth of their thoughts. Would highly recommend.

There was something so magical about this book. Based on the description and the cover I thought I knew exactly how it was gonna go. Forced proximity —> couple up ->third act break up —> declaration of love. This book is so much more than that.

One Night on the Island is about a British woman and an American man who, due to a miscommunication, end up stuck sharing a studio cottage on a remote Irish island. There is romance, but the book is more about how someone new entering your life can help you change your course and find happiness for yourself. Both Cleo and Mack were in ruts in their lives and this book is about their individual journeys to happiness.

The writing in this book is amazing. I was bookmarking pages left and right.

Cleo’s inner conflict about not liking the life she built for herself in London, even though it was her dream life, if very relatable. She finds such peace on Salvation, and truly thrives as a member of the community. I’d love to live in a community like that.

Very sweet! I really enjoyed the ending in particular but cannot sat exactly why without spoilers. Also, big Springsteen fan here so I loved the mentions of him.

This was sooo cute! I melted into this for a whole weekend and it was heaven. So emotional!! I laughed, I cried, I swooned. Loved the setting and loved the forced proximity trope, it worked really well here. Mack is perfect, I’m obsessed with him. I thought this was an ideal fall read… and my first (but not last) Josie Silver!

This book was pretty enjoyable overall. I liked the concept of the Cleo going to the island for her column to marry herself and the tie-in to commentary on celeb culture. Mack was a great character. He is well written and the has an interesting backstory that is very realistic. Definitely recommend!

When I saw Josie Silver wrote another book, I had to jump on grabbing a copy. Thank you Netgalley for my ARC :) This book has me craving cozy nights in front of a fireplace, hot chocolate and my hubby besides me. I fell in love with all of the characters- Cleo, Mack, and the whole town! This book is about a woman who goes on a 3 month long "vacation" to find herself. What comes next will shock her! Really cute book, a little predictable but I enjoyed it.

Josie Silver delivers another emotional, satisfying, unexpected love story. Cleo is a British woman who is about to turn 30. She writes a dating column for a well known British magazine and is pushed by her editor to go to a rough, cold, isolated island to conduct a 'self-marriage' ceremony which is a gimmicky, trendy celebrity touted 'event.' She is reluctant but finds it hard to go against her editor/friend. She finds herself in the well known trope - "There is only one bed' - this time there is only one cabin (and one bed, but hey, there's a sofa) - unhappily sharing space with Bostonian photographer Mac. Mac has his own baggage (he's separated, loves his wife and misses his two kids). The boat only comes once a week and not when the weather's bad, so "ONE NIGHT" turns into more than one night. They are completely at odds.
So that's the set up. The relationship they build is a little befuddling - sort of instant flop from enemies to lovers. A holiday romance? perhaps. Isolation is good for both of them, but clarity comes more when they are apart.
I enjoy the complex characters that Silver creates. I enjoy tangled, grey area chick-lit. Her description of Otter Cottage and Salvation Island are mesmerizing and the side characters are charming and equally multi-dimensional.
A solid read and perfect rec for those that enjoyed Silver's previous books, as well as fans of Mhairi McFarlane, Sophie Cousins, Lia Louise (Dear Emmie Blue), and Beth O'Leary. (All of those Brit Chick-Lit goddesses!)
Thanks for the ARC!

I'm a bit torn on what to rate this one.

It's a fast paced, dual POV, single timeline contemporary romance about Cleo, a dating columnist for a major UK magazine, who is sent by her boss to a remote Irish island to "self couple" (basically "marry" oneself, or pledge self love) and celebrate her thirtieth birthday in solace and isolation. Upon arriving, she discovers that her one-room cabin is accidentally double booked with an American, Mack, who is on his own search for self reflection and identity amidst a crumbling marriage.

For starters, Silver is an excellent storyteller. I haven't read her previous works but based off how well crafted this is, she knows how to execute a brilliant story. The characters are well rounded and generally likeable - the FMC is very (understandably) rigid, crabby, and unlikeable in the beginning but softens into an empathetic, generous spirit once she's found her purpose in life.

It respectfully tackles the grey area of dating while separated but still legally married, and handles the moral conflict of unexpectedly falling in love with someone and hoping the estranged spouse will come back quite well without making the MMC seem selfish or manipulative.

It's a great story, I was hooked from the beginning and flew through this so fast, there will surely be die hard fans for this one. Personally, I felt the chemistry between the MCs was forced and I was more invested in their growth than their romance. I couldn't connect to the story and felt quite a few moments of indifference, as gripped as I was while reading.

Bottom line, it's a good book, just not one I'd reach for again.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / 5

Pub date: Feb 15, 2022

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For some reason, this book left me feeling melancholy. I can't articulate why, but maybe still seeing Mack's marriage break-up instead of just dealing with the aftermath. I will not be purchasing this for my library.

This was a good read! I didn't LOVE it, but I enjoyed reading it. I mostly really enjoyed the theme of a 29 going on 30 year old

Thank you to both #NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books for providing me an advance copy of Josie Silver’s romance novel, One Night on the Island, in exchange for an honest review.

I had been meaning to read a book written by Josie Silver since her debut novel, One Day in December, was released. While I still have yet to read it, #OneNightontheIsland provides some insight for what I should expect. Based on the reviews of the author’s first novel, however, I have a sneaking suspicion that #OneNightontheIsland is nowhere near as captivating or well-written. Although there were some passages that flickered with promise, I felt that even the sex scenes were passionless.

Basically, the author is a good enough storyteller to mildly intrigue me to the point of wanting to know how the novel ended, but the plot and characters were not interesting enough to force myself to read it on my own if it had not been for the purposes of a review. The best part in the novel occurs at approximately two-thirds of the way through when Cleo finds the hidden grotto and the execution of the self-marriage scene. Other than those two scenes though, I found it rather dull and somewhat depressing.

If you are looking for a novel that features romance or erotica, keep searching. If you are looking for a smattering of romance, lessons on learning to love yourself, and the disintegration of a marriage, then this book just may be your “Salvation.”

This book was a tough one for me to relate to. It moved a little slow in the beginning but the pace did pick up. There's some funny moments and beautiful descriptions of the location (I want to go to Salvation Island!) but the overall storyline and plight of the main character was hard for me to connect to.

First off I must say, as I approach thirty in the coming months, I related to Cleo so much.

One Night on the Island was a beautiful and magical story. This wasn’t just a story about finding “the one” but finding yourself. Learning to love and trust yourself.

Cleo and Mack arrive on an incredible island at the same time and are double booked at Otter Lodge. After many failed attempts of finding different lodging, they give in and accept the circumstances. I don’t want to give too much away because you need to read the story to understand just how amazing Salvation Island and all of its residents are. I laughed, I cried, and I hoped for happiness in all of the characters.

Truly though, this book will make you want to seek adventure, drink in a pub, make friends with strangers, find hidden caves, hold a self-coupling ceremony, and even take up knitting.

I almost wish the book had a different title, because they definitely spend more than just one night on the island. I think the only thing holding me back from a 5 star review is it was a little longer than I like a book to be, and I wished for a little more in the end.

Overall, I think people will love this one. Curl up with a good cup of coffee (or whisky), sit by a nice fire, and get ready for some good feels.

Huge thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Wow, what a beautiful book! I loved every minute of it and was so sad for it to come to an end. I loved both of Josie Silver's previous books and so I had high expectations going into this, but it truly exceeded all of them!


The story was really something special and the writing was exceptional. The setting was one of a kind and I found myself so enamored with Salvation Island and it's wonderful inhabitants. Cleo and Mack were so real - flawed, vulnerable, honest, determined, and strong. Their story was beautiful - absolutely heartbreaking at times but ultimately hopeful and inspiring. I really enjoyed reading about both of their stories, and of course how their lives intersected.

I wish I could go back in time and start this one all over again - I just loved it so much!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is really a fun read…entertaining…different…set in present time…not going back and forth in time periods…love that it does not do that…the main characters are ones we can relate to…looking for change…love…happiness…contentment…set on an isolated island…the boat comes once a week…just a book for an enjoyable afternoon…I liked this novel…I look forward to reading more from this author…this book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review..