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hales230's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The premise of this book is spectacular, classic romcom. Cleo writes a dating column, and her boss decides to send her on a "self-coupling" trip to a remote island off the coast of Ireland. She's a little skeptical, but figures it'll be a good time to relax and sort out her life a bit more, so she agrees. And yet, when she arrives at the little cabin on the very remote island that is somehow even more remote, there's another person there. Aha! A mix-up! Mack, a photographer from Boston, swears he was promised the cabin at the same time as her, and the ferry only comes once a week. And it's not like there's anywhere else on this island that they can stay. A perfect setting for a heartfelt romance.
I think my favorite part of this book was probably the setting, and the other folks on the island. It was so picturesque, it really felt like I was there. And I loved the cast of secondary characters. They really rounded out the story so well, and I loved that Cleo found her place with the women of the island. I always love when romances are a bit more than just the romance itself, and we get actual, developed secondary characters, and this book did a great job with that.
Where it lacks for me is honestly the romance itself. The forced proximity trope is well-executed, but Cleo and Mack just didn't work for me, and I can't quite put my finger on why exactly. This is one of those where I just truly couldn't see the couple lasting beyond the pages of the book. I think they would've existed in each other's lives for a reason -Mack to finally accept that his marriage is over, Cleo to finally understand that her life is her own, not what society tells her it needs to be.
It just didn't have that spark that I love in romance novels, and while I loved the setting and the cast of characters, the main plot just didn't work for me the way I wanted it to.
I think my favorite part of this book was probably the setting, and the other folks on the island. It was so picturesque, it really felt like I was there. And I loved the cast of secondary characters. They really rounded out the story so well, and I loved that Cleo found her place with the women of the island. I always love when romances are a bit more than just the romance itself, and we get actual, developed secondary characters, and this book did a great job with that.
Where it lacks for me is honestly the romance itself. The forced proximity trope is well-executed, but Cleo and Mack just didn't work for me, and I can't quite put my finger on why exactly. This is one of those where I just truly couldn't see the couple lasting beyond the pages of the book. I think they would've existed in each other's lives for a reason -
It just didn't have that spark that I love in romance novels, and while I loved the setting and the cast of characters, the main plot just didn't work for me the way I wanted it to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Death
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to netgalley and penguin UK books for the eARC of One Night on the Island by Josie Silver!
I was pulled in right away, and fell in love with the characters! The dialogue and teasing/flirty banter between Mack and Cleo was fantastic.
The character development was really well done, and I enjoyed seeing them grow throughout the book. There’s a little ✨spice✨ but it’s mostly fade to black after the first time together.
There is technically some infidelity in the book which I wasn’t a big fan of. The middle of the story was a bit up and down with maintaining my attention but overall it was a wonderful romance book!
I’d highly recommend especially if you enjoy:
🔥Slow burn
🛏One bed trope
👥Stuck together/forced proximity
🧳Holiday romance
Spice level: 🌶 (1/3)
Pub date: February 17
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent
theespressoedition's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
When I pick up a book written by Josie Silver, I'm almost always guaranteed a dose of sweet romance, heady laughter, and at least one moment of tears. One Night on the Island provided exactly that.
Similar to One Day in December, this book made me clench my teeth a bit at the beginning when I read that who I supposed was the love interest was indeed a married man. I was worried that there would be an uncomfortable amount of infidelity that was written to seem more glorified than it was as a cautionary tale. Instead of that being the case, the relationships were really well done. It felt realistic for a man struggling with his separation while still wanting to be in his kids' lives. So, I was able to anticipate where it was going and quickly reassure myself that this was going to be a wholesome tale.
Okay, so "wholesome" is maybe the wrong word because there was some truly perfectly-placed spice throughout this story! I appreciated the way the scenes weren't there for the sake of just being there, but they were necessary to elicit emotions as the story was read. They caused anxiety, embarrassment, and of course, there were a couple of swoony scenes too.
The location and the secondary characters played a huge part in what endeared me to the book. I mean, a small Irish island with a group of knitting "oddballs" who really take in all the strays. What's not to love? I want novellas or spin-off stories for every one of those incredible characters! I appreciated that the more that we got into the book, the more they appeared and the further we got to look into their lives.
I recently watched "A Castle for Christmas" and so many elements of that movie reminded me of this book - from the similar location, to the knitting group, to a writer looking for inspiration in where she's staying but finding love as well! If you've seen that movie and enjoyed it, you'll love this book. Also, this book has the "one bed" trope (or... one cabin? but essentially the same concept).
Speaking of looking for inspiration, I loved that the whole reason for Cleo visiting the island in the first place. Marrying herself might sound like a weird concept, but the self-love that was represented was truly inspiring for ME! And I love that she didn't just give up on that idea even though she "found a man" as well. So many books seem to just ditch the self-love mantra when the romance comes into play, but not this one!
Honestly, I could keep raving about this book, but I'm going to leave it at that and say read it ASAP!
Similar to One Day in December, this book made me clench my teeth a bit at the beginning when I read that who I supposed was the love interest was indeed a married man. I was worried that there would be an uncomfortable amount of infidelity that was written to seem more glorified than it was as a cautionary tale. Instead of that being the case, the relationships were really well done. It felt realistic for a man struggling with his separation while still wanting to be in his kids' lives. So, I was able to anticipate where it was going and quickly reassure myself that this was going to be a wholesome tale.
Okay, so "wholesome" is maybe the wrong word because there was some truly perfectly-placed spice throughout this story! I appreciated the way the scenes weren't there for the sake of just being there, but they were necessary to elicit emotions as the story was read. They caused anxiety, embarrassment, and of course, there were a couple of swoony scenes too.
The location and the secondary characters played a huge part in what endeared me to the book. I mean, a small Irish island with a group of knitting "oddballs" who really take in all the strays. What's not to love? I want novellas or spin-off stories for every one of those incredible characters! I appreciated that the more that we got into the book, the more they appeared and the further we got to look into their lives.
I recently watched "A Castle for Christmas" and so many elements of that movie reminded me of this book - from the similar location, to the knitting group, to a writer looking for inspiration in where she's staying but finding love as well! If you've seen that movie and enjoyed it, you'll love this book. Also, this book has the "one bed" trope (or... one cabin? but essentially the same concept).
Speaking of looking for inspiration, I loved that the whole reason for Cleo visiting the island in the first place. Marrying herself might sound like a weird concept, but the self-love that was represented was truly inspiring for ME! And I love that she didn't just give up on that idea even though she "found a man" as well. So many books seem to just ditch the self-love mantra when the romance comes into play, but not this one!
Honestly, I could keep raving about this book, but I'm going to leave it at that and say read it ASAP!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Sexual content
Minor: Death and Grief
readingwithwillo_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Toxic relationship
britgirlreading's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Toxic relationship, and Death
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