One Night on the Island

A Novel

By: Josie Silver

Narrated by: Eleanor Tomlinson, Davis Brooks

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Day in December . . . When a double-booking at a remote one-room cabin accidentally throws two solace seekers together, it feels like a cruel twist of fate. But what if it’s fate of a different kind?

“A perfectly executed and quintessential romantic comedy.”—Christina Lauren, author of The Unhoneymooners

Spending her thirtieth birthday alone is not what dating columnist Cleo Wilder wanted, but she plans a solo retreat―at the insistence of her boss―in the name of re-energizing herself and adding a new perspective to her column. The remote Irish island she’s booked is a far cry from London, but at least it’s a chance to hunker down in a luxury cabin and indulge in some self-care while she figures out the next steps in her love life and her career.

Mack Sullivan is also looking forward to some time to himself. With his life in Boston deteriorating in ways he can’t bring himself to acknowledge, his soul-searching has brought him to the same Irish island to explore his roots and find some clarity. Unfortunately, a mix-up with the bookings means both have reserved the same one-room hideaway on exactly the same dates.

Instantly at odds, Cleo and Mack don’t know how they’re going to manage until the next weekly ferry arrives. But as the days go by, they no longer seem to mind each other’s company quite as much as they thought they would.

Written with Josie Silver’s signature charm, One Night on the Island explores the meaning of home, the joys of escape, and how the things we think we want are never the things we really need.

Critic reviews

“Josie Silver has cornered the market on literary coziness. She writes immersive love stories that simply must be read in front of a roaring fireplace.”—Entertainment Weekly

“This rom-com is filled with unexpected twists and engaging details and has a truly heart-lifting ending . . . That’s the beauty of this novel: It is often in the most unexpected places we find friendship and warmth. It also takes a unique approach in exploring what solitude means and gives a fresh perspective on romantic relationships in modern-day life. With the hustle and bustle of work, family and friendships, it is not often that we get to escape to our own reality.”—USA Today

“Quirky, funny in that smart British way, and truly enjoyable, this smart rom-com is the book to pack for your next adventure.”—Zibby Owens for Good Morning America

“This easy-to-follow ‘opposites attract’ novel is heartfelt and gave me all the feels (seriously, I was on the brink of tears at times). It’s phenomenal and worth the read.”—New York Post

“If this is your first encounter with Silver’s meltingly romantic novels, a word to the wise—best to read this one in a place where you can feel comfortable having a good cry. One Night on the Island feel[s] fresh. Perhaps its greatest defining characteristic is that both Mack’s and Cleo’s emotional arcs are mostly to do with their relationships to, and understanding of, themselves.”—Bookreporter

“Start this book for the love story, and stay for the sisterhood and self-love.”—Feminist Book Club

“Both the perfect romance and the story of self-empowerment every woman deserves.”—Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of Wish You Were Here

“One Night on the Island is utterly delicious—every single ingredient for the perfect love story is here in this wise and witty story.”—Rosie Walsh, author of The Love of my Life

“I swooned. I laughed. I felt every degree of emotion.”—Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, author of Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?

“Silver spins gold from the story of two lost souls whose paths cross on a remote Irish island. . . . Laughter is abundant. . . . This celebration of unexpected love will leave readers thoroughly satisfied.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

Exceptional

Exceptional is all that I can say. Makes you want to jump on a plane to Salvation Island.....

Exceptional holiday from life!

I was looking to get away from everyday hustle and bustle, and this book was written beautifully, was a fun read, and delivered. I've listened to this narrator before and she is amazing! The male narrator did American accent very well. thank you, Josie Silver for another well written story. Your words tickle my ears 😀

Amazing listen

It has drama, sadness and happiness all rolled in to one, it is an amazing read

Loved it

Really enjoyed this read. Fell in love with the characters. I would Highly recommend this book

Loved this

The story is wonderfully written and the narrators did a wonderful job. The ending was perfect.

Loved this book

I found this book to deeply touch me emotionally. At times I wasn’t sure it seemed realistic, but I loved it just the same.

Loved it!

Great story and narration! Josie Silver books are a nice love story and life escape 🤗

The Most PERFECT book.

Josie Silver is a magician. This book will sweep you off your feet, and transport you to the sweetest little island. The characters have depth and like-ability. You can’t help but root for them!

lovely setting

loved the change of scenery It was fun to not have a novel set in a big city. This tiny island is so Roseville l romantic least traditional sense. beautifully written.

Not your usual rom-com!

Not your usual rom-com! It’s so much more than that. It’s raw and honest and heartwarming. The book felt deeply personal to me, since it touches upon issues we all have. Cleo is the woman we all want to be; Strong & fearless. There were so many sweet moments in the book, and the writing was so beautiful.

I would say that overall this is more a book about finding and loving oneself than anything else, and I appreciated that concept. But, I will say though that initially the idea of Cleo 'marrying herself' did seem rather far-fetched, and whilst the notion remained a little bizarre throughout the story, the sentiment behind it and what it came to mean did actually resonate very well. We can often place too much emphasis on finding the right person to complete us, but as Cleo discovers you don't need another person to define your happiness in life, that comes from having a sense of self-fulfillment, and that is the journey that Cleo undertakes in this book.

I have to say that I didn't all that much like Cleo at the start of the story, she seemed rather whiny and self-absorbed, however, she undergoes a transformation on Salvation Island, and the strong, independent and compassionate woman that emerged was one that I was really drawn to.

The situation with the lodge being double-booked does seem rather contrived and there for plot convenience, so as to force these two characters into proximity, and I was at this stage of the story expecting a more traditional rom-com given the set up, however, that is not at all how it turned out. Both Cleo and Mack are on Salvation Island for their own reasons and to work through things, both desperately need this time and space, but it turns out they also need each other, and I really enjoyed the tender relationship that evolved between them after the initial hostilities.

Unlike Cleo, Mack was a character that I was immediately drawn to. He is in the process of going through a separation from his wife, and I thought Silver did a fantastic job of depicting his emotional struggle to adjust to his new life. In particular his love for his two sons really shone through, as did his determination to be a good father no matter what was happening between him and Susie. He always seemed like such a dependable character that it was very easy to like him.

I would say that if you are the sort of reader who can't tolerate the idea of a still married, albeit separated man having a relationship with another woman, then this is likely not the book for you. However, I appreciated the messy complexities of real life depicted in this book, and thought it gave the story added layers and a maturity. Furthermore, to me it was always very clear that Mack was a man with a great deal of personal integrity.

While many would see it as “cheating” I don’t. Because it was made very clearly from very beginning that Mack and Susie have been separated for a year, with Mack no longer living at home. And if anyone did “cheat” it was Susie, who had been in a relationship with her boss for 5 five months (they had already been separated by then & again I don’t see it as cheating) before she told Mack. Also she only told Mack because her son caught them kissing in the kitchen. To me Susie was just very manipulative and always indirectly blamed Mack for their separation (even though she asked for the separation) and for the kids distress. Also how the moment she realized how Mack had found someone else and wasn’t waiting around for her to give him another chance anymore she conveniently decided she didn’t really love her boss anymore and she how she never stopped loving him. The one thing I did struggle was with how you could see that Mack still loved Susie and wanted his family back.

I liked the structure of the story, with chapters from both Cleo and Mack's point of views as it helped get a better insight to both their characters and inner thought processes. The majority of the book takes place on the Island, though there is a shift to Boston later on as we continue to catch up with Mack, and I think it added to the story to get more of an insight into his family life.

One Night on the Island is about two messed-up people and what they need in life. I loved the descriptive and sometimes even lyrical writing. I loved the one-room trope (think of an imaginary line in the middle). I loved their ‘three things’ conversations in the dark. I loved the sisterhood on the island, all those different women who had solidarity and kinship instilled into their bones. I loved Mack, such a great dad, and I loved to read a male’s POV in a story. I loved to immerse myself in those characters with all their flaws & imperfections who felt so incredibly real. And finally, I loved that ending, so fitting for this not your usual rom-com.

This book was so much better than I initially thought it would be. The more I read, the more I was invested in Cleo’s and Mack’s story. They had so much doubt and hesitation, just like we all have in life, and their struggles were so genuine.

Overall, this book was probably not quite what I was expecting, but certainly turned out to be a book that I very much enjoyed. It was a slow and gentle story and I liked its central themes of connecting with oneself, loved the setting, and appreciated the tender and mature romance it offered.

Also Eleanor Tomlinson (Demelza Poldark) plays Cleo’s voice! Absolutely brilliant! Davis Brooks was so great as well. They really do immerse you into the story.