One Night on the Island: Escape to a remote island with this chemistry-filled love story

Another great story from Josie; I also loved "One Day in December." This story is a gentle escape from our busy city lives. The characters are so loveable and empathetic. It feels like the warm knitted blanket has been wrapped around me!

Cleo works for a dating column, writing about 'finding her flamingo'. However, lately her heart no longer seems to be in it and sensing this her editor has a proposition. For Cleo's upcoming 30th birthday, she wants her to 'marry herself', with an all expenses included trip to the remote Salvation Island, off the Irish Coast. Naturally Cleo's immediate response is not all that forthcoming, however, she decides to go along with it and soon finds herself arriving at Otter Lodge. The only problem is that the lodge appears to have been double-booked. Mack Sullivan is an annoying American, who refuses to leave, and with Cleo stubbornly refusing to head back to London herself, and no other accommodation available on the Island, it seems the two are stuck sharing the lodge together!I loved Silver's first book, One Day in December, and her second offering, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird, whilst not quite living up to her debut, was also a touching and thoughtful read. As such I was eagerly looking forward to her third book and am glad to say that I was not disappointed. Certainly one can see her growth as a writer, and this book has a more mature tone and feel to it. Whilst romance does feature heavily in the story, I would say that overall this is more a book about finding and loving oneself than anything else, and I appreciated that concept. On that note, 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.Salvation Island, a fictional setting, is very much a character in its own right and central to the story. I loved its sense of remoteness and also the strong sense of community among its inhabitants. Cleo develops some really strong friendships on the Island, and I loved the knitting group and the sense of sisterhood among the Island women. Furthermore, the Island is crucial to Cleo's personal journey in reconnecting with herself, and again that idea of how easy it is to become lost in the daily 'rat race' and for your inner voice to be drowned out by all the noise was well depicted and resonated.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.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. Another great offering from Silver.

This is a gorgeous story to lose yourself in.Cleo and Mack arrive on the island as strangers, each at a crossroads in their lives. Mack has come to his ancestral roots for the first time to photograph the island. Cleo is looking for something missing in her life.They initially can’t stand each other but are stuck sharing a cottage and soon find each other a huge support. They fall into a routine of telling each other three things about themselves each night before they go to sleep; sometimes funny, sometimes deep and revealing.I couldn’t have enjoyed this book more and I loved that the title for each chapter is a quote from the upcoming chapter. I was especially intrigued to find out where ‘Kylie Minogue will look 18 forever’ could possibly fit in the story!A great supporting cast of characters, a close-knit community and a stunning remote island setting.Perfect escapism.

The concept of Cleo going to stay on a remote island and marry herself was a crazy idea that her boss Ali at Women Today magazine thought up and Cleo went for it as she is approaching the big 30 and she wants to find her flamingo as they mate for life. Salvation Island is just off the Irish coast and the lodge Cleo is staying in will have no Wi-Fi! The lodge is perfect until Mack a photographer from Boston turns up and insists he has hired the lodge and they end up sharing the space. How can Cleo marry herself with the distraction of Mack and complete her bucket list.Funny, emotional and heartwarming as the residents of Salvation take both Cleo and Mack under their wing and into their hearts. The island surely is a magical place and I loved the storytelling as I fell under its spell.

This book is called one night on the island but it’s more like 2 months on an island together. I felt like Mack needed to man up and decide is own life and Cleo was a walkover

So beautifully written, so poetic, so real, so rich. This is a story I can see myself reading again and again. The style alone merits a second read. I really loved how much the characters felt like real, actual people with real life problems and issues. Even though there were heartbreaking moments, the story never got unbearably dark; hope and joy were lingering in the air, no matter what. I cannot wait to start another Josie Silver book.

Really good read, absolutely love josie silver books if you loved one day December then read this immediately when I saw this I knew I had to read it.

I will be honest - I didn't get the marrying yourself thing - but maybe I am of an age group that just wouldn't get that. I do however, totally get the idea of space to breathe and think. A moment of not running with the pack and of coming to a point where you make yourself an important issue on life's agenda. Thought the story was a magical tale of learning to love yourself - and maybe - just maybe - other loves follow? A Return to the Island perhaps in due course??? Or maybe we just write the rest of the story and sail our ships to suit ourselves???

This is a magical book about an amazing island with a hardy clan of welcoming individuals. The island is aptly named Salvation Island and works its rugged magic on two lonely people determined not to like each other let alone allow themselves to love one another. In the end there is Salvation for everyone! Thank you Josie Silver for creating this enchanting novel!

Loved it

This book didn’t move at lightning speeds but at a pace that just kept drawing you back. It really was like being wrapped in a warm quilt on a porch step watching the world. I loved that it’s wasn’t a everything stops and the happy ever after was so predictable. The ending was just right.

I enjoyed this book. I liked the plot while on the island, but afterwards it became less realistic and harder to stay interested.

I love the author's books but I must say, this one is my least favourite of her. The storyline is on the one hand predictable and on the other hand there are some gaps in the development of the characters and storyline. In addition to that: I just don't get the "wedding"-stuff!