May I Recommend: One Night on the Island by Josie Silver
Featuring young Robert Redford vibes
Welcome to May I Recommend. A series where I recommend a book I love in a really fun and relatable way. Consider it a heartfelt recommendation from me to you.
PS: My All Things Summer Reading Guide goes live on Friday, so in the lead-up to that, I’m offering 20% off all subscriptions through Sunday, May 26.
I've been thinking about two things lately: summer reading and romance books. The last three weeks have been full of romance reads, as I've found it the easiest thing to pick up during a busy few weeks. I've only had a little time to read before bed or listen to an audiobook while doing chores around the house, so I've found it easiest to dip in and out of lighthearted reads.
Things are slowing down, and I can already feel my reading mood shifting. I feel ready for some literary fiction. But as I write this post, I'm preparing to release my All Things Summer Reading Guide on Friday, and I've had romance books on my brain.
So, I'm sharing a recommendation for a book I read back in November that has stuck with me. I considered including One Night on the Island in my summer reading guide, but it didn't make the cut. So, I wanted to share it here! Because, we should keep talking about the books we love, not just the new ones we've read.
The gist
Cleo, a London magazine writer on the verge of her 30th birthday, is sent to a remote Irish island for a month on assignment. She expects a lot of time alone in a beautiful cottage to work on a series for the magazine. Mack, an American photographer, has booked time on the same island to document a series of portraits of where his grandparents called home. A booking mix-up has the two of them sharing a small cottage on an island with no other accommodations. They obviously fall in love. And they get to know a wonderful cast of village folk in the meantime.
The thoughts
I loved it, obviously! Cleo and Mack are two incredibly relatable characters, and I love that they are a little older and more established in their lives.
Silver did a great job capturing this book's setting, and I often think back to it. Readers who have been around know that I love an Irish setting, so this one being set on an Irish island was a delight.
This one was full of my favorite things in a romance: a small town setting (in Ireland!), a cast of quirky townspeople we get to know throughout the novel, the two main characters have creative careers, and it’s a friends-to-lovers trope.
It's charming and cozy, and it reminded me of Just Haven't Met You Yet by Sophie Cousens, another "gone to a Northern Hemisphere remote island for a respite" novel. (I also highly recommend it if you haven't read it yet!)
The vibe
Rugged Irish coastline. Cozy Irish pubs. Those sweaters that Colin Farrell wore in Banshees of Inisherin. Young Robert Redford. The meaning of creative work in a fast-paced life.
The visuals
Who doesn’t love a good book mood board?
Quotes I loved
Don’t go building your wall so high you can’t climb over it.
Regrets get heavier as you get older.
Separation is made up of a million tiny disassociations that eventually add up to passing someone on the street and barely recognizing them.
Are you going to read this one? I’d love to know! And I’d love to know what you think if you do.
‘Til next time,
PS: If you enjoyed this post, here are a few others you might love as well.
will be checking this one out ASAP! sounds wonderful 🥰
Sounds like a great read to take along on an upcoming vacation!