I'll be honest - I have no patience for the romance trope where relationships fall apart because the central characters can't communicate effectively, and that was my biggest issue with this book. While I did enjoy it, I started feeling frustrated about 60% of the way through the story; it honestly felt like it just went on for too long, and there were simply too many cycles of "they're making it work!" "they're falling apart!" "they're communicating!" "they're not communicating!" I enjoyed the characters, but this was just a like, not a love for me.

Here's the thing--I am not normally a fan of romcom novels but if I feel like I want to get a break from the usual genres I read AKA thrillers, then I opt to read a romcom novel. The book cover is cute, the title is appealing and...I actually loved this book!

Meet Sarah--an architect working in a firm in New York who recently didn't get a promotion. After a failed relationship, she has one night flings with no string attached. The last man she had one night stand was with a man named Declan Murphy. Sarah vowed to forget the night she always does by flying over to Ireland to attend her best friend's Annie's wedding...only to find that Declan is also at the wedding and is the groom's brother. The story then takes a cheesy romantic and funny term as Sarah for the first time is struggling with her feelings towards Declan--is her just a one night stand or more than that?

I really enjoyed reading this book! The plot, though is unrealistic and is more like a soap/romcom theme, I actually enjoyed reading it. The author, this book being her debut did a good job, drawing the reader into the story and once I started reading this, I actually couldn't put the book as I want to know if Sarah and Declan would get back together or not! There were some funny parts in the book that I almost laughed out loud! I really like the main character- Sarah seems to be funny and witty and I also liked Declan as well. I also like Sarah's relationship with her friend Annie and her roommate Claire, and also her colleague, Will, how they supported her and was always there for her. I also like how Sarah soon develop feelings towards Declan and I must say, the author did a good job capturing the budding relationship between Sarah and Declan. Even as her debut book, the author did a good job with her writing, making the reading more enjoyable and making the reader feel like a part of the story with Sarah and Declan!

Overall, this is a funny and quite enjoyable book to read that will make you laugh out loud and will not let you down! Worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

I REALLY hope that there is going to be a part two, or a second book in the series, because I am so not ready for that book to be over!!! I absolutely loved it. As soon as I started reading, I was drawn into it and so many various events happened in the storyline to where I couldn't help myself from staying up late just to read another chapter. Sarah was such an interesting character. She really frustrated me but it was also understandable why she was the way she was. Declan...OH Declan. *SWOON* I wish I had watched a youtube video to hear an Irish accent again so that the voice in my head could read his quotes in it, because who doesn't love that while reading?! I enjoyed all the coincidental run-ins, and the story build up and AAHHH I JUST LOVED IT! I would read this at work and I actually got to a point where I started secretly reading at work (in between patients) because I NEEDED to know what was going to happen! You guys need to read this novel, especially if you are into slow burn romances!! I have a great feeling about this author and I cannot wait to read more of her work! Thank you to Catherine Walsh, Bookouture, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

(5*) Oh my god, this book. It's safe to say that it was one of my favourite reads of 2021. The humour, angst and chemistry were in perfect balance and once picked up this book is addicting to the point where I pulled an all-nighter because I couldn't stop reading.

One Night Only follows our main character, Sarah, who has one rule when it comes to her dating life - one night stands only. She's very dedicated to her job but when things go south in the office she decides taking her mind off it by fulfilling her maid of honour duties at her best friend Annie's wedding would make things better.

Except at the Irish wedding, she meets none other than her one night stand Declan Murphy who, turns out, is the groom's brother and also best man.

The witty banter between Sarah and Declan was definitely the highlight of the book for me because holy shit they're hilarious. I'm glad I read this alone in my room because the number of times I grinned at their jokes would definitely have earned me some weird looks in public. Although, despite having such two charming main characters, my absolute favourite was Will - that man is goddamn delight.

There were certainly parts where I got frustrated with how Sarah kept pushing Declan away because of her fear of attachment and relationships but the girl makes it feel so real you can't even blame her that much.

Overall, One Night Only is a perfect romantic comedy and the fact that it's the author's debut blows my mind. I would 100% recommend it to anyone looking for a lighthearted flirty read and I look forward to reading more from Catherine Walsh!

⭐⭐⭐✨

First of all, thank you so much NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me an Arc of this book o appreciate it. 🙏🏾❤

Now let me talk about the book. This story was sweet, funny, awkward, and adorable for me. I enjoyed the banter between Sarah and Declan. Especially Declan I love how straightforward he was and didn't dance around. I enjoyed the writing style of Catherine in this book.

I'm glad I read this book. It was an enjoyable read. Would recommend this book. 😊❤

*Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC*

I didn't think I would enjoy this as much as I did as I don't normally read romance books.

I really enjoyed this book and the story. No character was perfect but neither are people IRL and I liked that Sarah and Declan had realistic issues. I think the writing and flow of the book was very well done as I don'y normally finish 300+ page books in under 2 days.

I think my favourite thing about this book were the characters. I loved each character and how well they were written. I liked that every character had a purpose in the story and there were no out of character moments that a lot of books tend to do.

I loved the relationship between Annie and Phil, I thought they were adorable. I loved that the wedding was set in Ireland and we got to meet the whole Irish family. The dynamic between the Declan's family in Ireland and Sarah was fun to read as well as Sarah's friends in NYC and Declan.

The chemistry between Declan and Sarah was amazing and I love their sarcastic and witty banter. It never failed to bring a smile on my face or a light chuckle. I liked that the sex scenes weren't so graphic as that's not my type of thing. I liked that you know what they were doing without explicitly telling us what they were doing. I also like that this book doesn't stray away from the trauma that Sarah has with relationships. I can also relate to Sarah as well, as I also would like a hot Irish man that works hard, that can make me laugh and looks great in a suit and a tuxedo.

Overall, an amazing debut novel and I look forward to any future books from Catherine Walsh.

This was so fun! I literally went from being single and skeptical to being in love and very happy 😊 Love and kindness is the only way, there is no coming back from that.

This book is as advertised - a modern comedy romance. The action moves between New York and Ireland, with the best use being made of the differences in the locations. There are some lovely characters and, I suspect, all the female readers will fall for Declan. A good holiday read.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

'One Night Only' by debut writer Catherine Walsh is a funny, sharp romantic comedy telling a gender reversal story of a committment phobe and a bit of a romantic.

Sarah Anderson only does one night stands. Imagine her horror when she travels to Ireland for her best friend's wedding only to discover her most recent one night stand - a very handsome Irish man with smiling eyes is the groom's brother Declan!

The book explores Sarah and why she is 'one and done', and charts her growth through her growing attraction and friendship with Declan. When she relaxed enough to give him a chance to learn more about him, it was delightful to see their spark. He knew how to handle her 'grump'. At times she really frustrated me with her 'push/pull', particularly the final time she does it to Declan. But at the same time it was completely believable - it is hard to trust others with your heart when that's all you know.

This book was a joy to read that I couldn't help but stay up well past midnight to finish. I loved the gender reversal where the 'grumpy' was the woman, with the sunshine the male. Plus, its refreshing to see the woman who is unabashed about her sex life, whereas usually the female character is celibate after her heartbreak (come on rom com writers there needs to be a balance here! Why is it only the male characters get to be able to sleep around for fun/no strings?).

Additionally I loved the side plot in her workplace, I thought it was great addition to show misogyny in the workplace and how women are treated by ambitious male colleagues, many of whom are wolves in sheep's clothing.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. I loved this a lot that I"ve pre-ordered my own copy.

3.5 stars but i'm rounding up here because this book kept me smiling.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A charming and entertaining read filled with a one night stand, an Irish wedding, some amazing banter, and a swoon worthy Irishmen.

I surprisingly enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. The characters and storyline were really great and just well written. It was also a really fast read as well.

The heroine, Sarah Anderson was such a relatable character with real flaws and relationship issues. Her development and growth throughout the book was just really great and well executed. Declan Murphy, who was the love interest was an absolute charmer. He was so charismatic and surprisingly more complex. His history and issues were definitely more heavy and emotional.

Sarah and Declan’s development and relationship was really amazing. The teasing, banter and chemistry between them was perfect. All the push and pull between them made for some really great tension as well.

While, the pacing of the story was a bit slow at times it was still okay. The reconciliation part was also a bit fast in my opinion, just would have liked a bit more groveling on Sarah’s end to be honest.

Overall, just a really cute and heartwarming romance book with great characters.

it was a cute read but I don't think this book did it for me, I liked the trope and but not how the story went. it felt like the plot was dragged out too long and some of it felt unnecessary. there was this joke about a 17 year old losing their virginity with a 20 year old which really made me uncomfortable. I also didn't connect well with the main characters they seemed too bland, but the side characters Claire, Annie and her husband along with her whole family seemed great. I liked the banter between the MC's but the romance felt too repetitive and the only person that was entertaining was Will, Sarah's colleague. Sarah kept denying and then accepting, denying and then accepting her attraction towards Delcan it was fine in the beginning but got really annoying as the story proceeded. overall it was fun at times but it was not for me.

thank you netgalley and bookouture for providing the arc in exchange of honest review.

What a great romcom! It’s cute, funny and has interesting characters with writing that makes it easy to become invested. This is a light, quick read that left me happy at the end, perfect rom com for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

One Night Only is the story of Sarah and Declan. Sarah is an architect who is down for one night stands but not for love. Then she meets Declan right before heading to Ireland for her beat friends wedding. Cut to the wedding where she finds out that Declan is the brother of the groom. Irish hijinks ensure and they both end up thrown together for the festivities.
Back in New York, they keep crossing paths and Sarah has to do some serious soul searching to get to the root of her preference for one night stands.
This book was a cute rom com that was fairly fast paced and quite charming. It had a lovely cast of quirky secondary characters and as a reader you end up really shipping Sarah and Declan.

OH. MY. GOD. Where do I begin? The cuteness in the story? The super likable characters? The setting? The plot? or the way I couldn't put this book down right after I started it? I wish I could give Catherine Walsh a giant hug! Wow, One Night Only was the summer read I needed. The author did such a magnificent work writing such an engaging story that made it so easy to connect with Sarah and Declan. I couldn't stop smiling while reading this rom-com; every chapter made me feel warm and fuzzy (Thank you, Ms. Walsh!). I highly recommend this book, and I cannot stress that enough. It has romance, comedy, Ireland, love, fun, and most importantly, Declan Murphy (I promise you'll find yourself daydreaming of him).

eARC provided by NetGalley & bookouture.

I received an ARC of this book from publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with access.

Okay, I adored this story. I adored how realistic both Sarah and Declan felt as characters as well as their individual growth as characters. I enjoyed how the story played out with Sarah becoming increasingly more attached to Declan the more time she spent with him and the fact that she had past relationship trauma that prevented her from committing to something deeper. The way that Sarah reacted to specific situations in the story felt very true to real life and I was appreciative that even though she focused on communication, Walsh demonstrated thag communication doesn't always lead to desired outcomes.

An excellent debut novel and I look forward to other works by Catherine Walsh in the future.

Thank you Netgalley for my first ever arc!

One Night Only promises a fun journey that all starts with a one night stand, one we quickly understand becomes much, much more than that due to the sheer power of occasion. Or destiny, you name it. It's a nice pick if you're looking for a romantic tastebreaker, with a tasty banter.

Altough entertaining at times, mostly due to the irresistable banter between the two lead characters, this book fell short with my expectations. You'd expect that, since certain aspects are mentioned in the synopsis (the wedding, the uncle and great aunt), they'd take a pivotal, important, or at least funny role in the story.... except they don't. Or they didn't felt like they were used to their fullest extent. As I read, there was a sense of missed opportunities in that aspect, as I realised Walsh was taking a different route than the one I pictured. Give or take, maybe I just let my imagination run too wild.

Differen't doesnt mean bad. It doesn't mean good either. I'd say it was... unexpected, at the very least. Not what I'm used to with most romantic novels. I didn't hate the execution, but I'll admit it had me puzzled. I didn't like Sarah a lot, but did enjoy how she isn't the usual shy girl. As for Declan, he's as good as most male leads you find in other romance books. This is a nice way to say they aren't detestable, but there is always some more room for improvement, for more life and soul.

But I was still able to have a fun time! I was still able to have a few laughs, and to root for the characters and all their journeys. Truth be told, I don't consider the book the most remarkable, but it's fun in its own way. I'm looking forward to more of Walsh's works.

Fun premise, but I wasn't all that into the main characters. It also seemed like there should have been a backstory to Annie and her husband. It seemed like there should have been a little less of Annie's story and more of Sarah's.

Rating: 4.5*

This was a very fun, flirty and quick read - perfect for the summer. I got through it in a day, having heard it was a good read from friends but still being pleasantly surprised by how much I really enjoyed it. Sarah and Declan had so much chemistry and were genuinely funny, nothing felt forced and the build up to their relationship worked so well. I can’t believe this romcom is a debut !! Everything about it was so great and it was written so well - I’m very excited to read this author's future works!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC!!

*3.5 rating* rounded up to 4 stars

He turns to Claire. "I remember you."
"Yes, you slept with my roommate."
He looks delighted. "I did, didn't I?"
They're both in on it.

I want to start off by saying WOW what a flirty and cocky man (but in the best way possible-which is saying a lot) Declan is? Like hello???? What man has said those things in real life and not get, at least, a glare/eye roll of disdain??? No one. And yet he still able to do all that and manages to have my full and very endeared attention. And obviously Sarah, too despite her persistent need to keep everything "professional" *wink, wink*.

Our heroine Sarah is a hardworking woman who enjoys her fair share of more than just canoodling. Which yes!! Love that for her! I'm always here for a woman confident in herself for being sex positive!! YES GIRLBOSS.
Sarah is insistent on how she intends to keep her relationship with Declan despite her internal turmoil, that says otherwise. Seeing both of them say one thing and completely go another route after being alone together with a couple of drinks and a lot on their minds-if you know what I mean- had me craving for more in the following chapters. They were just so charming it had me squealing IT HAD ME SQUEALLING!!!!

"Amanda's gone." I look up to see Will's whisper to see him drawing a finger across his throat.
... "She's dead?"
"What? No." ... "Harvey let her go."
I stare at him in horror. "That's the sign for someone dying!"
"Not in an office environment. What the hell is wrong with you?"

Let's talk about the myth the legend, the show stealing office best friend of Sarah's, Will. This man oh boy,,,, what an absolute delight he was. He was just SO funny I don't even know what else to say about him. I just had to add this bit because, how could I not? And also very perceptive... yes yes. VERY.

On the other hand I did however have some irks with the way everything ended. It felt too quickly wrapped up. Now this might just be me not being able to get over the fact that I have to let go of Sarah and Declan but hear me out. Throughout the whole book you get these back and forth between the two and when you get to *THAT* moment. You know the one, where the last bit gives you heart palpitations cause authors refuse to just let it end smoothly and I mean fair, it wouldn't be fun and drama is fun. It didn't feel as satisfying as I would've liked the ending to be. But IDK I guess I was just hoping for a bit more between the two as way to make up for their hot and cold/reluctance to be together.

Still this was by far one of the funniest and blushing reads I've had the fortunate time to read in a while. I'm sort
of in a slump and needed a break from brain inducing reads so I thought, "what the hell?" and looked through Netgalley in hopes they'd allow little ol' me with a poor looking feedback ratio-a chance. And what do you know they did. And it landed me this charming ARC. So much so that I stayed up all night in anticipation, it was THAT enjoyable!!

I highly recommend giving a try especially during this summer if you're looking for a light swoon worthy read. A perfect beach read that will have you rooting for the two who you can't help but wish you had the same!!

- rin

I felt this book was so absolutely wonderful with perfect friends to lovers romance, slowest of slow burns and such an amazing cast of characters! I was invested in their story as they were relatable.