Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

2.5/5 stars

This is an adult book so keep this in mind when reading and, as always, check trigger warnings.

This book was okay. Not my favourite book ever but not my worst. There were funny moments throughout the book but I found it hard to connect and really fall in love with the relationship with how negative and nasty Sarah, our MC, could be sometimes. I really didn’t see what our love interest, Declan, saw in her because she was constantly berating him and just being negative. There was a good 10% of the book that I considered dnf-ing (and this was just after the author included a comment about a 17 year old boy sleeping with a 20 year old and it was just brushed over).

I think I can see where this book was trying to go- funny rom-com with quirky one liners, but it just fell flat and was a bit laborious to read at times. The negative plot points and out look from our MC weren’t negated by much in this book, for e.g. our LI takes our MC up to a roof top with fairy lights and tries to be romantic and instead of seeing any positive in it, she just criticises it. Maybe she did enjoy it because she references it briefly later on but we don’t actually know if she was happy at all during that because it’s not mentioned. So the negative isn’t equivalent or even slightly matched by the positive, which is what I want when I read a contemporary romance, otherwise it can feel a bit exhausting to read.

Overall, would I read this book again? Probably not. Was it my favourite? No, but it wasn’t the worst book, the writing was decent and there were funny moments.

Sarah is absolutely determined to stick to one night stands rather than get into a relationship that will certainly end in heartbreak. So when she wakes up to find handsome Declan in her bed, she promptly kicks him out. But then she happens to bump into him at her best friend's wedding, on an entirely different continent. She is the maid of honor, and he is the groom's brother. Will Sarah be able to stick to her one night only rule, or is this fate? 🍀🍺❤️

This was a very fun read! I really enjoyed this and recommend it to all romance lovers! I absolutely loved Declan! And I found myself laughing out loud several times while reading this! Such a strong debut from Catherine Walsh! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to @netgalley and @bookouture for my audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

#onenightonly #catherinewalsh #romance #booksta #debut #romanticcomedy #booklove #readingtime📖 #arc #netgalley #reader #audiobook #funread

This was not just a cute and fluffy romance, it was delightfully messy, with flawed characters. Neither were perfect, the lead character least of all, and although at times I grew frustrated with her I enjoyed that the author chose not to allow Sarah’s defences to be broken down easily. Trauma from past experiences can affect you in so many ways and in many other books I’ve read characters seem to have a complete behaviour change after meeting one person, and it isn’t always realistic. This wasn’t the case here and I appreciated that.

The light banter between Sarah and Declan was really fun, and I really enjoyed all the supporting characters too (especially Will he had some excellent comments that cracked me up). Their connection was evident from the start and even when they were bickering you couldn’t help but love them together!

The setting was perfect, with a small section in Ireland and the majority in New York. It’d definitely recommend as a great summer read 🥰

I honestly had no idea this was a debut until I got to the end, I was so impressed with how well the characters were written and I will definitely be following the author from now on!

I surprisingly loved this book! Declan and Will are definitely my favorites. I loved how chill and heartwarming this book gave me throughout the entire reading experience. Declan is so funny and charming, damn she's so lucky to have him. His one-liners are so hilarious and make me blush every time. I also like Will, he can see through Matthias' secret-agenda-niceness and he's so damn funny. He's my 2nd favorite after Declan.

I would definitely read more from this author. I loved how she writes characters and gives depth to them. I really understand the characters' motivations and why they think the way they do.

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

*Gasp* one night stand love stories, my guilty pleasure and this lovely read has join in to that guilty pleasure of mine. Knowing that is was a debut novel, I am stunned. I will definitely be looking forward to her future novels and welcome them with late nights of binge reading. I love the chemistry between our couple and their lil tug of war of pushing and pulling was enjoyable. I very much enjoyed the pacing of this too! It made me sigh with content once I finished the novel, and that's the best thing I could ever ask for really. Again, thank you so much for the author and publisher for granting me the opportunity to read this.

This book was honestly so enjoyable to read. It was an easy and cute that I absolutely enjoyed.

The tropes are honestly something that attracted me to this book and it didn’t disappoint. Both characters were very interesting. I connected with them so easily. Also the chemistry is simply everything. Every moment both characters had together were my favorite.

This is my first read by this author and it won’t be the last. I loved everything about this book.

This was so excellent. I hadn’t heard of this author until roaming around on netGalley and I was pleasantly surprised and definitely not disappointed at all. I think it’s safe to say that my romance kick began with an excellent arc read. Both the characters had a way with words and it’s very rare a character even makes me swoon, but it’s safe to say that in this book it was definitely swoon worthy and I was happy to read an early copy.

It does take a while for me to get into romances, but the fact that this had me hooked from the very first pages says a lot. It is safe to say that one night stand romances are typically my favourite to read because I love the after development in books and Catherine Walsh did not disappoint in one night only.

I really did enjoy the Romance and especially adored Declan. He had a way of showing his affection for the main female character which I appreciated and I was able to enjoy the banter between the two too. I was glad there was a lack of miscommunication because it can take you out of the story on multiple occasions.

So yes 5/5 stars to this book. I’m so happy I picked it up and will definitely keep an eye out for more of Catherine Walsh’s works in the future.

[ARC provided for an honest review by Netgalley]

This was such an enjoyable and cute read to me. The characters were relatable and also so perfect that you cannot not root for them. The romance was also great, I really liked the chemistry, banter and the build up between Declan and Sarah. The side characters were interesting as well and sometimes I wished there was more of them. Definitely recommend to read it!

Thank you Bookouture, Catherine Walsh, & Netgalley for sending me “One Night Only” in exchange for a honest review.

TW// divorce & sexual assault

Sarah has a one night stand who coincidentally is the brother of the groom & the best man at her best friend’s wedding. Will she be able to forget this guy before feelings approach?

Omg when I finished this book I literally wailed!! 😂😂😂 I loved it so. dang. much!!!!
It has
* slow burn ✔️
* The lovely Irish Countryside ✔️
* Fun side characters✔️
* Irish hottie✔️
* Grumpy FMC + Sunshine MMC ✔️
* Opposites attract ✔️


I enjoyed the banter & the chemistry that Declan & Sarah have is great, & since I’m a sucker for character development I liked seeing Sarah grow from one who avoids relationships at all costs to being in one with someone she really loved 🥺 she deserved that happy ending. The last few chapters made me smile so hard my cheeks were hurting especially the last one. I love their relationship so much I’m glad both Sarah & Declan were able mto move on their past & face the present & future together.

“One Night Only” also represents great friendship dynamics. Sarah’s friend group was so entertaining I wish we had more of them together!

Before I conclude this review I want to point out my favorite quotes

“You don’t have any Irish in you?”
“Nope.”
“Would you like some?”

(LIKE WHO SAYS THAT????? I’m blushing 😂🙈)

“I slip my hand into his, feeling smug. I feel even smugger when his hands clasp automatically around mine. As if holding my hand is a perfectly natural thing”


“He cuts off my words exactly as I hoped he would. He kisses me like he’s been waiting for me his whole life. He kisses me like he loves me.”

One Night Only is the perfect book to enjoy this summer. Set in both Ireland and New York, this book is absolutely phenomenal. This book was SO FUN! The banter, the chemistry, the friendships, all had me turning page after page and I could not put this book down. This was Catherine Walsh's debut novel and I CAN NOT wait to read anything & everything she releases in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital review copy in exchange of an honest review!

I LOVED this book - such a cute story and and made me laugh out loud. You fall in love with both Declan and Sarah throughout the story and their quirky romance,

Sarah has sworn off relationships - one night stands only - so she's in for a shock when the last guy she sleeps with who also wants to get breakfast in the morning shows up at her best friends wedding....and is the groom's brother. Now that "one night only" is out of the question with Declan, Sarah has to face her feelings and fear of getting close to someone again. Especially after Josh who - as a 20 something woman can confirm that we've all dated a Josh - broke her heart only to settle down with the next girl who came around.

I love that this book dove into different types of modern-day romance - the unrequited work crush, the one night stand, the friend who is in the serious relationship - and how all these friendships evolve over time.

I loved this book - so cute and I cannot wait for Catherine Walsh to write more books :)

This was such a fun read and I loved everything about it. I totally loved the chemistry between Declan, who is swoon worthy, and Sarah, who did annoy me a bit with all her self sabotaging 🤦🏻‍♀️ but I guess I can understand where she was coming from. Overall if you want a nice rom-com this is definitely your book. Also did I mention how much I loved Declan? 😂

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
Wow! One Night Only was a very pleasant surprise for me! I was immediately drawn in by Catherine Walsh's dynamic and witty writing! I am very impressed that this is her debut novel!

One Night Only begins with Sarah abruptly and down right rudely kicking out her one night stand, Declan, from her apartment the morning after. All is forgotten until Sarah attends her best friend, Annie's wedding in Ireland and it turns out that Declan is the brother of Annie's fiance, Paul! Things become awkward really quickly as you can imagine! When I first read this plot, I must admit that I expected more of the same with this storyline, but this one took some unexpected turns and had little side stories and minor characters that you can't help but love!

One Night Only was pure good fun! I enjoyed all of the characters and felt that each of them were developed really well and at the perfect pace too! Although things were downright messy between Sarah and Declan, you really couldn't help but be drawn into their chaos and root for them until the very end! I absolutely loved the Irish wedding scene as well and actually wish we got more of the wedding since it was so fun. That is really my only critique! Aside from that, it was an awesome summer read that I blew through because I simply couldn't get enough! I'm looking forward to seeing more from Catherine Walsh in the future!

I really enjoyed this rom-com, One Night Only. Sarah Anderson came from a split family and was raised by her father. She has no intention of settling down after seeing her father grieve for his marriage after his wife leaves. She is famous for her one night stands and is shocked when the handsome Irishman wants to go for breakfast and she actually has to kick him out of her apartment. Fast forward a bit and Sarah is in Ireland, the Maid of Honour in her best friend's wedding. Imagine her surprise when the groom's brother and best man turns out to be her one night stand. When they return to New York, they continue to run into one another and they both develop feelings for one another, but can Sarah get beyond her belief that she is only going to have one night stands?

The characters were the best part of this story. Both Sarah and Declan were real. They had dreams for their jobs and professional life and part of this story dealt with that. They were also single and wanted to enjoy life. Declan was amazing. I loved his monthly mixers/brunch for seniors. They made me swoon over his character. Sarah was beautiful and enjoyed sex, so she went after it and felt no guilt. That was the only thing I didn't like about her character, but she also had some baggage that had her acting this way. The chemistry between Declan and Sarah was awesome and it sizzled just under the surface. They say opposites attract and these two are definitely that. The secondary characters were also important to the story. Will & Sarah brought them together, but they were also great characters. Their interactions added a lot of humor to the story. The story was well written with the only issue being that it was a bit slow in the middle, but the ending made up for it. I enjoyed that although there was a lot of talk about sex, there were no graphic sex scenes that made me flip the pages. I really enjoyed this rom-com and recommend it to lovers of this genre.

This one was super cute!

It starts with Sarah kicking out her last night one-night-stand, even though the guy is in no hurry to leave. After having her heart broken, she never goes out with the same guy twice.

Much to her surprise, she meets the guy again a few days later in Ireland, where she's traveled to for her best friend's wedding. Like the blurb says, she's the maid of honor and Declan is the groom's brother.

I really liked the setting between New York and Ireland, and I liked how the extended family and all the awkwardness that comes with that. Declan was a sweetie and Sarah was afraid to give her heart, which was understandable.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

*Thank you Net Galley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

One Night Only was the best romance novel I have read in a minute and that is due to Catherine Walsh's intuitive writing skills. This story features Sarah, a bridesmaid for her best friend with commitment issues, who runs into Declan (who is so swoon worthy) , more than once. Sarah is a notorious one night stand fan and we see her character wander through this new era of wanting to see someone again- maybe even more than twice. Sarah and Declan were great, relatable characters as well as the side characters who brought a lot of charm to the story. I loved Sarah's girl gang group of friends and every characters quick wit. The story was never to slow and nothing dragged on for me as a reader which is always a huge win in my book. The only area I would have liked to see Walsh resolve a bit more was Sarah's career and more of a female empowerment way of standing up to those who wronged her. However, I loved the personal resolve we saw with not only within herself but with her father, as this was a different touch in a romance novel that we don't get to see as often. I would recommend to anyone wanting a quick, witty, fast paced romance novel!

One Night Only follows New York architect, Sarah, who flies to Ireland to be the maid of honour at her best friend's wedding, only to learn her latest one-night stand is Declan, the groom's brother. The book follows the pair at the wedding and once they reconnect in NYC.

I really wanted to love this book because hello, it features a hot charming Irish guy and is set partly in Ireland and NYC - two great places. However, I found myself annoyed at Sarah and unable to empathise with her. While I get her reluctance to date Declan, her self-sabotaging behaviour and indecision were so frustrating! I think in this instance, a dual POV would have taken the book to the next level.

Nevertheless, for me, One Night Only was saved by the other characters, like Declan, her housemate Claire and her honest colleague Will. If you like closed-door romances and a will they/won't they scenario, then I recommend you pick up One Night Only.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

The cover and synopsis of this book grabbed my attention and I couldn’t wait to get started on it.

I very nearly put it down a few pages in. The main character Sarah was rude and obnoxious. However, I persevered and I’m glad I did.

Sarah really did not improve, I found her to be an incredibly selfish main character and I couldn’t gel with her whatsoever. Her backstory with Josh was weak and, I don’t think, was an adequate excuse for her acting the way she did. BUT, every other character was brilliant. I loved Declan, Claire, Annie and Paul, Will - all great supporting parts who added so much to the story.

Despite my dislike of the main character I absolutely loved the story and the authors writing style. I was hooked and didn’t want to put the book down. I will definitely look out for this author again.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 📚

One Night Only is a romantic comedy worthy of the top level. This is ranked with the greats; The Hating Game, The Spanish Love Deception and all the other great romances that I have inevitably forgotten.

The Plot

Sarah does not do relationships. So, when she finds a handsome stranger in her bed, she promptly kicks him out. Then, she makes her way to her best friend’s wedding halfway across the world. Where she meets Declan, the handsome one night stand. Awkward. Oh well, she can just ignore him and then she’ll never have to see him again, right? New York is a big enough city that there is no chance of them meeting, ever again.

But Sarah is about to find out just how wrong she is, so buckle up for a rollercoaster of wild coincidences and side-splitting laughter.

THE PLOT WAS SO AMAZING!!! Both Sarah and Declan’s backstories were well explored, giving us the chance to get to know them better. And it didn’t only focus on the MC’s stories, the side characters got a say too! I loved Will and Sarah’s relationship and Claire’s side romance was hilarious.

The Writing

“Is she alright?” a waiter asks as he passes.

“She’s fine,” Declan says, “It’s just drugs.”

This was Catherine Walsh’s debut and she is definitely an author to watch out for! The writing was witty and clever and the pacing didn’t drag. She struck a really good compromise between angst and slow burn, making me finish this in one day only! (Ok, that was bad)

The Romance

Asdfghjklqwertyuioppzxcvbbnn!! This was so adorable! The romance was heart warming and cute as hell and Declan/Sarah is my new ship!!! One thing that really stood out was how realistic the romance (and characters) were. (Obviously) I fell in love with Declan but I never thought that he was an unrealistic character. He had human flaws but still managed to be charmingly irresistible.

Curtain Call

So, overall what did I think? If it’s not already obvious, you have to read this ASAP. One Night Only was a cute, hilarious rom com with lots of heart. It will keep you swooning, laughing and cheering.

Review on my blog here: https://mochasandmadness.wordpress.com/2021/07/28/one-night-only-arc-review/
Review on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4115411309

Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Bookouture, for providing me with a free eARC!

One of the things I look for when I read a romantic comedy is how easily I can cast and visualize a movie version of it in my head. If it’s easy to do, it’s a winner of a story. If I have difficulty, there may still be good parts, but it also may come up lacking.
I’m happy to say that One Night Only fell firmly in the former category. From the opening to closing scenes, I was taken by the characters and their trajectory. I knew right away that this was going to be a good one, and I hoped that the author would be able to sustain it.
Spoiler alert: It was really good all the way through!
I liked the whole set up. Even though I had an idea of what was going to happen in the early pages (I mean, it’s in the blurb and book description!), I still literally laughed out loud at how it all went down.
The wedding that made up the opening chapters was not only a great way to start the book and set the tone, but it was a lot of fun as well. Call it “My Big Fat Irish Wedding,” complete with obnoxious family members, unseasonal weather, and members of the wedding party who indulge in too much Guinness.
Honestly, what’s not to like about that.
As to the two main characters, I got a better feeling for Declan than I did for Sarah, or so I thought. She was prickly (for her own reasons) and he was brooding and charming. Certainly, a perfect case of “opposites attract.”
Sometimes, in between the initial meet and the final kiss, the relationship flags and it can seem drawn out. That wasn’t the case here. The author put enough in about the characters’ personal lives that it stayed interesting.
As I have mentioned in past reviews, I like to take notes in the books as I read. It makes it easier to write reviews later on. A recurring note in this book was “real.” I used it to describe emotions, reactions, statements, situations…it just all came across as plausible life experiences.
I did think that some of Sarah’s reasoning was a little suspect, and there were times that she seemed inconsistent, but I think that might have been on purpose. She wasn’t always honest with herself, so it was natural that she would appear so to the reader as well.
I really liked the way Declan handled her. I expected a little bit more out of her job revelations, and wanted a better resolution to the Matthias situation, especially in light of what she found out. But (again) I understand why the author wrote it the way she did.
All in all, this was a thoroughly enjoyable book that made me laugh in all the right places and gave me those little swoops of “real love” recognition. I’d highly recommend it as a light, fun, beachy read.
Oh, and as to the casting – I’m not totally sold on my decisions, but I could see Adam Weafer or Eoin Macken as Declan and Anna Kendrick or Hailee Steinfeld as Sarah. But what do I know? 😊