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3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
1.5 stars - Reviewed for Wit and Sin
Real world issues meet fluffy romantic comedy in No Judgments. I wanted to like Meg Cabot’s first full-length Little Bridge Island book. And perhaps you can make a rom com set against the backdrop of a potentially devastating hurricane work, but it doesn’t in this story. In another setting, the quirky inhabitants of Little Bridge Island would be fun to read about and I did like most of them. Plus, any animal lover would be won over by the cuteness of the pets that threaten to steal the show (toothless Gary for the win).
Bree Beckham is the star of No Judgments and unfortunately she’s also its biggest weakness. She’s moved to Little Bridge Island for a fresh start and is determined to do everything on her own. This would be great, except Bree is, well, TSTL. She lacks basic common sense, makes poor decisions, is stubborn over the most ridiculous things, and honestly would not have survived this story if not for the rest of the cast. What Bree does have going for her is a big heart and a love of animals. Her take-charge attitude when it comes to seeing to abandoned pets’ needs warmed my heart. But it’s overshadowed by her often immature attitude and stunning lack of common sense. Her love interest is Drew Hartwell, her boss’s nephew and rumored town playboy. Drew is good looking and patient, but is kind of a cardboard hero. The thing that stands out the most about him is his love of dogs and his hilarious choice of dog names. Drew and Bree’s love story was pretty standard and enjoyable, but I can’t say it pulled me in.
There’s a lot going on in No Judgments and none of it is developed well. Sexual assault, family secrets, and mother issues are all thrown in and the way each of these storylines played out was unsatisfying. The first is the most frustrating of all because it’s a very real, relatable issue that is not handled well at all. And though it’s a minor moment overall, I really struggled with Bree’s characterization of an intellectually disabled young man as “slow.” It’s 2019 and we can expect authors to do better. There are also too many convenient coincidences in this book that make suspending disbelief an almost Herculean task. And as I mentioned before, the looming presence of a possible Category 5 hurricane doesn’t go with the fluffy tone of the book. The casual attitude and the way the characters ride through the storm are so wildly different from my experience, friends’ experiences, and what I’ve seen on the news, but I will admit I’m no expert so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
The animals are the best part of No Judgments and I can’t count the number of times they made me smile. The residents of Little Bridge Island were also so warm and welcoming (even Bree’s sometimes grumpy boss, Ed) that the town won me over and in a less dramatic setting they would have been a delight. Ms. Cabot’s writing did keep the story moving along at a quick clip and the secondary characters (human and animal) were charming enough to bump it up a star. But if you’re looking for a heroine you can root for, well-developed characters and plotlines, and a consistent tone throughout the story, you should probably look elsewhere.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Real world issues meet fluffy romantic comedy in No Judgments. I wanted to like Meg Cabot’s first full-length Little Bridge Island book. And perhaps you can make a rom com set against the backdrop of a potentially devastating hurricane work, but it doesn’t in this story. In another setting, the quirky inhabitants of Little Bridge Island would be fun to read about and I did like most of them. Plus, any animal lover would be won over by the cuteness of the pets that threaten to steal the show (toothless Gary for the win).
Bree Beckham is the star of No Judgments and unfortunately she’s also its biggest weakness. She’s moved to Little Bridge Island for a fresh start and is determined to do everything on her own. This would be great, except Bree is, well, TSTL. She lacks basic common sense, makes poor decisions, is stubborn over the most ridiculous things, and honestly would not have survived this story if not for the rest of the cast. What Bree does have going for her is a big heart and a love of animals. Her take-charge attitude when it comes to seeing to abandoned pets’ needs warmed my heart. But it’s overshadowed by her often immature attitude and stunning lack of common sense. Her love interest is Drew Hartwell, her boss’s nephew and rumored town playboy. Drew is good looking and patient, but is kind of a cardboard hero. The thing that stands out the most about him is his love of dogs and his hilarious choice of dog names. Drew and Bree’s love story was pretty standard and enjoyable, but I can’t say it pulled me in.
There’s a lot going on in No Judgments and none of it is developed well. Sexual assault, family secrets, and mother issues are all thrown in and the way each of these storylines played out was unsatisfying. The first is the most frustrating of all because it’s a very real, relatable issue that is not handled well at all. And though it’s a minor moment overall, I really struggled with Bree’s characterization of an intellectually disabled young man as “slow.” It’s 2019 and we can expect authors to do better. There are also too many convenient coincidences in this book that make suspending disbelief an almost Herculean task. And as I mentioned before, the looming presence of a possible Category 5 hurricane doesn’t go with the fluffy tone of the book. The casual attitude and the way the characters ride through the storm are so wildly different from my experience, friends’ experiences, and what I’ve seen on the news, but I will admit I’m no expert so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
The animals are the best part of No Judgments and I can’t count the number of times they made me smile. The residents of Little Bridge Island were also so warm and welcoming (even Bree’s sometimes grumpy boss, Ed) that the town won me over and in a less dramatic setting they would have been a delight. Ms. Cabot’s writing did keep the story moving along at a quick clip and the secondary characters (human and animal) were charming enough to bump it up a star. But if you’re looking for a heroine you can root for, well-developed characters and plotlines, and a consistent tone throughout the story, you should probably look elsewhere.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you to Harper Collins and Edelweiss for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Content warnings: mentions of past sexual assault, mentions of past emotional abuse, animal abuse, hurricanes, gun violence, mentions of infertility, alcohol abuse
I love Meg Cabot. I’ve mentioned this so many times. So of course when I found out she was coming out with a new adult romance (that is an adult romance that is new not new adult) I was like I NEED IT. Sadly, I was pretty disappointed in this one, which is rare for me with Meg’s books.
Bree lives on one of the Islands that is part of the Florida Keys and there is a huge hurricane on the way. Bree decides she isn’t going to leave the island during the storm so holes up with one of the local, more well-off families. The family happens to have an incredibly attractive son, whom Bree eventually partners up with to rescue the islands animals after the Hurricane.
There’s only one book series from Cabot that has disappointed me in the past (Abandon I’m looking at you) so I’m almost certain I will love the majority of her books. This is not in that majority. I’m hoping this is just a blip as I know it’s not because it’s adult romance as I love the Queen of the Babble series and the Heather Wells series.
Continue my review: https://wp.me/p7j3Jr-2Ha
Content warnings: mentions of past sexual assault, mentions of past emotional abuse, animal abuse, hurricanes, gun violence, mentions of infertility, alcohol abuse
I love Meg Cabot. I’ve mentioned this so many times. So of course when I found out she was coming out with a new adult romance (that is an adult romance that is new not new adult) I was like I NEED IT. Sadly, I was pretty disappointed in this one, which is rare for me with Meg’s books.
Bree lives on one of the Islands that is part of the Florida Keys and there is a huge hurricane on the way. Bree decides she isn’t going to leave the island during the storm so holes up with one of the local, more well-off families. The family happens to have an incredibly attractive son, whom Bree eventually partners up with to rescue the islands animals after the Hurricane.
There’s only one book series from Cabot that has disappointed me in the past (Abandon I’m looking at you) so I’m almost certain I will love the majority of her books. This is not in that majority. I’m hoping this is just a blip as I know it’s not because it’s adult romance as I love the Queen of the Babble series and the Heather Wells series.
Continue my review: https://wp.me/p7j3Jr-2Ha
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this because a friend asked me to and I knew Meg Cabot is beloved by many...this book is fine. Not particularly memorable for me other than the two main characters who frustrated me for different reasons. Drew is not my favorite kind of romance guy, gruff is ok but he's also rude which I'm not into. And Bree's cavalier attitude toward the hurricane was exasperating. Also this didn't seem like a romance novel as the romance felt like a backdrop to the storm preparation and pet rescue chronicles. Hurricane parties were fun to read about though. Worth noting that even though it's about a category 5 hurricane it's not a very traumatic or tough story so if you want something light this will work. Jury's still out on if I'll read the next book in the series, if my friend asks then yes but if she doesn't then I'll probably forget.
I think this is the first time I’ve ever read a Meg Cabot book and been like “oh god this is bad.” It was like the entire book was just a boring vessel for the two main characters having sex. How was it? I don’t know! After the act was done the man said “you’re like an Olympic athlete of sex.” I wish I was kidding. It felt like dear Meggin was really phoning it in— like she’s already a bazillionaire from her good books, so at this point she’s lazily turning them out. The characters each had like 2 defining traits (horny/artist for Bree and horny/angry for Drew).