The storm of the century is about to hit Little Bridge Island, Florida—and it’s sending waves crashing through Sabrina “Bree” Beckham’s love life… emotionally abusive ex—so a hurricane seems like it will be a piece of cake.
But animal-loving Bree does become alarmed when she realizes how many islanders have been cut off from their beloved pets. Now it’s up to her to save as many of Little Bridge’s cats and dogs as she can . . . but to do so, she’s going to need help—help she has no choice but to accept from her boss’s sexy nephew, Drew Hartwell, the Mermaid Café’s most notorious heartbreaker.
But when Bree starts falling for Drew, just as Little Bridge’s power is restored and her penitent ex shows up, she has to ask herself if her island fling was only a result of the stormy weather, or if it could last during clear skies too.
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I have been a Meg Cabot fan since I read her Heather Wells series. So I was happy to know she has started a new series. I may be in the minority because I really enjoyed this book and took it for what it is.
A fun light read. If you’re looking for a meaningful or dark read. It is not this.
The book isn’t just about our character but Little Bridge Island, New York itself since there is a category five hurricane on it’s way to them. In the beginning our heroine, Bree decides to stay despite most of the island fleeing due to the storm.
I couldn’t decide if that made her smart or stupid. Still debating.
The backstory is that Bree works in a cafe where she has certain interactions with our hero. Who is a well known heart breaker, and she has recently just broke up with her ex. But she still finds herself drawn to him. They are both animal supporters. When they find themselves two of the only people on the island, they decide to help save animals that were left behind during the evacuation.
These two had major chemistry and meaningful talks that I really enjoyed. The sexual tension was off the charts. The pro’s are the two main leads. They have great personality traits. I will leave those for you to find out for yourself.
The con’s start when where there is a part of the book where the tone of the book changes, and takes somewhat of nosedive. I don’t know how to explain it but it is something you’d have to read for yourself. There are a few other points, like her relationship with her mom.
I still recommend it for the two leads despite the con’s.
stars from me
ARC generously provided by Netgalley and Harper Collins and William Morrow.
Bree, an animal lover, tried to save all the pest that people had to leave because of the impending hurricane, with the help of her boss’s nephew, Drew.
I love when the author adds humor to a story; it brightens the book up and makes me want to continue reading.
This book was mostly fun and flirty. There is a nice infusion of humor and I really enjoyed many of the interactions between Sabrina (Bree) and Andrew (Drew).
There were times where Drew came across as overly condescending or sexist where I assume the intent was to make him seem flirty and teasing. The frequency it happens though does take some of the fun away from it. I also mostly enjoyed Bree although her internal dialogue was a tad tedious. I mean how many times does she have to explain to the reader that she’s on a mancation and vaguely reference why without giving much substance? Her overall determination and the way she kept standing up for herself made me admire her character though.
The thing I really did not enjoy about this book was the way everyone practically shrugged off the animal abuse incident. It seemed to be something that people were used to seeing happen and nobody stepped in to put a stop to it. If Drew hadn’t seen it that last time I doubt anyone else (including our animal loving Bree) would have tried to stop it. Being an alcoholic was an excuse given more than once for bad behavior (abuse and assault) and it seemed a bit like a fallback approach.
I really wanted to like this book, but it was trite and superficial. A good escape novel you don’t have to think too hard about.
This is an entertaining, fast paced, well-written, humorous, steamy, contemporary romance novel. It has likable, engaging characters, wit, adorable animals, a hurricane, a heart-warming romance, family drama, and a happily ever after ending. I am looking forward to reading the next novel in Ms. Cabot’s outstanding “Little Bridge Island” series with great anticipation.
I really liked this book. The characters were well developed, interesting, caring about others.
A fun romantic romp that takes place in the Florida Keys during a hurricane. I loved the setting!
Fun story, but didn’t hold my interest for too long. Most of the book read like a lecture about hurricanes and not about a love story.
Awesome book. Very funny
“No Judgments” by Meg Cabot
A Little Bridge Island novel.
I loved this audiobook which when my turn arrived; I downloaded from my state library. I do love my local and state libraries. This was a delightful sweet clean light contemporary romance and as close as I care to get to the heart of a cat-5 hurricane and its aftermath. I am so glad I got on the wait-list for this title. It was worth the wait and worth the read. Happy Reading ! !
I really liked this book. It’s a story about starting over and creating a beautiful life for yourself.
Bree Beckham has left Manhattan for Little Bridge Island in the Florida Keys for a fresh start. As a hurricane bears down on the island, her mother and ex, Caleb, beg her to leave the island and offer to send a private jet to pick her up. She refuses to leave and decides to hunker down for the duration of the storm.
Bree works at a cafe on the island and has little interaction with her boss’s nephew, Drew Hartwell, until the storm is about to hit. Drew is sexy and confident and has also given up a life in Manhattan to live on Little Bridge Island with his family. As Drew helps Bree take care of the many pets left behind when residents evacuated the island, the two start to form a bond and develop feelings for each other. Bree also grows closer to Drew’s family as they help her ride out the storm.
I really liked this book but the plot synopsis doesn’t quite match up with the book. The synopsis makes it seem that, when Bree’s ex shows up on the island, she will have to decide between him and Drew. In reality, the reader realizes pretty early on that Caleb does not deserve another chance with Bree and that Bree no longer has feelings for him. There really isn’t any question over whether Bree should give a relationship with Drew a try. He’s an amazing man and treats her so well. Whether she’s willing to risk her heart again is the only real drama in this book so it didn’t really follow typical romance books with that misunderstanding or hurdle the couple has to overcome to be together. However, the book explores os many relationships and family dynamics and I found that to be the heart of this book. It’s a beautiful glimpse into this small community and the people who live there. I highly recommend this to add to your TBR list!
This was somehow both fluffy and also had too many things for the characters to deal with, and yet I still wanted a little more depth. I may have been over-excited for this one, but I still love Meg Cabot and I’m still going to read the next in the series.
I loved reading Meg Cabot’s YA books with my girls and love her adult fiction stories just as much! This was a quick read and a good storyline. Just the type of book I need in between all the psychological thrillers I have been reading.
Want to feel like it’s summer all year long? This book will do that! Frothy fun with a wonderful protagonist.
It did its job sharing the story of the storm and the general hysteria, or lack thereof in some cases, preceding it. It was beyond truthful in the initial aftermath of what can happen, how the face of a place can be changed, and the trauma caused both to those that stayed as well as those that left. The heartbreak of deciding to leave someone, some place, or something behind..if you haven’t had to do it, I pray you never know what you’re missing. The knowledge that THIS could be your last stand, and the choice (or again, lack thereof) of where you make it…so true.
My heart broke at the pets left behind…honestly, I couldn’t do it, but I tried as hard as Bree did to understand, and couldn’t have been prouder of her for providing assistance. The stance shared by Angela about those that choose to stay and why…girl, you had it SO RIGHT, I could have hugged you through the page (we’re not all crazy; the reasons vary from person to person, but the choice is no less hard to make). The characters made their impression long after they left the page, and much like in real life, their comradery and desire to help one another was so true. Then there was the unexpected romance with Drew, and oh my ever loving heavens was it something else! No really, suspected player or not, dude had my heart. Why? Oh, let’s see…he’s easy on the eyes, a pulse racer for the heart, enormously kind to animals, adores/puts up with (sometimes that can be the same thing!) his family because he truly loves them, and although a stubborn male through and through, has the kind of heart worth knowing. Oh and yes, he stands by, for, and with the ones he loves (take note of the scene with the ex and the pit bulls…so much love for that scene…LOL!).
So, if you’re a Contemporary Fiction or Romance fan, do yourself a favor and pick this one up. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
**ARC received for review; opinions are my own
“No Judgments” by Meg Cabot was just as cute, sweet, and funny as all of the author’s previous books. I very much enjoyed the setting in the Florida Keys, which Cabot does a wonderful job of bringing to life in this novel. One of my favorite vacations ever was in the Keys, and I loved feeling like I was back there once again thanks to this story.
That said, I didn’t feel like I got to know Drew, the story’s male lead character, very well at all. What I did learn about him didn’t always come across as likeable to me. Drew seemed like a very stubborn man who insisted on always having things his own way. He didn’t leave a lot of room for compromise or seem to take his loved ones’ feelings into account very often. A good example is the fact that he refused to stay with his aunt and uncle during the hurricane, even though it would have been a simple thing to do to allay his aunt’s concerns. Further, Drew didn’t seem like the type who would ever want to leave the island, so it didn’t make sense to me why he would ever have chosen to live in New York City. Finally, Drew seemed to drink a lot. Maybe I was reading too much into the fact that he so often seemed to have a beer in his hand, and it was just part of the “island lifestyle,” but it seems like it could become a problem for him at some point.
As for Bree, the female main character, she seemed like a likeable if somewhat lost soul who kind of fell into living on Little Bridge Island. However, I’m not really sure what attracted her to Drew other than that he was handsome and kind to animals. I was happy that Bree seemed to find herself by the end of the book, but her journey didn’t seem to have much to do with Drew despite the focus on their relationship.
Overall, I would have rated this book 3.5 stars if half stars were possible, but in the end I decided to round down because I was not a big fan of Drew as a love interest for Bree. I would still read the next book in the series, however.
*ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss. All opinions expressed are my own.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Sarah –
This is a charming, sweet, and sometimes slightly silly romance. It’s the story of a New Yorker who moves to a little island in the Florida Keys. When a hurricane hits, Bree finds herself riding out the storm with locals and helping coordinate the relief effort afterwards. At some point in her adventures, Bree realises that she’s fallen hard for a local man with a house full of dogs.
This is a fun read. I read it during hurricane season and loved the wonderful sense of place as the author brings Little Bridge Island to life. The eclectic island community is a lovable bunch of misfits and I really enjoyed the feeling of community.
It’s a strange observation, but I almost feel like the pets in this book are more carefully observed than the people as even the two main characters feel slightly one dimensional. The romance is cute but fairly predictable and there isn’t a whole lot of emotional depth to Bree and Drew’s connection. I enjoyed their banter, loved Drew’s home, and I especially loved his dogs. But I didn’t feel any real connection to either Drew or Bree. It’s an entertaining, fast moving read which stays very light and beachy feeling even when it’s skirting some serious issues.
Ultimately, this is an entertaining story. For me, it’s an ideal holiday read – perfect with cocktails on a pretty beach.
Reviewers received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
I really enjoyed reading No Judgement by Meg Cabot. It’s the first full length novel in her latest series Little Bridge Island. As the series title states, the setting is a small island in Key West and its full entertaining and quirky people. The story centers around Brie and Drew, they both have pasts, moved from New York to the place they felt at peace, Little Bridge Island. Now this book would have been fine as a no frills romantic comedy since it was well plotted, the dialogue was fantastic, the characters were well defined and you kind of felt comfortable with it. But then you add in an impending hurricane, and pets that need help and you have a great cornucopia of life in general that made this a page turner. This book had little surprises added in that might be construed as social commentaries but the way it was weaved into the storyline it became more of a reflection in life and that sometimes we just needed to be accepted as who we are. I can’t wait for the next one!
In hurricane and tornado season, there is nothing better than a good romance to give behavioral tips, which things to stocking up and what to do with pets.
Bree is on Little Bridge Island after an emotional storm that engulfed her life and didn’t think twice about dropping out of college and all her life in New York to escape to her father’s favorite refuge.
Now she’s about to face her first storm and can’t imagine what she’s going to do. Her desperate mother asks Bree’s ex boyfriend to pick her up but Bree doesn’t think it’s necessary nor does she want to be around the guy.
But as the moment comes near the storm hits the ground, she finds herself standing in front of several people evacuating others protecting their homes, she wonders if she did right by staying there.
The book basically focuses on pre-care, during and aftercare and shows how this sweet warrior will behave during all the challenges she will face.
Of course having Meg Cabot involved we will also have a delightful, engaging and callient romance, I found myself smiling and remembering her previous historical romances at so many parts of the reading and loved how she handled the whole physical and emotional storm situation.
Drew is a true gentleman and just like Bree has suffered a lot in the past and he truly loves his ‘Bob’ dogs so cute and funny. Bree and Drew come together to take care of the pets left behind by the residents that evacuated and moment by moment realize how much they have in common.
It was a pleasant and enjoyable reading, light and full of lessons filled with sweet pets and special friends. Each chapter is opened by a storm alert showing the change in temperature, wind strength and others important details and then displaying the authorities’ warnings.
Loved the cover so much I just think that they forget to put Gary, Bree’s cat, who is the highlight of the book too .
5/5 stars
I haven’t read anything by Meg Cabot before so I had no expectations beforehand.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and liked the verbal sparring between Bree and Drew. It was a very humorous and heart warming story. I’d definitely read this author again