New York Times-bestselling author Meg Cabot returns with a charming romance between a children’s librarian and the town sheriff in the second book in the Little Bridge Island series. Welcome to Little Bridge, one of the smallest, most beautiful islands in the Florida Keys, home to sandy white beaches, salt-rimmed margaritas, and stunning sunsets—a place where nothing goes under the radar and love … margaritas, and stunning sunsets—a place where nothing goes under the radar and love has a way of sneaking up when least expected…
A broken engagement only gave Molly Montgomery additional incentive to follow her dream job from the Colorado Rockies to the Florida Keys. Now, as Little Bridge Island Public Library’s head of children’s services, Molly hopes the messiest thing in her life will be her sticky-note covered desk. But fate—in the form of a newborn left in the restroom—has other ideas. So does the sheriff who comes to investigate the “abandonment”. When John Hartwell folds all six-feet-three of himself into a tiny chair and insists that whoever left the baby is a criminal, Molly begs to differ and asks what he’s doing about the Island’s real crime wave (if thefts of items from homes that have been left unlocked could be called that). Not the best of starts, but the man’s arrogance is almost as distracting as his blue eyes. Almost…
John would be pretty irritated if one of his deputies had a desk as disorderly as Molly’s. Good thing she doesn’t work for him, considering how attracted he is to her. Molly’s lilting librarian voice makes even the saltiest remarks go down sweeter, which is bad as long as she’s a witness but might be good once the case is solved—provided he hasn’t gotten on her last nerve by then. Recently divorced, John has been having trouble adjusting to single life as well as single parenthood. But something in Molly’s beautiful smile gives John hope that his old life on Little Bridge might suddenly hold new promise—if only they can get over their differences.
Clever, hilarious, and fun, No Offense will tug at readers’ heartstrings and make them fall in love with Little Bridge Island and its unique characters once again.
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Not sure if it was just me or not but ‘No Offense’ fell flat. There just wasn’t much sizzle between our librarian Molly and Sheriff John, who became a recently divorce single father and even with all the mystery surrounding the found baby, high school and home thief and burglaries I had ended up skimming through a few chapters out of boredom. It’s sad to report that this failed to deliver but would definitely reconsider reading something else by this author in the future.
John Hartwell the town sheriff has been plagued by an uncatchable thief. Trying to balance work and being a single dad to a teenage daughter, he just needs a break, one clue in the case to the string of break-ins. That clue comes in the unlikely form of an abandoned baby found in the library by Molly Montgomery. Molly’s new to town and happy to be restarting her life away from everything it used to be. Despite his warnings, she finds herself wrapped up in solving his case, and in him.
No Offense was a sweet, light read with a little bit of a mystery tied in. I liked that the main characters were not in their 20’s, both are pretty well developed and likable. I have not read the first in the series and didn’t feel lost in the plot, It read well as a standalone. It’s a good cute, easy read for a quick distraction if you like contemporary romance and cozy mysteries.
4 1/2 stars
This was a fun book, a rom-com that will make you smile. The writing is deft, and things move along quickly. It’s definitely easy reading with a happy ever after..
John and Molly, a county sheriff and a children’s librarian, are delightful. He’s a single father of a high school daughter. She loves watching true crime TV shows. She also keeps stumbling across victims of The High School Thief and helping to rescue them. This makes sure that she and John are frequently thrown into each other’s company. Molly is determined. John, well, let’s just say that all law enforcement officers should be as conscientious and caring as Sheriff John.
In addition to John and Molly, the supporting characters are equally delightful. I especially liked Phyllis Robinette, the former head librarian, now retired and volunteering her services. She mentors everyone. It’s been her purpose to guide youngsters onto the right path, including a young John. He’d been on the wrong road, but Phyllis turned him around by finding just the right books for him.
There are no real surprises in this book, but if you enjoy rom-coms, fun characters, and misunderstandings, this might be the right book for you. It’s mostly light and entertaining. A sweet romance with an adult edge.
I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley. I thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.
No Offense by Meg Cabot is one of the most entertaining books I have read lately. It is a romance but so much more. Yes, they have problems to overcome, just as in all romances, but this is so much more entertaining. The characters a beyond delightful and both understand they have plenty to learn and so they learn it. I laughed. John is so male: clueless. But, he knows it. He also knows bad advice when he hears it. Molly is over men. She has been burned, and this one, no matter how good looking, is an oaf. Yet, they manage to wend their way through abandoned babies, teenage girls, and boys, a broken hearted young woman who almost died, and a young men, sent to jail, more for being a fool than anything else, although he did commit crimes. A terrific read. Made my day. Couldn’t put it down. Way to go, Meg Cabot!
I was invited to read a free e-ARC of No Offense by William Morrow, through Netgalley. #netgalley #nooffense #williammorrow
Molly and John seem at odds, with each other, but they had feelings for each other.
Molly, the new librarian, finds something, and calls the sheriff, John.
Molly & John may have feelings for each other, but they were at odds as to how to handle the current situation.
Again, the author adds humor. Molly and John’s fights were funny and I really enjoyed this book.
Can’t wait for the next book in the Little Bridge Island series.
Engaging characters with a good story flow.
This book is the second in Meg Cabot’s Little Bridge Island series but can be enjoyed solo if you haven’t read the first. If you read the first and it wasn’t your cup of tea you may still want to give this one a go. I enjoyed it more than I did the first book. All the problems I had with characters and their development and story flow from the first book are gone in this one. Could just be the author getting more comfortable with the setting and being able to flesh out the setting better.
I loved the awkwardness between John and Molly. Nothing pushes two people together quicker than a good mystery. I liked the small-town sheriff and librarian pairing. Molly offered the softness to stand against John’s more “strictly sensible” ways. I also really enjoyed getting to see so many side characters in the spotlight. We get the see mildly teens, vacation goers and even the resident drag queen. A good mix of an equally eclectic cast. Everyone had their personalities and you could easily visualize their interactions.
There was a good mixture of humor with the more dramatic parts keeping the overall feel of the story light. Great for a weekend read.
3.5 Stars
Okay. So… I had a big blonde moment when I started this book. I had read the summary months ago so didn’t look at it again before starting. Apparently I had mixed up what is was about with another book. The cover is not a lawyer arguing with her main squeeze.
It is in fact about a small town librarian possibly duking it out with the local sheriff. Molly is somewhat new to the area and when she finds an abandoned baby in the library’s bathroom, her life gets a good shake up. Law enforcement is contacted and her nosey, book-trained-sleuthing self repeatedly gets in the way of the sheriff, John.
Meg’s humor provides and easy read. It’s not my favorite she’s written, but it’s quick and fun.
TW: Abandonment, steam
NO OFENSE
MEG CABOT
Loved and enjoyed this super cute rom-com between Molly the head children’s librarian for the Little Bridge Island Public Library and Sheriff John Hartwell whose meet cute is surrounded by an abandoned baby in the library bathroom. A cute mystery plotline and adorable banter between our MCs that is super cute and romantic. This is a great escape read in between some heavy reads that I definitely needed. Had not read a Meg Cabot book before and glad to have been introduced to her writing in this cute romcom.
This is an entertaining, fast paced, well-written, humorous, steamy, contemporary romance. It has many laugh out loud moments, likable, engaging characters, wit, mystery, a heart-warming romance, and a happily ever after ending. This is the third entry in Ms. Cabot’s outstanding Little Bridge Island series, and can easily be read and enjoyed as a stand alone.
Awesome book
This is my first Meg Cabot. I had always associated her with The Princess Diaries, which didn’t interest me. But it won’t be the last, because this light island romance with a hint of mystery really hit the spot. It’s funny, occasionally biting, fast-moving, warm-hearted, and just really, really satisfying. This is not a sweet romance, though for 98% of the book it actually is, so this is just a heads up depending on your preferences. Fans of libraries and books and honest cops and good dads should especially take a look. (It certainly checked off four items at the top of my list!)
“No Offense” Little Bridge Island, Book 2 by Meg Cabot narrator Piper Goodeve
This was a fun light, sweet and clean, easy read and worth the wait for my turn to download this audiobook from my state library.
A small town romance between a librarian and a sheriff. This was a cute read. Some laughable moments and a little mystery thrown in. It took me a little to get into it but once I did I enjoyed it fully.
*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a advanced copy of this book for my voluntary review. All thoughts and opinions are those of my own.**
Meg Cabot never disappoints! A romance between the sheriff and the librarian in Key West? Sign me up! Such a fun, breezy read.
Laugh out loud read.
No Offense would make a cute beach read. It has a very light mystery, an abandoned baby at the library, and a sweet romance between the children’s librarian and the town Sheriff. The story was a nice weekend diversion
I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley and this is my honest review.
This was a well-written, entertaining book. Molly is new to town, working at her dream job. She meets the sheriff, John, and they are soon at odds, and also attracted to each other. There are mysteries in town, and they seem to keep crossing paths. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.
A children’s librarian, Molly, meets the Sheriff, John, and tries to help him solve a case. I thought at times that Molly was just immature and silly and found it hard to relate to her. I received an ARC from NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for my honest review.
This book was good. I mean…there’s a librarian and a sheriff…what’s not to like?! Molly is new to Little Bridge and loves her job as the children’s librarian. John is the town sheriff. The two cross paths when.an abandoned infant is found in the restroom at the library. I liked the premise of the book. The writing style was not my favorite but does not detract from the story. It felt a bit old-fashioned at times but I do think others may enjoy the pace and style of the story. Overall, I would recommend this one to those who enjoy a small-town romance with a bit of mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC of this book. The opinions here are my own.
Molly Montgomery relocated to Little Bridge Island after a broken engagement. Taking the job as the head children’s librarian at the public library is Molly’s dream and the idyllic setting of living on a tropical island doesn’t hurt either. But then Molly discovers an abandoned baby in the bathroom at the library – and subsequently meets Sheriff John Hartwell who comes to investigate – she’ll learn about a whole different side to the island.
John Hartwell moved back to Little Bridge Island with his daughter after his divorce. When the previous Sheriff got in some trouble, John stepped in, but he’s finding it more difficult than he would like for people to take him seriously in the job, especially since he’s been having problems with a group of transients that have been known to cause problems on the island only to have their wealthy parents step in and fix the problems for them.
John knows who is responsible for the baby, and he’s loathe to let them get away with abandoning her. Both Molly and John become embroiled in the mystery, however, each have their own views on the right way to solve it that don’t always match up.
First off, I enjoyed this second book in the series much more than I did the first one. I liked getting a different look at the island than what we saw in the first book, which was marred by an impending hurricane disaster.
I liked the idea of Molly and John being so at odds with each other. She’s the newcomer in town, he’s the newly returned sheriff who was born and raised on the island. They both have such differing outlooks on life, that it’s interesting to see them butt heads with one another, but still the unavoidable attraction they have for one another is palpable. As each of them staunchly defended their viewpoints, I understood where each was coming from and I liked that they were seemingly able to take this stance as well. To know when to apologize or concede that there were instances where one or the other was wrong. I just kept waiting for them to get on the same page, but decided that maybe it was truly all about showing that people can love and care for one another even if they don’t totally agree on everything. They can still understand each other.
I also liked the different side to the quirky small town setting. Typically, you get this, as I said, kind of idyllic feeling about small towns (or islands as the case may be) they’re perfect and too good to be true. All the residents know each other and they have fun celebrations. You wish you lived there. But Meg Cabot kind of gives us a reality check. That all places have their good qualities, but also the possible not-so-good qualities and trying to put a shiny veneer on and pretend that crime and conflict don’t exist doesn’t really help anyone out.
I thought No Offense was interesting in that it brings to the forefront perspectives that I wouldn’t immediately think about in a contemporary romance.
I’m definitely interested in exploring the island some more.