Book Review: No Judgments, by Meg Cabot

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

The closer I got to the shore, the more difficult the roads leading to it became to navigate. What was normally a fifteen-minute scooter ride took over an hour, because I kept having to back down a street once I’d started up it, due to fallen trees or power lines I couldn’t get by, even on a motorbike.

But one thing I did not encounter were any hostile predators, despite Ed’s predictions. In fact, I met the opposite. Thoughtful locals who lived in the area had already generously marked places where electric lines were down or hanging low, tying brightly colored bandannas or even plastic bags around the wires so anyone passing by wouldn’t run over or into them.
I have enjoyed every Meg Cabot book I’ve read, so I was excited to get a jump on this one. It was even more amusing when the hurricane-watch news from the book was matching up with my Facebook feed from friends in Florida! Yikes!

Official synopsis:

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…

When a massive hurricane severs all power and cell service to Little Bridge Island—as well as its connection to the mainland—twenty-five-year-old Bree Beckham isn’t worried . . . at first. She’s already escaped one storm—her 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.

No Judgments (the first book in the new Little Bridge Island series) was a fun read, even if I considered it a bit predictable. Introduce girl, show "bad boy" whom she doesn’t want to be interested in – think that’ll be her love interest? Ding, ding, ding! Luckily I usually read for pure entertainment, not to try and outsmart anyone and see who can guess the ending first.

Without spoiling anything, there were a few character quirks, and at least one complete character, who surprised me a little with their appearance in the story. I’m glad this is the first book in a series so hopefully we can find out more about these unexpected developments. I also enjoyed the descriptions of life on the island, including their homes and the type of people who lived there.

Overall, I’d give this one 3 out of 5 stars. Nothing I had to think too much about, but a pleasant read for a few hours of entertainment. I’d never turn down a chance to read a book by Meg Cabot, with her chatty, engaging writing style.

{click here to pre-order - it will be in stores and online on September 24, 2019.}

Becki Bayley has no history of exciting island romances, but likes to read and pretend they could have been a thing. Her real life is lazily chronicled at SweetlyBSquared.com.