Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks


Friday, September 20, 2019

Falls Short: No Judgments by Meg Cabot

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I received this book for free from William Morrow in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Falls Short: No Judgments by Meg CabotNo Judgments by Meg Cabot
Series: Little Bridge Island #1
Published by William Morrow Paperbacks on September 24th, 2019
Genres: Adult, Chick Lit, Romance
Source: William Morrow
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two-half-stars

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. 

Ummm, I don’t know about this one frankly. No Judgments has Cabot’s signature humor and promises a good time and yet, I feel like it falls short of being a truly good book?? There are certain plot points that are sort of swooped over and things like sexual assault, which I feel, aren’t handled with care.

We were introduced to Little Bridge in Bridal Boot Camp and while Bridal Boot Camp wasn’t my fav, I was still very excited to read more about this town and meet new characters. When I dove into No Judgments I found myself sucked into this town and immediately enthralled. The threat of a hurricane made things slightly more exciting (plot-wise) and I was really excited to see Drew and Bree pushed together under such tense circumstances.

Here is the thing though, for all the hype about a hurricane, we really didn’t actually see the hurricane hit?? Which was what I had been expecting? We got the before and after but not the during and that was also never explained? So we never got a scene where the hurricane actually hits and people are frightened. We go from people being nervous to clean-up & aftermath and that was such a weird transition. 

Bree was sexually assaulted before she gets to the island and the way the book deals with that seems sort of insensitive? At one point, Bree is basically cornered into telling Drew what happened and that was so uncomfortable to read. At another, Bree is basically forced to confront her assaulter with no warning. Not only is that awful, but the confrontation itself was really poorly written and serves as a ‘solution.’ I am sorry but that’s not how trauma works?? Confronting your assaulter doesn’t erase it??? 

These two things definitely dampened most of my excitement about No Judgments. Bree and Drew may be cute, and their budding romance is definitely swoony but it doesn’t truly make up for these other issues I had. So while I did genuinely enjoy No Judgments at first and don’t really regret reading it, it was definitely not what I wanted or expected. I personally feel that Cabot has written way better and can do better. 

Having said that, had I not gone into No Judgments with such high expectations perhaps I might have been more forgiving. There is still fun to be had but after a lifetime of reading Cabot, I know she can do better than just ‘fun.’ If No Judgments seems like your kind of book, you should definitely read it but just keep this stuff in mind if it could potentially bother you. 

two-half-stars

2.5 Hot Espressos

Review: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

Posted by on 10/14/2016 • 12 Comments

Feels in a gif:

I usually find it hard to express all my feels about a book in a singular gif but with The Hating Game, it was quite easy. Actual pic of me after I finished the book.

I haven’t read a rom-com I loved this much in years and I think The Hating Game encompasses everything I love about good rom-coms and a good romance. It made me feel so mushy and happy on the inside and I am glad that The Hating Game found its way into my life. This book has already received so much hype and so many people are already loving it so instead of doing a review review, I thought I’d list 5 quick reasons that might make you want to pick this book up.

1. Main…

Review: The Boy is Back by Meg Cabot

Posted by on 09/01/2016 • 8 Comments

Earlier this year, Remembrance came out – an adult add-on to one of my favorite series growing up – and I was d.i.s.a.p.p.o.i.n.t.e.d. I had come to expect so much from Meg Cabot but the book failed to deliver and I was filled with sadness. But when I heard about The Boy is Back, I was pumped and ready to dive into the book. Fortunately, The Boy is Back is as amazing as a Cabot book should be and filled with all the sugary goodness that makes me squeal with delight.  

I am trash for good second chance romance novels and even though it was Meg Cabot,  I was a little vary because I hate the second chance romances where two people were in love in HS and 10 years later,…

Review: The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

Review: The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

Posted by on 05/06/2014 • 24 Comments

This one came to me highly recommended from a fellow contemporary lover. I am so happy that Bekka of Great Imaginations took the time to tell me all about this one because I had seen the original cover for The Truth About Alice and thought it was a historical novel so had completely written it off. I have to say that I am very happy they decided to change up the cover for the novel, this new one suits the subject matter and genre much better than the first one.

The thing that had me taken with The Truth About Alice from the very beginning is the way in which it’s told. We have multiple POVs telling us their viewpoint of all of the drama going on at Healy…

Review: Wait for You by J. Lynn

Review: Wait for You by J. Lynn

Posted by on 11/22/2013 • 20 Comments

I was a big fan of Obsidian when I read it way back, but this was my first foray into Armentrout’s more adult works as J.Lynn, and wowza! If you thought Obsidian was full of chemistry and sexual tension you ain’t seen nothing yet!

Before there can be great chemistry, we have to have great characters; J.Lynn delivers! When we meet Avery we know that something pretty terrible has happened. Among other signs, she’s cut herself off from her past, including her family, but we don’t know exactly what or what it all entails for a while. Albeit it’s not incredibly hard to guess most of it, it still makes her a bit of a mysterious tragedy which I always enjoy in character arcs. I immediately liked her, too. She’s…