Review: No Judgments

I've been reading Meg Cabot for eons and am always really happy when she writes new adult titles. No Judgments popped up on my radar not long before it was being published and I knew I'd have to read it. I blew through this one in one sitting but it left me wanting a little bit more - and I'm not totally sure why.

Here's the 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.

First, I have to say it's a very weird thing to read a book about a hurricane while there's a thunderstorm raging outside. I had to keep reminding myself that there was not a hurricane outside every time I looked up and was surprised I was not in Florida bracing for a major storm. No, I was on my couch in southern Ontario with no chance of a hurricane hitting. It was still so eerie though to have heavy rain pounding the roof and windows while reading this one!

This is one of my very, very delayed reviews as I read the book before it was published back in September. I know I've been behind but part of the reason I haven't gotten to this one yet is because I really don't know what I want to say about it. Like I said, I read it in one sitting and was very content to stay snuggled on the couch and lost in the story. But I wasn't exactly...thrilled with it? I felt like a lot was missing and I wasn't as into it as I wanted to be.

I think a big reason I wasn't connected to this story was because of Bree. I didn't dislike her. But I didn't understand her. She seemed so naive and refused to listen to the islanders as they prepared for the storm. The islanders weren't panicking, they'd been through this sort of thing before and were having hurricane parties, but they at least had the emergency equipment to get them through. Bree? She had no idea what was coming.

Her backstory was also...odd. Every part with her mother was a bit of a headscratcher and the eventual resolution with her ex was bizarre. I'm glad she was able to put that behind her but it didn't fit with the tone of the rest of the story.

I did like that she was able to mobilize a community so all the pets on the island were looked after. I'm sure a number of people would be concerned but she actually did something about it. She knew what to do and put the plan in action and was able to take care of all the pets. It was really fun and sweet to read.

No Judgments is the first book in the Little Bridge Island series, the second is No Offense and is due out this August. I don't think I'll be checking out the next book but I wouldn't rule it out completely. I do love Meg Cabot so I may end up reading it after all.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*