I picked this book up as a part of an event at the Toledo Library - they hosted Meg Cabot for a reading and Q+A a couple of months ago. I love that the libraries in my area are able to bring in authors for opportunities like this! (Side note, she did a book signing and was an absolutely lovely human)
⭐⭐
No Judgments
Meg Cabot 384 pages | Published by William Morrow Paperbacks
Bree recently moved to her favorite childhood vacation town to escape a bad breakup, trauma, and a hostile relationship with her mom. In this Florida beach town, she's found herself working at a local restaurant and pretty content with her new coastal life. As a hurricane approaches, Bree is insistent that she stays put to weather the storm, finding a safe haven with local friends - and among them is Drew, supposed heart-breaker and gorgeous contractor. Once the storm passes, Bree and Drew find themselves teaming up to help care for the pets left behind by those who evacuated without them. But as the craziness of the hurricane dies down, some people from Bree's past arrive un-announced.
Cute and lighthearted overall, I was a little underwhelmed with this one. I think I liked the setting more than the actual story. I'm excited that this seems to be one in a series from Cabot, all taking place on Little Bridge Island. Despite the hurricane, this book made me desperate to pack up and move to a little coastal town.
Drew & Bree were cute but I thought that their relationship escalated a bit too quickly - I didn't feel the great connection or slow burn between them that I think needed to be there. Bree consistently felt very defensive - they were each learning not to cast judgments on each other and those who evacuated without their pets, but from time to time her reactions felt over the top.
Potential Spoiler: One major thing that really took me out of this story though was its casual use of threatening gun violence in order to solve her problem. It felt incredibly out of place and awkward, like a last-ditch effort to create a climactic moment in the story.
Overall I liked this book, but the pacing just felt a bit too fast for me. I would definitely recommend it though to pick up as a beach or poolside read!
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