This is the first Meg Cabot book for adults that I've read in a while. Her writing is always good, but this romantic comedy fell flat for me. It takes place in a small Florida town, following a previous book in the series (though I didn't read that one and this one worked fine as a stand-alone). Molly is a children's librarian and John is a sheriff and single dad to a teenage daughter, who team up to solve a mystery involving a series of thefts in their small community. I appreciated the library setting and Cabot does a good job at showing all that the job of a librarian requires, including plenty of unglamorous tasks. However, the characters weren't fleshed out enough and there wasn't enough romance or comedy to make this work.

I think this was the first Meg Cabot book I've read; and I was not impressed. The characters were not very likeable, Molly was portrayed as a stick-in-the-mud librarian and the Sheriff, John, was portrayed as old and curmudgeony when his actual age was probably in the mid to late thirties. There was no chemistry between the two and all of a sudden Molly is liking him because he donated money to a certain cause (part of the plot).

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with a digital ARC of this book. This review can also be found on my Goodreads page.

I have always loved Meg Cabot books since my childhood so I was super excited about this one! However it fell a little flat for me. Not much chemistry and a whole lot of mystery. I didn’t really believe in the sheriff and librarians romance all that much!

No Offense by Meg Cabot is currently scheduled for release on August 11 2020. 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. 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.

No Offense is a romance that has some of my favorite things. John is a single father that will do anything for his kid, including embarrass himself, and manages to be both protective and awkward. Molly is a bit too stereotype of he perfect children's librarian, and I say this as someone that has worked in the field and also has a slightly unhealthy attachment to some of my books. She is sweet and smart, with a need to help and protect her patrons. I did like the reality of working in a small library was touched on- like staff being the ones to check on bathroom disasters because of necessity, budget, and workplace politics. I liked some of the banter between Molly and John, I found the awkwardness to be charming and just what I remember loving from Cabot in the past. I thought the small town setting was played very well, and I liked the secondary characters. I liked the mystery angle, and thought the understanding and compassion shown in some characters was very well done (although over the top at times), while the judgement of others rubbed me wrong. I really enjoyed some aspects of the book, while others left me a feeling a bit 'meh'. It was still a good read, and I am glad I requested the book from Netgalley and read it, but I think I might skip any future books set in this small town.

No Offense is a contemporary romance with a nice dose of mystery and a strong small town trope. I did not love it the way I have loved some books from Cabot in the past, but I still enjoyed the read.

First of all, once again a big thank you to NetGalley and publisher William Morrow for the ARC of this copy. An honest review was requested but not required.

This didn't do it for me. Too "lite."

It wasn't a [real] romance, since there was no actual romance whatsoever between the two protagonists, nor was there any love. Just some lust, and a bunch of mismatching sets of values and communication skills.

It wasn't a [real] mystery, since there WAS no mystery, since Sheriff John knew *from the beginning, and with no proof* who the culprit was, since he's been out for this one guy since forever. HAS to be the punk kid that got away from justice the last time, right? How convenient for him that he was right. Plus, if Marilyn the Librarian I mean Mary Sue the Librarian I mean MOLLY the Librarian can figure it all out faster, then what kind of real mystery could it possibly be?

Giving two stars instead of one solely for Katie, whom I enjoyed very much. And for the encounter with the drunk dad and the ruined $25 children's book, which I can relate to on a personal AND professional level, since that's happened to me many times. (Maybe not with a DRUNK dad, tho.)

This author has a charming, breezy, fluffy beach-read style writing voice, but I think I was looking for a little more depth in this book.

I requested and received a copy of No Offense by Meg Cabot from @NetGalley. Why? The main character is a librarian - I’m nothing if not predictable. (I also loved The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot.)

“Miss Molly” is the new children’s librarian on Little Bridge Island. John is Little Bridge’s sheriff. When Molly finds a baby in the bathroom of the library, the two meet. Sounds like it would be interesting? Meh. This book was fine. It was fine. It just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Honestly? I wouldn’t recommend the Little Bridge Island series to anyone. I had high hopes for it, but it’s no Princess Diaries.

A love letter to librarians. Other than that it was pretty meh.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced release copy.

I have enjoyed Meg Cabot since I was in middle school reading The Princess Diaries, so of course I was thrilled to get an eARC of her newest book from NetGalley! Although, I haven't gotten the chance to read the first in the series, they don't need to be read in order as they follow different characters.

It was a cute read. Working in a library myself, I related to Molly and some of the situations she found herself in. It was fun to be able to relate to a character.

I wish we could have gotten more relationship development with Molly and John. They annoyed each other, but were simultaneously drawn to each other, without too much explanation.

Either way, if you like cute romance with some crime hunting elements, you will enjoy this book!

Thank you to Meg Cabot, HarperCollins Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity of an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Meg Cabot fans, unite! Her newest novel takes us back to Little Bridge Island for a new adventure.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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I’ve been a Meg Cabot fan since The Princess Diaries, so it should be no surprise I was looking forward to her next release! No Offense is the second in the Little Bridge Island romance series, centering on Sheriff John Hartwell and new children’s librarian Molly Montgomery, whose lives become intertwined when Molly finds an abandoned newborn in the library bathroom. Part detective novel and part romance, No Offense is an enjoyable beach read.
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Both characters have rich, fleshed-out lives outside of their budding romance – Molly has just moved to Little Bridge and is overseeing the construction of a new library while trying to keep her loveable teenage patron from causing too much comedy chaos, while John is a newly-single parent raising a teenage daughter. The supporting cast is delightful, and some of the best sources of humor in the novel (which is, of course, full of classic Cabot witticisms). I do wish there was a bit more interaction with the previous stars of the series, but as always, the romance is well-paced and hits all the right notes.
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This book did raise a big question for me – how do I engage with media about cops? Cabot’s Sheriff is certainly not a hero cop, and he goes through a whole lot of character development (specifically in his perception of criminals) at Molly’s prodding. There are seemingly deliberate scenes where the Sheriff calls out others’ racism, and a teenage library patron makes mention of racist police brutality. A lot of us are rightfully concerned about police portrayals in media, but I think Cabot is on the right track to an accurate portrayal of an imperfect PD in a sleepy beach town.
All in all, No Offense is a strong second entry into the Little Bridge Island series, and I give it four out of five stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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No Offense is available on August 11th. Thank you to @harpercollins @williammorrow and @netgalley for this #gifted e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have read a few romantic comedies lately, because the best ones are perfect pandemic antidotes -- light-hearted, humorous, with people you want to see have a happy ending.

No Offense seemed to have the ingredients: a handsome sheriff single dad, an appealing librarian, and a Florida Keys setting. But somehow, the story was never compelling, the romantic sparks never flew, and the whole thing had a cursory and rushed feel to it.

Not a terrible read, but less than memorable. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Molly Montgomery is the recently hired children’s librarian in the idyllic Florida keys community on Little Bridge Island.. Recovering from a broken engagement, she has thrown herself enthusiastically into her job. She has a great work ethic and strong opinions. Finding a newborn baby in the library bathroom sets her on a collision course with the handsome divorced town sheriff investigating the incident. Throw in a series of unsolved home break-ins and you have the makings of a mystery and romance with lots of zany characters and situations.
The best way to describe this book is that it is comparable to the plots and characters of the sitcoms of the ‘60’s and 70’s. Imagine “That Girl” transported from NYC to the Florida Keys. As a children’s librarian, I have a personal interest in this latest Meg Cabot story. I can see that if might fulfill the expectations of the general reading public as to what motivates a librarian, and I am grateful that at least Molly wasn’t portrayed as the typical shushing keeper of the books with no life beyond the walls of the library. No doubt the gradually escalating romance between love-starved Molly and Bill will increase the circulation of this book. Cabot is a very canny writer who clearly knows what she is doing. I have read this is to be the beginning of a series set in Little Bridge Island. I’m sure she will be successful.
For me, the best thing I can say about No Offense is that it was a fast read.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

I always love a good Meg Cabot novel, and this was no exception. "No Offense" has some Heather Wells vibes, keeping you on the edge of your seat with will they/won't they and a mystery to boot!

Molly recently moved to Little Bridge Island to work as the Library’s Children’s Librarian. When she isn’t at the Library, she’s working at the Lazy Parrot, helping her landlords with their bed and breakfast. Then she discovers something shocking in the Library’s restroom, and the sheriff walks in.

No Offense is the first Meg Cabot novel I’ve read. She writes well, leading the reader through with the right amount of typical in most romances, and of course, it’s a page-turner. In fact, I was surprised when I looked at my eReader and discovered I was 75% finished! It’s a quick, spunky, delightful novel perfect for summer reading.

I always love Meg Cabot! This second installment of her Little Bridge series is another breezy, feel good romance novel with a dash of cozy mystery thrown in.

Molly Montgomery is the new children's librarian in Little Bridge, Florida. She is passionate about her career, and Cabot has really done her research as far as what the life of a librarian looks like - it is not just checking out and shelving books! A modern day librarian wears many hats. Molly is faced with an abandoned new born baby in the bathroom, the home break-in and burglary of one of the library's wealthiest benefactors, and a young woman left for dead in the new library. Each of these encounters brings her in contact with Sheriff John Hartwell. John is immediately attracted to Molly, but can't seem to get it right whenever they cross each other's paths, and Molly can't quite stop meddling in his investigations.

I think YA is more to Cabot's strength, but in consideration of the genre, this book (and also the first in the series) can earn a '5' rating. As mentioned earlier, she did a good job portraying the role of libraries and librarians in communities (what good ones should look like) and I like how she included a response to the respect of women in the dating world in this day and age.

Meg Cabot weaves a tile of mystery and blossoming love throughout this book. Two unlikely people who on first meeting are not quite sure what to think about each other are able to come together to solve a mystery that plagues the town.

Little Bridge is one of the smallest islands in the Florida Keys. It’s also seen a strange spike in crime- which just so happens to bring the sheriff and children’s librarian together on more than one occasion when Molly keeps finding crime scenes.

I found this idea to be absolutely charming, an adorable take on a romance. I did find myself bored at times in areas where the book dragged, or where the characters maybe could’ve used a little more dimension because they didn’t towel life-like which made them uninteresting to read about. Overall: such a charming idea!

I tried to read this one, but I can’t get into the series. I ended up not finishing it. Meg Cabot is usually a favorite of mine so I’m not sure what’s going on.

Oh HI 2020, welcome to my most anticipated read of the entire year! It’s time to go back home to Little Bridge Island. *warm hugs*

This time last year I just finished Bridal Boot Camp and No Judgments and I was enamored with Little Bridge Island and this stunning world Meg Cabot created for us. The characters and their quirks, the landmarks, the history, the scenery. I loved it so much, you can even find my review of it in the first few pages of No Offense (I’m not screaming, you are) as “LibraryReads” stating “I don’t know if Little Bridge Island is a real place or not but it officially has a place in my heart.” And oh boy, does it.

Our newest story takes us right back to the heart of the matter, in Little Bridge, where we meet our new heroine Molly, the new town children’s librarian, and the new sheriff John. While I personally felt their spark-meter was not off the charts, I was still charmed by their chemistry and definitely rooted for them. Individually, I enjoyed their characters. Molly definitely is a woman who speaks her mind and does not allow snide comments to go unchecked by anyone, even the sheriff. John is a hard-ass who has seen some things due to his line of work but meeting Molly creates a new, more thoughtful, process of thinking for him which softens him in an attractive way without making him seem like a love-sick puppy.

We got to meet a few new characters in this story which I hope (and I am not to proud to beg for this!) means we will get more from this series. Pretty much all of Meg’s other adult series were three or more books with the exception of Insatiable because ya know, vampires. But the Boy series was four, Queen of Babble was three, Heather Wells mysteries made it to five! I’m saying there’s hope. Really I’m just telling myself that because I love these books so much. If dreams came true, Meg would write a full 12 book series from Little Bridge like she did the Princess Diaries but somehow I feel like that’s a long shot even for me.

All in all, No Offense wrapped up neatly in a pretty little bow at the end and I loved it. HEA is where it’s at. No shame.

Oh HI 2020, welcome to my most anticipated read of the entire year! It’s time to go back home to Little Bridge Island. *warm hugs*

This time last year I just finished Bridal Boot Camp and No Judgments and I was enamored with Little Bridge Island and this stunning world Meg Cabot created for us. The characters and their quirks, the landmarks, the history, the scenery. I loved it so much, you can even find my review of it in the first few pages of No Offense (I’m not screaming, you are) as “LibraryReads” stating “I don’t know if Little Bridge Island is a real place or not but it officially has a place in my heart.” And oh boy, does it.

Our newest story takes us right back to the heart of the matter, in Little Bridge, where we meet our new heroine Molly, the new town children’s librarian, and the new sheriff John. While I personally felt their spark-meter was not off the charts, I was still charmed by their chemistry and definitely rooted for them. Individually, I enjoyed their characters. Molly definitely is a woman who speaks her mind and does not allow snide comments to go unchecked by anyone, even the sheriff. John is a hard-ass who has seen some things due to his line of work but meeting Molly creates a new, more thoughtful, process of thinking for him which softens him in an attractive way without making him seem like a love-sick puppy.

We got to meet a few new characters in this story which I hope (and I am not to proud to beg for this!) means we will get more from this series. Pretty much all of Meg’s other adult series were three or more books with the exception of Insatiable because ya know, vampires. But the Boy series was four, Queen of Babble was three, Heather Wells mysteries made it to five! I’m saying there’s hope. Really I’m just telling myself that because I love these books so much. If dreams came true, Meg would write a full 12 book series from Little Bridge like she did the Princess Diaries but somehow I feel like that’s a long shot even for me.

All in all, No Offense wrapped up neatly in a pretty little bow at the end and I loved it. HEA is where it’s at. No shame.

When the new local children’s librarian finds a baby abandoned in the bathroom she must call the local sheriff. When he arrives at the library not only does an investigation into the incident begin, but the sparks do too between the handsome sheriff and Miss Molly the librarian. I was originally intrigued by the premise of the novel, especially with the main character being a librarian. The action at the beginning immediately pulled me in, however, it was just lacking something for me. This is the second book in the series, but can be read as a standalone. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters, but liked the alternating viewpoints of each chapter which helped the novel flow more. It read more like a very light, cozy mystery with some romance thrown in and could be a fun beach read.