No Judgments: A Novel

by Meg Cabot

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062890047
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	09/24/2019
Series:	Little Bridge Island , #1
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	132,756
Product dimensions:	5.31(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.86(d)

About the Author

Meg Cabot’s many books for both adults and tweens/teens have included multiple global and #1 New York Times bestsellers, selling over twenty-five million copies worldwide. Her Princess Diaries series has been published in more than 38 countries and was made into several hit films by Disney. Meg is still waiting for her real parents, the king and queen, to restore her to her rightful throne. She currently lives in Key West, FL, with her husband and various cats.

Hometown:

New York, New York

Place of Birth:

Bloomington, Indiana

Education:

B.A. in fine arts, Indiana University, 1991

Website:

http://www.megcabot.com

Editorial Reviews

"Meg Cabot keeps the girls eating … With a sunny island backdrop populated with loveable characters, this is the perfect sexy spring/summer read to lose yourself in, with a sweet good-hearted protagonist and a dependably swoon-worthy love interest who you just *know* smells good."

Bolu Babalola

You know the woman who wrote The Princess Diaries series (and a dozen other series adding up to more than 80 novels for middle-grade, YA and adult readers) will deliver a happy ending, along with engaging characters, lively dialogue and plenty of plot twists.

Tampa Bay Times

Meg Cabot is best known for her books for younger readers, but her adult fiction is a total delight.

Popsugar

Cabot has a long, successful track record of writing entertaining stories that allow readers to escape from the realities of life by bringing levity, wit and a host of surprises and happy endings to the page. No Judgments is further testament to her appealing, winning style.

Romantic Between the Lines

Meg Cabot is chick-lit royalty.

Newsweek

Meg Cabot is a fabulous author.

USA Today

2019-07-01
A woman starts a new life on a small island…but soon finds herself in the middle of a hurricane.

Bree Beckham needs to start over. After her boyfriend's best friend tries to sexually assault her, no one supports her—not even her mom or boyfriend. So Bree retreats to Little Bridge Island, the site of many treasured childhood vacations. She finds work as a waitress at the Mermaid Café and, after three months, feels like she fits in with the quirky locals. When Hurricane Marilyn heads straight toward Little Bridge, Bree decides to stay—despite everyone on the mainland encouraging her to evacuate. Like many residents, she has a good reason not to leave—her senior cat, Gary, who can't travel. Bree and Gary ride out the storm at the large, generator-powered home of her bosses, who choose not to evacuate because last time they did, someone broke into their restaurant and stole an industrial meat slicer. Bree rides out the storm in relative luxury, but when it's all over, she realizes that not everyone was so lucky. There's significant property damage on the island, but worst of all, the storm took out the bridge to the mainland. When Bree finds out that many owners left their pets behind, assuming they'd be able to come back in a couple of days, she takes it upon herself to rescue them. With the help of her mother, a famous radio host, she instructs people to call her landline if they have stranded pets. But Bree doesn't have to do it all alone—her bosses' nephew, the hunky playboy Drew Hartwell, wants to help. After her bad experiences with men, Bree swears she's on a man-cation…but Drew is pretty cute and obviously interested in her. Cabot (Bridal Boot Camp, 2018, etc.) creates a story that's full of timely issues, most notably the tendency of 24/7 news channels to sensationalize big storms. Through Bree, Cabot encourages readers to avoid judging people who stay behind in a hurricane to care for loved ones or protect their businesses. And although animal-lover Bree is initially horrified that pets were left behind, she quickly learns that many people had good reasons for evacuating without their animals. Written in Cabot's typically entertaining, breezy style, with tons of quirky side characters to liven up the story, this book will encourage readers to think compassionately about people who make hard decisions in the face of natural disasters.

A fun, fast, and romantic story.

Kirkus Reviews

09/09/2019

This lighthearted romance by Cabot (The Boy Is Back) has dark undertones as its characters grapple with a ferocious hurricane and the aftermath of sexual assault. Feeling betrayed by her mother and boyfriend, who failed to take her trauma seriously, Sabrina Beckham fled New York for Little Bridge Island in the Florida Keys, where her family long ago had happy vacations. Now known as Bree and waitressing at a diner, she has adopted a cat and feels almost like she belongs. She thinks the forecasts for an approaching hurricane are fearmongering and refuses to evacuate, but soon the wind starts howling. She’s thrown together with her boss’s nephew, handsome carpenter Drew Hartwell, and their chemistry out-sizzles the electricity of the storm. Bree sets out to rescue the abandoned pets on the island, which helps her gain the confidence needed to cope with the past and envision a future with dreamy Drew. Cabot, best known for her Princess Diaries young adult series, shows that her work for adults can be just as frothy and entertaining. Though not especially memorable, this sweet novel will leave readers with a pleasant glow. Agent: Laura Langlie, Laura Langlie Agency. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"Meg Cabot keeps the girls eating … With a sunny island backdrop populated with loveable characters, this is the perfect sexy spring/summer read to lose yourself in, with a sweet good-hearted protagonist and a dependably swoon-worthy love interest who you just *know* smells good." — Bolu Babalola, international bestselling author of Love in Color

“Meg Cabot is best known for her books for younger readers, but her adult fiction is a total delight.” — Popsugar

“The ever-delightful Cabot charms in her latest, which is equal parts sweet and steamy. Animal lovers unite—this one’s for you.” — Booklist

“As in Cabot’s previous adult romances (e.g., The Boy Is Back), our heroine’s wit and humor and determination to stay the course shines through in this breezy story that is a pure delight to read.” — Library Journal

“You know the woman who wrote The Princess Diaries series (and a dozen other series adding up to more than 80 novels for middle-grade, YA and adult readers) will deliver a happy ending, along with engaging characters, lively dialogue and plenty of plot twists.” — Tampa Bay Times

“Cabot has a long, successful track record of writing entertaining stories that allow readers to escape from the realities of life by bringing levity, wit and a host of surprises and happy endings to the page. No Judgments is further testament to her appealing, winning style.” — Romantic Between the Lines

From the Publisher

The ever-delightful Cabot charms in her latest, which is equal parts sweet and steamy. Animal lovers unite—this one’s for you.

Booklist

The ever-delightful Cabot charms in her latest, which is equal parts sweet and steamy. Animal lovers unite—this one’s for you.

Booklist

09/01/2019

A hurricane is headed straight for Little Bridge Island, FL, and Bree Beckham is determined to stick it out in order to care for her recovering cat Gary. She's just reset her life after leaving law school, dumping her gaslighting ex, and moving across the country. Slowly piecing together what to do next, Bree knows that running back home isn't a preferred option, even if she was willing to leave Gary. Which she's not. Also not part of the plan? Men. Especially the hot and snarky Drew Hartwell, who has quite the reputation as a ladies' man, and who is also planning to weather the storm in his newly built beach house. As disaster approaches and Little Bridge is cut off from the mainland, Bree discovers that while she's stayed with Gary, other pets on the island have been left alone. With some help from Drew, Bree sets out to provide refuge for as many of the animals as possible, abandoning any judgment of the pets' owners or Drew's past. VERDICT As in Cabot's previous adult romances (e.g., The Boy Is Back), our heroine's wit and humor and determination to stay the course shines through in this breezy story that is a pure delight to read.—Kellie Tilton, Univ. of Cincinnati Blue Ash

Library Journal