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Member Reviews

I typically really enjoy Meg Cabot’s books; however, this one fell a bit flat for me. I struggled to connect with any of the characters. The main character was a librarian, and I am too, which really made me want to like this book. The storyline about the homeless youth causing trouble and leading to an abandoned baby, which brought the two main characters together, was kind of trite. Overall, I was disappointed in this book.

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This was a quick, light diversion and I enjoyed it. Everyone expects an engaging read from Meg Cabot and this was humorous and fun.

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When new-to-town children's librarian Molly Montgomery discovers an abandoned baby in a bathroom stall the handsome Sheriff John Hartwell is determined to do two things: find & punish the babies mother and find a way to get closer to Molly.
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While this is set up to be a small town romance it reads more like a cozy mystery with a little romance thrown in the mix. The characters are rather banal (a librarian with glasses and a love of cats and a blue eyed salt & pepper Sheriff with something to prove) and the romance lacks much sizzle. Overall the book was okay but a bit obvious.
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Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

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No Offense is a light hearted story. It’s an enjoyable read based in a fictional small town in Southern Florida. While it is second in the series, it can easily be read as a stand alone novel. The story is easy to follow, characters likeable and relatable. It’s entertaining enough to keep the reader engaged and moving through the chapters seeking their happily ever after.

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When a book features a librarian AND some crime solving how can I resist? No Offense includes both and, by and large, it works. If you are looking for a quick beach read, this will probably do the trick.

As a retired librarian, I was pleased that Cabot's depiction of today's public libraries was pretty true-to-life without perpetuating all the library stereotypes. I will admit that, since I'm not actually the targeted demographic for this one, that sometimes I felt our main characters were too quick to jump to judgment about some things, or impetuous. My kids and grandkids may not agree with me there...

The prevalence of technology in today's society was spot on. I was pleased that our librarian expressed her views on the privacy of the patron, no matter what age. However, then she turns around and argues with the sheriff about the necessity to of posting photos including minors on social media to catch our villain. That seemed contradictory, but perhaps it illustrates that being human sometimes means we sometimes contradict ourselves...

So, if you're looking for quick "crime romance" with no blood and gore, this might just fit the bill.

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I loved this story! I loved the references to other books and other “nosey-busybodies” that help out law enforcement. It really reminded me of an Aurora Teagarden book or a Miss Marple character. The story loved along very nicely and the mystery, sans murder, was so fun! I liked trying to solve that along the way and also rooting for John and Molly to get over themselves and out of their heads and just enjoy each other.
Cabot does a great job with these books being connected but also standing alone. The writing, at times, was a bit repetitive and it may have felt that way because I just wanted to know how it was going to get. It was probably closer to 3.5 stars... I would recommend this to anyone that like a little romance, a little mystery, and a cute story.

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Unfortunately--I have to add to the negative reviews here.

The characters are utterly forgettable. The romance is lacking chemistry. And the sheriff character overstepping HIPPA and other laws is quite bad. Definitely an unfortunate miss for Cabot.

Many thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

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No Offense is a sweet rom-com with a cute cast of characters. But I liked the premise more than the actual novel. It's a quick read and would be fun at the beach or on vacation, but I found myself wanting more from it.

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This was a really cute romance with mystery elements to it! The librarian in me loved that one of the main characters was also a children's librarian, and I really think Meg Cabot hit the nail on the head with her described scenes of "library life!"

Molly is the new children's librarian on Little Bridge Island, and our story begins when she finds an infant left in a bathroom stall. Cue the entrance of John, the Sheriff of Little Bridge and a Little Bridge native, who went off to Miami and has now come back to his hometown. Who is this baby's mother, and why leave the baby in a bathroom? Does the baby belong to a tourist or local? Is it connected to the recent home break-ins that have been happening all over the island?

In No Offense you've got a small town, a romance, and a bit of a mystery - all in all this was a wonderful read!

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I loved Meg Cabot's writings as a teen and now that I'm an adult I continue to enjoy them. I wish Little Bridge Island was real so that I could move there! Cabot has created a beautiful setting as the backdrop for this series. The characters are relatable and it's fun to read about the same Island from different characters views. I can't wait for more to come!

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I usually love Meg Cabot books – I find them funny and smart. But this series is a little TOO fluffy for me. I wish it had more mystery or more complex characters... something to make it stand out like some of her other series.

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OK, sidenote, I really hate this train with these kind of a graphic he covers I don’t know how I got started but I can’t wait til it’s over. This book was pretty good, though, the plot wasn’t the most unique however for a rainy afternoon it’s certainly help me pass the time and I will read this author again.

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Meg Cabot is always popular. A little slow for me, but nice, stable characters you want to root for.

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I thought the premise of the book was very cute. As a librarian I was very excited to read it, but of course it would still appeal to nonlibrarian book lovers and romance lovers.

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Meg Cabot did not disappoint; I've read a few books by this author and have come to expect fun, engaging, read-in-one-sitting novels, and No Offense was exactly that. I hadn't realized it was second in a series, but I think it stands alone just fine. A fun romance between Molly, a children's librarian and John the town sheriff emerges as Molly finds an abandoned baby in the library bathroom. Thrown together due to her naturally inquisitive nature (enhanced by her love of true crime/mysteries), their mutual attraction, and small town environment, the two go through ups and downs as they navigate through their agreements/disagreements. Definitely a fun, quick read book that was not a disappointment.

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I'm a lover of all things contemporary romance and was excited to dive in to Meg Cabot's No Offense. Unfortunately it fell flat for me. The best part of No Offense was the mystery surrounding the abandoned baby, which extended in to finding the mother of said baby. I would have loved more about this. It was fascinating and different. The romance between the librarian and the sheriff was blah. I didn't feel any attraction between them other than the superficial looks. I also hated that Molly apologized to him when she had every single right to be pissed, John made a big mistake (it was a job related error in judgement) and I didn't really see how doing what he did and adding to the situation like that benefited the story in any way, besides giving them something to argue about.

I really enjoyed Meg Cabot's Heather Wells series and I will definitely read more of her books in the future.

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I really wanted to love this book, but it just didn’t happen for me. I’m a fan of Meg Cabot, and the premise and cover of this book really intrigued me. But in all honesty, I just couldn’t get into the POV of the sheriff. I enjoyed the librarian Molly’s
POV - and I really loved all the scenes and themes regarding the library and how important libraries are. But I just didn’t really like John, and given current events, reading the perspective of a sheriff just felt icky to me. The writing, plot, romantic tension, etc - were all there. I’m sure most people will adore this book, it just wasn’t a good fit for me.

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This is the first adult book by Meg Cabot that I've read. I've gone through most of her YA novels and love her sense of humor and romance. Amp that up with some spicy romance and you've got a great adult novel. No Offense takes place on Little Bridge Island in the Florida Keys. Cabot has written several other books that take place on Little Bridge Island, but they involve other characters. I had no trouble catching on. No Offense begins in the LBI library where new children's librarian, Molly Montgomery, is cleaning up after her wildly successful and very messy cookie decorating program. After a patron complains about a locked stall in the ladies room, Molly investigates and discovers a newborn baby girl, bundled up in a large trash bag carton. As the first responders and police arrive on the scene, Molly meets Sheriff John Hartwell and the sparks fly as there is a definite attraction, followed by conflicted feelings over whether the mother, if found, should be jailed. Molly and Sheriff John keep bumping into each other at crime scenes, swanky fund-raisers on a private island, and all around town. Of course the rest of the LB Islanders and tourists weigh in on the crimes, includling John's failure to stop the High School Thief. John has to contend with that, find the mother, and now learn to dance to Beyonce's "All the Single Ladies" as a fundraiser for his daughter's dance team. Fortunately Molly is only too happy to help, until they are interrupted again by another burglary, this time at the home of the islands most wealthy benefactress, Dorothy Tifton and her dog Daisy.

No Offense is full of quirky characters and crazy situations as well as lavish scenery. It was a pleasure to read and get to know the people on Little Bridge Island. My review only scratches the surface of everything that was going on in the book, but Cabot's deft plot organization makes it easy to keep track of who is doing what. This would be a great beach read or a vacation book. Great escapism and fun to read! Thanks for the ARC!!

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NO OFFENSE is a sweet little story, that made me smile almost the whole time I was reading it. I recommend escaping to Little Bridge Island if you can!

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The first of the Little Bridge Island series, No Judgement, was my first book by Meg Cabot. I loved it! When I saw that No Offense was available, I had to request it. Unfortunately, it just didn't live up to the first one.

No Offense is a story of Molly and John. Molly is the town's new children's librarian and John is the sheriff. There are so many cliches in the first 30% of this book, I kept cringing. From how Molly acts, as a librarian, she is naturally inquisitive. That she should be able to fix everything, because she is a librarian. That she knows better than the sheriff. Someone who is trained to do what she is 'trying to help' because she has seen all the episodes of some forensics show.

John, as the sheriff, is dealing with his teenage daughter, crimes that are happening in his small town, and his growing attraction to Molly, I feel like he lacked something as well.

The story line wasn't as original as it could've been. Librarian + Sheriff = Love (I've read a few stories with this match up), librarian finds a baby (the baby was adorable and I did like those aspects).

This book just didn't do it for me like No Judgement did.

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