Super cute, and predictable story. I loved the little Florida town on the island that these folks live on and that Molly was the librarian. I'm drawn to books about libraries, and the people that work or go to libraries! The mystery with the abandoned baby found in the library rest room added a little bit of mystery and some tension between Molly and John the sheriff. It was an easy read that went quick but I felt like John was sort of dull.

I have read Meg Cabot before and at times she is hit or miss with me. No Offense is one of those books that makes me feel like she could have done a lot more with it. The story, plot, and character are all good but not wonderful. The story seemed plain, the character's romance was not that well developed and by the end, I just did not care about any of it.

What to say about this book...

- No chemistry between the leads.
- Overdone and tired female librarian tropes. (at one point she decides she can't turn in a teen who committed a serious crime because "I could never betray one of my patrons!" *insert eyeroll*
- A very convoluted mystery that rambled and took forever to conclude.

This book was just not for me.

I received an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Meg Cabot captures the unique qualities of the Florida Keys - and island residents - in her new Little Bridge Island series. With her well-known wit, a raft of quirky, meddlesome characters, and a bit of a mystery to be solved along the way, Cabot brings Little Bridge to life in this new romantic comedy.

This second book in the Little Bridge series is what I would call an easy, breezy read. The main characters are all likable, for the most part, although for much of the book Molly borders on annoying, thinking she knows best for everyone and that she can do the Sheriff's job better than he can. She does come around nicely in the end, however. John is a good guy, trying to do his job while raising his teen daughter and at a bit of a loss when it comes to understanding women. But giving it his best. He really is a good dad and I liked him a lot.

The mystery isn't deep or thought-provoking but adds another layer to the story and a reason for Molly and John to keep encountering one another.

What really brings the story together is community. While the romance moves along at a pretty much uncomplicated (minus a few hiccups) surface level, the ensemble of characters who make up the community of Little Bridge keep things interesting and moving forward, adding humor and heart along the way.

If you're looking for a meaty, emotional read, this book probably isn't for you. But, if you're in the mood for a lighthearted, fun story that keeps your emotions on an even keel, tickles your funny bone, and leaves you with a smile, give No Offense a try.

While this is the second book in the Little Bridge Island series, there are only a couple crossover characters from book one, allowing No Offense to stand on its own. However, I really enjoyed book one, No Judgments, and give it my enthusiastic recommendation.

*ARC received for fair and unbiased review

No Offense is a low angst, small town story about a children's librarian and the local sheriff. Molly a children's librarian who recently moved to a small town to start over. She gets quite a shock when she finds a newborn baby in a box in the library restroom. What follows is a small town who-dun-it lead by the local Sheriff, John, a single dad who recently moved back to his home town with his daughter.

John is a big ole softy, tough on the outside but just a gooey chocolate chip cookie on the inside. He will do anything for his daughter and that kind of love is so sweet. Molly is a sweet book nerd like all of us, who love introducing the love of reading and literature to new readers and spend our days surrounded by books.

This was a sweet and straightforward read. As previously stated low angst, low drama and not many twists and turns. An enjoyable read if that's your mood.

I received a galley of this book and voluntarily give my review

Thank you to the publisher for an eARC.

This was a nice quick read. I liked returning to Little Bridge Island and watching the romance between Molly, the town librarian, and John, the town Sheriff. They meet after Molly finds a baby left in the library bathroom, and the baby’s mother who was squatting in the new library being built. The town is also being plagued by a petty thief. John investigates, and Molly gets involved sometimes when she shouldn’t.

I liked the town and all the fun characters that supported Molly and John in their relationship and in the investigation.

If you’re looking for an easy story, this is the one for you.

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.

As a first time Meg Cabot reader, I was ready to be pleasantly surprised. I know that she has quite the fan-base with her YA stories, but coming across an upcoming adult release by her that centered around a librarian and a cop (which is a favorite trope of mine in romance novels), I was eager to dive into this story.

The book began on a cringe-worthy and startling scene involving human-shaped cookies and the fondling of them by a teenager in front of children, during a children's activity at the library. I'm aware that it was meant to be funny, but this instance, like others in the book, felt forced.

Our leads Molly and John are, let's face it, expected to fall in love. This is, after all, the main point of a romance book in this vein. However, they don't so much fall in love as get shoved together by the author. It didn't read as something that naturally happened between them, and I felt no spark for their relationship. I don't care if two people fall in love at first sight or over a long period of time, but I want to see it happen organically. Molly—while meaning to be sassy, independent and a go-getter—comes across as bossy, pushy and meddling. John, on the other hand, lacked in personality and was fairly dislikable and belittling whenever he had a scene that attempted to connect him with the others working under him at the Sheriff's Office.

Barring the love story of a book that falls short as soon as I have an issue feeling an attachment for the main couple, I was hoping for some other saving grace. But Cabot tends to tell the reader rather than show far too often, there were a couple of instances of generalizations on characters based on sexuality and/or race that did not sit well with me, and the book was overall dull. My best takeaway from this story was the factoid that Molly spews—among the many that she incessantly spews either verbally toward someone else or in her own head—concerning the behind-the-scenes on the writing of Nancy Drew books, which was fairly interesting to learn and something that I had not expected despite the many times I've devoured a ND story.

This was, unfortunately, one of the few exciting tidbits.

A charming romance about a librarian. Anyone who loves books and librarians will adore this book. Fun read!

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!