Book Review: No Judgements by Meg Cabot

Bree Beckham moved to Little Bridge Island, Florida roughly six months ago, as an attempt to leave her old life behind and try to start over. Now there's a hurricane about to hit the island, and it's being called "the storm of the century." Bree can't really evacuate, due to the health concerns of a new pet and the gas shortage after the wave of evacuees; nor does she really want to once she is presented with the option. Her mother doesn't understand, nor does her ex-boyfriend. Bree isn't alone, however, her boss and his family are hunkering down to weather the storm and have offered Bree a room. Once the storm passes, Bree finds herself with a new concern: someone has to take care of the pets that have been stranded on the island. But she's not alone for this either, her boss's nephew, Drew, is more than happy to help her care for the stranded animals. 

I really wanted to love this book, but I can't honestly say that I did; at best I liked it. There were a lot of aspects that were good, which I will talk about, however... some of the build up of the romance struck me as... odd? Not quite right?  Sometimes Bree would think something and my reaction was always, who talks like that?
Here are some of the examples that didn't click with me:

• "Why did I feel so turned on by the tone of cool authority in his voice?"
• "I tried not to notice how enticingly male Drew looked as he swung from the truck,"
• "I even sort of liked having him there, his long hairy legs wrapping around me with so much masculine energy."
• "The men in orange jumpsuits who were cleaning up the piles of seaweed were prisoners he was supervising. Prisoners from the Little Bridge jail!"

That last one in particular felt completely unnecessary. I mean, it was used as a plot device to make certain characters meet back up again, but it was obvious, clunky and awkward. And honestly, the story gained nothing from the interaction overall. 

But it was also more than just the romance that felt off... reader's don't find out the reason Bree left her old life, and refuses to evacuate when given the chance, until 2/3 - 3/4 through book. However, it was extremely easy to figure it out. Bree was sexually assaulted and her mother and ex-boyfriend, especially, don't support/believe her. Moreover, there was a climactic scene towards the end that really felt out out character and came almost out of nowhere. While I can understand the idea that Bree wants to have a moment with her attacker, to feel some sort closure... I'm not sure how accurate that is... or common. As a woman who has faced numerous instances of harassment, I know I have never wanted to confront the person responsible. And while I realize that I'm just one person, and one truth, I think it more about how Bree decided to confront her attacker makes this stand out more. She confronts her attacker with a gun, and shoots a bottle near him to make a point/threat. I think that this does not belong in the story at all. Nothing in Bree's characterization made her seem like the type to be that physically confrontational. I also think, that given some of the themes of the book overall, glorifying gun violence was not the best way to have Bree gain closure?

That said, I think this book had some really great character building and the relationships between the characters were awesome! I really liked the depiction between Bree and her mom, Justine, how there was still clear love there despite the tension between them. Moreover, it is revealed that Justine is not Bree's biological mother, and I super appreciate that this fact does not ultimately change their relationship. Although the way Bree finds out does hurt their relationship, Bree continually still refers to her as mom.

Some of the other problems I had with this book was with the description provided, but I'm assuming that's largely on the publisher. The book is 2/3 lead up to the storm and therefore the lead up to the relationship between Bree and Drew. So while there is a lot of animal rescuing, it all happens in the last handful of chapters. I also think the description implies the climactic scene is going to be between Bree and her ex-boyfriend, Caleb, and while he makes an appearance, it is not a "who will she choose?" scenario at all.

I still recommend this book! It was a great read overall. I'd call it a beach reach if it were coming out before September.  I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good romance, healthy female relationships, healthy communication, and animals! With warnings about sexual harassment, and gun violence. I also just wish this book were a bit better.

I was provided with an ARC by Netgalley in return for a fair and honest review.

Book Review: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

A modern romance novel by a relevantly new author: Stella Lane is being pressured by her parents to find herself a husband. The problem is that Stella is not only content focusing on her successful career as an econometrician but has had almost no experience in successful romantic relationships. In fact, she struggles with physical intimacy, like finding the idea of french kissing beyond gross. It doesn't help that Stella is on the spectrum, something she has accepted and doesn't want to be the only thing defining her. She believes that she needs to desensitize herself enough to please a potential suitor, she enlists the help of Micheal Phan, a local escort.

Overall, I really liked this book. It's an "own voices" novel, which is absolutely fantastic: both the author and the main character are on the spectrum and the treatment of that definitely benefits from the author's first hand experience. I think that the relationship between Michael and Stella is also pretty great. There is a lot of discussion and exploration of likes and dislikes, which is something I always appreciate in a romance novel.

I think that both main characters felt three dimensional with their own motivations, wants, and needs that felt in character. While Stella is autistic, she isn't comfortable with that being her defining characteristic. She often doesn't tell people about it, in order to keep people from treating her as her label. Michael has turned to escorting as way to be pay the bills. His mother has cancer and is racking up expensive bills. He gave a comfortable life in New York in order to take care of mother, after his father left her penniless and heart broken. Because of that, Michael often feels that he needs to prove that he is not his father's son.

Additionally, there were quite a lot of steamier scenes which and it was nice to see those these character in those situations played out in positive ways. However, it was not something I was comfortable reading in all spaces, particularly at work; especially since neither the description nor the cover had prepared me for such a bodice ripper. But aside from that, that was a good read! I definitely recommend to this book to those looking for modern romance, particularly those looking for a diverse cast of characters. I give warnings to readers who are sensitive to explicit content.