"All it takes to get someone to love reading is finding them the right book
—a book that could even change their life."
Meg Cabot has been one of my favorite authors ever since I can remember. Her fun, simple writing style, along with her characters and their sometimes barely-there romance, is what I adore the most from her. It's easy to get lost in her story, and ultimately, it gets even easier to pick up her next book without putting another thought.
No Offense is another book by Cabot that I managed to finish yesterday. It's the second book in the Little Bridge Island series, though please take note that the story is not at all related to the first. Characters like Drew and Bree are barely here, so if you want to know them better, you can read my review for No Judgement here.
Following the story of a new librarian in the Little Bridge Island named Molly Montgomery and the island's new sheriff John Hartwell, this book is a combination of light mystery and romance. When Molly discovers an abandoned baby in her library restroom, her life changes. Her fondness for criminal stories, followed by the fact that she feels responsible for the discovery, brings her into one of the most talked-about investigations on the island. That's when she meets John, the grumpy sheriff with blue distracting eyes.
John, recently divorced with one teenage daughter called Katie, is having a hard time adjusting to singlehood life. It's also not helping that the Highschool Thief cases haven't been handled well under his leadership. When another case happens in the old library, John is quick to investigate the scene. That's when he meets Molly, the new librarian with the biggest, roundest eyes he has ever seen.
Initially, I thought the premise sounded so interesting. A romance story between a sheriff and a librarian was quite new to me, and the idea of them solving cases together actually seemed promising. Who doesn't want a little mystery with an avid reader as the main lead? Well, little did I know that No Offense would turn out to be my least favorite Meg Cabot's book ever.
So we got a book lover as the main character—that one was clear enough. What irked me was the fact that besides being a librarian slash book lover, Molly didn't have any other distinguishable personality. I didn't think she had a quirk which was so unlike the other characters by Cabot I had previously read and adored. She was a little annoying and eventually came across as being too intrusive, but I didn't think readers were meant to perceive her that way.
If Molly's character was bland, John's was a bit better in personality though worse in execution. My first impression during chapter 2 was: it might be better if this book didn't include his POV. For your information, I can't stand insta-love, but I certainly believe in admiration at first sight. It's fine by me if a main character admires someone on their first meeting that eventually leads to real feeling—happens many times in real life. What occurred in this book felt more like insta-love though. John, in my opinion, became a bit obsessed with Molly after their first meeting and it certainly didn't sit well with me. But I liked that he actually tried his best to understand those he cared about and be better, which was very unlike Molly.
If there were things I loved about No Offense, it would be the mystery bit and the Little Bridge Island. Reading this book somehow reminded me of Star Hollow where even walls talked, so it's like a breath of fresh air and I loved it. The mystery, on the other hand, was super light and fun. A little predictable and unpredictable at the same time.
In conclusion, I was a bit disappointed with this book, I'm sorry. No Offense could have been much better if the characters weren't so much of a meddler (it's annoying, Molly) or a Molly-pleaser (talking about you, John). I'm still looking forward to reading another book by Meg Cabot though. Her works are my go-to comfort reads, and even if this one was quite a letdown, I believe the others would make up for it.
Actual rating: 2.5★
