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Little Bridge Island #3
No Words
Welcome to Little Bridge, one of the smallest, most beautiful islands in the Florida Keys.
Jo Wright always swore she’d never step foot on Little Bridge Island—not as long as her nemesis, bestselling author Will Price, is living there.
Then Jo’s given an offer she can’t refuse: an all-expense-paid trip to speak and sign at the island’s first-ever book festival.
Even though arrogant Will is the last person Jo wants to see, she could really use the festival’s more-than-generous speaking fee. She’s suffering from a crippling case of writer’s block on the next instalment of her bestselling children’s series, and her father needs financial help as well.
Then Jo hears that Will is off-island on the set of the film of his next book. Hallelujah!
But when she arrives on Little Bridge, Jo is in for a shock: Will is not only at the book festival, but seems genuinely sorry for his past actions—and more than willing not only to make amends but prove to Jo that he’s a changed man.
Things seem to be looking up—until disaster strikes, causing Jo to wonder: Do any of us ever really know anyone?
Jo Wright always swore she’d never step foot on Little Bridge Island—not as long as her nemesis, bestselling author Will Price, is living there.
Then Jo’s given an offer she can’t refuse: an all-expense-paid trip to speak and sign at the island’s first-ever book festival.
Even though arrogant Will is the last person Jo wants to see, she could really use the festival’s more-than-generous speaking fee. She’s suffering from a crippling case of writer’s block on the next instalment of her bestselling children’s series, and her father needs financial help as well.
Then Jo hears that Will is off-island on the set of the film of his next book. Hallelujah!
But when she arrives on Little Bridge, Jo is in for a shock: Will is not only at the book festival, but seems genuinely sorry for his past actions—and more than willing not only to make amends but prove to Jo that he’s a changed man.
Things seem to be looking up—until disaster strikes, causing Jo to wonder: Do any of us ever really know anyone?
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 12, 2021
309 people are currently reading
7617 people want to read
About the author
Meg Cabot
279 books35.4k followersLibrarian note: AKA Jenny Carroll (1-800-Where-R-You series), AKA Patricia Cabot (historical romance novels).
Meg Cabot was born on February 1, 1967, during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign. Fortunately she grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where few people were aware of the stigma of being a fire horse -- at least until Meg became a teenager, when she flunked freshman Algebra twice, then decided to cut her own bangs. After six years as an undergrad at Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City (in the middle of a sanitation worker strike) to pursue a career as an illustrator, at which she failed miserably, forcing her to turn to her favorite hobby--writing novels--for emotional succor. She worked various jobs to pay the rent, including a decade-long stint as the assistant manager of a 700 bed freshmen dormitory at NYU, a position she still occasionally misses.
She is now the author of nearly fifty books for both adults and teens, selling fifteen million copies worldwide, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, most notably The Princess Diaries series, which is currently being published in over 38 countries, and was made into two hit movies by Disney. In addition, Meg wrote the Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You? series (on which the television series, Missing, was based), two All-American Girl books, Teen Idol, Avalon High, How to Be Popular, Pants on Fire, Jinx, a series of novels written entirely in email format (Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, and Every Boy's Got One), a mystery series (Size 12 Is Not Fat/ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned), and a chick-lit series called Queen of Babble.
Meg is now writing a new children's series called Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls. Her new paranormal series, Abandon, debuts in Summer of 2011.
Meg currently divides her time between Key West, Indiana, and New York City with a primary cat (one-eyed Henrietta), various back-up cats, and her husband, who doesn't know he married a fire horse. Please don't tell him.
Series:
* Airhead
* The Princess Diaries
* Mediator
Meg Cabot was born on February 1, 1967, during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign. Fortunately she grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where few people were aware of the stigma of being a fire horse -- at least until Meg became a teenager, when she flunked freshman Algebra twice, then decided to cut her own bangs. After six years as an undergrad at Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City (in the middle of a sanitation worker strike) to pursue a career as an illustrator, at which she failed miserably, forcing her to turn to her favorite hobby--writing novels--for emotional succor. She worked various jobs to pay the rent, including a decade-long stint as the assistant manager of a 700 bed freshmen dormitory at NYU, a position she still occasionally misses.
She is now the author of nearly fifty books for both adults and teens, selling fifteen million copies worldwide, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, most notably The Princess Diaries series, which is currently being published in over 38 countries, and was made into two hit movies by Disney. In addition, Meg wrote the Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You? series (on which the television series, Missing, was based), two All-American Girl books, Teen Idol, Avalon High, How to Be Popular, Pants on Fire, Jinx, a series of novels written entirely in email format (Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, and Every Boy's Got One), a mystery series (Size 12 Is Not Fat/ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned), and a chick-lit series called Queen of Babble.
Meg is now writing a new children's series called Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls. Her new paranormal series, Abandon, debuts in Summer of 2011.
Meg currently divides her time between Key West, Indiana, and New York City with a primary cat (one-eyed Henrietta), various back-up cats, and her husband, who doesn't know he married a fire horse. Please don't tell him.
Series:
* Airhead
* The Princess Diaries
* Mediator
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,394 reviews
December 5, 2021
I need to make a tiny disclaimer before I can get to this book: as a kid, I loved tons of books (Harry Potter, A Series of Unfortunate Events… you get my drift), but Meg Cabot is the author who made me go to the library or the bookstore week after week so I could devour her entire backlist. I grew up on The Princess Diaries and Size 42 Is Not Fat and All-American Girl and that one series about that chick who could find missing kids. Meg is an actual god to me.
Now that that’s out of the way, I have to say that her tone and her brand of comedy are evergreen. I’ve loved them forever and I always will. She has a way to make you burst out laughing out of the blue, before you even realize what’s happening, and that’s no different with this book.
With No Words, we get Meg’s version of Beach Read (or its skeleton, at least). Jo and Will are both writers - she writes a children’s series about a teenage cat called Kitty Katz who babysits kittens, and he writes tragic love stories branded as Literary Fiction, of course. They’ve crossed paths before and even formed a connection at one point, but it was irredeemably shattered when Will talked shit about Jo’s books in the New York Times.
Now, Jo and Will find themselves forced to reunite for Little Bridge Island’s book festival, which Will is sponsoring with the huge amount of money he got from his books’ movie adaptations (he is basically Nicholas Sparks if those books were a) better and b) bloodier).
Jo is ready to plot revenge on Will and make him regret all his life choices, but Will seems slightly… sorry? And like he wants to make amends? And like he’s written a book about how he feels about her?
This brought me many Beach Read and Seven Days in June flashbacks, except Meg’s spin on the writers-in-love trope is so original that that was only a vague thought in my head as I was reading. Her voice is so characteristic and hilarious, I felt right at home reading this story.
Long live the queen! (I mean Meg. Meg is the queen.)
Now that that’s out of the way, I have to say that her tone and her brand of comedy are evergreen. I’ve loved them forever and I always will. She has a way to make you burst out laughing out of the blue, before you even realize what’s happening, and that’s no different with this book.
With No Words, we get Meg’s version of Beach Read (or its skeleton, at least). Jo and Will are both writers - she writes a children’s series about a teenage cat called Kitty Katz who babysits kittens, and he writes tragic love stories branded as Literary Fiction, of course. They’ve crossed paths before and even formed a connection at one point, but it was irredeemably shattered when Will talked shit about Jo’s books in the New York Times.
Now, Jo and Will find themselves forced to reunite for Little Bridge Island’s book festival, which Will is sponsoring with the huge amount of money he got from his books’ movie adaptations (he is basically Nicholas Sparks if those books were a) better and b) bloodier).
Jo is ready to plot revenge on Will and make him regret all his life choices, but Will seems slightly… sorry? And like he wants to make amends? And like he’s written a book about how he feels about her?
This brought me many Beach Read and Seven Days in June flashbacks, except Meg’s spin on the writers-in-love trope is so original that that was only a vague thought in my head as I was reading. Her voice is so characteristic and hilarious, I felt right at home reading this story.
Long live the queen! (I mean Meg. Meg is the queen.)
October 25, 2021
I enjoyed the first book in this series but the last two have been awful. From Nineteen year olds squealing over middle grade kitty cat books, calling it their favorite series, another author unrealistically plagiarizing both an adult romance author and middle grade author (what kind of book was she writing? Adult? YA? I'm so confused), to the absolutely excruciating way a grown woman constantly talks like her middle school age cat protagonist (What in the whiskers?- once or twice wouldn't have been that bad but this and other cat-related phrases are said throughout the entire book) there was so much in this I did not like. The thirty year old Jo Wright is incredibly immature. Not only that, she is extremely hypocritical. At one point she says she has a right to know what happened in Will's personal life to cause him to publicly diss her writing. She then makes a statement that enough of her private business has been shared with the group and that her business is private and not for public consumption. But she has the right to know his business? I could not stand Jo and Will was just clueless. He doesn't know what beard burn is? Seriously? And their behavior in front of a bunch of kids and young adults during the conference panel was appalling. The kitty kat book is the most highly anticipated release of the year? Add to that Will Price's (very badly written) excerpts and a poorly constructed romance with no chemistry and this was truly a struggle to finish. I do not think Meg Cabot's adult books are for me.
Best line: her friend Bernadette asking Jo, "What are you, twelve?" - Pretty much.
Best line: her friend Bernadette asking Jo, "What are you, twelve?" - Pretty much.
October 25, 2021
On my blog.
Rep: Chinese American sapphic side character, Black side character, dyslexic side character
CWs: implied sexual harassment
Galley provided by publisher
Never having read an adult book by Meg Cabot, I went into No Words with basically no expectations. I was hoping for something I enjoyed, not least because I was on a string of 2-star reads in the lead-up. And, in that sense, it very much delivered.
The story follows two authors, Jo and Will (although you don’t get Will’s POV, which, in the scheme of things, worked given the plot. As much as I still wanted it). A year previous to the events of the plot, Will was rude about Jo’s work in the New York Times for all to see, a fact which still infuriates Jo in the present day. When Jo’s invited to a book festival, on the island where she knows Will lives, she’s reluctant to go, but for the ten grand offered for her, and the promise from her agent that Will won’t be there. Only. He is, and she finds herself face to face with the man she hates (but also, of course, is attracted to).
It might be a bold claim, but I think that, if you’re a fan of Emily Henry’s Beach Read, you’ll also enjoy this one. Think that kind of initial irritable tension between the leads, literary fiction versus something looked down on, a slowburn romance predicated on characters learning more about one another. There’s less heavy content on the side than in Beach Read, but I found it gave me the same warmth you get when you finish a really good romance (and the desire to straightaway reread).
I think what I enjoyed best about this novel was the cast of characters. Each of them, even the side characters, was distinctive and felt like they jumped off the page. They’re the kind of side characters that I’d want to read books of their own. I only read the third book in this series, but I think I’ll probably be going back to read the first two in time. It’s definitely a world and a set of characters that I’ll be wanting to revisit.
All of this was great, but the cherry on the cake for me was the lack of a third act break up based on a needless and/or stupid misunderstanding. I am not entirely opposed to the idea, but only if it makes sense with regards to previously established characterisation. Here, I’m not sure it would have, but I needn’t have worried, because there was nothing like that.
So, overall, if you’re looking for a romance with a summery feel, to read as the nights start to darken, then this book is for you.
Rep: Chinese American sapphic side character, Black side character, dyslexic side character
CWs: implied sexual harassment
Galley provided by publisher
Never having read an adult book by Meg Cabot, I went into No Words with basically no expectations. I was hoping for something I enjoyed, not least because I was on a string of 2-star reads in the lead-up. And, in that sense, it very much delivered.
The story follows two authors, Jo and Will (although you don’t get Will’s POV, which, in the scheme of things, worked given the plot. As much as I still wanted it). A year previous to the events of the plot, Will was rude about Jo’s work in the New York Times for all to see, a fact which still infuriates Jo in the present day. When Jo’s invited to a book festival, on the island where she knows Will lives, she’s reluctant to go, but for the ten grand offered for her, and the promise from her agent that Will won’t be there. Only. He is, and she finds herself face to face with the man she hates (but also, of course, is attracted to).
It might be a bold claim, but I think that, if you’re a fan of Emily Henry’s Beach Read, you’ll also enjoy this one. Think that kind of initial irritable tension between the leads, literary fiction versus something looked down on, a slowburn romance predicated on characters learning more about one another. There’s less heavy content on the side than in Beach Read, but I found it gave me the same warmth you get when you finish a really good romance (and the desire to straightaway reread).
I think what I enjoyed best about this novel was the cast of characters. Each of them, even the side characters, was distinctive and felt like they jumped off the page. They’re the kind of side characters that I’d want to read books of their own. I only read the third book in this series, but I think I’ll probably be going back to read the first two in time. It’s definitely a world and a set of characters that I’ll be wanting to revisit.
All of this was great, but the cherry on the cake for me was the lack of a third act break up based on a needless and/or stupid misunderstanding. I am not entirely opposed to the idea, but only if it makes sense with regards to previously established characterisation. Here, I’m not sure it would have, but I needn’t have worried, because there was nothing like that.
So, overall, if you’re looking for a romance with a summery feel, to read as the nights start to darken, then this book is for you.
January 20, 2022
This is third in a romance series. Some characters bleed over and it's nice to see them again. But you don't have to read them in order to get all the context you need.
I crashed out, finally, but it lagged for a long time before I finally called it quits. Jo was a huge pile of prejudice, assumption, and immaturity. The first half of the novel, she doesn't miss an opportunity to slag on Will, including every time she even thinks of him. It was wearing. It doesn't help that we don't see him at all until after a quarter in, and even then he's a distant enigma. But it gets worse, still, once you see him at all because he's obviously sweet, doing the best he can, but just doesn't handle pressure well.
And Jo is completely immune to every clue slung her way. And frankly, I thought Cabot was better than all the contrivances that keep getting in the way. Was the romance so thin that you really couldn't stomach them spending any uninterrupted time together without someone intruding.
And don't get me started on all the people ready to destroy someone for something they have no idea about. There's this running rumor that someone did something sexual assault adjacent in a previous con. And not only are people speculating about how "it must be that guy" but they're totally ready to spread their groundless suspicions around. Look, the idiot Garret is a complete wanker. By all means, crucify him for the obvious bad taste and gauchery you witness. Heaven knows it's non-stop to the point of caricature. But larding him with sexual harassment is something that needs a better foundation than "what a dork this guy is." I suspect we're being setup for some twisty reveal (was it Will? Gasp!) but it just doesn't matter when there's a complete lack of restraint or maturity in the lead-up.
Anyway, I was annoyed throughout and only went as far as I did because I have a great deal of respect for Cabot as an author. I'm stricken to find this one such a disappointment.
I crashed out, finally, but it lagged for a long time before I finally called it quits. Jo was a huge pile of prejudice, assumption, and immaturity. The first half of the novel, she doesn't miss an opportunity to slag on Will, including every time she even thinks of him. It was wearing. It doesn't help that we don't see him at all until after a quarter in, and even then he's a distant enigma. But it gets worse, still, once you see him at all because he's obviously sweet, doing the best he can, but just doesn't handle pressure well.
And Jo is completely immune to every clue slung her way. And frankly, I thought Cabot was better than all the contrivances that keep getting in the way. Was the romance so thin that you really couldn't stomach them spending any uninterrupted time together without someone intruding.
And don't get me started on all the people ready to destroy someone for something they have no idea about. There's this running rumor that someone did something sexual assault adjacent in a previous con. And not only are people speculating about how "it must be that guy" but they're totally ready to spread their groundless suspicions around. Look, the idiot Garret is a complete wanker. By all means, crucify him for the obvious bad taste and gauchery you witness. Heaven knows it's non-stop to the point of caricature. But larding him with sexual harassment is something that needs a better foundation than "what a dork this guy is." I suspect we're being setup for some twisty reveal (was it Will? Gasp!) but it just doesn't matter when there's a complete lack of restraint or maturity in the lead-up.
Anyway, I was annoyed throughout and only went as far as I did because I have a great deal of respect for Cabot as an author. I'm stricken to find this one such a disappointment.
November 9, 2021
When Miss Cabot dedicates No Words to all the book lovers all over the world, I am sold. And true to her dedication, she did fulfill her promise. No Words is very good. I am very much entertained with the enemy to lover romance.
Jo and Will had a misunderstanding at the beginning of their relationship and then it blossomed into so much more than hate. I do love the characters and the story developed. I especially like that Miss Cabot puts a clarification to genre and category. See I did not know that children book is category. Now I am educated on genre and category in publishing world.
To all the book lovers out there, the aspiring authors who is struggle to put their story, please read this book.
It is a very good book. Refreshing.
4 stars
Jo and Will had a misunderstanding at the beginning of their relationship and then it blossomed into so much more than hate. I do love the characters and the story developed. I especially like that Miss Cabot puts a clarification to genre and category. See I did not know that children book is category. Now I am educated on genre and category in publishing world.
To all the book lovers out there, the aspiring authors who is struggle to put their story, please read this book.
It is a very good book. Refreshing.
4 stars
June 29, 2022
Two writers from different genres clash and then fall for each other. This is the same premise as Beach Read, and it has the same rating from me. But the problems are different.
First problem: The heroine in this story is shockingly immature.
She had her feelings hurt by the hero when he disparagingly mentioned her work in an interview. Her response is over the top. She milks a woe-is-me attitude among all of her author friends for months. She panics when she realizes the H is going to be at the same writer's conference and contemplates canceling. She hate-reads his book, is hostile to his face, even when he apologizes. Hero is a great guy and obviously smitten with her.
Second problem: way too many characters and plot threads. Everyone character felt like a sketch, with no depth. The sexual harasser author, the quest for the hero's backstory, her father's stubborn insistence of living in NYC, the pitfalls of attending a conference are all given equal billing and a glib resolution.
Third problem: the cutesy cat series the heroine is famous for. She says 'whiskers' instead of darn it - and uses cat puns in her thoughts. Too quirky for me.
I wish Meg Cabot would stick to YA novels. At least the reader has hope those characters will grow up.
First problem: The heroine in this story is shockingly immature.
She had her feelings hurt by the hero when he disparagingly mentioned her work in an interview. Her response is over the top. She milks a woe-is-me attitude among all of her author friends for months. She panics when she realizes the H is going to be at the same writer's conference and contemplates canceling. She hate-reads his book, is hostile to his face, even when he apologizes. Hero is a great guy and obviously smitten with her.
Second problem: way too many characters and plot threads. Everyone character felt like a sketch, with no depth. The sexual harasser author, the quest for the hero's backstory, her father's stubborn insistence of living in NYC, the pitfalls of attending a conference are all given equal billing and a glib resolution.
Third problem: the cutesy cat series the heroine is famous for. She says 'whiskers' instead of darn it - and uses cat puns in her thoughts. Too quirky for me.
I wish Meg Cabot would stick to YA novels. At least the reader has hope those characters will grow up.
Want to read
February 18, 2023based on the synopsis, this book sounds like Beach Read fanfic, which is actually super meta (meta meta?) when I think about it: it's a novel, written by an author, about authors trying (and perhaps failing?) to overcome writer's block while on holiday, whose plot—which happens to casually plagiarize another author's novel about novelists trying to overcome writer's block while on holiday—was appropriated by its writer (re-writer?), dare I say, because she herself failed to overcome writer's block, even after an extended holiday? many deep thots coming your way this evening. don't @ me
that said, it really goes to show how much I love the original that I'm willing to give this poor man's Beach Read a shot, even after its author has disappointed me on two (2) prior occasions. that's really quite the impressive track record considering I've only ever read two of her books before—making her two for two, for those counting at home. when it comes to leaving me disappointed, she hasn't disappointed me yet, and that's nothing to sneeze at, folks.
that said, it really goes to show how much I love the original that I'm willing to give this poor man's Beach Read a shot, even after its author has disappointed me on two (2) prior occasions. that's really quite the impressive track record considering I've only ever read two of her books before—making her two for two, for those counting at home. when it comes to leaving me disappointed, she hasn't disappointed me yet, and that's nothing to sneeze at, folks.
May 30, 2023
I grew up reading Meg Cabot's The Princess Diaries books and loved them, so I thought I'd give this one a try.
This was an enjoyable, cozy read that takes place in small town, Little Bridge, FL centered around a book festival event. Jo writes children's books about a teenage cat and Will writes romance/mystery novels - Jo has it out for Will from the very beginning and Will seems like he wants to make amends. I was invested in their story and the other authors at the event. I was rooting for Jo and Will. I even didn't like the villain author. However, it just sort of fell short for me - no fireworks, no passion - just an okay read. Maybe it read YA for me?
This was an enjoyable, cozy read that takes place in small town, Little Bridge, FL centered around a book festival event. Jo writes children's books about a teenage cat and Will writes romance/mystery novels - Jo has it out for Will from the very beginning and Will seems like he wants to make amends. I was invested in their story and the other authors at the event. I was rooting for Jo and Will. I even didn't like the villain author. However, it just sort of fell short for me - no fireworks, no passion - just an okay read. Maybe it read YA for me?
October 13, 2021
I'm not sure what it is about this series that I just find 'okay' but not great. On paper these books tick a lot of my favorite boxes: charming small town setting, bookish characters, a tropical Florida Keys locale but overall I find they're a little too cheesey and not substantial enough to warrant anything more than 3 stars.
This book features two writers thrown together during a book festival. Jo and Will are at odds because of a harsh comment Will made about Jo's writing but as Jo spends more time with Will during the festival it becomes very clear that Will likes Jo a lot more than she suspects and is trying to earn her forgiveness.
Lots of Pride and Prejudice vibes with this one and SOO many cat puns, but overall I just liked it but didn't love it like I had hoped to. If you're looking for a light, closed door romance this one delivers. It's also great on audio narrated by Piper Goodeve.
This book features two writers thrown together during a book festival. Jo and Will are at odds because of a harsh comment Will made about Jo's writing but as Jo spends more time with Will during the festival it becomes very clear that Will likes Jo a lot more than she suspects and is trying to earn her forgiveness.
Lots of Pride and Prejudice vibes with this one and SOO many cat puns, but overall I just liked it but didn't love it like I had hoped to. If you're looking for a light, closed door romance this one delivers. It's also great on audio narrated by Piper Goodeve.
January 11, 2022
I have always been and will ALWAYS be a Meg Cabot fan. Her bridging into writing adult rom-coms is just another thing she does so well. Although this book is the last in the series it is a stand alone book about Little Bridge Island. All the characters and the story line were all lovable.
October 15, 2021
i DNFed this and then picked it back up because i’m so nosy.
i kinda wish i never returned to it.
this had the basis of a good book. a book festival where a bunch of authors get together, an enemies-to-lovers trope and forced close proximity, but it was just a terrible reading experience.
the main character writes children’s books for a living, and while that’s completely fine, she constantly quotes childish lines from her works, and i found it super annoying. she’s also pretty immature for a 30 smth woman, and her hatred for the other main character was justifiable, but also exaggerated, especially when it was obvious she was obsessed with him. he was barely prominent in the story, only ever referred to passing, until a good portion of the book had passed, and even then he’s not given much of a solid background, so i just never cared about him at all to say what i thought of him.
the romance was lacking, if present at all, and the writing seemed cluttered. too much description that i skimmed a lot of pages, and no real depth to the characters that made me not care about them at all.
1 star feels extremely generous because i actually struggled to finish this and kept putting it down, and wanted to give up on it several times. a lot of people seem to like it, so definitely pick it up and form your own opinion of it.
i kinda wish i never returned to it.
this had the basis of a good book. a book festival where a bunch of authors get together, an enemies-to-lovers trope and forced close proximity, but it was just a terrible reading experience.
the main character writes children’s books for a living, and while that’s completely fine, she constantly quotes childish lines from her works, and i found it super annoying. she’s also pretty immature for a 30 smth woman, and her hatred for the other main character was justifiable, but also exaggerated, especially when it was obvious she was obsessed with him. he was barely prominent in the story, only ever referred to passing, until a good portion of the book had passed, and even then he’s not given much of a solid background, so i just never cared about him at all to say what i thought of him.
the romance was lacking, if present at all, and the writing seemed cluttered. too much description that i skimmed a lot of pages, and no real depth to the characters that made me not care about them at all.
1 star feels extremely generous because i actually struggled to finish this and kept putting it down, and wanted to give up on it several times. a lot of people seem to like it, so definitely pick it up and form your own opinion of it.
December 12, 2021
This was...
surprisingly good!
Things I liked:
⭐The story: It had a lot of time assigned to the life of an author, which are main lead, Jo is. The ratio of Romance and Comedy was nice.
⭐ The funny scenarios and the writing. Meg Cabot has been in the industry for a long time now, of course. She can write. But, I particularly, liked the voice of Jo. Though, she was a little childish at times, I could connect with her.
Things I wanted more of:
❤️ More scenes of the main leads, Jo and Will.
❤️ The story is only about two days, really. And, though I like how the story goes. I wanted thoDe days to be stretched into a week. I think it could've been a five star then.
Things I liked:
⭐The story: It had a lot of time assigned to the life of an author, which are main lead, Jo is. The ratio of Romance and Comedy was nice.
⭐ The funny scenarios and the writing. Meg Cabot has been in the industry for a long time now, of course. She can write. But, I particularly, liked the voice of Jo. Though, she was a little childish at times, I could connect with her.
Things I wanted more of:
❤️ More scenes of the main leads, Jo and Will.
❤️ The story is only about two days, really. And, though I like how the story goes. I wanted thoDe days to be stretched into a week. I think it could've been a five star then.
August 20, 2024
Was this even real or just an hallucination?
Jo Wright, a children's book author, takes her series about cats way too seriously by actually thinking and talking (in real life) like a hybrid of Velma from Scooby Doo and Catwoman. Instead of saying "jinkys!" it’s things like
"I’m not kittin’ around”
"whiskers!”
"purrrfect"
"I guess I should be a little more pawsitive"
Her phone literally meows when it rings and someone said "your phone is purring."
Jo is also oblivious to the fact that she’s obsessed, hyper fixated with Will Price, a literary fiction author, who she supposedly hates. She even said that "his feet were sexy" and "they looked amazing as ever"
Go to jail. NOW.
Probably one of the worst books I've unfortunately encountered this year.
Sidenote: The books written by Jo and Will sound absolutely dreadful.
Jo Wright, a children's book author, takes her series about cats way too seriously by actually thinking and talking (in real life) like a hybrid of Velma from Scooby Doo and Catwoman. Instead of saying "jinkys!" it’s things like
"I’m not kittin’ around”
"whiskers!”
"purrrfect"
"I guess I should be a little more pawsitive"
Her phone literally meows when it rings and someone said "your phone is purring."
Jo is also oblivious to the fact that she’s obsessed, hyper fixated with Will Price, a literary fiction author, who she supposedly hates. She even said that "his feet were sexy" and "they looked amazing as ever"
Go to jail. NOW.
Probably one of the worst books I've unfortunately encountered this year.
Sidenote: The books written by Jo and Will sound absolutely dreadful.
August 1, 2021
I didn't realize that this was the third book in a series when I picked it up, but I was able to sink into it pretty seamlessly and so I think it stands pretty solidly on its own. If you're looking for a light, frothy romcom filled with quirky characters and some zany hijinks - No Words will fit the bill.
This was such a fun story! It's a little more Women's Fiction than I am typically interested in these days (my romance loving heart is greedy). The romance in this one is slow to fire up, but very sweet nonetheless. I loved Will's adorable awkwardness and Jo's slow realization of his feelings for her. I would have liked a deeper dive into that I think, and less time with the antics of the other authors, but overall - it was still a very cute, sweet, satisfying read. ~ Shelly, 3 Stars
This was such a fun story! It's a little more Women's Fiction than I am typically interested in these days (my romance loving heart is greedy). The romance in this one is slow to fire up, but very sweet nonetheless. I loved Will's adorable awkwardness and Jo's slow realization of his feelings for her. I would have liked a deeper dive into that I think, and less time with the antics of the other authors, but overall - it was still a very cute, sweet, satisfying read. ~ Shelly, 3 Stars
September 29, 2021
2.5 I'm disappointed because I enjoyed the first two a lot. However, how am I supposed too believe two authors who never met each other but only read each other's books and made a bad comment to the other persons work fall in love? The romance also came fast but managed to fall short. The plot is bland as well.
October 25, 2021
This is an entertaining, fast paced, well-written, humorous, contemporary romance novel. It has likable, engaging characters, a heart-warming romance, a beautiful setting, many laugh out loud moments, a lovely poem, and happily ever after ending. This is the third entry in Ms. Cabot's outstanding Little Bridge Island series, and can easily be read and enjoyed as a stand alone. I listened to the audio version of this novel, and the narrator, Ms. Piper Goodeve, does an excellent job depicting the characters and their personalities.
February 23, 2023
That’s what happens when I don’t read reviews and go for a nice cartoonish cover 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
April 15, 2022
Life is a lot right now, and I haven't been getting enough sleep to cope, and when I can't cope, nothing is as comforting as Meg Cabot. She is reliably cheerful, even when (perhaps especially when) she's writing about bad stuff. What a remarkable skill it is to look at something bad and, without denying or belittling, show a way through it.
Look, I know that fiction isn't disguised autobiography. But the principle and featured characters here are all popular writers at a book festival. How can a reader not love it? The thoughtfulness of the book-signing scene, what it reveals of character, is just perfect. This scene is everything. I wouldn't place a bet on which books are still being read in a hundred years even if I knew I would be around to collect it. Even if it hasn't become a classic though, I really hope someone will get their PhD examining that scene.
Short form: best book to read your way through the worst time.
Library copy but I'm going to buy a copy right now. I may read it again today.
Look, I know that fiction isn't disguised autobiography. But the principle and featured characters here are all popular writers at a book festival. How can a reader not love it? The thoughtfulness of the book-signing scene, what it reveals of character, is just perfect. This scene is everything. I wouldn't place a bet on which books are still being read in a hundred years even if I knew I would be around to collect it. Even if it hasn't become a classic though, I really hope someone will get their PhD examining that scene.
Short form: best book to read your way through the worst time.
Library copy but I'm going to buy a copy right now. I may read it again today.
October 22, 2021
Sigh. As a long-time (and current!) fan of The Princess Diaries, this book reads to me like a diatribe by Cabot against readers who loved TPD and persist in telling her so, in the past tense and while ignoring her adult novels. I’ll make my position clear: I love – not loveD – TPD, and the reason I keep reading Cabot’s adult novels is in hopes that she’ll produce something equally compelling. So far that has not proved to be the case.
This particular instalment in the Florida Keys series involves a writer of children’s books about anthropomorphic cats – confusingly, in a series aimed at children, the cats are teenagers. There’s a whole section of the book in which two writers discuss how ‘children’s books’ are a ‘category’ not a ‘genre’ but I don’t care; for me, Jo Wright writes YA. Her antagonist-cum-love interest is a thinly-disguised Nicholas Sparks analogue, who is English for no particular reason, except to annoy me in terms of why a posh Englishman ends up in small-town Florida. It would not have felt so egregious if Will Price was from, say, Ohio.
On top of complaining about child-aged fans of her work ageing out of the genre (sorry, category), Jo also makes enough money to write full-time and casually refer to making millions and accept a ten thousand dollar bursary like that’s a normal amount of money to be paid for eight hours’ work and a free holiday. Three of the writers at this first-time conference, which despite it being tiny and out-of-the-way features literary fiction, children’s fiction, horror, poetry, and fantasy in its line-up, are multi-million-selling authors. This is about as realistic as the idea that the representative of the local police force upholds a motto of ‘helping people’. (A policeman. In America. Sure, Jan. It’s not as wild as the previous book where the sheriff was the love interest, but it’s still pretty wild.)
The set-up – Will disparaging Jo’s work to the New York Times – was good. I wanted to level an ‘unrealistic’ accusation at the concept of the NYT covering such a small-time event, but this is two weeks after ‘Bad Art Friend’, so I can’t. However, it’s resolved way too easily and quickly. I would have much preferred to see that Will actually thought YA (sorry. Children’s category fiction) was trash and then learned better. Alas. Instead, we get two authors trending on Twitter in the ‘couples’ category. As far as I’m aware, the only reason authors trend on Twitters is when they’re being cancelled.
There’s also a whole and fascinating subplot about plagarism that is never properly addressed. This, not vagueblogging about Garrett’s sort-of not-quite sexual abuser tendencies, should have been the real antagonist of the story.
This particular instalment in the Florida Keys series involves a writer of children’s books about anthropomorphic cats – confusingly, in a series aimed at children, the cats are teenagers. There’s a whole section of the book in which two writers discuss how ‘children’s books’ are a ‘category’ not a ‘genre’ but I don’t care; for me, Jo Wright writes YA. Her antagonist-cum-love interest is a thinly-disguised Nicholas Sparks analogue, who is English for no particular reason, except to annoy me in terms of why a posh Englishman ends up in small-town Florida. It would not have felt so egregious if Will Price was from, say, Ohio.
On top of complaining about child-aged fans of her work ageing out of the genre (sorry, category), Jo also makes enough money to write full-time and casually refer to making millions and accept a ten thousand dollar bursary like that’s a normal amount of money to be paid for eight hours’ work and a free holiday. Three of the writers at this first-time conference, which despite it being tiny and out-of-the-way features literary fiction, children’s fiction, horror, poetry, and fantasy in its line-up, are multi-million-selling authors. This is about as realistic as the idea that the representative of the local police force upholds a motto of ‘helping people’. (A policeman. In America. Sure, Jan. It’s not as wild as the previous book where the sheriff was the love interest, but it’s still pretty wild.)
The set-up – Will disparaging Jo’s work to the New York Times – was good. I wanted to level an ‘unrealistic’ accusation at the concept of the NYT covering such a small-time event, but this is two weeks after ‘Bad Art Friend’, so I can’t. However, it’s resolved way too easily and quickly. I would have much preferred to see that Will actually thought YA (sorry. Children’s category fiction) was trash and then learned better. Alas. Instead, we get two authors trending on Twitter in the ‘couples’ category. As far as I’m aware, the only reason authors trend on Twitters is when they’re being cancelled.
There’s also a whole and fascinating subplot about plagarism that is never properly addressed. This, not vagueblogging about Garrett’s sort-of not-quite sexual abuser tendencies, should have been the real antagonist of the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2021
DNF @ 41% idgaf if this isnt going to my reading goal I cant continue reading it’s just very very bad. it’s just fucking weird I skimmed most of it. the reason jo hates will is fucking stupid. jo’s victim complex is irritating like bitch why are u crying over the fact that grown adults dont actively enjoy reading your CHILDREN’S book??? I just couldnt feel for her at all.
why did I give this 2 stars this shit absolutely sucks. I just changed it to 1
why did I give this 2 stars this shit absolutely sucks. I just changed it to 1
November 3, 2021
Cutesy summer romance. I liked the humor added in as well. I think the chemistry between Jo and Will progressed throughout the novel just like the author intended. I think the cat thing was a little too much for my liking, but I'm sure cat lovers will enjoy it.
September 28, 2021
No Words is a witty and fun rom-com with a great cast of characters, a book festival setting, and a chemistry-laden enemies-to-lovers romance. The story takes place at the first annual book festival on Little Bridge Island, a small island in the Florida Keys, which is the setting of the first two books in the series as well. I love the summer vibes and could easily imagine this vibrant island bursting with excitement over their first-ever book festival.
Jo Wright is a bestselling children’s author who is invited to speak at the festival. Though she is not eager to attend a book event in the town where her literary nemesis lives, Jo can’t resist the generous stipend offered. Though Jo is assured that Will Price won’t be there, she quickly learns that not only is Will attending, he is very involved in his town’s first annual book festival. I love Jo! She is a well-layered character, and I like how she grows throughout the story. Kind, sensitive, opinionated, and funny, she has a fantastic and relatable personality, and her constant cat jokes and references are purr-fect!
As Jo gets to know Will, he shows her how sorry he is for poor actions in the past. Will is another great character and a bit misunderstood. I like that the other authors, and eventually Jo, give Will a chance to redeem himself. These secondary characters are charming and funny and such a wonderful addition to the story. I love Jo’s author friends and how supportive they are of each other. Will’s sister and some of the younger attendees of the book festival are also great. They bring an enthusiasm to the story and show how much of an impact books can have in the lives of their readers. I can easily imagine being one of the attendees fangirling over my favorite author much like several characters in this book do, and I would have loved to be in the audience when Jo and Will were on stage together. It was explosive!
Jo and Will have the best enemies-to-lovers romance filled with awkward moments and excellent banter. Will tries so hard to prove himself to Jo and to show her he’s not the man she thinks he is. As they get to know each other, they realize that they have more in common than they thought, and I think they both learn that sometimes it’s better not to jump to conclusions and make assumptions.
Whether they are arguing or flirting, Jo and Will have so much chemistry, and it’s clear that there are very strong feelings between them. Will is so awkward with Jo, which I thought was adorable. He is a bestselling author, gifted in storytelling, yet, he stumbles to find the right things to say when he is with Jo. It makes for some interesting and humorous conversations.
I really enjoyed this read. It is cute and charming, and the characters are wonderful. If you’re looking for a light and fun rom-com, No Words is the book for you. Also, though this is the third book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone. Thanks so much to Meg Cabot, NetGalley, and William Morrow Paperbacks for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Jo Wright is a bestselling children’s author who is invited to speak at the festival. Though she is not eager to attend a book event in the town where her literary nemesis lives, Jo can’t resist the generous stipend offered. Though Jo is assured that Will Price won’t be there, she quickly learns that not only is Will attending, he is very involved in his town’s first annual book festival. I love Jo! She is a well-layered character, and I like how she grows throughout the story. Kind, sensitive, opinionated, and funny, she has a fantastic and relatable personality, and her constant cat jokes and references are purr-fect!
As Jo gets to know Will, he shows her how sorry he is for poor actions in the past. Will is another great character and a bit misunderstood. I like that the other authors, and eventually Jo, give Will a chance to redeem himself. These secondary characters are charming and funny and such a wonderful addition to the story. I love Jo’s author friends and how supportive they are of each other. Will’s sister and some of the younger attendees of the book festival are also great. They bring an enthusiasm to the story and show how much of an impact books can have in the lives of their readers. I can easily imagine being one of the attendees fangirling over my favorite author much like several characters in this book do, and I would have loved to be in the audience when Jo and Will were on stage together. It was explosive!
Jo and Will have the best enemies-to-lovers romance filled with awkward moments and excellent banter. Will tries so hard to prove himself to Jo and to show her he’s not the man she thinks he is. As they get to know each other, they realize that they have more in common than they thought, and I think they both learn that sometimes it’s better not to jump to conclusions and make assumptions.
Whether they are arguing or flirting, Jo and Will have so much chemistry, and it’s clear that there are very strong feelings between them. Will is so awkward with Jo, which I thought was adorable. He is a bestselling author, gifted in storytelling, yet, he stumbles to find the right things to say when he is with Jo. It makes for some interesting and humorous conversations.
I really enjoyed this read. It is cute and charming, and the characters are wonderful. If you’re looking for a light and fun rom-com, No Words is the book for you. Also, though this is the third book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone. Thanks so much to Meg Cabot, NetGalley, and William Morrow Paperbacks for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Read
March 16, 2023If you enjoyed the book Book Lovers this is an absolute must read. Hey, all of Meg’s books are! But if you particularly enjoy enemies to lovers, characters who work in the world of books and the heroine on the hero’s small town turf … this is for you.
I love the Little Bridge Island series and am hoping there will be more.
I love the Little Bridge Island series and am hoping there will be more.
October 5, 2025
Best of the three so far…I want more Little Bridge stories and more updates on our previous characters!!
May 17, 2021
Great for a light beach read but not if you're looking for something substantial or memorable.
Personally, I wasn't a fan of this and struggled past the halfway mark to keep reading until giving up. The concept is original but poorly executed. The characters were thinly written and felt more like character molds than real people. The heroine, Jo, is petty and juvenile and the male hero is cowardly. The enemies-to-lovers troupe here is one sided, as the grudge is mostly fabricated by Jo and her supposed hatred towards him feels awkward since it's obvious she's obsessed with him.
I used to love Cabot's writing style, but it's apparent (at least, in this book) that her tone is best suited for young adult books and not older crowds. Jo's constant references in her inner monologue to the kids book series she pens got old fast and were quite strange, honestly. It's almost like, no wonder this woman can't let go of the past, accept an apology and move on - she has the emotional maturity level of an eight year old. She's not totally unlikeable, but it was hard to empathize with her and made me question why she was written like this.
Cabot's over-explanation of what's happening and unnecessary inclusion of details were frustrating to read. Excellent writing is being able to convey something through context clues, basically trusting the reader will piece it together themselves without having to be told outright. At a certain point, writing that's bloated with too many details and explanations is exhausting to want to finish.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Personally, I wasn't a fan of this and struggled past the halfway mark to keep reading until giving up. The concept is original but poorly executed. The characters were thinly written and felt more like character molds than real people. The heroine, Jo, is petty and juvenile and the male hero is cowardly. The enemies-to-lovers troupe here is one sided, as the grudge is mostly fabricated by Jo and her supposed hatred towards him feels awkward since it's obvious she's obsessed with him.
I used to love Cabot's writing style, but it's apparent (at least, in this book) that her tone is best suited for young adult books and not older crowds. Jo's constant references in her inner monologue to the kids book series she pens got old fast and were quite strange, honestly. It's almost like, no wonder this woman can't let go of the past, accept an apology and move on - she has the emotional maturity level of an eight year old. She's not totally unlikeable, but it was hard to empathize with her and made me question why she was written like this.
Cabot's over-explanation of what's happening and unnecessary inclusion of details were frustrating to read. Excellent writing is being able to convey something through context clues, basically trusting the reader will piece it together themselves without having to be told outright. At a certain point, writing that's bloated with too many details and explanations is exhausting to want to finish.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 5, 2021
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I had a huge grin on my face when I started this book. I mean, a book about writers with a rom com twist?! Yes, please! It really started off string, but the euphoria faded after a few chapters.
Jo Wright is a 30 something novelist, famous for her hit series about Kitty Katz (a teenage cat). She’s a YA author who has writer’s block when it comes to book #27 of her series. However, she’s been prolific with more serious adult books that her publishers won’t even consider.
Meanwhile, she has been holding a serious grudge against fellow author, the famous Will Price (he’s super hot and you can see where this is going). Will is not the jerk he appears to be and wants to prove this to Jo via an elaborate book festival he hosts.
Things first derailed when I realized that Jo’s inner dialogue speaks like the teenaged cat character from her hit series. As in, Jo says, “Oh, whiskers!”, “oh, kittens,” and it was “purr-fect”. I couldn’t take it. It was so grating, unnecessary and cheesy and it just.wouldn’t.stop. That alone killed the book for me. As if that wasn’t enough, her annoying grudge against Will that she couldn’t stop talking about, the unrealistic scenarios and lack of depth and chemistry between the main characters and the weak storyline just made this a surreal and eye-rolling experience. It goes without saying saying that this book was far from “purr-fect”.
I had a huge grin on my face when I started this book. I mean, a book about writers with a rom com twist?! Yes, please! It really started off string, but the euphoria faded after a few chapters.
Jo Wright is a 30 something novelist, famous for her hit series about Kitty Katz (a teenage cat). She’s a YA author who has writer’s block when it comes to book #27 of her series. However, she’s been prolific with more serious adult books that her publishers won’t even consider.
Meanwhile, she has been holding a serious grudge against fellow author, the famous Will Price (he’s super hot and you can see where this is going). Will is not the jerk he appears to be and wants to prove this to Jo via an elaborate book festival he hosts.
Things first derailed when I realized that Jo’s inner dialogue speaks like the teenaged cat character from her hit series. As in, Jo says, “Oh, whiskers!”, “oh, kittens,” and it was “purr-fect”. I couldn’t take it. It was so grating, unnecessary and cheesy and it just.wouldn’t.stop. That alone killed the book for me. As if that wasn’t enough, her annoying grudge against Will that she couldn’t stop talking about, the unrealistic scenarios and lack of depth and chemistry between the main characters and the weak storyline just made this a surreal and eye-rolling experience. It goes without saying saying that this book was far from “purr-fect”.
November 18, 2021
2.5
Ah, Meg, ou eu realmente cresci ou sua escrita piorou
Ah, Meg, ou eu realmente cresci ou sua escrita piorou
January 12, 2022
Yikes lol
September 30, 2022
A failing attempt at a pride and prejudice rewrite
April 30, 2022
3.5
I thought this book was a cute romance. I used to read lots of Meg Cabot’s YA books so this was a fun read.
One thing that annoys me is how obvious it is that these characters like each other, but the narrator is like “no! Disgusting! I hate them.” Just GET OVER IT & KISS ALREADY, PEOPLE!! But that’s just part of the trope, not just this one book.
I thought this book was a cute romance. I used to read lots of Meg Cabot’s YA books so this was a fun read.
One thing that annoys me is how obvious it is that these characters like each other, but the narrator is like “no! Disgusting! I hate them.” Just GET OVER IT & KISS ALREADY, PEOPLE!! But that’s just part of the trope, not just this one book.
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