Sarra Manning

Margot and Will cross paths at the local dog rescue centre where - after a series of misunderstandings and a lot of consternation - they agree to foster Blossom (a gentle Staffy with a giant head, soft, floppy ears and kohl-rimmed brown eyes) together: one week on, one week off. Margot and Will don't get off to the best of starts: he thinks Margot is demanding and needy and Just So Much. And she thinks Will is emotionally unavailable, slightly brittle and very mistrustful. They're both right. But the more they bicker, the worse Blossom behaves, and they realise they have to form some sort of truce in order to co-pawrent her together. It's almost as if Blossom has plans of her own . . .

Rescue Me

Cindy McKee

I really wanted to shake these two through most of this book. Blossom the Staffy is the only reason I give this 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. People make life unnecessarily complicated, whereas dogs give you love unconditionally. That should be a little lesson for us all.

Becky

If you want a book to convince you to get a staffy this is the book. Blossom stole my heart and really stole the show on this one. She was amazing and I now want to go and rescue all of the staffies I can find and give them a good home. My home is not big enough though.

Thisisalso abook about Margot and Will and how I dog brought them together and made then realise their flaws and made them look at what they were missing in their lives and it wasn't the things they thought they needed. And their flaws weren't what they thought they were. 

I was slow to warm to this book. I really was in it for Blossom. Everything she did reminded me of my own dogand so I was constantly having to go to my mom's to visit or bothered him while he was asleep for a quick cuddle. Will and Margot quietly snuck up on means made me love them and category their happy endings.

This is one for dog lovers. Others need not apply.

Shay Rabaya

someone get me a will and a blossom-in no particular order

Ruth Parker 

I love Sarra Manning’s books but this one wasn’t for me. I wasn’t interested in the characters and barely cared about their dog haha. The idea was good but it just didn’t work for me.

Grace Emilia Machon

3.5 ✨ rounded down. 
There's a lot to like about this book and I think if I had read it I would have liked it more but the Audio voice for Margot is so slow and breathy it takes 9 years to get to the point. 

Pros 
Dogs

Cons
100 pages too long, I was just like WE GET IT YOU ARE IN LOVE.

Anika | @chaptersofmay

Rescue Me is an uplifting, refreshingly charming, contemporary romance. And the perfect book for dog lovers! If you’re looking for a fun rom-com and a joyful read, this is the next book for your list.

The story follows Margot and Will, who become "co-pawrents" to a Staffie named Blossom. Margot is worried about time passing as she wants to start a family. To fill the need for love, she adopts Blossom. Will has recently left a lucrative career in New York City for the family business in London. He struggles to build emotional ties with others, and so also adopts Blossom. The blurb of Rescue Me is what drew me to the book, simply because I knew it was the kind of premise that would have an entertaining narrative. Two strangers sharing a dog is a recipe for hilarity. 

Margot and Will’s dynamic is not totally enemies-to-lovers, but they certainly struggle to put on a united front. As a result, Blossom becomes more and more mischievous. But they do have contrasting personalities which add to the book’s entertainment. Margot is independent, passionate, and feisty. She’s very open and honest, and never afraid to hold her ground. Will is also very honest but relatively shy, despite his previous flashy career. He’s kind and generous, but it’s hidden beneath a colder exterior. 

Rescue Me is a light rom-com, but it’s grounded by the way the author covers weightier issues, namely the concept of a biological clock and childhood trauma. Manning very delicately explores the impact parents can have on children once they grow up, as well as the anxiety that comes with loneliness. It’s always comforting when angsts like this are written with care, and the author does this really well. 

Manning has a warm writing style, that’s easy and light but emotive and moving. The characters are both in their 30s, so there’s a nice level of maturity to their development and dialogue. Both Margot and Will react and communicate like real human beings, and I really appreciated this. The alternating POVs also help the reader get to know both personality. They have genuine insecurities, mainly surrounding self-worth and love, but they are portrayed with an authentic kindness that really drew me to the story.

One thing I love is that Blossom is bursting with character. She’s not just a prop, she behaves the way a cheeky dog would. But at the same time, she’s an adorable pup and so very loveable. Blossom brings out the best in her "co-pawrents", which in turn adds an uplifting tone to the plot. 

The romance in this book didn’t really appear until at least half-way, and only then were there obvious sparks between Margot and Will. I liked them as characters, but their love story could have been set up a little sooner, so it had a natural and smooth introduction. Still, it feels worth the wait. There’s a bubbly and magnetic connection once it gets going, which was delightful to read.

Margot, Will, and Blossom’s story is a really sweet one. It has all the core ingredients for a good romantic comedy, with the addition of puppy love. Overall, Rescue Me is the ideal book to curl up with.

Rescue Me

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