Rescue Me

by Gigi Levangie Grazer

A compelling novel about a young woman's struggle to remain true to her heart while navigating through the heady atmosphere of 1980s Los Angeles, from the bestselling author of Maneater.

It was the year she fell in love...

Fresh out of college, hungry for a shot in the entertainment industry, Amanda McHenry takes a gig as a secretary in the L.A. offices of a sleazy television talk show. Saddled with looking after her drug-dealing brother, Amanda is intent on making good things happen while her boyfriend finishes his law degree. She has no intention of cheating on him—James is clear across the country at Harvard—until she falls for Gabe, her brother's passionate friend.

She had no idea her world would come apart.

Swept up in a whirlwind romance, Amanda realizes that she must choose between following her heart and clinging to the familiar, and when her brother's "career" threatens to destroy everything she holds dear, that choice becomes a matter of life and death. But then fate intervenes to tear Gabe and Amanda apart and years begin to pass. All the while Amanda never gives up hope that someday Gabe will return to rescue her.

Acclaimed screenwriter Gigi Levangie Grazer's stirring love story is set against the indelible backdrop of Los Angeles in the 1980s and captures its lyrical beauty and stark realism. Hilarious and devastating, Rescue Me is a uniquely suspenseful novel about the price of happiness...and the rewards of love.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Romance, Contemporary

288 pages, Paperback

First published June 2, 2000

About the author

Gigi Levangie is the author of six prior novels, including The After Wife and the New York Times bestseller The Starter Wife, which was adapted as a miniseries for USA Network.

She is the original writer of the screenplay for Stepmom and has written for Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Glamour, and other publications. Levangie lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Bridget Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not my first book by this author. She writes great and easy books to read. This book was shorter than most but the story kept you interested the whole time. It just jumped right in from the first page and kept you coming back to see what happens in the end. I really enjoyed it!

The one thing I didn't enjoy was the Joe (boss) storyline. He was really a non-event and he didn't factor in Amanda's whole story. He was more like a side story that only warranted a few pages but for some weird reason the author kept talking about his storyline although he never overlapped after the first time. It was weird.

But overall, enjoyable and recommend it!

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I especially loved that she was able to tell an engaging story without the extra meat that most authors resort to in their writing. The characters all had intriguing story lines and backgrounds and each of these characters had actual life struggles to conquer. I will be reading more from her!

[Lesley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn’t get to the second chapter - ditched it

[Jeni Angel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I bought this book, mostly because I LOVED Grazer’s book Maneater. I love that book. I first “read” it when I moved to Seattle, listening to it on my long commute between Olympia and Bellevue. I have listened to it many times, as well as finally buying the book and reading that a few times as well.

Rescue Me is no Maneater. Where as Maneater was deliciously sarcastic, Rescue Me is thoroughly predictable. Don’t get me wrong-it was a good book. It had all the good elements. It just didn’t have enough POP for me. I wasn’t laughing out loud and I wasn’t desperate to finish it. I probably wouldn’t read it again.

It is a love story. Girl has boyfriend, he goes away to college. Girl meets new Guy and falls madly in love. There are obstacles (her drug dealer brother and his baby). Girl and Guy are broken apart and reunited 10 years later. The End. There is also a POINTLESS side story about the Girl’s boss. He leads a meaningless and empty life. We don’t even find out what happens to him.

For the most part, I don’t mind books that are fun, filler books. I don’t need to be soul shaken and moved every time I read. However, I would like to feel something and this book-nothing. I felt nothing.

[Robin Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I've ever read a romance, with star-crossed lovers, where the lovers part ways, and gotten angry about it. You know from reading the first chapter, and yet when it finally happens, I was so disappointed! Fortunately, the ending was still satisfactory.

This is the first book I've read by Grazer, though I have The Starter Wife in my TBR pile somewhere. It started out a little slow at first, but I quickly became very involved and invested in the characters. I definitely want to read everything else Grazer has written now.

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't believe this [particular edition] is packaged as chick lit. There is a character dying of AIDS. Two different people are murdered in cold blood by two different main characters, which doesn't even cover all of the murder and grisly death here. The only component that warrants a cheesy cover like that, besides the fact that it was evidently published in 2000, is the ridiculous sweet nothings the two romantic leads whisper to each other after meeting idk like twice. That first chapter nearly lost me, too, like I get what the author was trying to do but it was too much.

[Kristin Gheen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the character development. Just loved "Gabe" in this novel. Very emotional and passionate story. A little foul in the language and lifestyle...but really good story, I thought. The intro gives a picture of the ending, but I was totally engaged the whole time reading. Very well written love story.

Learned: Life doesn't seem grand to ANYONE. But, by the grace of God, we don't totally lose it. Good and bad people come from any circumstances/upbringing.

[Jerrilynn Lilyblade · Rating 3 out of 5]

This took me awhile to get into and I had to go back and forth a couple of times to figure out what was going on. The book found its rhythm about halfway through. It's not as good as her others but I think this may have been her first novel.



I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/10454796

[Georgina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really depressing at times, but somewhat inspiring at the same time. Gabe was a wonderful character, the type that you fall in love with through the page. Very unlike what I usually read, and I actually enjoyed the harsh realism of the drug taking and sex scenes.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story but very hard to get into. Some of the situations the main character faces are pretty terrible and a few scenes a little too graphic. Once you hit Chapter 7 or 8 the book is hard to put down.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Gigi Levangie Grazer's writing. This book was darker than Gigi's other books that I have read. But it was just as good. The characters jumped from the pages. I could feel them right in front of me, understand and experience their lives. Well written, enthralling. Couldn't put it down.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked this book... it was entertaining!

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

i read this book on a whim, i actually liked it. the story was interesting. not the fine literature but entertaining anyways.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this-not as much as her book Man-Eater, but it was cute.

[Teresa Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my absolute favorite book. I have no idea what that says about me - but I love this book. This is a harsh romance and a fast read.

[Leslie Reyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok. I know the author's father so I read it. It was kinda fun sometimes.

[Limor Lieberman · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh, It was one of the best books I have ever read.

[Hillary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grazer's first novel. Not her best. Read some others by her that were much better. Still entertaining though.

[Allison Armstrong · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what is with this author, but it is like a car wreck, I can't look away or stop reading them. It was enjoyable with a bit too much of the seamy side of life for my taste.

[Jamie]

I had so much empathy with the main character, I was just engrossed in this story.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A total "girls" book. A very easy read.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Depressing yet at times uplifting. Gabe was awesome and loveable.