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Rescue Me
Margot doesn't have time for love.
Will is afraid to love.
And neither of them are expecting to fall in love with Blossom: a gentle Staffy with a tragic past, a belly made for rubbing and a head the size of a football.
After their first meeting at the rescue centre, both Margot and Will want to adopt Blossom so reluctantly agree to share custody. But Will's obsession for micro-managing and clear-cut boundaries and Margot's need to smother Blossom with affection, means that soon they have a very confused and badly behaved dog on their hands.
Can they put their differences aside to become successful "co-pawrents" and maybe even friends? And meanwhile, does Blossom have plans of her own?
Will is afraid to love.
And neither of them are expecting to fall in love with Blossom: a gentle Staffy with a tragic past, a belly made for rubbing and a head the size of a football.
After their first meeting at the rescue centre, both Margot and Will want to adopt Blossom so reluctantly agree to share custody. But Will's obsession for micro-managing and clear-cut boundaries and Margot's need to smother Blossom with affection, means that soon they have a very confused and badly behaved dog on their hands.
Can they put their differences aside to become successful "co-pawrents" and maybe even friends? And meanwhile, does Blossom have plans of her own?
400 pages, Hardcover
First published January 21, 2021
157 people are currently reading
2443 people want to read
About the author
Sarra Manning
43 books1,911 followersSarra Manning is a teen queen extraordinaire. She spent five years working on the now sadly defunct J17, first as a writer and then as Entertainment Editor. She then joined the launch team of teen fashion bible Ellegirl, which she later went on to edit and has consulted on a wide range of youth titles including Bliss, The Face and More.
Sarra is now editor of What To Wear magazine. She's also been a regular contributor to ELLE, The Guardian, ES Magazine, Seventeen, Details and Heat and wrote the Shop Bitch column for Time Out. Sarra lives in North London with her dog Miss Betsy
Sarra is now editor of What To Wear magazine. She's also been a regular contributor to ELLE, The Guardian, ES Magazine, Seventeen, Details and Heat and wrote the Shop Bitch column for Time Out. Sarra lives in North London with her dog Miss Betsy
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 325 reviews
April 2, 2021
two damaged people finding love through one cute adopted dog...
3,5 stars
3,5 stars
November 6, 2020
I requested for this book without really reading the synopsis and only because was in the mood for some rom coms. I didn’t know what to expect but I was very very pleasantly surprised.
Will and Margot both fall in love with the same Staffie, Blossom from the animal shelter and decide to adopt her together , and share her custody. How Blossom manages to change their lonely lives makes up the rest of the book
When I started reading, I couldn’t bring myself to like either Will or Margot. They were both irritating and unlikeable . But Blossom was star right from the beginning and my dog loving heart needed more of her, so I decided to keep on reading.
Slowly, without even realising it, I began to fall in love with both Will and Margot. How the author slowly unfurls both these unlikeable characters and makes you fall in love with them is nothing short of magic!!!
I was thoroughly entertained and loved how rhe relationship between Will and Margot develops. I loved Will’s family as well!
The star of the book however is Blossom. Even the dog gets character development in this book and I loved every second of it!!!
I highly highly recommend and can’t wait to read more from this author
Rating:4.5
Will and Margot both fall in love with the same Staffie, Blossom from the animal shelter and decide to adopt her together , and share her custody. How Blossom manages to change their lonely lives makes up the rest of the book
When I started reading, I couldn’t bring myself to like either Will or Margot. They were both irritating and unlikeable . But Blossom was star right from the beginning and my dog loving heart needed more of her, so I decided to keep on reading.
Slowly, without even realising it, I began to fall in love with both Will and Margot. How the author slowly unfurls both these unlikeable characters and makes you fall in love with them is nothing short of magic!!!
I was thoroughly entertained and loved how rhe relationship between Will and Margot develops. I loved Will’s family as well!
The star of the book however is Blossom. Even the dog gets character development in this book and I loved every second of it!!!
I highly highly recommend and can’t wait to read more from this author
Rating:4.5
January 18, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers Hodder for sending me both an eARC and a physical ARC of this book.
I blumming loved this book. Albeit a little slow to start in the first 150 page - much more so following Blossoms story than Margot and Will's - once it got going, it GOT GOING! And I loved it so much. Perfect amount of cuteness and smut. And Blossom just really added to the story. This story can get a little bit dark in places with both characters having been in therapy previously due to their pasts. But I felt this was dealt with really well and important issues were covered really well. I also loved that Margot is a plus sized woman and as a plus sized woman myself, I thought this was written brilliantly. Will definitely look out for more from Sarra Manning.
TW: Emotional abuse, Animal Abuse, Physical violence and emotional abuse against a minor, alcohol abuse, abandonment, loss of parents.
I blumming loved this book. Albeit a little slow to start in the first 150 page - much more so following Blossoms story than Margot and Will's - once it got going, it GOT GOING! And I loved it so much. Perfect amount of cuteness and smut. And Blossom just really added to the story. This story can get a little bit dark in places with both characters having been in therapy previously due to their pasts. But I felt this was dealt with really well and important issues were covered really well. I also loved that Margot is a plus sized woman and as a plus sized woman myself, I thought this was written brilliantly. Will definitely look out for more from Sarra Manning.
TW: Emotional abuse, Animal Abuse, Physical violence and emotional abuse against a minor, alcohol abuse, abandonment, loss of parents.
December 2, 2022
Margot en Will ontmoeten elkaar in het plaatselijke asiel, waar ze allebei verliefd worden op dezelfde hond: Blossom. Margot wil haar dolgraag adopteren, maar ze kan haar pas een week later ophalen, Will overweegt pleegzorg om zijn therapeut te laten zien dat hij best een emotionele connectie kan aangaan. Het lijkt de perfecte regeling: Will zal een week voor Blossom zorgen, totdat ze naar Margot gaat. Er is slechts één probleem: na die week samen wil Will haar helemaal niet meer afstaan.
Margot en Will zijn allebei ontzettend koppig en weigeren de adoptie op te geven, waardoor ze uiteindelijk een compromis sluiten: ze worden deelbaasjes van Blossom en zij zal elke week van huis wisselen. Ze zijn gek op haar, maar ze kunnen ze elkaar niet uitstaan en dat leidt tot pittige discussies, omdat ze allebei vinden dat hun manier van omgaan met Blossom de beste is. Wanneer ze beseffen dat hun interactie invloed heeft op hun hond, zullen ze toch een manier moeten vinden om met elkaar door één deur te kunnen, want haar welzijn staat voorop.
De lieve Blossom is echt de ster van het boek en verandert van een schuwe, getraumatiseerde hond in een ondeugend beest met een duidelijke eigen wil. Ze weet precies hoe ze haar baasjes om haar pootje moet winden, ze steelt harten en brengt mensen bij elkaar. Ook Will en Margot worden mooi uitgewerkt: hun karakters, gedachten, emoties, wensen en beweegredenen worden gedetailleerd omschreven, je krijgt steeds meer achtergrondinformatie waardoor je hun beslissingen en gedrag beter begrijpt en je merkt dat ze allebei zijn gevormd door gebeurtenissen uit hun verleden, maar dat ze hun verdere leven daar niet door willen laten bepalen en hun blik blijven richten op de toekomst. Ze zijn complete tegenpolen en dat zorgt voor interessante dialogen en terugkerende problemen, maar zodra ze zich openstellen voor elkaar vinden ze ook steeds meer raakvlakken. Misschien klopt een eerste indruk toch niet altijd…
De achtergrond van de personages en de levensfase waarin zij zich bevinden geven het verhaal een diepere laag, want terwijl Blossom vreugde, luchtigheid en grappige situaties in hun levens brengt, worden onderwerpen als een kinderwens, relatieproblemen, onverwerkte herinneringen en paniekaanvallen, het verlangen naar vastigheid, levensbepalende keuzes en ontwikkelingen in vriendschappen en families niet geschuwd. Door alle details zwakt het tempo soms af en voelt het verhaal hier en daar een beetje langdradig aan, maar de schrijfstijl is erg vlot, er gebeurt veel, de wisselende perspectieven zorgen voor een fijne afwisseling terwijl verschillende bijpersonages nog meer leven in de brouwerij brengen en het resultaat is een leuke, originele en liefdevolle feelgood!
3.5⭐️
Margot en Will zijn allebei ontzettend koppig en weigeren de adoptie op te geven, waardoor ze uiteindelijk een compromis sluiten: ze worden deelbaasjes van Blossom en zij zal elke week van huis wisselen. Ze zijn gek op haar, maar ze kunnen ze elkaar niet uitstaan en dat leidt tot pittige discussies, omdat ze allebei vinden dat hun manier van omgaan met Blossom de beste is. Wanneer ze beseffen dat hun interactie invloed heeft op hun hond, zullen ze toch een manier moeten vinden om met elkaar door één deur te kunnen, want haar welzijn staat voorop.
De lieve Blossom is echt de ster van het boek en verandert van een schuwe, getraumatiseerde hond in een ondeugend beest met een duidelijke eigen wil. Ze weet precies hoe ze haar baasjes om haar pootje moet winden, ze steelt harten en brengt mensen bij elkaar. Ook Will en Margot worden mooi uitgewerkt: hun karakters, gedachten, emoties, wensen en beweegredenen worden gedetailleerd omschreven, je krijgt steeds meer achtergrondinformatie waardoor je hun beslissingen en gedrag beter begrijpt en je merkt dat ze allebei zijn gevormd door gebeurtenissen uit hun verleden, maar dat ze hun verdere leven daar niet door willen laten bepalen en hun blik blijven richten op de toekomst. Ze zijn complete tegenpolen en dat zorgt voor interessante dialogen en terugkerende problemen, maar zodra ze zich openstellen voor elkaar vinden ze ook steeds meer raakvlakken. Misschien klopt een eerste indruk toch niet altijd…
De achtergrond van de personages en de levensfase waarin zij zich bevinden geven het verhaal een diepere laag, want terwijl Blossom vreugde, luchtigheid en grappige situaties in hun levens brengt, worden onderwerpen als een kinderwens, relatieproblemen, onverwerkte herinneringen en paniekaanvallen, het verlangen naar vastigheid, levensbepalende keuzes en ontwikkelingen in vriendschappen en families niet geschuwd. Door alle details zwakt het tempo soms af en voelt het verhaal hier en daar een beetje langdradig aan, maar de schrijfstijl is erg vlot, er gebeurt veel, de wisselende perspectieven zorgen voor een fijne afwisseling terwijl verschillende bijpersonages nog meer leven in de brouwerij brengen en het resultaat is een leuke, originele en liefdevolle feelgood!
3.5⭐️
January 29, 2021
I enjoy a really good romance novel and that, alongside my love of dogs, and this was a must read. I went into it expecting a lightweight, simple romance but this is so much more, and whilst most of the book is light-hearted and humorous, it is counter balanced by the fact the author addresses some difficult topics such as bereavement and abuse and also highlights the importance of adopting rescue animals. It is well written and compelling and I devoured it in a few days. Although the premise of the story sounds a little unbelievable, that of two strangers meeting at a rescue centre, falling for the same dog and agreeing to share custody, it actually worked quite well and made a great basis for the love story. The pacing of the book is good and it felt just the right amount of build up to the romance.
All of the characters are authentic and I don’t think there was any one of them I didn’t like. The main characters Will and Margo are still coming to terms with some deep rooted past issues. Will had an alcoholic father who was abusive and Margo is dealing with a recent relationship breakdown and she also tragically lost her parents early on in life. Polar opposites they initially irritated each other, but their relationship begins to grow and nurture and they come to respect and support each other as their feelings deepen. We realise early on where the book is headed but its lovely to see the character progression of these two lovely people along the way. The side characters are also delightful, Will’s family features quite a lot in the story, they are fun and energetic, but also have set family traditions such as regular Sunday lunch with all the family. They are full of heart and warmth and welcomed Blossom into their lives with open arms. Margo’s friends are equally as amiable and their loyalty and support shines through.
Rescue Me is an entertaining and heartwarming read. It portrays real life issues as well as some more light-hearted comedy moments and treats us to a slow burn romance. Blossom, of course, completely steals the show and the ending is adorably touching. Highly recommended to anyone who likes gentle romances with some more weightier issues addressed…..and not forgetting dogs!
Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for sending me a lovely copy of the book and for having me on the blog tour.
All of the characters are authentic and I don’t think there was any one of them I didn’t like. The main characters Will and Margo are still coming to terms with some deep rooted past issues. Will had an alcoholic father who was abusive and Margo is dealing with a recent relationship breakdown and she also tragically lost her parents early on in life. Polar opposites they initially irritated each other, but their relationship begins to grow and nurture and they come to respect and support each other as their feelings deepen. We realise early on where the book is headed but its lovely to see the character progression of these two lovely people along the way. The side characters are also delightful, Will’s family features quite a lot in the story, they are fun and energetic, but also have set family traditions such as regular Sunday lunch with all the family. They are full of heart and warmth and welcomed Blossom into their lives with open arms. Margo’s friends are equally as amiable and their loyalty and support shines through.
Rescue Me is an entertaining and heartwarming read. It portrays real life issues as well as some more light-hearted comedy moments and treats us to a slow burn romance. Blossom, of course, completely steals the show and the ending is adorably touching. Highly recommended to anyone who likes gentle romances with some more weightier issues addressed…..and not forgetting dogs!
Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for sending me a lovely copy of the book and for having me on the blog tour.
June 6, 2022
3,5. Het is een zeer leuk verhaal, ik had er enkel wel ietsje meer van verwacht eigenlijk. Maar goed, de recensie volgt nog.
June 21, 2022
2.5 stars
while some scenes of the book were kinda cute, for the most part it was just so...boring :/ the characters felt so flat and annoying, there was a lot of telling instead of showing, and some things just really made me cringe ("pawrents" might be a cute pun the first time you read it....but does it really have to be used so much?); i just wish there had been more character development, i feel like a lot could have been made out of that premise and there was potential in some parts of the book, but just not enough for me to really enjoy it.
while some scenes of the book were kinda cute, for the most part it was just so...boring :/ the characters felt so flat and annoying, there was a lot of telling instead of showing, and some things just really made me cringe ("pawrents" might be a cute pun the first time you read it....but does it really have to be used so much?); i just wish there had been more character development, i feel like a lot could have been made out of that premise and there was potential in some parts of the book, but just not enough for me to really enjoy it.
January 30, 2021
2.5 stars, but since I'm in a particularly good mood today (and also because I really loved the dog), I've decided to round up.
But it could've gone either way, I was kind of frustrated with this book.
So far, before this one, I'd read three books by Sarra Manning: one that I really disliked, one that I really loved and one I DNF'd. Not the greatest track record, that. It'd been about four years since my last attempt and I'd forgotten how her writing may not always work for me but when she writes a story I love and with characters I'm rooting for, then it can still come together nicely.
It didn't here, which is a shame because there's such a great story at the base of this. Two single people in their mid to late thirties, who are both emotionally damaged in their own way, agree to co-ownership of a dog they rescued at the local kennels.
Now, anyone who knows me will tell you that I am a cat person through and through. If my current cat weren't so completely anti-social, I'd go get to other ones as company for her and me right now. She'd probably either kill me or run away if I did that, so alas, but I am all about cats. But I actually love dogs, too. My lifestyle just isn't suited to them at this point in my life (well, my lifestyle in non-corona times isn't).
And the dog in this book was the star of the novel for me. I loved Blossom and her trajectory, so it was a nice surprise finding out at the end that she was based on a real life dog.
Unfortunately, she wasn't enough to make me really like this book. There are good things about it, don't get me wrong. Sarra Manning is very good at writing a plus-size heroine, for instance, and at writing realistic, flawed people.
But the book is also 100 pages too long. It's a slow burn - another thing I love - and the two leads go from dislike and begrudging acceptance to reluctant acquaintances, to genuine friend and then eventually lovers over the course of about 9 months. The evolution is believable and well done, but the book is too drawn out in the middle. I admit to skimming more than once around the 30 to 70% mark. There was also slightly too much emotional drama towards the end and while I understood Will's fears and his genuine anxiety because of his past, that was also too drawn out.
So not a win, this was only okay in the end, but I did believe in the couple, I am convinced they'll go the distance and I did love the dog.
But it could've gone either way, I was kind of frustrated with this book.
So far, before this one, I'd read three books by Sarra Manning: one that I really disliked, one that I really loved and one I DNF'd. Not the greatest track record, that. It'd been about four years since my last attempt and I'd forgotten how her writing may not always work for me but when she writes a story I love and with characters I'm rooting for, then it can still come together nicely.
It didn't here, which is a shame because there's such a great story at the base of this. Two single people in their mid to late thirties, who are both emotionally damaged in their own way, agree to co-ownership of a dog they rescued at the local kennels.
Now, anyone who knows me will tell you that I am a cat person through and through. If my current cat weren't so completely anti-social, I'd go get to other ones as company for her and me right now. She'd probably either kill me or run away if I did that, so alas, but I am all about cats. But I actually love dogs, too. My lifestyle just isn't suited to them at this point in my life (well, my lifestyle in non-corona times isn't).
And the dog in this book was the star of the novel for me. I loved Blossom and her trajectory, so it was a nice surprise finding out at the end that she was based on a real life dog.
Unfortunately, she wasn't enough to make me really like this book. There are good things about it, don't get me wrong. Sarra Manning is very good at writing a plus-size heroine, for instance, and at writing realistic, flawed people.
But the book is also 100 pages too long. It's a slow burn - another thing I love - and the two leads go from dislike and begrudging acceptance to reluctant acquaintances, to genuine friend and then eventually lovers over the course of about 9 months. The evolution is believable and well done, but the book is too drawn out in the middle. I admit to skimming more than once around the 30 to 70% mark. There was also slightly too much emotional drama towards the end and while I understood Will's fears and his genuine anxiety because of his past, that was also too drawn out.
So not a win, this was only okay in the end, but I did believe in the couple, I am convinced they'll go the distance and I did love the dog.
June 10, 2022
Het is gek hoe een hond zowat dit hele verhaal draagt. Blossom - de hond in kwestie - is een echte diva en een hond met een sprankelende persoonlijkheid. Of dit nu positief is of negatief dat vooral de hond me is bijgebleven - laat ik in het midden.
Ik had zelf een minder sterke connectie en herkenbaarheid met de hoofdpersonages, maar desalniettemin heb ik genoten van het verhaal. Margot en Will hebben beide een fijn achtergrondverhaal en een zekere diepgang die in dit genre van boeken niet altijd terug te vinden is. Het verhaal heeft een fijne opbouw en goede achtergrondverhalen die het allemaal wat realistischer maken.
Sarra Manning heeft een fijne schrijfstijl waardoor je vlot door het verhaal gaat.
De vertaling was voor mij helaas soms wat minder. 'Huggen' vind ik nu niet meteen een fijne vertaling - maar dat is misschien een persoonlijke voorkeur.
Al bij al een fijn boek om tussen door even mee te ontspannen, zeker als je een hondenliefhebber bent! (Voor de kattenvrienden onder ons - het begin kan iets of wat verontwaardigde kreten uitlokken.) (Toch bij mij dan.)
Ik had zelf een minder sterke connectie en herkenbaarheid met de hoofdpersonages, maar desalniettemin heb ik genoten van het verhaal. Margot en Will hebben beide een fijn achtergrondverhaal en een zekere diepgang die in dit genre van boeken niet altijd terug te vinden is. Het verhaal heeft een fijne opbouw en goede achtergrondverhalen die het allemaal wat realistischer maken.
Sarra Manning heeft een fijne schrijfstijl waardoor je vlot door het verhaal gaat.
De vertaling was voor mij helaas soms wat minder. 'Huggen' vind ik nu niet meteen een fijne vertaling - maar dat is misschien een persoonlijke voorkeur.
Al bij al een fijn boek om tussen door even mee te ontspannen, zeker als je een hondenliefhebber bent! (Voor de kattenvrienden onder ons - het begin kan iets of wat verontwaardigde kreten uitlokken.) (Toch bij mij dan.)
April 15, 2022
Wow. I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did.
4 stars.
I am currently writing my book review for this book for my book blog, but here are some of my thoughts so far:
*some spoilers!*
- the slow-burn, well-developed romance >>>
- I love how dual POVs (Point Of View) gives readers more depth and insight to the two main character's own journeys and really shows the growth of their characters throughout the story. I loved seeing both characters flourish on their own, and eventually, together.
- I thought Margot was a really well-written character. I liked how the author made her to be a plus-sized woman, but didn't limit her characterisation to just that, nor did her "size" become the central focus of her character. This story is about Margot overcoming her own fears, falling in love, and girl-bossing along the way. Period.
- This book gave me a gentle reminder that we are all at different stages of life, and that it is okay to not be on the same "track" as others. There is no "right age" or "right time" to do something. In this book, Margot feared that she would be unable to find love again or have kids of her own because of her age, but she eventually found her person (obviously, this is a romance lol).
- Blossom is actually the main character.
4 stars.
I am currently writing my book review for this book for my book blog, but here are some of my thoughts so far:
*some spoilers!*
- the slow-burn, well-developed romance >>>
- I love how dual POVs (Point Of View) gives readers more depth and insight to the two main character's own journeys and really shows the growth of their characters throughout the story. I loved seeing both characters flourish on their own, and eventually, together.
- I thought Margot was a really well-written character. I liked how the author made her to be a plus-sized woman, but didn't limit her characterisation to just that, nor did her "size" become the central focus of her character. This story is about Margot overcoming her own fears, falling in love, and girl-bossing along the way. Period.
- This book gave me a gentle reminder that we are all at different stages of life, and that it is okay to not be on the same "track" as others. There is no "right age" or "right time" to do something. In this book, Margot feared that she would be unable to find love again or have kids of her own because of her age, but she eventually found her person (obviously, this is a romance lol).
- Blossom is actually the main character.
January 15, 2021
Although it is right there in the tagline, this book was waaaaay more about dogs than I expected it to be. This book really is exactly as it says, two lonely people and one good dog and all three of them were truly wonderful, fully formed characters to read about.
Will and Margot are so much more similar than they realise and the most important things about them that is truly key to this story is how strong and stubborn both of them are, just like their wonderful dog blossom. I really identified with Margot, not just because she is 36 and worried about her biological clock just like me. There are definite care warnings when it comes to being childless and reading this book, I did find it tough at times. But I also really identified with the fact that she has been living alone so long she sometimes cannot see that it is OK to ask for help with things.
Will is such a cinnamon roll and so if you like your male leads like that you're going to love this book! He is so prickly and yet underneath it all he is such a family guy and Blossom really does help to melt that hard exterior shell. Speaking of loving male leads like this, there are some steamy moments in this book and when I say steamy I mean hot. I loved the romantic scenes in this novel, they were so well written and very female-centric and definitely got me hot under the collar-I loved that side of this book.
Now if you're not a dog person, like me, and you're worried that there are going to be too many details about treats and dog bowls and picking up poo then fear not. There are a lot of details like that in this book but that is not the be all and end all of the storyline and each poo bag comes with a meaning behind it that moves the plot on or leads to a description of another wonderful midi dress or pair of fancy shoes! I love that this book shows that one can be a dog a person or one can be a fashionista and it isn't the be all and end all of your life, it is just a part of you.
This book is also a love letter to London living. I so miss being able to walk out of my house or off a bus or a tube and get somewhere, I loved being able to get my steps in without having to walk on a treadmill and so I really enjoyed taking walks with these characters and exploring a part of my heritage at the same time. The description of their respective abodes and the changing weather was just stunning and so it was easy to immerse yourself in their world and just enjoy a really lovely story about some complex characters. Highly recommend!
Will and Margot are so much more similar than they realise and the most important things about them that is truly key to this story is how strong and stubborn both of them are, just like their wonderful dog blossom. I really identified with Margot, not just because she is 36 and worried about her biological clock just like me. There are definite care warnings when it comes to being childless and reading this book, I did find it tough at times. But I also really identified with the fact that she has been living alone so long she sometimes cannot see that it is OK to ask for help with things.
Will is such a cinnamon roll and so if you like your male leads like that you're going to love this book! He is so prickly and yet underneath it all he is such a family guy and Blossom really does help to melt that hard exterior shell. Speaking of loving male leads like this, there are some steamy moments in this book and when I say steamy I mean hot. I loved the romantic scenes in this novel, they were so well written and very female-centric and definitely got me hot under the collar-I loved that side of this book.
Now if you're not a dog person, like me, and you're worried that there are going to be too many details about treats and dog bowls and picking up poo then fear not. There are a lot of details like that in this book but that is not the be all and end all of the storyline and each poo bag comes with a meaning behind it that moves the plot on or leads to a description of another wonderful midi dress or pair of fancy shoes! I love that this book shows that one can be a dog a person or one can be a fashionista and it isn't the be all and end all of your life, it is just a part of you.
This book is also a love letter to London living. I so miss being able to walk out of my house or off a bus or a tube and get somewhere, I loved being able to get my steps in without having to walk on a treadmill and so I really enjoyed taking walks with these characters and exploring a part of my heritage at the same time. The description of their respective abodes and the changing weather was just stunning and so it was easy to immerse yourself in their world and just enjoy a really lovely story about some complex characters. Highly recommend!
February 8, 2021
3.5*
This book was a like having a hot chocolate on a snowy day. It wrapped me in a warm comforting hug. Will and Margot become copawrents of a rescue dog named Blossom who is just as adorable as her name. They initially butt heads, as their personalities clash.
I had a good time reading this but the ending left me a bit disappointed. I needed a bit more time spent on Will and Margot together and just how everything was hashed out in the end wasn’t satisfying. They seemed to come together quite passively, if that makes sense and I wanted more of a fight for their love I guess.
The progression of the relationship is very slow and I would have also like Margot and Will to have got together a little earlier and spend more time talking about what makes them them, ie their past. Maybe that would have reassured me of Will having healed and letting go.
This book was a like having a hot chocolate on a snowy day. It wrapped me in a warm comforting hug. Will and Margot become copawrents of a rescue dog named Blossom who is just as adorable as her name. They initially butt heads, as their personalities clash.
I had a good time reading this but the ending left me a bit disappointed. I needed a bit more time spent on Will and Margot together and just how everything was hashed out in the end wasn’t satisfying. They seemed to come together quite passively, if that makes sense and I wanted more of a fight for their love I guess.
The progression of the relationship is very slow and I would have also like Margot and Will to have got together a little earlier and spend more time talking about what makes them them, ie their past. Maybe that would have reassured me of Will having healed and letting go.
November 17, 2020
If you love dogs and romance (and let’s be real, who doesn’t?!) then you’ll love this book!!
It follows Margot and Will on their journey to becoming ‘co-pawrents’ to the rescue dog Blossom and I was hooked from the beginning!! The writing is easy-going, funny and incredibly entertaining and the characters (even the side characters) felt so real they had me rooting for them the entire time!
It follows Margot and Will on their journey to becoming ‘co-pawrents’ to the rescue dog Blossom and I was hooked from the beginning!! The writing is easy-going, funny and incredibly entertaining and the characters (even the side characters) felt so real they had me rooting for them the entire time!
March 8, 2021
Being a huge fan of a writer’s body of work in general, and one particular work in particular, can be a poisoned chalice when it comes to assessing their new work. If this was the first of Sarra Manning’s books I’d ever read, I would have just dismissed it as an under-edited middle-of-the-road work, then been slow to pick up another. But when I have read her past work – and in particular, ‘You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me’ – this palls so much in comparison it almost disappears.
It doesn’t help that ‘Rescue Me’ and YDHTSYLM have so much in common. A fat heroine – but in YDHTSYLM, her size is actually addressed, with sensitivity and empathy. A psychologically-damaged hero – but in YDHTSYLM we actually see him work through his issues, rather than getting one scene with a therapist that (despite all the book’s efforts to contradict it) ‘fixes’ him. There’s even orphans, familial rifts, and bolshy dogs in YDHTSYLM, too. The main differences that sets them apart is emotional honesty (overwhelming in YDHTSYLM, non-existent here) and editing. YDHTSYLM is edited to the max, polished like sea-glass, while 'Rescue Me' has long rambling run-on sentences left in from the first draft, authorial ‘notes to self’, and a structure that needed a serious revisit.
I was not a fan of the dog. I’m fully aware of the origins of this particular character, which makes me even more of a dick when I say Blossom was boring at best, shamefully under-utilised as a plot point at worst. I am a cat person, so the treatment of the cat in the opening of the book wasn’t inclined to endear me to this story. For someone who understands that (the admittedly VERY UGLY) breed of Staffordshire Bull Terriers have been discriminated against on the basis of incorrect PR, Manning is very quick to brand all cats with the same ‘nasty, disloyal, will eat you when you die’ brush. #notallcats, Sarra!
The fact that Staffies are – to my eyes, and many other people’s – exceptionally ugly, second only to greyhounds IMO, is a fact about them that Manning chooses, bafflingly, to gloss over. Margot visits a kennel with the intention of getting a small fluffy dog and ends up with one that has a face like a brick, who smells bad, and farts worse. She falls in insta-love with this specimen – there’s no explanation of this volte-face – and Will does the same, with the very unlikely outcome that they decide to share ownership of her (or, revoltingly, ‘co-pawrent’).
Leaving aside the fact that there must be plenty of other ugly-cute dogs in need of a home in that kennel, Manning gives no reason why these two people of any others have no inherent bias towards ugly dogs with well-known bad (albeit unwarranted) reputations. Equally, everyone else who meets Blossom loves her, even though she looks and smells terrible (according to the narrative). There’s a huge vein to mine here in terms of Will and Margot overcoming their own biases, learning to love the ugly dog, and eventually becoming united in their defensiveness towards anyone who dares to impugn their (now) beautiful dog. In one sentence I’ve managed to add more tension and legitimacy to their relationship than actually exists.
Margot’s deal is that she is the wrong side of thirty-five for someone who wants kids yesterday. This, again, is an angst goldmine, but the story suggests this fate is hers because of a uniquely terrible thing she did when she was eighteen. Maybe Manning thought the ‘not fitting in with society’s narrow definition of female beauty’ has been Too Done, so she went with the unlikely psychological trauma instead. I wish she’d stuck to the first one, because for me that story is never done, and it would have been far more authentic. There's also no acknowledgement that her strategy with Will is a high-risk one - I mean, 'laying it all out two months in' - and an unlikely one for her, given she just got out of a two-year relationship that lasted only because of her refusal to lay out anything at all.
Then there’s Will. Oh, god. There seems to be an unwritten rule of recent times that the Romance Hero has to have been in therapy or hold every conversation like he’s just eaten a CBT textbook. I understand this to be a refutation of the unhealthy ‘woman saves a man with Love’ trope. It is totally reasonable to jettison this damaging and corrosive trope! But! It doesn’t mean people in a story can’t grow?! You can have someone start damaged and heal from the damage WITH love rather than BECAUSE of it. I speak from bitter experience when I say that doing it without any love is possible, but it is much, much harder. Romance is a fantasy – can we not keep the fantasy of someone loving you enough to support you through painful growth, and not throw out the ‘fixit’ baby with the ‘supportive’ bathwater?
It doesn’t help that ‘Rescue Me’ and YDHTSYLM have so much in common. A fat heroine – but in YDHTSYLM, her size is actually addressed, with sensitivity and empathy. A psychologically-damaged hero – but in YDHTSYLM we actually see him work through his issues, rather than getting one scene with a therapist that (despite all the book’s efforts to contradict it) ‘fixes’ him. There’s even orphans, familial rifts, and bolshy dogs in YDHTSYLM, too. The main differences that sets them apart is emotional honesty (overwhelming in YDHTSYLM, non-existent here) and editing. YDHTSYLM is edited to the max, polished like sea-glass, while 'Rescue Me' has long rambling run-on sentences left in from the first draft, authorial ‘notes to self’, and a structure that needed a serious revisit.
I was not a fan of the dog. I’m fully aware of the origins of this particular character, which makes me even more of a dick when I say Blossom was boring at best, shamefully under-utilised as a plot point at worst. I am a cat person, so the treatment of the cat in the opening of the book wasn’t inclined to endear me to this story. For someone who understands that (the admittedly VERY UGLY) breed of Staffordshire Bull Terriers have been discriminated against on the basis of incorrect PR, Manning is very quick to brand all cats with the same ‘nasty, disloyal, will eat you when you die’ brush. #notallcats, Sarra!
The fact that Staffies are – to my eyes, and many other people’s – exceptionally ugly, second only to greyhounds IMO, is a fact about them that Manning chooses, bafflingly, to gloss over. Margot visits a kennel with the intention of getting a small fluffy dog and ends up with one that has a face like a brick, who smells bad, and farts worse. She falls in insta-love with this specimen – there’s no explanation of this volte-face – and Will does the same, with the very unlikely outcome that they decide to share ownership of her (or, revoltingly, ‘co-pawrent’).
Leaving aside the fact that there must be plenty of other ugly-cute dogs in need of a home in that kennel, Manning gives no reason why these two people of any others have no inherent bias towards ugly dogs with well-known bad (albeit unwarranted) reputations. Equally, everyone else who meets Blossom loves her, even though she looks and smells terrible (according to the narrative). There’s a huge vein to mine here in terms of Will and Margot overcoming their own biases, learning to love the ugly dog, and eventually becoming united in their defensiveness towards anyone who dares to impugn their (now) beautiful dog. In one sentence I’ve managed to add more tension and legitimacy to their relationship than actually exists.
Margot’s deal is that she is the wrong side of thirty-five for someone who wants kids yesterday. This, again, is an angst goldmine, but the story suggests this fate is hers because of a uniquely terrible thing she did when she was eighteen. Maybe Manning thought the ‘not fitting in with society’s narrow definition of female beauty’ has been Too Done, so she went with the unlikely psychological trauma instead. I wish she’d stuck to the first one, because for me that story is never done, and it would have been far more authentic. There's also no acknowledgement that her strategy with Will is a high-risk one - I mean, 'laying it all out two months in' - and an unlikely one for her, given she just got out of a two-year relationship that lasted only because of her refusal to lay out anything at all.
Then there’s Will. Oh, god. There seems to be an unwritten rule of recent times that the Romance Hero has to have been in therapy or hold every conversation like he’s just eaten a CBT textbook. I understand this to be a refutation of the unhealthy ‘woman saves a man with Love’ trope. It is totally reasonable to jettison this damaging and corrosive trope! But! It doesn’t mean people in a story can’t grow?! You can have someone start damaged and heal from the damage WITH love rather than BECAUSE of it. I speak from bitter experience when I say that doing it without any love is possible, but it is much, much harder. Romance is a fantasy – can we not keep the fantasy of someone loving you enough to support you through painful growth, and not throw out the ‘fixit’ baby with the ‘supportive’ bathwater?
April 5, 2023
Picked this up because of the dog. But it was way too rom commie for my liking and the female lead was nasty and the male, well, not much better.
After 300 pages Will and Margot finally get it on but then there’s ANOTHER 100 pages with more unnecessary whiny and moany problems, but luckily they get married and are pregnant by page 400.
Two stars just for the cute doggo. Zero for the rest of the book.
After 300 pages Will and Margot finally get it on but then there’s ANOTHER 100 pages with more unnecessary whiny and moany problems, but luckily they get married and are pregnant by page 400.
Two stars just for the cute doggo. Zero for the rest of the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2021
Ich wollte eine moderne, lockere Romanze mit Hund und das habe ich auch weitgehend bekommen. Klar, haben die Charaktere so ihre Probleme mit der Vergangenheit und unschöne Dinge erlebt, die aufgearbeitet werden, aber insgesamt ... Gut, es ist nicht ganz, die leichte Komödie gewesen, die ich erwartete, dafür ging es auch zu intensiv um Torschusspanik.
Der Schreibstil ist gut lesbar. Der Roman hat zwei Erzählstänge - Margot und Will. (Erzählerpespektive bei beiden Protagonisten)
Margot ist eine 36jährige Frau, die furchtbare Panik hat, dass sie ihre Chance auf Kinder verpassen könnte. Dann lieber einen drittklassigen Mann, den man nicht liebt, als keine Kinder. Da sie 36 ist und die biologische Uhr tickt, kann sie so einem neuen Partner natürlich auch keine Zeit lassen sich in sie zu verlieben. Tick-Tack-Tick- Tack... Man wird ja nicht jünger.
Mit ihr konnte ich mich am wenigsten anfreunden. Bis zum Schluss hat sie es immer wieder geschafft, mich auf die Palme zu bringen. Sie ist so unsagbar fordernd und ich muss all ihren Ex-Freunden zustimmen - Sie war auch für mich 'too much'.
Will ist ein Mann der in New York gescheitert ist. Sein Leben auf der Überholspur hat ihn ausgebrannt und nun ist er wieder im Schoß seiner Familie.
Ihn mochte ich weitaus lieber als Margot. Allein wie er sich um Blossom bemühte, hat mein Herz erweicht. Ich habe sehr auf ein Happy End für ihn gehofft.
Blossom ist ein Staffordshire Terrier, dem man in der Vergangenheit übel mitgespielt hat. Abgemagert, Haarausfall und kein Vertrauen zu Männern. 'Sie will einfach nur geliebt werden' stand auf ihrem Schild im Tierheim und welch Glück hat sie, dass gleich zwei Menschen (und noch ein paar mehr) bereit sind ihr diese Liebe zu schenken.
Zum Schluss ist sie aber weniger Hund und erinnert vom Verhalten mehr an ein schweigsames Kind.
Das Setting ist London und da habt ihr ganz viel Parks, denn ein großer Teil der Handlung spielt sich bei Spaziergängen mit Blossom ab. Und dann gibt es auch noch einen kleinen Blumenladen, der Wills Familie gehört. Wirklich atmosphärisch ist der Roman allerdings nicht.
In dem Buch begleiten wie (Epilog außen vor) etwa ein Jahr im Leben der Protagonisten. Auch Weihnachten und Silvester spielen eine Rolle.
Gefühlstechnisch war es eine Achterbahn für mich. Die Wut auf Margot und das Genervt sein von ihr, hat sich abgewechselt mit Momenten in denen ich das Buch ganz entspannend fand.
Insgesamt ist es eine nette Liebesgeschichte, aber auch nicht mehr.
Anmerkung - Das Buch wurde mir vom Verlag kostenlos als Rezensionsexemplar zur Verfügung gestellt.
Der Schreibstil ist gut lesbar. Der Roman hat zwei Erzählstänge - Margot und Will. (Erzählerpespektive bei beiden Protagonisten)
Margot ist eine 36jährige Frau, die furchtbare Panik hat, dass sie ihre Chance auf Kinder verpassen könnte. Dann lieber einen drittklassigen Mann, den man nicht liebt, als keine Kinder. Da sie 36 ist und die biologische Uhr tickt, kann sie so einem neuen Partner natürlich auch keine Zeit lassen sich in sie zu verlieben. Tick-Tack-Tick- Tack... Man wird ja nicht jünger.
Mit ihr konnte ich mich am wenigsten anfreunden. Bis zum Schluss hat sie es immer wieder geschafft, mich auf die Palme zu bringen. Sie ist so unsagbar fordernd und ich muss all ihren Ex-Freunden zustimmen - Sie war auch für mich 'too much'.
Will ist ein Mann der in New York gescheitert ist. Sein Leben auf der Überholspur hat ihn ausgebrannt und nun ist er wieder im Schoß seiner Familie.
Ihn mochte ich weitaus lieber als Margot. Allein wie er sich um Blossom bemühte, hat mein Herz erweicht. Ich habe sehr auf ein Happy End für ihn gehofft.
Blossom ist ein Staffordshire Terrier, dem man in der Vergangenheit übel mitgespielt hat. Abgemagert, Haarausfall und kein Vertrauen zu Männern. 'Sie will einfach nur geliebt werden' stand auf ihrem Schild im Tierheim und welch Glück hat sie, dass gleich zwei Menschen (und noch ein paar mehr) bereit sind ihr diese Liebe zu schenken.
Zum Schluss ist sie aber weniger Hund und erinnert vom Verhalten mehr an ein schweigsames Kind.
Das Setting ist London und da habt ihr ganz viel Parks, denn ein großer Teil der Handlung spielt sich bei Spaziergängen mit Blossom ab. Und dann gibt es auch noch einen kleinen Blumenladen, der Wills Familie gehört. Wirklich atmosphärisch ist der Roman allerdings nicht.
In dem Buch begleiten wie (Epilog außen vor) etwa ein Jahr im Leben der Protagonisten. Auch Weihnachten und Silvester spielen eine Rolle.
Gefühlstechnisch war es eine Achterbahn für mich. Die Wut auf Margot und das Genervt sein von ihr, hat sich abgewechselt mit Momenten in denen ich das Buch ganz entspannend fand.
Insgesamt ist es eine nette Liebesgeschichte, aber auch nicht mehr.
Anmerkung - Das Buch wurde mir vom Verlag kostenlos als Rezensionsexemplar zur Verfügung gestellt.
October 14, 2021
No where near as good as Manning’s earlier books, plus the narrators were awful so I wouldn’t recommend the audiobook. Maybe it would read better. Very disappointed.
February 12, 2021
In Rescue Me by Sarra Manning, Margot has been rejected by both her boyfriend and her cat, and decides to get a dog from the rescue centre. She falls for Blossom the Staffie but can’t take her home right away. Will is only looking to volunteer as a dog-walker on the advice of his therapist, but agrees to take Blossom until Margot returns. This is where the trouble starts; they both want to keep her but agree to share, taking turns looking after her.
The pace is quite slow to begin with, allowing the main characters to get to know and like each other before they become romantically involved. Rescue Me also features a large cast of supporting characters who are well written and easy to differentiate. He may not always appreciate them, but Will has family behind him. Margot, on the other hand, feels her lack of family keenly, having been completely on her own since the death of her parents many years before.
Both Margot and Will are suffering – just in different ways – and the serious issues are dealt with sensitively, and seamlessly worked into the narrative. It is only as they become comfortable in each other’s company that they are able to gradually open up about their past experiences.
The story is told in alternating chapters by Margot and Will. This gives us a more rounded picture than if we only saw the world through Margot’s eyes, and helps to make the growing attraction between them more believable.
Towards the end, I felt the ‘miscommunication’ trope was taken a bit too far to be believable. Several times Margot cut Will off before he could explain how he felt, and this dragged the ending out unnecessarily. Right from the beginning I found Margot harder to like than Will, and just when I had started to warm to her, she reverted to being all prickly and brittle again.
I chose to read and review Sarra Manning’s Rescue Me because I had enjoyed several of her earlier books (Unsticky, It Felt Like a Kiss, 9 Uses for an ex Boyfriend), and not because of Blossom the Staffie – I’m more of a cat person. Having said that though, Blossom is a very endearing character – not to mention fairly integral to the plot – despite being such a handful.
Overall, I really enjoyed Rescue Me, and plan to catch up with the other Sarra Manning books I have not read yet. Neither of the main characters are particularly likeable at the beginning of the book, but having to communicate with each other while sharing responsibility for Blossom brings about a change for the better; Blossom really is the star of the show.
Thanks to Hodder and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.
The pace is quite slow to begin with, allowing the main characters to get to know and like each other before they become romantically involved. Rescue Me also features a large cast of supporting characters who are well written and easy to differentiate. He may not always appreciate them, but Will has family behind him. Margot, on the other hand, feels her lack of family keenly, having been completely on her own since the death of her parents many years before.
Both Margot and Will are suffering – just in different ways – and the serious issues are dealt with sensitively, and seamlessly worked into the narrative. It is only as they become comfortable in each other’s company that they are able to gradually open up about their past experiences.
The story is told in alternating chapters by Margot and Will. This gives us a more rounded picture than if we only saw the world through Margot’s eyes, and helps to make the growing attraction between them more believable.
Towards the end, I felt the ‘miscommunication’ trope was taken a bit too far to be believable. Several times Margot cut Will off before he could explain how he felt, and this dragged the ending out unnecessarily. Right from the beginning I found Margot harder to like than Will, and just when I had started to warm to her, she reverted to being all prickly and brittle again.
I chose to read and review Sarra Manning’s Rescue Me because I had enjoyed several of her earlier books (Unsticky, It Felt Like a Kiss, 9 Uses for an ex Boyfriend), and not because of Blossom the Staffie – I’m more of a cat person. Having said that though, Blossom is a very endearing character – not to mention fairly integral to the plot – despite being such a handful.
Overall, I really enjoyed Rescue Me, and plan to catch up with the other Sarra Manning books I have not read yet. Neither of the main characters are particularly likeable at the beginning of the book, but having to communicate with each other while sharing responsibility for Blossom brings about a change for the better; Blossom really is the star of the show.
Thanks to Hodder and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.
May 7, 2022
I’m a cat person, but damn this book almost made me a dog person too🐶❤️
It was super cute! I loved the main characters and their relationship. This book also touched base on mental health issues, which I always appreciate.
P.S. The In Memoriam at the end of the book fucking broke me.
#adoptdontshop
It was super cute! I loved the main characters and their relationship. This book also touched base on mental health issues, which I always appreciate.
P.S. The In Memoriam at the end of the book fucking broke me.
#adoptdontshop
May 28, 2023
Okay I didn't think I was going to like this at first but my mind was instantly changed after they both adopted the dog. Margo is a spunky positive affirmations kind of gal wanting love and a family while Will is standoffish and kinda rude! Watching their relationship develop was amazing and watching will overcome his daddy issues was inspiring.
January 25, 2021
4,5 🌟
such a funny and ADORABLE story.
if you love dogs and romance this one is for you!!!
such a funny and ADORABLE story.
if you love dogs and romance this one is for you!!!
July 2, 2022
3.5 stars - Didn’t care much for the romance to be honest, but Blossom the adopted Staffy and her adventures made it worth reading for me.
September 19, 2024
Heb hem niet uitgelezen. Raakte iedere keer mijn aandacht kwijt voor het boek.
February 22, 2021
Nice easy read!
July 24, 2022
Une romance toute mignonne avec un toutou adorable et un héros touchant.
January 21, 2021
What a beautiful story!
This romance novel begins with Margot’s story. She’s mid thirties and really wants to settle down and start a family, but she hasn’t found the right man. So, she decides to rescue a dog for some company. When she goes to the rescue centre, she falls for Blossom, a staffy who has suffered and just needs a loving home. At the same place, she meets Will. Will has just finished therapy and is looking to make some meaningful connections, so agrees to help foster a dog. Margot and Will decide to “co-pawrent” Blossom and the fun begins here.
I love seeing people’s walls come down in romance novels and these scenes in this novel were beautiful. Both Margot and Will had some trauma that they had to work through, which they did together with the help of Blossom. Seeing their relationship blossom (pun intended) from friendship to family and romance was beautiful. And in the end, I was left wondering whether they rescued Blossom, or whether Blossom rescued them.
I highly recommend this novel and really enjoyed reading it. Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
This romance novel begins with Margot’s story. She’s mid thirties and really wants to settle down and start a family, but she hasn’t found the right man. So, she decides to rescue a dog for some company. When she goes to the rescue centre, she falls for Blossom, a staffy who has suffered and just needs a loving home. At the same place, she meets Will. Will has just finished therapy and is looking to make some meaningful connections, so agrees to help foster a dog. Margot and Will decide to “co-pawrent” Blossom and the fun begins here.
I love seeing people’s walls come down in romance novels and these scenes in this novel were beautiful. Both Margot and Will had some trauma that they had to work through, which they did together with the help of Blossom. Seeing their relationship blossom (pun intended) from friendship to family and romance was beautiful. And in the end, I was left wondering whether they rescued Blossom, or whether Blossom rescued them.
I highly recommend this novel and really enjoyed reading it. Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
November 29, 2022
Originele recensie: https://bazarow.com/recensie/neem-mij...
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Het verhaal van Margot en Will start op een unieke manier. Ze leren elkaar kennen in een dierenasiel, omdat ze per ongeluk dezelfde hond willen adopteren.
Terwijl ze staan te discussiëren wie nu daadwerkelijk de hond mag adopteren komen ze erachter dat geen van beiden van plan is om de adoptie los te laten. Wat vervolgens uitgesproken wordt als een grapje, veranderd in werkelijkheid. Margot en Will adopteren de hond samen en gaan een soort co-ouderschap aan voor hun lieftallige nieuwe hond Blossom.
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Een hond opvoeden is niet makkelijk
Margot en Will adopteren samen een hond, een witte stafford en ze geven haar de naam Blossom. Uit eigen ervaring weet ik dat het opvoeden van een stafford een flink karwei is, Margot en Will komen hier ook al snel achter.
Wat het extra lastig maakt is dat Blossom dingen in haar verleden heeft meegemaakt die haar nu extreem bang maken. Zo raakt ze bijvoorbeeld in paniek in het gezelschap van mannen en schrikt ze erg snel. Nou zou je denken, maar Will is toch een man? Klopt, maar in het asiel reageert Blossom goed op hem. Eenmaal bij hem thuis, is het een heel ander verhaal…
Met een volwassen hond op cursus
Nadat Blossom zowel bij Margot als bij Will een paar nachten doorbrengt, moeten ze beide concluderen dat het opvoeden van Blossom pittig is. Ze spreken daarom met elkaar af en gaan in overleg. Er wordt onder andere besproken of ze met haar op cursus zullen gaan, maar daar staan ze nog niet zo om te springen. Op internet staan natuurlijk meer dan genoeg tips en Blossom is natuurlijk geen puppy meer.
Zoals je kan verwachten in een feelgood gaan de twee uiteindelijk toch op cursus met Blossom waar de meest hilarische scenes zich voordoen. Veel hondeneigenaren en in het specifiek stafford-achtige eigenaren, zullen deze scenes herkennen. Blossom steekt de draak met ze aan en haalt het bloed onder hun nagels vandaan. Ze trekt hun schouders bijna uit de kom en gaat ervandoor zodra het kan. Regelmatig heb ik hardop gelachen door wat Blossom haar baasjes aan doet.
101-Dalmatiërs effect
Blossom heeft een beetje een 101-Dalmatiërs effect. We hebben het hier over een feelgood dus dat er iets ontwikkeld tussen Margot en Will is geen verassing. Via Blossom groeien de twee naar elkaar toe en waar ze eerst een hekel aan elkaar hadden, komen ze erachter dat ze elkaars gezelschap best prettig vinden.
De relatieontwikkelingen zijn op een realistische maar ook vermakelijke manier vastgelegd. De manier waarop Blossom er eigenlijk voor zorgt dat de twee hoofdpersonages elkaar vinden, in combinatie met hoeveel liefde ze ieder voor Blossom hebben, is simpelweg hartverwarmend. Dit is dan ook een boek dat je daadwerkelijk een goed gevoel geeft en lekker laat wegdromen.
Waarom dit ras?
Sarra Manning is in het dagelijks leven een journalist Ze schrijft artikelen voor bladen als Red, The Guardian, Elle en Grazia. Ze woont in het noorden van Londen en is zelf verliefd geworden op staffords. Ze bezit er zelf natuurlijk ook één. Voordat ze zich aan het feelgood genre waagde, werd ze eerst bekend met een paar jeugdboeken.
De schrijfstijl van Manning is prettig. Het is toegankelijk, er zit een goede dosis humor in verwerkt en leest gemakkelijk weg. Je vliegt dan ook door dit boek heen! Neem mij mee is een boek die zeker aan te raden is voor iedereen die een hartverwarmend, honden-adoptie verhaal, wil lezen. Of voor de mensen die twijfelen om een hond te adopteren, want via dit boek kom je erachter dat een hond opvoeden dus niet zo gemakkelijk is als het lijkt.
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Het verhaal van Margot en Will start op een unieke manier. Ze leren elkaar kennen in een dierenasiel, omdat ze per ongeluk dezelfde hond willen adopteren.
Terwijl ze staan te discussiëren wie nu daadwerkelijk de hond mag adopteren komen ze erachter dat geen van beiden van plan is om de adoptie los te laten. Wat vervolgens uitgesproken wordt als een grapje, veranderd in werkelijkheid. Margot en Will adopteren de hond samen en gaan een soort co-ouderschap aan voor hun lieftallige nieuwe hond Blossom.
--
Een hond opvoeden is niet makkelijk
Margot en Will adopteren samen een hond, een witte stafford en ze geven haar de naam Blossom. Uit eigen ervaring weet ik dat het opvoeden van een stafford een flink karwei is, Margot en Will komen hier ook al snel achter.
Wat het extra lastig maakt is dat Blossom dingen in haar verleden heeft meegemaakt die haar nu extreem bang maken. Zo raakt ze bijvoorbeeld in paniek in het gezelschap van mannen en schrikt ze erg snel. Nou zou je denken, maar Will is toch een man? Klopt, maar in het asiel reageert Blossom goed op hem. Eenmaal bij hem thuis, is het een heel ander verhaal…
Met een volwassen hond op cursus
Nadat Blossom zowel bij Margot als bij Will een paar nachten doorbrengt, moeten ze beide concluderen dat het opvoeden van Blossom pittig is. Ze spreken daarom met elkaar af en gaan in overleg. Er wordt onder andere besproken of ze met haar op cursus zullen gaan, maar daar staan ze nog niet zo om te springen. Op internet staan natuurlijk meer dan genoeg tips en Blossom is natuurlijk geen puppy meer.
Zoals je kan verwachten in een feelgood gaan de twee uiteindelijk toch op cursus met Blossom waar de meest hilarische scenes zich voordoen. Veel hondeneigenaren en in het specifiek stafford-achtige eigenaren, zullen deze scenes herkennen. Blossom steekt de draak met ze aan en haalt het bloed onder hun nagels vandaan. Ze trekt hun schouders bijna uit de kom en gaat ervandoor zodra het kan. Regelmatig heb ik hardop gelachen door wat Blossom haar baasjes aan doet.
101-Dalmatiërs effect
Blossom heeft een beetje een 101-Dalmatiërs effect. We hebben het hier over een feelgood dus dat er iets ontwikkeld tussen Margot en Will is geen verassing. Via Blossom groeien de twee naar elkaar toe en waar ze eerst een hekel aan elkaar hadden, komen ze erachter dat ze elkaars gezelschap best prettig vinden.
De relatieontwikkelingen zijn op een realistische maar ook vermakelijke manier vastgelegd. De manier waarop Blossom er eigenlijk voor zorgt dat de twee hoofdpersonages elkaar vinden, in combinatie met hoeveel liefde ze ieder voor Blossom hebben, is simpelweg hartverwarmend. Dit is dan ook een boek dat je daadwerkelijk een goed gevoel geeft en lekker laat wegdromen.
Waarom dit ras?
Sarra Manning is in het dagelijks leven een journalist Ze schrijft artikelen voor bladen als Red, The Guardian, Elle en Grazia. Ze woont in het noorden van Londen en is zelf verliefd geworden op staffords. Ze bezit er zelf natuurlijk ook één. Voordat ze zich aan het feelgood genre waagde, werd ze eerst bekend met een paar jeugdboeken.
De schrijfstijl van Manning is prettig. Het is toegankelijk, er zit een goede dosis humor in verwerkt en leest gemakkelijk weg. Je vliegt dan ook door dit boek heen! Neem mij mee is een boek die zeker aan te raden is voor iedereen die een hartverwarmend, honden-adoptie verhaal, wil lezen. Of voor de mensen die twijfelen om een hond te adopteren, want via dit boek kom je erachter dat een hond opvoeden dus niet zo gemakkelijk is als het lijkt.
November 14, 2024
Ik heb me hier echt heel erg mee vermaakt. Was het voorspelbaar? Ja. Was het heel hoogstaand? Nee. Zaten er meerdere (spel)fouten in? Ja.
Maar al met al heerlijk van genoten, mede door alle dingen die ik herkende van mijn eigen hond.
Maar al met al heerlijk van genoten, mede door alle dingen die ik herkende van mijn eigen hond.
May 7, 2022
Margot is a 36 year old, plus-sized fashion designer who lives in fashionable North London. Will is a former investment banker, burnt-out, and working in his family's floristry business in North London.
After Margot is rejected by both her boyfriend and her cat she decides she is more of a dog person anyway and wants to rehome a rescue dog, something small and fluffy that she can fit into a Louis Vuitton dog bag (okay I totally made up the Louis Vuitton bit, but you get the picture). She has very clear ideas about the sort of dog she wants, the way in which the dog will fit into her life and how things will change for the better, you know lots of fun walks and dog-friendly pub lunches not so much late-night wee walks in the pouring rain and poo-bags in every coat pocket (speaking as a dog owner).
Will has spent the last year in therapy and is desperate to break free, he feels he has made great progress in reconnecting with his family, okay he hasn't got any friends or any thoughts of a significant other (or even a date), but baby steps. In fact, Will thinks that offering to spend time with rescue dogs, maybe even take one home for a day or two could be the first steps towards engaging with others.
Margot and Will end up co-pawrenting (yes they went there) a shy female Staffy called Blossom. They are different in almost every conceivable way, apart from their devotion to Blossom. At first handover days are more akin to divorced parents exchanging children, but gradually they become closer, they could even be friends.
I don't know how Sarra Manning did this, she took frankly unlikeable individuals and slowly over the course of the book turned them into loveable characters. This book clearly shows the difference between our imagination and reality when it comes to dog owning, and makes you love Blossom anyway.
If you like gentle romances, annoying families, interfering friends and soppy dogs then I think you'll love this as much as I did.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
After Margot is rejected by both her boyfriend and her cat she decides she is more of a dog person anyway and wants to rehome a rescue dog, something small and fluffy that she can fit into a Louis Vuitton dog bag (okay I totally made up the Louis Vuitton bit, but you get the picture). She has very clear ideas about the sort of dog she wants, the way in which the dog will fit into her life and how things will change for the better, you know lots of fun walks and dog-friendly pub lunches not so much late-night wee walks in the pouring rain and poo-bags in every coat pocket (speaking as a dog owner).
Will has spent the last year in therapy and is desperate to break free, he feels he has made great progress in reconnecting with his family, okay he hasn't got any friends or any thoughts of a significant other (or even a date), but baby steps. In fact, Will thinks that offering to spend time with rescue dogs, maybe even take one home for a day or two could be the first steps towards engaging with others.
Margot and Will end up co-pawrenting (yes they went there) a shy female Staffy called Blossom. They are different in almost every conceivable way, apart from their devotion to Blossom. At first handover days are more akin to divorced parents exchanging children, but gradually they become closer, they could even be friends.
I don't know how Sarra Manning did this, she took frankly unlikeable individuals and slowly over the course of the book turned them into loveable characters. This book clearly shows the difference between our imagination and reality when it comes to dog owning, and makes you love Blossom anyway.
If you like gentle romances, annoying families, interfering friends and soppy dogs then I think you'll love this as much as I did.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
January 1, 2021
Thank you to the publishers for providing me and ARC for the blog tour.
When Margot, 36 years old and painfully aware of the ticking time bomb of her fertility breaks up with her latest in a string on unreliable boyfriends, she decides enough is enough and decides to adopt herself a cute little minituare dog. However when she gets to the adoption centre she falls head over heels with the staffy blossom. She ends up becoming a co-pawrent, with Will a stranger who is dealing with his own issues and things develop from there ....
This was almost a 5 star read for me. I didn't want to put it down and I loved the romance and how it blossomed along with the relationships that both Margot and Will had with their closest friends and families. I would have liked a few more sex scenes though! Also I really didnt like the tired trope of woman and her fertility clock ticking, its just a personal bug bear of mine. Also I felt it a little strange that Margot was described as a feminist and then remarked that she didn't want to look to slutty ... I just thought there was no need for that (Obviously I read and ARC, so not sure if this is in the finished copy)
All in all though I believe this was such a lovely tale about how adopting a pet can really change your life and I will be recommending it to my viewers when I am on the instagram tour!
When Margot, 36 years old and painfully aware of the ticking time bomb of her fertility breaks up with her latest in a string on unreliable boyfriends, she decides enough is enough and decides to adopt herself a cute little minituare dog. However when she gets to the adoption centre she falls head over heels with the staffy blossom. She ends up becoming a co-pawrent, with Will a stranger who is dealing with his own issues and things develop from there ....
This was almost a 5 star read for me. I didn't want to put it down and I loved the romance and how it blossomed along with the relationships that both Margot and Will had with their closest friends and families. I would have liked a few more sex scenes though! Also I really didnt like the tired trope of woman and her fertility clock ticking, its just a personal bug bear of mine. Also I felt it a little strange that Margot was described as a feminist and then remarked that she didn't want to look to slutty ... I just thought there was no need for that (Obviously I read and ARC, so not sure if this is in the finished copy)
All in all though I believe this was such a lovely tale about how adopting a pet can really change your life and I will be recommending it to my viewers when I am on the instagram tour!
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