Customer Reviews

Rescuing Rose

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am fairly critical and don't easily give out five stars, but this book just climbs up and nestles in your heart. I must tell you up-front that if you are looking for a fast-paced read this is not the book for you. As a previous reviewer noted, this book does ramble a bit, and the cast of secondary characters has their, er,...interesting mannerisms, but unlike my esteemed predecessor, I found them delightful. As for our hero, Theo, he is the kind of guy you fall gently, deeply, passionately in love with - and perhaps more importantly the type you trust with that love. Rose, our heroine, did have some serious tunnel vision, but nothing inexplicable or unforgivable, and her heart was alvvays in the right place. This book just grew and grew on me as I read; This is my first Isabel Wolff, but shan't be my last - I can honestly say that I shall miss these characters and hope to see them in future books.

I really enjoyed this story of an agony aunt who thinks she knows what's best for everyone, including her friends and colleagues, but can't see the huge problems in her own life.

It's not till the rather gorgeous Theo moves in with her that Rose begins to acknowledge that she just might have a few issues she ought to look at. Because Rose is rather sweet and vulnerable, you don't mind her fussing around everyone, trying to sort their lives out. She comes across as being oh so sorted but we sort of know all along that Rose is a troubled soul.

But we root for her because she means well and we long for her to let her guard down a bit, open up and overcome the obstacles that prevent her from being truly happy.

Rose is clearly using her problem-solving skills to turn outwards towards others so she can avoid dealing with some rather dark stuff in her background. When she finally starts to unravel the mystery at the heart of her family, a good story becomes engrossing.

Isabel Wolff has written a lovely novel in Rescuing Rose. It's well plotted with lots of little subplots along the way to keep you turning the pages. I read it in two days flat and then passed it straight to a friend who did the same.

I've read and enjoyed all of Isabel Wolff's books but this is the only one that made me cry. It's a cracking read, her best yet in my opinion, and I've no hesitation in recommending you buy it, read it and devour it. But keep the tissues handy.

In my opinion, this is a good book, better than a lot of what passes for "chick lit" these days, but not Wolff's best. I remember The Trials of Tiffany Trott as one of the funniest books I have ever read, and Rescuing Rose certainly has its moments, but it's just not quite as good. However, Rescuing Rose is definitely enjoyable, and I found it very hard to put down. Rose's penchant for finding anagrams is a clever twist-and she is certainly an endearing protagonist.
Keep up the good work, Ms. Wolff-if all of your future novels are this good, you should keep your readers more than satisfied.

As she closes in on forty, advice columnist Rose Costelloe felt lonely until she met Ed. They had an incredible two month courtship that led to marriage. Seven months later Rose is tossing expensive china and other things at Ed as he never could cope with her Agony Aunt career. Considering what Rose does for a vocation, her publicly embarrassing break up does not foster job security.

Adding to her woes is someone seems to be stalking Rose. That unknown person apparently has information that she does not know pertaining to her birth. She is a bit nervous that this individual refuses to come forward, but drops hints. With her finances also in the red, Rose heeds the advice of her friends to share costs with a roommate. Accountant and amateur astronomer aficionado Theo moves in, but soon Rose finds her dreaming of her nerdy mate who seems to desire her too. Will she heed her own advice and go for the heavens with Theo or will she consider once burned?

Though the stalking and the birth story seem unnecessary, fans will enjoy this British Agony Aunt romance. The story line is fun to follow from the moment Rose tosses Wedgewood just inches from Ed's head until the final letter that explains all. Rose is a delightful center of the plot as the audience obtains a deep look into her psyche cleverly through her column. Two parts amusement, two parts angst, but totally engaging, readers will remarkably regard RESCUING ROSE.

Harriet Klausner

I waited for this book (as with any book by Isabel Wolff) to come out for months- and I was not let down. This book was so charming. As is typical in Wolff's books, the loveable characters and off-beat sense of humor shine through once again.

The agony aunt aspect of this story particularly lent itself to humorous moments, as many of the letters Rose receieved were so outrageous. I felt the best 'touch' in this book was Rudy- Rose's suddenly talking bird who can mimic the fights Rose and her separated husband used to have- many of Rudy's outbursts made me laugh out loud. I am yet to see an another author be so creative when it comes to this type of humor.

The ending was 'just right.' I felt satiated, not overly fed or hungry for more...

The only disappointment I had at the end of this book was knowing that I will now have to wait for months in anticipation of Isabel Wolff's next novel!

What happens when an agony aunt's life is torn apart? Who does she go to for advice? Thirty-nine-year-old Rose loves to give advice for a living. In fact, she loves it so much that said career is the one responsible for the disintegration of her short marriage -- or at least that's what her husband says. Rose soon wishes that she, too, had her own agony aunt to help her with her crisis. But when she moves into a new home and her roommate is a sweet, handsome astronomy enthusiast ten years her junior, things turn rather interesting...

Isabel Wolff uses her signature wit and relationship insights in this new installment. She's one of the best chick-lit authors out there. However, the novel should've been a bit shorter. Wolff has a tendency to create various subplots and situations that sometimes seem out of place. The story drones on for far too long. And the "twist" between Rose and her husband is too predictable and contrived to take into account. All in all, Rescuing Rose isn't Wolff's best effort -- not quite as good as The Trials of Tiffany Trott and Making Minty Malone -- but it's better than most of Red Dress Ink's books this year. I nevertheless recommend Rescuing Rose as a fun, no-fuss read.

I had this book on my shelf for a year before I finally got to reading it but once I finally started it I never wanted it to end! It took me on a whirlwind journey, with multiple twists and surprises. I adored it! The second I finished I drove to the bookstore to buy the rest of Isabel Wolff's books. I'd recommend it to anyone, it's definitely worth a read.

This novel is just lovely. It is a very funny, intelligent, and, ultimately, extremely moving account of how a kind, but angry, agony aunt finds redemption via a young astronomer who makes her reassess her place in the universe and forces her to confront her OWN one enormous life problem - the fact of her adoption.Out of deep anger at her apparent rejection, Rose has refused to address this huge issue, but Theo, a wonderfully romantic character, sets her on the journey to resolve it. I won't spoil a marvelous ending, but, you will definitely need a handful of tissues. Add to this poignant main theme some hilarious and touching characters - a brilliant 'service' dog called Trevor, a garrulous mynah bird, and a pair of well-meaning but eccentric identical twin best friends - and you have a story that is also full of LOL humor. The way Rose contsantly makes annagrams in her head is a particularly clever and unusal twist showing the obssessive side of her otherwise sympathetic character, plus there are some marvelous scenes, notably the one at the arts fundraiser where Rose and her friends all have to go dressed as famous pictures,and the lunch for Dear Abbys where they all suffer from 'competitive misery syndrome'. This is an emotionally rewarding, rollercoaster ride of a book, from which, additionally you will derive the great pleasure of learning a whole lot about stargazing!

My first Isabel Wolff book was her most recent one, A Vintage Affair, which I liked a lot. It's been interesting to look at some of her earlier works such as Rescuing Rose and The Making of Minty Malone, both of which are good but I don't think they're up to the level of her new book.

Rescuing Rose tells the story of Rose, an agony aunt or advice columnist, who has a secret in her past and a history of abortive relationships. She is nearly 40 and has been trying to make a decision about whether to explore her family history or leave it alone. Her many supportive friends help her along. The decision and its consequences are satisfying.

Wolff's strengths as an author are creating genuine emotions and believable characters, including her male characters. One of my biggest complaints about chick-lit books is their lack of realistic male characters. Many authors resort to the easy out of guys who are either horrible people who don't deserve to live or angels who should be strumming harps on high. Wolff's men are balanced and imperfect and feel real. Her female characters are well-observed and feel equally realistic.

A weakness in the book is that it's a little too long at 448 (in my copy) pages, and it takes too long to reach a conclusion. I also think there is almost too much of the peripheral characters. I reviewed another book in this genre recently in which there was not ENOUGH of the peripheral characters, so maybe I'm just hard to please, but that's how I felt. When a book feels long in the reading, I think it's in need of editing.

Overall, I liked the book and would recommend it to readers of women's fiction and fans of Wolff.

I give this a 3. This book is easy to put down but I do plan to finish it someday soon. This book cannot compare to Isabel Wolff's book "A Vintage Affair" which merits a 5 to me. I truly enjoyed that book. I had read "A Vintage Affair" on my Kindle but after reading, I wanted a hard copy of it and ordered the hard copy thru Amazon. "A Vintage Affair" is what stirred my interest in Isabel Wolff as I had never read her before and truly enjoyed her writing. I find 'Rescuing Rose' a bit dull.