annebrooke's review against another edition
3.0
This started out so well. I’ve enjoyed one or two Wolff romantic novels before and so I was looking forward to this one. At first, I found myself warming to agony aunt Rose and her eclectic set of relationships and was eager to know how she would resolve matters with her soon-to-be ex husband Ed and her new lodger Theo. Not to mention her disabled neighbour Bev, and her long friendship with the twins (though I found it really hard to tell the difference between the twins at all).
After a while however, I found myself more and more willing to put the book down and go and do something else. Anything else. Because the trouble with this novel is that it has all the ingredients it needs, but doesn’t know how to blend them together. Plus it outstays its welcome by quite a long marker, which is another negative. New romantic interest Theo starts out very well – a warm picture of a blunt but caring Yorkshireman – but somehow manages to transmute himself to something very close to an emotional bully. Rose has gone through quite a difficult childhood and doesn’t know who her real family is, but Theo regularly berates her for not facing up to the truth in very harsh terms and seems very quick to criticise her at any opportunity, even immediately after their first romantic night together. Heavens, no wonder Rose is cross! I’m all for the strong hero, but not when he has absolutely no emotional common sense whatsoever.
I also lost interest in Rose herself about three-quarters of the way through the book, when she stops being a normal, kind-hearted woman and strangely becomes a mouthpiece for every kind of counselling cliché in the known universe. Honestly, all her ‘coming to terms with her past’ and ‘moving on’ type talk made my teeth itch. I wanted the old dippy Rose back – she was far more human. Plus I really hated the way she ended up treating her ex-husband, and accusing him of turning his back on his family when actually she’s been ignoring and hating her own for years. I had every sympathy for Ed here, no matter his evident lack of generosity, as I’m not too fond of my own siblings either and would have to be heavily persuaded to do anything remotely nice for them at any point. So the way Rose trampled on Ed’s family difficulties made me feel quite ill – how very judgemental our agony aunt actually turned out to be …
Aspects of the book I enjoyed were the talking bird (more, please!), plus neighbour Bev’s story and her carer dog (and usually I hate dogs), and how Bev turns her life around – in a human and charming way – and wins through. In some ways, it was more Bev’s story than Rose’s so perhaps Wolff focused her efforts on the wrong heroine? I also thought there was a whole other book in the information given about Rose’s mother, though in context here it was unfortunately rather Mills & Boon and overwrought.
So, all in all, a good start but a poor finish.
3 stars. Disappointing and too long
After a while however, I found myself more and more willing to put the book down and go and do something else. Anything else. Because the trouble with this novel is that it has all the ingredients it needs, but doesn’t know how to blend them together. Plus it outstays its welcome by quite a long marker, which is another negative. New romantic interest Theo starts out very well – a warm picture of a blunt but caring Yorkshireman – but somehow manages to transmute himself to something very close to an emotional bully. Rose has gone through quite a difficult childhood and doesn’t know who her real family is, but Theo regularly berates her for not facing up to the truth in very harsh terms and seems very quick to criticise her at any opportunity, even immediately after their first romantic night together. Heavens, no wonder Rose is cross! I’m all for the strong hero, but not when he has absolutely no emotional common sense whatsoever.
I also lost interest in Rose herself about three-quarters of the way through the book, when she stops being a normal, kind-hearted woman and strangely becomes a mouthpiece for every kind of counselling cliché in the known universe. Honestly, all her ‘coming to terms with her past’ and ‘moving on’ type talk made my teeth itch. I wanted the old dippy Rose back – she was far more human. Plus I really hated the way she ended up treating her ex-husband, and accusing him of turning his back on his family when actually she’s been ignoring and hating her own for years. I had every sympathy for Ed here, no matter his evident lack of generosity, as I’m not too fond of my own siblings either and would have to be heavily persuaded to do anything remotely nice for them at any point. So the way Rose trampled on Ed’s family difficulties made me feel quite ill – how very judgemental our agony aunt actually turned out to be …
Aspects of the book I enjoyed were the talking bird (more, please!), plus neighbour Bev’s story and her carer dog (and usually I hate dogs), and how Bev turns her life around – in a human and charming way – and wins through. In some ways, it was more Bev’s story than Rose’s so perhaps Wolff focused her efforts on the wrong heroine? I also thought there was a whole other book in the information given about Rose’s mother, though in context here it was unfortunately rather Mills & Boon and overwrought.
So, all in all, a good start but a poor finish.
3 stars. Disappointing and too long
kitvaria_sarene's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this fast paced, entertaining and funny story.
It's typical romantic chick lit, that simply leaves you with a feel good mood and a smile on your face!
It's typical romantic chick lit, that simply leaves you with a feel good mood and a smile on your face!
paperbacktreasures's review against another edition
3.0
Cute story, although it seemed to drag a lot in places and I had a hard time focusing when the MC would go off on a nonsensical tangent. Worth the read if you've got nothing better to do.
girlinacardigan's review
3.0
http://jennsbookblog.blogspot.com/2014/03/rescuing-rose-by-isabel-wolff.html
gemtrants's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
krisz's review against another edition
3.0
Rose was a strange character, but Theo was well painted. I didn't see the end coming, there was not sufficient build-up to the final scenario.
katrinaburch's review against another edition
1.0
the plot of sounded really good bit I just could not get into it! Not to mention all the British words, sayings, and locations that were mentioned in the first 40 pages. Not recommended!
writerlibrarian's review against another edition
2.0
Comment une journaliste “courrier du cœur” peut-elle être aussi aveugle pour elle-même?
Drôle, excentrique et amusant. “Rose à la rescousse” met en vedette Rose qui après 7 mois de mariage se retrouve de nouveau célibataire (catastrophe pour une Madame Détresse). Isabel Wolff est une des reines du “chick lit” britannique. Toujours brillantes et amusantes, ces héroïnes nous font rire et pleurer et passer un bon moment.
Drôle, excentrique et amusant. “Rose à la rescousse” met en vedette Rose qui après 7 mois de mariage se retrouve de nouveau célibataire (catastrophe pour une Madame Détresse). Isabel Wolff est une des reines du “chick lit” britannique. Toujours brillantes et amusantes, ces héroïnes nous font rire et pleurer et passer un bon moment.
ceeceerose's review against another edition
4.0
Meet Rose Costelloe, a London advice columnist (or, as they must call them in England, an “Agony Aunt”) who has just separated from her husband of seven months and needs to re-adjust to the single life. The single life, of course, requires her to get a place of her own, of which she buys one she cannot afford and needs to get a roommate. Rose has two friends (“The Twins”) that stick by her through everything, though sometimes they cause her more harm than good. She also deals with on-going problems with her job, her family, money, etc. Basically, Rose is a charming, chaotic soul who is a joy to follow and get to know. She’s funny and light, as is the writing style. Nothing in this book ever seems to heavy, though it’s also not too overly fluffy. Even though this definitely falls under the umbrella of “Chick Lit,” I think the story and characters have mass appeal for all sorts of readers.
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