While there was glimmers of humor and fun, I was not a fan of this story where it felt mainly like a novel-length celebration of dogs.

2 stars.

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

I love a good romcom and romcoms with dogs might just be my weakness.
'Rescue Me' is an adorable romcom following Margot and Will who end up sharing a dog together. The romance is definitely a slow burner but there were so many adorable and funny moments throughout this book that you cannot help but keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. The characters were so likeable and you couldn't help but root for them to end up together.

This is such a delightful read, and cheered me up to no end. The characters in this book felt so real

Thank you netgalley for the arc for rescue me by Sara manning in return for an honest review. this was a slow read at the beginning but began to pick up in the middle.

Before I start this review, I have a confession to make: I don't specially like dogs. There, I've said it. Don't get me wrong, I do think they are wonderful animals, but I have never had one and I don't see myself having one in the near future. So, I find it difficult to truly understand the connection a person has with their dog. Having said that, I know this book focuses on a dog, so I was curious to see if I could click with it.

And... surprisingly, I did! I think Sarra Manning made a wonderful job describing Blossom and the relationship that blossoms with her and both her co-owners. I ended really caring for the three of them and totally rooting for their combined happy ending. You can clearly tell that Manning loves dogs and does know what a special bond you can have with them and she made it really easy for me to bond with Blossom too.

So if you are looking for a wonderful dog character, look no more, this is your book! And even if you don't care that much for dogs, give it a try. This story does have a lot of heart!

This was a really fun read with an extremely cute premise. If you love dogs, Blossom will no doubt be a great companion as you read the blossoming romance of Margot and Will.

I’m afraid to say this book as not for me, I could not get into it. I wish the author all the best for the future. I’ll rate is 3 stars as possibly to some people this book will be right up there street. Just unfortunately not for me.

I love Sara Manning’s books, find her writing gun and easy to read and digest. This book was interesting and cute but it didn’t grab me like her others. Will still read from her though!

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

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

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

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

I have been a big fan of Sarra Manning's previous novels, and when I saw a new one, I was very keen to read. What made this absolute perfect timing was the fact I have spent the last year and a bit becoming a new dog mom to two rescue hounds - lurchers, one of which is part Staffie. I think anyone who has rescued a dog themselves will feel the authenticity and truth of Manning's writing in this novel. She's always written beautifully, but the echo of truth whenever she touches on Blossom gives her prose an additional dimension.

I, too, went through that moment in the rescue kennels where, out of deep sadness for what you're seeing, your dog picks you. And the way Manning wrote it made me tear up, it was so perfect.

I find you need a slight suspension of disbelief to accept the idea of two people co-pawrenting - especially with some of the ridiculous rules that rescue centres wrap around applying to become a dog owner - but I'm happy to let this go in the name of fiction, and in the name of bringing together two such great characters.

I loved Margot because she was not "perfect" - she was damaged emotionally, she was a bigger girl, she did not go by any of the rules when dating, she was an older lady compared to some of the twenty-somethings that fill other romantic novels. Plus, she was a people pleaser and just all-round lovely to read about. Margot's chapters were better for me than Will's, although only by a whisker, since I loved Will's sprawling family.

All in all, this was just a super yummy read, and everything about Blossom was utterly brilliant. Loved that good doggo, and thoroughly enjoyed her book.

This was a heartwarming and very enjoyable book to read.
I requested this book for the dogs, and Blossom was a delight to get to know. But as I devoured this book in one sitting, I fell in love with Margot and Will. They had a beautiful and slow-burn romance that had me smiling for days.
Sarra Manning was a new author for me, but I know that this book won't be the last I read from her. I look forward to reading whatever she writes next.

Perfect bit of escapism which is much needed right now!

Rescue Me follows Margot and Will as they both adopt the same Staffie from the dog shelter and end up having to share it. I'm a cat person, but this didn't make me enjoy Rescue Me any less! Beautiful tale (tail?) of love and how friendship is the bases of a great relationship.

Complete joy.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read and review.

Feel-good romance with relatable characters and adorable dog.

Really enjoyed reading it. Well-rounded characters with realistic situations, and a thoroughly satisfying conclusion. I rate Sara Manning as a writer and this latest book is no exception. I’ve already read it twice.

Pawfect modern love story.

This is an absolute delight, a funny, lovely romance about a man and a woman who co-adopt a dog. She definitely wants to adopt, he’s just hoping to volunteer – but they both fall in love with Blossom, a shy little Staffy who needs patience and care. As they rehabilitate Blossom and work out how to share her, they start to develop feelings for each other, but are those feelings compatible? Sarra just gets better and better with every book. It was a dream and I will definitely read it again.

I had a lot of fun in reading this book and rooted for the quirky and well written characters.
It's a well written and plotted story that hooked since the first pages and kept me reading.
I laughed, i rooted for the characters and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This book was really lovely. Everything is hoped for and more. I mean you really can’t go wrong with a book with a dog. So sweet! I haven’t read anything from the author before but will be reading more of her work after enjoying this so much. This story made me emotional but what book containing a dog doesn’t? I don’t think I’ve ever read a book based on a dog but that was so much fun and I felt it was done perfectly even if you aren’t a massive dog lover, I think you’ll still appreciate the story

I feel like this book already holds a bit of a soft spot in my heart - I can definitely see myself returning to it! Part of that does come from the North London setting, which was especially nice to be reading about home while I'm away at uni. However, I do have to say this book was possibly the worst thing to read while my puppy fever is currently at its highest! Going into this, I already suspected I would be a big fan of Rescue Me because I absolutely adored Manning's YA novel London Belongs to Us, and I was right. One thing I really liked in particular was the lack of focus on appearances - it was so refreshing not to have to constantly endure descriptions of outfits and how the characters looked being focal points of the story. Margot was mentioned as being a size 16 once and wasn't constantly brought up after. Also, the romance in this was real and not perfect, but I was rooting for them the whole time. A great little gem of a book.

To be honest I saw the dog on the cover and then read the synopsis for this book and I thought it would be right up my street, I love a contemporary romance. I have to stay that on starting the book it did take me a while to get into it, I just could not warm to Margot at all at, and to be honest I struggled to throughout the book.

Margot and Will meet at the dog shelter, both fall in love with Blossom a rescue Stafforshire Bull Terrier who is scared of her own shadow due to ill treatment and abandonment. Due to work commitments they decide to co-parent the dog who becomes a confident cheeky little dog. I love that the author has used a Staffie these beautiful dogs get some much bad press through no fault of there own, they are so misunderstood usually due to bad or irresponsible owners. Their worst failing is probably licking you to death!

Both Margot and Will have issues from heir past they need to work through, for Margot it is her desperate need for a family after loosing her parents young, and for Will it is his failure to commit after being hurt in past relationships. During their time with Blossom their friendship develops and they need to decide if one of them can live without the other or Blossom in their lives.

Whilst I did enjoy the book I am not sure I would rush to pick up another book by the author. I loved Sage and the family dynamics in Wills Mums house but other than that I was just mostly annoyed by Margot.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My rating scale
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Absolutely loved it! Gave me a warm fuzzy feeling or made me cry. And took me on an emotional rollercoaster.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Really liked it. Will read more by the author and other books in the series.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - It was just okay, didn’t move me, but don’t feel like I wasted me time reading it either.
⭐️⭐️ - Didn’t like this book and probably won’t read other in the series.
⭐️ - I did not care for this book at all and feel like I wasted my time reading it

I enjoyed this. It was nothing groundbreaking and it was obvious what was going to happen, but I think right now we all need some nice escapism.

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.