Product Description

The fourth sparkling novel from the bestselling author of THE TRIALS OF TIFFANY TROTT, THE MAKING OF MINTY MALONE and OUT OF THE BLUE has Rose, a prickly agony aunt, fall for the charms of Theo, accountant by day, astronomer by night. who soon has her starry-eyed. But the starcross'd lovers have many obstacles to overcome on the path of true love. Agony aunt Rose has more than a few thorns digging in her side at present. Her seven-month marriage is in tatters, the bills are mounting up at an alarming rate and to top it off, she's being plagued by a stalker who seems to know rather a lot about the mysterious circumstances of her birth. It's usually Rose who dishes out the advice, but now she must rely on her wacky friends to come up with some solutions.They suggest she advertise for a lodger and at first, geeky accountant Theo seems the perfect choice for the now resolutely single Rose. However, she becomes intrigued by her new housemate's fascination with astronomy and he soon has her starry-eyed. But the path of true love never did run smooth, and the starcross'd lovers face stiff opposition in many forms, including the increasingly deranged stalker who is intent on getting Rose's attention by fair means or foul...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #308386 in Books
• Published on: 2002-08-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

Review
PRAISE FOR ISABEL WOLFF: Rescuing Rose 'Hilarious, moving, a wonderful story. I loved it.' WENDY HOLDEN 'Isabel Wolff has done it again. A cunningly twisted plot, a fabulously rewarding romance and a dog called Trevor - what more could you want?' JESSICA ADAMS The Trials of Tiffany Trott 'I absolutely, genuinely loved. It's funny, charming, upbeat and unputdownable. Acutely observed, and so well-written. I was completely diverted and entertained' MARIAN KEYES 'A hilarious novel' JONATHAN SALE, Independent Out of the Blue 'A fabulous romantic comedy' Emma Freud, Radio 4 'A warm, witty, romantic comedy. Perfect! Isabel's work has a lot of substance as well as the fun' Helen Lederer, Express The Making of Minty Malone 'Hilarious and accurate...Truly gripping' The Times 'It's effervescent and heartwarming and somehow the pages just turn themselves' Big Issue

Isabel Wolff's stories of 30-something women meeting the right man aren't on the face of it unusual, but they stand far above their numerous competitors for the charm and sympathy of their writing. The narrator of this volume is Rose, whose successful career as an agony aunt contrasts painfully with her personal misery. Separated from her husband Ed after only seven months of marriage and permanently insecure after her mother's abandonment of her as a baby, Rose buys a house in south London and settles down with only her loquacious mynah bird for company. However, soon her life is looking up. Her effervescent twin friends Bella and Bea are a great support, and her new neighbours Beverley and Trevor the dog prove vital allies. Then Rose advertises for a lodger, and along comes Theo - an astronomer who opens up a whole new world to her. But just as Rose is gaining in spirits and confidence things start going wrong again; soon her career's on the line and her personal affairs are in disarray - and most confusingly of all, Ed starts suggesting they get back together?. This is an entertaining diversion given depth and warmth by the idiosyncrasies of the characters and humour of the plot. Wolff has a sharp eye for the absurdities of life and a Jilly Cooper-like fondness for bad puns, and she gives her creations enough life of their own for the reader to feel real sympathy for their tangles and troubles. In a genre where work is often just the backdrop for romance it's refreshing to see characters whose lives and identities are closely bound with the careers they pursue, and Wolff always makes sure that her heroines gain self-understanding and maturity as well as the handsome hero. All in all, a perfect piece of froth. (Kirkus UK)

Jessica Adams, author of Single White e-mail
‘Isabel Wolff has done it again. A cunningly twisted plot, a fabulously rewarding romance and a dog called Trevor – what more could you want?’

She magazine
'Compulsive'

Customer Reviews

Funny and poignant
This funny, poignant and well-written book brought tears to my eyes not just from laughter but also from pathos. To use the kinds of platitude that Wolff herself ridicules in this book, my funny bone was tickled and my heart strings were tugged. What more could you want from a book? As always, Isabel Wolff's characters are witty, likeable and eccentric, and the warmth and human understanding that suffuse her writing draw you in.

Wolff's heroine, Rose, is a prickly, obsessively tidy agony aunt who is able to help others to face their problems, even though she's not too good at confronting her own. We're taken on a journey in a year of Rose's life in which new relationships and redemption for her and others ultimately bring about a satisfactory ending. The wide-range of attractive characters, glamorous set pieces in London and almost human animals (all, by now, Wolff trade marks) enhance and enliven a story that has unusual depth. Rescuing Rose will inevitably be categorized as chick fic although it is definitely something much more. Enjoy!

Moved to tears!
I wanted to write a review for 'Rescuing Rose' as although I love to read, I seldom find myself so moved as I did with this book.

I have read Isabel's other novels and so I didn't look too closely at the content of this one when I bought it - I just trusted that I would enjoy it as much as the others.

As I began to read it I was amazed and incredibly moved by it.

You see, I too am adopted. I have know about this since I was a baby but have always put off thinking about it and the downward spiral of my relationship with my adoptive parents. Just at the time when I was reading the book (November 2002) I had, more by accident, then searching, found my birth mother. I had just recently made contact and we had both spent a few hours talking and crying on the phone to each other.

I couldn't believe how much Rose's motives of deceiving herself mirrored my own (the trying to sort out other peoples problems, pushing the closest people away etc) and the feelings of anger and hurt about being abandoned at birth.

I can honestly say that I cried buckets when I read Roses letter from her mother. My birth mother was made to give me up against her wishes, had a breakdown and was sent packing to New Zealand with a one-way ticket. I now find that I have a mother, a step-father, a brother, sister, aunt and uncle and cousins, all waiting for me to visit with my family.

Isabel's book truly took my breath away.

I told my mother about the book and have now sent it to her to read. When I spoke to her last week she was halfway through it and she is hooked. I told her that it would tell her everything that I felt and how I feel now.

I don't usually write reviews but I just wanted to say that whatever research Isabel did into the psyche of adopted children was absolutely spot-on.

Isabel Wolff should be justifiably proud of this book.

Stars for Rose
Isobel Wolff's previous books have been heavy on the clever & witty, with a dash of the thoughtful thrown in. Rescuing Rose is a bit heavier on the thoughtful, but still a wonderfully fun read. Rose loves writing her advice column, in fact that's about the only thing about her life that she loves. Her short marriage has ended (her husband cheated on her with their marriage counselor), she's just moved into her own house (that she really can't afford), her best friends are batty and headed for their own show down, and there's that niggling problem of her own past - she's adopted. Despite this heavy set up, the book is funny and witty from the start, except...Even though I loved Rosie as a character from the start, Wolff starts dropping clues that maybe Rosie has a much deeper problems. (She does.) Enter Theo, the housemate that Rosie must take on to afford her new house. He's blunt and direct, but such a good heart. Oh, yes there is that stalker too (very funny in the end!) Ultimately, the book manages to take a look at some fairly serious issues without becoming preachy, Rosie finds the path to happiness, and the reader learns a lot about stargazing!