- Title: Rescue Me
- Classification: Adult Fiction
- Genre: Contemporary Romance
- Format: Paperback, 384 pages
- Publisher: Avon (May 29, 2012)
- ISBN-10: 0062069128
- ISBN-13: 978-0062069122
Please Note: I read the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this book, therefore, there may be some discrepancies between what I quote and the final version. Assume any and all errors are mine because they probably are.
"Ever been to Lovett, Vincent?"
"No."
"You're in for a treat." She pulled on a pair of sunglasses and stepped on the gas. "Put on your seat belt, please."
"Are you going to zap me with your stun gun if I don't?"
"Possibly. Depends on how annoyed I get by the seat belt alarm between here and town." She adjusted the gold aviators on the bridge of her nose. "And I should warn you in advance, I've been driving all day, so I'm already annoyed."
He chuckled and belted himself in. "You headed to Lovett yourself?"
"Unfortunately." She glanced at him out of the corners of her eyes. "I was born and raised here but I escaped when I was eighteen."
Sometimes being raised in a small town is like having a huge extended family. They take no shame in asking questions of which the answers are none of their business, and they know way too much about you. You don't have to commit a crime or do something outrageous to get their attention. All it takes is being over the age of 25 and unwed. Thus, when Sadie was asked to partake in her much younger cousin's wedding she was really not looking forward to going home to the small town of Lovett, Texas. She was 33 and would probably always be a bridesmaid and never a bride, and that was fine with her. She wasn't looking to get tied down. She'd even considered renting a date for the event just to curb any talk, but decided "the logistics of renting a man in one state and transporting him to another hadn't been real feasible."
Yes, it wouldn't be long before she'd be asking for someone to 'Rescue me'. Not long at all...
Sometimes in life we look for love, sometimes it finds us and sometimes it rescues us when we didn't even know we needed to be saved.
________________________
Mercedes Johanna Hollowell, aka Sadie, and her father have always had a strained relationship. When she was younger she'd sought out his attention in many ways, the most outrageous being to dye her hair pink and wear black lipstick. Over the years she came to the realization she would never be the main focus of his life and stopped trying. He would never give her the kind of father/daughter relationship she craved and she'd come to accept it. Now she was an independent woman who'd made her own way in life and become a successful realtor. It came as no surprise that when she showed up for the wedding, the first time she'd been in town in 5 years, that her dad had made other plans than to stick around when she was there. Such was her life.
Vincent, aka Vince, is a former navy seal who was injured on a mission which killed one of his best friends. Due to the loss of hearing in his left ear, he was discharged. A seal whose five senses aren't all functioning at 100 percent is a potential liability. I must say Vince is a bit crude at times about what he wants and this might bother some. He is a very straightforward type of guy and makes no excuses. He's flawed in that his time with the Seals left him with some emotional scars. He's not the same man who entered the service and is haunted by what happened. He's come to Lovett to visit with his aunt who said she had a business proposition for him. He isn't sure how long he will stay in town.
Neither Vince nor Sadie were looking for love. Neither was looking for something permanent. They both agreed they would have a very shallow, no strings attached sort of relationship. Sometimes it's the unexpected things in life that are the best.
Some (but not all) of my favorite lines, quotes, moments, etc:
-"In charm school I was taught to always make people feel welcome. It was pretty much a number one rule." Her fingers lightly raked his stomach and chest as she pushed the shirt up. "Do you feel welcome, Vince?"
- "Do you have a boyfriend, Sadie Jo?"
"No...I don't really have time for a man right now."
"Are you just being notional? Are you one of the women who thinks you don't 'need' a man?"
Growing up, whenever her thoughts and ideas had seemed different from the herd, she'd been accused of being notional. "Well, I don't 'need' a man." There was a difference between wanting and needing.
..."Gene Tanner is available," Ivella said. "Bless her heart."
Gene Tanner? The girl who wore a crew cut and flannel all through high school?
..."She works for the park services and probably has a good health plan."
..."Dental, do you think?" She asked to be a total smart aleck.
- "When you lock everything down tight so that the pain can't get out, you also keep good stuff from getting in."
So what's the connection between 'Rescue Me' and 'Crazy on You'? Well, Sadie goes to Lily's salon and Lily ends up being Sadie's stylist. The two talk about Lily's relationship with Tucker. Hmmm...I wonder if this series is going to end up having a sort of 'six degrees of separation' type link between the characters? Could prove interesting.
This was a highly enjoyable story. While Sadie and Vince may appear perfect on the outside, each has some internal flaws/fears which make them more real and easier to associate with. I liked how each could clearly see the signs of their growing feelings for the other, but tried their best to deny them until they couldn't anymore. Overall I gave this one 4 out of 5 roses. There was a nice blend of romance and humor with a dash of drama mixed in. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one scores a STEAM - too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.
Order of Series:
