The Rescue (Random House Large Print)

From one of America's most beloved-and bestselling-storytellers, here is a novel about a man and a woman trying to find courage to make the biggest commitment of all...to love someone forever.

Taylor McAden was a risk taker. A volunteer firemn in the small southern town where he had lived his entire life, he was the first to take the plunge into a burning house to resue someone, the first to put his own safety on the line. However, there was one risk that Taylor seemed unable to take, and that was to let any woman into his heart. Then he met Denise Holden.


The single mother of a little boy with severe disabilities, Denise had moved from Atlanta to the small town of Edenton, North Carolina where her grandparents had left her a house. She came to Edenton in an attempt to make ends meet while devoting herself to the care of her child. Falling in love was the last thing she intended.

A near fatal car crash brings Denise and Taylor together, and awakens in them felings long dormant. But before Taylor can fully welcome Denise and Kyle into his life, he must first take the ultimate risk-to look into his heart and his past, and see if it's not too late to take a chance on the future.

Denise Holden's life is a fragile mix of luck and hard work. A single mom of a speech-delayed son, Denise makes ends meet by moving to the small town of Edenton, North Carolina, and working the late shift as a waitress. When Denise crashes her car and her son Kyle flees the accident and disappears into the storm, her only stroke of luck is the quick arrival of Taylor McAden, a volunteer fireman. Taylor's got a knack for fixing people, and he can't help wanting to be involved with Denise beyond the initial rescue of Kyle.

As Taylor helps Denise recover from the accident and get to know the town, they discover a sweet bond and a magical chemistry that pulls them closer and closer. Though Taylor fits perfectly into Denise's family, he's unable to open his heart to being loved by her. As Taylor struggles to understand his conflicting desires, Denise questions the wisdom of gambling with Kyle's and her own emotions.

Author Nicholas Sparks has found a loyal audience for his stories about the internal battles that accompany the arrival of love. His heroes may be truck-driving manly men and his heroines emotional swamis, but it's easy to overlook the traditional roles when the complexities of human relationships are so beautifully described. Sparks has found his forte, and this novel is sure to be as popular as his earlier works. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien