Gut feelings are there for a reason.

My personal gut threw up some caution flags almost as soon as I started reading the synopsis. But in the name of expanding my horizons and understanding that I was attempting to read this book to find out if it was suitable for more people than just myself, I requested it anyway.

I am always more thankful than I can express, when I am approved for an ARC, and it was no different when I received the approval for this book.

So I began the first page with an open mind.

Unfortunately, this book still left a bad taste in my mouth. Not only are the opinions and actions of the main protagonists almost entirely polar opposite to my own, but it was just an angry book. I really couldn't make myself read passed 10%.

Again, I am thankful to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book early. And I am sure there are many who will enjoy it. But it was simply not suited to me in the slightest.

*I received this book from NetGalley as an advanced reader's copy.

I love animals, and have volunteered at rescues for a good portion of my adult life. So I thought this was going to be right up my alley. Sadly, it really wasn't, and while I can appreciate where the author was trying to go with this book, it just didn't do it for me.

Ariel left her mother and life six long years ago. Wanting something different than the animal rescue she grew up at, she headed off to college and found herself in a different life. After issues at the rescue though, she returns to see if she can try to mend things. But relationships were broken and strained during those years, and the rescue has troubles that it may not survive.

I can't say there's really too many likable characters in this book. In fact, maybe the only likable ones were a few of the side characters. Everyone else, well, I guess they were realistic with all of their numerous flaws, but all of those said flaws made it so I didn't particularly care about them or how their life turned out. It also made me question what's acceptable or not in a relationship, because some of the things that Ariel's mother did sounded almost neglectful in terms of raising her but yet that was glossed over or later made out to not be that bad. I get forgiveness, but not at the sake of not changing for the better. But maybe that just makes the book realistic in that regard too with the characters putting up with more than they probably should have.

The writing was actually well written in terms of pace and style. But a major complaint of mine is using pop culture or real-life (non-historical) events and people. As much as I can empathize with the feelings the author was trying to express, I think it means the book won't age well. It's also just jarring to have to sift through musician names, politicians, etc. I think if they had been done in more general terms the book wouldn't feel as stuck in a point of time and be more universal. Another point of contention for me was the way things were resolved; since I didn't care about the people that much, I wasn't that invested in the ending. But the animals, that was the main reason I read the book and I didn't feel like they were ever more than just a part of the setting. The one shining moment for me was Hippo (a dog at the rescue's) story and it was a very, very small part of the book.

If you're looking for imperfect characters who are navigating through a complicated relationship, this is the type of book for you. If you're looking for something involving animals and feel-good emotions and aspirations, this is not the book for you.

Review by M. Reynard 2020

There are a lot of themes in this books, and a lot of them shine through so well...the shock waves that followed the 2016 presidential election, the devotion that we receive in such generous doses from our dogs, the reality that animal shelters are often run by very good-intentioned people who have very inadequate resources (and, consequently, are sometimes less than ideal environments), the way even our most noble passions and causes can distract us from the people we love, and a reminder that we can, in fact, go home again - so long as we do not expect either home or ourselves to be the same as when we left. Mandelbaum made the sanctuary come alive - right down to the sounds and smells. I was frustrated, however, by what seemed like a nearly implausible lack of maturity and self-awareness in several of the main characters, which kept me from cheering for them as much as I would have liked. I also found the ending both too neatly tied up in one respect, but unsatisfyingly unresolved, in another. All in all, this was a good debut, with plenty of moments of hopefulness, humor, and insight. Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC (my first!)

I have conflicting feelings about The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals. On the one hand, I love the animal sanctuary premise and the care the characters demonstrate toward the animals is very touching. On the other hand, the writing feels uneven to me. At times the tone is political and strident. At other times it's warm and friendly, bordering on cutesy. It seemed like the author hadn't quite found her way. Perhaps the novel could've used a heavier editing hand.

This book was just ok.
I have had it in line to read for a while but put it aside.
I was not into the characters at all.
The writer was trying to push political agenda instead of a story line.
The ending was horrible.

This story was so rich and beautifully told, it made a perfect escapist read during these crazy times, I can't wait to share it.

This wasn’t a winner for me, I think the timing between the two of us (this book and I) was just off. I’m finding I have to be choosy in my quarantine reading!

Ariel returns home to her mother's animal sanctuary in Kansas after a fire destroys a barn and she learns the sanctuary is up for sale. She and her mother have been estranged for six years and Mona isn't happy to have her daughter back expressing opinions on everything that's wrong with her business and home. Will they be able to patch their relationship and save the sanctuary?
Like so many other reviews I've seen, I didn't like the politics entering into my pleasure reading. This book could have been so much better without it. But I decided to ignore it and struggle through. I loved the idea of the sanctuary, the care that Mona and Gideon showed to the animals they took in. But I hated the main character, Ariel. I thought she was selfish and self-centered.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is just one that makes you feel good. I absolutely could and probably will read it again and again. I felt the characters were super realistic and the plot was just great. I enjoyed it a lot.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

This is what I call a feel good book. A family, not by blood but choice, must work through and around the many roadblocks thrown out to keep them from being happy. The story of the animal sanctuary unwinds slowly while the characters rush towards what they see as happiness. Happiness does eventually come but the ups and downs as they struggle to get there rival any rodeo rider's 8 second thrill!!!!

I can’t go wrong with a book about an animal sanctuary, can I? Apparently, I can. Ariel grew up on a farm sanctuary in Kansas. Her father left. She left, too, and has now returned after 6 years. I didn’t find any of the characters likable, and the book started out with talking about the 2016 election. I really try to avoid anything about “he-who-must-not-be-named,” so I wasn’t happy to have to read about his supporters when I’m supposed to be reading for pleasure. Thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The writing in this book is adequate, but flawed - in places it lapses into cuteness, and tries way to hard to be more than it ever manages to be. The main characters - mother and daughter - are unlikeable, selfish, and not fully developed. There is a heavy-handed thread of politics which serves only to highlight the author’s feelings about the current political climate and adds nothing to the story or to a deeper understanding of the characters or their motivations. Disappointing at best.

Thank you Net Galley for the free ARC. I thought this would be an uplifting book about rescuing animals, but as it turn out it is a book about broken promises, racism and misunderstandings. Good, if depressing read.

I really wanted to like this book, but I couldn’t get past the swearing. To me, it felt gratuitous and overused and really distracted from the story. I was unable to finish the book.

Thanks for the ARC.

I enjoyed this book, although it didn't blow me out of the water. After running off to college against her mother's wishes and then not returning for six years, Ariel has a change of heart when she learns that her mother's animal sanctuary is struggling. The book follows Ariel's reunion with her mother -- and with her former love. Honestly, I was expecting this to lean more romance, base on the descriptions, but it's definitely more of a family drama. It felt a bit slow at times, especially early on, but I eventually got sucked in and ultimately enjoyed it. Be warned if you are still tender about the 2016 election results -- it's a major theme throughout the book.

If you’re a Trump supporter, you’ll hate this book. I loved this book.

It is set after Trump is elected but before he takes office. Ariel left her small town in Kansas for the relatively big town of Lawrence, KS, to attend college. She left her mother with such a rift between them, they haven’t spoken for six years. But when Ariel hears that the animal sanctuary Mona has nurtured for years was the victim of a hate crime and was already up for sale, she decides to leave her fiancé behind for the time and return home.

I loved how incredibly real all of the characters felt. The man Ariel left behind—the solid, good man Gideon and his new love, Joy. Her mother Mona, her fiancé, Dex, and Dex’s uncouth friend, Buddy.

The novel also illustrates how animals can heal humans and politics can rift us. It’s a well-written story about the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, our pasts, and how the futures we imagined rarely go as planned.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES AUGUST 4, 2020.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

It’s always a good thing when a book grabs me from the first page and The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals is one of those books (Simon & Schuster 2020). A debut novel from Becky Mandelbaum, Bright Side follows the rocky relationship between Ariel and her mother Mona; fraught with misunderstandings and missed opportunities. Set in a crumbling animal sanctuary in Kansas, Ariel and Mona take the familiar road trip literary moms and daughters have taken since, well, forever. They don’t see things the same way and each is unable to understand the other.
Mandelbaum’s descriptive writing style is SO good you can see and smell what she’s describing. I imagined as I read, getting out a lint roller to try and remove imagined cat hair from my socks every time an animal enters the story. I could also experience the sweet kitty breath and the warmth of a cat curling up on my lap. Mandelbaum writes her characters as real people, not two- dimensional people. They leap off the page. Their thoughts are the thoughts you and I have but may not be willing to say out loud.
Pop culture references abound as The Bright Side takes place following the 2016 presidential election. I’ve noticed this construct in the books that are published recently and it adds to the atmosphere. The references are worthwhile as they frame the Zeitgeist. I could feel the same anxiety the characters were feeling.
The characters, including friends from the past, are largely messed up and self- involved. They don’t know how to love anyone else but themselves. I wanted to slap a few of them. However, they are real people making real On the flip side beautifully crafted sentences intertwine with perky dialogue, a true delight.
5 Stars
mistakes. On the flip side beautifully crafted sentences intertwine with perky dialogue, a true delight.
5 Stars

Thanks to Netgalley for this book. What an emotional rollercoaster. I really enjoyed this one. So much feeling. Look forward to more by the author.

I’m pretty much a sucker for animals. But absolutely will avoid novels where animals play such a heavy role. As you all know, animal deaths hit harder. You have to mentally be up for uncontrollable ugly crying on the couch over an animal that never existed. Yet it happens every damn time. So, you can see why I was apprehensive. Fortunately, still interested. Send request!

Upon approval, I knew exactly what I could expect. We’ve seen shows, heard firsthand stories, and know a few novels where a farm or sanctuary is on the chopping block. This story line isn’t new or original, but it does apply more modern views and beliefs into it. Overall, I liked the story enough. But the ending was infuriating and unnecessary. Took my 4-star rating down to a 3.

Beyond animals, The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals has a few other story lines going on. There is a major disconnect between a few of our narrators. Mona (mom) and Ariel (daughter) are essentially estranged. After a pretty bad incident, Ariel returns home after disappearing with no contact for years and years. And all this does is muck up the works especially for Mona and Jake. Lastly, we have Ariel’s recent engagement to celebrate. All of these pieces with a little political jargon and you have a decent enough story. Minus that horse shit Mandelbaum called an end.

As far as characters go, I find the men to be the better in the bunch. Which is interesting
considering our main protagonists are female. The female characters kind of suck. Ariel especially, I found her hard to like and even more so as the story progressed. She was a selfish dick and that really didn’t change (in my opinion). Jake is unreasonably good and Dex while a goof is also a good dude.

Now let’s talk about that shit show of an ending. Everything I’ve discussed has been pretty average drama. There was nothing profound. Farm is in trouble. Engagement is rocky. Mom-Daughter relationship non-existent. Old lover returns. All story lines that should have some sort of wrap up. But Mandelbaum for some un-fucking-known reason decided she didn’t have to wrap up any story lines with anything definitive. No answers. I’m sorry but this story wasn’t good enough, deep enough, or profound enough to be left subjectively. This isn’t The Leftovers homie, people aren’t disappearing. There was absolutely NO reason for all of the loose ends to remain unresolved. This book is too simple and too overdone for you to leave readers with no answers. And if Mandelbaum did because she is thinking a sequel, then the Flannery O’Connor award went to her damn head.

Fortunately, my opinion matters very little in the grand scheme of things. But I am curious to see how others feel about this awful approach.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for approving my request.