What an enjoyable novel. Focused on the people directly and indirectly involved with a small animal sanctuary in rural West Kansas, we follow them each through the time from the 2016 election forward as well as their past through flashbacks. The characters, including the Bright Side sanctuart are vivid and. complex. All relatable and their complicated relationships varied and interesting. I wasn't sure what to expect and was very pleasantly surprised.

A sweet story, with a like able cast and interesting plot. A quick and entertaining read dealing with abuse, adoption, and an unexpected romance.

While the book was well written and had many cute descriptions of the animals kept at the sanctuary, it definitely left a few things open-ended. I prefer books that wrap everything up, especially if they are not going to have a series follow them. Also, the character of Buddy seemed very unnecessary. Overall, a good book, but not one I'd go back to read again.

Thanks to Simon Schuster and Netgalley for a preview of this novel. This novel is about the relationship between a mother and daughter and the love of animals. Mona and Ariel have been estranged for 6 years. When Ariel discovers that the sanctuary has had problems with an arsonist and that Mona has put the sanctuary up for sale she decides to go home to see if she can help. Her visit is not welcome by her mother or Gideon (a former boyfriend). Ariel feels that her mother loved the animals more than her or her father (who has already left the family). Before Ariel left Lawrence she had been asked to marry her boyfriend of 5 years . While at the sanctuary Dex (her boyfriend) feels that he is losing Ariel and goes after her. This makes things even more difficult. This is a story about love of animals, love in general, hurt, family ties and eventually forgiveness. I would highly recommend this book for animal lovers and general fiction. While I am not an animal lover I found the novel poignant.

I just had a hard time getting into this one from the beginning, the political storyline was SO HEAVY and it has nothing to do with the politics themselves, it's just that I like using reading as a way to escape from a lot of the politics going on right now so I feel this was just the wrong book at the wrong time? Other than that I liked the stories about the animals and felt a genuine connection to them through the authors descriptions. I liked the mother-daughter storyline and the re-connection with a lost love that Ariel experiences. Mandelbaum’s writing is good and the story is engaging. I would recommend this book to anyone that identifies as an animal lover and likes books with political themes. I think if the book started off differently and didn't dive so fast and hard into the politics, but gave us time to get to know the characters, I'd have liked it more.

3.5 stars

Skeletons in the closet come out and play!

Years ago, Ariel left her small town and animal obsessed mother in order to go to college and pursue her dreams. However, in order for her to leave and find herself, she hurt people, people she loved, along the way. Now, several years later, a traumatic event makes Ariel want to return to her small town home to right some wrongs. Good thing that animals don't hold grudges!

This book covers one weekend where Ariel's past and present come together amidst animal chow and loose dogs. The characters (both human and animal) are likable and believable - I even found myself worried about Dex for a minute!

But best of all - its a book about an animal sanctuary! I love it! And for all of you animal lovers, it is filled with tons off furry friends!!! The perfect bedtime read with one dog curled up at your feet and the other by your head.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me an advance copy of this book

A five-star first novel! A regional tale set in the present, with characters, both animal and human, that touch the readers' hearts. This book is one that is simply hard to put down. Without spoilers, this is the ultimate love story, on many levels! As a Kansan and as an animal lover, I heartily recommend it.

Probably like most readers of this one, I'm an animal lover and enjoyed this overall, The beginning seemed politically overhanded but I understood it as a partial setup for the story. The primary characters weren't exactly likeable all the time (although they evolved), but the animals were and I enjoy their presence a great deal. The author writes well and I look forward to more from her.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

Refreshing novel. Just what I needed for this snowy weekend. Timely novel that begins after the 2016 election, a time when so many Americans felt not only defeated, but fatigued, and a woman can not make payments to keep her animal sanctuary running. After her daughter reads about a fire at the sanctuary, the daughter returns home after six years, hoping to reconnect with her mother and the animals, and perhaps with a former lover, and to disconnect with a current lover. Mandelbaum uses much humor for this quirky, yet domestic novel, that takes place in Kansas. Readers can certainly feel the author's love for her home state, for animals, and for politics. Some readers may hope for a more concrete answer to the questions of the fate of the sanctuary, the fate of the romances, the fate of the mother and daughter relationship, whereas others, like myself appreciate the not knowing, since everything is always changing in life, so why not in the novel also?

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, once the first few chapters were done and the story switched to the daughter’s point of view. Then things made a lot more sense. There is much emotional intelligence and mature wisdom about relationships woven throughout the pages and the plot points really kept me turning the pages. My favorite character was Dex... I loved hearing about his side of things and I loved watching the main characters change. I also liked the animals who made their way through the pages and into various humans’ hearts. Well done!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

How much more dysfunctional can a family get? This one takes the prize. Ms Mandelbaum has told a story of a mother and daughter who are self centered and who don’t have a clue how to be supportive and be supportive of each other. Neglect and grief abound in all of the relationships that Mona and Ariel have. Despite that, I wanted to keep reading their story. I also wanted to reach out and slap both of them! I really like this book, except for the ending. It was abrupt and hugely disappointing. BUT if you like a satisfying end, you won’t be disappointed. I’m not sure how else it could have ended, but perhaps it’s best how it ends.

I was not disappointed with this story. It is centered on the love of animals, family and the land that can sometimes make us blind to all else and cause family fractures. The author portrayed all of this in an engaging manner. Mona and her daughter Ariel haven't seen each other in 6 years. When Ariel reads the animal sanctuary her mother owns is going bankrupt she decides to return home to try and patch things up. The drama heats up and we see just how dysfunctional both women are, especially Mona. I really enjoyed the way the story evolved.
thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
4.5

I tried to read through this book, but I only got through the first few chapters. This just was not compelling enough to keep me reading it. I apologize to the author and the publisher, but I just could not finish this one.

I love animal stories and this was a great book with lots of animal stories. I want to start off by thanking the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. This was a very well written book by a new author for me. The book had a very good storyline. I enjoyed reading this and didn’t wanna put it down. I highly recommend this book to anyone.

Thanks to Becky Mandelbaum and Netgalley for providing me with a digital advance copy of this novel. This is a solid debut novel and it succeeds in many ways. Mandelbaum’s writing is quite good. I would recommend this novel to fans of literary fiction and especially to animal lovers. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

While I enjoyed this novel, a couple of things kept me from loving it. First, I thought the political angle was a bit too heavy-handed (and I say that as someone who agrees with the political point of view expressed by the characters). Second, I really wanted to like the mother and the daughter — they are the emotional core of the book — but I found them both to be selfish and destructive, so much so that it was hard to root for them or empathize with them. So, while I was engaged in this book and was very interested to see how it would end, these shortcomings kept me from giving book a higher rating.

Thank you to #netgalley for letting me read and review The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals by @beckymandelbaum. Unfortunately I could barely get through chapter 1 in this book. It sounded right up my alley being a total dog/animal lover but the politics were just over the top to me. When I read fiction I want to escape. Not be hit over the head with politics. This is a no go for me.