The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals by Becky Mandelbaum

Ariel has been estranged from her mother, Mona, for six years--ever since she left for college against Mona's wishes. When Ariel hears that Mona's animal sanctuary has had a fire, she decides to travel back to the small town in Kansas where she was raised to try and mend things with her mother. Growing up at the sanctuary was an unusual life for Ariel, and she didn't have lots of friends. It was basically Mona, Ariel, and Gideon (a young worker that Mona had hired after Ariel's father and Mona's husband, Daniel, left one day without a word). Ariel and Gideon also were a couple before she left for university--he supported her decision to leave. The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals recounts the lives of Mona, Ariel, and Gideon, along with Ariel's boyfriend, Dex, who follows her to Bright Side. It's a great read-alike for those who've enjoyed the novels of Jo-Ann Mapson, Judith Ryan Hendricks, and The Blessings of the Animals by Katrina Kittle.