You Knew Me When

From Beth Kendrick comes a hilarious and heartwarming story about bad dogs and the women who love them… Lara Madigan has a gift.  She can help you find your soulmate--your canine soul mate, that is.  As a dog trainer with a soft spot for strays, she’s found the perfect home for sulky Shih Tzus, broken-down Border Collies, and diabolical Dalmatians.  But while she’ll always make room for one more rescue mutt, she’s not sure she’s ready to commit to another human being--especially after her long-term boyfriend drops the bomb: He’s not a dog person. Horrified and temporarily homeless, Lara and her furry pack move in with her mother, a wealthy fashionista who forbids even a single drop of drool. As word gets around the exclusive gated community, Lara is overwhelmed with demands for her services.  A model wants personal training for her overweight “flabrador”;  an aging socialite preps her pedigreed puppy for dog show domination.... If Lara can survive the breakup, the outrageous requests of her high-maintenance clientele, and her dogs' systematic destruction of her mother’s McMansion, she might finally find the rescue dog who rescues her in return--by leading her straight to the guy who could be her perfect match.

 “Kendrick writes with a wicked sense of humor and great wisdom.”

“Graced with a stellar cast of captivating characters (including an adorable pack of scene-stealing canines) and written with both sharp wit and genuine wisdom, Kendrick’s latest effervescent novel is a hopelessly, hopefully romantic treat.”

"Kendrick not only shines in portraying the subtleties of female friendships, but also at rendering the unbreakable bond between man (or woman) and dog….Kendrick has a…talent for matchmaking: pairing her winsome heroine and her delightful group of canines in the service of a tale of nurturing one’s true calling and rekindling relationships."

"A wonderful book for anyone who has ever longed for an old friend or dreamed of returning home after what feels like forever."  --Kerry Kennedy

“Well-written characters and fascinating plot twists will appeal to book groups and fans of womens fiction.”—Library Journal

“McDonough does a fabulous job showing that being blind-sided isnt always a bad thing. Sometimes, even the best surprises come out of it. Every facet of the book is compelling, but readers might particularly enjoy the dynamics between the heroine and the two male protagonists. The storys effortless fluidity will have readers questioning how this inspired-by-real-events premise unfolds.”—Romantic Times

"With a deft, sure touch, Yona Zeldis McDonough explores the ways families are formed and how love can take you by surprise. An absorbing and soul-stirring novel."—Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train

"Abounding with warmth and charm, You Were Meant for Me, is a profoundly moving novel which explores the intensity of love and the fallout of heartbreak. It will capture your attention from the very first page and never let go."—Emily Liebert, author of When We Fall

"Intriguing, beautifully told and keeps you guessing right to the last pages."—Sue Margolis, author of Best Supporting Role

Two former best friends get a second chance to make things right in this emotional debut novel from the award-winning author of Some Women.

Katherine Hill left her small New England hometown in pursuit of a dream. Now, twelve years later, she's a high-powered cosmetics executive in Manhattan and a much glossier version of her former self, unrecognizable to her family and old friends. Not that she would know--she hasn't been home in over a decade.

Laney Marten always swore she'd never get "stuck" in Manchester, Vermont. No, she was destined to live out her glamorous big-city dreams. Instead, she wound up a young wife and mother. That was when her best friend ran out.

When Katherine receives word of an inheritance from former neighbor Luella Hancock, she reluctantly returns home to the people and places she left behind. Tethered to their shared inheritance of Luella's sprawling Victorian mansion, Katherine and Laney are forced to address their long-standing grudges. Through this, they come to understand that while life has taken them in different directions, ultimately the bonds of friendship and sisterhood still bind them together. But are some wounds too old and deep to mend?

Best friends forever…until life got in the way.

Katherine Hill left her small New England hometown in pursuit of a dream. Now, twelve years later, shes a high-powered cosmetics executive in Manhattan and a much glossier version of her former self, unrecognizable to her family and old friends. Not that she would know—she hasnt been home in over a decade.

Laney Marten always swore shed never get “stuck” in Manchester, Vermont. No, she was destined to live out her glamorous big-city dreams. Instead, she wound up a young wife and mother. That was when her best friend ran out.

When Katherine receives word of an inheritance from former neighbor Luella Hancock, she reluctantly returns home to the people and places she left behind. Hoping for a second chance, shes met by an unforgiving Laney, her former best friend. And theres someone else whos moved on without her—someone she once loved.

Tethered to their shared inheritance of Luellas sprawling Victorian mansion, Katherine and Laney are forced to address their long-standing grudges. Through this, they come to understand that while life has taken them in different directions, ultimately the bonds of friendship and sisterhood still bind them together. But are some wounds too old and deep to mend?

What do you do when you have to give up the person you love most?

Thirty-five-year-old Miranda is not an impulsive person. Shes been at Domestic Goddess magazine for eight years, she has great friends, and shes finally moving on after a breakup. Having a baby isnt even on her radar—until the day she discovers an abandoned newborn on the platform of a Brooklyn subway station. Rushing the little girl to the closest police station, Miranda hopes and prays shell be all right and that a loving family will step forward to take her.

Yet Miranda cant seem to get the baby off her mind and keeps coming up with excuses to go check on her, until finally a family court judge asks whether shed like to be the babys foster parent—maybe even adopt her. To her own surprise, Miranda jumps at the chance. But nothing could have prepared her for the ecstasy of new-mother love—or the heartbreak she faces when the babys father surfaces....

CONVERSATION GUIDE INCLUDED

Yona Zeldis McDonough is the author of the novels Two of a Kind, A Wedding in Great Neck, Breaking the Bank, In Dahlia's Wake, and The Four Temperaments, as well as nineteen books for children. She is also the editor of two essay collections and is the Fiction Editor at Lilith magazine. Her award-winning short fiction, articles, and essays have been published in anthologies and in numerous national magazines and newspapers. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband, two children and three very yappy Pomeranians.