Beth Kendrick – författare

From the author of Once Upon a Wine, a new novel set in the charming seashore town of Black Dog Bay, Delaware.When Jocelyn Hilliard finds herself named legal guardian for the late Mr. Allardyce''s pack of prized Labrador retriever show dogs, her world is flipped upside down. She''s spent her entire life in Black Dog Bay, Delaware, but never expected to be living the pampered life of a seasonal resident in an oceanside mansion with a generous stipend. But her new role isn''t without its challenges: the dogs (although cute) are difficult to manage, her boyfriend leaves her, and suddenly she''s contending with her late benefactor''s estranged son, Liam, who thinks he''s entitled to the inheritance that was left to the dogs. But Jocelyn has worked too hard, and her mother has sacrificed too much, for her to back down without a fight. She uncovers Mr. Allardyce''s secrets, connects with her mother on new levels, and learns more about her own father''s legacy while trying to find common ground with Liam.As Jocelyn fights to keep her new fur-family together, she is faced with a new rival who threatens to take everything.

All you need is love? For the residents of swanky Mayfair Estates, a pre-nup is just another item on the wedding to-do checklist—but three friends get more than they bargained for when they promise to love, cherish . . . and sign on the dotted line.Ellie married her handsome, wealthy Prince Charming when she was young, naive, and willing to sign a one-sided pre-nup in the name of true love. But seven years and one toddler later, her happily-ever-after has come screeching to a halt. If she can’t save her marriage, she’s determined to save her divorce, and she’s not about to let a lot of legalese stand in her way.When Jen married Eric, he knew she wasn’t head over heels. Still, he insisted that they were perfect together and even bankrolled her blossoming business. But when Jen’s career finally takes off, she realizes that she may lose her husband. If Eric leaves, Jen will lose everything—including the marriage she values more than she thought.Up-and-coming attorney Mara is sure her fiancé has forgiven her for a foolish one-night fling—until he adds a “cheating clause” to the pre-nup she had demanded. If he really trusts her, why the clause? And if she’s really trustworthy, why is she objecting?As romance collides with real life, three very different women turn to each other for moral support and insights about how to safeguard their most valuable assets: their hearts.From the Trade Paperback edition.

Every summer, four college friends hold a mini-reunion. They laugh, reminisce, and commiserate about their soul-sucking jobs. Maybe they should have listened to everyone who warned them to study something “practical.”Then an unexpected windfall arrives—one million dollars, to be exact—with the stipulation that they use it to jump-start their new careers. Almost overnight, a professor, a bartender, a copywriter, and an administrative assistant reinvent themselves as a novelist, an event planner, a pastry chef, and a bed-and-breakfast owner. But the changes in their professional roles create unexpected turbulence in their personal lives, and soon the secrets and scandals from their past start to resurface. For anyone who has ever wondered “What if?,” this engaging novel provides a sweet, funny look at friendship, romance, and second chances.  From the Trade Paperback edition.

The author of New Uses for Old Boyfriends returns to the Delaware seashore town of Black Dog Bay, where one woman learns to put passion before practicality… Brighton Smith doesn’t do outrageous. As an insurance actuary, it’s her job to assess risk and avoid bad investments. But when her fiancé calls to confess he’s married someone else on a whim (“I looked at her and I just knew!”), she snaps… That night, at a local bar, Jake Sorensen—hot, rich, and way out of her league—buys Brighton a cocktail. At midnight, she kisses him. And by dawn, they’re exchanging vows at a drive-through chapel. Brighton knows Jake is a bad bet, but she doesn’t care. After a lifetime of playing it safe, she’s finally having fun. Until the whirlwind romance gives way to painful reality...and Brighton finds out the truth about why a guy like Jake married a girl like her. With her heart on the line and the odds stacked against them, Brighton must decide whether to cut her losses or take a leap of faith that this love affair is one in a million. INCLUDES A READERS GUIDEFrom the Trade Paperback edition.

From the “sharp, sassy, [and] surprisingly emotional”* author of Put a Ring on It, New Uses for Old Boyfriends, and The Week Before the Wedding, a new novel set in the charming seaside town of Black Dog Bay, Delaware...   Cammie Breyer needs a big glass of cabernet—her restaurant failed and her chef boyfriend left for a hotter kitchen. Just when she thinks she’s hit rock bottom, her Aunt Ginger calls with a surprise. She’s bought a vineyard—in Delaware. At Ginger’s command, Cammie returns to Black Dog Bay, the seaside town where she spent her childhood summers with her aunt and her cousin, Kat.   The three women reunite, determined to succeed. There’s only one little problem: None of them knows the first thing about wine making. And it turns out, owning a vineyard isn’t all wine and roses. It’s dirt, sweat, and desperation. Every day brings financial pitfalls, unruly tourists, romantic dilemmas, and second thoughts.  But even as they struggle, they cultivate hidden talents and new passions. While the grapes ripen under the summer sun, Cammie discovers that love, like wine, is layered, complex, delicious, and worth waiting for…From the Trade Paperback edition.

Faith has to return to the small Minnesota town where she grew up in order to help her flighty younger sister, Skye, regain financial solvency. She's been putting off this homecoming for years, in part because she can't face Flynn, the high school sweetheart she jilted after his marriage proposal. In between bailing out Skye's business (a ramshackle backwoods bar), trying to steer her sister away from yet another 'bad boy', and practising her favourite Flynn-related activity - avoidance - she realizes what everyone has known all along - she and Flynn were meant to be. Faith has to deal with the consequences of her past mistakes and grapple with the reasons that she ran away from love in the first place.

From a winning voice in fiction -- the author of My Favorite Mistake and Exes and Ohs -- comes a romantic comedy that will have you in stitches. She's late for her life... Becca Davis has always played it safe -- denying her passion for fashion design in a dead-end job and letting her pragmatic boyfriend (mastermind of the "Kevin Bradley Ten-Year Plan") make the tough decisions in life. Stunned into saying yes when Mr. Predictable springs a surprise proposal on her, Becca realizes that she's running out of time to turn her life around. She's only got one more chance to chase her dreams and no one -- not her control freak fiancé, not her dramaholic sisters, not her overprotective parents -- will talk her out of it. He's right on time. Terrified but determined, Becca breaks off her engagement, moves in with her sister in Los Angeles, and prepares to take the fashion world by storm. The reality of the Hollywood scene is much harsher than she anticipated -- lots of slamming doors, snooty clients, and double-crossing celebrity stylists -- but she won't give up. And while she's waiting for her big break, she meets Connor, a sexy risk-taker who's the polar opposite of her ex-fiancé. Is Becca ready for his all-or-nothing approach to love? With her design business taking off and her family starting to fall apart, she's about to learn the timeliest lesson of all: Love and fashion wait for no woman.

Everyone says the first year of marriage is the hardest ...but what would you do if you found out that you were never really married in the first place? In this irresistible romantic comedy from award-winning author Beth Kendrick, three wildly different women form an unlikely friendship as they try to decide whether they'd do it all again. They've had the white dresses and the fancy receptions. But now that the honeymoon's over, Stella, Casey, and Erin have each had to face some hard truths about the men they've married and the lives they've chosen. So when the news breaks that the pastor who presided over their weddings failed to file a few critical pieces of paper, none of these newlyweds are rushing down to the courthouse to legalize their vows. Instead, the brides share their hopes, disappointments, and secrets while grappling with that pivotal question: Should they stay or should they go?

"Exceptionally entertaining and wonderfully original" (Chicago Tribune), Beth Kendrick delivers a funny story about family, self- discovery, and the pursuit of the perfect pie crust. Suburban soccer mom Amy has always wanted to stand out from the crowd. Former child prodigy Linnie just wants to fit in. The two sisters have been estranged for years, but thanks to a series of personal crises and their wily grandmother, they''ve teamed up to enter a national bake-off in the hopes of winning some serious cash. Armed with the top-secret recipe for Grammy''s apple pie, they should be unstoppable. Sure, neither one of them has ever baked anything more complicated than brownie mix, but it''s just pie-how hard could it be?

Read an Essay on The Bake-Off by Beth Kendrick.

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.

Beth Kendrick sweeps you off your feet with a captivating tale of how even the best-laid plans can falter at the altar. After enduring a chaotic childhood, Emily McKellips yearns for a drama-free life, complete with a white picket fence. Her dreams are about to come true: She has a stellar career, a gorgeous house, and a fiancé any woman would die for. But as friends and family arrive in picturesque Valentine, Vermont, for her wedding, an uninvited guest shows up. Ryan is Emily’s first husband from a disastrous starter marriage. They wed on a whim, only to discover that combustible chemistry couldn’t ensure a happily ever after. But Ryan is no longer the headstrong boy she left behind. He’s now a successful film producer who just happens to be scouting a resort in Valentine with his adorable retriever in tow. As the bridesmaids revolt and the mothers of the bride and groom do battle, Emily is surprised to discover new sides of both her ex and her fiancé. She thought she had life and love all figured out, but the next seven days might change her mind—and her heart.

Welcome to Black Dog Bay, a tiny seaside town in Delaware known as “the best place in America to bounce back from your breakup.” Home to the Better Off Bed-and-Breakfast, the Eat Your Heart Out bakery, and the Whinery bar, Black Dog Bay offers a haven for the suddenly single.  Flight attendant Summer Benson lives by two rules: Don’t stay with the same man for too long and never stay in one place. She’s about to break rule number one by considering accepting her boyfriend’s proposal—then disaster strikes and her world is shattered in an instant. Summer heads to Black Dog Bay, where the locals welcome her. Even Hattie Huntington, the town’s oldest, richest, and meanest resident, likes her enough to give her a job. Then there’s Dutch Jansen, the rugged, stoic mayor, who’s the opposite of her type. She probably shouldn’t be kissing him. She definitely shouldn’t be falling in love. After a lifetime of globe-trotting, Summer has finally found a home. But Hattie has old scores to settle and a hidden agenda for her newest employee. Summer finds herself faced with an impossible choice: Leave Black Dog Bay behind forever, or stay with the ones she loves and cost them everything....

After growing up in privilege and marrying into money, Lila Alders has gotten used to the good life. But when her happily-ever-after implodes, Lila must return to Black Dog Bay, the tiny seaside town where she grew up. She’s desperate for a safe haven, but everything has changed over the past ten years. Her family’s fortune is gone—and her mother is in total denial. It’s up to Lila to take care of everything...but she can barely take care of herself.The former golden girl of Black Dog Bay struggles to reinvent herself by opening a vintage clothing boutique. But even as Lila finds new purpose for outdated dresses and tries to reunite with her ex, she realizes that sometimes it’s too late for old dreams. She’s lost everything she thought she needed but found something—someone—she desperately wants. A boy she hardly noticed has grown up into a man she can’t forget...and a second chance has never felt so much like first love.

READERS GUIDE INCLUDED

FIRST LOVE ISN''T FOREVER... Exhibit A: Faith''s little sister, Skye, who muddled through her first divorce at the tender age of twenty-one. Faith has always provided damage control when Skye''s love life gets too reminiscent of a daytime drama. But now that Faith has finally found the job, if not the man, of her dreams -- as a culinary writer, currently living la dolce vita in Italy -- she can''t just jet back to small-town Minnesota to help her suddenly pregnant little sister heal her broken heart and anemic bank account. BUT NEVER SAY NEVER! Faith has been putting off this homecoming for years, ever since her dad left her family in the lurch, her mother left her in charge of Skye, and a sub-zero case of cold feet led her to call off the engagement to her high school sweetheart, Flynn. But a return to the amber fields of grain might just be what Faith needs to gain some perspective on her past -- and figure out her future. It''s been way too long since her last love affair...memories of Flynn still get in the way of every man she meets. But if she and Flynn are really meant to be, why does the path to happily-ever-after have so many potholes?

exit the groom... Child psychologist Gwen Traynor has learned the hard way that "perfect" men aren''t always what they seem. After being dumped the night before her wedding, she''s understandably wary of diving back into the dating pool. But when she meets Alex Coughlin, she''s convinced her luck is changing. He''s smart, handsome, funny -- an ideal rebound guy. She doesn''t intend to fall in love with him, but scintillating dates and mind-blowing physical chemistry have a way of winning a girl over. enter the ex... Just as things are heating up with Alex, Gwen meets her newest patient -- a precocious preschooler whose chaotic soap opera-actress of a mother, Harmony, sounds an awful lot like one of Alex''s crazy ex-girlfriends. Mostly because she is one of Alex''s crazy ex-girlfriends. Unfortunately for Gwen, Harmony has a secret that plunges them all into a real-life daytime drama, complete with sex, lies, and Vegas elopements. With Harmony determined to reunite with Alex and Gwen''s ex-fiancé begging for a second chance, only one thing is certain: New loves and old flames are an explosive combination.

From a winning voice in fiction -- the author of My Favorite Mistake and Exes and Ohs -- comes a romantic comedy that will have you in stitches. She''s late for her life... Becca Davis has always played it safe -- denying her passion for fashion design in a dead-end job and letting her pragmatic boyfriend (mastermind of the "Kevin Bradley Ten-Year Plan") make the tough decisions in life. Stunned into saying yes when Mr. Predictable springs a surprise proposal on her, Becca realizes that she''s running out of time to turn her life around. She''s only got one more chance to chase her dreams and no one -- not her control freak fiancé, not her dramaholic sisters, not her overprotective parents -- will talk her out of it. He''s right on time. Terrified but determined, Becca breaks off her engagement, moves in with her sister in Los Angeles, and prepares to take the fashion world by storm. The reality of the Hollywood scene is much harsher than she anticipated -- lots of slamming doors, snooty clients, and double-crossing celebrity stylists -- but she won''t give up. And while she''s waiting for her big break, she meets Connor, a sexy risk-taker who''s the polar opposite of her ex-fiancé. Is Becca ready for his all-or-nothing approach to love? With her design business taking off and her family starting to fall apart, she''s about to learn the timeliest lesson of all: Love and fashion wait for no woman.

An irresistible, romantic comedy from award-winning author Beth Kendrick—three wildly different women form an unlikely friendship as they try to decide whether they’d re-do their I Do’s.They’ve had the white dresses and the fancy receptions. But now that the honeymoon’s over, Stella, Casey, and Erin have each had to face some hard truths about the men they’ve married and the lives they’ve chosen. So when the news breaks that the pastor who presided over their weddings failed to file a few critical pieces of paper, none of these newlyweds is rushing down to the courthouse to legalize her vows. Instead, the brides share their hopes, disappointments, and secrets while grappling with that pivotal question: Should they stay or should they go? Everyone says the first year of marriage is the hardest…but what would you do if you found out that you were never really married in the first place?

"I wonder if Judy Blume really knows how many girls'' lives she affected. I wonder if she knows that at least one of her books made a grown woman finally feel like she''d been a normal girl all along..." —from Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume Whether laughing to tears reading Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great or clamoring for more unmistakable "me too!" moments in Are You There God? It''s Me, Margaret, girls all over the world have been touched by Judy Blume''s poignant coming-of-age stories. Now, in this anthology of essays, twenty-four notable female authors write straight from the heart about the unforgettable novels that left an indelible mark on their childhoods and still influence them today. After growing up from Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing into Smart Women, these writers pay tribute, through their reflections and most cherished memories, to one of the most beloved authors of all time.

Out with the old, in with the new, and on with the party! Maybe it''s just another midnight...or maybe there really is magic in the air when December 31st becomes January 1st, and confetti kisses and champagne toasts kick off a new year, a new romance, a new look, a new attitude. Celebrate the start of something new with In One Year and Out the Other...a sparkling collection of all new stories by today''s rising fiction stars: Cara Lockwood puts self-improvement to the test with 528 resolutions -- not least of which is "Do not sleep with married men" -- in "Resolved: A New Year''s Resolution List"...Pamela Redmond Satran instructs a single mom in the fine art of partying like the boys (have lots of sex, don''t worry that you''re too fat) in "How to Start the New Year Like a Guy"...Diane Stingley shows a twentysomething why there''s more to life than waiting by the phone for a New Year''s date in "Expecting a Call"...Megan McAndrew seizes the day -- or just a very special one-night stand -- for a single food stylist hungering for more in "The Future of Sex"...and more great tales from Kathleen O''Reilly, Beth Kendrick, Eileen Rendahl, Tracy McArdle and Libby Street.