Woodbridge Woman Writes Her 2nd Fiction Novel, Critically Praised

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — A woman who lives in Woodbridge has just published her second fiction novel:

The book is called "Before You Found Me," written by Woodbridge resident Brooke Beyfuss. It is available for pre-order here on Amazon ($16.99) and will be in bookstores Aug. 1. The publisher is Source Books. Here is the author's website: https://www.brookebeyfuss.com/

Jacquelyn Mitchard, the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of "The Deep End of the Ocean" called Beyfuss' book "complex, compelling ... Dissects the tangled psychology of right and righteousness in a story of true love between two people estranged only by an accident of genetics."

Her novel is is about "the unlikely bond that develops between two abuse survivors, Rowan and the child she rescues."

"When Rowan discovers Gabriel, the severely abused boy living in the basement next door, she knows what she must do: she takes him. Together, they escape to rural Oklahoma, where Rowan is determined to help him recover — even while still healing from trauma of her own. Rowan struggles to create a new life full of safety, normalcy and love for Gabriel. But as Gabriel grows up, threats intensify: Rowan has a complicated dependency on her sister, and Gabriel's father is hunting them down. Once again, Rowan and Gabriel find their lives at stake. Rowan and Gabriel's story is challenging, following a harrowing journey to escape their pasts. But their story is also an inspiring one as they fight for each other and the life they know they deserve."

Beyfuss is a freelance writer who lives in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, with her husband, daughter, "an incredibly hyperactive dog" and three cats.

She is the founder of the Woodbridge Cultural Arts' Commission Writing Group. She graduated from Rutgers with a BA in psychology and comparative literature and has written extensively.

Her debut novel is "After We Were Stolen," which was featured in Bustle magazine, presented at the 2022 Kansas Book Festival and selected as a Fall '22 Hoopla Book Club pick. "Before You Found Me" is her second published fiction book.