I found "The End of the Day" to be an intriguing read, though I didn't feel fully immersed in it. The story revolves around three women whose lives intersected in childhood and adolescence but drifted apart over the years. Alongside them, we follow the experiences of Hap, a new father grappling with the loss of his father and the responsibilities of parenthood. The narrative shifts between past and present, gradually revealing secrets and connections between the characters.

While I was curious to uncover the characters' fates and the ties that bind them, I also felt a sense of impatience at times. The storytelling, with its slow unfolding of mysteries and intricate web of relationships, occasionally felt convoluted and forced. I found myself wanting to reach the resolution while also struggling to keep track of the various connections between the characters.

Despite these challenges, I appreciated the author's efforts to create a compelling mystery and explore the complexities of human relationships. While this storytelling style may not have been entirely to my taste, it hasn't deterred me from exploring other highly rated works by the author.

I received an advance copy of the book from Simon and Schuster via Netgalley.

This is the first book I have read from this author and will be returning to read his first book shortly. It took me a little bit to really capture the thread on this book, however when I got there, I was hanging on for dear life. This author has created something absolutely beautiful and mesmerizing. The characters had a lot of depth and there was just so much interconnection that it just seemed to completely come full circle. This is definitely not a read for someone that does not want to take the time to invest in the patina that this author presents. It does take some effort as a reader, but I was in awe. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

I liked this one, but I don’t really think the story elements have much sticking power so I don’t know how memorable it is. It was an emotional story that spans over 5 decades and I found this framing of it interesting, so I finished the book because I had a good time meeting the different generations of characters and how they added to the story.
Of course as the characters’ lives started to intertwine more and more, there were alot of truths uncovered and anger that needed to be understood and dissolved but it gave the characters a lot of dimension.

I really loved Bill Clegg's memoirs, and his novel, Did You Ever Have a Family. The premise of The End of the Day drew me in (as did the cover) with so many of the themes that generally resonate with me: friendship, secrets, and family drama, but this one didn't come together for me to make those themes compelling and engaging.

Interesting characters and stories woven together in unexpected ways - a good read overall. Would recommend to fans of his previous books

Good bones to the book but I found it lacking something. Not for me, but I’m sure others will love it!

"Following his acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Did You Ever Have a Family, Bill Clegg returns with a deeply moving, emotionally resonant second novel about the complicated bonds and breaking points of friendship, the corrosive forces of secrets, the heartbeat of longing, and the redemption found in forgiveness."

While well written, this particular story just wasn't for me.

This book wasn't for me. I'm sure it will find its audience. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

I have tried a few times with this one and I've really struggled. There are a lot of people in this one and I've had trouble staying engaged enough to keep them all straight and to find a connection. I couldn't find a character to connect with and bring me through the story, so instead if felt like just a jumble of chapters to get through. I wish I'd liked it more.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Bill Clegg is a fantastic writer and I'm always excited to get my hands on his books - but this one wasn't my favorite. It's a beautifully written book and for a really patient reader (which, admittedly, I am not) this one may be a great read. It just took a bit too long (for me) for the characters to come together. Clegg is an amazing writer and I can't wait to read what he puts out next!

This had the bones of a really great book. I thought the characters were super solid, but would have appreciated a little more development. I felt the plot was where this one slipped through the cracks. It just needed to go a little deeper and have more meat to it.

Solid writing, a decent idea but the execution failed for me. I felt like things meandered for a long time and while all these different narrators came together eventually it took far too long for me to even care by the time it happened.

I was drawn to this book for the cover. I have never read anything by Bill Clegg. I really wanted to like this book and I gave it two tries, but it was just not for me. If you like a lot of characters to follow, then you will like this book. It was just a bit confusing for me.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press for this ARC in exchange for my own opinion.

I was excited to read this book following author Bill K left's book "Did You Ever Have a Family". This book though didn't measure up. I did enjoy some stories but this book goes back and forth through decades of hurt, mistrust, betrayal between 3 characters, specifically Lupita, Dana, and Jackie and what caused them not to talk to each other. There are also other characters we are introduced to here but I really couldn't grasp or connect or enjoy all of their stories. However, author Bill Clegg is a fine writer.

I gave the book a little over 3 stars. It just didn't interest me this time around.

This novel took a few tries to get through and I'm not sure why. It was engaging and I loved the characters. I'm glad that I stayed with it. It was lovely.

I'm sorry I waited so long to read this book, but I'm also sorry I read it at all. While the writing is well done, and the characters well drawn, I found the structure to be confusing and (frankly) rather boring. I kept reading because I had read a smattering of reviews that praised the book, so I was sure I was missing something. I finished the book, but it just left me cold. The constant swapping of character focus and time period made for a very disjointed plot. I realize that this was purposefully done in order to reveal the big "secret" gradually and keep the reader in suspense, but I just found it annoying. There seemed to be no connection at all between the 4 main storylines, and it took way too long to tie them together in a meaningful way. In the meantime, there were too many characters when you factor in siblings, colleagues, spouses, and children. I found it difficult to keep them all straight. By the time the big secret is revealed, I just didn't care.

It's really too bad, since I did care about each of the 4 main characters. Each was pretty compelling in the way each was dealing with loss -- loss of friendship, loss of a parent, loss of mental faculties. I wish this had been explored in more detail.

I only liked this story told many in flasback which is where the secret originally took place. I did think parts of it were repetitive and skimmed over those parts. I found it hard to find redeeming qualities in some of the characters. this was definitely not a favorite of mine. I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

I wanted to enjoy this book so much, but unfortunately I didn’t. There are so many characters and the plot is very vague.

I think I was mostly drawn in because of the beautiful cover art.

This is a multigenerational story told through three women of different circumstances but from the same hometown. The themes are friendship, love, forgiveness and understanding. The characters begin separately and then their stories become interwoven. Ultimately the story is interesting but slow to get going. I think many people will be turned off by this.
#TheEndoftheDay #Netgalley #GalleryBooks #GalleryScoutPress

"The End of the Day" by Bill Clegg is a slow paced story, with so many characters. The writing was great, but it does take time to get into it. This was one I picked up 3 or 4 times, reading a bit each time, before I actually read it all the way through. At the end of the book, you understand how the characters are interwoven but it's a journey to see it all unfurl. I can't reveal much without giving away plot points, but I really liked the aspects of friendships, parenthood and what it means to be a parent, and issues of class and money that were woven throughout.

I gave this one four stars and encourage you to pick it up, preferably when you have time to savor it.