I enjoyed Mr. Clegg's first book, so I was very happy when I was able to get the advance copy of this one from Net Galley. Thank you, Net Galley, for the opportunity to read it. However, I am sorry to say that I did not enjoy it.

Mr. Clegg is an excellent writer and his prose is lovely. Some of the characters' back stories held my interest but others were just too wordy, convoluted, and rambling. I also did not care for most of the characters and did not emotionally engage with them. I didn't care what had happened to them or where their lives were going. I had wonderful expectations for this book but I was very disappointed.

However, all this is not to say that it wouldn't be a good pick for a book club. I've found that even books we don't enjoy can provide interesting, thought-provoking discussions, if there are controversial events and themes to discuss. and this book by Mr. Clegg certainly has those: class disparity, envy, secrets, family dyanmics.

This is a book about relationships. There were many characters to keep track of and they got a bit confusing at times going between the past and present. Some characters were more likable than others but none really grabbed me. I thought the authors prose was beautiful but at times was a bit over the top. For me, the book was anticlimactic. It was an ok read for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

I was pulled into the drama and intrigue of this book from the first short chapter onward. It's a well written unique plot that I found engaging as I continued to wonder how the pieces would all fit together. At 28% of the way through the book I made a note that read "ok, tell me already"! My interest had moved from high intrigue to dragging. But it quickly picked back up. In the beginning, actually throughout the first half of the book, I found it challenging to keep track of the characters. I often had to skim earlier passages to make sure I knew which character I was reading about. I had one minor complaint with the story line which was I thought he prematurely aged two of the characters - they were acting 85 when they were only in their 60s. Overall an intriguing engaging story.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an early release in exchange for a fair and honest review.

How have a I never read a Bill Clegg's novel before? He has a wonderful way with words. From what I have been seeing when I did some research on him was that he is someone who people love and I can see why. The characters that he have created in this book come to life off the pages and I became completely invested in them and their stories.

Bill Glegg has a gift to really look into people and how they act and think, their emotions etc. He was able to tell a story about people that spanned over six decades and kept me invested in every aspect of these characters. I found myself caring about these characters and wanting more as I kept reading

A beautifully written novel. I can't wait to read more of his work.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Although I would recommend this book to others, I was somewhat disappointed that the multiple characters and the shift in times were distracting. The characters were well portrayed and the author reminds us how our choices in relationships, good or bad, stay with us.

Oh, Bill Clegg. Master of stunning, character-driven storytelling. This book was what I expected from the author, being familiar with his prior works.

The End of the Day is written by Bill Clegg, who up until this point is someone I have not heard of, despite him having written multiple other books. That said, I can see how people love his writing - he really transports his readers into the minds of his characters and allows us to feel their pain and see their thoughts and memories. It’s pretty remarkable.

While I enjoyed the beginning half of the novel more than the latter half, I still had an overall good experience with this read. My biggest issues stemmed from there being multiple characters with rich backgrounds that made it a little tough to keep track of everything. That, and there were definitely some characters I cared more about than others, making it tempting to just skim through that character's chapters to get to the ones I cared more about. Not that I did.

This is the sort of book for people who like to connect to their characters, go through the trials of life with them, etc. It’s a highly character-driven novel, in my opinion. And while I normally would say I’m someone who reads books for connection, I had trouble finding with this novel, even with the characters I cared about. That, in turn, made me feel slightly bored at moments because I couldn’t get over the feeling that I wasn’t truly connecting to anything while reading this.

Overall, though, Clegg’s novel is filled with hope, forgiveness, friends, and family. It is about how people's lives connect and disconnect and about so much more, and I think those who enjoy novels about family and friends should give this book a try on June 2, 2020!

Thank you to Galley Books for reaching out to me personally and sending me a physical copy of this novel, months prior to its release, in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate it!

I love Bill Clegg and have read all of his published work. Unfortunately, I did not like this. The novel went in circles without adding to the progression of the story. The frequent jumps back in time, sometimes to the recent past and within a paragraph or two (and without a page break) was confusing and not beneficial to the style of the book. The characters were not as deeply developed as those in his previous novel, and even in his memoirs. I will continue to read Bill Clegg's work, but wish this had had a heftier editing job.

I loved Bill Clegg’s first novel,
“Did You Ever Have A Family”.

Bill Clegg is beautiful writer — he takes us into the minds and hearts of people navigating the unsettling transitions that life presents to us all.

“To The End Of The Day”, is another quiet reflective book.....with interweaving stories.

Bill Clegg has a keen insight into people and life situations.
His characters feel regret, guilt, and sorrow.....
and he treats them with gentleness and grace...
characters who have been hurt and betrayed by people they loved.
So, the character development and believability hit the mark... with my favorite character being Lupita Lopez.
The imagery was brilliant in places, and the characters were real.
Humanity is presented as equally fragile and durable...
but
although I loved many parts....
on the whole ... I didn’t quitefeel the magic as much as I had wished.

The strength of Bill’s stories - for me - is relating them to things in my own life.
If you’ve ever asked yourself why some of our relationships are complicated with people we love .... and how we might find redemption with them - when past memories have been traumatic — this novel allows us to look inside his characters and discover the essence of their humanity - which ultimately has us looking into our own relationships with our family and friends.

Over six decades - in the framework of one day - a tragic event in the past - with memories of betrayal, disappointments, misunderstandings, and secrets...bring them back together.....
From Mexico... to Florida... to Connecticut...New York...Pennsylvania...and Kauai...
family & friendships connect.

At times I felt like we were just muddling through scenes ...
The first part was great... but not every story jived for me.

I’m still interested in reading Bill Clegg again...
There is a quality to his writing that resonates with me.
He illuminates the complexity of people burrowing beneath the surface of ordinary lives.

So although I wasn’t passionately in love with this book in the same way I was
“Did You Ever Have A Family”....
I’m still glad I read it.

3.5 -rating up to 4 stars

Thank you Netgalley, Gallery/Scout Press, and Bill Clegg

The End of the Day by Bill Clegg is a great novel that is a story about friends, family, love, loss, hurt, acceptance, forgiveness, perseverance, and the relationships that we hold close (and yet at the same time take for granted and push away).
It is this concept of push and pull that Mr Clegg has created and interwoven between several different scenarios of individuals that are related by family or other close relationships that are then described and expressed over the course of a 60-year span over the pages of this book. These paths and trials, which are different for everyone in the book, are oddly similar in the end.
The dialogue, pace, and images that were created throughout these journeys kept me engaged from beginning to end. I enjoyed getting a peak into others’ lives and how they dealt with, and overcame, adversities (external and internal) to end up at a place of acceptance at the end.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Scout/Gallery Books for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

I received a copy of this book from netgalley as an ARC for my honest and opinion on this book. Throughout the book you learn about the lives of many different individuals with very different lives and backgrounds and how their lives connect. Throughout the book their is love, and loss and many topics that people don't always share with others and how it affects more than just the person dealing with it. No spoilers. Very good book that I would highly suggest reading.

A clever and intriguing blend of characters and their interwoven stories, the mix of backgrounds and ways of living revealing how little and yet how much people know and understand of each other. Illustrates how their social status, financial position, origins and ability to have honest relationships creates complex, challenging and sometimes tragic events.
Great compelling read.

I loved the description of this book. It really compelled me to want to read it. I love ordinary people with ordinary lives that are made beautiful in a story. But I just kept expecting more from this book after reading the rave reviews. To me, it basically is the coldness and cruelty of what humans can do to those we love. How our stubbornness keeps us from enjoying ourselves because we are so busy trying to hurt others. It was an okay read.

My only negative thought on this book was that it was just a bit too long a bit too wordy towards the end. Other than that it was absolutely fabulous. Definitely a five star book. I read Bill Craig’s first book and I still think about that book it’s still resonates with me, and I believe this book well as well. He’s just able to capture the characters in the family dynamics so well, his books always give me hope, that in the worst of times,we will prevail. Thank you so much for my advance copy. It was truly an honor to read another one of his books. I hope he has started on his next book as well. I have always highly recommended his first novel to all my friends and family and I will continue to do the same .

My sincere thanks to Netgalley and Gallery/Scout Press for providing me with an ARC of the book five months prior to publication, in exchange for this honest and enthusiastic review.

Bill Clegg's new novel follows several characters bound by blood and/or friendship over a sixty year period, with connections that might not have been obvious on first glance. In fluid prose that is both immersive and propulsive, the intertwined lives of these characters are slowly revealed. In an odd way, the book reminded me a bit of both Ann Patchett and Elizabeth Strout, the first because of the internecine family dramas that both authors revel in, and the second because Clegg also develops well rounded, albeit sometimes contrary, characters. At one point, Clegg invokes the old 60's TV melodrama Peyton Place, and that is another apropos referent, since this also hinges upon small town secrets and intrigue.

Bill Clegg's first novel Did You Ever Have a Family, nominated for both the Man Booker Prize and National Book Award, was a revelation, and I was sorry when it didn't win either. But his new novel has a chance to rectify that, and I am confident it will equally be up for various literary awards this year, and hopefully be a roaring success for both the author and the publishing house.