2.5 Star Read, but maybe it's just me?

When I heard this was like a fun Female version of Ferris Buehler's Day Off, I was so on board. I love that movie and the premise had me hooked. Clover is a "Yes" person, a chronic people pleaser, never says "No", doesn't want to hurt feelings. Until she realizes that she is suffocating behind a persona that isn't really her. She decides to take a day to do whatever she wants no matter what anyone says or how it makes others feel.

Overall, this was a good read. I didn't have a lot of reaction either way, which means I didn't love it, I didn't hate it, it fell somewhere in the middle. I think Clover has characteristics that certain readers will relate to, I think there are themes that certain readers will relate to, but for me, felt a bit flat and predictable. Might be a lack of relatability for me. I also felt the story was a bit drawn out and couldn't have been resolved a bit tidier.

I rated this a 2.5 starts, mostly due to pacing and found myself a bit bored at times. Thanks for the ARC from Netgalley!

I received a free e-arc of this book through Goodreads. What would happen if you said and did everything that you really wanted to do instead of just going to work and home and staying mum about what is bothering you? Clover snaps, but instead of shooting people, she says and does what she really feels like doing. As someone close to Clover's age with a house of kids and pets and all the other things demanding my attention, I really relate to Clover. I loved it.

I had really high hopes for this book. The basic premise sounded like a fun romp, which was just the kind of book I was looking for. It certainly starts out as a fun romp, but takes a dark turn towards the end that didn't feel like where it should have went. I enjoyed it, but ended up disappointed.

I think this would be a great book for the right person. While I realize the premise of the book is Clover out of character, from the opening scene, I (spoiler) couldn't/didn't understand why she woke up and opted for out-of-date drugs. I didn't connect with Clover, and most of the people in her life/supporting cast were equally annoying. DNF.

I received this ARC from NetGalley. Opinions are my own.

This book really had me laughing out loud. I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely be buying myself a copy of this book when it is published in January. And you better believe my library will purchase this book for circulation!

Clover Hendry’s Day Off by Beth Morrey

A fantastical day of a people pleaser getting to do what she really wants one day, damn those consequences!

Clover Hendry is a 40 something year old TV exec who is an extreme people pleaser. She takes some medicine for a Migraine one morning and decides she doesn’t care what people think of her today, she’s going do what she wants to do today. From swimming at an exclusive SOHo House type club, to shopping for a dress and having dinner with her rage inducing mother, we get to do it all with Clover.

As a people pleaser myself, this was a cathartic book to read. I enjoyed Clover coming out of her shell and the bits of backstory that are unfolded slowly so that by the end, you really have a feel for why Clover is the way she is. Even if you cannot believe her day is as long as it is, all her adventures lead her exactly to where she needs to be.

I think this would be a great book for the right person. I enjoyed the first few chapters, but then started to dislike Clover. I feel like this could’ve been a 10 chapter book (to come to the same conclusion in the end). It felt repetitive and was too unrealistic for me.

Thank you NetGalley and G. P. Putnam’s Sons for the opportunity to review an advance copy of this novel. As a fan of Beth Morrey’s light and whimsical writing style, this novel did not disappoint! I enjoyed this modern day rewrite of the classic movie, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Clover Hendry, a middle-aged executive, mother, and wife, had a tumultuous and quite exciting day off. I found myself cheering, grimacing and laughing out loud at Clover’s shenanigans. The characters were stereotypical but fun, and Clover reminded me to stop and think, as well as the importance of standing up for oneself and not always putting others first. I highly recommend this lighthearted novel and can’t wait to read more of Beth Morrey’s books!

We’ve all been Clover. Or at least fantasized about being just the kind of person who when enough is enough, speaks honestly about the bs. This novel had me in tears laughing so hard. Imagine a day where you just say f it, and do what you want, when you want. Clover is there and does just that. Fun read

I loved this book. I found Clover to be very relatable. It had its serious moments, but it also had very funny, laugh out loud moments. I loved Clover’s relationship with her husband. They seemed like a real team and it was a very believable marriage. This novel has a few good messages. I think this would be a fun book to discuss with a book club.

Thank you NetGalley and G. P. Putnam’s Sons for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam, G.P. Putnam’s Sons for this ARC of Clover Hendry’s Day Off.

I requested this book as soon as I read the premise of a middle-aged woman bucking her socially-pacifist tendencies for a day.

Who, by the time one reaches mid-life, is not fed up with the myriad insults and injustices of daily polite life, especially as a woman?
I so, so often want to teach people lessons after experiencing their ignorance or rudeness. But I, perhaps most of us, sigh and silently grumble then later bitch about it to ourselves or anyone else. I know that sick feeling of public powerlessness.

The description reads, “Today, she’s going to do and say whatever she likes, even if it means her whole life unravels.”

I would also say, “…even if she is in the wrong to begin with.” Some of her acts of rebellion seem juvenile and not justified, such as pool-crashing or throwing burrito stuffing at an old woman in retaliation to her words, all in the attempt to “…have a nice day… do what I want.”

Just doing what one wants is not the same as standing up to personal discrimination.

However, I mostly cheered on our protagonist, such as when she flatly says, “Don’t talk to me” to her hair stylist.
I for one hate trapped small-talk with service workers.
And I often also think, “Why is everyone an arsehole today?”
I loved her retaliating against the ubiquitous male-dictate of “Smile!” to women;
snapping back with equal passive-aggression to her snooty mother was vicarious familial victory for me.
Many more examples exist.
So. Much. Relatable.

I enjoyed her snarky sense of humor, such as when disparaging the inanity of corporate-meeting culture.

There were laugh-out-loud moments for me.
These all outweighed any few judgments against validation of her acts.

I did not enjoy her backstory as much as her present-day self-activism. I did enjoy that the book covered mostly one day.

Overall the universality and humor outweighed the criticism of some actions and sometimes-meandering writing.

3.5 stars.

SUMMARY
Clover Hendry's Day Off follows a day alongside Clover, who, for the first time in her life, finally decides to stop bowing down to everyone else and put herself first.

REVIEW
Though I don't relate to Clover, I can respect and appreciate her desire to stop people pleasing and finally put herself first. I enjoyed the wittiness of Clover's character and charm, and within the right niche of readers, I think this book would be a huge hit!

While I understand the idea and premise behind this book, it was a bit dragged out and redundant. One novel covering only one day made it feel repetitious and overly descriptive regarding mundane moments.

I am so thankful to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC copy of Original Sins in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed this most recent Netgalley book about an overwrought working mother whose brain, one day, just kicks into another drive and does all of the things all of the rest of us walk around fantasizing about doing instead of living our real lives under all of the restrictions and responsibilities. It is chaotic and nuts. It was exaggerated but the parts that were true were just so true and resonated so much with me as a working parent. I feel like these couple super long quotes about sum up what I loved about this book:

"'A woman's work is never done!' my mother twinkles inanely, but that doesn't being to cover it. Makes it sound like you're ticking off a list, one by one, and things keep getting added to the list. But the reality is more than that. It's more like the vault in Harry Potter where he's looking for the goblet, but everything he touches multiplies, until they're all suffocated. More like that. I'm suffocating in cursed goblets, trying to rise about it with a smile. I guess I need to stop touching stuff, stop smiling. And I will. But first I want to burn the whole thing down."

"I get that I'm lucky to have it all, and know that others have it so much worse. And it's not that I don't want those things anyone. It's just that to get them, keep them, maintain them, was and is so much effort. Sometimes I feel like I could give up work and just spend every second of every day dealing with the humdrum minutiae of life--pruning plants and sorting Tupperware cupboards and recycling pens and filling in forms and ordering compost bags on Amazon and buying birthday presents and changing duvet covers and de-ticking the cat and fixing the loose tile in the bathroom and touching up my roots and queueing at the pharmacy and making sure Ethan does his homework and going for a run and prepping dinner and throwing away the rotting vegetables in the fridge and remembering to put wine in for later and dammit I forgot to charge my toothbrush. And that's jus the 'fun' stuff. Then there's Pap smear tests, and checking your boobs for tumors, and pulling hair from the plughole of the shower, and rinsing the fat-clogged filter in the dishwasher and hosing shit off a child's wellie, and listening to a friend tell you about her mum who has Alzheimer's and worrying about when that might be your turn, and smiling when the man tells you to smile and hating yourself, and reading about how your children will perish on a fiery earth, and knowing that when you sit down to dinner there are wars raging and people who can't afford food, parents who can't feed their kids, and your so lucky, you should just sit for a while to think about how goddamned lucky you are, but you just don't have time, because they washing cycle finished and there's another load to do."

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Today is not the day to mess with Clover Hendry.

Clover hasn’t said “No” a day in her life. Until today. Normally a woman who tips her hairdresser even when the cut is hideous, is endlessly patient with her horrendous mother, and says yes every time her boss asks her to work late—today, things are going to be very different. Because Clover is taking the day off. Today, she’s going to do and say whatever she likes, even if it means her whole life unravels.

Overall, I have to admit that it was a bit of a slow read for me. I was excited for the concept but the execution didn't fully land. The side characters/ "friends" were more annoying than endearing. Maybe it's because they just accepted that Clover was their yes girl and that's why they were friends with her? I got irritated that she ended up having to apologize and NO ONE seemed to be asking "hey, what's up Clover?" in a non confrontational way (very "you're ruining my life acting this way! What's wrong with you?" instead) When we got to the end and found out the source of this whole thing being related to trauma instead of just being fed up, it was a bit of a let down for me.

I like to end my reviews on a positive so: I did enjoy the relationship between Clover and her sister and it's development and I absolutely LOVED the "family" dinner between them and their mother,

What a delightful book! I had a genuine smile on my face through most of it and laughed out loud multiple times. It was refreshing and endearing and hilarious. I love Clover. Her brash, honest, wild day was one for the books and I would relive it again.

The premise of this book sounded very fun and I was excited for a mature take on Ferris Bueller but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The beginning of the story was alright but then the “little rebellions” during Clover’s day turned into things that are actual crimes, extremely destructive, and just mean. I could handle a bunch of events like her getting in the cab even though random entitled men tried to take it from her but when she started stealing things and purposefully putting other people in danger for almost no reason, I just couldn’t stick with it.

The ending was better although I think she’s being a terrible wife and the fact that she had absolutely no reservations about being away from her home and her kids for the entire day and just left them with no explanation didn’t sit right with me. Overall I don’t think it’s logical to brush all of these horrible things she did under the rug just because she??? Felt guilty at the end????

Maybe others would enjoy this but it wasn’t really my cup of tea.

ARC from NetGalley

Thank you so much Netgalley and publisher for the arc in exchange of an honest review!

At first i really enjoyed reading about Clover, but halfway through the story all of my excitement just came off. I couldn't connect with her actions and motives, i think she was just...mean for no reason. It was hard reading about it. However, i liked the last chapters, when everyone adressed her and made her rethink about what she did in the last 24 hours.

Billed as a female mid-life Ferris Bueller, I was excited to have the opportunity to review this book for NetGalley before its publication in exchange for my honest review. Unfortunately, this book missed the mark for me. Based on the Ferris Bueller description, I assumed it would be a fun, madcap romp. In some ways, it was. But Clover’s adventures took a decidedly dark and destructive turn that seemed to fly in the face of logic, reason, and good sense.

Faced with endless personal and professional responsibilities, Clover snaps and goes on a strange set of adventures that escalate from a new hairstyle to a pseudo-shoplifting incident to stealing a pet, destroying a stranger’s car, destroying a yoga class, telling off her mother, and more. Along the way, she fights for what she is worth, discovers new sides of her family members, and rights old wrongs.

Even writing this, it sounds like a delightful book. However, for me, the understanding of the reasons behind Clover’s break and her motivations come so late in the book that I was unable to generate the empathy needed to appreciate her actions throughout the story. Additionally, as a friend, mother, wife, and daughter, the amount of destruction and harm she causes to those around her seems counterproductive. What took 260 pages to unravel is neatly tied up in the last 20 pages.

Chloe Hendry’s Day Off by Beth Morrey is about Clover, a 46 year old overworked and overwhelmed people-pleaser. She finally decides to say F*CK IT and take the day off to focus on herself, doing and saying whatever she wants (a la Ferris Bueller style).

The cover and synopsis of this book caught my interest. Overall, it was a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and author for granting me an ARC. This book is expected to come out in January 2024.

What would you do if you could do anything you wanted for an entire day? Think Ferris Bueller but Clover Hendry! Having the entire novel set over the course of one day with the inclusion of flash backs was an interesting premise that was well done. Clover being an overwhelmed, overworked, people- pleaser is highly relatable and I found myself rooting for her throughout the novel. If you are looking for a quick and fun read I really enjoyed Clover Hendry’s Day Off!