I'd like to thank Netgalley and Knopf for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not sure I know how I feel this book. This books spans just three days in Gail's life when she is forced to leave her job, attend her daughter's wedding, and host her ex husband for the weekend. It was an easy book to read and it had a great pacing but I'm not sure I know how I feel about the characters. I liked the family dynamics and character development of Gail but they just seemed odd to me. I guess they seemed pleasant to each other but not really like family. I had a hard time connecting with the characters in this book. especially Gail.

Gail's weekend is not starting out well - it's the eve of her daughter's wedding and she is losing her job, has a bad experience at a hair salon and then finds her ex-husband on her doorstep needing a place to stay for the festivities. When her daughter shares that her future husband may have been unfaithful, it brings up all kinds of memories from Gail's own past, the choices she made and the life she now has.

Mixed emotions. Sometimes the challenge of a novella is being able to get all of the information that you need to adequately tell the story across in a shorter format. The writing was good, I was able to actively NOT LIKE the main character, Gail, but that sucks some of the joy out of the drive to continue reading. I just wasn't invested. That being said, reading a book about people I’m not invested in, with a plot I don’t have much interest in, with an ending that wasn’t satisfying, was not especially enjoyable and I found myself repeatedly looking to see how much was left- NOT a good sign.

This was… odd. Not a full story, just the day before, day of, and day after a moms daughters wedding…
This writing style was very telling vs showing and more so for those that were a fan of “The Maid”.. our narrator was just very dull and strange and straight forward?
Overall, I’m just very unimpressed.

This is my first Anne Tyler novel and I don't think I'm her target audience. It was a short book so in this instance, I'll consider that a plus. The story was told over a 3-day weekend (with flashbacks to the past) as Gail and her ex-husband Max celebrate their daughter's wedding. I didn't find any of the characters to be overly likeable and I didn't connect with any of them. Quite honestly, I didn't see the point of the story. Let me rephrase that, I got the point but it just seemed an unnecessary way to arrive there.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book to review.

I have been an Anne Tyler fan since I was 14 and headed to high school. I have listed her book Saint Maybe as a lifetime favorite for decades. But I'll admit some of her later books have been hit or miss for me.

But Three Days in June is classic Anne Tyler in shortened form. This novella manages to make you really connect with Gail, our main character, as she faces her past while being a part of her daughter's wedding.

Gail is neat, prim, practical. Her ex-husband is charismatic, goofy, rumpled, and disorganized. As they're thrown together for this wedding, in the aftershock of Gail losing her job, she remembers what pulled them apart.

I am not sure Tyler's written much if anything in first person before, and it really gave this book a more personal feel than most of hers. It's amazing how deep this goes in just over 100 pages. Well worth the read to see Tyler's mastery in telling a family tale.

Really liked this book. Easy read. Couldn’t put it down. Anne Tyler writes books that pertain to everyday life. I was lucky to get an early read from NetGalley and would highly recommend this book.

Vintage Anne Tyler. It's a wonder how she keeps writing such marvelous stories. While this one will mainly appeal to older women, like me, it's a terrific read. I hope she's working on another one!

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler centers around the drama of a family leading up to Debbie's wedding. The theme of love and second chances is explored with grace and sensitivity.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

This book is a delight. Taking place over three, day—the day before, the day of, and the day after her daughter’s wedding, the protagonist, Gail, suddenly sees her ex husband inviting himself to stay with her for the big event. They squabble but also connect in a way they haven’t in a long time.

Anne Tyler reflects upon the instances of life that make it all worth it. Readers can easily see themselves in the characters of this book and that makes the reading experience so much more meaningful.

It's a nice story, but isn't all that intriguing. Typical character relationships between mother and daughter, and father and daughter, but half way through I found myself thinking, "where is this going, and what is it about?" The husband/father was a total appeaser, which did not seem very realistic, but it did have a "happy ever after" sort of ending. Just a nice story, nothing exciting or memorable.

Another delightful book by Anne Tyler. I’m pretty sure she’s incapable of writing a bad book!

Gail is a fantastic character and I enjoyed all of her cringeworthy encounters with other characters in the book. If you’ve ever felt even slightly socially awkward, read this book as Gail will certainly make you feel better about yourself.

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler is a compelling and insightful exploration of the complexities of family dynamics and personal introspection. Tyler’s rich character development and finely tuned narrative capture the subtle tensions and deep emotional currents that define human relationships. The novel’s focus on a transformative, short-lived period in time allows for a poignant examination of change and self-awareness. While the pacing occasionally slows, the depth of the story makes it a rewarding read.

Anne Tyler has a gift for turning the ordinary into something quietly profound, and Three Days in June is no exception. Set over the course of a wedding weekend, the novel explores love, family, and the unpredictable nature of relationships through the lens of Gail Baines, a woman navigating job loss, an unexpected visit from her ex-husband, and her daughter's looming marital crisis—all in the span of three eventful days.
Tyler's storytelling is as deft and insightful as ever, weaving past and present together as Gail reflects on her marriage to Max, the father of the bride.
Though long divorced, their shared history lingers in familiar jokes, old resentments, and the unspoken understanding that comes from years of knowing someone deeply. As their daughter Debbie faces a difficult revelation on the eve of her wedding, Gail and Max find themselves disagreeing-not just about what's best for Debbie, but also about the meaning of happiness itself.
Written entirely from Gail's perspective, the novel captures the subtle tensions and miscommunications that shape family life. Tyler's signature wit shines through as Gail stumbles through interactions with her daughter, the in-laws, and Max, often missing the full picture of what's unfolding around her. There's a quiet humor in her unobservant nature, a bittersweet recognition of how life changes in ways we don't always anticipate.
Three Days In June is classic Anne Tyler - warm, wry nd deeply human. A beautifully observed portrait of love in its many forms, it's a novel to be savored in a single afternoon, preferably on a sun-dappled June day.

This was the first book I’ve read by Anne Tyler, and I really don’t know why that is, but I’m glad I’ve been introduced to her work, even at this late date. Some of her sentences were especially poignant for me.

Gail and Max Baines were married for a number of years and then they divorced after Gail had an affair with a fellow teacher. Gail initiated the divorce proceedings. Now they are together for their only daughter’s wedding.

I really enjoyed the way Anne Tyler gave us views of what Gail Baines was thinking. The book started off with her losing her job (questionably?) due to lack of “people skills.”

As the story goes on, we get an idea of Gail’s personality, her my-way-or-the-highway outlook on life, and her relationship with Max, who has come to stay with her for the wedding since he lives out of town. Gail’s realizations about how things were and are between them are some of the best parts.

The three days are the day of the rehearsal, the wedding day, and the day after, and there’s a lot packed into those days. I was kind of holding my breath on the third day, and I loved the way the writer conveyed the characters’ desire for it to last longer.

This one is special! Five stars!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received a copy of the digital ARC via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Three Days in June is a quick, short read filled with all the emotional a mother goes through seeing her child married. It was romantic and relatable.. It’s a great way to pass an afternoon and I love the ending!

This was a great little slice of life book. Just a peek into a persnickety woman’s life. I liked the setting and I wish the restaurant they went to in the end was real.

I don’t think this is a book for those who want action or a lot of a plot but I enjoyed it was a character study.

The thing I love about Anne Tyler books is that they are just so believable. If characters aren't particularly like me, they remind me of people I know. Characters do things I'd probably do and if they do things I wouldn't, I absolutely believe some people in the real world would. This was another little gem of a book.
The title is accurate. It takes place over three days in the life of a sixty-year-old woman. In addition to her daughter's wedding, she'll deal with her job, her mother, a couple of ex's, and a cat. Plus some interior stuff, which is really the heart of the novel. Really enjoyed this one.

Absolutely amazing read, love it from the first to the last page. I would highly recommend the read to anyone.

This was a quick read. Gail loses her job, and her ex-husband shows up with a foster cat and needs a place to stay….all the day before her daughter’s wedding. Debbie learns something about her soon to be husband that brings up the past for her parents. Gail and Max try to navigate how to help Debbie together while tip toeing around their own issues from the past. This book really shows family dynamics and relationships and has a lot of depth for a shorter novel. I really related to Gail’s character, all of them really. It was heartfelt and real.

This is a fun little family drama that kept me engaged the entire time. This would be perfect listen/read for a longer trip in the car….I think the audiobook is about 4 hours.

Bottom Line: Read it!

**I received a copy of Three Days in June from Netgalley and am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own. **