One Liner: Great writing, different story but not a great ending

Synopsis: Gail Baines walks out of her current workplace after being overlooked for the position she has been aspiring a day before her only daughter's wedding. Her ex-husband Max shows up at her place unannounced with a Cat right before the wedding. He was supposed to stay with their daughter but he ends up crashing at Gail's house. Debbie, their daughter shares a huge secret with them in a moment of vulnerability. Is this going to affect the wedding? How is Gail going to handle that and also having her ex-husband home? Read on to figure out. The story is written in Gail's first person pov

My thoughts:
The story has a very different format. Its divided into 3 sections, day before the wedding, day of the wedding and day after. This story travels between past and present but at no point was this confusing. The flow was very good and story sailed well. I loved the writing.

Gail is quite judgmental jumping to conclusions without giving a second thought. Max, her ex husband is more level headed, calm and composed. Debbie, their daughter hardly has any space except for delivering the big secret. There are a few easy going moments which makes you chuckle.

As I progressed through the story, I empathized with Max more than Gail but I did not like few attributes of this like lacking an ambition in life and being too casual with everything including his own upkeep. I also felt that he could be little more assertive. Gail is created as a very judgmental and a selfish person. Almost felt like author used her pov just to make the reader dislike her.

The biggest let down was the ending. I wish there was more open heart to heart conversation before thrusting the conclusion to the readers. This felt bit rushed.

My heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, for the digital ARC. The review is my honest opinion of the book.

This was a cute novella. It touched on self discovery while adding a touch of humor. A quick read that I think could be considered a novella. Gail is slightly socially awkward having the worst week of her life while it should be the happiest since her daughter is getting married. It gave some second chance vibes but overall a cute, quick read.

Anne Tyler knows a lot about screwball families, and manages to tell their stories in humorous and poignant ways.

This tale revolves around a wedding, always fertile territory for dysfunction. Mother of the bride Gail has just found out she might be out of a job, ex-husband Max has showed up seeking lodging and he has a rescue cat with him, and Gail is being excluded from the pre-wedding social agenda. She is a bit odd and doesn't have the best communication and social interaction skills.

So we get to zoom in on these folks for a brief snapshot of their lives during these three days. Tyler always writes with humor, insight and a calm acceptance of human limitations. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A well-observed look at a challenging three days in the life of Gail, a 60-something divorcée, on her only daughter’s wedding weekend. Gail isn’t the usual mother of the bride. She isn’t the demonstrative type or wild about the drama of weddings. Still, it’s a bit hurtful that she hasn’t even been invited to Debbie’s Day of Beauty, whatever that is, that the groom’s mother has arranged for the day before the wedding. Gail knows she isn’t the warm and socially outgoing person who would be top of mind to be invited to something like that. Still, Gail is outraged when the administrative head of her school tells her that when she retires, Gail will not take a step up; instead, because she is not socially adept, she’s being strongly encouraged to leave administration entirely. As if these two events on the day before Debbie’s wedding aren’t bad enough, her ex-husband Max shows up on her doorstep with a rescue cat, telling her that Debbie no longer can accommodate him, he’d like to stay in Gail’s guest room and, ideally, prevail upon Gail to adopt the cat.

Ann Tyler is a master at portraying the lives of quirky people and the (usually) low-stakes dramas of their lives. This is a quick and enjoyable read.

I haven’t always been captivated by Anne Tyler’s previous works, but Three Days in June hit just the right note for me at the right time. The story unfolds over three pivotal days in Gail Baines' life: the day before her daughter Debbie's wedding, the wedding day itself, and the day after.
There’s no grand drama or shocking twists here, but that’s part of the charm. At 61, Gail is learning the art of holding her tongue, a subtle but meaningful journey that’s both relatable and endearing. The book balances humor and heart as Gail navigates potential job changes, her relationships with her daughter and ex-husband Max, her aging mother, and even the prospect of a cat.

Anne Tyler’s talent for capturing the quirks and complexities of everyday life shines in this gently witty, slice-of-life story. The tight timeline and light, engaging tone made this a perfectly comforting read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor Publishing for an ARC of Anne Tyler’s Three Days in June in exchange for an honest review of the book. The preface of the novella sucked me in and I was excited to read it. It was a quick read with a lot of stories packed into it. Now that I have finished it, I’m really debating my feelings about it. I honestly didn’t like the characters.

I think many readers might find Gail to be relatable when she talks about her ex-husband and the things that annoy her about him because I think that is a common thing but I found her to be such a negative character with few likable qualities. Max seemed to be clueless and the peacekeeper of the trio. Debbie a bit of a doormat as, IMO, she is being gullible or stupid, depending on the truth of what really happened. And Debbie’s future mother in law is just an unlike-able person who is clueless altogether.

I do have to say that in the 170ish page novella Tyler did a wonderful job getting so many stories told, I wish that some of them might have had more information about them but I guess that shows the relationships about the characters.

Sweet story of love lost and found again. This is an enjoyable read regarding the complexities of what makes us human and what goes into our decision making.
I found the pacing a little slow but not enough to put me off reading it and it is set over three days so there is that.

What a fantastic little book (it was only 176 pages)! It starts with Gail losing her job at a private school because her social skills are lacking. Already bad. Then her ex-husband Max shows up for their daughter’s wedding, with a cat in a carrier. Hmmm.

What transpires from this rocky introduction is the backstory of Gail and Max’s marriage falling apart and how things can always turn themselves around. At times I was giggling and at others I felt sad. That’s a lot to pack in a short book but Tyler did it beautifully. This is my first by her but I’ll be looking to change that!

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler is a typical Anne Tyler novel, character driven and very engaging. I truly enjoyed it. Gail discovers, the day before her daughter 's wedding weekend, that she is losing her job. When she arrives home, her ex arrives with a cat and says he has to stay with her because their daughter's fiance is allergic. Things just keep going downhill from there, but during these three days, things do change for the better. A delightful novel. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I thoroughly enjoyed this slim novel from Anne Tyler! The main character, Gail, has just learned that she’s being replaced at work on the day before her only daughter’s wedding weekend. She then finds out that her ex-husband and the cat he’s fostering have to stay with her because of the groom’s allergy. The wedding events begin and Gail balances supporting her daughter while not over or under stepping.

The ex-husband, Max, is charming and funny. His relationship with Gail is revealed and deepened over the course of the story. The writing is very solid and the pages turned quickly. I think the strongest aspect of Tyler’s writing is how she develops her characters. This book could maybe have used some more pages to expand a little more on Gail and Max’s daughter. The wedding faded very much into the background and left something to be desired. But the ending was strong and I finished the book feeling very positive about it overall.

"Three Days in June" is a character driven novel depicting the weekend of Gail Baine’s daughter’s wedding. The protagonist is a 60-something teacher whose insecurities are major drivers in her life. She is losing her job as assistant administrator at her school, she is divorced, her daughter is starting a new chapter in her own life, and her ex just showed up on her doorstep with a cat.
As Baines navigates the weekend, she finally begins to see a new direction. For those who admire Anne Tyler’s writings, this will be a winner.
My thanks to NetGalley, Knopf and the author for an advanced readers copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

Anne Tyler has such a knack of taking the mundane daily lives of her characters and making it a story you enjoy reading.

This story spans three days in June (no spoiler there) Gail Baines is getting pushed out of her job because she’s not a “people person” and well, she really isn’t. But over these three days her daughter will have a wedding and her ex husband will show up on her doorstep for the festivities. Gail will have some self reflection and personal growth during this time.

I enjoyed this engaging story. I’ve always been a fan of Anne Tyler since I first was assigned to read a novel by her in high school. I’m glad I was introduced to an author that is always a classic storyteller.

Pick this up for a quiet engaging character driven novel.

This is an exceptionally well-done slice of life book. We follow Gail through her daughter's wedding weekend as she deals with work issues, her ex-husband who she is on amiable but sometimes awkward terms with, and a myriad of feelings about her identity and her life. Gail is so endearing: she struggles to read people sometimes, but she is so genuinely kind-hearted and witty, and her relationships feel so real and lived-in. The characters are flawed and lovely, and being with them for the literary space of three days was a delight.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for giving me an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

A masterfully written novella covering a three day span that just grabs you and pulls you right in. Through wonderful characters and well crafted dialogue, both internal and external, Anne Tyler captures the routine events of life in a way that makes your heart sing. And this is her 25th book since her first published novel in 1964! This offering is a true literary gift for readers who love reading.

Disclosure: Received an uncorrected ARC of this book from NetGalley and Alfred A. Knopf/Penguin Random House LLC (Thank you!) in exchange for an honest review

My first Anne Tyler novel—perfectly pleasant, but a little sweeter and affectedly quirky than is to my taste.

Thank you for an advance copy of a book by an author I have enjoyed reading in the past. This tells the story of a wedding and the 3 days surrounding it. We have a young girl getting married, but it's mostly about her parents, their relationship and how this big weekend impacts them moving forward. This was a short but touching story with such well developed, quirky characters. I really enjoyed this story.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I loooove a quirky character! This had me hooked from the very first page, like for real. It's impressive when an author can turn the ordinary and mundane into something so captivating. I'll be honest with you, nothing crazy or far-fetched happens in this book. It's truly the complete opposite of that and YET, you will not be able to put it down, I promise you that.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for my early copy!
Pub. Date: Feb. 11, 2025

This book covers three days in June and tells the story of Gail Baines. It starts with Gail walking into work as the assistant headmaster only to find out that she is being replaced so she quits…or is she fired?
She arrives home and shortly afterward, her ex-husband, Max, arrives (uninvited) on her doorstep with a cat and announces that he will be staying with Gail for the weekend due to their daughter, Debbie’s, wedding. Debbie, meanwhile, is participating in a spa day for the ladies which Gail was not invited to.
Just before the rehearsal dinner, Debbie confides in Gail and Max that her husband-to-be, Kenneth, acted questionably and she questions whether or not she should continue with the wedding. This revelation brings back to light an incident that ended Gail’s own wedding.
This is a quick read and the characters are realistic and the storytelling his honest. The interchanges between Gail and Max are quirky and they are total opposites.

As with most Anne Tyler's novels, she has managed to put a lot in a very few pages. This is a story of a marriage, a family, and their individual travels through time after a divorce and their subsequent feelings about those travels. I think most of people who have lived a reasonably long life often think about what they did, why they did it, and how their decisions affected their lives and the lives of others. I found this novel to be very redemptive in nature and totally satisfying. I highly recommend this novel! My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel. Anne Tyler is indeed at the height of her powers.

This grabbed my mom heart right away. The stress of a wedding alongside the chaos of real life. This book felt so real & raw to me. Loved it!