
Member Reviews

Three Days in June was the first book by Anne Tyler that I have read. This was a longer novella and I really enjoyed the format. It was set in three days in June around a wedding. The FMC Gail is kind of awkward and doesn't have a lot of social skills. She is literal and is always thinking about consequences. With her daughter getting married and possibly losing her job, she was pretty stressed out the entire book. This book had a lot of character development even though it wasn't long.

This book was a deep character examination of one family from Baltimore in the days leading up to the daughter's wedding. It was short but chalked full of memories, regrets and growth.
Gail's daughter Debbie is getting married to Kenneth. As Gail reflects on her life and the fact that her role is changing in not only her daughter's life but also her own, she must decide what's next in her life and how to move forward.
The day before the wedding, she loses her job and then finds out her ex-husband, Max, is staying with her instead of her daughter so she must adjust to the situation. Then when Debbie comes over and tells them some shocking news that could derail the entire wedding, Gail must put aside her past prejudices and let Debbie make her own decisions without clouding her judgement.
With past reflections and current decisions, this sweeping book packed quite the punch. I loved Gail’s straight forward manner and loved to see how once upon a time, her and Max balanced each other out.
When Gail reflects upon her life and the choices she made, I feel like she finally gave herself permission to regret and move on. Maybe it's not where she wanted to be but she still has had some great memories with the people she loved. It was sad and satisfying at the same time and really mimicked what real life is about, making decisions and having to live with them.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for sharing this book’s digital advanced review copy with me in exchange for an honest review.
I read this book through a digital ARC from NetGalley
Author: Ann Taylor
Genre: Contemporary Novel

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Three Days in June
Author: Anne Tyler
Source: NetGalley
Publication Date: February 11, 2025
Three Days in June is a little gem of a book introducing us to Gail Baines, a school administrator who gets a job demotion as her daughter’s wedding festivities get underway. Gail does not have a life of fun and frivolity, especially when she isn’t invited to the day of beauty for her daughter, the bride. Life is predictable but rather dull. Enter Gail’s husband and his foster cat, who arrive in town to discover that his soon-to-be son-in-law is allergic to cats. Gail is starting to think this will be a long weekend when her ex asks to stay with her for the duration of the wedding. The weekend turns into three days of shenanigans with an excellent supporting cast of characters. A charming, sweet, and second chance story that will leave you smiling. #fiction #romance #contemporary #cheating #divorce #forgiveness #romance #ThreeDaysInJune #annetylerauthor @netgalley @aaknopf #weddings #marriage #motheranddaughters
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I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this novel.
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I love Anne Tyler’s writing, which always evokes emotions and just a feeling of familiarity with the characters. Gail is a very organized, straight type of person, getting ready for her daughter, Debbie’s wedding. When her ex husband Max shows up, staying at Gail’s house, the reader is brought into their relationship and why it failed. I highly recommend this novella to all readers of women’s fiction. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

It is the day before Debbie’s wedding. Her mom, Gail, has not been having the best day- or rather best of years. Gail tries to navigate all of the before wedding jitters for her daughter alongside her ex-husband crashing at her house. Will Debbie have a happily ever after? Or will all three members of the Baines family under one roof stir up trouble?

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler. Thanks to @knopfbooks for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Gail has had a bad day. She’s lost her job and her ex-husband shows up unexpectedly with a cat and no place to stay. Her daughter tells them a secret that throws a wrench in her plans of marriage; the wedding is the next day.
This is a novella that certainly has the depth of a novel. I liked stories about older divorced women especially going through a transitional time, such as the daughter getting married. The heart of this one lay within the characters and Anne Tyler is great at writing genuine characters.
Three Days in June comes out 2/11.

I don’t think this book was for me, I loved the synopsis and I was excited to read this one but it was so hard to like the characters and really understand what’s going on. It was really good in the beginning when their daughter came to them with her marital issues and even before that when Gail was having issues at work and was not being considered for a bigger promotion, then after all that I went downhill for me.

This book was amazing.
Anne Tyler's characters are very descriptive, and she always makes them vulnerable as well as very relatable. I always find some similarities to them. For example, the main character is about my age and does not have a lot of social skills or lots of friends, and she’s okay with that. Her daughter is getting married, and his family is uber-rich rich and she just goes with the the flow.
I loved the ending. It alludes to her getting back together with her ex-husband after years of divorce after she cheated on him. The interpersonal relationships are interesting and have similarities to my own life. The only thing I didn’t like was that the book was too short. I wanted more.

For me, the greatest joy of Gail's story in Three Days in June was discovering the heart warming, engaging, important writing of Anne Tyler. I was intrigued by the blurb of this story even though I've not ever read an Anne Tyler work before and it delivered. I cannot wait to read more of her titles in the future. This story though provided a beautiful depiction of the complicated webs families weave no matter how they look. I really enjoyed learning through Gail's perspective and thought it was unique and clever how the author laid this story out over the course of three days with eccentric and interesting characters. I don't read many books told from an older woman's perspective and I found that highly enjoyable as well. Great story for my first by this author!

4.5 stars
Three Days in June is a delightful little story told with wry humor and featuring a tight circle of a family that’s just about to expand. On the eve of her daughter’s wedding, Gail Baines has just been all but nudged out of a job, sort of. Almost. Then, her ex-husband, Max, arrives in town, fairly unprepared for Debbie’s wedding. Having planned to stay with Debbie, he’s defaulting to staying at Gail’s house when, having inexplicably brought his foster cat along, he learns that the soon-to-be son-in-law is allergic to cats.
The rest of this wee novel follows the same kind of rhythms — that bumbling nature that is the hallmark of a family unit…pushing through the couple of days with love and exasperation.
I adored Tyler’s Gail. She struggles with self-awareness, communication, and remaining grounded…and yet her humor aids her with all of these aspects; she just fails to realize it. Max is a delightful bag of side-eye level frustrating and lovable oaf. They are so endearingly human, I think they could’ve walked out of this book to asked if I’d mind if they left through my front door.
When more than cold feet briefly threatens to disrupt Debbie’s wedding, all the effort Gail and Max have put into not talking about their own relationship bubbles up to the surface to simmer on the back burner until after the big day. This was a short but sweet novel that held depth and humor within the frames of these relatable and real characters. Not only can you read this in one sitting, but you’ll want to.

Quirky characters who are divorced come together over the weekend of their daughter's wedding. If you like really quirky older female characters, you will love it!

What a delightful little read! My first Anne Tyler book but definitely not my last. This was so easy to sink into and read for the afternoon. Great characters that were so easy to relate to. Fun and quirky, really enjoyed it.
Thank you NetGalley, Anne Tyler and Knopf for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was initially excited to read Three Days in June by Anne Tyler, hoping for a compelling narrative. However, the book left me with mixed feelings. While the story attempts to blend humor and emotional depth, it ultimately falls short of truly engaging me.
The novel’s predictability was its most significant drawback. Despite Tyler’s reputation for nuanced storytelling, the plot felt formulaic and lacking in genuine surprise. The characters, while somewhat endearing, seemed to follow a predetermined path that didn’t challenge my expectations.
There were moments of genuine warmth and wit that made me chuckle, and certain emotional scenes touched me. Yet, these bright spots were overshadowed by a narrative that felt superficial and incomplete. The book seemed to skim the surface of potentially profound themes without truly diving deep.
The humor was gentle and occasionally charming, but it couldn’t compensate for the overall sense that something was missing. I found myself wanting more complexity, more depth, more… substance.
Would I recommend it? Perhaps to die-hard Anne Tyler fans, but for readers seeking a truly transformative reading experience, I’d suggest looking elsewhere.

Sometimes you just need a 'hug of a book' and Anne Tyler's newest 'Three Days in June' just might be it. This was a four star for me, and comes out on February 11th.
The story of 61-year-old Gail, her ex-husband Max, their daughter Debbie who is just about to be married, and all the characters who come in and out of their lives.
But Debbie may have a secret, and this throws Gail for a loop. It brings up much of her past with Max, and a secret of her own.
This is a quick, slice-of-life read that has some deeper lessons for just about anyone who has been in love, and who has loved deeply.
I was able to read this early thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for an Advance Reader Copy. This review is my own opinion!

Anne Tyler’s newest release follows the life of Gail, the mother of the bride, over a three day weekend. For Gail, the marriage comes at pivotal point in Gail’s life. Facing the possibility of a new job, Gail puts that topic on the back burner in order to get through the weekend.
Gail’s ex-husband shows up for the wedding and ends up having to stay at her home, forcing them into close proximity for three days. This may of may not be a good thing, Gail is not quite sure.
This is a character driven story and one that grew on me as I read. Over the weekend many feelings are examined and considered and by the end of the story, I was completely satisfied.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor/Knopf for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to recommend this to readers and give my honest review.

One of the things I thought was pretty cool is it takes place in Baltimore County (and Delaware), which is where I live. I loved hearing about different places I’ve been and frequently visit. I of course loved the Orioles reference (because YES we will be on top again on day!).
The breakup between Gail and Max made my heart sad. Their characters slowly grew on me as the story progressed. I was so rooting for them to find their way back to each other. I was very invested in their relationship as it became the focal point of the book.
This story explores the complexities of relationships and the comfort you find in that one special person…the one that feels like home.

I was not impressed by this story. I was slightly confused the whole time behind the purpose of the story.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, Anchor, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
I adored this story and couldn't believe it was my first time reading something from Anne Tyler! The slice of life that we are dropped into is endearing, a little bit heart-wrenching and so true to life. This book made me laugh out loud with her characterizations of aging parents and the growing pains of their adult only child. I recognized so much of what I feel with my parents along with recognizing how they're feeling. I was sad to leave Gail, Max and Debbie behind. I will most definitely pick more of Anne Tyler's work up.

Following Gail on the days before, during, and after her daughter's wedding, her life has been upended when she loses her job and her ex-husband has to stay at her house out of necessity. This character-driven novel forces the reader to look deep into what it means to be at the mature stage of life when your children no longer need you and you're not sure what the path forward looks like.

This story follows Gail on the weekend that her daughter is getting married. Gail is a bit of a mess, her ex-husband shows up on her doorstep, and her daughter is questioning if she should get married. This short book is happy yet sad; hopeful yet somewhat depressing. A quick choice for a book club.