Set over the 3 days of her daughter’s wedding, this book is an insightful read into the complications of a divorced couple and their relationship. Really well written and highly recommended.

This book is so boring. I am not a fan of ‘stream of consciousness’ writing, which is what this is, related over 3 days. Every tiny detail about what anyone said, what they ate, where they walked, where they drove, how they were seated for the wedding- all are described in minute detail.. The main character Gail, is not remotely likeable. She behaves bizarrely in most situations. She comes across as cold and unfeeling. Her ex- husband Max, and her Mum, by contrast, come over as nice people. The bride, daughter Debbie, is just a name on a few pages, but we do learn that she is blonde and beautiful.
It is the strangest wedding I have ever read about, is this the American way to do a wedding? What bride goes clothes shopping with her parents on the morning of her wedding day? What mother of the bride throws on a dress she’s had in her wardrobe for ages, wears no make-up? I kept waiting for the story to start, then discovered I was at 97%
The only saving grace is that the book is very short.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book. It just was not for me.

I neither liked or disliked this book; I found it a bit bland. Gail reconsiders her work relationship the day before her daughter’s wedding; where her daughter also finds out something disappointing about her future husband. I just felt this book very bland. Sorry, I know others have given great reviews.

The narrative follows the journey of Gail Banes as she navigates the whirlwind surrounding her daughter’s upcoming wedding, covering events from the day before the big event to the day after. Over the course of these three days, Gail is confronted with echoes from her past that deeply affect her, prompting her to reevaluate her life and confront the possibility of adapting to change or coping with loss.

The upheaval begins at the school where Gail works. Out of the blue, she’s informed that her job as an executive associate has been eliminated, and she’s labeled as too socially awkward for the leadership position she had hoped to secure. Dazed by this turn of events, she walks out of the school without even gathering her things. Returning home, she’s met by her ex-husband, Max, who shows up unexpectedly with a cat in tow but no suit for the wedding. Max explains he needs to stay with Gail because their daughter, Debbie, refused to host him at her place due to her fiancé’s allergy to cats.

As if that wasn’t enough to handle, Debbie soon arrives in tears, sharing a shocking secret about her fiancé just before the rehearsal dinner. The revelation threatens to derail the entire wedding. Debbie’s confession triggers painful memories for Gail, reminding her of the event that led to the end of her own marriage, stirring up guilt, regret, and sadness. Gail and Max attend the rehearsal dinner together, with Gail still wrestling with doubts about her daughter’s decisions—and her own.

Should she keep the cat that Max brought along? Should she return to teaching math, a profession she left behind many years ago? Is it possible to start over at 60, or is it too late to take chances and reinvent her life, even if it means risking more mistakes? Does she have the courage to make meaningful changes?

I adored this touching and engrossing book. Gail and Max are wonderfully eccentric and vivid characters, and it’s easy to see how they were once drawn to one another. Gail isn’t so much socially awkward as she is blunt and unfiltered, speaking her mind without hesitation. She’s intelligent, prone to overthinking, and a bit of a worrier. Max, on the other hand, is the complete opposite—easygoing, taking life’s challenges in stride, often lightening tense moments with surprising comments. Despite his carefree demeanor, he has a deep understanding of people and their motives, offering wisdom from behind his laid-back exterior.

The character development and candid storytelling kept me hooked from start to finish. I’m giving this book a solid five stars and highly recommend you add it to your reading list for 2025. Don’t let it linger there for long—dive into it right away!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers at Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Anne Tyler has done it again with *Three Days in June*, delivering a heartfelt and simple story that feels like a glimpse into the real lives of her characters. Her writing style is beautifully understated, allowing the small, everyday moments to shine in a way that's both touching and relatable. I felt completely absorbed in the story, as if I were living alongside the characters, witnessing their struggles and joys firsthand.

What truly made this book stand out for me was the ending—it left me feeling incredibly happy, tying the story together in such a sweet, satisfying way. It’s a book that reminds us of the beauty in ordinary life, and I found myself smiling long after I finished it. If you love character-driven stories that feel real and meaningful, this one is a must-read!

There's nothing not to love about an Anne Tyler book. She takes the commonplace challenges of everyday life and turns them into low-key drama with neither fuss, not fanfare, but always with her usual trademark warmth, wit and wisdom.
This story takes place over just three days. Preparing for her daughter Debbie's wedding, Gail is forced to house ex-husand Max and his rescue cat for a couple of nights. As the story of their failed marriage unfolds, the reader reaches an understanding of what it is like to be Gail, and to be Max.
At first Gail seems a straightforward, if slightly on-the-spectrum, character, but as we get to know her, it becomes apparent there is much more to her than meets the eye.
Ditto with Max - don't make the mistake of dismissing him as a lightweight philanderer.
As the narrative of Debbie's wedding plays out, with its own dramas, the relationship between Gail and Max is explored in minute detail. Anne Tyler is so good at pulling out the emotions that even a mundane conversation about breakfast becomes a thrilling event. Every word, every action, every interplay helps drive the story on, establishing the characters and the situation they are currently in firmly in the reader's mind - and in their heart.
Because that's what Anne Tyler books stand for - for the heart, for what it is to be human, for living well despite life's vagaries, forgiving, forgetting, loving and being loved.
She reflects the best of life and I always come away from her books with a warm glow in my own heart from her reminder that humanity is what counts in a world that can be scary.
She is a writer of true genius.

It’s always such a pleasure to get lost in an Anne Tylern novel. I read this book over a couple of hours , at under 200 pages it is a sharp character study of Gail; a school administrator, divorced , and quite socially awkward. The novel takes place over the weekend of her daughter’s wedding. Her daughter Debbie reveals something about her soon to be husband, Gail’s ex husband shows up with a foster cat, Gail may be losing the job she’s held for years and there seems to be a lot happening all at once in Gail’s calm and normal life.

This was a delightful read. Realistic characters , vivid setting, dry humour, uncomfortable situations and an exploration of family dynamics. Tyler writes real life situations with such clarity and wisdom. This book will be published in Spring 2025, if you haven’t read Anne Tyler before, this novella would be a lovely introduction to her books and for Tyler fans, this is such a treat.
4.5 stars.

Three days in June is written with Anne Tyler‘s customary wit and spare prose which conveys such clarity of character and setting that I’m there walking along the pavement of a typical American town, meeting an overbearing mother in law or standing in a field of waving golden wheat, or was rye or barley?!
I find the humour in her books laugh out loud funny, it’s so very dry. Her characters are all too human and so we recognise ourselves in their frailty, moments of deliberation and awkwardness.
Gail and Max are prime examples of this and I loved them! I was rooting for them to have a good three days during the period of their daughter Debbie’s wedding.
So many of Gail’s traits seem to indicate a level of autism and I wonder now whether many of her characters are the same. I remember instances where other characters have too force themselves to look in another’s eyes, they adhere to strict rules and black-and-white thinking is prevalent. I had not really considered this before. Has anyone else noticed?
Breathing lessons still stands as my favourite of Tyler‘s books, but this warm and witty novella about another all too real couple of people comes a very close second.

Thank you so much to the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

When I spotted Three Days in June, Anne Tyler's forthcoming novel, on Netgalley, and was approved for it, I was over the moon and delved straight in.

Three Days in June follows private-school administrator Gail, who may or may not have just lost her job, over the three days surrounding her only daughter’s wedding. Together with her ex-husband Max, she muses over her past mistakes, reflects on Becky’s childhood, and considers what’s in store for Becky and her soon-to-be husband, who seems to have been caught hiding something he’d rather not have his bride find out the day before their wedding.

Just like the other Tyler books I’ve read so far, this is a lovely examination of human nature. Surprisingly, it’s also filled with plenty of humour, the kind that only a couple that’s so used to each other’s moods and ways can conjure.

Truth be told, I kept having to remind myself that I wasn’t reading an Elizabeth Strout book but, in fact, an Anne Tyler; Gail was neither Lucy nor Olive, but boy, she could’ve fooled me.

In short, this was a lovely read and I’m more determined than ever to continue working my way through the author’s back catalogue!

Anne Tyler's new book is divided into three parts, one for each day of these 'Three Days in June'. These are the day before, the day of and the day after the wedding of the main character (Gail's) daughter, Debbie.

Gail has a shock at work on day one, then her ex-husband Max arrives, with a cat in tow. The comedy and drama plays out between them, their daughter, colleagues and prospective in-laws over the next two days.

As with all Tyler novels, the prose slips down like Prosecco, and her insights into family relationships are as sharp as a cake-knife.

This is a celebration in more ways than one. It's refreshing to have a flawed 61-year-old woman as the central character. Tyler makes the exasperating Gail loveable. And there's a happy ending, too.

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A sweet novella from Anne Tyler with her trademark flawed central character narrator. Although fairly predictable, this was an enjoyable read.

Excellent read, loved characters and plot. Been a fan of Anne Tyler for years, she still puts fun into reading for me.

My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Every Anne Tyler novel is a beautifully written little gem and "Three Days in June" is no exception. It covers the weekend of a family wedding, seen from the viewpoint of Gail, the mother of the bride. Gail might be best described a socially awkward, lonely and introspective. Her observations are acute and rewarding. She leaves us in no doubt that she loves her daughter very much, and is proud of her, yet cannot express this easily, nor can she think of how to join in with the wedding preparations.
Equally her relationship with her ex husband is fraught with misunderstanding.
As the days proceed we see her fretting and responding to a series of social and emotional challenges. A perfectly planned and executed, subtle, social comedy is the result.

Her writing is so skilled that this is a very easy read, carrying the reader along through a well described world and story. Recommended.

Wonderful. I enjoyed my short time in the company of Anne Tyler's characters in this novel so much. The writing is brilliant and quickly engages you. It is very short so I read it overnight.

After a setback, the central character walks out of her job on the eve of her daughter's wedding but is so unassuming that this is not the main focus. Her ex-husband turns up to stay with her, and this is OK. The groom's mother takes over the organisation, and this is OK. She has her hair done, hates it, but this is OK too.

But the way the story of these lives unfolded had me hooked though not keen on the ending.

I recommend this novel. I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publishers but my views are my own. I should point out that I have read lots of Anne Tyler who never disappoints.

I've never read any Anne Tyler before. I don't know why - the teetering TBR pile perhaps? Or maybe I was just being contrary when I ignored the recommendations of friends. Now I have even more books to add to the TBR pile, Anne Tyler's entire back catalogue. What a writer!

Gail is 61 and has just walked out on her job. Who can blame her? Her boss at school is going to resign but rather than pass the mantel to Gail this woman has recommended someone else and not only that, she suggests Gail should find another job because she has no people skills. Gail walks out and finds her ex-husband and a cat at her home, both expecting to stay for the duration of their daughter's wedding. Over the next three days Gail reflects on her life and we discover why she and her husband divorced. We also see her come to terms with herself and her situation, A quiet novel, full of compassion and wisdom.. I loved it.

Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

I was hooked from the first page. I read the wonderful Three Days in June in an evening and back again for a couple of hours in the early morning, putting everything else aside.

Anne Tyler, oh so skillfully, tells the story of Gail's life over the course of the weekend framing the wedding of her only daughter Debbie. With barely a blink it seems, Gail accepts her ex-husband Max to stay over, together with a rescue moggie.

Sharply observed, matter of fact, just a little quirky. Happily absorbed, I was sorry to reach the end.

Anne Tyler is one of my favourite authors and this book about Gail and her ex husband Max is full of her trademark insightfulness and gentle humour. I enjoyed every page.

I have read mostly all of Anne Tyler's previous novels, so was eager to read this latest offering.

This tale of a failed marriage and lost years is told with such delicate touch that you really don't notice the time going by. The impending marriage of their only child is weaved in over three days that the book covers; the disruption of a quiet, predictable and grey life ending with a burst of colour that breaks through the silence. Just beautifully written and perfectly pitched.

I look forward to buying the book in print when it is published next year, and can think of many people who will be receiving a gifted copy too.

Thank you for this early copy, it is most appreciated and has not disappointed!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was disappointed when it came to an end, which seemed to happen too quickly.
Gail is getting ready for her daughter's wedding and life throws a spanner in the works. She seemingly quits her job, as her ex husband arrives on the doorstep with a cat in tow. Together, they attend the wedding rehearsal and wedding, reflecting on their own lives and mistakes.
Wonderful storytelling.

Three days in June describes the day before, the day and the day the wedding of divorced couple Gail and Max. Gail is the narrator and we follow her at her job being told she has no social skills and should seriously consider another post, having her former husband and his stray cat stay with her, wedding wobbles if her daughter and the wedding itself.
Gail is not a likeable person who even with editing her initial reaction often manages to say the wrong thing. It is initially quite difficult to care about her but Gail grows on you and you want to know if she can accept her qualities as well as her faults.
A somewhat slight novel redeemed by it's ending