Thank you Penguin Group Putnam & NetGalley for the ARC! Clover Hendry's Day Off was an enjoyable read with a lot of "girl power" vibes. Clover is a BOSS for how she handled herself throughout this book, and if you know me, you know I love a strong female protagonist! I also appreciated that she wasn't the typical 20-year old character who we see time and time again.

While Clover could be frustrating at times. I really enjoyed her narratives of what had happened in her life to get her to where she is now. This book is good fun and was the perfect escape from reality. Thank you Beth Morrey for a fun book!

Thank you NetGalley for the early ARC for this January 30, 2024 release!

Clover Hendry's Day Off is what I'd summarize as a chick-lit "discover your inner power" Britain-based book about a professional mom who's had issues with being a people pleasing doormat to her friends, colleagues and parents (mostly her mom).

Clover Hendry is the primary character - a married woman with a nice husband, twin teen boys, and a decently successful career in TV production. Clover wakes up one day with a migraine and takes a handful of painkillers and decongestants from the "leftover med" jar in the kitchen. After feeling a little out of it on the train into work, she gets accidently hit by a flying briefcase, and then her day takes a major detour. No more work; instead she takes Clover Hendry's Day Off.

The book is written in three parts over a single day- morning, afternoon and evening - with an alternating chapter structure highlighting Clover's day today vs. a day in her past. Clover has a sister she loves, and a mother who is terrible. She doesn't trust many people, but has a couple of close friends, and says yes when she mostly means no. At 336 pages it is a great length.

The author, Beth Morrey, is British, and there are language and regional references that some US based readers won't get, but it all works out. I loved her writing and the sort of humorous, but very relatable, commentary on various relationships in Clover's life. The premise is simple, which makes it a nice approachable book, but it has real teeth to the messages within. Who can't relate to the awfulness of being a people pleaser? The challenges of midlife with kids, work, parents, spouse? Who wouldn't love an excuse to do whatever you want and tell it like it is? We can take inspiration from Clover!

There are side stories with various characters, all of which are pretty satisfying, and could have been even more featured IMO, to make Clover a bit less of a focus for the entire book. 5 stars!

This book was cute. I love the cover and the bunny. The FMC gives strong independent woman vibes which is so nice. This book was an easy read for me and kept my attention.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the premise of this book, but it became a bit tedious and repetitive. Although there were some funny moments, as the story progressed, the MC became increasingly unlikable. This could be a fun read for some, but unfortunately, it wasn’t a good fit for me.

I haven't hit my 40's YET but when I do I want to be like Clover Hendry on her day off! This is such a delightful book and I noticed that I was smiling ear to ear while reading. If you want a book with a relatable heroine and have enjoyed the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, then read this one!

Absolutely charming, perfect book. Fantastic writing, excellent details, and fantastic, really intelligent humor. So well done, lovely book I'm so happy I got the chance to read.

A throughly entertaining book that surprisingly got pretty deep with generational trauma, motherhood, and loss of identity that comes with it. Would absolutely read again.

I found this book very charming while also being thought-provoking as one wonders what they might do if they took the day off from trying to be everything for everyone else all at once.

Clover Hendry has a bit of a chaotic morning that sets off an entire day of essentially responding to happenings around her and to her exactly how she wants to without worrying about being ‘polite’ and ‘accommodating’. She frequently does everything she can not to make waves, but today, she’s going to be an entire hurricane.

There are a lot of humorous moments throughout Clover’s day, but there are also a lot of introspective moments. A lot of examining why we, especially females, demure toward not pushing back on things, not demanding our worth both professionally and personally, and the feeling like we need to do everything without asking for or accepting help. There are a lot of interesting family dynamics woven into Clover’s day as well that help answer some of the previous questions for her specifically. Additionally, there are moments that show that sometimes even when speaking the truth and standing up for yourself or your loved ones, there is still a need for consideration on the delivery.

The biggest issue I had was the flow of the story was at times chaotic as it jumped between Clover’s present day and pieces of her past that framed what ‘Old Clover’s’ reaction to the moment was or would have been compared to ‘New Clover’s’ choices and actions. I understood the purpose, but it threw me off on occasion.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and thought it was refreshing and original.

Interesting story about what you can when you just want to say what you’re actually thinking at work one day. Clover takes her husband’s pain pills and spends her day going about her normal activities with a twist. Some laugh out loud parts but some bring moments of reflection as to how often we let things go just to get along. Good read.

This was a fun book. I could relate to some of the things Clover was going through. You would think it would be easy to say no to others and yes to yourself, but it’s really not if you are a people pleaser. It was fun to go through it with Clover. While going back to the past and seeing how Clover was and dealt with situations was pertinent to the story, I’m just not a fan of flashbacks in general. But other than that, it was a great story with great characters.



Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC. ~I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions, favorable or otherwise~

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was full of him our and realness. The realness I can imagine comes with being middle aged and having teenagers as kids. I liked the back and forth in time lapses between the present and the past, it gave more perspective in terms of wondering if during your life you’ve made the right choices. The dinner scene had me cackling!

Clover is a mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend, and executive television producer when she takes a day off from acting like her normal, responsible, keep-quiet life. She is inadvertently thrown into a bunch of unusual and hilarious situations throughout her day and ends up learning quite a bit along the way. I found the book to be a little melodramatic and obnoxious, especially in dealing with her mother. Overall it was an enjoyable read!

Clover hendry’s day off took a wrong turn somewhere, but I am not sure where. It could have been funny or serious but it tried to be both which led to a very mixed message. It’s a good airplane read that you leave for the next person and immediately forget. I do think it has its reader and I would recommend to someone who enjoys chick lit with a weird social message.

Fun, lighthearted read with surprisingly insightful messages about mother-daughter relationships, the often thankless slog of parenting and household management, and the importance of saying no to others and yes to yourself.

The characters were fairly well developed; some (like Robbie or Susie) could have been fleshed out a bit more to add more depth to their interactions with Clover. But they were still likeable. The plot was mainly linear, with several interruptions to go back to prior points in Clover's history. I thought it worked well and gave her more dimension as the book proceeded.

I enjoyed this quick read and will be checking out the author's prior titles. I received this book as an ARC.

I love the premise of Beth Morrey's newest novel. Overworked, overwhelmed, people pleaser, wife and mother of twin teenagers Clover Hendry’s life is so familiar to many of us. How many times have we wished to just step away from our lives for a day? To say what we really think? Due to a perfect storm of circumstances Clover is given that chance. For one day she does what she wants and says what she wants to her boss, her mother and strangers she encounters. There were moments of the book I found funny but also moments that were cringe worthy and sometimes mean. I had a hard time reconciling the Clover we were introduced with in the first chapter and whom we learned about in flashbacks with someone who could be often unkind. Maybe it was just me but I ultimately had a hard time connecting with Clover. I loved Beth Morrey's first two novels and I think this book will be many reader's cup of tea.

This book is the perfect summer read. Clover Hendry is every woman, trying to get things done while not upsetting the precarious balance of her life. However, when her day goes awry after a disastrous meeting, she decides to stop meeting expectations and start doing what she wants. The day that unfolds is full of adventure, amusement, and action. The book is a quick read, but contains the larger message that using your voice and asking for what you want doesn't make the world end and might actually help you to get what you need. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it was exactly the empowering escape novel I needed during a rough week.

I don't know how many times I watched "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" when I was a kid. I can still hear the funny voices coming from the VHS cassette, as if it were groaning in pain, screaming at me, "Hey kid, just try watching some Brat Pack movies and stop rewatching me!"

Years later, I find myself as a middle-aged woman who is terribly jealous of Ferris, who could easily ditch his responsibilities and have an extraordinary day filled with adventures, outsmarting his annoying principal. And here comes Clover Henry, representing every middle-aged woman dealing with numerous struggles, constantly putting others' needs before her own until she reaches her breaking point. She's a dutiful daughter, a devoted wife, a good mother of twins, and a hard worker. She never says no to anyone, even though she feels utterly miserable, slowly crumbling from within. But finally, she decides to give zero sh*ts and flips a bird to the universe, taking a day off! What has changed? What pushed her limits so far that she changed her mind?

This novel is an absolute riot, exploring womanhood, motherhood, and finding one's place in the world. The journey of Clover's life, moving back and forth in time, helps us understand how the decisions she has made and the paths she has chosen have led her to her current struggles.

The author's witty perspective, laugh-out-loud moments, and entertaining family interactions made me root for this book. I easily connected with the characters and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them.

I highly recommend this lighthearted, highly entertaining, and incredibly engaging novel!

Many thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam / G. P. Putnam's Sons for sharing this amazing book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I. Love. This. Book!! If only I could be Clover!! This book made me laugh out loud, and left me thinking over and over "why can't I too? I absolutely loved it. Great writing, great story, great book. Read read read!!

Beth Morrey writes novels that I devour! Her latest Clover Hendry’s Day Off had me at hello! The storyline is extremely fresh and original and I found myself completely captivated! When I read it was a Ferris Bueller’s Day Off for a perimenopausal woman in her 40’s, I KNEW it would be a book for me lol! I really appreciated that there were many laugh-out-loud moments, but this novel also tackles some heavier subjects which makes it extremely relevant and relatable to real women everywhere. I thoroughly enjoyed taking this journey with Clover Hendry and did not want this book to end! Clover Hendry’s Day Off is a true MUST READ and I highly recommend this 5 star novel for everyone’s book club!

Clover is just one of those people who wants to please. She is unable to set boundaries at home or work. While she may not volunteer for things, she is unable to say no if asked. She doesn’t delegate well and thus ends up doing most of the work that, as a supervisor, she shouldn’t need to do. She is overwhelmed and stressed out with family and the career. Until, one day, she snaps. This book follows Clover over a one day period as she becomes a force to be reckoned with. I loved the story and found it to be a fun and amusing read. I highly recommend it as a light and quick read. Many laughs as I also wished for a day off. Thank you to NetGalley and GP Putnam’s Sons for the digital ARC. This review is my own.