I have always loved books by Marian Keyes, this was no exception.Funny, sad made me cry and made me smile,
Loved this book

I've read all of Marian's books and I think this is one of my favourites. Brilliantly written and observed, it made me both laugh and cry. I loved it because I wasn't sure how the story would end and it kept me guessing. I loved how Amy dealt with the situation and how she grew as a person over time and through the experiences she went through. There were some serious messages linked to life today's issues such as blogging, abortion and disjointed family life which were thought provoking. Absolutely loved it. Thank you Marian x

A little hard in places but readable. It shows that men can have mid life crisis too. Funny in places

Thank you or should I say tanken yew so much for letting me read and review Marian Keyes. There is a reason why she's so popular, so funny yet down to earth. It's really great to read about someone who is the same age as me and doesn't have it all. Amy and her family are the new Walsh family, I can definitely see more books about the family. I will be putting this book in everyone's hands.

This is my first Marian Keyes book in a while. I love Marian's writing but the plot for this book just felt flat and I thought there would be humour in it but found none. it was a good idea, but nothing really happened. I enjoyed the ending and that it didn't go the way I thought it was going to go. I found out things about the law in Ireland and I didn't agree with the actions of the characters.i know I'm been vague but I can't say anymore without spoiling it.

Thanks goes to net galley and the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review

A witty look at Amy and Hugh's marriage when he announces he is off to SE Asia for 6 months. Amy is always juggling her life with the PR Firm she owns with Alastair and Tim, her daughter from her first marriage Neeve, then their daughter Kiara, plus her brother's daughter they have raised as their's called Sofie. When she begins a flirting friendship with Josh on her London days working for the P R Firm she is treading on dangerous ground, Plus suddenly her ex-Richie begins to re-engage with her and for the first time includes Neeve the daughter he has neglected since their marriage broke up. It is a fascinating insight into a marriage with the inclusion of a large family (Amy's), a Volger (Neeve), the PR Company's clients plus a mother who reinvents herself through a blog. A great read from a well known writer, something you will not put down until the last page!

Marian Keyes never fails to deliver and this book is no exception. The characters are so real and she doesn't shy away from tough situations. I'd love to see a follow-up to The Break.

3.5
I don't think enough books deal with real issues couples face like the ones in this story. Everything isn't all happy happy and fun all the time and this was shown very well in this story. I really liked all the characters and how things developed.

ok so this one took me a little longer to read then I was expecting .. but I did enjoy it , I'm just used to shorter books I guess , I really loved the characters especially Neeve who was very witty and funny , I didn't really like Hugh at first but even in the end he changed my mind and im so glad amy went through what she did , I haven't read a marian keyes book in years but I'm so glad I picked this one up , I remembered how much I enjoy this authors work

The story centres around Amy, a PR executive based in Dublin who regularly commutes to London. We learn that her husband Hugh, dealing with bereavement has decided to go travelling solo for six months, All is not as simple as it seems and we soon learn from the story switching back and forth from present day to 16 months previously that Amy may have contributed to Hugh's decision. I found this an enjoyable story, with many layers but found it a bit drawn out.

It has been a while since I read a book by Marian Keyes. Personally I had moved on to other genres, mainly crime thrillers. However I was given the opportunity to read an ARC and am so glad. As a result of enjoying it so much, I have dug out all my old Marian Keyes books (Lucy Sullivan is getting married, onwards) and I'm going to relish re-reading them all! I have been re-converted! It is a great book and will make you laugh and cry - this is not your bog standard chick-lit, its' a real cut above that.

What does happiness look like? Is it meeting in a London hotel room for an illicit night of passion with someone who isn't your husband? Or is it sitting on your sofa with your family watching My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend?

This is the central question of "The Break," the latest novel by Marian Keyes. The wonderful thing about the novels of Keyes is how she sneaks in a serious exploration of a controversial topic (in this case, abortion) into a book about something else entirely. But she also takes time to look at mid-life crises ("The Break" of the title), along with being middle aged and bereavement. But also: happiness, and how it sometimes occurs when you least expect it. Like when you're on your sagging sofa, not in luxurious hotel room.

Is this a perfect book? No, I'm sorry to say that it's not. But it's a cracking good read and I enjoyed it immensely. Highly recommended to anyone who is on the wrong side of 40 and trying to figure out life. Still. (Aren't we all?)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Marian Keyes delights with this Irish family saga. After many happy years together Hugh suddenly announces to his wife, Amy, that he wants to travel around Thailand on his own for six months with no contact at all. Amy, naturally shocked tries to stop him but to no avail. Heartbroken she tries to keep going immersing herself in work as a partner in a PR company., and spends each week travelling between Ireland and London. Famiky life at weekends is typically "Irish"! The inevitable happens and, having seen a photograph of her husband with another woman on Facebook, she embarks on a passionate affair. Needless to say Hugh returns home earlier than expected and .... but to say more would spoil things for readers! Enjoy

Amy O’Connell has been happily married to Hugh, working hard and dealing with her two very different children, Neeve by her first short-lived marriage and Kiara, her and Hugh’s daughter. They are also responsible for Sophie, the child of her irresponsible brother Joe, who spends most of her time living with them. Amy has a job in publicity which takes up a huge amount of time and is always one client away from having no money. Life is hectic but on the whole happy.

Suddenly her husband Hugh drops a bombshell on the family. His father has died of cancer and also his best friend, in the past year, causing him to withdraw himself from everyone. Amy feels it is just a grieving process so is totally unprepared when Hugh announces he needs a break. He is going to backtrack around Asia to ‘find himself’ and yes this might involve sleeping with other women but he will definitely come back in six weeks and he still loves Amy.

The book describes brilliantly how the six months pass, the emotions that Amy has to go through, the struggles she has, the problem when Sophie announces that she is pregnant and wants an abortion which is illegal in Ireland, the attraction she feels to someone she meets at work and the subsequent affair, which is in the process of ending and the way her friends act towards her in different ways.

Suddenly on Christmas Day only three months after leaving, Hugh returns and wants everything to go back the way it was. He has had a few fleeting encounters with other women but states that they meant nothing to him, he loves Amy. He is completely aghast when he discovers that Amy has also had an affair whilst he was away.

Marion Keyes has written lots of books in this vein concerning relationships and emotions although I have never read any of them she is obviously a master of this type of story. The characters come to life and you really empathise with Amy and her predicament. Why should a man be able to relinquish his responsibilities and then return and want to continue as if nothing has happened? Should Amy take him back and carry on? Why is it wrong that she had an affair?

I really enjoyed this book, although the main subject matter is guaranteed to make people think. It is also full of funny moments and rich characters too many to mention in a review. This is another author who already has a large back catalogue and will go on my ‘try to read more of’ list.

Dexter

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

What would you do if your husband said he was going on a break from your relationship for six months? He was leaving you to cope with the children,the house, the bills and your job. I would certainly have more to say than Amy did. So Hugh swans off to Thailand and Amy is left,all she makes him promise is he won't post photos on social media for her friends to see. Amy also has her own agenda, a crush she had on a guy a few years ago and didn't act on it but if Hugh is free to do what he wants,is she free too.?

The best part of this book is Amy's Irish family, especially her parents and her sister. I did have a good laugh at their antics. Amy's mother is driven mad with the father's dementia and is finding solace outside of the home re- inventing herself and becoming well known on the Internet.

I didn't feel so invested in the main story of Hugh and Amy. This is mainly because we didn't get to know Hugh before he left. We don't know what his reasons were except that he wanted "a break," don't we all? He told Amy there would be no contact from him for six months, no texts or phone calls so we never got to know the story from his point of view. The ending was predictable and by that time I didn't care for either of them. The Irish family saved the book in my opinion.

Marian Keyes does it again!

I love reading Marian Keyes' novels, they are so engaging and I always feel part of the story when I read them.

Amy and Hugh are on a break. Not a mini break to a romantic destination but a "I need 6 months away from my marriage" break! Hugh has had a tough year and he feels that six months backpacking around Asia would make him feel better. But he doesn't want to be married whilst he's away. Amy is traumatised, she thought Hugh was dependable and wouldn't leave her like her previous husband did.

The story follows Amy whilst Hugh is away, there are flashbacks to previous times and these fit really well.

The characters are relatable and I felt like I was experiencing all the emotions along with them.

Touching on current issues and trends (youtube vloggers for example) it handles situations carefully and are not sensationalised at all.

All in all a great read and I would recommend to anyone!

I really wanted to enjoy this book as I have loved Marian's other books especially her older books about the Walsh family which were full of drama and humour. It started off well with humour from Amy especially when Hugh tells her he wants to take a break from their marriage. But after a while I just lost the thread and didn't know where the book was going. Such a shame.

This was a long book, a little slow to begin with as the writer had to introduce the complicated family set up, but had plenty to keep you interested. Made you think about an number of issues, abortion, social media, old age, plus basic trust and honesty between partners. Feel good factor though as life worked out in the end. Good summer read.

A real rollercoaster of emotions in this book. A great story, I felt for Amy but guessed she was a strong woman and would do the right thing by her family. This was a true break and I feel Hugh learnt a hard lesson.

The Break is another absorbing, interesting and humorous read from an author I've loved reading for years: Marian Keyes. I was so ready for a new novel from this brilliant and funny Irish writer and I was definitely not disappointed!

You sort of know what to expect from Marian Keyes's new novels but The Break surprised me in many ways. For one, it was more emotional and upsetting than many of her other novel (or so I felt anyway). Amy's husband Richard has what seems to be a sort of mental breakdown after the death of his father and decides he wants a break from their marriage - and yes, a proper break, heading to travel around Asia and potentially involving romances with OTHER PEOPLE! No wonder Amy was devastated; as much as Richard can say it's nothing to do with her personally, how on earth would you NOT take this at least a little personally?

Mental health is something that's affected various people I know and care about in the past, so reading this felt very emotional. At times I felt genuinely sick reading about the betrayal that Amy feels, imagining if I was in the same situation.

Don't get me wrong - there's still plenty of the classic Keyes humour we've all grown to expect and love. Amy really made me laugh, though I definitely did not agree with some of her choices, and she's definitely not perfect - as we learn in this novel. However she IS really likeable, witty, and fun, and there are some very humorous moments; in fact this novel has a lot of likeable characters, and even when you think you'll hate a character or have them completely figured out, you realise you don't because people are not that black and white.

The Break is a fairly long novel but I loved every minute, despite the emotional subject matter. It made me laugh, cry, and consider the fact that there really aren't many (or perhaps any?) completely perfect marriages - they take work. I'd definitely recommend this novel to fans of Marian Keyes or anyone who enjoys 'chick lit'/ women's fiction with an extra level of depth.