40-something Amy is married to solid, dependable Hugh and they live with their three daughters in Dublin. Actually only two of the daughters are Amy’s and only one is Hugh’s – it’s a very modern, blended family with extensions branching out across Amy’s five siblings and their various offspring and partners. Hugh decides one day that he needs a break – from Amy, their family and his job – and tells her he’s going to take six months out to travel to Thailand, sleep with other people and find himself. Amy is distraught and the book follows her attempts to keep life going as normally as possible for the girls, maintain her job and create some sort of independent life for herself.
It’s not a bad book at all, it just didn’t grab me in the way most of Marian’s previous books have. I love her humour and warmth and both are on display here in this funny and engaging family saga, but I struggled with the length and (lack of) pace. I did enjoy it, but I wanted to enjoy it more.

This is rather different to the other Marion Keyes books I have read, partly because the heroine, Amy, is so deeply unlikeable which gives it an interesting perspective on a broken marriage and the causes. Also, the characters are more mature than the 20-30 something which is traditional for the chick-lit genre. No classic happy ending here - it's sad, grubby and convincing.

Unsurprisingly from this author it's very well written and I raced through it. I wouldn't be surprised if this marks a shift in her writing and we see the author published more "serious" fiction in future.

I enjoyed The Break, a story about a marriage in crisis and what happens throughout their 6 month break.
I was hooked from the first few pages.
Amy is married to Hugh and has been for 18 years, Hugh recently lost his father so in taking stock of his life he decides he needs a break from his marriage, from his life and from everything he knows and goes traveling.
Amy is left to pick up the pieces from her and their children's lives, will she want to get back to where they were before when Hugh returns? Or will she want a clean break?
Well written and a great page turner. Another great book by Marian Keyes.

This book owned me, took over my thoughts and stayed with me until I managed to find more time to pick it up again. Despite it being mega -angsty and gut wrenching it was the best book I've read in ages.

The author totally nailed the slightly boring, average, going through the motions family dynamic in this. I'm a similar age, been married a similar number of years and I recognise all too well that slightly depressing sense of watching life go on elsewhere while you taxi the kids around, go to work, get the boiler fixed and put the bins out week after week. So that really resonated with me. That's why Hugh's decision to take off around Asia with his backpack to find himself while leaving Amy to deal with their life and his kids alone kind of incensed me. That he was open about the fact that he was fully open to putting it about during his sabbatical tipped me that bit further over the edge.

I cannot lie, while I was fired up with rage, I was totally gripped. This story absolutely consumed me. Totally monopolized my thoughts, had me wondering what if...I can't remember the last time a book broke into my thoughts like that.

It's challenging to read about someone - who could be me - trying to keep her life together in those circumstances. Fortunately Amy had a quite fascinating job, a crazy family and lots going on at home to keep me riveted.

What I really loved, aside from the emotional torture, witty observations and bittersweet moments was what an uplifting read this was. Amy starts out as the downtrodden, slightly bored working mum, but she really comes out fighting and that made me feel so proud.

An absolutely cracking read that has left me with a big old book hangover as everything I've picked up since has seemed pretty ordinary by comparison. Highly recommended.

This is my first, but not last Marian Keyes book. Amy's husband Hugh has recently been through the death of his father and then a very close friend. Hugh has found these deaths very hard to understand, so his answer is to take a Break from his marriage. This leaves Dublin based Amy to cope with a job in PR that takes her to London every week, a father with dementia, a mother who has found an new lease of life and three daughters. One is from her first marriage to a football player, who becomes a famous vlogger, one is from her marriage to Hugh and the other is really her niece. Hugh goes and leaves Amy to sort everything out on her own. He says he will only be away for six months but what will happen on his return. Will they just pick up where they left off?
Really good entertaining read.

I found this story rather slow to start and didn't really like the characters . Ì was disappointed as I have loved all other books by this author

A firm fan of Marian Keyes, I was a little disappointed by this one. It seemed to drag on and I didn't get those 'laugh out loud' moments that I've had with some of her others, I also saw a lot of the plot coming. It was predictable and nice, but I wouldn't rush to recommend it to people.
It hasn't put me off of Marian, and I shall be reading whatever she brings out next!

It seems to have been ages since I last read a Marian Keyes book; I'm sure it isn't, but like a few other authors, the gap between offerings feels like it lasts forever. So it was blissful to get my hands on ''The Break'', and even more blissful to read it - this is Marian Keyes at her best.

She weaves a tale of love, commitment, loss and discovery so wonderfully that I devoured this pretty quickly. The gut-wrenching heartache Amy feels when Hugh announces he is off on a six month journey of self-discovery is all too apparent, and I could empathise with her feeling of utter helplessness and despair (and the desire to throw the odd hairbrush or two!). And, whilst I knew she would be okay and overcome whatever lurch she found herself left in, I was committed to going along with her - mentally cheering her on at every turn. Or twist, or failed reverse cowgirl - there was a little steamy action going on here - it was quite refreshing!!

And then there were those others left behind in Hugh's decision, what a gorgeous bunch they all were. The whole family is written with such warmth that I couldn't help but fall in love with them a little. It isn't all sunshine and roses for them by any means, but even controversial subjects like abortion are tackled with the compassion and honesty that Marian Keyes manages so well. It's the fact that the characters are just so relatable that makes me love ''The Break''; I mean who doesn't know someone similar to Posh Petra or a Steevie somewhere in their life?

Oh I could go on, but honestly just save yourself the time and go and buy it. I loved it.

Wow I couldn't put this fabulous book down, Marian Keyes is a fantastic author whose writing is very compelling.
The story flowed along and it was very easy to read, I loved Amy though found her to be a bit pathetic at times, especially at the beginning, and I really disliked Hugh for being so selfish but it was great to see how Amy developed as a character and how her great children were also mounded by the events.
Definitely recommended.

I do absolutely love Marian Keyes and her voice and humour really shines through in her writing. You instantly bond with Amy and her wonderfully eccentric family, and there are entertaining parts with a plot I found really interesting, exploring "mid-life crisis" and a search for meaning in monotony. However, I struggled with the length of this book, for me it needed condensing or a fair bit more clout to keep me from realising I was only 20% in and finding it a bit of a slog.

This is the story of Hugh and Amy. Hugh decides that he needs a 6-month break from the marriage and his life and he flies to South East Asia on a back packing vacation leaving Amy behind devastated. This story follows Amy through those 6 months.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it was a light and perfect summer holiday read that kept me hooked the whole way through. Excellently written, funny in places. I would definitely recommend this book.

The Break is the story of a marriage in crisis but despite the seriousness of the subject Marian Keyes manages to inject humour into the novel which moves the reader from tears to laughter.
Amy and Hugh have been together for 18 years and their relationship is obviously becoming stale. Both are yearning for something more. When Hugh's father dies and he is orphaned at the age of 44 he undergoes an epiphany. The death of a close friend soon aftewards pushes him over the edge and he decides he wants a break from his wife and 3 daughters to go travelling. However he only wants 6 months and he will return to them at the end of this period. The question the reader asks at this point is the same one that Amy asks: is this a temporary "break " or really the break-up of the marriage?
The story is narrated in the present by Amy, a PR agent in Dublin with flashbacks to earlier times before Hugh left.
Amy is forced to cope on her own and she finds it difficult. She doesn't hear from Hugh and misses him dreadfully. She becomes a single parent to her 3 daughters overnight and has to cope with all sorts of crises alone whilst Hugh is backpacking in the far east like a twenty something trying to put meaning into his life and as Amy suspects having lots of sex!
She finds out who her true friends are, not Stevie who she has known for 30 years but Alastair her work partner is great, even taking her to a story telling session for adults to try and help her sleep in the midst of her wretchedness.
I loved Amy's extended Irish family, particularly her 72 year old mother who inadvertently becomes a media star when Amy's daughter features her on her cosmetics vlog. One scene had me laughing out loud!
As well as the humour and tragedy in Amy's situation there is also some romance but is it really true love?
This is a book that really makes you think about relationships and how they must be nurtured. It is the simple things in life that can give you the most pleasure- like watching a box set with your family or going to a movie. Amy misses these when Hugh is away. She misses the companionship of a best friend as well as the love of her husband.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all the wonderful characters in it. By the end I felt that I had adopted them all as part of my family. Amy is such a feisty character in some ways but so needy in others. She is a great mother and always puts her daughters first even when she's feeling wretched.
Marian Keyes depicted her so well that I'm sure most readers would be able to see a bit of themselves in her.
I thoroughly recommend this book but be warned ; you will need to set aside time to read it as it is a lengthy novel! Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

Marian Keyes at her best. Heartwarming and affirming with moments that will make you cry with laughter. Highly recommended.

Marian Keyes novel about a marriage break-up in Dublin.

This long novel deal with Amy, a 40ish PR expert, living in Dublin with her husband and her three children. When her husband, Hugh, decides to take off for six months, their lives change dramatically.

With a fair amount of first-person narrated introspection, the novel moves along quite well with flashbacks about Amy's previous marriage, the early part of her second marriage and the birth of her children. Characterisation is good and the varuious characters are well-drawn and unique.

Interesting regarding the ways of a modern Irish family, this book also encompasses infidelity, sexual pleasure, abortion and many other modern issues. It's bang up-to-date for this period regarding social media and the power of the media.

As a 64-year-old man, this is not exactly my first choice of novel as chick-lit is not really my genre. However the book, although long, is engaging and entertaining with occasional humorous moments to lighten the mood. I'd recommend it to any fan of the author and of the genre: you won't be disappointed.

Wow, another absolute belter of a book by Marian Keyes. I loved this book so much and I was gutted to reach the end!
The book is told from the perspective of Amy, a married mother forced into solo parenting when her husband takes a 'break'. As a married mum to two little girls I'm not sure I could be as accepting or understanding as Amy, but we get to see her stand on her own two feet and take the bull by the horns - or even Josh, in a hotel room.
This book is charming and witty with plenty of twists and turns. The characters are well written and endearing, I especially love Amy's YouTube sensation daughter and mother.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to anyone, and cannot wait to read the next Marian Keyes book - fingers crossed there is one

A different story to the usual tales by this author but still very readable and enjoyable.

Wow, what a brilliantly written book. I followed Amy's rollercoaster of emotional feelings throughout the book after her husband wanted to have a 6 month marital break. I feel sad to have finished the book and leave behind Amy's extended family which I was feeling very much a part of. I would highly recommend this book.

Unfortunately, I was really disappointed in this book. I'm a great fan of Marian Keyes and have always enjoyed her humour. I found 'The Break' a bit tired! The plot wasn't hugely interesting and I felt there were gaps that could have been developed. All in all I thought the book lacked the Keyes shine and both characters and plot were underwhelming.

'The Break' encompasses some very real relationship dilemmas. Anyone who has had an affair, fling or divorce will find something to laugh and cry about. Some really insightful reasons why some relationships come unstuck. I liked the description of poor Hugh being low on the 'to do' list. If you don't make time for each other in a relationship it's all too easy to drift apart. The realisation of Hugh's mortality giving him cause to plan 'time out' from his marriage. The abortion sought in England brought to mind the plight of Irish women featured heavily in the media and politics in 2017. The death of Amy's dad being eased by the grieving process already in motion watching Alzheimers take effect, was something I can attest to. Overall a story of our times, well written, funny and insightful.

Oh Marian, I've missed you! Have to confess, last book was a disappointment to me, This book, however, is right back on form and I loved it. Still missing the Walsh's, but loved the extended family in this book. Well played Marian, more please!