How do you cope when your partner of nearly 20 years announces that they need a 6 month break from your marriage. How would you react? The emotional detail in this book is enthralling and makes you participate minutely.

To be frank this genre is outside my usual zone but I thoroughly enjoyed it. This book has a chatty, meandering style. It's extremely funny, perceptive, and the characters come over strongly. Hugh, Amy's weak, pathetic husband has a mid-life crisis and decides to take six months out of the marriage. This turns the family's world upside down. So there's a mix of humour, soul-searching, sentiment and poignancy as they limp through the ups and downs that face them. I was lost on the designer clothes - perhaps it's because I'm older and a small-town girl. It certainly puts into relief how fragile our security can be and that we should always work at marriage and not take our other half for granted. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read it. I shall post this review to Amazon, GoodReads and my blog after the publication day.

44 year old Amy is blindsided when her husband Hugh declares he wants a break from their marriage to travel South East Asia alone for 6 months. A break, not a break up Hugh is careful to emphasis but that doesn’t matter to Amy. She is devastated. It took her years to trust anyone after her first husband, footballer Richie, walked out on her and left her a single mother. As Hugh jets off with a quick dry towel and rucksack on his back, Amy has no time to fall apart. She has her three children to look after: Neeve, a vlogger who’s glad to see the back of Hugh and is desparate to get her father Richie back with Amy, Kiara who’s wise beyond her years and the dream child, and Sofie, Amy’s niece who’s delicate and has a fragile relationship with her parents. On top of this Amy has her PR job which takes her to London two days a week, her father who has dementia, her mother who has spent years being sick and just wants to have some fun, her slew of siblnigs and there problems and advise, not to mention all her ‘friends’ who only seem interested in Amy to get all the gossip about this Break. However, if Hugh’s on a break and allowed to sleep with other people, so is Amy right? So will she have some fun of her own? Will 6 months away change Amy and Hugh’s relationship? And will it change the rest of the family too?

On the suface, we have the basic story of Amy and Hugh and how this 6 month break will pan out and the idea of falling in love and staying in love. There are so many other subplots to keep everything interesting too. I love Marian Keyes, I’ve mentioned it on here so many times before. Her Walsh family series is my favourite because of the family dynamic and in The Break Keyes manages to nail that family dynamic again. Keyes writes Irish family life so well and it’s fantastic to see this modern family in action: A second marriage for Amy, with a child from her first marriage, a child from a second marriage and raising a niece like her own child, as well as how Amy’s own parents and siblings all interact with each other, the highs and lows of family life.

Keyes is amazing at writing something that will have you laughing on one page and then crying on the next. I could feel my heart breaking along with Amy after Hugh had made his decision to go. And the crisis pregnacy plot was fantastic, something that is such an important issue today in Ireland and that needs to be talked about more. I love that Keyes isn’t afraid to tackle more serious things like this, something she’s done before in past books with issues like addiction and depression. We also get plenty of laughs in this book, especially from Neeve and her granny vlogging, as well as Amy’s work collegues. I love Keyes’ humour, it always has a touch of Irishness to it that makes it so unique.

As for the characters, I neither loved nor hated Amy. I did like her and I empathised with her, but there was other times I wanted to shake her. Which I liked to be honest! Keyes writes complex and real characters who have flaws, it’s refreshing to have a leading character that isn’t perfect. She also writes arseholes well too, you’ll really want to reach into the book to give Hugh, Richie and a few others a good ol’ slap!

A fantastic read if you want something light and funny with substance. I’d love to see a follow up book with this family, they were so entertaining. Hands down my favourite Keyes novel since The Mystery at Mercy Close.

well, an interesting book that took some time to get into as I really didn't gel with either Amy or Hugh at first. But like me, Marian Keyes characters are growing older and once I'd cast aside my disappointment that this wasn't another Rachel's Holiday or Watermelon (or was it Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married?), I began to enjoy this.

An interesting premise - is the grass greener? Would you let your husband do the same?
Can't say that I agreed with many of Amy's actions but it did give me food for thought - and would make excellent fodder for a book club read.

4*

I enjoyed this book, the main character was interesting and had a colourful family life. The story kept you guessing about which direction it would go in next but the end was reassuring.

Another masterpiece from Marian Keyes: The Break

To say I loved Marian Keyes latest offering The Break is an understatement, this book is truly brilliant. It is funny, moving and perceptive. For those of you who are already fans of Marian Keyes, believe me, you won’t be disappointed! And if you’ve never tried a Marian Keyes book before, get out there and grab a copy of The Break because this is definitely a top read of 2017!

Using her unique writing style of laugh out loud comedy, charm and sensitivity Marian brings us Amy O’Connell and her eccentric Irish family. This includes her vlogging mother who likes to ‘go on the piss ‘ with her ‘gin and tonics’ friends and her sister Maura who is married to ‘TPB – The Poor Bastard.’

Amy is a 44 year-old wife, mother and PR professional managing an array of clients in Ireland and the UK. Juggling family life with the pressures of her job and financial constraints, life can sometimes be full on and hectic for Amy. However when Hugh, her husband of 17 years suddenly announces that he wants to go on a break for six months back packing around South East Asia, her life is turned upside down. That break means no contact with Amy and sex with other women.

What follows is the emotional fall out Amy experiences as she attempts to come to terms with the separation and the realisation that she is on a break too. Also hard for Amy to come to terms with is the everyday logistics of that separation:

“I realize that if he goes, all the practical household stuff becomes my responsibility: changing light bulbs, doing the weekly food shop and yes, it might be cliché but it’s still real – the bins. Even seeing a bin gives me the shudders.

The thoughts of Hugh’s extra-curricular riding has been so distressing that I haven’t appreciated how his absence is going to impact on my day-today life, and actually, I’m almost more upset about the bins.”

As I too have a massive phobia of taking the bins out, I can so relate to this! 😉 That is the thing about Amy – she is so relatable that I think many of you will be able to identify with her in many ways.

Although Marian Keyes is such a brilliant comic writer, she never shies away from hard hitting issues, communicating these issues with true depth and sincerity. And The Break is no exception as this is a novel that tackles the issues of grief, ageing parents and the challenges of marriage. Marian also uses The Break to make a political statement; clearly demonstrating her anger that abortion is still illegal in Ireland, not giving women a choice over their own bodies. Go Marian!

“There’s a situation. Not in my life. But with a young woman in my care and…I’ve already said too much.’

‘A young woman in your care?’ He prompts.

‘Is pregnant. And she’s not having the baby.’

‘She’s having an abortion?’

‘It’s the right thing for her. I’m pro-choice. Are you?’ He seems startled. ‘Of course.’

‘You Brits,’ I say. ‘You’re so lucky to be free of all that guilt and shame.’

‘Catholic upbringing?’

‘Not really. Mum and Pop weren’t big God-botherers. But living in Ireland, it’s impossible to escape the shame. It hangs in the air.’

‘You can’t really blame the air for the shame. The shame is a by by-product of Irish laws. Fourteen years in jail for taking a pill? That’s quite a judgement.’”

Another thing that I loved about this book is that it wasn’t predictable as it had me wondering on numerous occasions where it was going to go. However I have to say I wasn’t disappointed with ending; in my view it was just right.

Yes, Marian Keyes is known as a chick-lit writer, but she is so much more than that. Like all her books, The Break has true depth with fresh and realistic characters that you can’t help but emotionally invest in. Having read all of Marian Keyes books, she has been a favourite of mine for many years now. However The Break is definitely one of her best, further proving that she is one of the greatest ever writers out there.

Thank you once again Marian for bringing us another unbelievably brilliant read; and thank you Netgalley and Penguin UK – Michael Joseph for sending me an advanced copy of The Break in return for an honest review. I truly loved it!

Publication date of The Break: 7 September 2017

This is such a lovely story, it makes you laugh, cry, and every emotion in between. The characters, every single one, is just so true to life, they all leap off the page. It is heartbreakingly sad, even grim, in places, you want to get in there, and give the protagonists a slap, and a good shake. I totally side with Amy in the awfulness of what is happening to her previously happy life, but I understand the depression that has caused Hugh's mid-life crisis, so I can empathise with both of them. At the same time, I totally disapproved of Amy's relationship with Josh, very Victorian of me I know! Josh was written so well that I disapproved of him from the first moment he was mentioned. I was so relieved when it all ended happily, it was touch and go there for a while!

An excellent book, well worth reading

Marian Keyes doesn't disappoint and this is a great read that will totally immerse you. As usual it's a modern day story of family life in all its hues. Hugh has gone off for a midlife gap 6months and left Amy to cope on her own. Slowly we unravel all the reasons behind it, and see the consequences of it, all with Keyes lightness of touch and humour. At times I wanted to strangle both Amy and Hugh but that's a sign of great writing.

This book is very well written - portraying the pain of the mid-life crisis as well as that of youth and it's associated pitfalls. I loved the different characters and the emotions that swept them along. Elements of the story were extremely moving; sad and joyful, both. Thoroughly good read.

I squeal with delight every time I hear that a new Marian Keyes book is in the pipeline of publication. I shoot to that bookstore on release date to make sure I get my little hands on a copy. I am never one to worry that Keyes will fail to impress as, as crude as it sounds, you have more chance of seeing rocking horse muck than that happening – no pressure of course Marian!

Keyes novels are always a fun read with real dark undertones of problems that every day people face. This is what makes her writing unique and you can spot Keyes’ signature style a mile off. To say I was excited to read The Break is an understatement, and I was even more eager to sink my teeth into it when my request for an advanced copy was approved!

What we have in The Break is a marriage that is to face the ultimate test of survival – a husband’s mid-life crisis! Hugh, Amy’s husband, has decided that he is going to travel South East Asia alone for six whole months! Whilst our lovely Amy stays at home and goes about the daily grind of every day life which consists of her job in PR and raising three girls. The question though is whether Amy will still be there when Hugh returns from his trip of “finding himself”, and also whether Hugh even wants to return to his old life?! Amy is so upset about this newfound situation, especially as her first husband walked out on her, but Hugh insists he has to do this to find a new meaning to life.

Please do not think that this is your typical story about a break-up. It is about remembering your wedding vows even when times are tough. Plenty of obstacles crop up in the months of Hugh being away though for them to perhaps forget about the whole “for better or worse” thing!

I feel like I now know Amy inside out, all of her qualities – funny, attractive, confident, and all of her flaws – insecure and zero willpower. Keyes really has created the perfect character and I can only guess that the wit and intelligence of Amy is a reflection on Keyes herself.

I loved the flashbacks as they give an insight into Amy and Hugh’s marriage. This was a strong background in which to form my views on what can only be described as a cracking read. There is an absolute gem of supporting characters consisting of Amy’s family. They have her back and you will not forget a single one of them.

This is a story that will take you through the mill of emotions as we follow Amy on her life without Hugh. There are so many laughable moments, but also some tear-jerking ones too. This is about two people trying to find their footprint in life, and whether their footprints will merge at the end…

I was devastated when I turned that last page – thank you Marian for touching my heart in so many different ways in what is an astounding new release for you. Congratulations! This is a must read for everyone and anyone!

Thank you to Elizabeth Smith at Michael Joseph/Penguin for sending me a copy of this beautiful book in exchange for an honest review. I admired this book from start to finish and I hope you like what I have had to say.

This beauty of a book entitled The Break is out on Thursday 7th September and you have to read it… please!

My final word: Thought-provoking!

I have read and loved every single one of Marian Keyes' books and I didn't think she could get any better but I was WRONG!
Amy and Hugh are on a six month break, Hugh wants to go travelling to South-East Asia and whilst he is gone, he wants both of them to behave as though they are single. He wants them to forget about their marriage, the children they are raising and their every day lives. Amy is devastated and angry but she knows she has to let him get it out of his system. When a friend points out that it also means that Amy is on a break and can do what she likes, she begins to look at the situation differently; what or who would she like to do while he's away?
The Break is Marian's sexiest book; it feels much more grown up than her others. Don't worry, she hasn't gone all Fifty Shades but there are plenty of sex scenes and they are brilliantly done. They in no way feel like they are included to titillate but they are integral to the story and go a long way to show how Amy is thinking and feeling. Hugh going tears her apart and the relationship she has while he is away highlights the damage he has done and you begin to wonder if they will ever be able to be together again?
Marian Keyes, as usual gets the balance just right in The Break. The emotions are raw and passionate but I also lost count of the amount of times I laughed out loud. Not just a little chuckle but a full on belly laugh! This is why Marian Keyes is one of my favourite authors, she is still a master of this fantastic genre.
The Break is brilliant and I can't recommend it enough; the characters are well rounded, the plot will keep you gripped and the emotions are expertly explored. Do not miss this book!

I loved, loved, loved this. An easy 5 stars. One of my top reads of this year. A welcome break from the usual genre I read. This is way more than chick-lit, an easy read with the most fantastic characters. However, touches on some real emotional and contentious situations. Wonderful humour throughout. I felt quite bereft when I finished this and left this family.

I really like Marian Keyes writing style. I just kept wanting to read it. in fact I stayed up until 3am to finish this.
Overall I did enjoy the story I just disliked the main character.

http://www.librarything.com/work/19906706

4 Stars!!!

I was given this book in turn for an honest review.

Hugh has decided he needs a break, not a divorce, not a separation, just a break. Amy is left with the aftermath of rumours, questions, and awkward social gatherings. Will this ‘break’, make them, or destroy them?

The Break is an interesting and intriguing read. It’s a story that will have your mind questioning your own morals. It’s also a comical read, one that along with its serious storyline, and the seriousness of other aspects of Amy’s life, has you laughing out loud, right along with Amy; because if you didn’t laugh, you would cry in desperation.

Amy is a loveable character, her humour has you in stitches constantly, and her determination to not let life beat her down, is outstanding. She has really been put through the ringer when it comes to her love life. Hugh is her stable ground, he’s the other half to her soul. So, when he isn’t around, it’s clear how much she struggles to not have the one person she can talk too, by her side.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Break, my only niggle is that it felt a little too long, this is purely my own personal choice and in no way, reflects on the author, the writing, or the storyline. Without a doubt, this story has a lot of strong aspects. It’s a story that has you thinking outside the box; realising that not everything is as plain and simple, or as black and white, as it seems. As Amy narrates us through her current life and her past, she along with us, the reader, realises that she might not be as innocent as she seems in this break that Hugh has decided to venture upon.

I think in many ways a lot of married couples, or those in long-term relationships, will find a part of this story they can relate too. It also shows us, that past mistakes can be forgiven, and that sometimes we aren’t all as innocent as we think. If the bond is there, it can be rekindled, no matter what life throws at you.

This is the type of book where you find yourself over invested in the characters and racing to the finish hoping it all turns out ok in the end.It's not all light hearted though and includes a searingly accurate assessment of Ireland's ridiculous abortion laws. It's light and engaging easy reading but not all fluff so don't expect to be able to put it down until finished.

I started this book with the attitude of 'I'm never going to like this type of thing' and within 10 minutes of starting to read, the following had annoyed me:
Several references to riding or rodeos or gastro riding or being (the worst) 'rideable' when she just meant sex. Is this an Irish thing? Even so, for pities sake, mix up the vocab a bit.
Being introduced to the extended family was like a bad ITV Sunday night sit com. 'Oh don't mind us, we're craaazy round here'! An Alzheimer's suffering Grandad in the corner shouting out abuse, a Grandma asking 'what's the internet', we all get together every Friday for dinner & just as I was wondering where the gay character was, in he comes with an adopted baby, that naturally all the teenage girls adore. Amy's brothers only feature when we're told they are useless. Tsk, men!

However. M Keyes clearly knows what she's doing because even though I was ready to give up after all the 'riding' comments & the trite extended family set up, there was something keeping me interested.

The premise of the story had me intrigued enough to keep me on board. How would someone react if their clearly depressed & struggling husband said he wanted a break, for 6 months, during which time he may have sex with other people...? This is my first Marian Keyes book & I wanted to give it a chance - there's no doubting she does characters well.

There's some really likeable characters that perhaps I couldn't relate to with everything, but certain conversations were spot on.

It's one of those books where nothing really happens, but at the same time everything happens - just life happens. Why do we have affairs & how, if possible, do we recover from them, if that's even possible? Parts of this book will play on my mind for a few days, I can already tell. So despite my annoyance at some truly cringe worthy language, you do end up rooting for Amy & Hugh & their relationship & everyone else caught in the middle.

Some parts however don't read like a narrative between two people & instead read more like an essay (there's a particular one between Amy & Derry that not in a million years would two 40 year old woman say to one another).

One final point though, does anyone actually use the word 'knockers' any more?! Did they ever? There's a completely unnecessary scene where her bra strap snaps & there's a knocker emergency & a knocker pops out & basically knocker is said 5 times in 2 pages. Argh!

Not exactly a happy, easy read as I did feel emotionally drained at times - the main characters go through some of the worst things a relationship can throw at you - but overall enjoyable none the less. An author worth returning too if I wanted a break from fantasy/thrillers/heavy duty fiction.

The premise sounded really interesting - how grief and midlife crises affect a marriage. But even though I've really enjoyed Marian Keyes' books in the past, this wasn't up to MK standard. I found it dragged and the characters weren't interesting enough, so I had to force myself to keep reading just to get to the predictable end.

Oh. My. God. This book… I mean I was in love with Marian Keyes writing before now, I didn’t think you could BE anymore in love, but that’s what this book is about….right?

On the surface, Amy and Hugh appear happily coupled up, until he announces that he wants a break. Not a holiday for two, not a few days to himself…Hugh wants six months. SIX MONTHS. And surely if Hugh is on a break…then Amy should be too? Right?

What would you do if you’re weren’t afraid about what other people think? Amy asks herself this at the start and we follow her journey as she figures out exactly what she would do with a huge chaotic Irish family in the background to throw moments in along the way.

This is the book that just kept on giving. Whilst Hugh is on his break, Amy’s life speeds up into the fast lane and there are twists, turns, trials and tribulations as she navigates her way through everyday life. It’s funny. It’s more than funny, it’s HILARIOUS. At times it’s downright sad but Keyes has that balance that just makes everything work out okay. Oh and Amy’s mother is just the best character… honestly, she will have you in stitches. Those Vlogs need to happen in real life Keyes – what better promo for your book!

I have read a number of Marian's books over the years, and The Break is my favourite yet!

The O'Connell family are wonderful and I really hope we see more of them in future stories, perhaps from another characters POV. Marian has such a wonderful way of writing characters which makes them feel real and believable. There is also many issues tackled in the story, one of the biggest being abortion and the reality faced by women every day in Ireland.

i am a big fan of shows like Brothers & Sisters and Parenthood, and the O'Connells have joined the Walkers and the Bravermans as my favourite fictional families.

As alaways a wonderful story from Marian Keyes, which her fans will love and will gain her many more fans too.