*DNF*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nope, not for me. I could tell pretty quickly that this isn't my kind of writing style and I was getting bored so I put it down.

Lovely book. Read it in a day as it was easy reading. Set in London and Dublin and I was gripped from the first couple of chapters. Marian Keyes is an expert storyteller.

This was the book that I ended my last WIRL post with, and unbelievably my first Marian Keyes read, but definitely not my last. Amy’s husband Hugh is the one taking a break, to find himself, and then he’s gone. The book questions what and if he returns, how Amy’s feeling and how she copes and then the realisation that if Hugh’s on a break, then so is she and all this set with the backdrop of keeping a complicated family life going, as of course Amy (break or no break) can’t just drop everything and head to the other side of the world, getting to London is challenging enough.

This isn’t as funny as some of Marian Keyes earlier books, but not as black as others. It’s certainly absorbing.
Amy’s really good husband wants a six month break and to be unmarried if he meets anyone else, but he insists he will slot back in as normal at the end. Amy is shocked, hurt, upset and enraged but can see the poor man has not recovered form bereavements.
She appears to do all she can to protect her family, as she did throughout the marriage, but events are revealed to prove this to be not quite the case.
The book is peopled with really believable friends, colleagues and an unspeakable ex-husband. The star of these is the vlogging granny!
It becomes very political with the pro-abortion faction being countered by only extremists who disagree, and could perhaps have included a less rabid pro-life voice, but Amy, as we find is not well balanced. Her online ordering becomes an unstoppable addiction and what seems like a normal family is a messy mass of contradictions because it is so very true to life.
You couldn’t call this a light read because one gets involved and wants to scream advice from the sidelines

Another great book from Marian Keyes. I’ve read other books by this author this one was just as good as those. I really enjoyed the story and the characters were well thought out.

I'm a huge fan of Marian Keyes and this did not disappoint. Beautifully written, full of wit and wisdom, what's more to say? Highly Recommended!

Wonderful . Marián Keyes at her very best. I loved it . Perfect read for all fans of this author . Massive 5 stars from me .

Loved it! I'm a big Marian Keyes fan and this didn't disappoint - I laughed and cried in equal measures.

Absolutely FAB!

This humorous and witty book with characters that are somewhat in a fantasy world. A bit slow but good to read leisurely after a long week at work

Such a great story. I related to the characters and their plight. I was completely drawn in and couldn't wait to get back to reading it when ever I had to put it down. It has all of the things you expect of a Marian Keyes novel, humour, love, sauce, intelligence, empathy and accessibility. It's smart and wise, I loved it! Marian Keyes at her absolute best!

The Break is a book about Marriage and the struggles of life and trying to make it work through the ups and downs. Its about Family, Love, Grief, Relationships, and starting over

There's no one like Marian Keyes, she does relationships and people and Ireland so well there is just no comparison. A funny, heartfelt, relatable book about a woman finding out more about herself.

A lovely easy read that I thoroughly enjoyed. It had lots of romance running through it but mature enough for those in their late 30s onwards to enjoy. Amy is a very relatable character and had me laughing out loud many times. I’m giving this book a 4 star rating as it dragged at times, but if you’re a fan but of Marian Keyes then it won’t let you down!

Hugh tells Amy he needs a 6 month break to 'get his shit together' Amy doesn't want him to go, but he does. And so Amy learns to live without him. This is the story of how Amy manages.
I quite enjoyed this book. Marian Keyes has a good way of writing that is sad, funny and everything in between.

I haven’t read a Marian Keyes book for ages, I really enjoyed the previous books I’d read by her so when I got the opportunity to request The Break from NetGalley I couldn’t resist!

Even though I knew the basics of the storyline, Hugh’s revelation still hit me hard. I suppose I put myself in Amy’s shoes and, honestly, if felt devastating - it says something about the writing that I could feel that strongly at such an early stage in the book.

I was fascinated to see Amy adjust to a different way of life and her reactions felt very real to me, up one minute and down the next. There were touches of humour that lightened the mood a bit and I was grateful for that as sometimes Amy’s loss felt a little overwhelming.

I couldn’t wait to find out where the storyline was heading and I had so many questions that kept me powering through the pages. What would Amy get up to during the break? What was Hugh doing on his travels? Would he come back and what would happen if he did?

The Break was an emotional and thought-provoking read that entertained me throughout.

Amy & Hugh have a happy marriage but when Hugh suffers a series of personal tradegies he decides he needs 6 months travelling to find himself again. Amy is devastated but vows to carry on for the sake of the family.

We follow Amy as she deals with the aftermath of Hugh leaving which truly devastated me, my emotions ran high as she struggled her way through. The dark moments were lifted by the absolute hilarity of her eccentric family which made me giggle.

An absolutely gripping read that I would recommend to anyone

This is another classic Marian Keyes book covering a real-life topic. I love her books, and this one is no different. I think it has more sex than the storyline warrants, crossing over a little into a bodice-ripper for the sake of it, but it is genuinely a good read.

In the past, I have really enjoyed reading Marian Keyes novels and have found them to an absolute rollercoaster of emotions. I approached this book with trepidation as it has been quite a while since I have read her books and really didn't want to be disappointed.

This novel is based around the O'Connell clan who live in Ireland. Amy, an O'Connell daughter lives in Dublin with her family but works between Dublin & London. The story follows the trials and tribulations of family life centred around the heartbreak caused when your husband decides that he wants to up sticks and go travelling around the world for 6 months... by himself... without you... and this journey of self-discovery may involve picking up other women along the way... but it's OK, he's planning on coming back to you at the end of the 6 months! OOOOKKKKKKK! Amy feels like her life is over...! The story really focuses on the 6 months that Hugh, Amy's husband is away and the upheaval caused upon his return.

Reading one of her novels is like meeting an old friend and picking up where you last left off. Her characters are so well executed and you cannot help but like them. Reading this story, I could feel a real empathy for Amy even though I have never been in this situation (thank goodness!). Keyes builds the wider family in to the narrative really well and you finish the book feeling as though you really know the O'Connell clan. You can laugh along with them whilst at times you might want to cry with them. I didn't find that I became an emotional wreck with this book (unlike some of the others...Anybody out there I am looking at you!), but it was an enjoyable read all the same. You may not agree with all of the outcomes of the novel or the way the story line develops in places, but that is life, we don't always agree with it or have control over how we or others react to situations.

An entertaining read that I would warmly recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley, Marian Keyes and Penguin UK, Michael Joseph, for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my, Marian Keyes back to her very best with this story.

The central theme to this novel is not that all men are b******ds, but that is often takes two to spoil a marriage.

When Amy's husband Hugh announces that he wants to go travelling to South East Asia for six months - alone - Amy is knocked for six. He has struggled with the deaths of his father and best friend close together and although Amy realises he needs help, vanishing to sleep around on a Thai beach while she has to hold her large and somewhat dysfunctional family together was not what she had in mind. He is clear - this is a marriage break and he will be free to sleep with other women. What he hasn't bargained on that if he's on a break, then so is Amy, and that may be a genie that just won't go back in the bottle.

A fab novel, long admittedly, but it keeps on going at a good pace that never falters and is full of laugh out loud moments as well as heart-break and poignancy. The ending is maybe not what you are expecting, but it is the right one.

This is one of Marian’s best. I laughed, I cried. Didn’t want it to end. You could relate to the characters. Well recommend this.