Breathtaking and beautiful. Raw and full of emotion - but not in a shit soppy way.<br>Marian Keyes has been in my life since being a teenager and I am so past being a teenager it's not even funny! What is funny though is that I can't remember the last time I picked up a book of hers but in each and every one, there has been something so <i>relevant </i>to me at the time; this is no different, really.<br><i>The Break</i> is about grief, first and foremost. The unexpected adult emotions that we assume we know how to deal with, but we don't. The way we worry about other's perceptions of us and how we should be feeling. Ultimately, as ever, it's about <i>love</i>. Blended families, love, lust, let-downs and passionate encounters - <i>The Break</i> has it all. I couldn't wait to see what happened and it didn't disappoint. Relationships are never black and white, it's too easy to judge others when you are not living it yourself.<br>I loved the charcters: Marian Keyes has such a way of seamlessly exploring the characters little quirks so you fall in love with each and every one of them. I've always found her writing to be a little more mature than most chick-lit writers and it works so well here. I'd happily give this 8.5 out of 10.

Marian Keyes is one of my favourite authors and this book does not disappoint. It is very well written and I could really identify with the emotions of the main character. Quite sad in places but with Marian's usual comedic bits interspersed. Thought provoking if you're of a certain age.

The Break, by Marian Keyes - I loved this read. I found the main character, Amy, at times frustrating, but, realised as the story developed that was probably because she is so real and three dimensional.

I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed Marian Keyes and was reminded of her when I heard her on Desert Island Discs, so was thrilled to have received this preview copy of her latest book which I loved. I found myself laughing and crying, sometimes within the same paragraph. A story of true feelings, real family challenges and I shall now be returning to read her previous books again. Wonderful!

This is the first time I have read a book by Marian Keyes.
The one thing which I liked about it was the somewhat humorous style of some of the writing. The characters were believable most of the time.
There was a pacey section towards the end.
I don't really know what I expected from the book.
I stuck with this book to the bitter end.
It was too long-winded for my liking.

I give thanks to Netgalley and Penguin UK (Michael Joseph) for a copy in exchange for this review.

Ok so a new Marian Keyes book is always cause for celebration right? Weeeelllll, yes. And also not so much. I love Marians writing and have read all her books, some more than once. I love her humour, her warmth, her honesty, her sense of hope even in the most difficult emotional trauma. And this book has all of that. In parts it is enjoyable, well paced and thoroughly readable. And in other parts it's so slow I found myself skipping pages and pages and not missing them. Too much descriptive narrative which does nothing to add to the story. And the story. Well it's about a couple who take a break in their marriage. And the reasons for the break is not fully explored so a bit thin. And the emotions explored are not fully explored. We are just expected to accept that they just are. And, on a personal level, the use of young people's social media terminology is verging on the ridiculous. If th book was half as long as it is it would read better, if you are a Marian fan there are elements you will enjoy, if you are new to Marian it would not make you pick up another of her books. It was ok. Not great. Not awful. Just ok

Marian Keyes writes good books. The Break is a good book and very readable. For me it would be a down time lazy kind of read. There is no need to get all worked up about it; although I did have to stop reading to look up Bechdel Test. Then I got annoyed with myself because I should have known about that.
Marian Keyes writes much of this book in Amy's head. Her brain is never at ease. None of her friends or colleagues would label her introspective, but she is. She is also scared andworries that she is not, never has been, and never will be, good enough.
I live in my head. I need books that fill it with things that take me away from the humdrum of cooking, working, laundry. Once in a while I can read about real things. The Break is my real book for this year.

After a slow start, I fell head over heels for the family in this book. I pressed forward on my kindle again and again before I realised that the book was finished and how disappointed I was, that it had. An eclectic bunch of normal people, who struggle with the normality of life. Trials and tribulations; ups and downs; call them what you like and they appear here in abundance. I placed myself in their situation over and over again! We all have our 'what if' scenarios and wonder if this is all life has to offer. I am happy with mine...let's hope their happy with theirs.

A man decides he wants 6 months off of his marriage. How will the wife handle it? A deep descent into marriage and Irish family life, with angst, joy, pain and love. Not my favorite read of the year but interesting to explore the protagonist’s mind and heart.

(Will add reviews on goodreads, amazon after it's published)

I always love a Marian Keyes book. Yes, I did enjoy it but possibly not as much as some of her other brilliant books. Worth a read. Always nice to read something new. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. My thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

I couldn't put it down! The book features forty-something Amy whose husband Hugh decides he wants a 6 month break from the relationship and the story follows Amy (and her family) as life goes on without Hugh. The story was completely relatable (woman trying to work full time, raise a family, elderly parents and still have time for herself) and current including touching on the situation around abortion in Ireland. How Amy learned to be on her own was became more important than wondering if Hugh would return. I would recommend this book.

Ah, Marion, you never disappoint. You make me laugh, you make me blink away the odd tear, and most of all you make me want to meet your characters.
Loved The Break, especially the daughters and LOCMOF. I did feel irritated with the whole idea of a husband "needing" to get away and expecting to return and find all as it was, but that aside, it was enjoyable and had me immersed in the story.

The Break by Marian Keyes a strong a great four-star read. I have been a fan of this author for so many years, when I was a sad 17-year-old who had moved three hundred miles away from home, she kept me laughing with her stories. I will always be a huge fan, and jumped at the chance to read this story.
I thought this book was so well written, it tells the honest to goodness story of a grown-up relationship. It’s all about how just because you love someone doesn’t always mean you are in love with them. It also shows us that being in love is one of the hardest things to do, and sometimes you need to fight for love. I wonder if it’s true that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, I also wonder if what happens on a break, really stays on a break?
Amy faces a battle with everything she has ever known, her friends and family are all wondering and enquiring, and all the drama pushes her close to the edge, will her husband pull her back or push her over?

I love Marian Keyes' novels. I think she is one of the best authors in her genre. I have read nearly all of her books and will look forward to reading the next ones. However, I was not fully happy with this novel. The problem might be that I could not like the main character Amy. She had everything and she put it all at risk. Then she put the blame on his husband (who was not faultless admittedly). The other thing I did not like was the constant changing of the time and perspective. This is not what I expect in a "chick lit" book however high standard it is. Also, I felt the author wanted to cram too many issues into the plot. Some of them are really important and I can understand that she wanted to take a stand on them, but the outcome was that light hearted parts mingled with serious ones so the novel did not have a unified tone.
But despite all this the book was brilliant at parts, and really enjoyable as is customary of the author. I can recommend it to everyone who is interested in the difficult relationships and different roles of modern women.

I’ve always been a fan of Marian Keyes, especially her earlier novels, but this one has brought me firmly back into the fold. The Break is wonderful, an authentic and heart-warming portrayal of a marriage’s ups and downs, which had me alternately laughing and in tears. Great pace, a sympathetic and likeable heroine, brilliant secondary characters (I particularly loved Amy’s three daughters) and a lovely twist at the very end that brought the story to a satisfying close. Highly recommended.

Reading this was like catching up with an old friend after not seeing them for years. I remembered how warm and comforting this author's writing can be - how I always see myself, or a family member, in there somewhere; how it's like a warm hug; how it's just - engaging.

On the surface, there doesn't seem like there could be enough of a plot to keep a book going for 400 pages. Amy and Hugh are married (happily), with an almost-grown-up family of young women. Hugh suddenly declares that he needs six months off - a break. A break from family life, from Ireland, from his marriage. Amy is left behind to pick up the pieces while he's off doing who knows what with who knows who - will she cope? And what happens if she copes too well?

That's the story - but this author writes Irish families like nobody else. There's a brazen vlogger determined to see Hugh off once and for all; a sweet, adorable teenager who is wise beyond her years; a young woman facing the horror of a crisis pregnancy in a country where abortion is illegal; a hoard of "friends" who really just want all the gossip; a couple of dream work colleagues, a Granny who is trying to enjoy herself while looking after a spouse with dementia; and, at the heart of it, a woman who is trying to figure out who she is, what she wants, and how it's going to happen.

I loved this - and I instantly remembered why this author used to be my go-to when things were a bit miserable at home. Recommended.

To read what happens when Amy is told by Hugh her husband that he is taking a break from family life and their marriage is quite a shock. This must be every woman's nightmare when they'think they are in a stable relationship. You have to keep turning the pages to find out what happens to all the family . A very enjoyable read

I have never read Marian Keyes books so I was interested to give them a try. I wasn’t disappointed; the story had an interesting storyline, maybe not unique, but still well written and engaging.
I liked the writing style and enjoyed the characters, although it took me a while to get everyone in their place; there’s a lot of family. The story is sad at times, funny at others and quite poignant.
I did find it a little hard going at times and the plot a little lengthy, but overall a good read to curl up with.

Enjoyable summer read but the protagonist is a bit too smug and materialistic to be sympathetic. Being able to recognise a designer brand is the opposite of a likeable characteristic. Keyes has a talent for dialogue though and most of the humour struck a chord.

A very satisfying read which stays with you long after finishing, I can still recall moments despite finishing the book nearly a week ago and being halfway through another novel. Amy and her husband, Hugh, have drifted apart overtaken by demands of modern life, he decides he needs space and sets off, at short notice, on a no holds barred break for 6 months. Amy is left devastated and questions her own life before Hugh, life with Hugh and now life without which she slowly comes to terms with, so she thinks. The book moves between the past and present as Amy goes through many thought processes with a lot of anger and despair, daydreams and actions plus facing up to modern dilemmas which hit a modern family with three teenage girls and aged parents. Hugh returns early which Amy is not expecting so her acceptance of the situation is once again thrown into disarray whilst she takes stock including a new relationship for herself. The book ends in the future, which is a good touch, so often one is left hanging wondering about what happens with all the characters but not really meriting a sequel. Funny and lighthearted in parts with a true life is stranger than fiction feel about it with a good observation of modern extended families with many situations one can relate to. I certainly enjoy this book as I have with previous Marion Keyes books I have read in the past and would recommend it.

Delighted to be approved by Netgalley for an ARC of Marian Keyes’ latest novel The Break, I dived right in once I had downloaded it.
Which is exactly how the book starts. Bang. Straight into the plotline from the first sentence: “Myself and Hugh, we’re taking a break.” Amy and her second husband Hugh have hit a wall in their marriage when Hugh announces that he needs a 6 month break to go travelling around Asia in order to come to terms with his grief having lost both his father and his brother in quick succession.
Amy is left reeling while trying her best to keep life as normal as possible for their teenage daughters, being there to support her mum who is in turn caring for Amy’s father who has dementia – oh, and holding down a hectic job in PR which requires her to travel from Dublin to London to work 2 days a week. Add in the timely reappearance of her first husband, father to daughter Neeve, and the small issue of the raging crush Amy develops on a colleague it’s small wonder that things get a little complicated.
The trials and tribulations of a modern family in 21st century Ireland are described with Keyes’ customary brand of wit whilst skilfully tackling some sensitive issues along the way. I particularly liked the way social media is represented throughout the book, from the barrage of Facebook messages Amy receives from “wellmeaning” friends who are purely rubbernecking on her misfortune when news of Hugh’s departure gets out, to the hilarious description of Neeve’s vlog featuring her grandma.
This book had me laughing out loud from start to finish and in my opinion is one of Marian Keyes’ best novels to date, reminiscent of her early novel ‘Watermelon’ featuring a similar family the Walshes.
No questions about it this is a glittering 5 star read which is sure to top the bestsellers list.