Amy is devastated when Hugh tells her that he wants to take a 6 month break from their marriage. He is, after all the love of her life, and his mid-life crisis will leave her raising three teenaged girls on her own.

This is the second book I’ve read by this author, but definitely the one I preferred. With moody teens and a mother who seems to be reliving her youth, I enjoyed every minute of this story. Such amazing characters, each with their own depths, had me laughing, crying and cheering them on. Will definitely read another Marian Keyes book.

Amy had been let down before with her first husband who was a famous footballer and left her with her first child, Neeve. Amy later met Hugh and soon they had a family when Kiara came along and they gained Sofie as well. But trouble was ahead when Hugh lost two people who he was very close to in a small amount of time. He couldn't get over the loss and soon hit a crisis in his life. He decided he needed 6 months leave from his life... which meant leaving his family, friends and life style to travel and 'find himself'. What follows is a roller-coaster of a ride for Amy and the girls. Family say what they think and tell Amy daily what they think she should do... but Amy does what she thinks is right for her. Brilliantly written and very much a journey we all go on with highs and lows, laughs and tears. A brilliant insight to a true Irish life

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The Break is about Amy and Hugh and their family. After Hugh's dad passes away, and then one of his childhood friends, Hugh has a bit of a meltdown. Hugh decides he wants a break from his wife, family and life and goes travelling in Asia for 6 months. The novel is about the repercussions of those decisions.

This was my first Marian Keyes novel and I really rather enjoyed it. Keyes's writing style is really easy to read. I laughed, I nearly cried (it doesn't take much). The only thing I didn't really like was some of the slang Keyes had Amy using. It felt like she was trying too hard to make Amy seem younger than her age and 'down with the kids'. I would definitely recommend this for someone who wants a good bit of chick lit.

I had a couple of days off last week, and was so pleased when I remembered I had this lined up on my Kindle. And I wasn't disappointed! I've not read a Marion Keyes book for a while, and I just loved it. The characters were so utterly believable, and the story blended the hilarious with grittiness to really bring out the issues with strength. Having said that, I wasn't that convinced by Hugh taking off like that, but the reading was so good I was willing to let that ride. The rest, though - that was all incredibly real. Thanks so much for the chance to read it :)

Gosh I enjoyed this! Hugh and Amy are on a break. Having recently lost both his father and his best friend, Hugh has been struggling mentally and feels compelled to go travelling, taking a six month break from his life, his work, his marriage, and his family. Amy has to live with his decision and manage to carry on for the sake of their girls, while struggling with her own feelings and desperate sense of loss and betrayal. Told with Marian Keyes' trademark eye for the humorous and with a piercing honesty, this book really gave me the feels (to use Ms Keyes' vernacular). I neglected my work all weekend so I could finish it and was sorry when it was over.

A tale of messy families, marriage, motherhood and careers, which veers from the humdrum to dramatic and back again. Both realistic and fantastic, somehow it never quite gels.

Its a long time since I read a Marian Keyes book so I was keen to dive into her latest read. I found it heartbreaking and poignant with some of Marian's wit thrown in. It truly shows the modern pressures of life. Definitely one of her best books!

Years ago I could not get enough of Marian Keyes books and then I felt like I outgrew some of her newer titles but I'm glad to say that I could not get enough of this book. Partly this is down to how well the author relayed the emotions of the main character Amy but also because I absolutely adored some of the other key players in the story.

When Amy's husband Hugh declares that he wants a six month break we are drawn into Amy's world of heartbreak, self-discovery and just getting on with it. The emotions portrayed when Hugh leaves are truly heartbreaking and I felt myself truly sympathising with Amy but her path of discovering who she is definitely brings some light and shade to the story. Her scenes with Josh in particular are worth noting. Definitely a shock to the system when it gets down to the nitty gritty.

The chapters I loved most however was when Amy did prove that she could just get on with it and carry on living life with her family. In particular the chapters with Neeve and Lillian are something to look out and I loved the fact that Keyes kept the story modern by drawing on aspects of social media and how crazy things can become on the internet. The teen pregnancy that crops up also in the story is just mindblowing. I loved that it made reference to current affairs in Ireland in regards to abortion laws and I feel that this truly is a sign of an amazing book.

The ending of the story again was something that I did not expect but I'm glad the book ended the way that it did.

Overall I would recommend this book and I hope the next Marian Keyes book is as exciting.

I did enjoy this book, although as others have said, it was quite long. I had a copy from Netgalley so persevered, and in the end I did enjoy it, although some bits were a bit long and I wanted to shout at some of the characters. In the end, though, I had enjoyed reading it. I am reviewing this rather late and have to say I am surprised by the kindle price - I wouldn't have paid that. I imagine it will come down when the paperback comes out.

I really struggled to get into this book and was unable to finish it unfortunately.

This is a brilliantly written book in that all the characters came alive for me, and they were a very mixed bunch! Other people have outlined the story so I won’t go into it, except to say that my overall feeling when reading it, was sadness. There were several sad situations going on and all credit to Marion Keyes, she made me feel for these people and their situations. There were laugh out loud moments, but overall this is not a book to read if you’re feeling low.

This is not the usual type of book I read, I was a bit dubious at first but I have to confess I loved it. The story follows Amy and Hugh and the rest of their family, Amy believes her marriage to Hugh is going great so she is bowled over when Hugh informs her they are taking a break for 6 months and he is going traveling around Thailand. I loved the characters and the story, it made me laugh and cry and also question a few things about life.

Having been recently bereaved, Amy’s husband, Hugh decides he needs a break, to find himself, for six months in Aisa!
He’s not leaving her, he will be back and things will return to normal. Or, will they?
Amy is left to take carry on at home, taking up Hugh’s role within their family as well as carrying on her own. Taking care of finances, her children, her job, the relentless demands on her time and the many opinions of others.
This book is emotional, heart-wrenching and downright hilarious at times with some genuine laugh out loud moments.
Thoroughly modern with a wide network of characters The Break tackles a host of issues including a very sensitively handled abortion storyline.
I absolutely loved this book. I rarely read a book twice but this is one I would read again. Just brilliant, highly recommend it.

I received a free copy of this book from netgalley via the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Marian Keyes novel and I was actually quite excited for it – mostly because when I walked into W H Smiths with a friend of mine who is a big fan, and we saw a stand full of shiny new copies of THE BREAK, she actually “squee”-d.

After that excitement, I was actually pretty disappointed. This could have been a really great book but I just thought it was a little hit or miss. I’ve no qualms with the actual writing, and I would be happy to pick up another Marian Keyes book to try, but I’m in no rush to pick this one up again.

There were some aspects of the plot I really enjoyed. The actual storyline of Hugh and Amy’s “break” was really good, but I feel like that plot was overshadowed halfway through by a smaller storyline involving niece/adopted daughter Sofie. This plotline is then mostly forgotten about until the climax of the novel, where it is brought back front and centre when daughter Neeve vlogs about it. While I know this storyline was being used essentially as an excuse to keep Hugh and Amy talking, I just felt it was slightly irrelevant to the actual story.

Overall a disappointment but not a disaster. I’ll try another book by the same author some time and see where that takes me.

I loved the synopsis of this book and was raring to read it as I have enjoyed many of Marian Keyes previous books.. The story gripped me from the start with a husband that leaves to take time to find himself again leaving a wife hurt and confused as to what the future would hold.. We meet her very quirky family and learn their various life stories intermingled with the turmoil of our heroine and the battle with her concience regarding a previous relationship which she has now rekindled. The storyline had promise but for me the book was much too long and at times I struggled to get through it although I did persevere to the end

I am never disappointed with Marian Keyes. A great contemporary read about a wife whose husband decided announces he needs a break to go off backpacking in Asia. The book follows the story of how the family cope and survive whilst he is gone. Loved it.

Marian Keyes does it again!
The Break is a fantastic story of marriage, family, friendships, love and desire.
Amy and Hugh are having a six month break. After the death of his father and close friend, Hugh feels he needs to find himself and needs a six-month break. Amy’s world is rocked by this revelation and we watch her try and deal with the fallout of Hugh’s departure.
As with all Marian Keyes books, the characters are relatable and realistic. Amy’s family are a wonderful blend of young, old, eccentric, modern characters that really connect you to the book and the story. The book is filled with Keye’s usual laugh out loud moments that had me chuckling to myself. But there’s moments of heartbreak too as Amy deals with the fallout of Hugh leaving. Without giving anything away, this is a fantastic story of a “middle-aged” woman who learns to find herself when her world seems to have fallen apart.
I absolutely loved The Break and couldn’t put it down! 5 great big stars from me!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

5 Star Review for Netgalley

When Amy’s husband Hugh announces that he needs a break – away from his life, away from his home, and away from his marriage – Amy is completely lost. Tasked with supporting her husband as best she can while her heart is breaking, staying strong for her family and maintaining a hectic professional life, the six month ‘break’ she never asked for seems more like an ending.

I read The Break, funny enough, while recovering after breaking my wrist. In the boredom of “resting up and feeling better”, I found it hard to connect to anything. I thought I would catch up on loads of TV series, but everything seemed to annoy me. Reading anything too light wouldn’t hold my interest, but anything too complicated was too much for me when I wasn’t able to concentrate or, in particular, if I had to pass time in a doctor’s office or hospital waiting room.I think I read a lot of the book on my first trip back to the emergency department, a day I had been dreading; I had to get up hours in advance to get back to Dublin from my parents house, hang around in various waiting rooms all day, and kill time later that evening, when I would be able to do nothing for myself until someone came to visit and, essentially look after me.

I couldn’t have picked a better novel. It was so engaging that I lost all sense of what was going on around me, and it didn’t bother me that I was uncomfortable or sore or worried, or on edge in the busy hospital. It was also that sign of a brilliant book that meant that, no matter the disruption – a brief visit to one nurse and then back to wait for an x-ray, for example – I was ready to dive back in straight away. Marian Keyes is the ultimate comfort, not because her writing is not serious or harmless in any way, but because it provides both escape and solace in the familiar. I warmed to Amy so quickly I couldn’t believe how I was jumping to her defence in the initial chapters. If this book was written by any other author I would have hated Hugh with a vengance, but instead I raged at him, so much so that I missed a doctor calling my name several times, but ultimately the character didn’t seem “evil” or unrealistic. I ended up seeing how complicated the situation was, and ended up learning and awful lot from reading about a relationship, so realistically written, with people older than I am who have lived lives I have not, and have not experienced yet.

I couldn’t have loved The Break more and will recommend it to everyone I know.

This book is Keyes back at her best, i have not been overly impressed with her last few, but this felt like her earlier work, where you were crying with laughter one minute and crying from despair the next. I love big dysfunctional families like Amy's, and I loved Amy, I'm not sure how i would cope if my husband just decided to up and leave for 6 months, to do whatever they want. Its a must read and so happy to see Keyes back at her best

A fantastic book- Keyes back to her best! I loved this modern marriage story, about the everyday of running a household, whilst an extraordinary thing is happening- her husband has taken 6 months off. Brilliant.