The Break

I usually enjoy Marian Keyes novels but this one just irritated from the start. I thought the premise of the book was ridiculous and Amy's reaction unbelievable. Very little happens and I was left feeling that I just wanted to give her a good talking too. I also felt that the other characters could have been developed more as they were way more interesting that dull Amy and duller Hugh

Vintage Marian Keyes - The Break features all that cutting, insightful humour that Keyes' readers love. There's never a victim or a villain - everyone is human in Keyes' world and this is no exception. Good people behave hideously at times, men can't deal with grief, we hurt the ones we love most. I alternated between cackling out loud and feeling raw over well-aimed lines like this one: "Perhaps life is just repeating the thing that scares you the most over and over until it doesn't frighten you any more."

Only got about halfway through and couldn't go on. The main character is too much of a doormat for me. Plus the names and spelling were just too jarring - and not just one or two - since when is Niamh spelt Neeve? Declan spelt with a y? Sophie spelt Sofie? Amelia shortened to Amy? The names all seem to have been boganised - perhaps for an American audience?

The blurb extols the humour. The book wasn't funny at all. The author tries - you have the usual mix of eclectic characters but it doesn't work. Couldn't buy the whole break nonsense and didn't much like Amy. I finished it but it was way too long and the epilogue not necessary. i skimmed it on a sofa day while sick. Otherwise i might have abandoned it.

I have read most of Marian Keyes books, and usually enjoy a light hearted account of sometimes not so light hearted subjects. This book feels like something completetly new, and somehow had a lot more depth but with the same result for me. Will be on the lookout for more from Marian Keyes. Thank you

Review from jeannie zelos book reviews

Genre: Women’s Fiction, romance.

Its years since I read a Marion Keyes novel. Looking back on my reading history for me it seems to go through cycles, and its been a while since I was attracted to this type of novel.

Something about it called to me though and I am so glad, its an incredible, moving, thoughtful novel, not all doom and gloom and sad broken relationships but sharp, witty humour, a wry look at the realities of modern day family life, a look at how our pasts can affect the now and how even the most content seeming people can crack.

I’m blaming Marion for the fact that today I’m feeling – as my dad would have said “like a wet weekend”. I’d just finished the fabulous Clara Coulson novella Dream Snatcher at about 8.30 last night and decided to start this.

I knew it was long, I love long novels so planned on reading to maybe half way, but time ticked on, midnight came and went and finally about 2 am I finished….

I just couldn’t stop, I had to know what would happen next, how Neeve’s vlog was doing, what Sofia was planning, how Keira was coping, Hugh leaving affected so many people.

Amy’s work partners, they’re supportive and yet there’s a job to be done, and who can really understand what’s happening on someone else life.

Amy’s friends all have different views, coloured by their own experiences, and then there’s her extended family, sisters and brothers, children, partners, and her parents, dad with dementia who scares off all but the most hardy of carers, and mum, well, she was a terrific lady, finally seemed to have found life after years of ill health that left her children to really bring up themsleves. I loved her in Neeve’s vlog, her way of saying what she wanted, what wasn’t really quite acceptable but with a charm and sparkle that negated any possible offence.

Then there’s Hugh and Amy. Amy had been through a husband leaving her already, divorced at 22 with a young child her husband had never helped since, despite his fame as a footballer, and all his money. She was determined to never rely on a man again, and she’d picked herself up, finagled the balance of work, home, childcare somehow, all the while helping her extended family.

Then Hugh came along….he’s a charmer, wears her down and is just truly adorable. He treats Neeve as his own, adores Kiera when she comes along just months into their dating, and when Amy’s irresponsible brother and his weird partner finally – well, dump I guess – their daughter Sofia on her Hugh just accepts her as part of the brood, and life expands to fit in yet another member.

They really seem to have a perfect marriage, money’s tight, but then so it is for most people, and finally they have a tiny nest egg after Hugh’s father dies and leaves them some money.

His death affects Hugh badly though, and a close friend dying soon after tips him into, not really depression but a sort of discontent with his life. Amy thinks later Could she have seen this coming? I don’t think so, its easy to use hindsight but at the time we’re immersed in the eternal struggle of home, kids, family, work and sometimes it takes away moments when we could have spotted an issue. Or not. who knows?

When Hugh drops his bombshell, he’s done the figures, he’s spending some of the nest egg on six months away, backpacking in Asia. He’s not leaving her he says, he just won’t be married for that time.

Wham, poor Amy, she’s gutted and who wouldn’t be? Lets be clear, he’s planning to act as a single guy, tells Amy she has the same freedon and that he’ll be back to pick up things in six months.

I was so angry and yet like Amy so confused. How on earth did he think they could just pick up the reins again after that?

She tries all sorts of arguments, she reasons, offers other suggestions, cries, tries persuasion, guilt, everything she has. She loves him, he’s been her other half, her help-meet for so long and she can’t imagine life without him.

She could have ranted, run him down to freinds and family and yet, he’s still her Hugh, still the man she loves. That doesn’t sit well with everyone, and no-one really knows what to say or do.

The final day comes though, Hugh is off and the family have to learn to live without him. I was thinking “what happens now? What if he meets someone, what if Amy meets someone, and if they don’t, how can they pick up life without resentment?”

I really wanted to hate him, call him all sorts of names, and yet I couldn’t because I knew he wasn’t a selfish man, he’d just reached the point of no return, knew if he didn’t do something drastic he’d crack and they’d all fall. This way, well – if he’s very, very lucky maybe, just maybe they can get their lives back.

I don’t think he’d really though beyond that “must get away” issue he had, in theory it all worked because he wanted it to work but life isn’t that easy. Its a huge gamble, and I just had to see how it played out, hence the 2 am finish….

It could be a novel full of doom and gloom, bitterness, sadness, fractured families, but its not. We see just how families can pull together while also being a huge source of friction, see how we do cope when we think all is lost, life does go on, work has to be done, food has to be bought, bills to be paid. That drudgery, that slog provides the reason to keep going. And the humour. Surprisingly there’s a lot of really sharp, funny humour, moments and phrases that had me sniggering. I’m a bit of a face-book addict, have to have a sneak each morning to see what friends have been doing, have posted, and this gem really rang a chord

“Instagram is the worst for that inspirational crap. Nothing is too banal or too obvious that it can’t be posted”

Oh yes, I’ve seen so so many of those!!

I’ll stop now, I’ve rambled far too much but it really is a fantastic read, sharp and observant, full of pathos, sadness and yet hope, looking at families, at modern issues, at falling in love, and very importantly, staying in love, and just how far a marriage can stretch before it fractures.

It made me think “what would I do” and to be truthful, I don’t know, any more than Amy did.

Stars: Five, terrific read, hard to put down, so just leave yourself time so you’re not reading into early hours as I did!

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

I found myself in the Shannon, Ireland airport looking for a book to purchase since my carry-on had been confiscated and checked (too heavy). All my books and entertainment were in that bag, so I set about the task of choosing something new from a selection of surprisingly unfamiliar titles in the airport bookstore. Upon closer inspection, I realized that nearly every book for sale in that store was written by an Irish author. Therefore I was excited to make a new literary discovery and I chose this title by Marian Keyes, who is apparently a hugely popular bestselling author in Ireland and the UK. I get it: the book is funny, touching, and impressively well-written. The author has a gift and the large library of successful title under her name is no fluke. I didn't immediately understand every cultural reference and I wan't always familiar with the slang or local dialogue, but the story is universal and very relevant. The pain and confusion experienced by the protagonist will be immediately familiar to any reader who has experienced the difficulties of maintaining long-term relationships. There is even an abortion subplot that deals with Ireland's prohibition of abortion, which caught my attention since Ireland voted to lift that ban while I was there purchasing this book. I might even buy another book by Keyes, because I'm interested to know what else she has done.

My Thoughts

Your husband wants a break. What do you do? Do you flip your top? Do you push him to go and enjoy his break or do you make him stay?

A break for me says someone in a marriage/relationship isn't happy and needs time for themselves. I mean, that's the only logical explanation I have because I, myself, have never been on one before so.... I got curious when I saw the book and read the synopsis.

It's scary when you're married or in a relationship to think about a break when you don't even need one. But what would happen if I or my husband would reach that point? Hof would either of us react? Would we survive? Or would we split up and go separate ways?

The ride home from the bookstore was gruesome, to say the least. I had so many questions and needed answers from the chick-lit I had bought.

I love Marian Keyes books. She has an amazing writing style. It's truly a pleasure to read her stories because they're so easy-going with the perfect amount of depth.

`The Break`was a fun and exciting read with so many feels. I had so much love and hate boiling inside me but then again- I felt alot of understanding for the characters and their actions.
( Not the break part. That crushed me.)

Without wanting to give anything away I would say this is a relatable read. The idea of a couple that loved each other to bits, even after so many years of being together, suddenly being challenged by one tiny life choice... plus the involvement with kids and work and everything else that comes with life is really not too far fetched.

My kind of Chick-Lit!

I did not only enjoy reading this relationship romance because it made me go through the „what if's“ afterwards... I also enjoyed `The Break`for what it was- Entertaining.

It took me 2 days to start and finish 568 pages, and boy... was my heart all over the place.

The only complaint I have it that the end was a bit „So, this happens,... color out the rest for yourselves.“. The end didn't quite get as much attention as I hoped for.

A reader gets alot of well written scenes on what happened before the break, during the break, and after the break. It felt like the real closure didn't get a proper spotlight moment.

Nonetheless- I still enjoyed reading `The Break` by Marian Keyes.

Would I reread the story? Sure. Sometime in the future, most definitely.

Would I recommend this read? Absolutely. Although it's a rather larger book it's well written and the reading flow is great. Chick-Lit lovers will definitely get a kick out of this one.

The Cover – 5 stars ( A total eye-catcher. Simple, in-your-face subtle.... I love it )

The Story – 4 stars ( As a whole I'd say it was really enjoyable. But the end didn't really do it for me. I expected more.)

The Characters – 4 stars ( Great. All aside from Amy's husband, Hugh. Would have liked for him to have more... more.... more.)

My emotional state after finishing this read- Satisfied and waiting to read something new from the author.

I'm giving `The Break` by Marian Keyes 4 out of 5 stars.

I’m not normally interested in mainstream romantic fiction but Marian Keyes is one of those writers who transcend genre. Over the years she has managed to combine some very dark issues (domestic abuse, addiction, bereavement) with sharp humour and zeitgeisty references (though she does write rather more about shoes than I would like).

The Break is about Amy, a woman in her forties with two daughters (and care of her niece) and a loving, responsible husband, Hugh. After a crisis in his life, Hugh suddenly decides he wants to take six months off and backpack round Asia. Amy is left in Dublin to cope with her busy PR career, the three girls, the machinations of her friends and extended family and her own emotional turmoil.

The Break has all the Keyes staples. It’s packed with the usual cultural references. There’s a big, eccentric Irish family (with more than a passing resemblance to the Walshes, who feature in many of Keyes’ other novels) and lots of stuff about clothes, minor celebrities, YouTube vloggers, social media sensations and the ever-shifting norms of middle-class life. Amy is a tougher, more pragmatic heroine than in some of the other novels and so, despite her sadness around Hugh, you feel like nothing too terrible will happen (although conversely there weren’t as many laugh-out-loud moments).

I whizzed through it and mostly enjoyed it but I did feel that it lacked something – and that something was probably a stern editor and another draft. (I’ve felt this a few times with big name authors, presumably the limiting factor is time rather than money.) There’s a lot of repetition. The period between Hugh saying he’ll go and him actually going drags on for far too long. There are plot points that are set up but never paid off and some of the reversals come from nowhere. Amy has a superfluous sibling who adds nothing to the plot and becomes just another name to remember (perhaps not coincidentally, there are also five Walsh siblings and Keyes herself is one of five). Key events lose their impact because they take place off camera.

All in all, The Break has an episodic feel, more like a soap than a novel. Big issues are raised, dealt with and then forgotten, rather than contributing to a building of the narrative.

Despite these reservations, it’s a fun, breezy read, with some good set pieces. Hardcore Keyes fans will love it.
*
I received a copy of The Break from the publisher via Netgalley.

Marian Keyes is back! The Marian Keyes of 'Watermelon' and 'Rachel's Holiday.' The real voice of an author I cut my twenty-something teeth on; whose books I devoured voraciously and hungered for more...MARIAN KEYES IS BACK!
Just as her books of young unmarried singletons looking for love appealed to me then, so did the story of Amy appeal to me now; Amy, middle aged, previously divorced, now married to Hugh for the long haul and jointly parenting three girls. That is until Hugh, caught up in a mid-life crisis following the deaths of his father and his friend declares he would like to take a six month break from his home and marriage, alone, to travel and find himself.
Amy is horrified, but determinedly bears the shock, the shame and the uncertainty of life without Hugh. She refuses to engage in enthusiastic, man-hating criticism with her best friend and stoically carries on with her life, dealing with whatever it throws at her - until she sees pictures on Facebook of Hugh - with another woman.
As with all her books, the full story is revealed gradually, piece by piece, woven through flashbacks into the narrative of Amy's present life until the reader has the complete picture, and as always, all is not as it originally seems. Told with her trademark warmth, humour and great characterisation, this is Marian Keyes at her quirky best!

My very first Marian Keyes read, definitely not my last. A book that I know is going to stick with me for a very long time. Not an easy read for me, I had so many emotions and I can't really describe them all without some major spoilers. So very difficult to review without giving away too much, I will say though, as a happily married forty (nearly fifty) something, I have been questioning myself, my husband and my morals since reading this book (and I’m not talking about infidelity per se). The story questions life and relationships, not just marital but also family, work colleagues and friends). The main characters, Hugh and Amy are happily married (or think they are) until a series events leave Hugh needing a break from life, Amy handles it all admirably, until she doesn’t. With some superb supporting characters, some laugh out loud moments in and amongst the drama. I had so many mixed feelings while reading this story (set mainly in Ireland), the story is written completely from Amy’s point of view, the writing I found faultless, I was transformed into the story and Amy’s life, I was hooked from the first page through to the very last line. I was provided with an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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.

The Break by Marian Keyes a strong and 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, and funny you may split or spill reading this story. 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. I've loved everything she has ever written and this book was no exception. True this book seemed longer than usual and the affair story line seemed ill conceived but still I was gripped. I especially was intrigued by the demise of the main character's long term marriage. My 22 year marriage died a similar death and the grief she felt rang very true for me. The ill-at-ease feeling when she had to run into her ex was also written very true to my experience. She nailed the feeling of how bizarre it is to go from being best friends with someone to being absolute strangers with that same person. Many of the characters were written in a complex manner and she nailed the relationships between all the characters. Great, great read.

'Myself and Hugh . . . We're taking a break.'
'A city-with-fancy-food sort of break?'

If only. Amy's husband Hugh says he isn't leaving her. He still loves her, he's just taking a break - from their marriage, their children and, most of all, from their life together. Six months to lose himself in south-east Asia. And there is nothing Amy can say or do about it. Yes, it's a mid-life crisis, but let's be clear: a break isn't a break up - yet . . . However, for Amy it's enough to send her - along with her extended family of gossips, misfits and troublemakers - teetering over the edge. For a lot can happen in six-months. When Hugh returns if he returns, will he be the same man she married? And will Amy be the same woman? Because if Hugh is on a break from their marriage, then isn't she?

When I saw this book I thought ooh a Marian Keyes book I’ve got to get this as she’s a really good author. And yet … and yet on actually reading it I felt a bit let down. Son’t get me wrong – it’s still a good book, but I just expected … more.

The characters are good, believable, and the storyline is good too, but it just didn’t grip me as much as I expected. 3.5*

This is for the kindle edition. I would have given this book 5 stars however the main character Amy really started getting on my nerves! Her husband Hugh takes a 6 month break from their marriage to travel to South East Asia. She is left with a busy full time job, a home to run and 3 teenage girls to look after. We start to feel sorry for Amy but when her story goes back in the recent past, is she without guilt in Hugh's decision to leave? Read on.

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.

We all fell in love with Keyes after reading Watermelon and Rachel's Holiday well over a decade ago. Since then Keyes books have been lacklustre. She'd set her writing talent benchmarks so high, her fans wanted more great writing from her. So after years of average to good novels, I can excitedly reveal that Keyes has got her mojo back. KeyesShe's got a winner on her hands with The Break. Long awaited kudos, respect and a standing ovation for Keyes, back in top form. Read it, she's nailed it, you love it

I'm halfway through and am savouring it because I don't want it to end. While I agree that its not as good as some of her earlier works like "last chance saloon" and "sushi for beginners" its still a wonderful read. I think what is missing is more of those hilarious laugh out loud moments. But as usual she had effectively in tuned to all the emotional roller coasters that relationships are!

Loved the book! Just wish that the store was able to get the Kindle rights to it. Had to read the hardcover, and with my weak wrists and hands it was challenging. But I persevered. Love all her books. She seems like as soon as you meet her, she'd be your best friend.