The Break is Marian Keyes at her very best, full of grief, humiliation, anger, tears but also laughter, passion and solidarity. Amy is devastated when her Husband Hugh declares he wants a break away to tour South East Asia for six months to find himself, promising to return, but during the time away Amy is not to contact him and he will do what he wants including sleeping with other women.
The grief and upset this decision causes is heartbreaking to read but, with this great writer she still manages to show the funnier side of things.
There was one chapter that caused a great intake of breath with shock, no spoilers but Facebook should be banned, I was so beside myself with anger towards Hugh how he completely blindsided Amy.
We see Amy coping without Hugh, family dramas aplenty, and Amy finding out who her true friends are.
Hugh returns - but read it for yourself, a journey of discovery for everyone including the reader
A brilliant read, one of her absolute best.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for opportunity to review this book honestly

It goes without saying that Marian Keyes never fails to deliver a rattling good read. While not up there with her very best, The Break is no exception. It introduces Amy, her husband Hugh and extended family (there seems plenty of scope here for further stories starring different family members, a la Walsh family).

Hugh wants a break from the marriage - not a breakup, but time off being married. But can a break ever really be just that? And is there any way back for Amy and Hugh?

I enjoyed reading this so much, particularly the family (Amy's daughter Neeve and mum Lilian are terrific, but all of them could definitely have potential for future expansion ) and Amy's job in PR, rehabilitating the image of celebrities who've been caught out in some way. I'd have ideally liked more of that sort of thing and less of Josh, who I really wasn't interested in.

All in all though a brilliant read, and yes I would like to see more of the O'Connell family!

I devoured this book from start to finish. I have been a massive fan of Marian for many many years now and eagerly await every book she writes. This book did not disappoint, I loved the characters and the humour and literally spent my whole bank holiday Monday (Glasgow Fair - local holiday) inhaling every word of this book until I had finished it, I was desperate to see what would happen and how the various characters storylines would play out.

A bank holiday very well spent. Cannot recommend highly enough. Another fantastic book from Marian, she's a joy!

Most of us feel that we have ‘grown up’ with Marian Keyes. We’ve been with her since the 1990’s, and she’s never let us down, writing with heart, humour and compassion about heavy subjects such as addiction, abandonment, domestic abuse and bereavement, but always with such a light hand that her books have been dismissed as ‘chick-lit’ by some lazy reviewers; Marian’s legion of fans have always known that they are no such thing - she writes about serious life changing matters like she is our best friend bravely trying to make a joke out of her own personal tragedy.

Ms Keyes’s last two books have brought her into the bloom of middle-age – her heroines are reaching their glorious sexual prime, they have complicated partners and quirky grown-up children; it is a rich vein of life for her to mine.

‘The Break’ concerns itself with classic mid-life crisis. Amy’s husband, the hitherto lovable Hugh, decides that he needs to go and 'find himself' in the flesh-pots of South East Asia and that he will be spending the next six months living as a single man. We are naturally outraged for lovely Amy and hate Hugh for the selfish way he is treating her, but as Ms Keyes skilfully leads us into the narrative by way of gentle flashbacks we find out that Hugh is not the only one in the marriage who is going through an identity crisis, and perhaps he is not the only one to ‘blame’ for the unseen cracks in their relationship.

Ms Keyes originally planned this book for her most popular characters, the Walsh family, who have appeared in her best loved books including Watermelon, Rachel’s Holiday and Angels. From what she has said in her online vlogs, I don’t think she felt she could inflict such an emotional trauma on the Walshes and so instead she has invented Amy and her extended family. They are all a delight and I would love to meet them again, especially her feisty daughter, Neeve, and her brilliant mother, Caroline, who would make an excellent double-act with Mammy Walsh, should they by chance meet up at some point at a church social or whatever.

An excellent read from an author at the peak of her powers.

A Marian Keyes book is the written equivalent of a big hug, or a lovely afternoon chatting with your dearest friend. There's just something about her style of writing that draws you in and cocoons you from the outside world. For a couple of days I was part of Amy's family and an honorary member of her circle of friends and I now that I have finished the book I feel a little bereft.

The book itself is laugh out loud funny in parts (Neeve's vlogging with her Granny) as well as an astute and wonderful reflection of the times we live in (particularly for women over 40 re-entering the dating world). However, it also has a rather melancholy thread running through it; as the blurb says
"Because falling in love is easy. The hard part - the painful, joyous, maddening, beautiful part - is staying in love"
Marian Keyes expertly identifies how difficult this can be focussing on money worries, middle age, teenage children, ex-partners, aging parents, busy jobs and the temptations of the grass being greener on the other side.

Thanks go to the publishers Penguin Uk for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Review will be posted to goodreads and amazon on the publication date

Just perfect Marian Keyes. Was sad when I was getting near the end. Hope there are more books to come with this family in.

Some real laughs and situations in life you can relate to.
Loved it.

As a huge fan of Marian Keyes novels, I feel incredibly lucky to have received an advance copy of her newest novel, 'The Break.' Our heroine, Amy is left devastated and incredibly confused when her beloved husband Hugh decides that he needs to take a break from their life and marriage for six months. Through flashbacks, we see that this isn´t the first time Amy has been left behind and we are able to witness the origins of her relationship with Hugh through all its wonderful moments, allowing us to fully understand Hugh´s crushing decision.

The other characters are wonderfully drawn and never one-dimensional, from the difficult but brilliant eldest daughter Neeve, to the hopeless romantic/yuppy coworker Alistair. What gives the novel its depth is the fact that Amy isn´t the only person who is given character development. Without spilling any major plot details, certain major events occur which involve the entire family which make you realise that the heart of this novel is love, imperfection and the art of forgiveness and redemption.

Glamour is added through Amy´s high-stress, nonstop adventures in the PR world and are left cheering for her when she manages to pull of yet another coup for her firm. I also found her love of makeup and vintage clothes incredibly endearing, fully understanding her need to go online shopping when in the pits of despair.

At times, I found the flashbacks difficult to follow and felt like they were more important than the present. However, overall 'The Break' was an enjoyable read and I would love to hear more about some of the minor characters of the book in the future.

I so loved this book, I feel as if I’ve really, got to know Amy, the dysfunctional O’Connell family and friends. Her life is turned upside down by her husband, Hugh, announcing he is taking 6 months out to go travelling. We find out the details about every aspect of her life and the incidents that led up to this event. There are winding stories within stories giving us insight into her relationships and family. We are drawn into her anguish and how she manages to survive from day to day during Hugh’s absence. I loved the Irishness of it, where people get scuttered, stotious or someone can be described as ridey. There are certain events that really made me feel for Amy and I felt as if I wanted to cheer her on or encourage her at certain parts of the book. Going to feel a bit lost without updates from Dundrum.
Marian is genius.

Marian Keyes is an author on my auto buy list. I love her style and have been a huge fan of her for many years now! So when I was approved a copy of her new book to review, i was like an embarrassing fan girl whooping away like a mad 'un.

What I love about Marian is her writing really makes you feel like she's one of your mates. Her books are funny, heart warming, down to earth, wise, full of the dramas of families, never fail to make you fall in love with her characters, witty yet also touching on some serious subjects. It's the characters that make every book she writes feel as if she's writing about one of your close friends. The quick quips and insightful remarks, balanced by the overwhelming importance of family and touching moments. Other authors may try to imitate her style, but in my opinion, can't come close.

So I'll try to write an impartial review, but as I've adored everything she's written so far, unless she's written a book about watching 10 layers of paint dry, I'm practically guaranteed to be enthralled.

The Break is about trying to stay in love. Even with all that life has to throw at a marriage - death, sorrow, step families, illness, temptation, ageing parents, money struggles - it is a book about how many hurdles and trials and tribulations marriages and partnerships have to overcome to stay strong and together.

When Amy's husband Hugh announces he is off travelling around South East Asia and wants "a break" for six months, Amy is naturally devastated. As if she hasn't enough to juggle - work, home, her three girls, ageing parents, troublesome siblings, finances and an obsession with online shopping - she now has to cope with everything by herself. Including all of the gossiping locals. Hugh is adamant he still loves her and doesn't want a divorce and will return. But Amy thinks he's going to meet some young carefree backpacker and not want to come back to her and their hectic, and at times, monotonous life. What follows is the six months leading up to the end of Hugh's "break" but also the months leading up to his shock announcement.

Staying true to her typical style, Marian Keyes writes in her usually witty and insightful way, yet also touches some deeper topics. Such as pregnancy and abortion still being illegal in Ireland and many women having to travel to the U.K. Although this is a serious subject, and she treats it as such, the writing is still fabulously Marion. This is one of the reason Marion Keyes is the Queen of "chick lit, "women's fiction" "drama". She's hilarious, yet also introduces topics such as depression, suicide, addiction, dementia etc into her books and manages to get the balance perfect between wit and serious.

Would i recommend this book? Oh yes! Would I reread it again? Yes! I just loved the characters as a reader we grew to "know", and can only hope that we revisit the O'Connell family in future books. When this book is published I will be purchasing it to proudly add to my collection of Marion Keyes books. She's still in a class of her own with her own unique spot on blend of chick lit, humour, warmth, wit and seriousness. If her books were a recipe on Masterchef, she would win with the prize for the perfect blend.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Penguin U.K - Michael Joseph and Marian Keyes for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book, in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Really enjoyed this book. I love any of Marian Keyes' work. I found this book as enjoyable and funny as her previous books.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were all interesting and really likeable, so you cared what happened to them.
I liked the way the book was written with the sections looking back to a few years ago, but also glimpses of what is to come.
Overall, a great story, which was humerous, but als o quite emotional at times as well. This is definitely a book I will be re-reading!

I 've enjoyed all Marian Keyes' books and this one is no exception.It has all her trademark features - characters you can relate to,humour and sadness in equal measure,and a plot that moves along at good pace.
Definitely one to recommend to her fans and a good start for anyone who hasn't read her books!

I absolutely adore Marian Keyes and was delighted to receive this book as an arc from Netgalley! She just cannot write a bad book and this one was just as wonderful as all the others.
It is the story of Amy, whose husband and love of her life Hugh, decides he needs a 'break'. Having lost his father and close friend, he wants to experience travel and all it entails before it is too late. Amy is left heartbroken, and is left to cope with her family, including teenage daughters, by herself. Hugh only intends his break to last 6 months, but is he fair to expect things not to have changed in his absence?
I loved Amy's extended Irish family, especially her mother who becomes an unlikely Youtube sensation, and her father who is suffering from dementia is at times both funny and heartbreaking. I feel Marian has really put a lot of herself into this book with the family situations she portrays, I can just see Mammy Keyes on the Youtubes! In fact I would say that this book is one of the most personal she has ever written. There is also a lot of riding in this book as Marian herself would call it which is always good fun!
This is just a wonderful book, it made me laugh and cry and was very 'real'. Just brilliant, as a huge fan of Marian Keyes I was certainly not disappointed.

I. really enjoyed this book. The family set up reminded me of the famous 'walsh' family, I could imagine a swries of book focussing on eah family member, just like those in Racehl's Holiday, Watermelon etc, all of which I loved years ago. A great story, throughly enjoyable, a definitelp sun lounger read.

I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

I found the main character in this novel to be irritating, to say the least. She spends 90% of the book obsessing about clothes, and does little in the titular six month break but online shop and fret about other peripheral characters views of her. It is only upon seeing photographs of her husband with another woman that she decides to embark upon her own affair, however, whilst bed husbands break is described as being to assess his mental health, hers comes across as being a form of petty revenge.


The background subplots, especially regarding her mother and eldest daughter, wet by and large the most enjoyable parts of this novel, in my opinion

I enjoyed parts of this novel, but as a whole, I found it difficult to finish.

Marian Keyes has always been the queen of writing a book which, on the surface, is the lightest, easiest read - fast-paced, relatable characters, romance, lots of proper laugh-out-load moments - but which actually explore some very difficult issues; bereavement, domestic abuse, coming to terms with childlessness, divorce, addiction, severe depression. Her narrators can be incredibly unreliable (hello Rachel Walsh) dragging the reader right into the heart of the story with them, each revelation breaking all our preconceptions.

The Break is a perfect example of a Marian Keyes book. It is incredibly funny, incredibly sharp and incredibly poignant. If you follow Marian on Twitter (and if you don't, do) then a lot of the background will feel incredibly familiar. There's a huge family who have Friday night get togethers, a father cruelly afflicted with dementia, references to Strictly, lovely Scandi-men, make-up, internet shopping, but Amy is very much her own character, Marian Keyes is far too talented and experienced an author to write a thinly-disguised autobiography.

Mother-of-three (two her own, one the niece she's raised) Amy works in PR, worries about money, middle-aged spread, her children, her career, her family - to be honest at times (although my job is a lot less glamorous), it was like looking in the mirror, a spot-on examination of the forty-something woman. The one thing she doesn't worry about is her marriage, although her husband has been down lately, hit by a devastating double-bereavement. So when Hugh tells her he is taking A Break - from his job, his life, his marriage - and going travelling for six months she's completely unprepared. Especially when she realises that the break from his marriage means exactly that. He is not ruling out the possibility of meeting and sleeping with other women.

There is such a lot to unpick in this book. Amy's own culpability in the breakdown of her marriage, Hugh's actions (at times I wanted to throw things at him), his utter selfishness. And yet... don't we all sometimes harbour dreams of running away? Of taking time out from lives which are too busy, too pressured, not how we thought they would be? Of realising that if we're not careful it will be too late and we'll never get a chance to be the person we dreamed we'd be?

Hugh and Amy's marriage, although at the heart of the book, isn't the only plot line. The harshness of Ireland's abortion laws, the after-effects of irresponsible or neglectful parenting, the frustratingly awful sadness of losing someone to dementia, the terrifyingness of being at the heart of a twitter-storm all add a richness to this exploration of middle-age and marriage. Which makes The Break sound heavy and issue driven - and of course it's not. As I said at the beginning of this review, Marian Keyes books feel effortlessly light as you read them. I raced through this in two days...

Every character is a delight and perfectly drawn. I loved all three of Amy's kids; prickly Neeve the media star, sweet Keira and fey Sofia. I adored watching Amy's mother try and discover who she was while coping with a husband with dementia. Amy's colleagues, Tim and Alastair are a complete joy - and much as I hated myself for it, I couldn't help having a slight crush on playboy Alastair with his new-age retreats and addiction to romance. The scenes between him and Amy were hilarious. We all need an Alastair in our lives!

I'm working very hard not to give any spoilers out here, the joy of a Marian Keyes book is in the reading, in the revealing, being caught up in the moment. It wasn't always an easy read (especially for a forty-something woman with no time, money and beginning to realise she's going to be matronly if she's not careful, thanks middle-aged spread) but it's a really satisfying, intelligent, emotional and real read. Thank you very much Penguin Random House for approving me for a Netgalley ARC of this book. I can promise you that this review is completely honest.

Yes! Thank God for that! Marian Keyes is back with a bang! After a few lack lustre books Marian nails this story of a husband who decides to take a six month marriage break, not quite realising that this means his wife is on a break too.

This book will give you the squid gees, make you laugh and break your heart - but maybe not in that order! But above all you're going to be asking if you were Amy what would you have done?! Read it and ask yourself.

It needs to come with a warning - don't read in public esp on the train! One minute I was laughing out loud and the next a tear was winding its way down my cheek. A totally gorgeous read.

Marian Keyes is one of my favourite authors and I was eagerly awaiting her new book 'The Break'. You can guess how happy I was to receive an ARC copy.
Amy's husband has announced that he is taking a six month break for his job, his marriage and his children. How will she cope without him? I loved this book about a dysfunctional family and how they cope with what life throws at them. There was plenty of laugh out loud moments too. This book reminded me of her earlier books Watermelon and Rachel's Holiday. A book I will want to read again and again.
I would like to that NetGalley and Penguin UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm no stranger to Marian Keyes, she's fabulous, I love her, I remember seeing her on TV talk shows when I was little and wanting to be her, I think Watermelon coincided with my first forays out of kids books and snooping into my mum's books. I think she's great all round, is what I'm saying.

Having said this, I had recently sworn off all Keyes' books. She's never been less than an engaging, skilled writer who creates lovable characters but Christ above, they were grim. This Charming Man? God above, that was a rough read. The Brightest Star in the Sky? Just as tough. So The Break was a punt, and I was genuinely worried that I would end up needing to watch Beauty & The Beast as a palette cleanser afterwards. Happily, I was wrong. This is a great book. Keyes' tackles heartbreak, relationships, the concept of monogamy, political topics like abortion (and she's right again!), and it's all very well portrayed. It's all believable and a compulsive read. I was genuinely invested in the characters (bloody Neeve and her rubbish bio-dad). It's strange to read Keyes' talking about a youtube star but it's great that she's a contemporary author moving with the times.

It's a surprisingly quick read but very worthwhile. Beachy and fun but without taking away from the seriousness of her subject matter. Thanks to NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Absolutely adored the Break, Marian is back on form with new funny, quirky, modern and yet real characters. When Amy's husband Hugh decides he needs a break from their marriage,Amy feels deja vu, is her second marraige breaking up, is her loyal Hugh now eho he said he was or could it be related to what happened last year, read it and see.