Laughing one minute, a lump in my throat the next. Marian is a genius! LOVED it.

I absolutely loved this book! I laughed, I cried and I sympathized with the protagonist. Everyone looking for a delightful easy read, look no further because this is the one for you.

Very entertaining book in the usual style of the author. This book brims with humour, sadness and warmth all wrapped in to one. The characters are easy to like and empathise with. This makes it a lovely book to curl up with on a cold day with a cup of coffee, highly recommended.

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 have long been a fan of Marian Keys but with this book, a slightly different version of 'The Woman Who Stole My Life' I was disappointed. What has happened in Marian's life to make her believe she the Ireland's answer to E L James I don't know.
The 'break' which is the main premise of the story is so outlandish that it's hard to believe and then there is the odd politics within the family which I can only think is to make a very boring book seem more interesting. Also why why why is there a political stance on abortion in the book?? This only served to make me feel uncomfortable and felt very self-indulgent of the author.
Don't even get me started on the syrupy sweet, everything-works-out-in-the-end prologue!
The only reason this review isn't just one star is because now and again I did laugh, the Dad in the story is the best character but doesn't feature all that often.
Honestly a struggle to get through, leave the smut to lesser authors, you're better than that Marian.

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

The Break by Marian Keyes is the story of how a husband’s midlife crises sparks personal growth in his wife.

Following the death of his father, Hugh decides he wants to find himself. He plans a 6 month break away from home and packs a backpack destined for South East Asia.

News of the proposed ‘break’ comes as shock to his wife, Amy. A PR executive, she has the skills to ‘manage’ perceptions of the break so she steals a march and announces it on social media.  But it undermines her confidence even though she decides not stand in Hugh’s way.

Hugh says he’ll come home once the six months are up but Amy fears that he might not. And, even if he does return, who’s to say that things won’t change in the meantime, So, Amy’s anxious. And having to put on a brave face isn’t as easy as she makes it look.

Marian Keyes meanders a bit too much for my liking and it takes many pages before Hugh, the husband eventually leaves.  Once he’s gone, the pace picks up as Amy learns to cope with her new situation.

This is a chatty novel with lots of online shopping and gossip -- not unlike a night out with the girls!

Disclosure: I read an advance review copy via Netgalley.

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