I had a difficult time with Mary Beth Keane's book, The Half Moon. The explorations of character, marriage, and family in this book were wonderful... but I do feel like the overall focus of this book -- the breakdown of a marriage, and a business -- were not made entirely clear in the book's description. It took me a few times of starting this book before I could really get into it, because it was not what I was expecting. However, once I got into it, I did want to read to the end... and overall, I enjoyed the characters, but felt the description was a bit misleading so that put me off on the book entirely. The writing was beautiful though, and the fun white collar crime sub-plot was interesting (though confusing at times). All in all, not my favorite book but could be a hit for some.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

There were parts about this book I really like, marriage dissolving was hard with the flashbacks, overall the book was good, even with so much going on with the characters.

Mary Beth Keane writes a potent novel that explores the quiet unraveling (and potential reweaving) of a marriage. It provides readers with a deeply introspective portrait of two people grappling with disappointment, identity, and the question whether love alone is ever truly enough.

Keane uses a limited third-person point of view, alternating primarily between Malcolm and Jess. Thes lets the reader sink fully into each character's experience without veering into sentimentality. The weeklong timeline, set during a harsh winter storm, mimics the emotional claustrophobia that both characters are feeling. Keane creates tension through emotional shifts and interior relevations, making the book feel both intimate and expansive. She doesn't overwrite but she trusts silences and unspoken tensions.

I think this author's greatest strength is her psychological insight. Malcolm and Jess are not extraordinary people, and that's what makes them so real. Their frustrations are familiar to many: money, career stasis, questions about what makes a good life, and infertility. Rather than taking sides, Keane presents both perspectives with compassion.

The snowstorm that traps the town mirrors the emotional standstill they find themselves in. This symbolic mirroring is subtle but effective. Keane uses setting not to just ground her scenes, but to externalize mood: cold, quiet, isolated.

Readers looking for a fast-paced drama may find it understated, but Keane delivers a rich, character-driven picture of midlife uncertainty. So those who appreciate careful craft, emotional insight, and a deeply humane exploration of marriage should find this novel rewarding.

The Half Moon is a quietly poignant portrait of a marriage on the brink, told with Mary Beth Keane’s signature empathy and emotional precision. As dreams falter and secrets surface, she captures the ache of ordinary lives shifting under the weight of time and expectation. It’s tender, measured, and full of hard-won grace.

This book truly was beautiful. It made me think it made me anxious tense and made me cry. The author wrote a stunning story that I could not put down.

A thoughtful novel about marriage, ambition, and missed connections in a small town. The characters are flawed but sympathetic, and the writing is elegant without being showy. A quiet, resonant story.

Malcolm and Jess find themselves at an impasse as fertility struggles have challenged their marriages. With their dreams, futures, livelihoods and marriage on the line, Malcolm and Jess go their different directions as they navigate their grief and challenges.

This was an overall touching story - you could feel the pain and struggles of the characters, and navigate these emotions with them as they figure out who they want to be individually and as a couple. It is a testament to the challenges of life and marriage, and that you must find yourself sometimes in order to be able to figure out who you could be as a partner. The Half Moon really focuses on the characters and their connections rather than a major plot line.

Overall a touching story with beautiful writing, but the pacing was a bit slow for my liking. For those who can dive into character-driven stories and don't crave an intense plot line, this one is for you! Trigger warning: infertility.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Half Moon is perfect for readers who love small-town dynamics and midlife marital struggles. Its focus on infertility and infidelity drew me in to the motional, character-driven story about flawed relationships.

However, I struggled with the slower exploration of marital disillusionment since I'm much more of a fan of faster-paced, banter-heavy romance or thrillers.

I really loved Ask Again, Yes, so I was thrilled to realize Mary Beth Keane had another book coming out! I thought it was interesting and I can see why people like it, but it didn't live up to the hype I built. Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for this ARC!

Having enjoyed Keane's earlier book, Ask Again, Yes, I was excited to receive an advance reader copy of The Half Moon from NetGalley. It did not disappoint. The book is set over one week in a small town in New York -- during a blizzard to boot. The chapters alternate the POV of the husband and wife who are the main characters. They are struggling with many issues -- a struggling business, financial trouble, infertility, the declining health of their parents. There are highs and lows in the book, but it comes to a satisfying conclusion.

The Half Moon is beautifully written, and interesting in many parts. It's a character study of two people in a marriage that's in crisis. Overall I enjoyed it, but it was a little too slow moving for me to rate highly.

I tried on different occasions to get into this book and I simply couldn't do it. Maybe it's because my own husband is a lawyer, but some of these plot lines didn't make any sense to me.

*The Half Moon* by Mary Beth Keane is a poignant, character-driven novel that follows the lives of a married couple, Malcolm and Jess, as they navigate personal struggles and the challenges of running a small-town bar. As secrets unfold and relationships are tested, Keane skillfully explores themes of love, loss, and the complexities of human connection, crafting a deeply emotional and immersive story.

Advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. Despite low reviews, I found this book to be very heart wrenching and tragic, perfect for the winter season. Setting frigid setting of a snow storm on the east coast was the perfect backdrop for grappling with marital problems. I think the twist this book took made it interesting and unexpected, and actually has me thinking about how real this solution might be. It wasn't a perfect story and the characters were a bit whiney and annoying at times, but for the most part, I enjoyed the slow pace and the way the author drew the characters dealing with intense adulting struggles.

I thought this was a thought-provoking book that kept me interested and capitative the entire time. The characters were well done, and I really enjoyed the plot. I thought at times there were moments I said omg, but it was definitely different good book I enjoyed. This author is a very good writer and really knows how to captivate her audience.

I was super captivated by the first half of this book — Malcolm and Jess’s marital issues felt very real and raw, and I felt wholeheartedly for Jess and her struggle with fertility and wanting so badly to be a mother. I was rooting for her for getting herself out of a relationship that didn’t feel right, where she didn’t feel supported by Malcolm. I thought I understood where the story was going, figuring the two would find peace in their differences and go their separate ways.

The second half really threw me for a loop, and not in a good way. The out-of-nowhere drama with the bar, Jess’s grand idea to deal with it, and the way everything ended just felt so awkward, unnatural, and honestly just random. There was no communication between Malcolm and Jess, no resolution to their problems, just an avoidance as they dealt with completely different issues.

I don’t know, I was really expecting to love this after the first half, but was left disappointed overall.

I absolutely adored ASK AGAIN, YES when I first read it years ago, so I was equally excited to pick up THE HALF MOON. Needless to say, Mary Beth Keane never disappoints!

Sometimes you love a book so much that you are scared to read anything else by the author for fear it might not be as good. But sometimes the new book is just as good as the previous one! Ask Again Yes was an easy 5 star book for me, and it haunted me for months and years after reading it. The Half Moon had that same feel, weaving together past and present. The mood the author set was unmatched, and I cared so much about the characters and the way their past was affecting their present with complicated histories and continuing hopes and dreams. I will be much less afraid to try more books by this author in the future since she's proven herself once again with this wonderful book.

REVIEW: The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane

I have mixed feelings about this one. It's not bad, but it's not knocking my socks off either.

The story revolves around Malcolm and Jackie, a married couple who run an old-school bar called The Half Moon. Keane dives into their relationship, the bar's history, and the small-town vibe. It sounds promising. Keane's writing is solid. She has a knack for vividly portraying small-town life and its characters. You can almost smell the beer and hear the jukebox playing in the background. Points for atmosphere, for sure. The character development is decent. Malcolm and Jackie feel like real people with real problems. Their struggles with keeping the bar afloat and dealing with personal issues are relatable. There's some good exploration of themes like marriage, community, and the weight of family legacy.

But here's where things get a bit meh for me. The pacing is slow. I found myself waiting for something big to happen, and it just... didn't. The book is simmering but never entirely comes to a boil. Also, while the characters are well-drawn, I could have been more invested in their stories. It was like eavesdropping on strangers at a bar - interesting for a bit, but not enough to keep me hooked for hours. Some subplots feel underdeveloped, like they're there to add drama, but don't go anywhere. This left me feeling unsatisfied.

"The Half Moon" isn't a bad book by any means. You might dig this if you're into slow-burn, character-driven stories about small-town life. Keane's writing chops are evident, with moments of real insight. It's a solid three-star read - suitable for a quiet weekend but not something I'll be shouting about from the rooftops.

Thank you, Netgalley and Scribner, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

This may be one of the best books that matches my experience with infertility that I've ever read. This novel centers around a marriage, a bar, and infertility. Neither person in the marriage is particularly good and neither make decisions that you root for or are very much likeable, but it was just such a real book. Ask Again, Yes was one of my favorite reads in 2023, and this solidified Mary Beth Keane as one of my favorite authors. She handled the absolute agony of infertility with perfection and as someone who has never been pregnant despite years of trying, I deeply loved how she handled infertility. Too many authors employ magical fixes but Keane keeps it real. It's refreshing to see characters like myself in books who can't "win" infertility. How it impacts the marriage in this novel and the life of the characters was so good and so real.

Thank you Mary Beth Keane for writing a novel I could resonate with.