I found this book to be written a bit more chaotic than I like. The story was good. The marital issues were very convincing and I really liked the MC Malcolm.
I enjoyed the book but I don’t know that it’s for everyone. Fertility issues, monogamy issues, money problems, lies, good grief this book covered a lot!!

I'm struggling to put into words how I felt about this book. It was heavy. Like HEAVY. One of the major plot points is around Jess and Malcom's deteriorating relationships and their struggle with infertility. It was very specific and heart wrenching. Malcom was frustrating. But so was Jess. This book at it's core is about unfulfilled dreams - Jess with her dream of a child, Malcom with his dream of owning The Half Moon, and even the weird bit with Tripp Waggoner.

I did like this book, however it wasn't what I was expecting.

Fans of character driven books or Ask Again, Yes this one is for you! Thank you to @scribner and @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy!

In her new book, The Half Moon, Keane explores midlife, forgiveness, small-town living, and family through the lens of figuring out what dreams are most important to you and figuring out which dreams you've held onto for too long.

Malcolm, a charismatic bartender, fulfills his dream of owning a bar following his boss's retirement. However, the Half Moon struggles, and he continuously grapples with keeping it afloat. Meanwhile, his wife Jess, a successful lawyer, is slowly coming to terms with the possibility of not having children. Set over one week, bookended by two separate winter storms that hit the area hard, and fully exploring the characters with organically crafted flashbacks, The Half Moon delves into the disappointments and unexpected consolations of life.

Despite the page-turning aspect of the writing style, Keane takes her time with this one — the pace matches the anticipation and agonizing wait of the impending storms, which are followed by the havoc that a destructive storm can bring — and the interwoven flashbacks and reflections allow the characters to be fully realized and fleshed out. I appreciated the interplay between the overwhelming quiet stillness of the outside world after the first storm hits and the chaotic discontent of Malcolm's worried mind as his thoughts jump from the myriad problems with the bar, the disappearance of a local man, and his potentially dissolving marriage. He has so much on his mind, and each one demands his attention, pulling him in several directions at once. This makes it both difficult to focus on the trouble in his marriage and easy to ignore it and procrastinate really delving into where his part in it lies. The upcoming second storm, promising just as many problems, looms over the town, forcing them finally into some kind of action.

Overall, The Half Moon is a captivating and well-crafted read that successfully explores the complexities of life and the difficulties of navigating unexpected challenges. I particularly enjoyed the aspect of having to come to terms with letting go or reshaping some of your dreams and goals for yourself. Life doesn't always work out the way we'd like, or leave room for everyone to have a single-minded dream come true. But showing that we can still find fulfillment and happiness in a future where the focus has shifted is such an important facet to explore. Keane's attention to detail and the fully realized characters make this a book that readers will find hard to put down.

Ask Again, Yes was a surprising read for me - I loved the writing, the complexity of the characters, the entire story. So I jumped at the opportunity to read an advance copy of Keane's upcoming release, The Half Moon.
Unfortunately this novel left me restless. It's the quiet story of a marriage, a small town, the intimacy of both and while there were several opportunities for action to accelerate or at least enliven the plot, it remains too subtle for me.
Malcolm and Jess Gephardt rushed into marriage years ago but thankfully they were meant to be - at least Malcolm has always believed so. Now approaching middle age with no children (a sore spot, mostly for Jess, after years of trying); Malcolm has purchased The Half Moon under some questionable circumstances, where he's been the long-time bartender. Jess is a successful lawyer but still buried under student loan debt that never seems to decrease.
The pair are facing the loss of youth with little sense of direction and an uncertain future together.
Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The Half Moon was published May 2, 2023.

A Marriage story between Jess a lawyer and her husband Malcolm a bar owner who is fighting to keep the bar afloat. The story follows the couple over a week period during a winter storm and a bar patron goes missing. The couples infertility journey plays a heavy in this portrayal of a struggling marriage. This was a deep character driven novel that went at a pretty slow moving pace. This one fell a bit flat compared to Ask Again, Yes.

The Half Moon is much more than a book about a bar. Malcolm and Jess have entered a dangerous point in their marriage. She really only wants a baby. He only wants to own his own bar. And then he does the unthinkable and buys THE HALF MOON when it's offered by the owner. He does this without a final discussion with his wife. And the dynamic changed to not just buying the business, but buying the land and the building. Game changer. Will this marriage survive?

Ask Again, Yes is featured on my shelf of favorite reads, and I highly anticipated this book. Thank you to Scribner for an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Half Moon follows bartender Malcolm and his lawyer wife Jess. Having been married for about 15 years, the couple spent years struggling to get and stay pregnant with no success. Adding owning a struggling business to the mix, and the stress on the couple’s marriage reached a pivotal position where counseling wasn’t going to help. Jess has left, and Malcolm is shocked to find out she’s moving on already.
The writing felt smart - starting with a glimpse of the couple’s current situation, progressing in alternating past and present timelines to round out more details of the story, as one week passes in the present timeline. Nothing about the time-hopping was confusing, and it all felt smooth. There were so many tiny poignant moments - while reading I found myself taking moments to stop and reflect on seemingly small details. Overall the tone is serious and slightly depressing, but I enjoyed reading this book. Personally, I loved an unexpected reference to St. John, considering I've recently returned from a week on that beautiful island. I had to bribe myself to finish this one before pub day because I struggled with the heaviness of the main characters’ disappointment in each other as I read each chapter, in large part because I’ve been craving upbeat books lately. I look forward to discussing it with others.
If you enjoy character-driven marriage drama, this may be a great read for you. Please be aware there is an infertility/miscarriage plotline. This book is a slow burn to start, and it has long chapters - I typically avoid reading books with long chapters on my kindle - I think seeing 35+ minutes left in the current chapter makes me read even slower!

This is another quiet family drama by Mary Beth Keane. I love that she writes about ordinary people who are going through real-life struggles, and this is exactly the storyline about Malcolm and Jess. After working at The Half Moon bar in their hometown, Malcolm has finally bought the bar and wants to live his dream as the outright owner. Jess, in the meantime, is an attorney, helping keep them afloat with all the expenses that come up while also suffering from infertility. The stresses push both of them to do things they may otherwise never have done.

As others have said, this book is a slow burn, but in a good way. The reader learns more about Malcolm and Jess individually as their characters get fleshed out. Mary Beth Keane shows that not everything is as good as it may appear from the outside. Everyone has something going on their lives!

Thanks to #Netgalley and #Scribner for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Malcolm has always wanted to own the bar he worked in as a young man. He loves the community of it all, the camaraderie, listening to the stories, being surrounded by friendly faces. He dreams of taking over, and making the place his own.

Jess is a lawyer, and when she meets Malcolm his gregarious nature sweeps her off her feet. She dreams of becoming a mother, but as years of infertility continue to plague her, she finds it hard to let go and face the very real possibility that she will never have a child.

Both have dreams and hopes for their future, for their marriage. They have plans for what they want their life to look like. But what happens when the dreams you have get usurped by other pressures, by misfortune, by mistakes? How does a marriage reset? How do you set aside pride, embarrassment and old hurts, and start again?

This story is heartwarming and heartbreaking at times. Masterful, complex, emotional writing. I really love this author.

The writing was good, but I felt as though there was something missing. I didn’t really connect with the characters like I had hoped I would. There was part of the book that I enjoyed and the writing was phenomenal, but I felt as though the plot was kind of just mediocre. It did touch on some subjects that were a little hard for me to read and maybe that’s why I had such a difficult time loving this book. I do feel as though this book will be great for someone else, just maybe wasn’t my cup of tea.

Malcolm and Jess are chasing big dreams in the small town where they are highly respected and almost famous. In spite of sparing no expense or effort, their individual goals seem compromised and completely out of reach. The strain on their relationship is real. Then Malcolm is questioned about a missing person last seen at his bar, Circumstances bring Jess to a crossroads of desperation,. With the next chapter of their lives unwritten, what will they do to solve the mystery and find a future that moves forward, beyond the twists and turns of their frustrating beginnings:? Keane's Half Moon is the uncommon story of an attractive midlife couple who both have a flawed sense of dedication and honor towards each other and the dreams of what their family could be. You will fall in love with these characters and wish that Keane's story would never end.

A captivating and poignant story of love and loss. Keane’s writing is beautiful and honest. I felt every emotion!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

A story of second chances, the struggles of marriage, finances, fertility, and family.
Malcolm Gephardt fulfills his longtime dream of running The Half Moon where he’s been a bartender for years. Meanwhile, his wife Jess continues to try for a baby, but as that seems less likely, a rift forms in their relationship. Much of the story occurs during a winter storm that changes everyone’s trajectory, while also detailing some of the past and how they came to be where they are now.
The story is good, but there were still some inconsistencies and parts that just didn’t make sense, regarding the business transfer, apartment, etc, and I found Malcolm to be unlikable and immature in his behavior and actions, for being a 45 y/o man.
Thank you to Scribner for the ARC! Happy release week.

I am always excited to see a novel with characters in their 40s, my own age group, and while the writing is beautiful, the story itself wasn't what I'd hoped for.

Pub date: 5/2/23
Genre: family drama
Quick summary: Malcolm and his wife Jess own local bar The Half Moon, and their struggles with infertility, money, and fidelity will come to a head when their town experiences a blizzard.

I love a family drama, but this one was a bit too quiet for me. Keane's writing was beautiful as always, but it took a while for the story to get going, and I didn't connect well enough to Malcolm or Jess to make this character-driven novel an enjoyable read. I also struggled with their relationship - both were keeping lots of secrets, both were guilty of infidelity, so the overall tone of the book was darker than I wanted it to be. There wasn't enough lightness in the narrative to balance out the negative themes. The ending did redeem things, but ultimately, I wasn't the right reader for this book.

If you enjoy sad, character-driven reads, you might enjoy this one more than I did!

Thank you to Scribner for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a family drama that takes place over the course of a week. I loved the author's Ask Again, Yes and although I liked this one, it wasn't quite as riveting. It's a book about imperfect characters with life struggles facing difficult struggles. It's an interesting, character driven story. I will definitely keep my eye out for what the author writes next.

This book really surprised me. I found myself so intrigued with how this would come together and I absolutely loved the ending.

this was one book in a lineup of lit fic exploring motherhood i've accidentally been picking up, one after the other, and still i enjoyed it and it stood out

i love unlikable characters who i actually like. so real!

mary beth keane is the shakespeare of irish-american family dramas.

and i love family dramas.

This book was really hard to get into at first but then it came alive. It was a wonderful story about a couple in a small town who must navigate the complexities of marriage, family and longing, Malcom is the bar tender at the Half Moon. He has dreamed of owning the bar for years and finally behind his wife’s back he purchases the bar. Malcom has an elderly mother who he just check in on periodically. Jess his wife is a devoted lawyer and not happy about owning the bar. She has tried for years to have a baby. She leaves Malcom for a while and moves in with a man and his kids. A blizzard hits the small town and life changes for everyone,
‘

I was a big fan of Ask Again, Yes and couldn't wait to read The Half Moon. I enjoy family dramas and this one follows Malcolm and Jess as they deal with the highs and lows of marriage, infertility, and unfulfilled dreams. I didn't like this story nearly as much as I wanted to. I'm still a fan of Mary Beth Keane's, but this slow-burn novel was not for me.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for this ARC.