DNF @ 54%. While I have loved Keane’s other books and appreciate her focus on characterization this story just really didn’t pull me in. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen, but it didn’t. Perhaps these particular characters just weren’t fascinating to me!

This is a family drama but I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I found them to be almost unlikable. It is a slow burn even though the setting is over the course of a single week. I did become invested in the story and it was well written.

To be honest, I didn't love this book. It was slow to start and in some spots throughout. I had trouble at first decifering whose point of view the story was being told from and found myself having to reread in order to get it straight. Overall - 3 stars.

I was a big fan of Mary Beth Keane's Ask Again, Yes, so I was delighted to receive a copy of The Half Moon. In this book, Keane provides readers with a realistic portrayal of a marriage at its breaking point. This will be for readers who appreciate literary fiction and character exploration over fast-moving plot lines.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

The story and writing of this book is good, and I would love to go back and read it in full at some point, but I struggled to engage with this book at the time I began it so I DNFd it about five chapters in. I have heard nothing but great things from all who have read it, and I look forward to trying other books by Keane in the future.

Thank you to Mary Beth Keane, Scribner and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book for an honest review.

2 1/2 stars rounded up.

Malcolm feels like he has always worked at a bar and it is his destiny. When the bar he practically lives at come up for sale, he strikes a dangerous bargain and takes over. But he never could expect the downturn in business or how quickly he is losing money. He is also losing his relationship with his wife, Jess. She is tired of watching him work himself to the bone over a failing enterprise, but his stubbornness won’t let him quit. When a winter storm hits, we watch the unraveling of Malcolm’s life and then the resolution as his family steps up. Overall a good story. I just wasn’t super invested in the characters and there wasn’t a lot of hope until the end.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

DNF @ 63% through.
Couldn't listen to a woman trying to justify having an affair any more. More interested in Malcom's story, but there wasn't enough of that to keep me listening.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This has a lower rating on Goodreads but I really enjoyed it!

You meet Malcolm and Jess in the throes of a marriage crisis and I was very invested in seeing what happened. They are both such authentic and relatable characters and I also loved so many of the side characters including Malcolm’s mom.

This is a character driven story and while there is some mystery it really is about the choices we make and how we live with them.

“But in the end you can only have one life. One at a time, at least. You could turn, you could pause for a while, but you couldn't go down two streets at once. The things they didn't end up doing, the places and people they decided against, all defined them as much as anything else, in the way negative space defines a photo or a song. The lives they didn't lead were there, too, always with them. Only recently did he begin to see the shape those choices had made.”

If you like stories like The Connellys of County Down or We Are The Brennans, you’ll enjoy this one.

This was such an interesting story! I really enjoyed the unique plot and the characters. I look forward to the author’s next work!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

While this story started slow, I grew to love it. Mostly narrated by the owner of the bar, The Half Moon, Malcolm is socially magnetic, loved by many, but his dream bar suffers financially, and his wife has left him. Much of the early parts of his narrative are overly depressing making for a difficult read.

However, the story is thankfully a story of transformation of a man, a woman and of their marriage. The viewpoint of the wife I relished most, and wished there was more depth on her perspective.

There is also a mystery, but that part, while interesting, intrigued me less than the characters’ decisions and growth.

Those who enjoy literary fiction, dissection of a relationship and character development will enjoy this read.

This is an intimate look at two characters who are living life, dealing with struggles of business ownership, fertility, and marital issues. It is such a compelling and complex read yet so simple, relatable, and 'real life'. I was never bored with the storyline and it had nice story and character development. I really enjoyed this book!

Although I love Mary Beth Keene's writing this story wasn't for me. Sadly this one ended in a DNF. I still look forward to reading more from Keene in the future.

My expectations for this book were really high and while I liked it, I didn't love it the way I hoped. I will say the story grew on me as it went on and there are so many quotes I highlighted. It's a quiet and often depressing read but Keane does a fantastic job of exploring the nuances and intimacies of a marriage and how to decide whether to leave or fight to stay.

Thanks to Scribner for the coyp to review.

DNFd after four or five chapters. The story and writing is good, just not relatable to me specifically. Would still be interested in reading other books by this author

This book tells the story of Malcom and Jess. They got married young and now, in middle age a series of decisions have come between them. The author tells a story of dreams being actualized and failing, of love found and lost, of forgetting who you are and how you got here. Malcom is a well loved by his friends, but is far from perfect. Jess is empathized with but villianized at times by their social circle, which is understandable at times but also not really fair. The story is told mostly from Malcom's point of view, with Jess's point of view added at times. The characters are relatable and the story is heartfelt while capturing the mundane.

trigger warnings: discusses infertility and pregnancy loss

The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane examines essential components in a marriage, such as communication, trust and love, and it demonstrates how personal battles affect not only yourself but your partner as well. I didn't love it as much as I loved her previous book Ask Again, Yes, but I look forward to Mary Beth's next book. Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Half Moon
Author: Mary Beth Keane
Pub Date: May 2nd, 2023
Rating: 4/5 Stars
TW: infertility and adultery

Review:
Malcom and Jess are a married couple both working on their dreams in their respective careers and building their family. Malcom owns a struggling bar and Jess is dealing with infertility and the struggle on their marriage is about to blow.

I enjoyed The Half Moon even though heavily character novels are not my cup of tea. I was invested in their lives and thought the author did a good job of not making them too unlikeable even when doing unlikable things. I think a lot of their issues are common for long time married people and the choices we make to keep it together even in the hard times.

Thank you Scribner for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review ❤️

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book moved kind of slowly. I ended up thinking it was only okay. I didn’t really get that attached to the characters. I thought they were sort of wishy washy.

Big dreams and the dreamers who hold them: that is the theme of this story. The likeable main characters are hard-working people that we can all relate to, which makes this a story well worth your time.