Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane.

Malcolm is the owner of The Half Moon, a beloved Irish pub with many regulars. On the night of a terrible storm, Malcolm insists on staying open, praying that people will still show up. But while he is shaking hands and clapping backs, he carries a deep pain. His wife, Jessica has left him, and now there is a rumor that she is back in town. Has she come back to reunite with Malcolm, or just to torment him?

I enjoyed this book, but I get kind of squeamish with some of the elements of the book, especially infidelity. It also jumped around a bit too much, I felt like I was following a moving target in terms of keeping track of the plot. But overall it was an enjoyable read. I would love to hang at a spot like the Half Moon.

A good read, though I personally am not a huge fan of infidelity stories and found the characters hard to relate to for that reason. Still - worth a read!

The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane revolves around the dissolution of long-time couple Malcolm and Jess. Malcolm owns a neighborhood bar and Jess is a lawyer. They've struggled for years with infertility and are now enduring a separation. Malcolm's bar is struggling to stay afloat. All of the tension and stress is leading to a climactic conclusion that left me satisfied. I was worried about these characters as I read and I was content with how the author wrapped up the story. Read and enjoy!

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3/5⭐️⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝: This book completely captured me at the jump. I texted a friend who had already read it saying “I feel like this book is going to f*&% me up, in a good way” because I was immediately invested in the marital crisis, the dual timeline that flashed back, and the idea that the entire story took place within a one-week setting. The premise checked every box for me.

I thought the author did a really great job of showing the mundane aspect of relationships, and the stressors that everyday life can have on them. The characters were very vulnerable, which is something that I connected to instantly.

Bonus points for the silhouettes of Malcomn and Jess in the half-moons on the cover—largely because it took me so long to even notice them.
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𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞: Once I got to the halfway point in this one, I struggled because it felt like my interest really waned. I may have just gotten my expectations up too high out of the gate, and I’m not sure where I hoped the book would have ended up, but I did lose interest as it continued on. Overall I didn’t dislike it, but I didn’t continue to feel invested in the characters or the flip-flopping decisions that they continued to make. This was a character-driven book (so the lack of plot is irrelevant), and the indecisiveness and lack of character growth ultimately left me feeling unsatisfied.

I loved Keane’s “Ask Again, Yes” so I was so happy to get a chance to read “The Half Moon.” Unfortunately, this one didn’t move the needle for me. I found the plot to be a bit boring and difficult to feel much connection with. It seemed like little was going on in the forefront with the main characters, but a lot of backstory was going on. I just didn’t find it to be an exciting story. 3 star rating.

I really enjoyed the Half Moon. I love that the story evolved naturally, without shocking twists and big reveals. I have recommended this book to customers twice and one already came back with a rave review.

The Half Moon was a heavily character driven novel. While Mary Beth Keane’s previous novel, Ask Again, Yes, was also character driven, it seemed to have more characters and also more subplots. For about two-thirds of the novel, The Half Moon, focuses on Malcom and Jess and their failing marriage which is primarily due to their struggles with fertility. Both characters seem to question their relationship and what they ultimately want out of life. I don’t want to spoil any part of the story, but when Malcom discovers something shocking about Jess, let’s just say that it seemed out of character for Jess. The most interesting parts of the story were when the police started investigating the mystery of the missing bar patron and when Malcom has to deal with Hugh, who sold him the bar/building. Unfortunately, the most intriguing part of the story did not happen until the last third of the book, The Half Moon was definitely a slow burn. Definite content warnings for infertility, it is a primary focus in the book. I started reading this as an e-book and then I switched to the audiobook. Since the audiobook has both male and female narrators, you realize that the storyline is actually told from two points of view (Malcom and Jess), which I think is not readily apparent when reading the e-book version. While the book was an interesting read, I did discover that slow burn, character driven novels aren’t really my jam. I did enjoy Ask Again, Yes and will definitely try another Mary Beth Keane novel in the future.

A heart tugging, remarkable story of a marriage in crisis. This novel is brilliantly written, immersive, engaging, and relatable.

I received an advanced copy of The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keene from the publisher Scribner via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: Malcolm Gephardt has been a longtime bartender at the Half Moon and it has always been his dream to own the bar. So when his boss retires, he pushes himself financially, but due to the challenges of infertility, money is tight. As the bar begins to fail and his wife Jess begins to process that she may never be a child in her future, their relationship spirals. The book is set over the course of one week and facing a blizzard as secrets are revealed and decisions are made.

What I Loved: Mary Beth Keane is an incredible talent. The writing of this book is exceptional. This book paints a very clear picture of a marriage in crisis under real strain. The book is difficult to read and yet relatable, the impact that infertility can have on a relationship and finances is not blinked away from and I really respect the decisions that Keane made for her narrative choice in this regard. The book also captures the idea of the feeling of crisis when your life’s goals are no longer reachable and the impact that has on your soul. The book is quiet and certainly character driven there is very little plot but I liked this character study of two flawed characters. I thought it was very well crafted.

What I Didn’t Like: I guess the two elements that were added for plot reasons did not really work for me. I didn’t like the story about the FBI and I felt the gang like connections of the bar made it a little less realistic and took away from the story. These plotlines just seemed unnecessary and took away and making this a lower ranked reading for me. I wasn’t entirely sure I bought into ending but for me I could deal with it.

Who Should Read It: People who have loved Keane’s other work (writing style). People who love character driven stories.

Summary: A story of a marriage falling apart and a week to resolve it.

The Half Moon is a really tough book to review and based on looking at other reviews - it seems like this is one that either works for you or it doesn’t. I recommend picking it up and giving it a shot!

This is a quieter story and slower than most that I read but it really pulled me in. Most of the story takes place over just one week and we get pulled into Malcolm and Jess’s marriage. Jess left 4 months ago and they are both figuring things out.

I felt so drawn into their lives that I found it affecting my mood outside of the book. I love Keane’s writing so much and even though this was a tough read in some ways, I kept finding myself pulled back to read more.

Thank you to Scribner and Netgalley for the free book to review.

I'm behind on book reviews (again), but I wanted to share this beautiful novel I finished recently by @marybethkeane (who also wrote Ask Again, Yes - one of my favorite books ever).

The Half Moon is the bar Malcolm bought with stars in his eyes after years of bartending there thanks to a hefty loan from his former boss. Now, he's barely staying above water and struggling to keep up with his monthly payments to the man he thought was his friend.

His wife, Jess - a successful lawyer - has finally given up her hope of having a baby and, with it, her marriage. She moved out four months ago and is trying to build a new life for herself.

The story starts out bleak (and a little slow, tbh), but it didn't take long for me to feel invested in the characters and their struggles.

One of the things I loved most about Ask Again, Yes was Keane's ability to capture the nuance of marriage AND, ultimately, portray it as something worth fighting for - a rarity in most modern books, I think. The Half Moon perfectly captures that complexity and triumph too - maybe even better.

I loved both Malcolm and Jess, and I appreciated the raw depiction of the toll infertility takes on a marriage. This is a story about dreams and disappointment; starting over and rebuilding. I cried from sadness and joy while reading it, and I finished feeling like I understood love and people a little more.

This was a wonderful break from all my fluffy summer beach reads. Highly recommend!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

P.S. I read an ARC from @netgalley, but swipe to see a photo of the - much prettier - cover. 🌙

Anyone who is or has been married knows that marriage is hard. This book is the a week in the life of Malcolm and Jess, but it is so much more than just that week. What happens when your happily ever after doesn't look like what you expected it to?

Amazing storytelling and character development make this story compulsively readable. Relatable to anyone in a relationship no matter what it looks like,

Thank you to Scribner and Netgalley for an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book feels like catching up with an old friend. Maybe someone you see at your 20th reunion. “What’s been going on?” The characters were real and relatable and the story was told in such a cam way. I really enjoyed this book. It had just the right amount of mystery. Overall it was really relaxing to read.

The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane was a well-written character-driven story. It's engaging and you definitely end up caring for he characters.

“She wanted a cure for grief and she wanted someone to tell her where to find it.”

Malcolm owns and runs the bar, The Half Moon. The bar is not doing well and Malcolm's personal life is also shattered as his wife has seemingly left him. Malcolm is at a loss. He is angry, hurt and struggling. 

This story truly is a deep dive into a marriage that has struggled for years with infertility. Both Malcolm and his wife Jess want children but after years of trying, their relationship is fractured. 

This story was quite slow. I do find the anatomy of a broken marriage to be interesting and complex but the pacing of the story really hurts the characters. I wanted more from Jess. We get a lot from Malcolm but we are missing some of the story it feels like. 

I wanted to love this story but it was just missing something for me.

The half moon by Mary Beth Keane was a bit of a slow building story. An intimate look inside a marriage and the struggles Jess and Malcolm have faced with infertility among other issues, while dealing with a snowstorm. The characters were wonderfully developed and relatable. Even though it was slow it kept me involved and I enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for the e-arc.

I've seen mixed reviews and I definitely had high hopes, but this one was quite a let down after Ask Again, Yes. It just really felt like a lot of showing, not a lot of telling. And NOTHING happened.

"The Half Moon" is a quiet sort of novel. It’s a character-driven story of a crumbling marriage where the husband and the wife have both made mistakes. The kind of mistakes that are, for some, unforgivable.

Malcolm and Jess have dreams. The trouble is, their dreams are different. Malcolm wants to own a bar, and Jess wants a baby. And when their dreams prove difficult to obtain, their relationship cracks, forcing them to question not only what they want out of life but also what they want from their marriage.

Mary Beth Keane is such a great writer. She doesn’t use big words or a fancy style to tell Jess and Malcolm’s story, and she doesn’t toss in unnecessary twists for shock value. (Though there is a side story involving a missing person that could’ve been left out. Why it was included, I don’t know.) Rather, her tools of choice are excellent storytelling and an insightful eye into the inner workings of a once-solid marriage, now falling apart.

Marriage is hard. It’s messy, hurtful, yet rewarding. And Keane shows us this through two flawed characters who love each other despite life having broken their hearts.

"The Half Moon" is available now, and believe me, you shouldn't miss it. It's a good one.


My sincerest appreciation to Mary Beth Keane, Scribner, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.

The Half Moon takes place over the course of one week. Jess and Malcom are married, but their marriage is on the rocks. A snowstorm hits their town and they both have time to reevaluate their relationship. This book is heavily character driven, with a few light action points to drive the plot of the story. I found this to be a really honest portrayal of a relationship and struggles many people face. This book deals with infertility, which may be a trigger for some. While I did enjoy this book, the first 50% was a really slow read, but after that I was invested enough to want to see the outcome. I would rate this 3.5 stars because the beginning was so slow.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

A Touching Chronicle of a Family in Crisis

SUMMARY
Malcolm Gephardt, a gregarious bartender in a small town, has always dreamed of owning his own bar. When Hugh, his boss, finally retires, he offers Malcolm the opportunity to buy The Half Moon. Malcolm jumps at the chance and quickly starts feeling the sting of financial distress. Within months he is unable to pay his suppliers. The bar puts a great deal of stress on Malcolm’s fifteen-year marriage to Jess.

Malcolm and Jess had already blown through all their savings over the past seven years on expensive fertility treatments. They now face the reality that parenting is not in the cards for them. Jess, an intelligent lawyer, is particularly devastated over this knowledge as she feels her youth slipping away.

Much of the novel occurs during a week when Malcolm hears earth-shattering news about Jess, a bar patron last seen at the bar, goes missing, and a freak blizzard paralyzes the town.


REVIEW
The Half Moon is a touching chronicle of a family in crisis. It’s a family drama plucked from real life, exposing the meaning of family and forgiveness. The frustrations of infertility, financial ruin, and mid-life in a small town play a considerable role in a story that explores the shocking depth people will go to when pushed to the brink.

The writing captures the gut-wrenching decisions that Malcolm and Jess have made over the years, leading them to the point of desperation. Jess and Malcolm’s character development is superb, making you feel their pain, frustration, and sadness.

Author Mary Bath Keene has woven a family drama that will strike at the heart of many mid-life couples asking themselves, “Is this all there is?”

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Scribner
Published May 2, 2023
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com