I have ready one of the OG books on this trope but this book felt short for me! I felt a lot of things could have framed and written better

Have you ever wanted to take a break from your marriage? See what happens to one couple in The Marriage Gap Year by Yannick Thoroval.

The Marriage Gap Year initially intrigued me with its unique premise: a married couple of over 20 years, Emma and Rob, decide to take a "gap year" apart to reassess their relationship. However, after reflecting on the book, I found myself less enthusiastic. The concept felt flawed—Emma, the protagonist, unilaterally decides on the break without mutual agreement, and the lack of clear boundaries on romance or affairs during their separation only creates confusion and tension.

While the story is relatable and offers some insights into human relationships, I struggled with the characters. Emma’s stubbornness and lack of growth made her hard to root for, while Rob, who starts as the antagonist, actually showed more growth throughout the novel. The couple’s lack of connection outside of their child made it hard to engage with them as individuals, let alone as a couple.

Though the book provides some interesting reflections on love and relationships, it left me feeling conflicted. I gave it 3 stars but ultimately felt it lacked resolution and depth.

The Marriage gap year tackles a complex and timely theme, but its slow pacing, repetitive narrative, and lack of emotional depth ultimately detract from its potential. While the concept of a marital separation as a catalyst for self-discovery is intriguing, the novel fails to fully explore the nuances of the situation. Readers seeking a fast-paced and emotionally engaging exploration of marriage and self-discovery may find themselves disappointed. This reviewer, unfortunately, falls into that category. While the premise held promise, the execution left much to be desired.

The Marriage Gap Year by Yannick Thoraval is a contemporary romance that delves into the complexities of long-term relationships. The novel centers on Emma and Rob, a couple married for 26 years, who decide to take a year-long break from their marriage to rediscover themselves and reassess their relationship.

What I love about this book is its fast-paced flow, which the author smoothly narrates the events without disrupting the reader's enjoyment. This plays a significant role in bringing out deeper themes like marital stagnation and how a marriage crisis affects children’s lives. The characters are well-developed, with the right depth to make the story even more engaging.

This book is perfect for readers who enjoy thought-provoking relationship dramas, contemporary romance with emotional depth, and stories about self-discovery and second chances in love.

This book was an enjoyable read. I like the concept, and i support that it mentions real life situations that are often not talked about, but its so real. However, there are a couple of things that made me less excited. Firstly, it did not feel memorable. Secondly, i dislike the fmc, mostly because she blames all her marital issues on her husband, where this was clearly mostly her problem. You can read about him trying so many different ways to improve, be better for her, and to make it up to her, whereas she has not tried to make it up to him or improve herself at all. This also made the ending a bit anticlimactic, if im honest, because it was missing that resolving part.
The best part of this book was honestly the workfield of Rob, the husband, with plenty of builder women with a good heart, good values, and lots of banter.
I was a bit torn between a 2 and a 3, but as im writing this review, i only feel more bothered, therefore i ended with a 2. I wish i would have loved it, and im sorry for that.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review

I really loved this book!

The exploration of love, growth, and relationships was beautiful. Maybe it’s because my husband and I are right at the 10 year mark, but I can easily see how Rob + Emma got to this point the same way that I know we could if we just let life + our relationship happen instead of actively participating in them. It’s SO easy to just exist and try to survive each day, and especially if you’re in a long term relationship, I cannot recommend this book enough.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

I gave up on this fairly early on, and eventually didn't make it past 40%. I liked the premise of the book, which is why I requested it, but as soon as Emma cheated on Rob and then her best friend defended her for doing it, I was done. Why oh why would you hook up with your co-worker's brother? Doesn't anyone at your office know you're married? You might be separated, but you're still married! The whole thing was too icky for me. I didn't like any of the characters at all and thought the story was boring.

This was not a book I got into right away, and in fact I picked it up and put it down a few times. That is definitely a 'me' thing. I started it when I was in the midst of a fluffy rom-com binge, and it was kind of an uncomfortable premise for me to walk into. But there is so much growth along the way. There are happy places along the way and it's worth the journey.

Wow, what a ride! The book brilliantly captures the highs and lows of a relationship on pause, mixing humor, honesty, and a touch of wanderlust. Thoraval weaves a tale that’s as much about self-discovery as it is about love, inviting readers to reflect on how taking time apart can sometimes bring you closer together. If you’re in the mood for a story that feels both modern and relatable, this one’s definitely worth adding to your reading list.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an ARC and allowing me to provide my honest review

While out shopping one day, Emma finally tells Rob that she is no longer happy in their 26-year marriage. She hasn't been happy for a long time - she's tired of feeling bored, frustrated and she wants to get more out of her life than what she's experiencing. Rob is caught off guard when she proposes that they take a year off from their relationship. No contact, no commitment, just one year to find out what they really want out of their lives, and whether they should remain together or apart.

As Rob and Emma embark on their Gap Year, the more time they spend apart, the more Rob and Emma both begin to remember who they were before the kids, the jobs, and their endless responsibilities. But the question is - will they want to remain married at the end of it all?

I thought the book was okay, and the premise was interesting, but I just struggled to relate to the main character. I liked seeing Rob's arc and his character development, but I was just frustrated with Emma and found it hard to see her side. It was an okay story, but not one that I'd strongly recommend.

My thanks to NetGalley and Further Publishing for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an ARC copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

I found the premise of the book intriguing. While it has been similar to other books I have read (thinking of "After I Do" by Taylor Jenkins Reid), this book fell a bit short of expectations for me, and was harder to finish. The ending was also a little flat and anticlimactic, considering the premise of the book. Altogether, the author did a nice job of developing his characters and tying in humor within the book quite effectively. However, I would have liked to see more of a developed resolution to all of the scenarios that arose in the book. Overall, a ⭐️⭐️⭐️ read.

I was very intrigued by the premise of this book. I was expecting both characters to spend their Marriage Gap Year working on themselves, and learning a new appreciation for their spouse. But I didn't feel like that happened at all. I wasn't a fan of either main character, and didn't think either of them was willing to put in the work necessary to become a better person and spouse. It almost seemed as if they enjoyed being miserable. And the ending was very unsatisfying! I will however say that the writing was wonderful. The author captured emotions and wrote with such feeling. It was fast paced and kept me entertained despite the fact that I didn't love the characters or storyline. I feel like that is a true testament to the author's talent! I am thankful to Netgalley and Yannick Thoraval for the e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Wonderful story, great character development, great writing! Highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it

The Marriage Gap Year follows the relationship of Emma and Rob, or rather, their break from each other after, for one year. While this is classified as a romance, its not your regular romance novel. It touches on the deeper connections within a relationship, the aspects that bind a person with another, including the physical, emotional, shared-experiences, common values, and feelings of respect and safety, and more. The author has some astute observations on life and human relationships that were reflected within these characters' experiences, including romantic, parent/child, work/colleague, and friendships. It is a fun and easy read, with very relatable feelings. I enjoyed reading this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the e-ACR.

I am so happy to get the chance to read this book. I really liked this book. It had a great plot, I just couldn't put the book down!
Really recommend this if you like cute little romance books! (like books from Emily Henry)

The premise was fine but the story just didn't grab me fully, although it did pick up as it progressed. Neither Rob nor Emma seemed all that likable or sympathetic in the beginning (although as the story went on I liked Rob more than Emma, I did not ever warm up to her). There are dual 3rd-person POVs, which was helpful, and the supporting characters were written well. But it came down to how much I really cared about the fate of Emma and Rob, both individually and together, and I just didn't like either of them enough to be all that interested in the outcome. Ultimately this was not the book for me, but I think it will appeal to readers who aren't looking for a cut-and-dried HEA, as well as readers who like some relationship angst in their books. This is more general fiction than a romance, so fair warning. Also fair warning, the cover of the book makes it seem like a much more light-hearted story than it is. The book is described as hilarious, which it most decidedly is NOT. Dramedy is more accurate, but even that is stretching things.

I enjoyed the first part of this book and the last half however the middle didn’t completely sit right with me. I feel this book would be more suited to people in a similar situation to Emma and Rob.
The premise was extremely interesting as Emma takes a year off from her marriage with Rob. I thought the execution was done very well too however it wasn’t for me.

The premise of this book was intriguing. I enjoyed it but never felt compelled to care about either of the characters or whether they got back together after their gap year though.

What a wonderful story. I really enjoyed the character development and seeing the hardships that are faced in marriage. As someone who has only been married for 2 years this book was eye opening!