This was a cute will they won't they love story with a twist (as in it's more will they won't they get back together story), well written, the perfect holiday beach read!

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a review.

I am sad to say that this book, which promised warmth, romance, and comedy was cold, sad, and aggravating. The conclusion felt unearned, the character growth was half-baked at best, and I found myself openly cringing and rolling my eyes at the internal monologues of the main couple. Emma in particular. One should at least be able to root for the leads, no?

EMMA LEARNED NOTHING. AT LEAST ROB SORT OF OWNED UP TO HIS MISSTEPS.

“The Marriage Gap Year” sounded like it could be an interesting read—26 years of marriage, and then Emma wants a full year off with no contact. But by 16% in, I was honestly struggling. The cover doesn’t match the vibe of the characters at all, which threw me off right away. I usually take cues from the cover about what the characters might look or feel like, but here, it felt like a mismatch.

Emma and Rob each go off on their own paths, but neither is especially likable, so it’s hard to get invested in either side. The story moves pretty slowly, with so much time spent in their heads that it starts feeling repetitive. Around the 25% mark, Emma starts an affair, which just drags things out more. They don’t have the conversation you’d expect until the very end, making the whole “gap year” feel frustratingly drawn out. The pacing felt off, and by the rushed ending, it didn’t feel like the story truly paid off its premise.

The story revolves around a marriage that has been standing the test of time. In the case of this couple, they have been together for 26 years. Yet as what people usually say, love feels overwhelming especially once it starts but love sometimes fades. So, marriage is not solely because of love but commitment towards your partner and in order for it to last, it takes teamwork to make the dream work! Sometimes one just needs time alone but at the end, the time alone is just a time for you to reflect and realize that the person you love most is the one you've been with all along :)

The story of this book is a bit meh. It's a bit dragging and the ending did not match my expectation since it was a bit confusing for me. Nonetheless, thank you NetGalley for accpeting my request to read this book :)

I did not find this to be well paced or very romantic. It was a struggle to get through because I lost interest in the characters.

I have always been fan of the marriage or relationship in trouble kind of rope and that is what caught my eye with this book. I really enjoyed the plot of this book. Since most people are either happy after marriage, with some experiencing ups and downs, others quitting and being divorced, or simply cheating, I found the plot to be really intriguing. The idea of taking a year off from their marriage, similar to a year out from school, was really eye-opening for our couple because they both discovered how much they truly wanted to stay married.

While, The Marriage Gap Year is a remarkable book because of its emotional depth, character development, and genuine depiction of love, even though it may not neatly fit into the conventional romance genre box. This novel will undoubtedly make an impression if you're searching for a romance that feels authentic, complete with all the deep feelings and complications that accompany it.

Yannick W. Thoraval's The Wedding Gap Year is a refreshingly authentic take on romance, offering a blend of raw emotions and real-life complexities that set it apart from the typical romantic novel. The character development stands out as one of the novel's strongest aspects. Both protagonists are multifaceted, with their personal growth woven into the story in a way that feels genuine and unforced. Their journeys are imperfect, marked by both beautiful moments and tough realities, which makes them relatable and human.

The romance itself feels authentic and grounded. The chemistry between the two leads is palpable, with moments of tenderness and vulnerability that will resonate deeply with readers. Their connection is not just about the initial sparks, but about building something more meaningful over time, filled with bumps along the way. Thoraval doesn't shy away from the messiness of love—making the characters' relationship all the more compelling.

However, calling The Wedding Gap Year a straightforward romance is complicated by its ending, which doesn’t follow the typical "happily ever after" formula. The conclusion leans more into realism than fantasy, and while it may not provide the conventional closure that some romance readers might expect, it feels true to the story Thoraval has told. This nuanced approach leaves readers contemplating what love means in different stages of life, making it a more thoughtful and layered experience.

Overall, while The Wedding Gap Year may not fit neatly into the standard romance genre box, its emotional depth, character development, and authentic portrayal of love make it a standout read. If you're looking for a romance that feels real, with all the messy emotions and complexities that come with it, this book will definitely leave an impact.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

I was really intrigued by this story based on the description. As a married women myself, I was interested in how the gap year came about and what that dynamic looked like for the two characters. I was surprised that there wasn’t counseling or anything prior to this decision or even really a clear reason why things weren’t working out.

Wow, this was very different from what I usually read. I thought the plot was very interesting because most people after they get married either are happy with some having their ups and downs, others who call quits and divorce, or those who just cheat. The plot of taking a gap year from their marriage like a gap year from school was for sure eye opening for our couple because they both learned about themselves and how much they truly if they want to be in this marriage still. If you are looking for a story that will make your think about your main characters on if they were make it through this arrangement, then this book is for you!

4/5 stars!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really struggled with this book. The reasons Emma wanted a "break" were not explained well in the beginning and there were no other efforts for a resolution, like counseling. This really bothered me. Toward the end of the book, there was a much better explanation given, but it should have been at the start of the book. Totally a misplaced chapter.

The rest of the book alternates POV between the husband and wife, but neither of them are likable, and their lives were rather boring. Definitely not a lot of growth and the rest of the book is filled with random events. There is one brief romantic interest, but it came out of nowhere and was like the author was trying to copy the book/tv show "Younger" for a brief moment and then gave up. I honestly felt bad for the husband and the resolution at the end was disappointing. It just didn't tie together for me.

Taylor Jenkins Reid wrote a book years ago titled "After I Do". Similar idea with a year-long break, but really excellent growth, romance, and a cute storyline.

I really liked the idea of this book. I thought it sounded interesting but it ended up not being for me. I couldn't relate with any of the characters and I really disliked the main characters. Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I'm still kinda on the fence about this one. Some parts I could easily understand and relate to, some parts made me stop for a bit and think about them, and some parts I just skimmed through. All in all, I d say it was ok.

Thank you to Further Publishing and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

With this book, the reader really has to hit the ground running as the decision to take the gap year is announced in the first chapter. I think an important element that is missing is how did Emma and Rob get to this point? What led to the downfall of their marriage, especially after so many years? I didn’t find either main character particularly likable, which is usually something that causes me to struggle in books. The writing style also felt choppy. So this one was just meh for me.

Emma has been married to Rob for over twenty years and she needs a break. Being with him fills her with more exhaustion than happiness, and she’s not even sure that she loves him anymore. So she asks Rob for a full year of living apart with no contact so she can find herself.

The first chapter was really rocky. This was written in third person dual point-of-view, and the first chapter decided to have both perspectives at the same time. What this meant was a small paragraph from Emma’s POV, then a small paragraph from Rob’s, and back and forth. It gave me whiplash, and made for a very confusing experience. After the first chapter, the perspectives are broken up into a chapter for each character which was much more reasonable.

I was really hoping for a beautiful story about how Emma and Rob find themselves and find their way back to each other, but that really didn’t happen. Once they move away, they barely even think about each other. They just go on about their lives as if their spouse doesn’t exist. They really should have had small moments of missing each other while going about the mundane tasks of the day. In addition, these characters were supposed to grow on their own and find themselves, but I didn’t see much growth at all, and I don’t even feel like I got a good feel of the characters through the entire book.

Emma and Rob were just awful characters. I don’t mean awful in the way that an author writes on purpose so we can either learn from mistakes and/or watch them grow into better people. This was awful in a way that was wholly unnecessary to the story. They have a child, and when he is deciding to drop out of college, they both deride him and tell him he can’t have a future without staying in school. Emma gets mad at a coworker for trying to get to know her better, and she gets frustrated with the younger generation of coworkers for wanting a work/life balance. Rob gets upset at how he can’t call female coworkers “darling” anymore. In many interactions, Emma and Rob show themselves to be close-minded and not good at listening to the needs of others.

The story didn’t have much tension, and I had no motivation to keep turning the pages. If this wasn’t an ARC I promised to review, then I would have DNFed it from lack of interest. I have read many ARCs in my day, and I was disappointed by the number of typos in this one; I hope this version had a few more edits before being published.

I absolutely loved this book. I read it in one sitting. It has great characters that were very relatable and a fast moving plot. It is laugh out loud funny but also has a strong soul and a pure heart that kept me reading. Just loved it. Want to see more from this author.

2.5/5

Looking at the title and cover, I requested it expecting one of these two things:

- Option One: a funny ride for the female character, escaping the "marriage prison" and discovering friends and life, flirting, changing jobs, etc.
- Option Two: a meaningful journey towards self-discovery, about the yearning for the idea of the freedom of single life and, once having tasted it, wanting to return to the comfort of marriage.

I started reading, excited about the idea and the laughs that would come, as the story mixes a bit of both, but the result was a little bit on the disappointing side.

The husband, Rob, is described as a loving but dull alcoholic, skilled in his job but lacking a high level of education (I don't know why *that* was so important). The wife, Emma, is described as a college-educated woman stuck in life: a job in the wrong company, boring marriage, lack of sex and a kid leaving for college. The result of it is Emma asking Rob for a year without any contact in order to rediscover herself, her needs and what she wants in life.

Their year is quite different for each of them:

Rob is handed a beautiful construction project surrounded by capable women, as an analogy to his frustrated marriage, and has to navigate the ways to work alongside these young colleagues and their new views on work and life. During this time, he grows in depth and develops a self-consciousness that is quite enjoyable. There is quite a lot of solitude, so we spend long periods in his head, understanding his actions, backstory, motivations and problems.

Emma, on the other hand, finds a place to live in the centre and goes out with her younger colleagues. She flirts with a guy, and yes, she sticks with this first younger man she encounters after "leaving a marriage where she felt stuck". I found it kind of depressing. And disappointing. In addition, she reconnects with her college friend, Kendry, who stays single and free, but has her own problems. Emma soon discovers that this freedom is not "for free".

What I appreciated:

First, I enjoyed the portrait of Melbourne, I went back to sweet memories of the city and found myself promenading and gazing again at the sight of crystal skyscrapers on both sides of the Yarra River.

There are a couple of scenes that I found funny, one with Emma and Erik at his house, and some with Rob and Sareena, who is the most likable character in the whole thing. She pushes Rob and explains things in a way he understands; in the end, she is the one who helps him evolve into a less old-fashioned, providing macho role.

I also enjoyed the generational clash Emma has to struggle with. Her 48-year-old woman's lifestyle and ideals against the late-Millennial/GenZ's.

I liked that Emma was not right about everything: she pushes her son into college and he soon discovers that it's not for him, she doesn't understand nor supports this, but Rob does. However, I found it satisafying that she doesn't give up and goes back to the marriage at the end, although things don't go well for her outside of it.

I didn't enjoy that she had everything handed to her, though. She listens to a podcast, then she starts running but doesn't follow, she asks for interviews and does not prepare for them, she wants to enjoy life but she seems to rely heavily on others for direction—what does she do the rest of her time? I can't say I liked nor connected with her decisions much, even though she's only some years older than I am and I kind of realted with her experience.

Also, even though there are chapter separations as the seasons pass, I found it hard to know how much time had passed between one scene and the next: days? weeks? months? There was no clear indication and I felt lost many times.

In conclusion, I must say that I expected more of the story, however I must also confess that the end... it was kind of satisfaying. That's why, even though I doubted between 2* and 3*, I'll gave it 3.

I really wanted to like this book but it fell flat. I felt Emma was obnoxious and completely selfish and unlikeable. Rob was oblivious. And honestly I struggled with the ending a ton.

This was not great for me. The writing is fine and the story well paced. I just didn't like Emma. At all. I gave it some time thinking she'd grow on me, but it didn't happen and I didn't feel any real sense of connection.

**Review of *The Marriage Gap Year* by Yannick Thoraval**

Yannick Thoraval’s *The Marriage Gap Year* is a delightful romp through the ups and downs of modern relationships, and it’s as refreshing as a glass of sparkling water on a hot day—only with more laughs and fewer calories!

Thoraval introduces us to a couple on the brink of crisis, embarking on a "gap year" that’s not just for students anymore. The premise is both clever and relatable, and you’ll find yourself chuckling at their misadventures as they navigate a world of self-discovery that’s hilariously chaotic. Who knew a year off from marriage could involve so much awkwardness, unexpected encounters, and a touch of existential dread?

The dialogue is sharp and witty, and the characters are so endearing you’ll want to invite them over for a coffee (or perhaps a glass of wine, given their antics). Each chapter offers a new, laugh-out-loud scenario that showcases Thoraval’s talent for turning the mundane into the absurd.

If you’ve ever considered a break from your own relationship—if only for a moment of peace from the remote control wars—this book will resonate deeply. With a perfect blend of humor and heart, *The Marriage Gap Year* is a reminder that sometimes, stepping back is the best way to move forward.

So grab your favorite beverage, settle in, and prepare for a journey that’s both entertaining and surprisingly insightful. You’ll laugh, you’ll nod in agreement, and you might just reconsider your own plans for the year ahead!

The Marriage Gap Year tells the tale of Emma and Rob, who, after 26 years of marriage, decide to take a year off to figure out what they truly want from life and their union. Although the story follows both characters, Emma's perspective is given much more weight. I liked that Emma's experiences weren't completely romanticized, as her decisions had financial consequences. Although there were moments when the story seemed to drag on, I was interested to see how they handled the situation.