The Marriage Gap Year

The Marriage Gap Year was one of the rare books that took me longer to read, only because I wanted to hang on to every sentence. As a woman in her early 20's, it was nice to read a romance (?) book based off of an older couple who decides to take a break to find themselves after years of being in a complacent relationship. The author heard the saying "IKEA is where relationships go to die" and ran with it lol. We get to see our couple diverge into different ways of self discovery, and finding who they really are with and without each other. I enjoyed the premise, writing and even the ending.

The Marriage Gap Year is a wonderfully heartwarming read. Taking a year off from the marriage rather than jumping right into separation or divorce is a great idea that more people should partake in. There were some hard topics and overall the book was pretty relatable.

I just finished The Marriage Gap Year. I can’t say enough good things about this book. It was funny and heartwarming and I loved it!

THE MARRIAGE GAP YEAR is both a funny and poignant story about a couple who has been together well over twenty years taking a year off from their marriage for the chance for Emma to connect back to herself and her freedom and to gain clarity of what she wants and whether that includes her husband or not. This book felt very real and relatable and I'm not even married. I enjoyed the humor but also the serious reflection and portrayal of what it means to be human.

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

Such a lovely story about a couple who have lived so many years as a couple, raised a son, and now are just kind of stuck in a weird place in life and in their relationship. The wife proposes a year off of their relationship, the husband doesn’t want this but agrees. First off I wouldn’t be able to handle this if my partner wanted this so I think seeing how this played out was really important for me to see and relate to some of the things they were going through.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

What a great romcom!! This is a first for me by this author but will not be my last. It was such a cute story! The writing style is great and I loved the characters chemistry.

This was a page turner for me and I finished it in one sitting. Watching this couple struggle after decades of marriage is easily relatable to those that have been in long term relationships. We see how each handles their year apart, how they evolve slowly. It has some some funny parts but there are a lot of hard topics sprinkled throughout, including alcoholism and drug abuse. Definitely not a lighthearted read and the label dramedy is fitting.

I was given a copy by the publisher via NetGalley (thank you!) and all opinions are my own.

4.5 ⭐️

"The Marriage Gap Year" by Yannick Thoraval is a thought-provoking and emotionally charged novel that delves into the complexities of relationships and the pursuit of personal happiness. This was my first introduction to a book by this author and I loved every second of it. I just couldn't stop reading.

The story follows the lives of Emma and Rob, a married couple who embark on a year-long break from their marriage (the "marriage gap year"). As they explore their own desires, passions, and dreams, the couple faces a series of unexpected encounters and situations that test the strength of their relationship.

One of the highlights of this book is its exploration of the complexities of human emotions and the dynamics of relationships. The author skillfully portrays the internal struggles and conflicting desires of the main characters, allowing readers to empathize with their situation. The characters are likable, funny and relatable, making their journey all the more compelling.

Thoraval's writing style is engaging and relatable, effortlessly capturing the essence of the characters' emotions and experiences. It also made me reconsider some of my life choices, so sometimes it was even like I was in a therapy session myself. Apart from that, the book is written with a lot of humor as well and made me giggle a lot.

Another noteworthy aspect of "The Marriage Gap Year" is its exploration of societal expectations and the pressure to conform to traditional norms. The book challenges the conventional notions of marriage and prompts readers to question what truly makes a relationship successful and fulfilling.

Overall, it is not your typical romance book, but the author gives us a refreshing, more serious take on the genre. I highly recommend this fast paced, funny, relatable and refreshing book - it's definitely a must read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Further Publishing for sharing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a nice book! It was a good idea to have the couple take a break from marriage rather than just jump to a divorce. It was cute and heartwarming and I love the way the individual partners are connecting to themselves again and getting that sense of individualism. overall it was great!!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

I'm laughing immediately while reading chapter 1! This book was funny and authentic. I liked the dialogue style the author chose. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I think it is important to note that Emma chose to stand up for herself in a way that she felt confident and deserving of attention. Yes,Rob grew up in a family that didn't express emotion but he spoke more wood than his relationship with Emma and Will. The year was necessary to figure out which she wanted and even though Rob felt they were meant to be together, it doesn't mean that she doesn't love him as a person. They can both be great parents and supportive of Will despite them being not together. A reader has to applaud Emma in her actions regarding her her progression as to whom she became as is indicative of her work as well as her friend she was to Kendry. As the book progressed, she certainly became stronger and a person who knew what she wanted..

This is a great book. I love the concept of the story. I felt a few different emotions from anger to sadness. This story was well written and focus on how things are in real like. I liked that the couples focused on figuring out what they want in life. But I was also sad with the ending. I definitely recommend this book!

I have not read a book like this, and I loved every page! It was just such a sweet story of the journey of love and the honesty of what that all means. Yannick, you wrote a beautiful story! Thank you for this incredible book. Highly recommend.

The Marriage Gap Year is about a middle-aged couple, Rob and Emma, who, somewhere along the way, stopped communicating and stopped investing in their marriage. In a last-ditch effort, Emma decides they need to spend a year apart with no contact. The story is told in Emma's and Rob's POV. We follow Emma as she sets out in search of something more as Rob does what he can to just hang on. This story was relatable and had me cheering for a comeback. If you like second chance romance, this book is for you.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I actually really loved this book. Can you imagine after years of marriage taking a year off to find your happiness and potentially come back to your person. What a wild ride this couple took in their gap year. There were a lot of funny moments+ awkward moments in this book and also some emotional ones. You honestly have no idea what the end has in store and I feel like there could be a sequel potentially on what’s next. I love how their opinions of their sons non traditional path changed over time too. Really good, and loved the writing style :)

I really enjoyed this book- made me think about my own marriage and things we sometimes wish we could change (however for me it reinforced that I don’t want things to change). I also appreciated that it wasn’t incredibly predictable. The one part that lost me though was the music festival. The whole thing just seemed to happen really fast and I couldn’t follow when she was there then popping in the woods then back at the hotel. Otherwise I was able to easily follow everything and really enjoyed it!

Thank you Netgalley and Yannick Thoraval for an advance ebook in exchange for my honest feedback.

I was very excited to read this book. Another reviewer suggested sitting down with a glass of wine to read this, which is exactly what I did!

I looooovvvveeee the opening scene!! There's a couple, having an argument at IKEA? So. Incredibly. Relatable. I felt like I was there, inside the argument and feeling both sides. Usually, I despise novels that have these sorts of conversations but there's just something about the way it's written that makes it charming and relatable, not cringeworthy.

I love the sassy and sarcastic dialogue. It's believable, and the characters show depth. They actually have a backstory and logical thought processes and a complex social web between each character.

There's funny bits, too. I don't want to give away the whole novel in my review, but there was a few times where I laughed out loud (literally) at things in the novel.

I like the way this is written. The descriptions of different places that really make you feel like you're there. It's also fantastic that it's set in Australia. There's not many great Aussie authors and there's so many beautiful parts of our country to describe.

I also love the juxtaposition between the two characters. Emma and Rob really are so different.

The blurb mostly matches the novel, except that it is absolutely nothing like 'Elinor Oliphant is completely fine'. It's not a depressing novel about a self-hating alcoholic. I didn't enjoy that one, not sure why the author compared himself to it. It is much more similar to Funny Story by Emily Henry or the Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella. It's upbeat despite negative life events.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel and would be keen to read other work by the same author.