'Myself and Hugh . . . We're taking a break.'

'A city-with-fancy-food sort of break?'

If only. Amy's husband Hugh says he isn't leaving her. He still loves her, he's just taking a break - from their marriage, their children and, most of all, from their life together. Six months to lose himself in south-east Asia. And there is nothing Amy can say or do about it.

This beautifully written yet poignant story makes you feel every emotion possible. Although the main story is about Hugh & Amy's break, there are many subplots that come out of nowhere but keep the story going.

In true Marian Keyes fashion, the family are Irish so there are plenty of LOL moments amongst the doom & gloom. Marian Keyes, the fabulous author that she is has pulled it out of the bag yet again and this is one of my most favourite books that I have read so far this year. Her talent is endless & I am looking forward to meeting her on the book tour.

*Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review*

The Break. Marian Keyes
When Amy's husband, Hugh, decides to take a six month sabbatical from their marriage it disrupts the entire family and the repercussions extend to Amy's friends too. Amy finds that, in some ways, her whole life has changed but the stress of the daily grind remains the same. What brought their marriage to this point? Is Hugh the only one to blame for ruining their relationship? What is the impact on their three girls? How will Amy deal with the break and Hugh's planned return? Can Amy love someone new? This is not just about Amy and Hugh and their relationship, the whole family of strong female characters, Amy's colleagues and her friends play their own part in the drama. I have enjoyed all of Marian Keyes novels and find her characters live with you even when you put the book down. I'm sorry I've finished it. This is a fair review in exchange for a copy from netgalley and I'll be buying a paper copy when it is published.

I enjoyed this book even though I had visions of 'Mrs. Brown's boys' !! during the comedy bits. I liked the underlying storyline more than the tongue in cheek, and couldn't put it down towards then end. Some of the sub plots did not help the overall story and I found myself skimming past to get back to the main story. Overall it was a good book with some poignant underlying themes. I liked Amy and Hugh and was pleased the ending was happy.

I am a huge fan of Marian Keys and although her previous book was good it wasn't up to her usual standard in my opinion but the old Marian is back with this one and I love it!

Hugh and Amy have been married a long time with the new "modern" unconventional family, but that, along with two sudden deaths in the family changes Hugh and he decides he needs a break away from them all, leaving Amy to keep everything together while dealing with the issues in her relationship.

I think I felt every emotion going in this book, sadness, anger, anxiety, excitement, you name it! The great thing about Keyes is she presents you with real relatable characters and situations that you believe in but adds wit and humour to the mix creating a perfectly balanced story. I liked the way the whole social media and issues that go with it was brought into this book. I also have to give props to Marian for the sex scenes some of which she made quite funny but still steamy!

I went through a similar situation to the drama of this book years ago and the way the raw emotions described in the book are just like how I felt so I found this totally relatable!

There is one criticism I have,- there are too many "name drops" for me of designers and it just came across as though the author was hoping to blag some free stuff from them rather than add anything to the story but other than that I loved reading this book!

I loved this book and could not put it down!

Amy's husband Hugh decides he wants a break - from his marriage, three daughters, his life - and everything else that comes with it. He wants to find himself and just one more time live a life full of possibilities and without responsibilities - for six months. Then he promises to come back. Amy is devastated and left to deal with the fallout - emotionally and practically.

I thought this book was funny and sad and most of all real. Initially, I had a hard time making sense of the Hugh from the flashbacks and the Hugh that packed and went away but as the book progresses, we find out that not everything in Hugh's and Amy's relationship was as black and white as it seems at the beginning. Life (in a longterm relationship) happened and both of them dealt with it differently.

I loved the characters and reading this book just felt like having a peak into a family's life. It's well written, truly captivating and for a long time I didn't know who or what ending to root for but it all developed wonderfully. From the first to the last page a great read!

Amy is told by her husband Hugh that he wants a six month break from their marriage. Amy has already had one marriage breakdown and has moved forward, marrying Hugh. Understandably, she is shocked and grieved by his decision. Amy copes well with her children for support and her niece - a surrogate daughter. Amy, a busy working mum, sometimes, seems too good to be true. Quite a few men fancy her too. Her work colleague Alistair and editor Josh. Amy doesn't cheat on Hugh though. She steps away from the temptation of Josh. However, when she sees Facebook evidence of Hugh cheating with a Scottish lady called Raffie, well, this really brings the truth home. Her marriage is over! Amy has the affair with Josh. I didn't like this part. Felt it was a little contrived and they really didn't have anything in common. Eventually Hugh returns home. He wants Amy back. This book looks at the theme of forgiveness, finding yourself, depression and the realities of marriage. Felt the book was a little long. Didn't like Sophie moving on with David (who appeared last chapter.) An enjoyable, thought-provoking read with flawed characters. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

Really heartwarming and well written . I loved the story of Amy , Hugh and their massive family . I really felt for Amy when Hugh decides he wants a break from their marriage and his life and wants 6 months off to go travelling . Amy Is left to pick up the pieces and still me a mum to her almost grown up children , we find out in flashback that Amy also has a secret and things in their marriage were far from ideal , but I really enjoyed reading about Amy and her daughters becoming more independent and even closer to each other . Funny in parts , I laughed out loud but also had a few tears ... excellent .

I raced through The Break. It made me laugh, it made me think and it made me sob. In short - a perfect read!

The Break is a novel about a modern family from Dublin whose lives are thrown in turmoil when the father announces he wants a six month break from his marriage to travel around Asia.. Told from the point of view of Amy, his wife, we see the effects of this break on those left behind.
The novel is well written in a dialogue which, though distinctly Irish is still accessible to all English readers.
I have followed the author Marian Keyes on twitter for a while and to my shame this is the first of her books that I have read. Her twitter presence has always amused and entertained me and I am happy to report that this novel conveys her sense of humour magnificently. Keyes has an amazing gift of being able to make the reader howl with laughter and sob like a baby, often in the same paragraph. I will most definitely be seeking out her back catalogue.

This isn't the usual type of book I read but I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. There was a lovely mix of fun, laughter and sadness that you just wanted to keep reading but also didn't want the book to end. The family of characters was one that almost everyone would relate to in some way. I would recommend to anyone who likes an easy read.

Having read almost all of Marian Keyes earlier stuff, but very little of her more recent books I wasn't disappointed.
I enjoyed reading The Break, it was funny, sad and thoroughly enjoyable. Would I recommend? Absolutely.

Another great read from Marian Keyes. This book had all of Marian's usual humour while tackling the serious subject of marriage, relationships and trust. The characters, especially of Amy and Josh, were beautifully drawn and I was captivated right until the end, desperate to find out what happened. There are some bitingly funny moments satirising modern day blogs and social media, which Marian manages to weave with some incredibly sombre storylines (one in particular to do with Irish law and women's rights stands out, but I don't want to ruin the plot) A fantastic read from a wonderful author.

I consider reading a Keyes novel as a break from more serious or challenging books, because they're so enjoyable and I look forward to reading them so I consider them as a bit of light relief.
But of course as soon as I start I'm thrown right into real life relationships - and what could be more serious or challenging than that?
The Break is another classic 'slice of life' which I enjoyed (nearly as much as 'The Other Side Of The Story') full of well rounded characters and believable situations. In fact the only gripe I have is that it was too realistically detailed - eg listing out cosmetic brands and discussing face washing routines was a little too in-depth for me.
But I loved the story, I fell right into it and it stayed with me during the day as I wondered what was going to happen, in fact I was so involved with Amy's life that when the book was finished I worried about what was going to happen to her and the others as there were a few questions left unanswered - Did Amy get her Serbian painting eventually? Did Josh find happiness? Was Amy going through the menopause?
As usual Keyes is honest and heartwarming, the emotional responses from the characters was absolutely spot-on and I miss them all!

I love Marian Keyes books and this was a long book, it started slowly making sure the reader knew who everyone was and their part in the family. Then Amy's husband leaves her to find himself, she is devastated and can't understand why. But whilst trying to keep the family stable she and her girls go through really hard times, the author treats every side story with complete respect even when discussing sensitive issues in Ireland, like abortion and how even in 2017 it is still illegal in Ireland
The stories all unfold around and including Amy at times I was so engrossed I found myself shouting at her!
This book is a treasure trove of love, laughter and life is not a straight road its full of bumps just like everyone else and it is that the gives the reader enjoyment as most can relate to Amy's life.

The Break. Amy and her Husband are having a break- yet her Husband Hugh seems to be the only one on it!
When he decides to leave the marriage on a temporary basis to "find himself"- Amy is devastated but has to carry on as usual.
This is a story about finding love, keeping love and changing.
It's funny and good humoured- although I really didn't think too much of Hugh leaving and the subsequent ending (won't give it away).
This is modern living at it's finest and is a great Summer read!

Marian Keyes' last few books have been a bit of a gamble -
Sometimes a bit of a disappointment, leaving one with a yearning for the likes of Watermelon and Rachel's Holiday. Fear no more! Marian is back with a vengeance with this page turner!

Amy is middle aged and happily settled with her husband Hugh, three children, and a comfortable job. All this is blown apart when Hugh wants 'a break'.. Suddenly Amy has plans of her own, and also has to cope with her daughters' lives becoming more complex at the same time. Oh, and throw in the usual madcap family and friends and it's quite the adventure.
I did find there were a few too many unnecessary family members and friends, but could soon enough keep track of who was who.
Enjoyable, predictable fun from Marian, with some serious thinking points thrown in for good measure.

I love Marian Keyes and wasn't disappointed. Hugely witty with loads of wonderful insight into the lives of these people. Such a good turn of phrase as ever. A really enjoyable read!

This is probably my favourite Marian Keyes novel since the peerless Rachel's Holiday.

Capturing perfectly the mixture of anger, shame and despair accompanying a mid life split, it also conveys the nuances of twenty first century relationships and female friendships in particular.

The gallows humour is spot on, as always.

My only criticism would be a touch of smugness in the attractive, successful, popular protagonist. Although I may just be slightly jealous.

I finished the novel in two days and would whole heartedly recommend it as an alternative to the current wave of saccharine whimsy masquerading as women's fiction.

This author always delivers humour and connection, but I think this is my favourite of hers so far. Amy's husband has a mid-life crisis and decides he needs six months off from being a husband and a father. Where does that leave Amy? But she's been having a crisis of her own.

Funny as always but also incredibly moving, Marian Keyes has captured the bittersweet nuances of middle-aged marriage perfectly.

A classic Marian Keys - warm, funny and captivating.
I enjoyed her earlier books much more than the later ones, but Marian Keys is definitely back on form with The Break. Well drawn, memorable and realistic characters, hilarious one-liners and feel-good story lines (with some quite raunchy scenes) - it's all there!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the advance copy.