This is a quiet, often sad character novel about couple Malcolm and Jess. When the book starts, they are separated after many years of marriage and the bar Malcolm owns is in deep trouble, and the book cuts back and forth between the present day during a week or so of a crazy snow storm and it’s aftermath, to jumping around through their past including their struggles with infertility, the bar, and their marriage in general, which we see from each of their perspectives.

Early reviews from many of my reader friends have been beyond glowing for this one, but for me it was more of a mixed bag. The early parts of this book were both so slow and so depressing that if I were a person who DNF-ed books, I might have abandoned this book around the 30% mark (I did start alternating it with another book though). And yet, at the same time, this book is perfect evidence for why I don’t DNF - because I increasingly got into the book as it went along, and by the end I kinda loved it!

Still, I have to average that out, so this is 3.75 stars for me.

I liked this well enough but it all wrapped up just a little too neatly. It also was quite centered on infertility, which I don’t love reading about really.

This book was a slowwwwww burn. It took me a really long time to get drawn into the story. By the time the book picked up, I wasn’t invested in the characters. I enjoyed the way the story finally played out, but this marriage-on-the-rocks storyline stressed me out from start to finish. Definitely some people’s cup of tea, just not sure it’s mine!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I loved Ask Again, Yes and was excited to see another book by Mary Beth Keane.

The Half Moon was so good. A very character driven novel about a husband and wife, Malcolm and Jess, who are newly separated after years of infertility, and betrayal. The book goes back and forth throughout Malcolm and Jess's marriage, so you get the full depth of what happened and how their marriage fell apart. The plot, and characters felt very real. I was so engrossed in this one.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you Scribner for allowing me the chance to read and review The Half Moon. I just love a thoughtful literary character study, the kind of writing that invites you into a life that feels relatable, meaningful and possibly like people you could or do know and settings/places that feel real as well. Keane has a knack for this kind of writing, making me care not about the book but about the voices, the feelings, the challenges navigated. The Half Moon and the struggles with the journey to parenthood really resonated with me in particular, I appreciate the nuances in that part of the story. I also love the hopeful optimism that is the early midlife stages.., the what is my next chapter, how and when do I pivot or see new pathways or chances? How do I help others see those chances too?
This is a great ready for book clubs and literary, character driven fans like me. Recommended for fans of this author, for readers who like Elizabeth Strout, and other similar authors.

Don’t you just love when a highly anticipated new book is exactly what you were hoping for? I loved Ask Again, Yes by @marybethkeane and was definitely looking forward to her new novel, The Half Moon, which published last week. It did not disappoint!

This is definitely a character-driven story, so don’t come into this one expecting a propulsive fast-moving plot. The quality of the writing and the character development kept me turning the pages though. It’s ultimately the story of a marriage. Malcolm owns and runs The Half Moon, a local bar where he’s worked since he was a teenager and was finally able to purchase and call it his own. Jess is a lawyer and has recently had a crisis of career. They have been struggling with infertility for many years and as this story begins, they are separated. The details of their lives unfold through flashbacks and it’s obvious they love and respect each other but they are both dealing with disappointments and decisions that affect both of their lives.

It’s a story of reflection, forgiveness, evaluating your life and whether you are where you thought you would be at this point. And if not, how easy is it to leave your comfort zone to make changes?

I felt this story so deeply. It’s not the story of my marriage but I’ve been married for almost 34 years and the truth in this sentence stopped me in my tracks: “He stopped himself from saying it aloud, but they knew each other so well that the air between them became legible, and she could read it anyway.”

Highly recommend this one if you enjoy a beautifully written character story. Mary Beth Keane is officially on my auto-buy list!

The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane

We all have dreams and when you are in a relationship you think you are sharing the same dreams and ultimately you are not on the same page. Malcolm's dream is to own his own bar. It has to be the "Half Moon" where he's tended bar for years. When this bar is offered for sale, he'll be the buyer, at all costs. Jess's dream is to have a baby. For years she'll go from doctor to doctor for the newest procedures to become pregnant, no matter the cost.

As both dreams begin to falter and fade, it creates tension, sadness and blame between Malcolm, Jess, and their marriage. Living in the small community where they grew up, even the most well-meaning family members and friends cause unnecessary interference and complications.

The story flows through the past and present looking at how we got to where we are at the end. it is sad and deep at times it felt even dark.

This is the first time I read from this author it was what I would expect in a relationship driven story that is full of complexities and dynamics between the couple. The struggles they endure to find their way to what they dream.

Thank you to Netgalley and Scribner for a free copy of The Half Moon for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

I found this book to be written a bit more chaotic than I like. The story was good. The marital issues were very convincing and I really liked the MC Malcolm.
I enjoyed the book but I don’t know that it’s for everyone. Fertility issues, monogamy issues, money problems, lies, good grief this book covered a lot!!

I'm struggling to put into words how I felt about this book. It was heavy. Like HEAVY. One of the major plot points is around Jess and Malcom's deteriorating relationships and their struggle with infertility. It was very specific and heart wrenching. Malcom was frustrating. But so was Jess. This book at it's core is about unfulfilled dreams - Jess with her dream of a child, Malcom with his dream of owning The Half Moon, and even the weird bit with Tripp Waggoner.

I did like this book, however it wasn't what I was expecting.

Fans of character driven books or Ask Again, Yes this one is for you! Thank you to @scribner and @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy!

In her new book, The Half Moon, Keane explores midlife, forgiveness, small-town living, and family through the lens of figuring out what dreams are most important to you and figuring out which dreams you've held onto for too long.

Malcolm, a charismatic bartender, fulfills his dream of owning a bar following his boss's retirement. However, the Half Moon struggles, and he continuously grapples with keeping it afloat. Meanwhile, his wife Jess, a successful lawyer, is slowly coming to terms with the possibility of not having children. Set over one week, bookended by two separate winter storms that hit the area hard, and fully exploring the characters with organically crafted flashbacks, The Half Moon delves into the disappointments and unexpected consolations of life.

Despite the page-turning aspect of the writing style, Keane takes her time with this one — the pace matches the anticipation and agonizing wait of the impending storms, which are followed by the havoc that a destructive storm can bring — and the interwoven flashbacks and reflections allow the characters to be fully realized and fleshed out. I appreciated the interplay between the overwhelming quiet stillness of the outside world after the first storm hits and the chaotic discontent of Malcolm's worried mind as his thoughts jump from the myriad problems with the bar, the disappearance of a local man, and his potentially dissolving marriage. He has so much on his mind, and each one demands his attention, pulling him in several directions at once. This makes it both difficult to focus on the trouble in his marriage and easy to ignore it and procrastinate really delving into where his part in it lies. The upcoming second storm, promising just as many problems, looms over the town, forcing them finally into some kind of action.

Overall, The Half Moon is a captivating and well-crafted read that successfully explores the complexities of life and the difficulties of navigating unexpected challenges. I particularly enjoyed the aspect of having to come to terms with letting go or reshaping some of your dreams and goals for yourself. Life doesn't always work out the way we'd like, or leave room for everyone to have a single-minded dream come true. But showing that we can still find fulfillment and happiness in a future where the focus has shifted is such an important facet to explore. Keane's attention to detail and the fully realized characters make this a book that readers will find hard to put down.

Ask Again, Yes was a surprising read for me - I loved the writing, the complexity of the characters, the entire story. So I jumped at the opportunity to read an advance copy of Keane's upcoming release, The Half Moon.
Unfortunately this novel left me restless. It's the quiet story of a marriage, a small town, the intimacy of both and while there were several opportunities for action to accelerate or at least enliven the plot, it remains too subtle for me.
Malcolm and Jess Gephardt rushed into marriage years ago but thankfully they were meant to be - at least Malcolm has always believed so. Now approaching middle age with no children (a sore spot, mostly for Jess, after years of trying); Malcolm has purchased The Half Moon under some questionable circumstances, where he's been the long-time bartender. Jess is a successful lawyer but still buried under student loan debt that never seems to decrease.
The pair are facing the loss of youth with little sense of direction and an uncertain future together.
Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The Half Moon was published May 2, 2023.

A Marriage story between Jess a lawyer and her husband Malcolm a bar owner who is fighting to keep the bar afloat. The story follows the couple over a week period during a winter storm and a bar patron goes missing. The couples infertility journey plays a heavy in this portrayal of a struggling marriage. This was a deep character driven novel that went at a pretty slow moving pace. This one fell a bit flat compared to Ask Again, Yes.

The Half Moon is much more than a book about a bar. Malcolm and Jess have entered a dangerous point in their marriage. She really only wants a baby. He only wants to own his own bar. And then he does the unthinkable and buys THE HALF MOON when it's offered by the owner. He does this without a final discussion with his wife. And the dynamic changed to not just buying the business, but buying the land and the building. Game changer. Will this marriage survive?

Ask Again, Yes is featured on my shelf of favorite reads, and I highly anticipated this book. Thank you to Scribner for an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Half Moon follows bartender Malcolm and his lawyer wife Jess. Having been married for about 15 years, the couple spent years struggling to get and stay pregnant with no success. Adding owning a struggling business to the mix, and the stress on the couple’s marriage reached a pivotal position where counseling wasn’t going to help. Jess has left, and Malcolm is shocked to find out she’s moving on already.
The writing felt smart - starting with a glimpse of the couple’s current situation, progressing in alternating past and present timelines to round out more details of the story, as one week passes in the present timeline. Nothing about the time-hopping was confusing, and it all felt smooth. There were so many tiny poignant moments - while reading I found myself taking moments to stop and reflect on seemingly small details. Overall the tone is serious and slightly depressing, but I enjoyed reading this book. Personally, I loved an unexpected reference to St. John, considering I've recently returned from a week on that beautiful island. I had to bribe myself to finish this one before pub day because I struggled with the heaviness of the main characters’ disappointment in each other as I read each chapter, in large part because I’ve been craving upbeat books lately. I look forward to discussing it with others.
If you enjoy character-driven marriage drama, this may be a great read for you. Please be aware there is an infertility/miscarriage plotline. This book is a slow burn to start, and it has long chapters - I typically avoid reading books with long chapters on my kindle - I think seeing 35+ minutes left in the current chapter makes me read even slower!

This is another quiet family drama by Mary Beth Keane. I love that she writes about ordinary people who are going through real-life struggles, and this is exactly the storyline about Malcolm and Jess. After working at The Half Moon bar in their hometown, Malcolm has finally bought the bar and wants to live his dream as the outright owner. Jess, in the meantime, is an attorney, helping keep them afloat with all the expenses that come up while also suffering from infertility. The stresses push both of them to do things they may otherwise never have done.

As others have said, this book is a slow burn, but in a good way. The reader learns more about Malcolm and Jess individually as their characters get fleshed out. Mary Beth Keane shows that not everything is as good as it may appear from the outside. Everyone has something going on their lives!

Thanks to #Netgalley and #Scribner for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Malcolm has always wanted to own the bar he worked in as a young man. He loves the community of it all, the camaraderie, listening to the stories, being surrounded by friendly faces. He dreams of taking over, and making the place his own.

Jess is a lawyer, and when she meets Malcolm his gregarious nature sweeps her off her feet. She dreams of becoming a mother, but as years of infertility continue to plague her, she finds it hard to let go and face the very real possibility that she will never have a child.

Both have dreams and hopes for their future, for their marriage. They have plans for what they want their life to look like. But what happens when the dreams you have get usurped by other pressures, by misfortune, by mistakes? How does a marriage reset? How do you set aside pride, embarrassment and old hurts, and start again?

This story is heartwarming and heartbreaking at times. Masterful, complex, emotional writing. I really love this author.

The writing was good, but I felt as though there was something missing. I didn’t really connect with the characters like I had hoped I would. There was part of the book that I enjoyed and the writing was phenomenal, but I felt as though the plot was kind of just mediocre. It did touch on some subjects that were a little hard for me to read and maybe that’s why I had such a difficult time loving this book. I do feel as though this book will be great for someone else, just maybe wasn’t my cup of tea.

Malcolm and Jess are chasing big dreams in the small town where they are highly respected and almost famous. In spite of sparing no expense or effort, their individual goals seem compromised and completely out of reach. The strain on their relationship is real. Then Malcolm is questioned about a missing person last seen at his bar, Circumstances bring Jess to a crossroads of desperation,. With the next chapter of their lives unwritten, what will they do to solve the mystery and find a future that moves forward, beyond the twists and turns of their frustrating beginnings:? Keane's Half Moon is the uncommon story of an attractive midlife couple who both have a flawed sense of dedication and honor towards each other and the dreams of what their family could be. You will fall in love with these characters and wish that Keane's story would never end.

A captivating and poignant story of love and loss. Keane’s writing is beautiful and honest. I felt every emotion!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

A story of second chances, the struggles of marriage, finances, fertility, and family.
Malcolm Gephardt fulfills his longtime dream of running The Half Moon where he’s been a bartender for years. Meanwhile, his wife Jess continues to try for a baby, but as that seems less likely, a rift forms in their relationship. Much of the story occurs during a winter storm that changes everyone’s trajectory, while also detailing some of the past and how they came to be where they are now.
The story is good, but there were still some inconsistencies and parts that just didn’t make sense, regarding the business transfer, apartment, etc, and I found Malcolm to be unlikable and immature in his behavior and actions, for being a 45 y/o man.
Thank you to Scribner for the ARC! Happy release week.