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.

I am always excited to see a novel with characters in their 40s, my own age group, and while the writing is beautiful, the story itself wasn't what I'd hoped for.

Pub date: 5/2/23
Genre: family drama
Quick summary: Malcolm and his wife Jess own local bar The Half Moon, and their struggles with infertility, money, and fidelity will come to a head when their town experiences a blizzard.

I love a family drama, but this one was a bit too quiet for me. Keane's writing was beautiful as always, but it took a while for the story to get going, and I didn't connect well enough to Malcolm or Jess to make this character-driven novel an enjoyable read. I also struggled with their relationship - both were keeping lots of secrets, both were guilty of infidelity, so the overall tone of the book was darker than I wanted it to be. There wasn't enough lightness in the narrative to balance out the negative themes. The ending did redeem things, but ultimately, I wasn't the right reader for this book.

If you enjoy sad, character-driven reads, you might enjoy this one more than I did!

Thank you to Scribner for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a family drama that takes place over the course of a week. I loved the author's Ask Again, Yes and although I liked this one, it wasn't quite as riveting. It's a book about imperfect characters with life struggles facing difficult struggles. It's an interesting, character driven story. I will definitely keep my eye out for what the author writes next.

This book really surprised me. I found myself so intrigued with how this would come together and I absolutely loved the ending.

this was one book in a lineup of lit fic exploring motherhood i've accidentally been picking up, one after the other, and still i enjoyed it and it stood out

i love unlikable characters who i actually like. so real!

mary beth keane is the shakespeare of irish-american family dramas.

and i love family dramas.

This book was really hard to get into at first but then it came alive. It was a wonderful story about a couple in a small town who must navigate the complexities of marriage, family and longing, Malcom is the bar tender at the Half Moon. He has dreamed of owning the bar for years and finally behind his wife’s back he purchases the bar. Malcom has an elderly mother who he just check in on periodically. Jess his wife is a devoted lawyer and not happy about owning the bar. She has tried for years to have a baby. She leaves Malcom for a while and moves in with a man and his kids. A blizzard hits the small town and life changes for everyone,
‘

I was a big fan of Ask Again, Yes and couldn't wait to read The Half Moon. I enjoy family dramas and this one follows Malcolm and Jess as they deal with the highs and lows of marriage, infertility, and unfulfilled dreams. I didn't like this story nearly as much as I wanted to. I'm still a fan of Mary Beth Keane's, but this slow-burn novel was not for me.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for this ARC.

Not a lot going on plot wise, but I really enjoyed the character building and really enjoyed settling in with Jess and Malcolm. I also thought the bar as a character was so well done!! Loved it.

This book basically takes place over the course of one week with flashbacks to pivotal moments in the relationship of Malcolm and Jess. Though their marriage began with an unplanned pregnancy that resulted in a miscarriage, the couple eventually suffers through years of unsuccessful infertility treatments. Malcolm's lifelong dream to buy his own bar finally comes true, but he struggles with the financial burden that adds even more stress to their marriage. Jess finally decides she needs to take a break to gain some new perspective. Everything comes to a head when a major snowstorm paralyzes the community and one of the bar's patrons mysteriously disappears. I found the book to be a fast read and definitely plan to check out more of this author's work. Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this book. I read it in one day while traveling and that might have been why it really hit me hard. I’m also squarely middle aged, so maybe that has something to do with it.

🌗The Half Moon is a quiet novel about growing older, relationships and pivoting from your dreams to create new ones. The prose was so beautiful and really had me thinking. The Half Moon is a bar run by Malcolm, a big fish in a smallish suburb outside of New York City. Malcolm has spent his career managing The Half Moon and is ready to take it over from Hugh who is retiring. Malcolm can’t see The Half Moon for what it is because it is part of his identity.
His wife, Jess, has wanted a child for years. After years of failed infertility treatments, she still longs for the family she has always envisioned.

🌑Is it failure to give up on a dream? When our expectations don’t align with reality, should be be disappointed or can expectations be reimagined? This book had me thinking about big questions about life, relationships and love.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved Keane's book Ask Again, Yes so was thrilled (and kind of shocked!) to receive an ARC of The Half Moon. I devoured this book in just a few days and loved it.

The Half Moon centers around Malcolm and Jess, a separated couple. The book is set in a huge snow storm in present day, with flashbacks to Malcolm and Jess meeting, falling in love, then eventually falling apart. The supporting characters were fine, but Malcolm and Jess are definitely the focus. The setting is compelling, with their small town buried by a huge snow storm that essentially forces Malcolm and Jess to confront their situation.

I am not always a huge fan of character driven books but Keane writes her characters in such a compelling way that I find myself drawn in. As with Ask Again, Yes, Keane was able to write characters who feel real, interesting, flawed, and relatable. I found myself rooting for them, particularly Malcolm. I highly recommend this book and will continue to read everything Keane writes. 5 stars.

Content Warning: Infertility

Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for gifting me a digital ARC of the new book by Mary Beth Keane. I was a huge fan of Ask Again, Yes and couldn't wait to dive into this one. It didn't disappoint - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Malcom and Jess married young. Now in their forties, they have spent all their money trying unsuccessfully to have a baby. Jess works as a lawyer at a new firm after failing to make partner at a larger firm. Malcom has worked at The Half Moon for over 25 years and considers its owner, Hugh, like a second father. When Hugh retires, Malcolm buys the bar with basically a handshake deal. But now he's drowning in debt and troubles. Jess is struggling to see what her future holds.

This book basically takes place over a week's time, during a blizzard, but is told in third person between Malcom and Jess going back in time so the reader understands their relationship. I love Keane's writing and I was totally invested in these characters and storyline. This is a middle-of-life story, when people take stock of where they are, where they thought they would be, and where they want to go. But it's also a story of love and commitment, forgiveness, and family. Great read!

A book about a couple - a bar owner and lawyer in Rockland County, NY -who have been trying to have a child for years. There is a sadness to the book that makes it hard to enjoy. I think Keane tried to save the book by adding a missing person mystery to it but that wasn't necessary to the plot of the rest of the book. If you are looking for an introspective book about the ups and downs of marriage, there is some good writing here.

I loved Ask Again, Yes, by Mary Beth Keane, so no matter what, I was going to read her newest book... and that's just what I did! The Half Moon is about Malcolm and Jess, a husband and wife dealing with infertility and career challenges. The story follows as they work through the complexities of their marriage and the choices they've made along the way. They both make choices that may just take them in different directions. There's enough of an intriguing plot to keep you turning the pages, but this one didn't have me quite as invested as I'd hoped.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.