This novel takes place over the course of one week. It hits all the pressure points - a troubled marriage, fertility struggles, and a financial crisis. It took me a while to get into the story, but I am glad that I stuck with it.

Thank you for the copy of this book.

This was a well written book with a lot of depth. The characters felt real and I was feeling for them. Definitely need to be in the mood for deep and emotions when reading this.

The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane is an examination of a couple’s rocky journey through marriage.

I thought Mary Beth Keane did a great job with her novel, Ask, Again, Yes. The novel is about star-crossed lovers and their extremely complicated family dynamics.

With The Half Moon, this time the author focuses solely on a marriage in crisis. The couple struggles with infertility and money troubles. But I felt they also have a key central issue: a lack of connection. It’s not great when you’re reading a story about a marriage and you’re wondering, why are these two together?

All in all, I did find it interesting enough to finish it. There are some aspects that are compelling, for instance, it takes place in a small town and I tend to like those stories. But again, I wasn’t rooting for these two to stay a couple. And that took away from the story for me.

his is a slow burn spousal drama, the whole way through…

This story takes place over the course of a week, is dual perspective between the husband and wife, and frequently falls into large sections of past memories of what happened in their lives along the way.

Malcom finally owns the bar he’s dreamed of and worked years in. Struggling to keep his relationship and the bar afloat, life seems to unfurl regardless of his good intentions. His wife Jess is struggling with her own dream - she desperately wants to be a mother but her body has other plans. UCan they have both dreams fulfilled or are neither going to get what they want?

For me, this was interesting at times but unfulfilling overall. I didn’t feel there was a low, a middle or even a high, just small peaks of curiosity that came off the baseline. Sometimes the story seemed to deviate into their own thoughts or memories for so long it felt like it took away from the storyline. I finished the novel mostly unsatisfied with the ending, but I could see how people who enjoy slow burns that glimpse into the lives of others would enjoy this. It’s like taking a walk in the park, you’re just there for the scenery.

Overall, I enjoyed reading The Half Moon. It gives a good portrayal of how marriage can be complicated and messy. This book would likely appeal to Gen X and millennial readers.

What I liked:
-the character flaws of Malcom and Jess - they make alot of mistakes
-the ups and downs of their marriage over time
-the challenge of building a career
-infertility and the effects it has on a wife, husband, and marriage
-debt and finances within a marriage

What I didn't like:
-the decisions and actions of the characters frustrated me sometimes
-it took awhile to become invested in the story
-there is a missing person/mystery arc that didn't fit well into the story

Mary Beth Keene is an incredible author and this book was so good. I highly recommend it! The Half Moon is a slow burn with a marriage in crisis alternating between the perspectives of the husband and wife. It deals with the mistakes made in a marriage and the complexities that span decades of time.

Thank you for allowing me to read this early. It took me a while to get invested in the characters. But they have that way of sucking you in and you end feeling apart of their world.

Can’t wait to see this on library shelves.

This was so well written. I was engrossed from the first page and it ticked all the boxes of my expectations. The character development was excellent. I would definitely recommend to others, a must read!

Excellent slice-of-life. Less complex than ASK AGAIN, YES but equally affecting. Really captures the damage financial strain and miscommunications can do on an otherwise happy marriage. Fast-reading and clean prose. Likable but flawed characters.

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. I could not even get through the first long boring chapter.

What a beautiful book! It definitely gives me vibes of the movie Beautiful Girls and really most Edward Burns movies. I loved the character development, I loved the idea of it being set during a blizzard, and I would love to have a drink and get my feet dirty dancing at the Half Moon.

I wasn’t sure at first…the first few pages didn’t pull me in and I felt like…hmmm, where is this going? But before long, I was engrossed…another very good read by Ms. Keane, full of real life with all its complications, unanswerable questions, and lovely shades of gray. Highly recommend.

As long as Mary Beth Keane is writing books, I'll be reading them--"The Half Moon," her follow up to the very enjoyable "Ask Again, Yes," shows that her knack for distilling the essence of complicated and often messy Irish-American family relationships into compulsively readable novels was no fluke. Here Keane brings us Malcolm and Jess Gephardt, a married couple whose relationship has hit the rocks in the wake of their pursuit of individual dreams--Malcolm's ownership of the pub The Half Moon and Jess's increasingly expensive and thus far fruitless fertility treatments. When a recently divorced father enters the picture and The Half Moon hits a financial crisis, Malcolm and Jess must decide what dreams are worth fighting for and what they will risk to make them come true.

This was a very authentic and at times painful to read story of the things that can go wrong in a marriage. Both Malcolm and Jess are fully-developed and sympathetic characters; I was rooting for them and for their relationship. There is an (in my opinion) unnecessary side plot involving one of The Half Moon's patrons who disappears in a snowstorm, but that is a small quibble in what was a satisfying read. For fans of "Ask Again, Yes" and "We Are the Brennans" and perfect for book groups.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Scribner for providing me with an ARC of this title in return for my honest review.

This is the most authentic novel I have read in a while. It centers on a relationship/marriage that is loving, healthy, and fairly typical until a series of events, including struggles with fertility and financial woes (related to the Half Moon, a bar they own) causes them to lose their way. These characters are finely drawn, You feel like you know them...or that you are them. If the story stopped there, it would have been enough. However, another element (a bit of a mystery) gets introduced towards the end, and although it very much remains a book about a relationship, it is also a bit more. This is a "quiet" book full of emotion with a solid plot line that moves it forward. I really loved every minute I spent with it. If you relish a novel with well-developed, relatable characters or have ever owned a struggling bar/ restaurant, I think you will enjoy this one! Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital ARC for review.

This book really drew me in. I enjoyed Mary Beth Keane's writing style immensely. The Half Moon was my first book by her, and I would love to read more.

The story follows a couple through their breakup and the events that led up to their estrangement. It's told in a non linear time-line that worked very well for me. It's full of great detail, emotion, and wonderful character development.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I couldn’t get into the book. Storyline sounded promising, but it just didn’t grab me. Couldn’t get past the first few chapters.

very character driven; liked it less than Ask Again Yes
this author weaves a beautiful story however, it goes nowhere, no plot

What an amazing, in depth tale of love, loss, and redemption.

The Half Moon is a bar where dreams come true for our hero and also destroy his marriage…will it also be the backdrop or redemption?

Trigger warning: infertility and the trials in a relationship have center stage here.

The book took me a long time to read and I think this was due to the long chapters. When the chapters are a bit shorter, I can read a couple or five at a time; with this story it was one chapter and needing to stop to move on with my day.

I did end up finishing the book on audio because I could enjoy the story and continue doing the things like laundry, cleaning, etc.

The story itself was a beautiful tribute to love, loss, and cherishing those who are the most important to us. I felt deeply for our characters and were rooting them on, even as they inevitably missteped and made life worse for themselves. It read like real life of the best friends you’ve had forever….just wanting the best for them and their happiness…and shaking your head at them when you know they’re torpedoing themselves.

I really liked this one. Thank you to #NetGalley for this ARC.

It was nice to read a book about an early midlife crisis. Often, the stories of people in their late 30s/early 40s seem to be skipped over and for someone in this age category it was refreshing and relatable. I think this story would have done better as a "slice of life" story, rather than trying to throw in the mystery/crime piece . That felt quite forced.

Thank you to Book Club Favorites at Simon and Schuster for the free copy to review and Net Galley for the digital download. Thanks to Scribner for the May 2nd 2023 publication.

I found The Half Moon to be a good solid story. There are no 'wow' factors, no 'jumping off the page' sections, just good solid story telling that keeps you turning pages. It is character driven and the characters are well thought out with substantial roles to play. You see the story unfold from every characters point of view without having to go with alternating chapters, it is all done with dialog.

Love, marriage and family are dominant factors in this story. The give and take of marriage through the ups and the downs are prevalent throughout the novel. You are able to put yourself in each situation and then be able to understand how these characters processed their feelings. Marriage is not static and Keane allows these characters to work through the problems and the pains, with no one being the bad guy. This story does not stall, it does not get boring, it is not romantically sappy, you do not lose interest part way through. This is good solid story telling at it's finest.

So take a seat in The Half Moon, buy yourself a drink, and quietly watch as a great story reveals itself.