I enjoyed The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane but I wasn't fully blown away. I really loved the dual timelines, I feel like that's what kept me going even though the pacing felt a bit off. Unfortunately it felt like the story was dragging in the second half. I did appreciate the real depiction of love and struggles though, those elements I feel will hit home with many readers. Overall, if you liked Keane's previous work I recommend you try this one out.

Still collecting my thoughts from reading this book. What a ride.
The book follows an estranged couple, Jess and Malcolm, who has been married for a while and is struggling with infertility. And the strains that puts on the marriage when one feels like the other is not as invested in the process and feels lonely, unappreciated. Jess is a lawyer and Malcolm a bar manager turned owner. The additional responsibility of being a new owner of a bar puts additional strain on the marriage that is already struggling.
This is a highly character driven book. I love love love the writing. The writing is soo raw and heart tugging that i couldn’t put this book down. I was way too invested in the characters and their struggle and stories. There is a side plot too which i don’t think made any sense, hence the one star knocked down.
Definitely going to read more books by this author!

I liked Ask Again, Yes very much and while this story is very different, it too is compelling. Mary Beth Keane is wonderful!

I went into this book blind and had no idea what to expect while I was reading it. The story takes place over the course of one week with glimpses into the past. I found the most compelling aspects of the story to be Malcolm and Jess's pasts and how they had arrived at their current selves. Malcolm owns the bar, The Half Moon, he has dreamed of owning his whole career but struggles to keep it afloat. Jess's own dream of having a baby is slowly becoming unfulfilled. As both dreams start to fail, tension begins to build between the couple. Reading about their past and the decisions they both made that led to the present was the most interesting part of the story. The actual storyline of the week in which two massive snowstorms hit their town, felt to me like a diversion from the story of the Malcolm and Jess. There were some plot points that didn't serve too much of a purpose for me. I found that by the end everything was tied together really well, I just felt the some of the middle could have been avoided.

I thought the writing style here was really strong. I also borrowed the audiobook to listen to and I thought the audio really brought the words to life. Both narrators did a fantastic job with the story and I loved that sometimes the narrators would switch in the middle of the chapter to convey a different point of view. Overall, I liked the story and thought it was a well done family drama. I thought that by the end a lot of things got resolved pretty quickly and was mostly drawn to the Malcolm and Jess's pasts as we learned what brought them to this point. I would recommend this book to those who like family dramas!

The synopsis points out that the book takes place over one week, but in reading it, the flashbacks and how it all ended made it feel like much more. It was an eventful week, for sure, but a lot had happened that triggered some of the actions of that week, even if the sudden onset of a winter storm instigated a lot of immediate action too.

While Malcolm and Jess are the central characters of the story, their relationships with their mothers and their lifelong friends also presented more angles to the struggles they faced. Most of the story was from Malcolm’s perspective—he wanted to be supportive as Jess decided if she could feel part of a family of two if they didn’t have children, he struggled with keeping the bar he dreamed of owning afloat and while the bar was shut down for a few days while the whole town was without electricity, he had some unique drama regarding a regular at the bar who had gone missing at the same time the storm struck. So many life-altering decisions to be made over the course of a week spent largely in isolation while the storm caused everything to grind to a halt.

The story was a largely insightful family drama which earned 4 out of 5 stars. It was an enjoyable contemporary drama with engaging adult characters.

This is a very slow burn marriage drama. It gives you both POV, Malcom and Jess, as they struggle to detangle their marriage but also look back at where they started and who they were when they met and how they got to this point. It was equally heartbreaking as it was sweet and fulfilling. It was just such a slow burn and the marriage was already crumbling so far by the time we get to it, that it made the story a little slow to get me pulled in. I did like some of the topics it tackled - definitely be sure ot check TW before starting this one, there are a few in there. I'm glad I read it but I did wish it'd moved just a bit quicker, hooked me a little faster in the beginning, but I did like it.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

This is definitely something I normally don’t read and I absolutely loved it! I highly recommend starting and not quitting. It’s good!

The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane is a tender, honest view of a marriage that’s battle-scarred and weary. Keane paints a touching portrait of two people who start out very much in love, but find themselves exhausted, confused, and hurt by unrealized dreams.

The story unfolds in a suburban neighborhood over the course of a wintry week. Malcolm Gephardt is the charismatic, good-looking bartender-turned-bar-owner. He’s married to Jess, an ambitious attorney who longs for a baby. They both are struggling to face dreaded truths—the bar may not make it and Jess may not be able to have children.

As the couple fends off disappointments, the marriage takes the brunt of their grief. They each make decisions that could finally sink their relationship. When betrayals are exposed, a patron of the bar goes missing and a blizzard traps them, adding to the mounting stress Malcomb and Jess are already buried under.

Although the premise sounds heartbreaking, Keane’s light touch and beautiful writing results in a book that’s a gentle examination of two people who have reached the beginnings of middle age. She explores themes of forgiveness, disappointment, and intimacy in marriages and friendships.

I loved this book as much as I loved Keane’s award-winning Ask, Again, Yes. She’s a brilliant writer who understands the fragility and beauty of ordinary life.

The details of Malcom & Jess's life were specific and meaningful and made me care about them very much. Ultimately, this was a book about hope, which is a welcome lens through which to look at the world in these trying times,

This is a character driven novel about a husband and wife, Malcolm and Jess, who are newly separated after years of infertility, and betrayal. Malcolm is the owner of The Half Moon bar, and he finds out Jess has moved on. During a blizzard one of the regulars at the bar also goes missing. 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…and I thought it a was very well written story. I was definitely engrossed in this one.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. Out May 2.

3.5 / 5 stars

I was really looking forward to this book. Ask Again, Yes is one of the most emotionally poignant novels I have read in a look time about family, relationships, and the effects of a catastrophe on those lives. I was fully expecting the nuanced drama of that book, but The Half Moon really surprised me. While the Half Moon also explores themes of marriage, family, and longing, the stakes were much lower. I kept waiting for a jaw-dropping moment (like the shooting in Ask Again, Yes or the breakdown of the neighbor) but it didn't come - and I was almost glad for that, because Ask Again, Yes was an emotional roller coaster!

In the interest of not making this a comparison about two very different books from the same author, I will say that I enjoyed this slow burn drama about the relationship between a husband and wife that has gone slightly off the rails. Can their love for each other and their dreams about the future be resurrected, despite them drifting apart due to a lengthy infertility journey, the secrets of a failing business, and infidelity? I enjoyed the backstories shared by Malcolm and Jess. They felt like fully-formed characters, and I could really understand their character motivations.

*Slight spoiler alert:
Given the resolution in Ask Again, Yes, I was not prepared for a "happy ending" for Malcolm and Jess but I appreciate how The Half Moon was able to tie up a lot of loose ends in its conclusion.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in return for my honest review.

The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane was a good book with an amazing story and characters. Definitely some triggering moments about a couple dealing with infertility for 10 years. You felt how the characters were feeling through everything. The author did a great job at describing the intricacies of relationships. There was even a little mystery in the story which is a nice touch.

I loved Mary Beth Keane’s first book so I was excited to read this one. HALF MOON follows a marriage in crisis, or a couple that is going through hard times. It was an emotional read with a bit of suspense. You don’t know if this couple has done too
much damage to survive and that’s part of the pull when you read this book. Very well done!

This was such a well written novel. I absolutely love Mary Beth Keane's writing. She manages to portray the messiness of peoples lives so beautifully. She has a way of capturing mundane moments and writing about them in such an authentic manner. The Half Moon was a heartbreaking and heartwarming story. It follows a married couple through a rough patch in their lives. There is just enough mystery to keep you turning to page to see what happens next. This was really well done!

Thanks to Simon and Schuster and Netgally for sending me a copy of this book!

2.3 stars
One Liner: Not for me…

Malcolm Gephardt finally makes his dream come true by buying The Half Moon Bar, where he was a bartender for years. He wants to turn it into a mega-success project but faces many obstacles.
Jess is Malcolm’s wife, a lawyer at a private firm. The duo is trying for a baby without success, and this puts a strain on their relationship and finances. She finally tells herself that motherhood may not be possible.
The book takes place over a week as Malcolm learns something about Jess and also has to deal with the news of a missing bar patron. The town is ravaged by a blizzard, and everyone is trapped. Can Malcolm and Jess use this time to introspect their past and present to decide what they want for the future?
The story comes in the limited-third person POV of Malcolm and Jess (the MMC’s version occupies a greater %).

My Thoughts:
Okay, so I knew the book may not work for me based on the varied reviews from my GR friends (thank you all for your reviews). But I already had the book and decided to go with zero expectations and see where it leads. Unfortunately, even that didn’t work this time.
I understand literary fiction is character-oriented and slow as it establishes the character and peels the layers one by one. However, this book is just slooow and has characters who are the same despite all the peeling.
Though I’m more of a ‘fiction for entertainment’ kind of person, I appreciate realistic portrayals of life and people. Flawed characters are more than welcome. However, they need to have some sort of personality to carry the book. Sadly, neither Malcolm nor Jess has this capacity. Two people in around 40s acting like someone in their mid-20s don’t make for a great read. Yet, it could have worked if not for…
The narrative style is a depressing limited third-person POV that jumps from past to present to past to present to past, like a little brat on a sugar high. If this ‘high’ leaked over to cause some drama or excitement, it would have been interesting. Yet, the book has the most monotonous and boring narration I’ve read in recent times. It drones on and on and on in the same tone, irrespective of how intense or emotional the scene could be. I know some readers will love this (but not me).
I’m not sure if I should be annoyed by the ending or relieved that two toxic people chose to limit the damage to themselves. They are a train wreck waiting to happen, but oh, well… not my headache.
A good thing about the book is that it pretty much shows how not to have a relationship or what not to do with your marriage. It has heavy triggers for infertility and infidelity. Is it a plus that even the most intense scenes fail to make an impact in this case? Maybe!
I wouldn't have minded most of this if the book had at least a couple of lighter moments. But nope. Even the missing person track (why is it even included) has nothing to offer.

To summarize, The Half Moon is what we could call a slice-of-life 300-page novel with a wafer-thin plot and almost no particular point. Some readers will love the book for the same reasons I disliked it, so read more reviews before you decide (tastes are subjective).
Thank you, NetGalley and Scribner, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley
***
P.S.: I read a few other reviews and found that those who enjoyed Yes, Ask Again were also disappointed by this one. Seems like I picked the wrong book this time. I intend to read the other one someday

Malcolm and Jess haven’t had it easy. They have battled miscarriages, infertility, and a struggling business. Neither Jess or Malcolm make great decisions throughout their story, but something keeps drawing them back together. Do they have what it takes to make it, even when they have cut each other deeply over the years?

I didn’t love Ask Again, Yes like many of my friends, but I decided to give this one a whirl anyway. It was just ok for me. The writing was fine, the story was fine, but it’s just not a memorable story. I never found myself engrossed with the characters and I didn’t really cheer for them even though I knew I should be. So not a favorite of mine, but I know many who would probably enjoy it!

This book was fantastic. I devoured it in just a few days and really hated putting it down. I felt like I was really there with them in the story.

I found this book a little slow and was not one of my favorites to read. It was well written and the story behind the characters of Malcolm and Jess is one that people can understand, I was just looking for something more. I will admit I was somewhat surprised with the ending, it was a happy ending, but I was expecting something else.

3.5 rounded up! 🌙

I read ASK AGAIN, YES years ago + still think about it to this day so I was EXCITED to say the least for this one…it was good, just not great!!

✨long term relationship highs and lows
✨character driven
✨infertility issues
✨2 POVs
✨an odd man hunt going on??

I started out loving it but then eventually just had too many problems with how the MCs were treating each other to keep the feeling going 🤷🏻‍♀️ still enjoyed though!!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. When I first tried to read it, I wasn't in the headspace for a VERY character driven novel. Once I tried again (with help from the audiobook narration), I found myself sinking in. This is a story of a marriage at a crossroads - I found the characters to be very compelling, even when I didn't agree with their decisions.