I couldn't put it down! The book features forty-something Amy whose husband Hugh decides he wants a 6 month break from the relationship and the story follows Amy (and her family) as life goes on without Hugh. The story was completely relatable (woman trying to work full time, raise a family, elderly parents and still have time for herself) and current including touching on the situation around abortion in Ireland. How Amy learned to be on her own was became more important than wondering if Hugh would return. I would recommend this book.

Ah, Marion, you never disappoint. You make me laugh, you make me blink away the odd tear, and most of all you make me want to meet your characters.
Loved The Break, especially the daughters and LOCMOF. I did feel irritated with the whole idea of a husband "needing" to get away and expecting to return and find all as it was, but that aside, it was enjoyable and had me immersed in the story.

The Break by Marian Keyes a strong a great four-star read. I have been a fan of this author for so many years, when I was a sad 17-year-old who had moved three hundred miles away from home, she kept me laughing with her stories. I will always be a huge fan, and jumped at the chance to read this story.
I thought this book was so well written, it tells the honest to goodness story of a grown-up relationship. It’s all about how just because you love someone doesn’t always mean you are in love with them. It also shows us that being in love is one of the hardest things to do, and sometimes you need to fight for love. I wonder if it’s true that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, I also wonder if what happens on a break, really stays on a break?
Amy faces a battle with everything she has ever known, her friends and family are all wondering and enquiring, and all the drama pushes her close to the edge, will her husband pull her back or push her over?

I love Marian Keyes' novels. I think she is one of the best authors in her genre. I have read nearly all of her books and will look forward to reading the next ones. However, I was not fully happy with this novel. The problem might be that I could not like the main character Amy. She had everything and she put it all at risk. Then she put the blame on his husband (who was not faultless admittedly). The other thing I did not like was the constant changing of the time and perspective. This is not what I expect in a "chick lit" book however high standard it is. Also, I felt the author wanted to cram too many issues into the plot. Some of them are really important and I can understand that she wanted to take a stand on them, but the outcome was that light hearted parts mingled with serious ones so the novel did not have a unified tone.
But despite all this the book was brilliant at parts, and really enjoyable as is customary of the author. I can recommend it to everyone who is interested in the difficult relationships and different roles of modern women.

I’ve always been a fan of Marian Keyes, especially her earlier novels, but this one has brought me firmly back into the fold. The Break is wonderful, an authentic and heart-warming portrayal of a marriage’s ups and downs, which had me alternately laughing and in tears. Great pace, a sympathetic and likeable heroine, brilliant secondary characters (I particularly loved Amy’s three daughters) and a lovely twist at the very end that brought the story to a satisfying close. Highly recommended.

Reading this was like catching up with an old friend after not seeing them for years. I remembered how warm and comforting this author's writing can be - how I always see myself, or a family member, in there somewhere; how it's like a warm hug; how it's just - engaging.

On the surface, there doesn't seem like there could be enough of a plot to keep a book going for 400 pages. Amy and Hugh are married (happily), with an almost-grown-up family of young women. Hugh suddenly declares that he needs six months off - a break. A break from family life, from Ireland, from his marriage. Amy is left behind to pick up the pieces while he's off doing who knows what with who knows who - will she cope? And what happens if she copes too well?

That's the story - but this author writes Irish families like nobody else. There's a brazen vlogger determined to see Hugh off once and for all; a sweet, adorable teenager who is wise beyond her years; a young woman facing the horror of a crisis pregnancy in a country where abortion is illegal; a hoard of "friends" who really just want all the gossip; a couple of dream work colleagues, a Granny who is trying to enjoy herself while looking after a spouse with dementia; and, at the heart of it, a woman who is trying to figure out who she is, what she wants, and how it's going to happen.

I loved this - and I instantly remembered why this author used to be my go-to when things were a bit miserable at home. Recommended.

To read what happens when Amy is told by Hugh her husband that he is taking a break from family life and their marriage is quite a shock. This must be every woman's nightmare when they'think they are in a stable relationship. You have to keep turning the pages to find out what happens to all the family . A very enjoyable read

I have never read Marian Keyes books so I was interested to give them a try. I wasn’t disappointed; the story had an interesting storyline, maybe not unique, but still well written and engaging.
I liked the writing style and enjoyed the characters, although it took me a while to get everyone in their place; there’s a lot of family. The story is sad at times, funny at others and quite poignant.
I did find it a little hard going at times and the plot a little lengthy, but overall a good read to curl up with.

Enjoyable summer read but the protagonist is a bit too smug and materialistic to be sympathetic. Being able to recognise a designer brand is the opposite of a likeable characteristic. Keyes has a talent for dialogue though and most of the humour struck a chord.

A very satisfying read which stays with you long after finishing, I can still recall moments despite finishing the book nearly a week ago and being halfway through another novel. Amy and her husband, Hugh, have drifted apart overtaken by demands of modern life, he decides he needs space and sets off, at short notice, on a no holds barred break for 6 months. Amy is left devastated and questions her own life before Hugh, life with Hugh and now life without which she slowly comes to terms with, so she thinks. The book moves between the past and present as Amy goes through many thought processes with a lot of anger and despair, daydreams and actions plus facing up to modern dilemmas which hit a modern family with three teenage girls and aged parents. Hugh returns early which Amy is not expecting so her acceptance of the situation is once again thrown into disarray whilst she takes stock including a new relationship for herself. The book ends in the future, which is a good touch, so often one is left hanging wondering about what happens with all the characters but not really meriting a sequel. Funny and lighthearted in parts with a true life is stranger than fiction feel about it with a good observation of modern extended families with many situations one can relate to. I certainly enjoy this book as I have with previous Marion Keyes books I have read in the past and would recommend it.

Delighted to be approved by Netgalley for an ARC of Marian Keyes’ latest novel The Break, I dived right in once I had downloaded it.
Which is exactly how the book starts. Bang. Straight into the plotline from the first sentence: “Myself and Hugh, we’re taking a break.” Amy and her second husband Hugh have hit a wall in their marriage when Hugh announces that he needs a 6 month break to go travelling around Asia in order to come to terms with his grief having lost both his father and his brother in quick succession.
Amy is left reeling while trying her best to keep life as normal as possible for their teenage daughters, being there to support her mum who is in turn caring for Amy’s father who has dementia – oh, and holding down a hectic job in PR which requires her to travel from Dublin to London to work 2 days a week. Add in the timely reappearance of her first husband, father to daughter Neeve, and the small issue of the raging crush Amy develops on a colleague it’s small wonder that things get a little complicated.
The trials and tribulations of a modern family in 21st century Ireland are described with Keyes’ customary brand of wit whilst skilfully tackling some sensitive issues along the way. I particularly liked the way social media is represented throughout the book, from the barrage of Facebook messages Amy receives from “wellmeaning” friends who are purely rubbernecking on her misfortune when news of Hugh’s departure gets out, to the hilarious description of Neeve’s vlog featuring her grandma.
This book had me laughing out loud from start to finish and in my opinion is one of Marian Keyes’ best novels to date, reminiscent of her early novel ‘Watermelon’ featuring a similar family the Walshes.
No questions about it this is a glittering 5 star read which is sure to top the bestsellers list.

Marian Keyes is an author I adored in my 20s when she was among the pioneers of a new genre that was felt like it was written just for young women like me.

While I have aged a *tiny* bit since then - and chick lit has gone from strength to strength - her first work of fiction since 2014 still feels like it has been written with me in mind.

The Break has all the elements I’ve always enjoyed in her work, including a strong, yet vulnerable, heroine, moments of dark comedy, the wonderfully eccentric family who would probably drive you insane in real life and a romance that is far from smooth sailing.

Everything feels the same but also different because instead of being in their 20s, the main characters have aged along with me and are now in their 40s – and that actually made me really happy.

It felt more like I was watching this book unfold than reading it because I find Marian’s style of writing so visual.It’s sad, funny, heartwarming and relatable; like a really good, must-watch, soap opera. It’s hard to remember the characters are figments of her imagination and they stuck with me long after I had finished.

Speaking of which, at about 85%, I was in a weird place where I desperately wanted to know how it ended but at the same time didn’t want to stop reading. Part of that was because the book, or rather the author, made me nostalgic for my youth but mainly it was because it's just really really good.

I hope she has another in the works.

What do you do when a husband of years suddenly announces that he 'needs a break'? Is he having a mid life crisis? It sounds very much as though Hugh has regressed to his Uni years. He still loves Amy and his family....but he needs to do the things he never did, starting in Asia. For six months.
The Break is all about Amy's and her family's coping strategies, some of which are very funny, some slightly odd. There's Neeve, a teenager from Amy's first marriage to a man who has almost opted out of relationships with his daughter. There's Kiara , the younger daughter, longing for stability. Mum, Pop (with dementia) brothers, sisters...none of whom add much to the equation, but appear with regularity.
Amy's job as a PR brings her into contact with some of the so called Great and the Good, most of whom are neither, and are trying to re=brush their public personas.
Into the scene comes one Josh Ryan. Is he going to figure in their life?
It's a funny but also poignant book. You roll along with Amy and the entire family sometimes wishing for a bit of peace, sometimes laughing with them, sympathising with Neeve as she sees her father's feet of clay, but rejoicing at her new beginnings.
And does Hugh return? Wait and see.

A good chick lit beach read for the summer on the beach. With Amy the main character having multiple crises thrown at her whilst her husband is taking a break. A good story, full of ups and downs with lots of comical moments along the way and tinged with sadness throughout the ups and downs.
A slower paced book that held a good story throughout.

When Amy's husband Hugh decides to take a break from marriage to go and find himself in Asia he doesn't anticipate the chain of events and emotions it sets off. This is typical Marion Keys with great characters and dialogue that makes the reader laugh out loud or fell as if you are in the middle of the family. The story builds up slowly and steadily and is highly entertaining. A great holiday read.

As always, Marian Keyes does not disappoint.
A long term reader of her books, i was looking forward to reading this new novel. Relatable characters (as always, a large and somewhat odd irish family is in the background) and moving paragraphs.

I am a huge fan of everything Marian Keyes! The first book of hers I ever read was "Sushi for Beginners" and since then I've been hooked. When I found out there was a new book coming out this year, I was thrilled and it did not disappoint!

"The Break" provides a realistic view into Amy and Hugh's relationship after Hugh decides he needs six months off to "self-actualize". Although poignant at times, the story is injected with a mighty dose of humour and is Marian Keyes at her very best! 5 out of 5 *****

She's back .... The Queen of chick lit at her best - a cracker of a book by Marion Keyes!!!
Hugh decides he needs to find himself and suggests a six month break leaving Amy devastated ... What unfolds is a brilliant read that will make you laugh and cry. Touching on some serious subjects along the way this is a great read - it made me feel I was at Friday night dinner with the Irish clan !!!

SPOILERS FOLLOW:

I am a big Marian Keyes fan but I have to say this isn't my favourite.

I found that the story seemed to take a while to get going and for a short while I wasn't sure if we would be following Amy's or Hugh's stories - maybe it would have been interesting to cover both?

The characters are nicely formed and you do feel a sympathy towards the ones you should feel sypathetic towards. I didn't understand why Hugh was worried about Amy's relationship with Alistair as I didn't see anything there that would have made his worries obvious, and being honest it mystified me.

I think of all Marian Keyes novels this one has an awful lot of people in it! The supporting cast is absolutely massive and occasionally I found myself thinking for a second about whether the character had been mentioned before - I'm thinking in particular of 'The Poor Bastard' and 'The Boy Wonder'

I love the humour in the novel, but also the way she deals with some very serious issues - in particular the abortion that her niece Sofia has, it is beautifully handled and shines a light on the outdated anti-abortion policies of Ireland providing much food for thought.

I found that the ending had a feeling of inevitability to it for me and I feel quite annoyed that Amy was allowed to get away with her dalliances while Hugh is repeatedly crucified for his and this felt slightly too skewed towards unfairness for me - all it would have needed is a scene or two of Hugh venting his feelings at Amy's infidelities too to balance this out a bit so that the end doesn't feel quite so......one sided.

Still, it's well worth a read and I found myself sneaking away during the day to keep reading.

I enjoyed this book as I have previous ones written by Marian Keyes.

Amy's husband Hugh decides that he needs to have a six month break from his family and travel to the Far East, he has been quite depressed since the deaths of his father and a close friend, and needs time away. Amy is left at home and is not happy about the situation, at one point in the novel she begs Hugh not to leave, " please Hugh, we won't survive it", she has a fear of the relationship ending, and issues with trust, since her first husband cheated on her and walked out leaving her with a young baby.
Throughout the story the issues of infidelity, abandonment and the many stresses of modern family life are explored, this includes our societal dependency on social media, for example Amy lets everybody know on Facebook about Hugh's trip and shows a picture of his travel towel. This causes a lot of controversy, and illustrates the fact that social media can be at the same time convenient, ( Amy is able to let friends and family know all at once re the trip), but it can also be invasive as Amy is deluged with messages and comments, some from people she doesn't want to hear from. Also some trip photos appear on Facebook that she does not want her children to see, so both incidents show the good and bad sides of access to the internet.
Overall an interesting novel which deals with topical issues and certainly made me think about what I would do if faced with the same situation of a husband wanting to go on a trip away for six months without me. I certainly would'nt be as tolerant as Amy!
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Michael Joseph for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.