Amazon blurb:
Marian’s brand NEW novel is nearly here, pre-order yours . . .
Amy’s husband Hugh has run away to ‘find himself’. But will he ever come back?
‘Myself and Hugh . . . We’re taking a break.’
‘A city-with-fancy-food sort of break?
If only.
Amy’s husband Hugh says he isn’t leaving her.
He still loves her, he’s just taking a break – from their marriage, their children and, most of all, from their life together. Six months to lose himself in South East Asia. And there is nothing Amy can say or do about it.
Yes, it’s a mid-life crisis, but let’s be clear: a break isn’t a break up – yet . . .
However, for Amy it’s enough to send her – along with her extended family of gossips, misfits and troublemakers – teetering over the edge.
For a lot can happen in six-months. When Hugh returns, if he returns, will he be the same man she married? Will Amy be the same woman?
Because if Hugh is on a break from their marriage, then so is she . . .
The Break is a story about the choices we make and how those choices help to make us. It is Marian Keyes at her funniest, wisest and brilliant best.
My reading experience:
So fecking funny! As Irish as a good craic, bubbling under with a piss take of celebrity culture, a lovely warm look at a 21st century family and a damn near brutal window into family, marriage, colleagues and friend relationships.
Amy is our vintage vixen. A cross between bumbling Bridget Jones and the loveable Lorelai Gilmore, Amy is a career mum and dedicated wife. Or is she?
And then her husband decides to go off and “self actuate” for six months.
What a bastard! Or is he?
Marian Keyes takes her reader on a hilarious and sometimes tragic journey through Amy’s daily life choices whilst Hugh the husband is away. Concurrently, the reader is treated to a little bit of ‘flashbackery’ so we can start to sense that all may not be quite what it seems.
A kaleidoscope of rich characters – a rebel grandmother baulking at caring for her dementia ridden husband, Neeve the insecure daughter who sees life through her beauty vlog and Steevie her AMAB girlfriend to name a few. Then there’s the cosmopolitan work trips to awards ceremonies and flashy hotels, indeed, never a dull moment. As Amy is a Publicist I can see the temptation for the indepth profiling of Amy’s celebrity clients by Keyes, but they were superfluous to reading requirement for me personally. What I did enjoy was the family dynamics and “watching” Amy bumble through her six months of change. It was a bit cringey having to watch our Amy making some choices that from a distance, were downright regrettable, but that’s life isn’t it. These choices however, were portrayed with flair and elegance by Keyes.
Our lovely author has thrown us a pick ‘n’ mix of themes: trust, adultery, abandonment, ageism, abortion, sexism, and love.
A great uplifting read, a true 5 star recommended book. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for my free ARC. You are going to love this …
Published on 7th September 2017.
Appletree Books 