The Break Review

                                                  Title: The Break
                                             Author: Marian Keyes

                                                      Blurb

“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? And will Amy be the same woman?

Because if Hugh is on a break from their marriage, then isn’t she?”

A perfect read for…

This book is the kind of read you can take away on any trip, it’s a real easy read. Perfect for trips were you might be doing lots of activities so need a book which you can pick up and put down and still follow the plot easily and not need to recap or re-read the last chapter (because that’s really annoying). However, in the same essence because this book is such an easy read you could demolish it in one long binge sesh poolside!

Who would I recommend this book for…

So, I would particularly recommend this book for anyone who loves a chick lit, because I think this book has a lot of the elements which make it a great chick lit, romance, comedy and friendship.

However, I do think this is a great read, even for people who don’t typically go for this genre. Marian Keyes has done such a fantastic job of  creating an eclectic mix of characters that I think there is at least one character in the book that everyone can identify with on some level.

My thoughts…

So, I would love to be able to tell you that there was some deep and meaningful reason why I was drawn to this book, or that I was an avid fan of Marian Keyes and so I just had to buy her latest book. But alas, how I came to own this book if far less glamorous and profound..

I was in Heathrow airport browsing WHSmith for a good book to take away with me on my travels with Shaun (who doesn’t love a last minute airport purchase, am I right?)  – Knowing that I was about to spend the next 3 months living on a backpackers budget I had restricted myself to the ‘on offer’ section. Disappointed at the lack of choice, I saw a cover which looked relatively like the kind of book I would read (a chick lit). I read the blurb and saw it involved her husband running off to Thailand for 6 months, and since I was also running off to Asia for three months thought it would be quite a fitting book to read, and that was it, I bought it.

I really loved this book! I quickly found myself totally invested in the outcome of Amy and Hugh’s relationship and couldn’t wait to find out how she would handle ‘the break’ and I enjoyed discovering more about the intricacies of their relationship as the book went on.

What I didn’t expect though, was how much I would grow to love the supporting characters; they are just all so relatable! I either identified with them in some way myself, or found myself giggling because they reminded me of a friend of family member.

However, one of my favourite parts of the book was that in between all the light hearted jokes about makeup and youtube, she really explores some deeper thought provoking topics, which gives this book the power to have you laughing and crying all within the space of 10 minutes.

I feel like this book was a sort of lucky dip, which turned out really well.. and whilst I might not have bought the book because I was an avid fan on Marian Keeyes, I certainly am now.

Carly x

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