Fabulous reads – Take a break to read Keyes at her best

The Break, Marian Keyes, Penguin Random House, ISBN: 9780718179731

Going into this book I had a pre-conceived notion of what it would be about.

I suspected that Mr and Mrs “insert-happily-married-but-having-issues-couple-name-here” would be taking a break from their marriage, but that they would ultimately end up back together.

It would surely have the Marian Keyes humour with a sweet ending and the ending is tied up in a nice, neat bow.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Amy’s husband, Hugh, insists he isn’t leaving her.

He’s just taking a break, one that will last six months and after which time he will come back to her.

ALSO READ: Put life on pause for hearty novel

Amy is desperate to believe that everything will be fine once Hugh returns, but deep down the “open” relationship he intimated toward is not something she is willing to accept.

As the weeks go by, Amy discovers that Hugh is not the only one who has embarked on a journey of self-discovery.

As Amy goes through all the stages of grief, and rediscovers her own sexuality in the process, the reader experiences it all through her eyes.

The Break explores the dynamic of marriage from a multi-dimensional viewpoint, until you are so invested in each and every one of these characters that it’s impossible to be sure of whose side you’re on.

It is both laugh-out-loud funny and heart-breaking all at once. This book is Marian Keyes at her best and I highly recommend it!