If you have issues surrounding infertility, this book is probably a skip for you. There's a lot of difficult talk about it.

The Half Moon: A Novel: Keane, Mary Beth: 9781982172602

Jessica, 41 – Malcolm’s wife. Lawyer. Desperate for a child and willing to do anything to be a mother. Malcolm not in agreement. Yet there's something about the prose overall. I can't even put my finger on what I liked about the book in the end, but as I kept reading the book grew on me and I did mostly enjoy it in the end. There aren't enough real-life stories about marriages, so I do appreciate Keane's choice to make this a central plot point. I didn’t go through anything like what Jess went through, but I talked to a lot of people who felt like they were dying to talk about it,” she says. “It’s a type of grief that’s just not discussed that much. It’s hard to make people understand who haven’t gone through it.” Many thanks to NetGalley, Scribner, and Mary Beth Keane for an ARC of this book! Now available as of 5.2!**

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Following up on her success with Ask Again, Yes, Mary Beth Keane provides us with The Half Moon. The Half Moon is the bar that Malcolm owns. After 24 years of bartending there, he had finally been given the opportunity to buy it. But things aren’t going well. The bar isn’t profitable. Malcolm and his lawyer wife, Jess, have separated. They’ve spent years and over a hundred thousand dollars on trying to have a baby. But it was never in the cards and Jess is trying to decide what’s next. This is a story of the dreams we have, the ones that come true, and those that don’t. The desires of a married couple whose visions seem blinded by their individual desires. This story takes place over the course of a week, is dual perspective between the husband and wife, and frequently falls into large sections of past memories of what happened in their lives along the way. I initially hesitated when I was offered an advanced review copy of this one as I had awarded Ms. Keane’s first novel, Ask Again, Yes, only 3 stars, and I tend to grade high. In my opinion there were a lot of positives to that book but also several disappointing issues as well. In the end, I decided to go ahead and try The Half Moon, and I am glad I did! I admit the start was slow as it took me a while to warm up to the protagonist, Malcolm. Once I did, I became totally immersed in the story.

The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane | Goodreads The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane | Goodreads

This week, there’s news of a blizzard hitting their small town. The story takes place in the course of these seven days, where Malcolm has just heard an upsetting news about Jessica, and a regular patron of The Half Moon has gone missing. After middling success with Ask Again, Yes, I felt like Keane was a very strong writer, but that the aforementioned book just didn't have relatable characters...and that this was the sole reason I couldn't get into it fully. After reading The Half Moon, I've come to realize that it isn't just the characters: Keane's storytelling is simply too slow and meandering for me. I figured with different subject matter (marriage, for one!) at the forefront, that this would have that sort of small-town, charming feel despite the dramatic nature of Malcolm and Jess' failing relationship. However, Keane spent SO much time going over details that not only felt unnecessary, but weren't particularly interesting, that I lost focus and interest in the plot over and over again. From the bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes, a masterful novel about a couple in a small town who must navigate the complexities of marriage, family, and longing. Malcom finally owns the bar he’s dreamed of and worked years in. Struggling to keep his relationship and the bar afloat, life seems to unfurl regardless of his good intentions. His wife Jess is struggling with her own dream - she desperately wants to be a mother but her body has other plans. UCan they have both dreams fulfilled or are neither going to get what they want?

I loved the masterful way Ms. Keane wrote the character of Malcolm. I felt I really got to know him by the end of the book. He is not perfect by any means, but I grew to understand him. I also really liked his wife, Jess. She is smart and knows when to change course in her life. She also cares deeply for Malcolm flaws and all.

For Mary Beth Keane, the Pressure to Follow Up Her Best

I can’t help recollect the song lyrics, ‘You say it best, when you say nothing at all.’ So I”ll just stop this rant here and hope that it’s for the best. Amidst a raging blizzard, one of the bar's regular patrons mysteriously goes missing. This event prompts both Jess and Malcolm to question their life choices. They wonder what they could have done differently to alter the course of their lives. Are they truly happy? Are they content with the individuals they have become? Most importantly, they ponder the question: "What is it they plan to do with their one wild and precious life?" I really enjoyed this story 4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫. I enjoyed the characters and the writing. Can a marriage survive when you both want such different things?The Half Moon has been rolling with the good times at Putney Bridge on the banks of the Thames for decades. Whether it’s the live music or a rumbling belly that brings you to our doors, we’re sure you’ll like what you find inside. From expertly poured pints & seasonal British pub food, to live entertainment and private parties, we do it all, and we do it well. Malcolm and Jess have been married for several years.. he a bar owner, she a lawyer…problems with the debt of keeping up a rundown bar, student loans and also of many rounds of intervention because of miscarriages and infertility problems for Jess they are both maxed out… other avenues open up for Jess that threaten to end their marriage.. it all comes to a head during a major blizzard that keeps everyone trapped in place during power outages, etc.. Student Loans, failed medical treatments, and the cost of owning a bar that has been in disrepair for years-has caused their debt to pile up, and their dreams are crumbling fast. The tale of Jess and Malcolm is a poignant and relatable one. Their struggles and triumphs mirror those of countless individuals we know or perhaps even our own journeys, each with its own unique set of consequences. It is this universality that makes the story so captivating and profoundly real. The cover – with its dual reference to the bar as well as the marriage of Jessica and Malcolm. Real smart design.

The Half Moon: The compelling new novel from the New York

Meanwhile, Jess is still focused on wanting to have a baby, even though all of their attempts to conceive had failed, and those bills are adding up, as well. She needs time to decide on what this means, what to do next, unwilling to let go of this desire, despite how much it is draining them both, physically and financially. She needs a break from their lives together. We also have his wife Jess, who is a lawyer… Her and Malcom have been trying for many years to have a child. None of the fertility or IVF treatments have worked. All the losses and failed treatments seemed to have broken her down emotionally, physically, and financially. Jess wants to continue on with treatments, but Malcom feels that enough is enough. I feel bad as I know that has to be a heartbreaking experience to go through. However, they have tried countless times and they are out of money due to fertility treatments and the failing bar. Malcolm Gephardt, handsome and gregarious longtime bartender at the Half Moon, has always dreamed of owning a bar. When his boss finally retires, Malcolm stretches to buy the place. He sees unquantifiable magic and potential in the Half Moon and hopes to transform it into a bigger success, but struggles to stay afloat.This book is about the deterioration of a marriage after both partners develop problems with their individual lifelong dreams—Malcolm’s being to own and run a bar and wife Jess’s to have a baby. The bar is not doing well, and there is no baby after years of trying. The journey is arduous for both, with neither grasping why the other is reacting as they are to their failing dream. Friends and family become involved, making the situation more complex. There are also side tales of a mystery of sorts, an affair, and dirty dealings.