This is a rather melancholic look at a struggling marriage, a failing business, infertility, and the loss of a couple’s hopes and dreams. My thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Half Moon”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better. After having read and loved the author’s previous novel “Ask Again, Yes”, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this newest release. I will say that the writing was flawless and compelling, but “The Half Moon” just didn’t grab me like I thought it would. In this story I felt as if I personally knew our two main characters, Malcom and Jessica- but the story just kind of went nowhere for me. It had the trials and tribulations of marriage life, but unfortunately nothing special happened. Oh, and the chapters were super long, which made this book seem to go on forever…

The Half Moon: A Novel - Mary Beth Keane - Google Books The Half Moon: A Novel - Mary Beth Keane - Google Books

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. The cover of this book reminds me of the famous optical illusion, where the viewer sees either a vase or two faces. And much like an optical illusion, once my view of the picture flipped...I just couldn't see it any other way. When you are young and in love with your whole life ahead of you, nothing seems insurmountable. But, the reality is that we don’t all get everything that we want in life. Some couples find their way through their disappointments together and others must find their way, apart. Read our interview with Mary Beth Keane: “Every bartender in my family already thinks this book is about them.” In addition to the hot mess story and characters was what I consider hot mess writing. Aside from seemingly stream of consciousness sentence structure, the timelines and POVs were all over the place with no hallmarks.Malcolm’s boss is retiring and Malcolm decides this is the time to make his dream of owning a bar a reality. He has years of ideas he’s collected to make it attractive to a broader clientele, and therefore more prosperous. The problem is that while he’s spent years there as a bartender, knows his side of the business inside and out, he knows very little about owning and running a business successfully. His smart and confident wife, Jess, has devoted herself to her law career. After years of trying for a baby, she is facing the idea that motherhood may not be in the cards for her. Like Malcolm, she feels her youth beginning to slip away and wonders how to reshape her future. The book is a bit bleak, and it would have been nice to cut through some of that with jokes, maybe a snarky character. 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. Malcolm Gephardt is the guy that everyone loves! He had worked at the local, neighborhood bar, THE HALF MOON, for 26 years, with the intent of buying it, when the owner retired. Now that it’s his-he has tried to modernize the place, but what he didn’t realize is that the regulars just want what’s familiar-what feels like home.

THE HALF MOON | Kirkus Reviews THE HALF MOON | Kirkus Reviews

This book was about a marriage in crisis, which is one of my favorite contemporary fiction topics de jour; however, this didn't do it for me. Malcom and Jess were beyond crisis. They were leading - and had always led, in my opinion - very separate lives. They were also extremely immature with zero communication skills. There’s one point where Malcolm remarks to Jessica about IVF, and how it can lead to false hope, and how long can they keep trying because of that hope if earlier IVF attempts haven’t worked. I loved that scene because I have seen the same happen to friends who opted for IVF. That hope is a killer. The Half Moon” is that kind of story-sometimes melancholy and sometimes reflective, but always authentic, as Malcolm and Jess figure out which kind of couple they will be. Before I get into why though, I want to make one thing abundantly clear: I am childfree by choice and have never wanted children of my own. However, I intellectually understand that having children is a magical thing. And I cannot even begin to imagine how painful it must be to potentially be unable to have them, especially if you've always dreamed of being a parent. The strength of this narrative lies not only in its gripping plot and thought-provoking themes but also in its masterful characterization. The complexities of Jess and Malcolm's emotions are laid bare, their struggles and vulnerabilities raw and palpable. As readers, we are drawn into their world, feeling their pain, their joy, and their yearning for something more.Malcolm’s wife Jess is smart, confident, and has dedicated herself to her law career. But after years of trying to have a baby, she’s struggling to accept the idea that motherhood may not be in the cards for her. Like Malcolm, she feels her youth beginning to slip away, and while her hopes and expectations fall short of the current reality, she wonders how to reshape her life. Then a blizzard descends on Gillam, paralyzing the lives of its residents and emphasizing the feelings of entrapment felt by not only Malcolm and Jess but also a host of other wonderfully portrayed characters who work in and frequent the bar. As the story unfolds, the many fascinating behind-the-scenes details about running a bar range from heartbreaking to humorous. It’s a masterful setup, laid out in a careful, intriguing way. The disappearance of one of the bar’s patrons during the storm, lends a sense of urgency to the plot and adds a layer of impending doom that plays out in both emotional and physical terms. I love character driven stories, especially one that's as well-written as The Half Moon. I have a hardcopy of Ask Again, Yes sitting on my desk that I'll definitely be reading soon. 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.