Rating: 3/5
What It’s About:
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.
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.
Goodreads
The Review
Thank you to Scribner and Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, I enjoyed reading The Half Moon. I’m feeling a little stuck in my writing so I’m just going to make a list of what I liked and didn’t like.
What I liked:
- the character flaws of Malcom and Jess – they make alot of mistakes
- the ups and downs of their marriage over time
- the challenge of building a career
- infertility and the effects it has on a wife, husband, and marriage
- debt and finances within a marriage
What I didn’t like:
- the decisions and actions of the characters frustrated me sometimes
- it took awhile to become invested in the story
- there is a missing person/mystery arc that didn’t fit well into the story
The Half Moon is a good portrayal of how marriage can be complicated and messy. This book would likely appeal to Gen X and millennial readers.