Advantages: Cheap, Good Read, Variety
Disadvantages: Similar Stories Every So Often, Can Be A Bit Far Fetched!

...I've been in many hospitals and too many times to mention, what has been an absolute staple of these visits is 'Take A Break' magazine. Inevitably it is always in the waiting room and it's always been on the wards I have been on. The first few times, I wondered what the appeal of this magazine was, on the lurid coloured cover, it seemed to be just the same as many other women's lifestyle magazines with far fetched story titles...that was until I picked up a copy of 'Take A Break'. It then hit me why this was such a staple read, it gave stories, puzzles and recipes and in essence, it was area where you could really switch off from the environment around you. Soon after I became a 'Take A Break' fan and found myself waiting for every Thursday and waiting eagerly to spend my hard earned 76p on some 'me' time. So what is so special... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Really good real life stories & some fab recipes
Disadvantages: The chance of winning a competition is very low

...I work on average 6 days out of 7 and work some really strange shifts so when it comes down to my hour long break a day I really don't know what to do with myself. As a child I used to always get a copy of Shout magazine from my gran she used to buy me one from the local paper shop and give it to me every Tuesday when I stayed at her house but as I grew older I got really bored if it and wanted some thing new to focus my attention on so I started reading my mums Take a Break and I loved it! It was always full of competitions (which I loved) and real life stories that where really interesting. After that I became totally hooked and now I get my gran to get the magazine for me every Monday they night I now sleep round. HOW MUCH and WHERE FROM? You can pick up a copy of Take a Break from any decent newsagent or from anywhere... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Packed with real life features!
Disadvantages: can be sad at times!

...Now for number two in my magazine fest...... Take a Break! Available in most stores (local and chain) and even on subscription! Weekly issue (released every thursday) costs 76p! The front cover displays snippets of the headlines and photos of a few of the true stories included in the issue, which makes it eye catching and attracts you to buy it! Regular features include: * Take a Break St. (readers photos and the stories behind them!) * Fashion and beauty SOS * The Brainwaves roadshow (readers great ideas) * Boot Sale Tale's (readers bargains from car boot sales) * The Grumps (product testing) * Coffee Break Fiction * Your letters * Travel I alwasy find, from all the different magazines I have read, the stories in Take a Break seem to be longer and more in depth, however there are a lot more sad stories... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Very reasonably priced, easy competitions, good prizes
Disadvantages: some very sad stories,

...Take a Break is a weekly magazine, sold in most outlets and at the very reasonable price of 70p per issue, readers real life stories make up a substantial part of TaB, readers photos, tips and helpful hints also add to this, there are Horoscopes, recipe’s and most importantly 15 competitions all with good prizes, it seems to have got thicker over the years as it had 71 pages this week it used to have between 63-68 when it first came out. Take a Break is a great value magazine, reasonably well laid out, and not just for Women, when I check the answers and winners a few weeks later there are lots of Men who have won prizes, there is something for everyone, Unless you are not into competitions! then this magazine is probably not for you. I have been buying Take a Break since the very first issue 1990, (this year being it’s 13th... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Good true life stories (updated)
Disadvantages: Lots of sad stories to make me cry :-(

...Following on from my last review I just wish to write another review on Take A Break Take A Break comes out weekly, it cost 70p. Every week it is cut into sections Several Competitions, if you get stuck and want to find out the answers look in a couple of weeks and the answers are published. True life stories, this carries a wide range of stories these can be very jolly or really sad. Holiday Page, this will tell you all about a holiday destination and give you lots of tips. Cookery Pages, usually 4 recipes for you to cut and keep. Health and Vitality. This is where readers send in there health stories. Liz's SOS beauty SOS, this is questios and answers page for beauty help. Brainwaves Road show gives you lots of ideas Agony Uncle (do I need to explain) Coffee Break Fiction this is a short story that you... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Price, Prize puzzles
Disadvantages: Dull, depressing articles, readers confidential what a load of rubbish

...Having been an avid fan of Take a Break for many years, I have found that during the last year the content has gone downhill significantly. These days I only buy the magazine for the puzzles in the hope that I may win a prize, not that I ever do! The magazine also has its good points, here are some of the better ones. Good Points Good Price Good puzzles Particularly like 'Take a Break St' on the first page of the magazine, this is a 'feel good' page that puts a smile on your face. I do enjoy the 'heartbeat' section, very informative with up to date medical details and advise on a wide variety of medical issues. I do enjoy Sensible and Barmy on the last page, again its articles with happy endings which we are enjoy. Bad Points Depressing Stories Readers Confidential When you actually venture into the magazine I... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: cheap, lots of stories and puzzles
Disadvantages: not high chances of winning the prizes due to amount of readers!

...I having been buying Take a Break for as long as I can remember. Every week I buy it with the intentions of doing the puzzles and sending the little form off but I often miss the deadline and end up thinking ''I'll do it with next weeks issue!'' However nowthe magazine have started allowing you to enter online - brilliant! Now I never miss an issue! I'ts an easy system to use simply by registering once and then every week to enter all you need to do is log in and select which issue you are entering and then inout the answers from all the quizzes into each little box provided and click submit! bob's your uncle! Anyway for those who aren't familiar with this weekly magazine let me give you an insight into it. The magazine was started in March 1990 so already has been around for a staggering 17 years and is edited by a Mr John... Read review

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Advantages: Cheap, easy reading and easy to enter competitions
Disadvantages: Some stories can be difficult and sad to read

...I buy Take a Break on a weekly basis. This is mostly bought in my lunch break and left in my drawer to read when I am on lunch and the weather is too rubbish to take a walk outside (which is most of the time at the moment!) I have decided to do a review on this magazine as there are quite a few but none have been written for a while. Take a Break is currently 78p in the shops and each issue is around 60 to 70 pages. It is a weekly magazine and a new edition of it is out every Thursday. The magazine can be found in most newsagents. It is claimed in the magazine that this is currently the UK's No 1 Women's mag & True life magazine, World's No 1 True-Life Weekly and the World's 4tth Biggest Women's Mag. My main reason for buying this magazine is because it keeps me amused for quite a few lunch times at work. This is mainly due... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: well written, true life stories, great fiction
Disadvantages: can't read it quick enough, never win competitions

...Take a Break Magazine One of my favourite magazines, Take A Break magazine is designed mainly for a female market, but there are males readers, who often write in with stories, letters and other contributions. There are plenty of opportunities for reader participation in how the magazine is prepared (more about this later). This magazine is a full colour magazine out every Thursday for 72p. There are 7 distinction areas which this magazine has every week – the articles may change but the sections remain the same. 1st area “Take a Break” street – where readers send in their pictures and comment on articles, etc. For example, there have been articles recently about the demise of knitting and several readers have sent in pictures of knitting circles, items they have knitted and commented on the fact it is not taught at schools... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Cheap, real life stories, lots of competitions and advice
Disadvantages: none

...I have been buying this magazine for a few years now and this has got to be one of my favourites, it has true life stories, puzzles, fashion and health advice. This is a 70 page magazine with 5 sections in. Inside the front cover it has an index as to what these are. OUR LIVES In this section people write in with their true life stories, whether they are sad, love, betrayal, loss or sin. I find these to be a good read, especially the ones with happy endings.They also have pictures of the people in the stories, take a break pay people up to £500 for sending in their stories and getting them published. HEALTH AND VITALITY This section is for people to write in with their illnesses, operations, health ordeals, health problems. It also has a part called news beat and this is about research studys and results on things like... Read review

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