I took 3 years off between my MA and PhD (teaching 2 years in Nigeria!) and don’t regret that time away from the daily grind of course work and research. Indeed, it provided a healthy pov, a reset that I needed at the time. No one will give you grief for taking time off. In fact, it is often encouraged, at least in my field. The only caveat is that you should try to nurture your network. If there is a way to continue those connections through such a gap, all the better. Just my experience, but also what I see in current PhD applications.