reviewing this after the archive date may be beside the point….I actually thought about the book daily long after reading it. The universal themes of what we do for family/loves with intention and reflexively and the way life might turn around and go forward after tragedy were so well and uniquely told. I do want to listen to the audio as well as the narrator has so much empathy for the hopes of a young woman and how they play out in her reading that hearing the story seems so worthwhile. A top book of the year so far..seems classic in its writing, plot and structure.

A beautiful, tragic love story where the main character must choose between her husband and her high school love. Would be a perfect book club pick.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. It’s beautifully unique but also has hints of so many beloved books—Where the Crawdads Sing, The Notebook, and even a twinge of the Great Gatsby. What an intrinsic emotional journey, and man so many unpredictable turns. What a gift.

I really enjoyed this book! I stayed on the treadmill longer just for an excuse to finish it.

This story was romantic, suspenseful, thrilling, heartbreaking, maddening. It was so emotional and had me hooked! I could not put it down and had to know where the story was going.

The back and forth timelines were not confusing at all and flowed quite well. I’m iffy with past and present timeline, but it really worked for this!

It did have a trope I don’t love, so I did struggle with that, but it also made the story what it was.

Broken country, indeed!

Broken Country
This one came highly recommended, and I’ve read multiple mentions of it being a book club pick more than a few times, so I was happy to get to read it for review.

The story is about Beth and Frank, farmers in England who live and work the land in the area where they grew up and went to school. The other main character is Gabriel, the man whom Beth loved as a teenager, the one who has returned to the village with his young son Leo. The story around these three is really moving and involved and contains multiple surprises. There’s a love triangle here, and the tension in the village and in Beth’s life becomes sharp and hard and eventually, something snaps.

This is a beautifully written tale, sweeping in its scope and moving from Beth’s narrow life to a much more public stage. I read expecting tragedy or joy and both were delivered. The contrast of the past and the present, actions and consequences, choices and obligations, is both expected and heartbreaking—-and then there are the twists and turns!

This is really a memorable book, and the characters and storyline lingered with me. It’s one I won’t let go of quickly.

For me this one is 4.5 stars, rounded up!

I received the digital ARC from NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

This was such a beautiful story! I really enjoyed every part of it. Broke my heart and then put it together again!!
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall is a heartfelt story set in rural England during the ’50s and ’60s. It follows Beth, who falls for Gabriel as a teen, but life pulls them apart and she ends up marrying a sweet, steady farmer named Frank. Years later, Gabriel comes back, and with him, a lot of unresolved feelings—and secrets.
The book jumps between timelines and digs into love, loss, and the choices that shape our lives. It’s emotional, a bit mysterious, and really captures the messiness of relationships in a small-town setting.

I’m really happy I decided to pick this one up as it’s different than my usual thriller reads. I’d categorize this one as a family saga/love story with a murder mystery sprinkled in. It’s definitely paced a little slower than I like, but the ending made up for it. Additionally, this is the kind of book that leaves you thinking about it long after it’s over and it deserves a special shout-out for that!

I picked this book up because of bookstagram FOMO, I kept seeing people review it. And it was very well written and had a great sense of place. But for this particular reader, I just don’t like reading about people destroying their marriage by cheating on their spouse. No matter if it was a first love they are reconnecting with, a new love they just met. It’s just not a subject I enjoy reading about.
So while I enjoyed the writing and setting, the subject matter took this down a few stars for this specific reader. That said, again I completely understand why this is working for so many readers. The writing is beautiful and setting on a farm in the English countryside is beautiful.
“The centuries pass but the hope and optimism that accompanies each new family at their beginning is the same. What else is there in life, really, of such significance?”

*Broken Country* is one of those rare novels that grabs you on page one and doesn’t let go. I read it in a single sitting, completely pulled in by its emotional depth, compelling characters, and a plot that unfolds with just the right amount of tension and surprise.

At the center of the story is Beth, whose quiet life with her kind husband Frank begins to unravel after a seemingly simple incident—a dog shot for chasing sheep. But this dog belongs to Gabriel Wolfe, Beth’s first love and the man who left behind both heartbreak and unresolved questions. His return to the village doesn’t just stir memories; it cracks open long-buried secrets and forces Beth to confront a version of herself she thought she’d left behind.

Clare Leslie Hall moves seamlessly between past and present, building a rich, layered narrative that balances romance, grief, and suspense. The relationships are complex, the characters fully formed. Beth is especially well-drawn—flawed, real, and caught in a storm of memory and consequence.

This isn’t just a love story or a thriller—it’s both, and it works. The emotional stakes feel real. Every twist lands with weight, and nothing is thrown in just for shock value. It’s a story about love’s endurance, the grip of the past, and how one decision can echo across a lifetime.

*Broken Country* is tense, tender, and beautifully written. If you want a story that stays with you, this one’s worth your time.

This book was absolute perfection. The characters. The writing, the storyline. I couldn’t put this one down and will read everything this author writes. Highly recommend!

An absolutely wonderful book! A beautifully nuanced book encompassing all the emotions and depth a book should be. My review would not do it justice, it is just a book that needs to be read, be prepared to settle in for this one and experience everything this book is. Highly recommended.

Thank you so much to author Clare Leslie Hall and NetGalley for a copy of this awesome read in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

It's been quite a while since I've read a whole book in one sitting and I would have with this one had it not been Easter and we had family dinner and drove my son back to college. But I finished it in 20 hours as it totally consumed me. It was beautifully atmospheric and emotionally charged. My heart felt like it was in my throat. It's a love story but also a murder mystery and all set on a farm. I went into it knowing nothing except that it was all over my Instagram and everyone was raving about it. Now I will be another voice singing its praises. Best book I've read in 2025 so far!!

I listened to the audiobook rather than read this copy. I greatly enjoyed the story and was shocked by many of its twists and turns.

The tension rises in this story perfectly, so that you have a good chance to get to know Hall's wonderful cast of characters before everything comes crashing down. The dual timeline, Now/Then, provides clues that this might not be the happily ever after you've hoped for, but Hall's timing makes for a perfectly contrived plot, and she even saves a few surprises for the end. I did think the affair in this book seemed a little bit <I>Bridges of Madison County</I> (sorry if you don't agree with my use of that title derogatorily*), but luckily Hall brought us right back to the tempest before we got too bogged down in all of that. That nitpicky comment aside, I thought this was a very compelling story with a satisfying ending. Recommend.

*In my defense, I can't take a book seriously that was licensed as a perfume, among other swag, though I did hear the movie was better. :)

a sweeping love story set in the english countryside in the 1950’s and 60’s that explores the way past loves linger, this was emotionally resonant and thrilling all at the same time.

This book broke me. It's a gorgeously written story that unfolds like layers of an onion and leaves you breathless. All the stars.

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish

Ugh this book was so good. It pulled at my heartstrings in all the best ways. I was captivated from the very beginning and kept finding myself enthralled throughout the whole book! Kudos to Clare because this was phenomenal!!

Broken Country is quite possibly the most breakout debut novel of 2025 and it was an easy 5 star read for me! The publisher says this is “a forbidden love affair with catastrophic repercussions” set in England. That’s all I knew going in and I’m glad I didn’t read the publisher’s blurb until after I finished the book. The story opens, in the first line, telling you a farmer is dead and all anyone wants to know is who killed him. From there, the story jumps around between 1955, 1968, and a court trial. Early on, you know a man who our main character, Beth, loves is testifying in a trial. But, you don’t know who this is and it could be multiple people. There are multiple points in the story like this - where the person in question could be multiple people. Broken Country is a love story (an intense one that's not a romance) / crime fiction / legal drama mash-up, but I would NOT say it's a thriller. It’s intense, emotional, and hot. I loved the way Hall wrote this to leave open many possibilities for what actually happened and make all of them feel plausible. Overall, this is a heartbreaking book about different kinds of guilt and it just snowballs. I think readers of The Paper Palance will love it and it's likely to be one of my favorite books of 2025.

Obviously this one is good - it's a Reese pick. I loved it. Beautifully written, sweeping tale set with a country backdrop.