This was such a beautiful story. Told with so much feeling and heartfelt love. Even in the worst parts it’s beautiful. Perfection in a book is rare but this one truly is perfection.

This book starts out kind of sad. A boy and his dog. The dog attacks the lambs killing three and the farmer kills the dog. I hated that part. But it's a means to the beginning of one of the most beautiful books I have read. This is definitely my favorite book for this year.

A girl meets a boy. They fall madly in love. He mother doesn't approve. A whole lot happens but ultimately they break up. She returns home and marries another. Years go by before she ever sees the one who swept her off her feet.

This story is told in the time it happened. In the before. In the after. During the trial. There was a killing and a husband goes on trial for his life. His wife stands by him. His family stands by him. Actually he has no family, blood family, except for his wife and her family now.

Frank and Beth are married. They had a son, Bobby. Frank has loved Beth since he was thirteen years old. Beth loves him too. She also still has strong feelings for her first love Gabriel. For the boy she was meant to marry if things had been different. Frank and Beth have a farm and his brother Jimmy lives with them. Jimmy has always been a trouble person even as a very young lad.

You will be taken from 1968 back to 1955. To the time before Beth and Frank to when it was Beth and Gabriel. You will get to know them all. The love that is between Beth and Gabriel is so intense and so strong. But something happens. Beth marries Frank and thus this story unfolds.

This book is full of so much good. So much sad. So much happiness. A time when things should have been simpler I suppose but it wasn't. Not for these three. It's a love triangle gone desperately wrong. I loved all the characters except Gabriels mother. She was not likable in any way. Not even a tiny bit. This is a story of two loves. Two men and one woman. Actually three men but only two that Beth had been in love with.

A tragedy strikes and these people's lives are never the same. Maybe in some ways better. Not really better but stronger. Friendships made. Love lost. A family interrupted. This is a story that will stay with you for a good long time.

Thank you #NetGalley, #Simon&Schuster, for this ARC. This is my feelings about this story.

Broken Country was truly one of the most compelling stories I have ever read…I could not put it down and stayed up reading far into the early morning hours. The beginning hooked me immediately as I sat there sobbing uncontrollably . I fell in love with each of the four main characters and honestly could not decide what Beth, Frank or Gabriel should do. I found myself unable to judge any of them for their actions. I so frequently felt like I was right in the room with them fully involved in the story. I felt like a ping pong ball as my emotions felt strongly for one, then another, and then the third. This is a love story for everyone as well as being so very well written. I fully expect this to be one of the books that everyone is recommending and talking about. I know that I will be recommending it to everyone I know. This would make an amazing movie!
Many many thanks to Clare Leslie Hall, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this incredible read. If I could give it 10 stars I would.

A hauntingly beautiful story about the tenderness of a first, all-consuming love and the disastrous consequences of lies and betrayal. While I could see the heartbreak coming, I was powerless to stop reading the lovely writing and compelling tale. I especially loved all of the historic details from the time periods such as the music and clothes. This is a book whose ending will stay with you for a long time.

Broken Country is a beautifully written story of teenage heartbreak, a child lost through tragedy, a love triangle, and a broken family. It's a tale of what might have been and a story about making the best of what actually is; a lesson in appreciating the lush green grass on your own side of the fence. The characters are flawed but real, and each painful decision they make has gut wrenching consequences.

From the very start of the book, you know someone is dead and someone is on trial for murder. It's crafty storytelling that you don't know who is either of these things until the author is good and ready to reveal it. You make assumptions, as humans are wont to do, but the mystery is a fun twist to this ill fated love story. I found the whole premise unique and utterly beautifully written.

I, for one, will be curled up extra close to my husband in bed tonight and clutching my child just a smidge closer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read this book prior to its publication in exchange for my honest review.

First love, Gabriel returns to the village up ends Beth’s quiet life with Frank to reveal secrets long hidden with tragic consequences. This story will stay with you. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy for an honest review.

I've sat with this for a while because I wanted to love this book so much. I began to feel as though something was wrong with me, or I'd received a different book than everyone else. I just could not see the hype, but I think maybe it's more of a me thing. The opening of the book pulls you in immediately, and I was feeling pretty optimistic about the story. But it quickly slowed down for me until I got to a point where I no longer wanted to pick it up. Once I got the hint that there would be an infidelity story line, I found myself not wanting to pick it up at all. After not touching the book for an entire week, I decided to throw in the towel. Sometimes I can tell when a story will be popular with a lot of readers despite how I felt about it, but with this one, I'm not sure. I think this might be hit or miss. I do think the author's writing was very polished and gripping, so I will be interested in checking out more of her work.

After reading a few pages, I KNEW I would enjoy Broken Country. The first half of the book was five stars, but the final quarter of the story seemed rushed. Overall, it fell slightly below my initial expectations, but I highly recommend this emotive read.

This book has something for everyone: romance, mystery, drama, and historical fiction. The writing is stunning, and I loved how the different timelines work together to create a sweeping and dramatic plot. I can't wait to see what Claire Leslie Hall writes next!

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the chance to read an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Very very slow. At 36% and nothing has really happened. I was excited about a courtroom drama but idk when or where that is. The main character is insufferable. She is putting herself in a love triangle and has zero shame. I will not be finishing at this time but may pick up later.

This beautiful story is evidence that imperfect people live imperfect lives AND THAT there are always so many more layers to circumstance than we realize.

These incredibly well-developed characters with so much depth, take us into their teenage years and through adulthood, as they navigate marriage, parenting and love lost. Throughout the whole novel, the author brings to the surface that our choices have an ongoing ripple effect we could never predict.

This book was SO hard to put down and oscillated between a romance, a thriller and a mystery at different times. Such a unique story and so well written!

Thank you to Clare Leslie Hall, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this advanced copy in return for my thoughts.

I’ve read a lot of books lately, but none as memorable as Broken Country. I’m fighting back tears because of my hearts pain and happiness. It’s just breathtaking! From
The past retellings to the present day happenings this book is gripping. The heartache was palpable. It felt like I was truly experiencing it. Loved it!!!

All the stars do this book. I was hooked from the first chapter. This is not a love story but at parts felt like one and there are so many twists and turns. We start off in court, no idea what is happening and who is on trial. The story is told in past with Beth and her upbringing and her first love, Gabriel. And we have the present with Beth married to Frank living on the farm walking along with her BIL.

The story is so well told, we got a sense of the all the relationships and complexities. I was so curious what happened to Frank and Beth's son and was heartbroken with what happened. The story is about grieving and how to live with guilt.

This book is live in my head rent free for a long time and for sure be a top read of 2025.

Thank you @simonandschuster for a copy of this book.

Hall’s storytelling is nothing short of remarkable, capturing both the beauty of the land and the intricate emotions of the characters who live there. It starts off super slow as she takes you on this slow lift up on the top of the rollercoaster before she drops you into the pits of shock after shock.. but trust me when I say— stay with it because it’s completely worth it!!

every moment felt raw and real, whether it’s the quiet despair of grief or the flicker of hope in the midst of pain. The characters are flawed and vulnerable, yet strong and determined, making them beyond relatable. I rooted for these people, I felt for them—every high and low along the way.

This novel is more than just a story; it’s an experience. It’s an exploration of all the things we do for the people that we love. What we choose to do when seeking atonement.. but most importantly It reminds us that even in the deepest wounds, there is potential for healing. 🤧

Absolutely 5

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall is an emotional powerhouse of a novel. I was impressed by this outstanding story containing something for every reader: romance, family drama, forgiveness, suspense and even a murder trial.

The plot centers around Beth and Frank, a young married couple who have recently lost their son, Bobby; and their neighbor Gabriel Wolfe with his son, Leo. Beth and Gabriel are past lovers, and Gabriel has just moved back to the village with his son after divorcing the boy's mother. But this is no simple love triangle; the story contains so much more tension and suspense, as the reader is left in the dark about so many things: Who is on trial? Who was even murdered? How did it come to this? What really happened? The story builds to riveting climax with a resolution that left me in tears.

The English countryside setting plays a large role in this book. The farm where Beth and Frank live, as well as Gabriel's estate, sound lush and inviting with exquisite details of the natural world. The writing was beautiful. I was in awe as to how Clare Leslie Hall could take this story, which could have become melodramatic, and wring out the emotions in such a way as to leave my thoughts in contemplation while my heart was in pain.

This is the best book I've read so far this year. I can't wait to read what this author writes next.

I will highly recommend this book to readers of many genres - romance, women's fiction and domestic suspense to name a few.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

How did the author manages to include so much rich plot in Broken Country? I enjoyed the family and love relationships and the murder mystery kept me guessing. How did the author manage to weave such a rich plot into Broken Country? I thoroughly enjoyed the family dynamics and the love relationships, while the murder mystery kept me guessing throughout. Clare Leslie Hall proves she’s a master storyteller with Broken Country.How did the author manage to weave such a rich plot into Broken Country? I thoroughly enjoyed the family dynamics and the love relationships, while the murder mystery kept me guessing throughout. Clare Leslie Hall proves she’s a master storyteller with Broken Country.

Broken country has a lot of momentum for this spring season and I was thankful to receive an arc. I, however, was disappointed to find that I couldn’t get into this. Beth and frank have a happy and loving marriage but their marriage relies upon the past remaining in the past. However, Beth’s brother-in-law shooting a dog in their quiet village dredges up the past when Beth’s old boyfriend Gabriel and his son Leo become part of Beth’s life. Gabriel broke Beth’s heart and Leo strangely reminds her of son she lost a few years back. A romance, a mystery, a courtroom thriller all in one, but sadly for some reason-none of these resonated with me. I know many people have reviewed this well and I know many more will love it-this was definitely an issue with me as the reader more so than the book itself! I had the same issue with where the crawdads sing, so it is me.

Thanks to the publisher for providing this arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of Broken Country.

Beth and her husband Frank have a farm and a nice life together. They have suffered through the unimaginable loss of their son Bobby three years ago. Frank tells Beth that Gabriel her first love has moved back to town with his young son. He broke Beth’s heart years ago but seeing him again brings back all those old memories and feelings. She finds out that things she thought were true back then were not and they set off a chain of events that will change their lives forever.

This was a pretty heavy read but I still enjoyed it. It had a lot of different story lines going on but it was done very well.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This book was transporting in a way that I never expected. I felt myself in the moment with each character in the most aching of ways. I really enjoyed the ways in which Hall brought us to the past and the story's present over and over again to weave the plot tightly together. She had multiple tension points from the past that come together more than once to create this perfect climax. I was so invested and thought of the book constantly when I wasn't reading it. I finished it in a day and sobbed at the end. It was perfection to me and a book that will stick with me for a long time to come. Please please pick this one up!

Actions have consequences, they may not be immediate, but there will be consequences. As Beth's actions are made public during a murder trial, the consequences will play as a movie reel in her mind. Told in two timelines, 1955 and 1968, the emotional toll on this cast of characters pulls the reader deeper into the mystery of who died and why. The evidence covers the heartbreak, leaving us with some questions and answers that will leave hearts even more bruised . As I finished this excellent book, it left me with the same feelings I had when reading THORN BIRDS so many years ago. Comparing Clare Leslie Hall to Colleen McCullough tells me she has an excellent chance of being on my "followed" list for a long, long while.

This book has so many feels. There's a slow burn right from the beginning and then you get the story behind it. This is told in a nonlinear timeline. You get present time, way past, and past. The way past leads to the past, which is where you spend most of your time. Then you get snippets of current time and it all comes together nicely. You can feel the tension between Frank and Beth. Since the major occurrence, they're both kind of drifting through life, still living but not really living. Then a character from the past disrupts life.
This is a well-told tale of sort of domestic suspense and drama. It is very readable and you can easily get lost in the pages.

I was not impressed with the content of the book. It was inappropriate.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to preview this title.