This is a love story, a family saga, and a character driven tale about the lengths one will go to do the right thing. It is superbly written and you’ll find yourself wanting it to go on much longer.

The book switches between timelines from the past and present and glimpses from a murder trail, that dig deep into a love triangle and multiple tragedies. Hall expertly offers just enough information to keep you reading but saves enough so there are some truly surprising plot twists.

Broken Country will leave you speechless. It had me on a roller coaster of emotions. The deeper I got into the book the wilder my emotions erupted. One minute, I am intrigued, the next moment I’m in tears and the next I’m shocked beyond repair.

The journey that the main characters went through will have you feeling like you just went through a fight and barely made it out alive.

The FMC (Beth) is complex and passionate. Her evolution from the beginning to the end of this book is evident by situations that occurred.

The two MMCs (Gabriel and Frank) give depth to not only the entanglement between their lives, but also the involvement with Beth.

This book was so thought out and concise in a way that it evoked deep thought and emotion.

I definitely would recommend any adult to read this book.

Broken Country was a tragically beautiful novel. While different than what I would normally choose to gravitate to (fantasy/sci-fi/romance), I couldn't put this one down because I needed to know how it ended.

The book switches between multiple timelines with chapters from the past and present and glimpses from a murder trail, that dig deep into a love triangle and multiple tragedies. Hall expertly offers just enough information to keep you reading but saves enough so there are some truly surprising plot twists.

I found the characters interesting, but their decisions were frustrating at times, though I do think every decision makes sense in the end. The setting is so intriguing and interesting. The book is set in a small farm town in England, and Hall uses the setting perfectly to move the story along.

What a beautiful and engrossing story! Truly felt transported by the author to Meadowlands. The book was romance and women’s fiction with the pacing of a thriller given the suspenseful questions of - who was murdered, who did the killing, and even to the romance-end - what man was Beth going to end up with. While I didn’t love the answer to some of those questions, I still can’t help but give this book 5 stars for the author’s prose, pacing, and original plot!

4.5 unexpected stars! This is essentially a family drama set against the backdrop of a country farm. The pacing was perfect, the characters heavily flawed, and there was a good dose of twists and turns. Some of the adults in the book made such stupid decisions, which is why it wasn't a 5 star for me.

This book tore my heart out on more than one occasion. I loved the suspenseful vibes that were present throughout the book in a very intentional way. The characters were very relatable and likable.

NON-SPOILER REVIEW: It's a messy love triangle that Beth finds herself in, and how that affects the events in her life unravels in both expected and completely unexpected ways.

This was a bit of a slow build in the first half, but that back half was full of payoff! There are some tough moments in this story, but it's also an honest-seeming reflection of the time in which it's set (1950's and 1960's). It comments on some of the double-standards of the past and how women are making strides in overcoming some of those barriers.

TW's: Child death, animal death, alcoholism


SPOILERS AHEAD*************



We know from the very beginning of this book that Beth's son has passed and someone else has been killed, but we don't know how. Even when I saw it coming, it was still so awful. I nearly through my Kindle across the room and yelled, "F*ck you, Frank! And f*ck you, Jimmy! And f*ck you, David!" Such a frustrating (but appropriate for the time period) view of how readily a woman's intuition and concern of safety was so readily dismissed by the men in her life. I was amazed she could go on with Frank after that, to be honest.

Yet, I was happy for them in the end. Once you get the full picture you can understand how the character reactions to all of the messed up things you just read actually make sense in context.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable book that I seemed to have a hard time putting down. The imagery from this story will be with me for a long time. I was loving the village vibe.

I’m not a huge fan on books on infidelity but this book was really good. It was a bit hard at first to keep the dueling timelines separated and not confusing. But overall there were some good twists and the authors writing made you feel the emotions the characters were experiencing.

Thanks for NetGalley for this ARC and introducing me to this author!

3.5 rounded up.

What a beautiful, powerful book! I'm so glad I was given the opportunity to read an advance copy of it thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. I might otherwise not have given this book a try, and I really would have missed out. I loved this story that has so many interesting angles, with family relationships of all kinds at the crux of everything.
The characters were perfectly brought to life by the author. Once I got into the story, I couldn't put it down. I felt like I understood what life was like on their farm and in their community, and I could understand all the momentous, life-changing decisions that were made. I think this would be a perfect choice for book discussion groups. I highly recommend this book.

With such an unlikable central character, Beth, it is hard to gather much praise for Broken Country. Author Claire Leslie Hall wants to have it all, but her bouncing plot does not help her. The other characters are interesting and the story keeps your interest, but in retrospect I wonder how long it will be before my brain lets this one go.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

I just couldn’t seem to get into this one. But I am not giving up just yet. I have to try again when there is an audiobook I think!!

Broken Country, by Clare Leslie Hall, is a novel that has everything- a poignant love story, secrets, murder, family drama, motherhood, grief, small town life, I think I went through an entire box of tissues- but I absolutely loved every minute!!!! This book is going to make so many "Best Of" lists in 2025. A perfect book club book. Highly recommend!

Claire Leslie Hall sucked me into Broken Country! A very engaging read. I loved it! Thank you to the publisher for my chance to read.

A beautiful book full of love, life and coming face to face with the consequences of your choices. I absolutely adored the characters and was captivated by the story.

This is a story of a love triangle gone wrong that has some mystery intertwined told in first person. It begins with an accidental meeting when a Dorset farmer Jimmy kills dog that has just killed three of his lambs. It turns out the owner of the dog is the former lover of the wife of Jimmy’s brother Frank. Beth This does not, however, cause the domino effect that propels this story. It is a very minor character Tessa the mother of Gabriel whose family is the owner of Meadowlands. She is the one who connives to keep the young lovers Beth and Gabriel apart. The reader may find it odd that she is never mention again after Gabriel finds out about it. This story is told from 1st person limited so you only know what’s happening from Beth’s point of view. I does have some twists and turns that keep the reader’s attention especially at first. However, it is too of a sob story for those who are not into love triangle stories. It makes the reader ask if a woman or a man can love two people at the same time. If so, how would that resolve itself.

By the end some readers maybe asking what is the meaning of the title? how does it relate to the story; other than it’s setting is a very rural area, and because of that Beth the main character and story tell is very naive. Also, how does the poem at the very end that Beth writes to Frank relate to the story?

Clare Leslie Hall has managed to make a sleepy English farming village the setting for a surprising and sexy thriller. I tore through it in a few days. Many thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

What a beautiful and heart wrenching story. I loved each character deeply and felt their pain and their joy. Broken Country has it all…suspense, romance, heartfelt moments, a little bit of humor, and a beautiful ending. I’ll definitely be recommending this book to friends!

This is a wonderful book about young love, changes in life giving you an unexpected turn in your path and a twist in the storyline. I fell in love with the characters of this book. Starting with innocence of Beth who becomes smitten with Gabriel very quickly with a summer love affair. Does one's love for another really die or is it hidden beneath life's changes as you grow up? Beth, with a broken heart, ends up marrying a young man who adored her since he was 13 years old. They have a very happy farm life until tragedy strikes in all sorts of forms. Your heart will be pulled in several directions at the same time as you discover choices that must be made but at what cost. Beautifully written and hard to put down. You will be smiling after reading this book.

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall should be on everyone’s to read list for the Autumn. There is so much pain and heartache coupled with redemption and a happily ever after. It has taken me three days to think about this book and write any kind of review that does it justice.
The manner in which the narration is constructed weaves the past and the present and begs the question can we ever return to a past life and is there any point in trying to recapture a long lost love. Then characters are well developed and each plays an integral role in developing the story. These two solid literary aspects are meshed with a surprise ending (for me anyway) and I usually can figure the end out ahead of the final page. This was a tremendously satisfying read. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel.

Broken Country is a powerful, emotionally rich novel that explores the complexity of relationships, the weight of buried secrets, and the choices that shape who we become. It’s a gripping combination of psychological suspense and deep emotional introspection, where the past refuses to stay buried and threatens to unravel everything in the present.

Beth, the protagonist, is a character you can’t help but empathize with—caught between the life she’s built with her kind, dependable husband, Frank, and the echoes of her first love, Gabriel, who returns to the village with his young son. The novel deftly explores how unresolved emotions from Beth’s past pull her back into a dangerous, tangled web of memories and unfinished business. What makes the story so engaging is how it mirrors the tension many people feel between the person they are and the person they once were, a theme you might find particularly resonant given how introspective you are about past experiences and emotional complexities.

The novel’s pacing alternates between quiet, reflective moments and escalating tension. The rural setting, which seems tranquil at first, becomes a pressure cooker of gossip, jealousy, and unspoken grudges, much like the way environments can shape emotional undercurrents in subtle, yet impactful, ways. The vivid, immersive descriptions of the village life feel almost suffocating as Beth’s life unravels, which adds to the overall sense of suspense.

What stands out most is the way Broken Country explores the theme of first love—how it can haunt us, shape us, and sometimes come back to challenge the choices we’ve made. The emotional stakes in the novel are high, particularly as Beth is faced with impossible choices, not only about love but about truth and loyalty. The return of Gabriel isn’t just about rekindling romance; it forces her to confront long-buried traumas, much like how revisiting past pains can trigger new understandings of self.

The ending is a gut-punch, a reminder that the past always has consequences, and sometimes the choices we make to protect ourselves lead to even greater costs.

If you enjoy stories that explore inner conflict, layered with suspense and emotional depth, Broken Country is an evocative read that stays with you. It’s not just a thriller—it’s a reflection on identity, grief, and the thin line between love and destruction.