I keep trying to find a way to review this amazing book, a book that is so much more than a love triangle or a story of hopes/dreams and grief... It is more than the sum of its parts. Clare Leslie Hall's Broken Country lives up to every rave review I have read and is a captivating read, one that drew me in immediately through storytelling, a slow but powerful build to a possible murder, and one that really centered on nuanced storytelling, bringing forth themes on social class, motherhood, first love, marriage, family... and making each theme work on its own and as part of the larger plot. A book that is quietly powerful and with a highly satisfying end. A must read!

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC of "Broken Country" in exchange for an honest review.
Double wow to this one. It's been so long since I've picked up a book like this - an epic passionate love triangle playing out over decades and finishing in the most dramatic, most emotional and twist filled way possible. And with a heartrending wrap-up that unabashedly wrings tears out of you without mercy. Yep, it's that kind of book and guaranteed to make you take deep breaths when you finally put it down.
The triangle I speak of unfolds in a small English farming community. Teenage farm girl Beth falls into a white hot first love with fellow teen Gabriel, the handsome scion of a fabulously wealthy family whose vast estate sits in the same rural countryside. To the delight of Gabriel's imperious mother,, the affair collapses as Gabriel moves on to study at Oxford with a new girl of his own social standing. A heartbroken Beth settles for comfort, solace and security in marriage to Frank, the young sheep farmer who's loved her since childhood.
Years later, Gabriel's moved back to his family's rural estate, now a divorced single dad to his 9 year old son Leo, Beth can't help being drawn back to him - not just because of reignited sparks of their adolescent passion, but because Leo painfully reminds her of her and Frank's late young son Bobby, whose tragic death haunts her every waking hour.
From this point on, 'Broken Country' takes readers on a full speed ahead emotional ride that comes crashing down on its main characters like an avalanche. And you'll hear no more details about it from me. You simply have to read it and let the book pummel you with incredible turns of events and astonishing twists.....and then mops up what's left of you with its heart hammering final pages.
Mark this one down as a 2025 must read.

Broken Country is a compelling novel where every character is complicated, sometimes makes poor choices, and l lives their life relitigating past deeds. It is a beautiful story about the complexity and pain that is living.

Readers who do not like stories that portray infidelity as complicated should stay away - you won't like the characters in this book. If you appreciate character complexity, it will be more your style.

Broken Country is a fantastic book club choice. There are many topics to unpack and discuss.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ebook version of the novel, in exchange for a review.

This book will put through a bunch of emotions. It was a love story, suspenseful, sad, sexy, heartbreaking, addicting, drama plus a lot more. It is about a small farming town and a couple of families that are intertwined. Beth and Gabriel have been in love since the first time they saw each other when they were teenagers. They had the chemistry that comes once in a lifetime. Their summer of romance was thrilling until it wasn't. Another girl enters the picture, Gabriel goes to college and Beth doesn't trust the love they have together. Along comes Frank who has loved Beth forever. They end up married and have a child, Bobby who has died. There are two timelines: 1955 when you see the love blossom between Beth and Gabriel and 1968 when you see how Beth and Frank live on their farm. Frank has a brother Jimmie who adores Beth and considers her his sister. The book starts out with a dog entering the farm and killing some of Beth & Frank's sheep. Jimmie shoots the dog. Unfortunately it is in front of the dog's owner a seven year old Leo from the adjoining farm owned by Gabriel's family. So Gabriel is back in town. Then the story gets very interesting. The writing is beautiful. You feel all the feels and sometimes you cry along with the characters. It is a great read and I highly picking up a copy..
Thanks to #netgalley, #simonandschuster and @clarelesliehall for an ARC of the great read. All opinions are my own.

First and foremost the prose in this novel is really beautiful. This is a new to me author but I am certainly interesting in reading anything they write. This is a story of both mystery and romance. It’s romantic and tragic and full of twists.

In a small English farm village lives a happily married woman who mourns the tragic death of her son. When her first love moves back to town it sets into motion a series of events that will alter the course of their lives. Part love triangle and part murder mystery; Broken Country is not to be missed.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this digital e-arc.*

Broken Country was such an interesting read. Check content warnings. For spoiler purposes, I’m not listing them here.

Full disclosure: I was nervous to read this, as it is recommended for fans of The Paper Palace, which for me was a let down, and Where the Crawdads Sing, which I absolutely loved. This took me a little while to get into, but I did end up liking it.

The mystery elements were my favorite parts of the story. Trying to figure out who died and who was on trial was really fun. I did enjoy the twist, which I did not see coming.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the chance to read this via gifted eARC. All thoughts are my own and honest. I would definitely read more of this author’s books.

A multi layered story about a woman, her first love, and the complications of that first love returning to her hometown. It was a story about love, betrayal, and sacrifice. I really enjoyed the way it was told and the shifting time frames that allowed us to get a glimpse of who everyone was in different times before beginning to unravel what happened and why.
I think this will be a huge hit for a lot of readers, however I feel like there were way too many twists thrown at the end and I also wished I knew more about all the characters.

4.5 STARS

“It’s true what they say: you can live a whole lifetime in a final moment.”

The tears are still falling from my eyes as I write this review. This story of first love, tragedy, deceit, and redemption is nothing short of epic, tragic, passionate and all consuming.

Beth Kennedy and Gabriel Wolfe meet as teenagers one summer and share an immediate and intense love. Their time together is filled with joy and passion as they both fall deeply in love. When Gabriel goes off to Oxford for college, circumstances, miscommunication and harsh words will end the relationship.

Beth is then courted by the handsome farmer Frank Johnson who has loved Beth since he was thirteen years old. Frank picks up the pieces of Beth’s heart and becomes her very loving husband. They welcome a baby boy into their lives and share a wonderful life on Blakely Farm.

When tragedy strikes the Johnson family and then shortly after Gabriel and his son move back to their small village, life for Beth becomes confusing as old feelings become unearthed. As Gabriel and his son Leo become regulars in Beth’s life it causes friction for Frank as he knows the history between them. This friction only grows and soon another tragedy strikes that will leave everyone in despair. It is absolutely heartbreaking how much this family endures and how life has broken them so many times.

The book is told in alternating timelines to tie the whole story together. It is so well done and kept me on the edge of my seat. There is a certain twist that I never saw coming and I think my jaw is still on the floor. Excellent storytelling, beautiful prose, and a heart wrenching experience from start to finish. I really enjoyed Broken Country and all the feelings it brought out in me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was incredibly well done. Beautifully written, Heartbreaking. The characters are so real, well developed and flawed. The people next door. The story transports you into a small farm town - you can smell the smells and see the sights. That is how well written this book is. Different perspectives and timelines that are seamlessly woven together. You become invested and engaged from page 1 - and are not ready for the book to end. You will laugh, you will cry and you will want to close your eyes. Gabriel, the man who broke Beth's heart has returned with his son, Leo, but she does not realize that until after her brother-in-law has to shoot the kids dog. As she is pulled into their lives, the secrets of her past, the town's jealousy and the heartbreak of losing her own son, Bobby, are all front and center. Just incredibly well written. An amazing way to start March - and a must read for 2025.

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

This book grabbed me from the very first line: "The farmer is dead, he is dead and all anyone wants to know is who killed him." What unravels throughout the book is a complicated love triangle set in 1960s England in a small village. This story is heart-wrenching at times (especially the ending), but the characters feel so real and the story had enough suspense to keep me enthralled the whole time. There were also a few twists that I didn't see coming, which is rare for a historical fiction read. I will definitely be recommending this to other readers!

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳

I would like to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it in your local and online bookstores and libraries on March 4, 2025.

I have read some excellent books already this year, and this is one of them. I will remember this story and these characters for a long time. Pick up a copy. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Highly recommended! 👍🏻👍🏻

“This is a love story and it is better, by far, than any of the ones I have dreamed up in the past. If I'm allowed a wish, just one, then it is this: I wish for our story to have a happy ending.”
— Clare Leslie Hall, Broken Country

Excellent book.

This one captivated me from the start. Told in two timelines for most of the novel, with a third added towards the end, we follow the Lives of Beth, Frank, Jimmy and Gabriel and their families in a small English village.

Beth, a villager, met Gabriel, son of the family living in the big estate overlooking the village, as a teenager in 1955. After a brief, passionate romance, they part ways.

In 1968 Gabriel returns to the village with his young son Leo, during a separation from his wife. He finds Beth, who has been happily married to gentle farmer Frank, now both grieving from the loss of their son Bobby in a farming accident. As expected, there are soon feelings between them, especially as Beth befriends Leo.

From the beginning, we know that there has been a murder, and that someone is on trial. But who was murdered, and who is on trial? The book alternates between 1955 and 1968 as we learn what is really happening to all of the characters involved. In the second half of the book we add in the third timeline of the trial itself.

Its hard to choose the genre for this book, as it's a romance, love triangle, murder mystery and family saga all rolled into one. The characters are all flawed, and wonderfully depicted. There are several twists to the story, a couple of which I guessed but one at least that I didn't until it was revealed.

It was a wonderful read, that provoked so many emotions from sadness and anxiety through to joy.

My only complaint, a very minor one, is that for me the title doesn't reflect the book. When I think of the title, the plot isn't coming to mind.

Firstly, thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall is a emotional roller-coaster of a story set on a working farm in the English countryside. This story includes, murder, family secrets and a years-long tragic love triangle. It blends genres of mystery, romance and historical drama in a well-written saga.
Beth is a woman caught between two loves — her steadfast and solid husband, Frank, and her first love, dashing Gabriel, who suddenly reappears in her life after years of separation. Re-awakened young love competes with the weight of past tragedies, with the reality of Beth’s current life and with the deep love of her husband. Tension builds in a slow burn and ultimately ends in tragedy and the revelation of family secrets.
The book is well-written and emotionally resonant. Though I did find a few of the plot twists predictable, I still enjoyed this novel. The characters are believable and realistically flawed. This book is about choices and their impacts and ultimately the sacrifices we make for love.

This book felt like a close friend sharing a heartfelt story with me. The writing was intimate and engaging. Just like with any friend’s story, there were components of the book where I wanted to yell at my friend and ask her what were you thinking and other times that the empathy would just be pouring from my heart.

This is a historical novel that is set in the late 1960s on a farm. Some of the key characters are Beth and Frank Johnson, husband and wife and Frank’s brother, Jimmy. All three are grieving the loss of Frank and Beth’s 9-year-old son, Bobby, who died as the result of a tragic accident on the farm. As the story unfolds, we are also taken back through Beth’s memories to 1955 when Beth met her first love, Gabriel. Many of these memories come back to Beth when Gabriel and his son, Leo unexpectedly return to town.

Beyond that, there is a murder trial in 1969 where the reader doesn’t initially know who is on trial and who was murdered. Over time, everything is revealed with a few twists along the way

The book explores love, loss, the impact of grief and the impossible choices and sacrifices people are willing to make to protect their loved ones.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

#BrokenCountry, #ClareLeslieHall, #NetGalley

We all know farm life to be peaceful and quiet, but not in this farm town.

Scandal erupts through this farm town and you follow all the member of a love triangle through what is the trail of the century for this quaint little farm town. Through the multiple perspectives of the members involved, will a resolution be determined for this trial or will the members of the town be left guessing?

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc!

Broken Country is the perfect title for this book written by Clare Leslie Hall. It is about first love, and the passion that a first love brings. Gabrielle comes from a wealthy family. He falls in love with Beth, a farmers daughter. Gabrielle’s mother is determined to do whatever it takes to end their relationship. She is successful, but everyone pays the consequences in the end.

I loved the characters, Frank the most. His love for his wife, his son, his brother and the farm are extraordinary. He will do anything to protect the ones he loves and even the people he doesn’t.

This is a great book to read on a cold night cuddled up in bed. It will grab you from the beginning. Bring Kleenex around for the end. Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an emotional and beautifully written book.

Love triangle plots aren’t usually my favorite, but it worked for me here. The past and present timelines added so much to the story, and had me conflicted in who I was rooting for at times (though in the end I had definitely made up my mind🥺). I also loved how much backstory we got with the past timelines, and how the reveals (and suspense) in that paired up with the present day timeline. I really felt like I knew these characters by the end of the book.

The mystery plot kept me engaged the whole way through. The courtroom scenes were intense, and sometimes the drama felt a little over the top, but I was so invested that I could overlook it. However, I’d say that the mystery is secondary to the actual love story. The country setting felt perfect for this plot, and let us focus on all the quiet ways these characters have been shaped by circumstance throughout their lives. The twist at the end had me in tears, and felt very bittersweet.

Read this one if you’re in the mood for an emotional roller coaster!

Wow. I just finished this book about an hour ago, and my heart is heavy. This book about bad choices and their repercussions is tragic and heartbreaking, which is what also makes it so moving.

Be warned: several of the characters are deeply flawed and completely unlikeable at times, but they are also very real, which is something I appreciate so much in my books. There were times where I absolutely hated what was going on with the plot of this book (and the decisions the characters were making), but I understand why it was entirely necessary to the story.

I did find myself struggling with how the chapters were titled as "before" or "1968". I think it was confusing me because obviously in 2025, I think of 1968 as "before". So it kept throwing me off when it would go "back" to the 1968 chapters, because in the book, those were actually present-day chapters. I would quickly figure it out based on what was happening, but my brain never got used to that (and I honestly kept forgetting that the book was set in an older time period. It would only be when something came up that was obviously from an older time that I was remember it was set in the 60s. I don't know why it was such a struggle for me, but I definitely think that's just a "me" problem.).

Anyway, I really don't want to spoil anything, but just know that your heart will break for nearly every single character in this book, but the reasons for that heartbreak will be different for each of them. I have sympathy for all of them, even the ones I found unlikeable.

I love the way the book was laid out and the way things were revealed. It was brilliantly done, but I don't want to expand on that, because I want everyone to experience it for themselves.

I adored this book and will recommend it to anyone that likes books about families and flawed characters. Truly stunning and one that will stick with me for a very long time.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was an amazing story that I won't soon forget. It had me turning the pages into the late night. I enjoyed the pacing and characters. I'll be looking forward to reading more books by this author.

Many thanks for my gifted copy.
My full review be shared to my Instagram account @coffee.break.book.reviews