WOW WOW WOW. This is going to be all over the internet in 2025. Easily one of the best books that I read this year. SO good! I can't wait to see this book take off!

I was not hooked immediately. The time jumps that alternate were a bit scattered. Beautifully written though.

Wow, I won’t forget this book anytime soon. The ending had me 😭. Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC.

I am a reader that is drawn to books by the cover. This one grabbed me and pulled me in by the beautiful manor on the front. The life and love story of Beth and Frank, the tragedy and aftermath of the death of her beloved son and the power of first love are the draw in this book. This is a love story and a thriller. It will keep you turning the pages to find out what has happened in when Beth's first love comes back to the country side and the fallout that they all endure. This book for me was a 4.5 stars!
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really don’t know if I have the words! Honestly when o first shafted reading I was hesitant as I thought it may be going into historical fiction territory. Thankfully that was not the case at all.

I so want to thank Simon Schuster Publishing for reaching out with the opportunity to read and review this book for free as I might not have discovered it otherwise.

This book was heartbreaking yet enjoyable. It’s the type of read that can have be you in tears several times whilst reading it.
The author has a unique writing style.. the way I would describe it would be staccato as the prose is matter of fact with short chapters but it works for the very heavy material .

This is a definite must read got 2025 so get it on your TBR now! The book comes out March 4, 2025

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

This one really had a huge impact on me. At times, it felt like a Shakespearian tragedy. And a couple of times I wanted to throw the novel across the room. (Which always means it’s written well.) Heartbreak. That’s what I’m feeling, but having said all that it does have an HEA! I thought it was well written and pretty cleanly written as books go these days. 5⭐️
Thanks Simon & Schuster via NetGalley.

I loved every page of this literary suspense novel. Hall’s writing is beautiful, evocative and concise. Her characters are flawlessly described—the love she has for each one is so clear, and it made my reading experience unforgettable. This novel is gorgeous and heartbreaking, with the most haunting English countryside setting. It will absolutely be in my top ten of 2025, and I cannot WAIT to sell it!

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall is a tense drama centering on a farmer's wife, Beth and her family. Unexpectedly, Beth's high school sweetheart returns and sends Beth's life into a tailspin. Told in alternating timelines, Broken Country will keep you reading with plenty of twists and turns. This would make a great book for a book club with a lot to discuss. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced digital copy.

If you are someone who loves heart break and tragedy this one is for you. It's definitely outside of my normal read, but I think it was overall very well written. I especially enjoyed the timeline and how the author chose to jump back and forth between modern day and flashbacks to the past. There were a few things that I think were supposed to be major twists, but I feel like you can see them coming. I have a lot of thoughts, but I will discuss those below to not jump too deep into spoilers.

My rating: 3 stars

I’d like to thank Clare Leslie Hall and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this ARC.

**Spoiler warning**

I don't know what made me more upset, the fact that this book just feels like one harsh blow after the next or the fact that at the end it feels like there was no reason for it all. I am not a huge fan of the miscommunication trope, but it's difficult to finish this book and know that if Beth and Gabriel had just had one honest discussion during or post break up so much unhappiness and death could have been avoided. I also cannot wrap my head around why Beth decided to throw another child on top of everything at the end of this book like it would magically help heal the rift caused between her and Frank. My major take away is justice for Frank! He lost his brother, he lived his life in Gabriel's shadow in more ways than one, he martyrs himself and at the end it still feels like Beth stays with him out of loyalty rather than love. There was just so much grief and loss in this book, I truly do not understand how they could realistically heal and move forward after all the layers of trauma: the resentment caused from the loss of bobby, the infidelity and lies, the death and incarceration, and the addition of another child without discussion. Also, three accidental deaths in one family on the same farm, someone should call OSHA because they have a major problem. I don't think this book was my cup of tea.

BROKEN COUNTRY is a beautifully written family saga. I highly recommend it for fans of literary fiction and emotional family dramas. I like how the author introduces us to the characters, and the back and forth timeline works well. Even with its somewhat leisurely pace, the story continued to keep my interest. I really enjoyed Hall's writing. This is a well-crafted story, and the love triangle at the center of the story brings up some painful truths for the characters.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

I requested this one because one of the buyer's at our store is obsessed with it. It's a good book and I think will be an easy sell to customers because it has all the elements of the kind of book that is universally enjoyed--not breaking the mold but a compelling story with fleshed out characters and good writing.

The cover, title and description on NetGalley really intrigued me to request a copy of this book. After reading, I am not sure I am a fan of the title. The timeline layout was confusing at times, I found myself thinking "wait, where are we at in the storyline?" I found it to be relatable and also predictable at times. Overall, I did enjoy reading it.

This book took me a couple of chapters to get into, but once it started to flow....WOW, I was hooked,. The back and forth time line, while confusing at first, truly helped build the plot and the characters. Some reviewers have said the book has a "Where the Crawdads Sing" vibe, and I completely agree, Totally different plot, but same feel.
Not all the characters were likable, and some took some getting used to, but all were well developed and played important roles within the storyline. The plot moved fast and kept changing, keeping me guessing as to what was going to happen and who was going to be responsible.
A must read for those who love a good drama/mystery/family/love triangle
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Broken Country
by Clare Leslie Hall
Pub Date: Mar 04 2025

The farmer is dead. He is dead, and all anyone wants to know is who killed him.”

Beth and her gentle, kind husband Frank are happily married, but their relationship relies on the past staying buried. But when Beth’s brother-in-law shoots a dog going after their sheep, Beth doesn’t realize that the gunshot will alter the course of their lives. For the dog belonged to none other than Gabriel Wolfe, the man Beth loved as a teenager—the man who broke her heart years ago. Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son Leo, a boy who reminds Beth very much of her own son, who died in a tragic accident.

As Beth is pulled back into Gabriel’s life, tensions around the village rise and dangerous secrets and jealousies from the past resurface, this time with deadly consequences. Beth is forced to make a choice between the woman she once was, and the woman she has become.

A sweeping love story with the pace and twists of a thriller, Broken Country is a novel of simmering passion, impossible choices, and explosive consequences that toggles between the past and present to explore the far-reaching legacy of first love.

Thank you to Clare Leslie Hall, Simon & Schuster Publishing, and NetGalley for this arc of Broken Country, out March 4, 2025!

This is such a heartbreaking story that explores so many heavy topics: young love, motherhood, marriage, grief, mourning, forbidden love, family tragedy, and forgiveness. I am reeling after reading it and am conflicted about the way things played out for the characters. However, the author wove a beautiful story with multiple timelines, suspense, characters so developed that you ache for them as they navigate the heavy situations they encounter.

We meet Beth as a mourning mother who lost her son, Bobby, when he was just nine years old. She is married to a strong, reliable, loving man, Frank, who is completely devoted to her and the farm they run. Jimmy, Frank's brother, who is just like a little brother to Beth, works on the farm alongside Frank and is looking forward to a bright future with his love Nina. Despite the grief that haunts them all, life on the farm is loving, predictable, and just what Beth needs. When Gabriel Wolfe moves back to town with this young son, there is a disturbance in the air and we are catapulted back in time to a young Beth, falling madly in love with the rich, aspiring author, Gabriel. Soon, love resurfaces and Beth falls into a love triangle that unearths secrets and has consequences that will test every character in the book.

I did not look forward to reading about infidelity, but the way this story unravels, and the way these characters are written, I could not put this book down. I had to know what would become of these sad, broken people and how they would work through such painful truths. For author's craft and the impact this book leaves on the reader, I find it is a five star read, despite how difficult it is on the heart.

Broken Country
I have to say the description of the book had me intrigued. I was wrong. I really struggled with getting into the book and even trying to stay involved into the book. There were several area's that I thought didn't have to be part of the story. I have to say the characters were well written, but the going back and forth made it hard to keep up with the characters.

I received this complimentary copy from the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All the thoughts and opinions in this review are mine and mine alone.

Say ‘hello’ to your 2025 book club pick! I’ll be genuinely shocked if book clubs everywhere aren’t reading this one next year. This is a forbidden love story with life-altering consequences that will leave you emotionally charged and deeply moved. The characters are remarkable and fully draw you into their world—I couldn’t put it down! This book made my emotions swell and brought tears to my eyes as the story unfolded. So come March 4, 2025, grab your book besties and dive into this together. You won’t want to miss it!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Clare Leslie Hall, Simon & Schuster Publishing, and NetGalley for this arc of Broken Country, out March 4, 2025!

📜Quick Summary: It’s the 1960’s and Beth is happily married, living on the English countryside with her husband Frank. They work and live on their farm, and although they are happy, they are also harboring secrets of their own. They are also dealing with the death of their son Bobby, both in different ways. The sound of a gunshot alters Beth’s life instantly. The sound also brings back the love of her adolescence, and his son that reminds her of her own child. What happens now, that he’s walked back into her life? With some impossible situations and decisions to be made, Beth has to make some choices that will alter their lives forever.

❣️Initial Feels: Although the changing of time lines and point of view are not always my thing, I am enjoying the countryside and the depth of these characters. I have a feeling I will cry at some point.

👀Trigger Warnings: death of child, marital affairs, death of a dog, alcoholism

🙋🏼‍♀️Moving Character: At a different point during the book, I found myself feeling one way towards a character but I think Frank held his own throughout the entire novel, and his growth was most demonstrated. Frank was a solid figure from the start in Beth’s younger years, and always believed and loved her. Frank did make a deadly decision, but his growth and kindness stayed put through their marital problems.

📖Read if you want: family drama thriller, romance, mystery, exploration of love, dual time lines,

💡Final Sentiments: This novel took me a minute to get into… I wasn’t sucked in right away. I did however, finish this in two days, so that’s saying something about the strength of this story. There were moments as the story unfolded that left me anxious and sad, and I did shed some tears. As a momma, parts of this story will wreak havoc on your heart. Each character played such an important role, yet still had their own individual growth. No one ever felt stale or stuck; even Jimmy, who had his own demons, had small moments of coming back. I did get a little confused at the start, with the changing of stories and timelines, but it did unfold very nicely while you see how the decisions they made, affected past and future mistakes.

🌟Overall Rating: 4.25 / 4.5 stars

This novel was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

This book took me quite a bit to get into but the rave reviews kept me curious enough to keep reading. The story is told from alternating timelines as Clare navigates her first love, and her current life. You slowly get a glimpse into the reasoning behind each decision as we uncover the reason behind how her life turned out. It is a slower read so I am still alternating between 3 -4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free copy of, Broken Country, by Claire Leslie Hall, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Beth is married to Frank, her old love Gabriel moves back to town with his son. I found this to be a heavy read, Still not sure if I liked it though.