What a dynamic book! This book is told in alternating time periods; before, 1968, and 1970 ish. The chapters are short and just hint at something more, so I found myself reading this much too quickly and yet not fast enough as I tried to figure out what had happened. What happened before and what happened in 1968 to get us to 1970 ish. How did it fit together? What happened? Also, was that the truth?

Ugh, this was such a great book. The pacing was amazing with keeping three interwoven plots going, and yet there were chapters where I was so frustrated because it didn't feel like it moved the story along but the problem was really me, or more depressingly, Real Life, that kept me from reading this in one sitting.

I picked this one from Netgalley and I'm thankful I did.

“Broken Country” is an emotionally gripping, heart-breaking story that will stay with you long after the last page is read. It’s a story about love, and loss, guilt, and remorse. It’s about the fragility of life and the consequences of our choices. It’s about learning to move forward and the possibility of second chances. “Broken Country” is all of these things and then some. It’s also a top read for 2025, setting the bar quite high for all those that shall follow.

Loved this book! I cant stop thinking about the story and these characters. Likely will be a top book of the year for me.

An interesting love triangle story with twists and turns. I got into this story right from the start and kept reading. It’s a great book.

This book is so well written, the characters are so vivid, the love is so vibrant, the tragedies are so devastating, and the twists are so surprising that the readers' emotions are dripping off of each page. It's a murder mystery, a coming of age story, a love triangle, and so much more. I read this straight through in one setting. I could not put it down. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced reader copy.

My thanks to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for allowing me to review this outstanding read!

The synopsis says it all, so I won't repeat but share thoughts and opinions. This book had everything in it to hold the readers interest, but pulls at your heart. It is so well written and the characters have depth.

You will get an established murder, but not know who,. There's an animal death, lost love, found love, a tragic death, grieving parents, a love triangle, and a court trial. I finished this in 2 days.

My ONLY complaint was a choppy back and forth non linear storyline which was a bit confusing to follow. The flow was better toward the end and the build up.finally revealed the victim and killer. What an ending!

Wow! I finished this in 2 days and wish I had slowed down to savor it more. The depth of the characters made your heart yearn for the happiness of each broken and tender character. You will root for each one in their time. This story breaks your heart over and over again but somehow seems to glue it back before the next tear comes. Characters that I’ll think about for a long time.

I am utterly speechless because this book was such a ride! I was shattered and felt whole at the same time. What an incredible writing with so many unexpected curveballs, a true joy of reading. Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the chance to read this in advance

I devoured this book. I was so hooked, I couldn't put this down. The grief, the love, the missed opportunities, the guilt and blame over tragedy, the murder mystery, it all worked so well and was written beautifully. This one will stick with me for a while. This is sure to be a top book of 2025.

This devastating, beautiful, must-read novel centers on unrequited youthful passion that ends up decades later in a murder that wrecks innumerous lives in a small English farming community in Dorset. You cannot help but be swept up in the story, with your heart feeling as wrenched as the characters involved.

In the summer of 1968, local village girl Beth Johnson and scion of a wealthy Gabriel have intense intellectual and physical romance. Swept up in the each, they vow to stay connected as Gabriel heads off to Oxford in hopes of becoming a writer and Beth dreams of following him the year after as an aspiring poet. Gabriel’s family of course wants him to be with someone of his own class and actually brings American friends to stay at the mansion, along with their gorgeous daughter Louise, who also will be entering the freshman class of Oxford. As Gabriel’s letters to Beth start to ebb and then she visits him to discover he’s in a relationship with Louise, she returns heartbroken to home.

Beth marries kind-hearted farmer Frank and exchanges her passion about poetry for a deep love of Frank farming the family land along him, his brother Jimmy and Dad David. That is until their wonderful nine-year-old son Bobby dies tragically in an accident for which Beth blames Frank, and grief threatens to overcome them both and wreck their marriage. Two years after Bobby dies, separated Gabriel returns to live at his family mansion along with his eight-year-old son Leo. Beth forges a close bond with Leo, who deeply reminds her of Bobby and helps her work out her grief, as well as finds her passion for Gabriel reignited.

All this swirls towards violence and running alongside the stories of both timelines is a murder trial – yet we don’t know until deep into the book who’s the accused and who’s been killed.

Beth’s torn between two men, both of whom she loves in profoundly different ways, and this proves the heart-breaking core of the novel. The language often verges on the poetic as you’re plunged into a compelling and unforgettable morality tale about love and loss.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

The course of Beth's love life runs far from true. We know from the opening pages of the book that the end of this story is tragedy. Beth Kennedy's first love is deep and true, but short lived. She and Gabriel Wolfe have little more than a summer together. Their very different upbringings might have ultimately caused them to grow apart, but the sudden rupture of their affair, and Beth's quick marriage to a farmer leave both Gabriel and Beth missing what they never really had.

Despite their many questionable decisions, Beth, Gabriel, and Frank, Beth's husband, are strongly drawn characters. Hall is at her best describing the countryside and life in rural England. The twists in the plot are surprising, but retrospectively understandable.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This evocative and emotional offering by author Hall impresses. Admittedly it had me choked up several times. It is told in the past called “before” which appears to be in the era of the 50’s and in the present being 1968, ultimately ending in 1970. It was easy to follow the progression of the relationship between a middle class girl Beth, daughter of two teachers, and elite-class Gabriel from a wealthy family, when they meet as teens and fall in love. Yes this is a love story but not your run of the mill type. The construction and presentation of the novel is somewhat mysterious and has the reader wondering, as it doesn’t disclose the answers to a few key elements in the story line until further on in the novel. It is told from Beth’s point of view. I enjoyed getting acquainted with her and the other relatable characters, including the children. Frank, especially, is an admirable man that any reader will undoubtedly come to care for.

A sheep farm in England as the setting is easily imagined. The work that goes on is described in detail at times but not in a boring way. As a city girl, I found myself learning a few things about ewes, milking a cow, birds and even of children raised in that environment that can learn at a very young age.

This is not just a love story, but also a mystery, as secrets from the past and present unfold, covering the topics of grief, guilt, longing and acceptance of what is. This immersible novel will appeal to general fiction fans at various levels. Totally enthralling, I was drawn into this from the opening chapter. The ending will surprise many but I actually did anticipate a thing or two. This remained in my thoughts long after I finished the last chapter.

I look forward to more from this gifted author and am happy to recommend this. My sincerest thanks to Simon & Schuster via NetGalley for a prelim e-copy to peruse and to offer my review. Get your copy at your favorite retailer on March 4, 2025.

This is a must read for our modern moment. Broken Country will be one of the most talked about books of the year.

The book: Explores the deadly consequences of a love triangle in an English farming village as dangerous secrets from the past resurface.

If I was not in a buddy read group I likely would have DNF’d this one early on. The writing style was hard to get used to for me and felt like it distracted from the story attempting to be told. It was also a touch slow/boring and didn’t really pick up until the end for me. I loved the ending and how everything tied together. I don’t want to give away too much because I think the best way to go into this one is blind!

Rating: 4 stars

Read if you like:

- mystery + romance
- love triangles
- family drama

Thank you to Simon & Schuster, NetGalley, Clare Leslie Hall for allowing me to be an early reader. All thoughts are my own.

I didn't love Broken Country, but I can see how it will be come a very popular title. I didn't see the appeal of Gabriel's character at all. He wasn't a flawed character that I could find any appeal in. Frank was the real hero in this title, and we don't hear from him enough. If there were unnamed chapters written from Frank's perspective that focused on his intense, burning love for Beth, but we had no idea it was Frank, I think the story would be elevated. If those chapters were sprinkled throughout, and the reader was led to believe that it was Gabriel's POV only to realize it was Frank's, it would be an interesting twist that would deepen the story. In the meantime, it feels like there's a missing piece. That being said, I can absolutely see how people will love this book; it just wasn't enough for me.

Clare Leslie Hall’s 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 is a captivating saga that blends several genres and possesses a grand, theatrical feel. With a plot centered around a years-long love triangle and familial tragedies, a mid-20th century English countryside setting, and the structure and pacing of a mystery-thriller, the book will appeal to fans of romance, historical drama, and suspense.

𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 moves back and forth across three periods: During the summer of 1955, teenaged schoolgirl Beth Kennedy falls in love with Oxford-bound Gabriel Wolfe, their youthful but passionate romance tinged with looming heartbreak due to class differences. Thirteen years later in 1968, Beth—living a simple but satisfying life on a farm with her kind, honorable husband Frank—must deal with the return of Gabriel, now a successful novelist and the divorced father of a young child. And a year after that, Beth watches as the man she loves stands trial for murder.

Though I did find a few of the plot twists predictable, I was still engrossed in the novel. The mystery isn’t necessarily the point of the story; rather, it pushes the narrative forward and helps emphasize the themes of loss, grief, second chances, and forgiveness. 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 is perfect for quiet weekends or relaxing vacations.

4.25 stars. Thank you to Simon & Schuster for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the free copy in exchange for my honest review!

Time for an unpopular opinion! I have seen so many rave reviews of this one from trusted sources, but it didn’t live up to the hype for me.

You might have heard it compared to Where The Crawdads Sing due to its similar blend of genres, and I think that’s apt. Both books combine nature writing, a historical setting, a love triangle, and courtroom drama. Broken Country is a completely different story, but sucks you in. I thought it delivered on the romantic elements and the beautiful writing about the picturesque farm setting. It was a fast read with short chapters that had me furiously turning the digital pages every time I sat down with it. I think the author accomplished what she set out to do with the book.

I’m having a hard time articulating why I can’t wholeheartedly recommend it, beyond the fact that I frequently found myself rolling my eyes (not as much as I did reading Crawdads, but still too much). I went in with high hopes, and didn’t expect it to read like brain candy. It’s melodramatic and I wasn’t in the right mood for it. I’m sure it also suffered from being the first book I read after The Goldfinch, which was on a completely different level.

This is not a spoiler because it’s revealed right away - if you do pick this up, please know that the main character lost her son at a young age and that is a big theme of the book, so tread carefully! Also there is a love triangle involving a married woman at the center of the book, so if the implied trope there isn’t your cup of tea, steer clear of this.

If you loved Crawdads or if this genre mashup sounds good to you, give this one a shot! I know I’m in the minority on this one and I can see why it’s working for so many other readers. For me, it was just ok.

This book took me a little bit to get into, but once I did, it was hard to put down. The author did a great job with the multiple timelines, and I was never confused. She chose the perfect spots to expand upon the story, both in the past and with the present. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happened to all the characters, and I loved how each one was so lovingly developed. This book made me feel like I was also there in an old, loved farmhouse, watching this family have their lives changed.

I understand why everyone is gushing over Broken Country. It’s beautifully written, the characters are compelling, and the location is practically its own character. I thought the way Hall used time was really interesting, but I would have liked a few more guideposts, a la The God of The Woods. I’m not sure why this isn’t a bigger hit for me, and I wonder if I would feel differently if I read it in a different head space. I think this would make for an absolutely fascinating book club discussion.

I can't recommend it enough! I really enjoyed this book, I couldn't put it down, I finished it in a couple of days!