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.

This is part thriller, part romance.

Beth is mourning the death of her son when her first love moves back to town and a chain of events takes place that alters their lives.

This book explores deftly explores topics such as first love, sacrifice and deep loyalty.

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall is a haunting and beautifully written exploration of love, loss, and resilience in a land marked by hardship. The story follows Anna, who returns to her rural hometown to confront her past and rebuild what’s left of her family’s fractured legacy. Hall’s prose is rich and atmospheric, capturing the raw beauty of the landscape and the quiet strength of its people.

I was moved by Anna’s journey and Hall’s portrayal of how place and memory intertwine. It’s a novel that speaks to the power of healing, even when surrounded by scars.

For readers who appreciate lyrical, deeply emotional stories about family and belonging,

***Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Omgggggg this story BROKE me!!!!!!! I wasn’t expecting what this story brought to the table at all. I know it came highly recommended, but it took me a while to get used to the writing style…I didn’t know how hard this one would hit me.

I was shocked when I was approved for this arc right in the middle of an extremely busy week with little down time. I tried to squeeze reading it into every day a tiny bit at a time until I got halfway through when it actually hurt me to put it down. TORTURE!!! Once you get hooked into this story there is just nothing else you want to do until you finish it.

I don’t want to dive too deep into the story because I don’t want to give away anything at all, but OMG I did not see any of that ending coming. A few times a thought would pass through my head, but I waved it right off…never would I have guessed the ending…nor would I want to!!

This story had twists and turns, ups & downs, funny moments and sobbing moments. A little bit of everything. The characters were so well written that I honestly could not decide where I wanted the story to go. My heart felt torn so completely that it could have ended in so many different ways with so many completely different endings and still would have been unforgettable.

I hate doing this because I feel like trigger warnings could potentially spoil the story, so here’s your warning to read no further if you want ZERO SPOILERS! Highly recommend this five star read to all!!!

-don’t read if you cannot stand cheating in a story or affairs
-love triangle
-second chance love
-drinking problems, alcoholism
-death of a child
-talk of abortion
-elite family dynamics vs. farm family dynamics

Hope that helps!! I am letting everyone I know how much I felt from this book in Facebook groups as well as friend groups. This is the review I left on goodreads copied & pasted. I would absolutely read this one again (in fact I already started from the beginning) and I cannot wait to own a hard copy!

I was intrigued from page one, and fully immersed by the end of the second chapter.  There is a thread of mystery woven through this tragic story that's centered around loss; the loss of first love, the loss of a child, the loss of self.  Clare Leslie Hall has done an incredible job writing relatable characters that are real and likable.  Though I commonly find an enemy among the main characters in novels, their dispositions all felt understandable because of the way their experiences were told.  

The timeline, spanning two decades, is easy to follow, and everything falls beautifully into place as the story wraps up.  It's heartbreaking at times, but hints of hope can still be found.  The characters developed beautifully as time advanced and my investment in each never wavered.  

My heart hurt for the many ways each relationship was knit together and ripped apart.  I could put myself in each character's shoes and understand the actions they chose to take.  I was quite surprised by some parts of the ending, but I really enjoyed the way the story was wrapped up.  

I'll be looking out for other books written by this author in the future.  I highly recommend Broken Country. 

5 Stars
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy.

This was such a beautiful and emotional story about first love, heartbreak, tragedy, grief, and hope—I was in tears when I finished it. It had a hint of mystery/suspense that kept me turning the pages, although I also found myself trying to slow down so I could stay in this story for longer. This book will definitely stay with me for a long time, and I know everyone will be talking about it when it comes out next year!

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I have just come from my front porch where my whole neighborhood probably heard me say aloud “I loved this book!!!” Thank you to NetGalley and to S&S publishers for an ARC of Broken Country., but especially thank you to Clare Leslie Hall for this propulsive beautiful novel about what one moment can change lives forever.

This book gave me Atonement vibes in its lush descriptions of a small farm town in England and the three main characters. I adored Beth and Frank’s story and was on the edge of my seat turning the page. This is an intense love story that is not a romance. It blows my mind that it was a debut. Fantastic writing and propulsive plot. Loved it!!!!

Wow. Everyone ~Including the sheep and the dogs ~ pulled heartstrings from beginning to end.
The characters are so well written and alive on the pages. By the time the story was put to rest
all of my questions were answered and the world was back in balance. There was so much
heartbreak and so much vulnerability but it was so real and when things are set right the whole
story is even more wonderful.
My thanks to Simon & Schuster for the download copy of this book for review purposes.

Have I already found the best book of 2025? “Broken Country” is a beautifully-written novel about love, grief, and the choices we make. It’s emotional and heartbreaking, with well-thought out characters and an easy to follow dual timeline. The fact that this is a debut author is unbelievable; I cannot wait for her future work.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read in advance!

Broken Country is everything I look for in my reading - wonderfully complex characters, a setting that I can lost in, and a mystery that keeps me guessing. I will be looking for more from Clare Leslie Hall. Highly recommended to all!

Oh, my heart. I don’t even have the words for this but it was absolutely incredible. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Broken Country kept me on the edge of my seat with the many twists and turns all the way to the end. The duel timelines were easy to follow and helped with character development. Hall delivered an emotional heartfelt story that compelled me to keep reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.