˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ 𝔼𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪 𝕊𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕝𝕖 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕜𝕪 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜! ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

This book. WOW. This book is mf INCREDIBLE! 😭😭 sobbing. It was so fucking beautiful.

Masterpiece! All the stars!

“𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓪𝓻𝓶𝓮𝓻 𝓲𝓼 𝓭𝓮𝓪𝓭 … 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓪𝓷𝔂𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓽𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀 𝓲𝓼 𝔀𝓱𝓸 𝓴𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓭 𝓱𝓲𝓶.”

Gripping and atmospheric, with a perfect mix of love, mystery, and tension. And already optioned for film!

A stellar, literary masterpiece that is sure to be the top read of 2025! I'm honestly speechless after finishing this book.

I took the night to kind of process it all. Because it is A LOT. I did however text a bunch of my close friends right after finishing it and demand they add it to their TBR right then and there lol.

And listen - this is being compared to the likes of Where the Crawdads Sing which is fine and all, but I loathed that book and loved this one. So pay no mind to that comparison if you weren't a fan of Crawdads.

⨾༊󠀺 Quick Summary ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

In 1955, Beth meets Gabriel Wolfe, the son of the wealthy family in her small English farming village, and they begin a summer romance. In 1968, Beth lives on a sheep farm with her husband Frank and his younger brother Jimmy, in the same village they grew up in. One day, she learns that Gabriel has returned to his ancestral home, with his young son, Leo, after divorcing his American wife.

Beth becomes wrapped in their lives, after a tragic accident requires Jimmy to shoot Leo's dog to save their newly born lambs, when she gives Leo a puppy and promises to help train him.

The dual timeline follows the beginning of the romance between Beth and Gabriel in 1955, and the rekindling of their relationship in 1968 as well.

From the beginning of the novel, we know someone is dead, and Frank is on trial for their murder. The book fills in the pieces of exactly what happened as the timelines move forward.

Love triangles are always complicated, but this one is one for the ages. Sex, lies, and an irreversible accident that sends a small town spinning.

⨾༊󠀺 My Thoughts ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

This book. Besties! No words I can say will do this book justice. I'm just totally blown away. The prose - BEAUTIFUL and EXQUISITE. The story is so atmospheric and really just whisks you away to this small country town.

I think the author did an incredible job at concealing many things from us. For a good while I wasn't sure who I liked and who I didn't. They're authentic and real. So well rounded and relatable.

I sobbed so many times reading this - this book wrung me out emotionally. I was so invested with every single one of the characters over here biting my nails (which I don't do) just dying to find out what happened.

From cover to cover this was an amazing story. Short chapters, beautiful writing, an engaging and consuming story that will have you flipping the pages into the wee hours in the morning to find out what exactly happened on this farm... you will want to untangle the entire thing and when you do - you will be shocked.

Packed with twists and unbelievable revelations. I cannot recommend this book enough!

Anticipated Release - 03/04/25

╰⪼ 🧡Young Love
╰⪼ 💛Love and Loss
╰⪼ 🌳Torrid Affair
╰⪼ 🧡Murder Trial
╰⪼ 💛Dual Timeline
╰⪼ 🌳Coming of Age
╰⪼ 🧡Forbidden Love
╰⪼ 💛Family Drama
╰⪼ 🌳English Country Side Setting
╰⪼ 🧡Emotional Tear Jerker
╰⪼ 💛Mystery/Romance/Tragedy

Please read the TW's if needed. I'm sure there's a ton in here.

Buddy reading with my lovely Fairuz Please be sure to check out her thoughts as well! 💐

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

✨ Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced digital copy - all thoughts are my own. ✨
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Broken Country is a book that takes you on a heartbreaking emotional rollercoaster through love, loss, hard choices, forgiveness, sacrifice, and second chances. Told in alternating timelines, you are taken on a journey through Beth’s story with the jumps in time slowly filling in the blanks. This story shows how one small second/one simple choice can change everything and alter so many lives. I finished it in one day because I couldn’t put it down! Very compelling read that I think will make it to the top of the charts. Thank you to Clare Leslie Hall, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

“The farmer is dead … and all anyone wants to know is who killed him.” With an opening line like that, Broken Country grabbed my attention from the start and kept it throughout. It is an intriguing, fast-moving story with many unexpected twists. The characters are all engaging, especially the three main characters who form the “love triangle.” But everyone, whether their role is large or small, contributes to the building up of tension leading to the tumultuous climax. As Beth reflects on the events of the past few years, she realizes that they all shared the blame in some way, each of them having played a part in the tragedy. An amazing debut novel by Clare Leslie Hall. Highly recommended: 5 stars plus!

Broken Country will take you on a heartbreaking emotional roller coaster. A love triangle so elegantly written it is hard to choose who to side with.

This story is told in alternating timelines. One follows Beth falling in love for the first time, her marriage, and a trial of murder. During these times Beth faces multiple heartbreaks and difficult choices of how to move on.

While Beth is still grieving the loss of her son her first love, Gabriel, moves back to town. He has a son that is around the same age as hers when he passed. At first she feels a pull to help his son get through a difficult time in his life. But it isn’t long before old feelings are stirred up. Quickly someone ends up dead and the wrong person pays the price.

With just a few short chapters this book had me hooked. It is quickly apparent that a shared history between these characters has led to something terrible. The jumps in time gradually fill in the blanks, & I didn’t want to put my book down until I knew everything. I definitely wasn’t expecting some of the revelations.
I found Beth’s joys, heartbreaks, & choices believable, & I never felt manipulated by just having her point of view. I liked most of the characters enough that when they suffer due to decisions or circumstances, my heart hurt for them. I’d like to say who my favorite character is in the end, but I might be giving away a bit too much. What a story of love, loss, forgiveness, & sacrifice. This tale isn’t leaving my mind any time soon.
Thanks to the author & publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy via NetGalley.

Oooooh this book is so good!!!!!!!!! I was on the edge of my seat reading this book!!!!!! Such a Rollercoaster of a book bit one you won't regret

A bit confusing, it took me some bit to make sense within this story as there were many flashbacks to explain the back story to different periods in Beth's life. Keeping them in context proved a challenge. Dealing with the present, her husband Frank is on trial for murder, but why? That's what the reader must unravel and also see how one event of the killing of a neighbor's dog spirals into the cause of the murder. A bit of a love triangle, a lot of tragedy, some secrets that were meant to be buried, and a desire for hope for the future. The story held my interest. It's a compassionate story but very sad.It almost becomes story about ...if only. Some predictability, some surprises. Many thanks to #netgalley, #brokencountry #clarelesliehall for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book grabs you and slowly pulls you into a small country town and a collection of tragic, untimely deaths that will leave you reeling. This book is heartbreaking, but in the very best way, and you will no doubt hold your heart and sigh. EVERYONE IS GOING TO READ THIS BOOK. I am sure of this, it is going to be on every top ten list this year, everyone's book club pick, and a movie will be made, so you might as well add it to your TBR now.

The very symbolic beginning starts when a dog runs into a field of sheep and attacks the lamb, as it likely the dog's nature. The farmer shoots the dog to save the rest of the flock, and a 10 year old boy, Leo, cries out. Leo believes his dog has been murdered. Leo and his father Gabriel are new to the small country village in England after being in America, Gabriel is returning back to where he grew up after a divorce from Leo's American mom.

Small towns are where everyone is connected, and the farmer, Jimmy Johnson, has a close brother Frank and his wife, Beth. It turns out that Beth was Gabriel's first love, and they still have feelings for each other 10 years later. Beth and Frank have a good partnership, but one that has been racked with tragedy. Two years ago, Beth and Frank lost their son Bobby, who was Leo's age.

Gabriel and Beth become friends again, and Beth begins to look after Leo. She tells Frank that it helps her with Bobby, because no one else in her life will let her talk about her dead son.

I read this book in one sitting, it is historical fiction as it takes place mostly in 1968, but jumps back to 1955 when Beth and Gabriel and Frank meet, and jumps forward at the end to 1975 when the tragic events of the book have all run their course to a future of hope. The story sits with you for some time, and you consider what intimacy means. Can you be in love with two men at the same time? Can you love a child in the same way you loved your own? Can your relationships heal after losing a child?

If you have lost your only child, are you still a mother?

It will make you think about how you treat the people in your lives that have overcome loss.

Thanks to @netgalley an @simonboooks for the ARC. Book to be published March 4, 2025.

One moment, one small second can alter the course of everything. Beth knows the sentiment all to well. When a dog is killed on her farm, her world divides into two paths. Frank, steadfast and loving, has taken care of his wife for years. He's offered her nothing but love and a well-lived life. Gabriel, Beth's first love and the one who got away, has moved on to bigger things as a writer and a father. When their lives converted again over the death of the dog, everything will change. Each life is interconnected so tightly together, one small choice will change them all. Beth knows what she has with Frank, but what if she would have chose to fight for Gabriel all those years ago?

This heartbreaking story is a tale so true. It will gut you at your core and leave you feeling for these characters. Hall created a world realistic and honest that you can immediately place yourself in their shoes. Life is all about choices and even the simplest ones can change everything. Yes this is fiction, but it's a compelling tale that will leave you breathless and in tears. Everyone needs to get their hands on this book when it releases. The world needs more compassionate, thought provoking tales just like Broken Country. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

First off, massive thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC! 💖 I’ve been dying to dive into Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall, and let me tell you—I was NOT ready for the emotional rollercoaster that awaited me! Buckle up, because this is gonna be one wild ride. SPOILER WARNING, by the way! After the tropes, it’s all spoilers, so stop reading if you’re not ready for all the drama! 🤫📚

✨ Now, let’s talk about these trope-y goodness that sucked me in! 🌟
✧ Forbidden love 💔
✧ Love triangle ❤️🖤💛
✧ Second chance romance 🔄
✧ Family secrets 🔐
✧ Small town drama 🏡
✧ Tragic past 😢
✧ Heartbreaking loss 😭
✧ Grieving mother 💔
✧ Courtroom drama 👩‍⚖️
✧ Emotional healing 🩹

This book was the perfect cocktail of mystery, romance, and thriller vibes that totally pulled at my heartstrings. The dual timelines had me on the edge of my seat—talk about keeping me hooked! And don’t even get me started on the characters… I was iffy on Beth at first, but man, her emotional depth? WOW. As for Frank? Ugh, my heart belongs to him. Seriously, he was everything—despite being a little too naive at times, which crushed me. 💔 This book has ALL the emotional punches, with lessons on love, loss, and forgiveness. 😓

Now, the spoilers... YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!! 🚨🚨

WHY, WHY, did Frank have to take the blame?! 😭 Like, I get it—he’s selfless and all—but Gabriel, dude? HIS SON SHOT JIMMY! How was that not his responsibility?! Frank did NOT deserve that! 😭 My heart shattered in the final chapters. The ending? Yeah, it was way better than I thought. Devastating but somehow... satisfying? I don’t even know. Frank’s selflessness had me in pieces, but also, like, his naivety just led to so much pain. His journey? Heartbreaking but also eye-opening.

As for Gabriel… yikes. I couldn’t vibe with him the way I thought I would. His toxic push-pull with Beth? Ugh. The chemistry was there, but it felt like he kept dragging her back into his mess, and it hurt to watch. Frank had my heart from the jump, and the ending sealed the deal. 😔 Frank deserved SO much more than what he got, but hey, the truth always comes out, right? Sigh My emotional state right now? Destroyed. 😫

Broken Country is one of those books that lingers long after you turn the last page. It’s messy, emotional, and SO impactful. 🌟 I’m still processing it, tbh! Also, shoutout to Heather for buddy-reading this with me—it was a blast! 💖


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Pre-read:
OMG, I’m beyond excited for Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall! 💔🌾 Forbidden love, messy family drama, and a murder trial set in the English countryside? SIGN ME UP! Add dual timelines and those emotional tearjerker vibes, and I already know my heart’s in for a workout. 💖 Huge thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC—buddy reading this with the my gorgeous Heather, and we’re so ready for chaos, feels, and ALL the thoughts. 🥹✨

Beautifully written, Broken Country immediately transported me to the farm in this story and kept me firmly there throughout the family drama. The book covers so many emotions and so much sadness but also shows how long lasting love and faith abound. Several surprises surface at the end cementing the talent of Clare Leslie Hall.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this beautiful ARC.

Heart breaking but I loved it! I never get tired of writers who can weave complex relationships where you can really feel what the characters are feeling. Lovely writing of a story that takes place over a life time and demonstrates how far we will go to protect the ones we love. Read it in a day because I couldn’t put it down! Thanks to net galley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I could not put this book down. The atmospheric storytelling had me turning pages to the very end. It was a quick read but the character depth and emotions are so masterfully done. This story which takes place in a small English farming community exposes complicated entanglements, deep love, loss, and sacrifice.

Five stars! It will be one of my favorite reads of the year no doubt (which is saying a lot since it’s only a week into January)!

This was such a good read I could not put it down. There were a few times I almost threw it out the window but I am glad I stuck with it becasue the ending was fantastic!

I can see why BROKEN COUNTRY by Clare Leslie Hall has already been optioned for film—it’s gripping and atmospheric, with a perfect mix of love, mystery, and tension. The story weaves past and present seamlessly, pulling you into Beth’s complicated relationships and dark secrets. The twists kept me hooked, and the emotional depth made it unforgettable. No wonder it’s getting so much attention. Fans of The Light Between Oceans and Where the Crawdads Sing will love this one.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book had me hooked from the beginning! It was absolutely enjoyable and jam packed with so much!!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!!

We find out in the first chapter of the book that someone has died, and that there is more to this death than what meets the eye. We also find out relatively early that there is a trial going on in the current day, and a question of whether or not the death is accidental -- but we don't initially know who died, the true circumstances of what happened, or even who is on trial.

The narrative unfolds with masterful storytelling -- in two time periods, the "before" starting in 1955 and the current present of the novel - 1968.

What occurs is a tragedy of epic proportions -- a love affair, a second chance, grief, longing, a mystery, and unlikely redemption. I don't want to give too much away as the way that Hall reveals details is just, without a better way to say it, SO WELL DONE. The characters are beautiful and broken, terrible, flawed and yet so compelling in their imperfection.

This is a mystery, a thriller, a love story, and a family drama all told in a genius package.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It was well set and captivating. It was kinda giving Far from the Madding Crowd if it were written in the mystery genre. It's not specifically a short book but it's and easy and fast read. I found it kept my attention throughout and finished strong. recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC read now ebook. Quick-paced page-turner, that kept me hooked until the final page. The story centers around a romance, a somewhat tragic love-triangle. The multi-layered timelines, the plot twists and the character development had me hooked, even though a romance is not necessarily my favorite. I found this novel hard to put down, while also being a satisfying read from start to finish.

I feel like I'm supposed to like this book more than I did. I'm disappointed that it seemed to lack originality. It's well-written but I feel like I've read similar versions of this story already. There's really nothing memorable that stands out. I award it 3 out of 5 sheep.