Young love, loss, a torrid affair, and a murder trial shape this quick and emotional read. Told through dual timelines, the past and present paint the story of a young love torn apart too soon, the loss of a child driving a wedge between a loving couple, alcoholism tearing apart brothers, and a boy whose mother is an ocean away bringing his father and his first love back together. A torrid love affair ensues and someone ends up murdered. A beautiful and emotional story with a twist I didn’t see coming, though I am so angry at the protagonist and her deplorable behavior. This is much more of a love triangle than a whodunit or mystery, but the twist at the end was a surprise.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Broken Country" is a poignant and gripping exploration of resilience and survival set against the backdrop of a changing landscape. The author skillfully weaves together personal stories and broader themes of loss, identity, and the struggle for belonging, creating a narrative that resonates deeply. The characters are richly drawn, each grappling with their own demons while navigating a world that feels increasingly fractured. While the pacing can occasionally falter, the emotional depth and vivid descriptions of the setting more than compensate, immersing readers in the heart of the story. Overall, this novel offers a compelling reflection on the complexities of life and the bonds that hold us together, earning a solid four stars for its heartfelt storytelling and evocative prose.

I was so pulled into this book from page one and all the way though. I am not a romance reader per se but this one was full of relationships and drama and overall thrilling. It was full of people who felt real and their lives, loves and feelings are on full display. This is the kind of book that draws you in and will take you in a journey. And I for one loved the journey. I read a NetGalley version of this book

This book was a multi-layered experience for me. It combines love, coming of age, marriage, death, tragedy, anger, hope, and family. It hit me in all the feels that is for sure.

This story is set in the English countryside, and it follows the paths of two local teens who fall deeply and madly in love before the real world tears them apart. This story seemed like it would be a traditional romance until you got to know the characters more intimately and became invested in their happiness, then it becomes apparent that there is no way for everyone to have a happy ending in this tale.

These characters are not all perfect, and some questionable choices are made in terms of ethics, but they are all very realistically portrayed. The emotions, choices, and repercussions of those choices are also real. I even got a tiny bit emotional at the end but in the best way.

I won’t say that this book rocked my world, but it was a satisfying read. 4 stars!

“Broken Country” by Clare Leslie Hall is a beautiful and tragic love story. It is a messy family drama with a forbidden love triangle between a country girl, a privileged wealthy boy, and a farmer. We know from the onset that there is a death and we are taken on the journey of then and now into these people’s lives to discover what actually happened. The novel explores how unresolved emotions and bad decisions impact who you are today compared to who you once were. The weight of buried secrets and the complexity of the tension filled relationships of these characters will keep you turning every page. The ending is stunning and it’s a reminder that past actions always have consequences! I loved this book and highly recommend it to everyone.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was so good and heartwrenching. When her former college sweetheart moves back to town, Beth doesn't think it will be a big deal until she meets Gabriel's son. Reminding her of her own son who passed away, Beth starts spending time with Gabriel and old flames rekindle. Throughout the book there is a hint of a shooting that will happen (lots of foreshadowing), but the ending was excellent! Love this book.

This was one of the most emotional books I have ever read. I was so consumed with the storytelling that I read it all in 1 day. Clare Leslie Hall is my new favorite author!!!
A story of family drama and profound heartache. I cannot say anything without giving away too much about the story. It will be a book you will think about long after you read the last page.
I promise you that you have to read this book. This will definitely be a movie one day.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the gifted ARC provided by NetGalley. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

This story had me feeling all the feels! By the end, I was a total mess (in the best way). Set in the stunning English countryside of the 1960s, this story packs in family drama with an unexpected twist that had me completely hooked. The characters are so beautifully flawed and human, making every high and low hit home. If you’re up for a rollercoaster of emotions with an unforgettable finish, grab this one ASAP. 4.5 stars!

Thank you Net Galley and Simon Books for the ARC of Broken Country for an honest review. I absolutely loved this book. I couldn’t put it down but I also didn’t want it to end. This is the best book I have read in a long time. I was drawn in right away to all the characters. The author did such a great job that they felt real to me and I had all different emotions for all of them. There was a twist I wasn’t expecting as the story unfolded toward the end.
I highly recommend this book. It gives you all the feels.
I don’t give a lot of 5 star reviews but this book definitely deserves it.

This is the best book I have read all year. The novel takes place in the idyllic countryside of Dorset, England. At its core, this novel is about love: first love, mature loyal love, love between siblings; and love between a child and parent. I was engrossed from beginning to end. The writing and character development are superb. This novel has everything to keep you turning the pages including twists and gasp out loud moments. I highly recommend this book. Add it to your "to be read" lists now.

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonbooks for the ARC. Broken Country will be published on March 4, 2025.

PRO TIP #1- do not read if animal death is a trigger
PRO TIP #2- do NOT read while at work on lunch break, etc unless you are OK with being asked why your eyes are red and/or are crying.

5/5
I love-LOVE-L O V E D! this book by Clare Leslie Hall- I've seen a couple other people mention that it has a little bit of everything in it, and I absolutely agree. There is mystery, there is romance (oh, my beating heart)- and heartbreak, twists and turns and so much depth in the characters and the storyline. The love triangle is INTENSE. Initially I strongly favored one side, but Clare was easily able to entrance me with her innerworkings of Beth's emotions and feelings that all my feelings became muddled together because this isn't a black and white situation. There are gray areas- so many layers that affected every single character and influenced their decision-making.

WHEW...this is one I will not forget. It starts off with a bang (literally), and ends equally as unexpected as it started,

WOWOWOWO this was excellent, a def fave of 2025 for sure. Great pacing, such longing on all parts, I had no idea how this would play out. I love the idea of ill-fated lovers/people that you want to be together but aren't for whatever reason and this one was fantastic. highly recommend.

Thank you Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Coming out early 2025!!

Well, this book was a masterpiece and deserves every single ounce of praise. I truly cannot get over it. This author put magic into her pages and wrote such an emotionally charged story that I will think about forever. From start to finish I felt all kinds of feelings for the characters. A very complex story line that goes back and forth between earlier years and present years making you fully invested in what was happening... it was absolutely wonderful. Books like this are rare nowadays and I am so happy this one exists!

Enjoyed the story and the plot of how the characters evolved. Found that the characters were really deep compared to other books I read and it was a refreshing change.

In the first pages of BROKEN COUNTRY, the reader learns that Gabriel Wolfe has returned to Meadowlands. Just as when Mr. Bingley leased Netherfield, it is certain the implications for the story world will be profound. What follows is a brilliant treatment of one woman’s consuming passion for her first lover, her abiding love for her husband, and her devotion to her lost boy. The central love triangle intersects and collides with Beth’s love for her son, a conflict that will feel familiar to many. What made this book special for me was Hall’s deep appreciation of the uniqueness of love and passion, which she depicts without elevating one over the other. Beth is an expertly-drawn character who lives a lie without lying to herself. It’s a book I will purchase in hardcopy to keep on my shelf.

I received a free ARC ebook of BROKEN COUNTRY from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

#BrokenCountry #ClareLeslieHall #SimonBooks

Broken Country is a book about the human condition. We are all broken and we all address our brokenness differently. Beth leaves behind her first love Gabriel after he apparently turns to another - someone his parents approve of. Beth then marries Frank who has loved her since he was 13. They have a wonderful life on their farm with Frank’s father and brother Jimmy. Jimmy is broken by the death of his mother at an early age and he finds his solace in the bottom of a bottle. Beth and Frank have a little boy who loves the farm as much as his father and brings so much laughter into their lives. Everything is perfect until tragedy strikes and then things change between Beth and Frank - subtly at first but then more distance between them. Then Gabriel and his young son return to town, and Beth wanders back to her first love, knowing it is wrong, knowing that she still loves Frank but that she also loves Gabriel. Finally an accident occurs that changes all their lives and breaks their relationships into small, perhaps unfixable, pieces of pain and suffering. But in the end there is only one of these characters who remains above the fray and true to himself. A story for the ages - of broken hearts and bodies - but in the end hope and redemption.

Definitely a tear-jerker! A mystery wrapped in a family drama that kept me turning page as fast as possible! A beautiful story!

I received a free ARC ebook of <i>Broken Country</i> from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Wow! This is a "get-up in the middle of the night to read" book. Hall's nonlinear plot structure, going back and forth in time, is stunning. Many authors attempt this but frequently leave their readers confused. In this novel, Hall drops hints of the pain and joy her characters will experience, but readers will never be confused.

Beth experiences true love twice in her life. But true love doesn't mean a pain-free life. She also experiences the devastating loss of her son, Bobby. Everything changes.

Beth's loves are Gabriel and Frank. Gabriel and Beth are young lovers, and their socio-economic statuses are totally different. Their break-up is not a surprise. Frank, the kind and steady local farmer, is Beth's second love. When Gabriel returns years later, conflicts are inevitable.

Hall's characters are nuanced, and all of them are fully realized. This is a great book.

Beautiful story about a country love triangle. Will true love prevail? The loss and recovery in this books was beautiful. I enjoyed it, finished in 48 hours. Thank you for ARC

What I liked most about "Broken Country" is the way the author keeps up the suspense. The reader learns fairly early on that there is a criminal trial, and it is not too hard to guess that someone has been killed. The potential victim and killer are Frank Johnson (Beth's husband) Gabriel Wolfe (Beth's first love and the man she will later have an affair with), and Jimmy Johnson (Frank's volatile alcoholic younger brother who loves Beth like a sister). However, the identity of the victim and the accused are kept hidden for much of the story, while the reader learns about Beth and Gabriel's past, Beth and Frank's married life and the operating of their farm with Jimmy's assistance, the tragedy that they experienced and which has irrevocably altered their lives, the return of Gabriel with his son Leo, the circumstances which bring Beth, Leo and Gabriel together, the commencement of the affair and its discovery. Even after the identity of the deceased and accused are revealed, there are still significant secrets to be uncovered. "Broken Country" is a story about the power of love, regret and guilt, and the sacrifices one is willing to make as a result.