This book was exactly what I needed to break out of my reading slump!

Beth and Frank have built a peaceful, simple life together as farmers in the English countryside. They've been together since they were teenagers and have weathered everything life’s thrown their way. Frank is the kind, gentle husband that Beth feels incredibly lucky to have. But when her childhood love, Gabriel—the man behind her first devastating heartbreak—shows up in the Meadowlands with his son, everything in Beth’s life changes in ways she never expected.

At first, it seems like a typical love triangle, which isn't usually my favorite trope. But as I kept reading, the depth behind this story became evident. Broken Country is a story of love, loss and everything that comes in between, with some unexpected mystery and a murder trial thrown in that kept me hooked.

The chapters are short, and the writing is straightforward, which made it super easy to read. At the same time, the story is told with just the right amount of depth and emotion. By the time I hit the last quarter of the book, it had definitely left an impact on me.

I’m big on deep character exploration, and the only reason I’m knocking off a star is because sometimes Beth felt more like an observer of her own life, instead of someone really going through the emotional rollercoaster I’d expect her to experience in her situation.

I’ve been excited to read this ever since I saw all the glowing early reviews, and I’m happy to say the book doesn’t disappoint. And even though I’ve read a ton of love triangles, this ending was perfect and left me feeling satisfied.

Huge thanks to Simon & Schuster and Claire Leslie Hall for the gifted copy!

This is a beautifully written book. It deals with grief on every level and exposes the beauty of love when you go through difficult trials together as a married couple. I would recommend it to anyone.

Sadly I am in the minority and didn’t love this one. I think I went in with too high of expectations. The first half was so slow & by the time I got fully invested, it was over. The writing was gorgeous and I would read others by the author.

Ok look, I know I’m not the first (or the last) to tell you about this book. I know it’s everywhere, but let me be another voice in the chorus to tell you, it is worth the hype.

This stunning novel did everything I want a literary novel to do — painted a stunning scene that made me feel like I was in the middle of the story, crafted characters so real they felt like real people that I knew and loved, and kept me sucked in with a propulsive plot that kept me turning the pages.

Even throughout the conflict in the story, none of the main characters were the villain and I really loved and felt for everyone in the story. Even when the main character made choices that were hard to agree with, it wasn’t hard to truly understand her feelings or why she did what she did. That, to me, is such a mark of a good story.

The underlying mystery in this mostly character-driven story really kept the story moving forward and the pacing and format as the timeline jumped back and forth were done brilliantly.

This book sucked me in, made me fall in love, broke my heart and put it back together again. There’s no way this book won’t be among my favorites of the year. I absolutely loved it.

It took a while for me to get into this one. I hate non-linear timelines, but I eventually got sucked in. I absolutely loved the ending. It was hard to get there, but I’m glad I stuck with it!

Broken Country is a gripping tale with aspects of romance and mystery. This story is told through the POV of Beth our main character and it goes between past and present timelines. It touches on love, loss, grief, secrets, and shows the consequences of difficult decisions. There are moments that will pull on your heartstrings and leave your eyes damp. Check for trigger warnings, as this story touches on many tough topics.

I loved this story, as it ignited multiple emotions. Even weeks after finishing this story, I have been thinking about this story daily.

While I received and read an eARC of this book, I immediately went out and bought a physical copy once if was available for purchase.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Set in the bucolic farms of rural England, the story of Beth, her lovely husband Frank, and their small family seem like the cast of a fairy tale. But despite their happiness, the peace is breached first by a gunshot, and then by the re-appearance of Beth’s first love.
As a romantic, I can’t decide who I should root for, the man who was forced to leave Beth, or the one who was always on her side, despite the circumstances. The setting is the perfect background for this heartbreaking story, and I promise, it will not just be the country that is broken, but your own heart, too.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this lovely ARC. It was published March 4, 2025, and should not be missed!

3.5 stars

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall is receiving tremendous attention and rightfully so. It’s character-driven as well as plot-driven with powerful writing and a strong sense of place.

Beth is the cornerstone of this novel set primarily in rural England in 1955 and 1968. Primary themes include marriage, motherhood, and grief, and there’s much for book clubs to discuss.

I was completely pulled into the story, told in three non-chronological subplots, and was immersed in characters’ emotions to the point I felt physically tense while reading the majority of this book. Content warnings: The death of a child and infidelity are key plot points; a dog dies early in the story. Often infidelity in novels doesn’t bother me, but it was very upsetting to me in Broken Country because Frank, Beth’s husband, reminds me of my husband in many ways.

I’m grateful to Simon & Schuster for providing a review copy of this thought-provoking novel.

Well I bawled through this whole book. But in a good way. If you want a book that is going to rip you apart, then I suggest Broken Country.

I felt so many emotions through this entire read and now that it’s over I don’t know what to do.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Wow—this book pulled me in right away and didn’t let go. Broken Country is an emotionally charged story about love, grief, and the way the past never really stays buried. The tension builds slowly, weaving between past and present as Beth is forced to confront old wounds when her first love, Gabriel, returns to town.

The relationships are messy and real, the twists genuinely surprising, and the ending? So satisfying. I loved how everything came together in a way that felt both unexpected and inevitable. If you’re looking for a book that’s gripping, emotional, and beautifully written, add this one to your list! 4.5/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my free review copy.

4.5 stars

I rounded this one down a half star only because I felt like the end of the book wrapped up so quickly in a neat little bow, and although I loved how it ended, I felt like the actual story and plot being built up was more enjoyable. This one was out of my usual go to but I was intrigued, and I'm so glad I stuck with it.

It was a little slow to start but once the story got going I was completely hooked. The shorter chapters helped with keeping me engaged and I was able to get into the story. I loved the bouncing timelines and never felt confused as to what was happening.

This book was heart-wrenching and the characters were complex. In one second I loved the FMC, then would hate her for her decisions, then loved her again.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely superb! Broken Country is everything you would want in a family drama- mystery, romance, shocking reveals, murder, sibling relationships...all weaved together with a redemptive thread that knots together perfectly at the very end. Ah, I loved the story so much. This will likely be one of my favorite reads of the year.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #Simon and Schuster for the ARC.

After seeing a lot of hype on this book, I picked it up! I’m sure glad I did. Written in dual timelines, this book follows the story of Beth and the two loves of her life, Gabriel and Frank. This book will stay with me for quite some time, it was beautifully written and the ending was one that will definitely get you. Highly recommend this one if you’re looking for a romance with a few serious elements to it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Beth and her husband Frank live on a modest farm outside of London, primarily tending to sheep. When a dog wanders on to their farm one day and starts brutally attacking their livestock, they have no choice but to immediately shoot the dog, failing to realize that the owner is not far behind and happens to be the son of Beth’s first love, Gabriel. Little do they know that the consequences of ending the dog’s life are about to turn their entire world upside down, forcing Beth, especially, to not only relive and confront her past but to also re-enter the orbit of her former lover forcing her to question her entire future. Add in the multitude of secrets and lies that are unearthed from this unexpected meeting and the stage is set to put not just Beth’s life in jeopardy, but many of the villagers as well.

🌳 Wow, just wow. Despite the heaviness of the story, I enjoyed the daylights out of this book! I finished it in 48 hours and sort of wish I didn’t read it so fast so I could keep reading it! It was just one of those books!

🌳 Mysterious with a rollercoaster of love and heartbreak, this book drew me right in from the first chapter and I rarely came up for air. The twists and turns kept going right up until the very last chapter!

🌳 Read this if you like raw, emotional novels that focus heavily on “the one who got away”.

I don’t know what to say other than OH MY GOODNESS! Stop what you’re doing and get this book NOW. Love, loss, family, secrets, heartbreak, old love, new love, marriage, jealousy, life, death, a lot of what if’s, and so much more. The writing is truly incredible. Beautifully developed characters and story made for an emotional read. I read and listen to a lot of books and throughout the year add to my personal “best of” lists. This went on​ it the moment ​I read the last word. Additionally, I bought the audiobook to listen to. It was that good.

Wow! This novel will take your breath away. It opens with a mystery and ends in the most beautifully messy way. Beth and her husband, Frank, have a quiet marriage where they work their farm with Frank's brother, Jimmy, and try to recover from the loss of their son. One day, Jimmy shoots the neighbor's dog, leading Beth to discover her first love is back and living next door with his son. This discovery leads to an event that leaves one dead and another on trial. Broken Country is a character-driven novel full of richly flawed people. Hall captures all the imperfections that make us human and paints a picture where grief, love, and forgiveness can tear us apart and put us back together. The story jumps from present day to when Beth was a teen to a time when Beth and Frank's son was alive. Each moment felt so important and demonstrated how even the simplest of lives can contain so much depth. I fell deeply in love with Frank in these pages. He is one of my favorite characters I have ever read. I highly recommend this book and will look for more from this author in the future.

I picked up this book at probably 9:30pm at around 40% and thought to myself, “I’ll just read a chapter or two before bed!”

Cut to: midnight, the book is finished, and I can’t sleep because it all fell apart so magnificently and then you got the emotional knife absolutely BURIED in your heart at the very end.

This read took me be surprise in a very good way. Just when I started to question if the build-up was feeling a little bit slow, each of the various threads start to come together and and then things happen real quick!

One note of caution — while there’s suspense elements, I’ve heard a couple people be disappointed because they were assuming there were going to be more “murder mystery” type vibes. This is not that type of book! It’s more of a literary fiction that just so happens to keep you in suspense longer through its structure, as it introduces pieces of the conclusion at the very beginning.

I for one loved the style and the quickly accelerating downward spiral of the plot. Definitely recommend and hope you enjoy it too!

Beth and Gabriel. Beth and Frank. Destined for tragedy as the young relationships fire and then fizzle. I loved the setting of the small village and farm life and the characters were well developed and memorable. Women's rights in the fifties and sixties didn't allow for as many choices for women, and here we are again, how timely. the twists at the end were a bit predictable, but the format of a trial interspersed with the before and after narration is clever. A solid read.

Cop provided by the publisher and NetGalley

This was beautifully written, in a style I see more and more of: something tragic happens right at the beginning, and the rest of the novel is told through different times in the story as we catch back up the present. I like that style of writing, it lends a bit of a mystery to the story. This story follows Beth from teenage time falling in love with a posh neighbor through her adult years dealing with lots of love and lots of death as a farmer's wife. The reveals felt a bit predictable, and the ending was not my favorite, but I can see why so many people are loving this book!

Broken Country involves young love story and the journey of loss, love, coming of age. Reese Witherspoon's book club picks mostly are reliable as and attention grabbing. ..This book was a bot slow to get into , but ultimately has a great message.