“The farmer is dead. He is dead, and all anyone wants to know is who killed him.” Wow - what an opening, right? This definitely drew me in to Broken Country and made me excited to see where this story would take us.

It’s hard to separate a book from our reading experience - the same book might hit totally different based on my mood and expectations. Broken Country has been getting a ton of buzz and rave reviews from friends so I came in with high expectations and that may have negatively impacted my reading. The first third of this book felt a little slow to me and I considered DNFing. I’m glad I didn’t stop - it did pick up and the second half was really compelling.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ebook to review.

Does anyone else find it incredibly difficult to write reviews of books you loved? I’ve been putting off writing about 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗞𝗘𝗡 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗬 by Clare Leslie Hall for far too long solely because I just cannot seem to find the words that will do my admiration justice.⁣
⁣
As you’ve no doubt already heard, this is a complicated love story. The kind of love story that exists on multiple levels. It overlaps, wraps around itself, and ends up in a tangled mess that’s filled with both angst and beauty. ⁣
⁣
“𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘥.”⁣
⁣
Taking place almost entirely in a small English village, at the heart of this story is Beth, a farmer’s wife who has deeply loved two very different men in her lifetime. One fateful summer in the 1960’s, their three lives converged in ways that left my heart feeling heavy and my mind with much to consider. ⁣
⁣
I don’t want to say more. My advice is to go in as blind as possible and let the layers reveal themselves in an organic way. Hall’s writing is propulsive, tender, and poignant, but not at all flowery. She left me wrecked, in ways I hadn’t imagined. 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 has been compared to 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘗𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 and I think that comparison is quite apt. I suspect fans of the latter will adore Hall’s book. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘗𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 was my favorite book of 2021 and I can easily see 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 sliding into that same spot this year. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟⁣
⁣
Thanks to @simonbooks for an electronic copy of this book.

3.5

It was a quick read. I enjoyed the switching between the before and present time period. It kept me wanting to read more. I didn't find the characters that likeable and was waiting to find out the truth of what happened. It did surprise me but not enough to rate it higher. If you read the description and think you would like it, you probably will.

I received a free copy of of the Ebook from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Broken Country has everything - love, death and the kind of secrets that are better off buried. Enough twists and turns to keep me turning the pages!

Wow, this was a great book! I love all the layers to the story and the characters are well developed. This is probably my favorite book so far this year and it will linger with me for a long time. The surprise at the end, I never saw coming. I would highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Net Galley, Simon & Schuster, for an ARC of this book, and Claire Leslie Hall for such a beautiful story.

Thank you to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This story is a bit of everything rolled up into one - mystery, romance, motherhood, relationships, . It starts with an introduction to Beth sitting in the gallery watching Frank as he stands trial for murder. We then go back in forth in time learning about who Beth is and the men she has loved and the choices she has made that has lead to this first scene in the story. There are twists and turns all while a young woman learns of a world that doesn't always support and accept her, trying to make brave decisions and finding a way through heartbreak to make a life for herself. This was a page-turner and I very much enjoyed the writing and character development.

When I decided to read Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall, I had no idea what I was getting into and what I found was unexpected and captivating. This book was so raw, real, honest and emotional. So many feelings while reading as we are taken down two paths, the “past” , 1950s and the “present”, 1968. There were so many twists and turns that I never saw coming and kept me engaged.

Beth and Frank are married in the present, but in the past, we see how she fell in love with Gabriel and how he broke her heart. They moved on and married different people and now Gabriel is back with his son and everything is about to change. There are some things we know and others we discover as we read and I could not stop reading. I devoured this story and highly recommend it.

4.5-stars!
Happy reading!

This will be one of my favorite books of 2025. I’ve heard it described as genre-bending. It has suspense, romance, heartbreak, humor, and triumph. It took me a few chapters to settle into the story but the payoff was huge.

I literally inhaled this book!
I can’t remember a time I was so fully engrossed in a story. I was invested in each of these characters. This book was full of all the things that make a story great. Love at its center, but surrounded by heartbreak, devastating loss, social issues, class issues etc. I loved the ties that each character had to one another. Despite her flaws the FMC was well composed and fiercely loved her family. I was happy to see, despite some horrible circumstances, the book still ended with hope.

I’m so grateful for this early copy. I absolutely LOVED this book! Thank you Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I can’t recommend this one enough.

Unfortunately this was not for me. I am not big on cheating. Didn’t connect with the character just was not for me.

"This is a love story with too many beginnings. I refuse to think about how it is going to end."

Everyone remembers their first love. How deep, intense and fierce those feelings were. How you thought there would never be another person out there you could love so strongly or be loved like that. And the utter, devastating heartbreak when it ends. What would you do if you had a second chance at that magical love, relive that one moment in time etched forever in your mind, your heart, your soul? Would you take it, regardless of the consequences?

Meet Beth. This is her life. As the story starts (and let me tell you I was hooked from page one!), we know thst the farmer is dead. We don't know which farmer, who killed them or why. We learn about Beth's intense first love that shaped every decision she makes for the rest of her life. A shotgun sounds and starts a domino effect that rips apart the lives of multiple families.

The book alternates between timelines adding a heavy layer of mystery as the story builds. It's with brilliant timing that the author reveals certain plot twists that had me gasping. You have a murder, a love triangle, deception, loss, forgiveness, family drama, it's all there in beautifully, exquisite prose that keeps your heart hanging on every page.

This book is being compared to Where the Crawdads Sing, and I don't personally see the connection. Each book is brilliant in it's own right.

I struggled with Beth's character, with the decisions she made and the repercussions of those decisions. That only made me more invested in the book. This is a story that will make you think about moral decisions you'd make if you were in Beth or Frank's shoes. While on the surface this may appear to be just a story about a love triangle, it's so much deeper than that. And while I may not have agreed with some decisions Beth made, I understand they came from a place of deep pain I could never comprehend.

This book is being made into a movie by Hello Sunshine and Sony, and I will be in line for tickets when it gets released!

My thanks to Clare Leslie Hall, Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars. This is a beautifully written, complex character-driven novel, focusing on a love triangle and all of the drama and angst that accompanies it. Beth, the main character, loves her husband Frank but is brought face-to-face with Gabriel, her first love, when he moves near Beth and Frank’s farm with his young son. Eventually, Beth is pulled back into Gabriel’s life more than she ever intended, which leads to a disruption of her family life and much more. The ending is quite fitting and encompasses some twists and turns that truly show not only how our personal choices can effect everyone around us, but also how true love, regret, remorse and forgiveness are a part of all of our lives. This was a great read.

"𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘥."

I went into 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗞𝗘𝗡 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗬 blind and was totally wowed. I'm not surprised it's this month's Reese's Book Club pick - there is so much to discuss and it would make a fantastic movie.

"𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘯𝘰𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘺𝘢𝘳𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱, 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘴, 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘴, 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦. 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, 𝘴𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 , 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯."

Set in a small English town, this literary thriller with a romance woven in beautifully examines the consequences of the choices we make and the secrets we keep. Clare Leslie Hall's writing is sublime, and the story will both punch you in the gut and tug at your heart. An easy five stars from me.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster for the copy to review.

How much heartbreak can one woman endure? Beth and her husband Frank have a painful past. Beth also has secrets she wants to keep buried. Beth's brother-in-law Jimmy shoots a dog one day that was chasing their ship and this sets off a sequence of events that changes everyone's life involved. Beth has some hard choices to make. What will she choose?

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. The story is told from multiple POV and multiple timelines. In a small country town Beth is a dreamer, Frank is a farm boy who is smitten with Beth and Gabriel is a rich and away at schools with the exception of summers. One summer changed everything for Beth and Gabriel. Frank has been in love with Beth forever and once things go awry with Beth and Gabriel he is there for Beth and love blossoms. Gabriel come back to the town after a decade and on their first chance meeting everything is chaotic. It flashbacks through a murder trial and it is hard to put down as you want to see what happens next. Definitely recommend!!

This book was a slow burn worth the ending. I loved its rich layers of complicated human emotions and searching for redemption.

A powerful novel that will strike directly at your heart, this book is a must read. Beth lives on a farm with her husband, Frank, trying to exist after losing their son. When an old boyfriend comes back into her life, Beth has to face her decisions. With not only Frank’s feelings involved, but her brother in law Jimmy who was close to her son, Bobby, and his wife Nina, who has become Beth’s best friend, play an integral role in their lives. Emotional, with settings evoking the mood of the novel, you will not be able to out this book down. Highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was an absolute delight! It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but it turned out to be a fantastic surprise. I was drawn to the idea of a lost love returning and the possibility of a love triangle. The story unfolds in two timelines: ‘Before’ and then in 1968/69. It was incredible how the book depicted the blossoming relationship between Beth and Gabriel when they were younger, then how it sadly ended, and also how Beth and Frank came to be married (‘Before’). And then the story would jump to the 1968 timeline when Gabriel returns to town with his son, and how that reunion affects Beth and her relationship with Frank. And then the suspense would build (1969), when the storyline jumps forward to the courtroom scenes. I’m a big fan of courtroom dramas, and I loved the anticipation of waiting to see who did it and what would happen next. The book really goes into detail about the court proceedings, you don’t find out who was on trial and who was killed until later on. I felt a lot of sympathy for Beth and the Johnson family, they all went through so much tragedy. With short chapters and a suspenseful plot, the book moved along really quickly. I had a hard time putting it down because I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. The ending was definitely a surprise, there were quite a few surprises towards the end of the book! I also listened to the audiobook, and the narrator, Hattie Morahan, has the sweetest English accent, but she did sound a bit older than Beth’s age of 30. It made it a bit uncomfortable listening to some of the intimate scenes in the book, I just kept imagining a much older woman. Broken Country was an amazing read and it will definitely be one of the best books I’ve read in 2025.

Clare Leslie Hall's *Broken Country* is a masterful blend of historical fiction, family drama, and courtroom mystery, set against the evocative backdrop of the English countryside in the late 1960s. The novel begins with a gripping premise: a farmer is dead, and the question of who killed him unravels a web of secrets, betrayals, and long-buried emotions.

At the heart of the story is Beth Johnson, a woman torn between her past and present. The return of her first love, Gabriel Wolfe, and his young son, Leo, sets off a chain of events that disrupts her life with her husband, Frank, and their farming family. Hall skillfully navigates the complexities of Beth's relationships, exploring themes of love, loss, and forgiveness with depth and nuance.

The dual timelines—one tracing Beth's youthful romance with Gabriel in 1955, and the other set in 1968 during the aftermath of the farmer's death—add layers of intrigue and emotional resonance. The courtroom scenes are particularly compelling, as Hall keeps readers guessing about the identity of the victim and the perpetrator until the very end.

Hall's prose is both lyrical and precise, capturing the beauty and brutality of rural life. The characters are richly drawn, their flaws and vulnerabilities making them achingly human. The novel's exploration of grief, class dynamics, and the enduring impact of first love is both poignant and thought-provoking.

*Broken Country* is a tour de force that will leave readers breathless and deeply moved. It's a must-read for fans of literary fiction and anyone who appreciates a story that lingers long after the final page.

I couldn’t put this book down! WOW! This has quickly soared as best book so far this year. This is a family drama, with an element of suspense and historical fiction. It follows the many year saga of Beth, Frank and Gabriel. Trigger warning- a child dies. As a mom myself, I was able to read the story and feel for the characters, but not project that tragic event onto my own life. I found myself smiling and crying at different points of the book, and evoking emotion is often difficult for me as a reader. This would make an excellent book club choice, as there are many twists to discuss.