Books like Broken Country are the reason I love to read. Clare Leslie Hall captured my attention from the very first page and it never wavered until the last page. This book combines so many of my favorite genres and themes: heartbreaking love triangle, courtroom drama/murder trial, mystery... There are lots of twists, surprises, and reveals and while at times heartbreaking, the ending left me with a feeling of hope. The characters are so well drawn, you'll feel as though you know them, and this reads like a love letter to the English countryside and to those who farm it.

Reminiscent of The Paper Palace, Where the Crawdads Sing, and even The Bridges of Madison County. This will be one of my favorite reads of the year.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for this ARC.

Such a beautiful interwoven story with many layers and depth to the characters. Broken Country is a perfect mix of romance, mystery, drama and historical fiction. This story takes place in the English countryside in the 1968s. It is told in a dual timeline between 1955 and 1968. Small town drama, love triangle of a lost first love reunited and family secrets.

I honestly think this may be the best novel I've ever read. I finished it about a week ago, and I think about this novel daily. It surpasses any book I read last year (I read 100 books), and I would be shocked if any book this year is better. It is beautifully written, and I did not want it to end. Just trust my words and read this novel today. The author is a wonderful storyteller, and the way she strings words together is so beautiful that I don't have words to explain.

I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Whether you come to this book for the gorgeous and evocative writing, the nostalgic and tender portrayal of first love, the lurid and emotional love triangle, the suspenseful murder mystery, or the powerful exploration of grief and forgiveness, you are in for an incredible reading experience. I adored everything about this book—the rare page turner with twists that keep you up at night and poignancy that leaves you sobbing with joy as you close the final pages.

I received this e-book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for the copy!

As I read through some reviews, I saw one person say this was similar to Where the Crawdads Sing, and although it's a different subject matter, it definitely feels similar in the way of emotions. This story pulled out so many different emotions in me as I read. Although it was hard to keep track of all the characters at first, as well as the timeline, the author really helped it all to come together so the readers could understand. If you enjoyed Where the Crawdad Sings, I think you would enjoy this one....just be sure to get some tissues!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy. Broken Country was published on March 4, 2025.

Is anyone else annoyed that the Reese sticker is on the cover? Just me? Fine.

I was so excited to begin this story. Once I started, I didn’t want to put my Kindle down. I cooked dinner while holding it. I took it everywhere…hoping I could sneak a couple minutes with it. I had to know how it was going to end. I wanted to know if my suspicions around people were correct. And I was rewarded, reader friends. This story lives up to the hype.

It wasn’t a perfect story. It was touted as this intense love triangle, but I don’t think it was intense enough. The miscommunication in the first part seemed over the top. If they were so in love, if Gabriel was so in love with Beth, why didn’t he follow her, make her listen as he explained himself. He just gave up. And so did Beth. I know there would be no love triangle without this happening. I know this is me projecting my own annoyances at the story. I just don’t like the decisions the characters made.

Isn’t that a funny way to judge a book? Clare Leslie Hall is a beautiful writer. I was in the countryside with her. I fully pictured the big oak tree and the farm itself. I know Gabriel’s family home was gorgeous inside and out. The lake picturesque, the grounds perfection. She writes with passion and heart. You really feel the characters. You feel their sideways glances at each other, their sighs and longing. So, because of this, because I feel alongside the characters, when they do something I disagree with, I get annoyed. But not with Hall. I know she is the one who made the characters be the way they are, but I’m not annoyed with her. I’m annoyed at her fictional characters. It makes sense to me, okay?

I’m glad I let this story take over my life for a couple days. It was worth it.

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 5. I absolutely DEVOURED this book. The suspense…the romance…it all kept me hooked until the very end! I didn’t see the ending coming AT ALL! I loved the quick pace and short chapters. Definitely a read I would recommend. Thank you Simon & Schuster and Clare Leslie Hall for the ARC.

Young love, first love. Motherhood. Tragedy. A love triangle. More tragedy. A trial, a verdict.

In Broken Country, Clare Leslie Hall weaves all of the above into a twisty, dramatic narrative. Beth is at the center of the story (and the center of the advertised love triangle). She's married to Frank, trustworthy, lovely Frank, living on the family farm with Frank and his brother. Their contented farm life is interrupted when Gabriel moves back to town. Gabriel, Beth's first love. How can this possibly end well? Somebody's dead (we learn in the first sentence)! Cue the violins and let the mystery unfold.

Set in 1968, the story bounces back and forth between the present, the past, and the trial. There are surprises, there are reveals you see coming. There's a lot of heartstring tugging. There is character behavior that is relatable and some that make less sense (and may have evoked eye rolling).

Reviews are off the charts for this novel. Looks like I'm an outlier. It's a solid three stars for me. I enjoyed some of the twists, but I found some characters' actions questionable and had a lasting impression of being overly dramatic.

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the Advance Reader Copy. (pub date 3/4/2025)

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC!

This book was far out of my normal genres so I was a bit unsure starting it, being mostly a romance and a historical fiction with just a sprinkle of mystery. However I'm very glad I did, it really was a great story.

So why not 5 stars? I HATE A LOVE TRIANGLE. Like with a passion. I've always hated them and always probably will. So considering that's a cornerstone of the book, you know it has to be great to be such a high rating.

I stayed a bit unsure of the book in the middle. I did not love Beth, she made very immature decisions though she is really young with a lot of trauma. I didn't love Gabriel either, he was too entitled. Frank was too good for this world in general. However in the end it all made sense.

The twists were some of the most shocking I've seen. I didn't see an ounce of it coming. I audibly gasped.

So whether you hate love triangles like me or it's out of your genre, I say read this regardless. It is worth the journey and such a beautiful book!

Frank has loved Beth since he was thirteen. Timing wasn’t right when he made his move as Beth was already involved with Gabriel, but when Gabriel breaks her heart, Frank is there quietly in the wings ready to pick up the pieces. Happy married for many years, all that is about to change. A dog is shot, a prodigal son arrives home with his own young son in tow and tensions rise until someone is dead and things will never be the same again. “The farmer is dead. He is dead, and all anyone wants to know is who killed him.” This book was beautifully written. A perfect blend of love and mystery and with its tense undertones you will be flipping pages almost faster than you can read. Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall is a novel that gripped me from the very first page and never let go. A story of love, loss, and the inescapable pull of the past, it masterfully intertwines passion, heartbreak, and suspense, creating a narrative that feels both deeply personal and compelling.

Beth, Frank, and Gabriel are all complex, deeply human characters, and their layered relationships kept me utterly enthralled. Beth’s journey—torn between her past and present, between the woman she was and the woman she has become—was both compelling and heart-wrenching. The novel delves into themes of love, grief, social expectations, and the weight of history with stunning emotional depth. I found myself aching for Beth, for Frank, for Gabriel, and for Jimmy, each carrying their own burdens in ways that felt painfully real.

The setting, a small village rife with long-held secrets and simmering tensions, adds to the novel’s immersive quality. Hall masterfully captures the nuances of rural life, the way social standing and old wounds shape people’s choices. The twists and turns in the plot were unexpected yet entirely organic, making this as much a thrilling page-turner as it is a poignant exploration of human nature.

The emotions in Broken Country are raw and beautifully rendered—whether passion, grief, love, or regret, every feeling is palpable and profound. This book lingers in the mind long after the final page, and I have no doubt it will remain one of my favorite reads of the year. A stunning novel, one that I highly recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Broken Country is a beautifully written novel that blends love, betrayal, and suspense in a way that kept me hooked. The love triangle felt raw and complicated, with past and present colliding in unexpected ways. Clare Leslie Hall’s writing is atmospheric and deeply emotional, making every moment between Beth, Frank, and Gabriel feel lived-in and real. The courtroom drama added tension, and I found myself completely invested in the characters’ choices and consequences. A gripping and bittersweet read that lingers long after the final page.

Everything I heard about this book is so true! Loved it!

Can you love two people at one time? Beth fell madly in love with Gabriel when they were young. Things happen and him being from the upper class and her not, drives a wedge in her mind. She listens to his snobby mother and it fuels her doubts. When she reads his diary, she leaves him. Does time and a new life make that all go away? She marries Frank, the steadfast farmer who loves her and they build a life together, raising Bobby and working on the farm until tragedy changes all that. Enter Gabriel and his young son Leo. Can they heal her heart? Or does she live in regret for what she's doing?

There is a murder, accident? The trial and the aftermath changes everything for all of them. I do have to tell you that I figured out two key twists very easily but the story still flowed for me beautifully. I will definitely read more that the author writes in an instant.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for a copy for review.

I was hesitant to read this as I hate dog deaths but the reviews made me push through (the death is quick and not done gratuitously if you are concerned). I am glad I did because this was a fantastic novel. The foreshadowing was phenomenal and had me on the edge of my seat. The way details were unveiled was so well done and kept me interested. If you love drama (and love having your heart ripped in two), you will want to read this!

💔🐦🌳BOOK REVIEW🌳🐦💔

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🥰Thank you so much to @simonbooks for the gifted book!

📖Title: Broken Country
✍️Author: Clare Leslie Hall
📅Pub date: March 4, 2025

🌳Let me just say, this book is not called BROKEN Country without just cause. 💔

🐦This book made me FEEL! I was horrified at certain parts, heartbroken at others, cheering some characters on and then the next minute judging them harshly for their decisions! This book is messy. This book is complicated.

🌳But WOW, is this story ever beautiful. Not in the typical sense, but trust me, when you get to the end and take a step back and are able to see the incredible story that Clare Leslie Hall has woven together over such a long time frame, you will be astounded.

🐦Not only is her writing stunning (I mean, I was hanging on every word), but the way she slowly revealed things kept me locked in like a horse chasing a carrot. I absolutely could not stop listening to this audiobook!

🌳I feel the need to make some disclaimers. This book deals with some topics that would normally make me want to DNF a book. I'm glad I didn't here, because as much as things were upsetting at certain times, I think the way it was handled and shown along with realistic effects made it more palatable for me. That's all I'll say with delving into spoiler territory, but I needed to say it. DM if you'd like more specifics.

⭐Overall, I haven't read a book in a while that had me so enthralled. I highly recommend!

This was nearly impossible to read as a mother to a young boy and a wife to the kindest man. What a beautifully tragic story. I will forever hold it against this author for making me ugly cry during my flight.

Could it be possible that I’ve already found my ‘best book of the year’ for 2025? Have you heard about BROKEN COUNTRY by Clare Leslie Hall? It’s Reese’s Book Club March ’25 pick…and for good reason.

I loved the main characters: Beth, sweet Frank, and Gabriel. It’s a romance and a suspenseful thriller rolled into one. From a peaceful beginning on the farm with the sheep milling around, the story jumps into a tense, emotional story featuring a love triangle that you will remember long after you read the last page.

The writing is superb, with two timelines, 1955 and 1968. The story smoothly flips back and forth between young lovers Beth and Gabriel as teenagers in the 50’s and present life in the late 60’s. Gabriel’s mother is a wretched woman but very believable.

The 1968 storyline is Beth’s life with Frank, a simple but kind sheep farmer. Their only son, Bobby, was killed in a tragic accident. With high emotional stakes, the story evolves, and readers watch the results and destruction as lies and heartaches push each character toward an unintended ending. Their lives merge, almost by fate. Readers cannot turn the pages fast enough, praying that regrettable mistakes can be avoided.

This is why I read—to find a story that envelops me, one that I almost become a part of, and I am standing beside these characters myself, watching and hoping. Emotions seep from the strong narrative: true love, heartbreak, compassion, grief, anger, fear, and sadness.

4.5 rounded up. I loved Broken Country, It is a beautifully written literary fiction novel mixed with family drama and a bit of suspense. The length was a lovely treat too in such a show stopper - at just over 300 pages, it was a powerhouse of a shorter novel and felt like everything I needed at the right time.

A love triangle? Sign me right up.

I enjoyed this, slow burn and surprise twist along with the love triangle and trail. Although a little rushed towards the end, this was a good read.

🐕Broken Country is a story that lingers. It is a blend of past and present, love and loss, choices and consequences. It's about moving forward, even when the weight of grief tries to hold you back.

Beth, Gabriel, and Frank have known each other since they were teenagers. Gabriel and Beth once loved each other, but things fell apart. Now, Beth and Frank are married, running their farm and building a life together. When Gabriel returns with his son, old wounds resurface, and grief that was never fully healed makes things messy. When tragedy strikes and a farmer is killed, everything unravels, forcing these characters to face the pain they've long tried to bury.🐕

🐑Going in, I thought I knew where the story was heading, and honestly, I wasn’t sure I’d connect with the characters' choices. But I was wrong. My heart ached for them. These are good people, shaped by love and bound by grief, each just trying to do their best and sometimes failing. The way this story explores the ripple effects of trauma felt raw and real.

I can’t say much more without giving things away, but this is one of those books that's best experienced blindly to really feel the emotions as they unfold.🐏

Thank you, Simon and Schuster for this book.