Clare Leslie Hall’s 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 is a captivating saga that blends several genres and possesses a grand, theatrical feel. With a plot centered around a years-long love triangle and familial tragedies, a mid-20th century English countryside setting, and the structure and pacing of a mystery-thriller, the book will appeal to fans of romance, historical drama, and suspense.

𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 moves back and forth across three periods: During the summer of 1955, teenaged schoolgirl Beth Kennedy falls in love with Oxford-bound Gabriel Wolfe, their youthful but passionate romance tinged with looming heartbreak due to class differences. Thirteen years later in 1968, Beth—living a simple but satisfying life on a farm with her kind, honorable husband Frank—must deal with the return of Gabriel, now a successful novelist and the divorced father of a young child. And a year after that, Beth watches as the man she loves stands trial for murder.

Though I did find a few of the plot twists predictable, I was still engrossed in the novel. The mystery isn’t necessarily the point of the story; rather, it pushes the narrative forward and helps emphasize the themes of loss, grief, second chances, and forgiveness. 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 is perfect for quiet weekends or relaxing vacations.

4.25 stars. Thank you to Simon & Schuster for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the free copy in exchange for my honest review!

Time for an unpopular opinion! I have seen so many rave reviews of this one from trusted sources, but it didn’t live up to the hype for me.

You might have heard it compared to Where The Crawdads Sing due to its similar blend of genres, and I think that’s apt. Both books combine nature writing, a historical setting, a love triangle, and courtroom drama. Broken Country is a completely different story, but sucks you in. I thought it delivered on the romantic elements and the beautiful writing about the picturesque farm setting. It was a fast read with short chapters that had me furiously turning the digital pages every time I sat down with it. I think the author accomplished what she set out to do with the book.

I’m having a hard time articulating why I can’t wholeheartedly recommend it, beyond the fact that I frequently found myself rolling my eyes (not as much as I did reading Crawdads, but still too much). I went in with high hopes, and didn’t expect it to read like brain candy. It’s melodramatic and I wasn’t in the right mood for it. I’m sure it also suffered from being the first book I read after The Goldfinch, which was on a completely different level.

This is not a spoiler because it’s revealed right away - if you do pick this up, please know that the main character lost her son at a young age and that is a big theme of the book, so tread carefully! Also there is a love triangle involving a married woman at the center of the book, so if the implied trope there isn’t your cup of tea, steer clear of this.

If you loved Crawdads or if this genre mashup sounds good to you, give this one a shot! I know I’m in the minority on this one and I can see why it’s working for so many other readers. For me, it was just ok.

This book took me a little bit to get into, but once I did, it was hard to put down. The author did a great job with the multiple timelines, and I was never confused. She chose the perfect spots to expand upon the story, both in the past and with the present. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happened to all the characters, and I loved how each one was so lovingly developed. This book made me feel like I was also there in an old, loved farmhouse, watching this family have their lives changed.

I understand why everyone is gushing over Broken Country. It’s beautifully written, the characters are compelling, and the location is practically its own character. I thought the way Hall used time was really interesting, but I would have liked a few more guideposts, a la The God of The Woods. I’m not sure why this isn’t a bigger hit for me, and I wonder if I would feel differently if I read it in a different head space. I think this would make for an absolutely fascinating book club discussion.

I can't recommend it enough! I really enjoyed this book, I couldn't put it down, I finished it in a couple of days!

I have seen/heard this book described as similar to Where the Crawdads SIng, and after reading and giving myself a little time to marinate in it, I would have to agree. There was a certain ambience to this book that you don't encounter every day. It was delicate yet star-crossed, hopeful yet tragic. I truly enjoyed how the story was told in a non-linear timeline because it allowed me to understand the characters and their journeys even more than I would if experiencing their story in a strictly sequential format. This is a book I could see easily translate onto screen, and I look forward to hearing how others feel about it as they experience it for the first time. Thank you NetGalley, Clare Leslie Hall, and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this ebook!

This is a beautifully written book. The characters are strong and jump off the page at you. You can feel Beth’s love for both men. You know something messy is going to happen. Having the trial going on throughout the book while you get the backstory is perfect. The ending I don’t want to say much about because I don’t want to give anything away. This will either be an ending you love or hate. I personally loved it. I really like this book and am excited to recommend it.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this title.

Loved this book! I loved the mix between romance and thriller. You never knew what was going to happen next. I haven't read anything else by this author but I look forward to finding more.

Some parts did more a little slow but still worth the read!

WOW. 😭 This was so good. Raw, sad, maddening, twisty!! I read this basically within a day. So beautiful and painful and ahhhh.

I plan to add more on release day. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC — I am honored.

After a somewhat lackluster reading year last year, I was craving a novel that would immerse me in its world and story, and Broken Country exceeded my expectations. Set in the 1950s and late 1960s in a rural English village, we are introduced to Beth and Frank who work hard on their farm and are still grieving the loss of their young son who died in an accident some years back. When Beth’s first love, Gabriel, moves back to the area with his son, Beth is swept up into memories of her coming-of-age romance with Gabriel, the consequences of which continue to haunt her.

This was a captivating story about the different kinds of love in our lives, memory, regrets, and the power of our decisions, sometimes not known until after it’s too late to undo them.

Heartbreaking yet beautiful, bittersweet and ultimately redemptive, I expect Broken Country will set the bar for the rest of my fiction reading this year. 4.5 stars.

My thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the advanced review copy.

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall is a very highly recommended domestic drama that is both a love story and morality tale.

It is 1968 and sheep farmers Frank and Beth Johnson are still mourning the death of their nine-year old son, Bobby two years earlier. They are out working with the new lambs in the Dorset countryside along side Jimmy, Franks younger brother, when a strange dog attacks and kills three lambs. Jimmy is quick to grab a gun and shoot the dog before he attacks any more lambs. Coming across the field is Gabriel Wolfe, the man Beth loved as a teenager who subsequently broke her heart years ago. Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son Leo and Beth is pulled back into Gabriel’s life.

Alternating chapters are set before, in 1955, when Beth and Gabriel met and fell in love. Also foreshadowed in a few chapters early on is a murder trial taking place in their present day. We know the person is close to Beth, although the victim isn't named until much later. This helps set a foreboding tone as readers know something is going to happen to someone.

This is an extremely well-written emotionally complex story of love, grief, guilt, and consequences. Beth is not a reliable narrator. She drops hints about what is and has happened but the full story isn't known until later in the plot. When some of the unsaid secrets/events are spoken and revealed it makes a huge difference in the novel. The grief of dealing with the lose of a child is a major part of the narrative.

Admittedly, I almost set Broken Country aside except for the fact that the quality of the writing is excellent. The focus is on the love story for much of the novel which is not a genre I normally read. Love triangles don't interest me. I didn't enjoy that storyline or Beth choices and actions which encompass a large part of the novel. What changed everything was the last part of the novel.
Broken Country may be most appreciated by those who enjoy romance novels and morally ambiguous characters, but those who like literary novels dealing with loss along with suspense will also appreciate it. 4.5
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Set in 1968 and about a decade prior, this mesmerizing book examines both the loss of a child and the paths not taken. Beth and her husband Frank are still reeling from the unexpected loss of their son, when Beth’s first love, Gabriel Wolfe, comes back to town newly divorced with his own son in tow.

After an accident on the farm, Beth finds herself entwined in Gabriel‘s life once more. Between flashbacks to their former romance and previews of a murder trial, the novel explores the love Beth has for both men.

Trigger Warnings
Death of a Child

Why Kirsten loves it
Hall paints, such a vivid picture and explores Beth’s feelings so well that I forgot I was reading fiction. I cried on numerous occasions and was left wanting more.

It reminds me of Where the Crawdads Sing in some ways and The Light We Lost in others. The mystery of who was shot and why was a masterful narrative choice that kept the story moving at a clip. I would give this novel six stars if I could I truly couldn’t put it down.

This story was utterly captivating. The characters felt so real, their struggles so raw. I found myself completely immersed in their world. Every turn of the plot hit me like a wave, leaving me breathless and emotionally drained in the best way possible. The way this author wove together love, loss, and hope was nothing short of masterful, making this a story that will stay with me long after I’ve turned the final page.

🐑 This is beautiful and tragic and messy and I was here for all of it. What a beautiful book you wrote @clarelesliehall. This is out next month— add it to your TBR’s now. Thank you @simonbooks for my gifted early copy.

🐑 The first two things that will draw you into this book are absolutely gorgeous writing, and the format. Composed of short, gripping chapters, and right at 300 pages, this … book… FLIES.

🐑 And amongst those 300 pages is an absolutely beautiful tale about life, and the decisions we make. About those decisions that are wrong but they are made all the same, and the only choice we have afterwards is to figure out how to move forward. About those moments that change everything, and how someone reacts to them, and how families react to them together.

🐑 While this is largely told through Beth’s POV, I adored the male characters most. They truly showed that actions speak louder than words.

🐑 You will likely not agree with these characters, but you will see the nuance and complexity that surrounds their decisions. And you will feel all the feelings for how the cope and move forward.

🐑 Ugh, there is so much packed into these 300 pages and it left me in a puddle of tears at the end. I truly enjoyed it and hope you do too.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book drew me in but once I started reading it, I just couldn’t get into it at all.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

This book is the type of novel that will weave its way slowly into your heart, squeeze it and then wring it dry. I cannot begin to describe the impact I feel after finishing this story. I’m going to be thinking about this story for awhile.

Broken Country is a book that will captivate many readers with a love story, tragedy, and a hook. Class and station and true love are foundational pillars throughout. I thought it was ok. The characters felt too archetypal (rich land-owner/humble, loving farmer/women caught between). The plot set up felt awkward and forced and the hook was an eye-roller for me. It's a very quick read and if you let yourself go and not get caught up in the obvious stereotypes and such, you'll enjoy the ride. I think I came into the book with different expectations and was let down. Heartfelt thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy.

A beautiful book. Quietly devastating and sad, but also hopeful and redeeming. I sobbed at the end, which should tell you all you need to know.

Dual timelines tell the story of teenage Beth and her summer romance with Gabriel, a classic rich boy/poor girl or city boy/country girl story that ends when Gabriel goes off to college. Beth moves on with with her seemingly perfect life in the present with her devoted husband, precocious little boy, and quiet farm life until Gabriel returns and tragedy strikes.

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

I was so looking forward to reading this book as I had heard such great things. With that being said there were aspects of the storyline I found interesting, this type of book is not my style and I found myself just wanting to finish the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC and Simon Books.

“𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙙.”


I’m searching the thesaurus for the proper adjectives to describe this book! Heartwrenching, piercing, gripping, and yet compassionate. Honestly, those words don’t do it justice.

Beth is a grieving mother, having lost her beloved son. She and her husband Frank, along with her brother-in-law, work their quiet farm in the English countryside. It is a simple life, but one she has chosen.

When a dog attacks one of the lambs and Beth’s brother-in-law shoots the dog, it sparks events that will change everything. The dog was owned by Gabriel Wolfe’s son, Leo. Gabriel was Beth’s first love, and now Gabriel has returned to the village. She is drawn to Leo, who reminds Beth of her late son, and she also longs to spend time with Leo, hence Gabriel.

Although this appears to be a love triangle at first glance, don’t underestimate it. This is a powder keg of emotions, events, and choices. From young romance to family secrets to courtroom scenes as someone stands trial for murder, the author reveals what we need to know with razor-sharp precision. We experience past and present highs and lows only to be greeted by heart-shattering twists.

Frank, Beth’s husband, is one of the most unforgettable characters I’ve read in a long time: all the stars and more for 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲.

Thank you @SimonBooks @simonandschuster and @ClareLeslieHall for the gifted ebook via NetGalley.