This carefully crafted story straddles the romance-mystery genre in a now-then pattern that works surprisingly well, not leaving readers confused once they find the rhythm. The writing is so good at the beginning that some passages invite a rereading just to savor the quality of word choice. Although this fades somewhat as the plot takes over, the quality never deteriorates to the point of making the reader rush through to finish the story. Steamy sex, hard farm labor, love of place, and the dilemma of deep love unconfined by the conventions of monogamy overlay a plot that appears to have missing pieces, all of which are resolved in a satisfying denoument. The title seems to be a bit of a misnomer, though, as it is the country that heals and holds the whole messy situation together. If not for the love of the land, these characters would have no hope of a happy ending.

This story centers around a family living on a farm in England. The beginning of the story starts with Jimmy, the brother in law, shooting and killing a dog going after the sheep on tbe farm. The dog ends up belonging to Gabriel Wolfe, one of Beth’’s former flames, a man she feel in love with as a teenager. Beth befriends Leo, who is Gabriel’s son and becomes involved in their lives, which ends up being detrimental to several people in the community.. This book touches on love and loss with tbe twists and turns of a thriller. I highly recommend this book. It was a quick read that I was not able to put down. Thanks Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster books for this ARC for review. This was a winding story about a love triangle and what happens in a small town when you misbehave and get caught. Beth was with Gabriel when she was young, but they broke up and his mother never wanted them to be together. Then Beth married Frank, and she really does love him. They have a happy home together. But Gabriel is and always will be her first love. Tensions rise when a dog is shot, and Beth is pulled back into Gabriel's life, and they begin an affair. This pulls apart everyone's life when secrets are finally revealed.

My poor heart feels like it was torn out, shredded into pieces and handed back to put back together. It may be a bit before I can actually do so. What a simple, yet complex and heartbreaking story about life, love and loss. It was so beautifully and richly told. The characters so perfectly flawed. And Frank, oh Frank. What a truly good and selfless man. He was there to pick up all the pieces for everyone and hold them all together. I have no words for how much I love that man, who he was, and the choices he had to make. I'm not crying...I swear (sniff, sniff).

Really good book about love and heartbreak. I didn't expect much when I started this but wow this got me in my feels! So good

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

A fascinating, heart-wrenching, emotional book. It's filled with so many big emotions that we face daily in our lives. I love the dual timeline {which does get a little confusing in parts} but overall, a beautiful book that I enjoyed reading.

Broken Country is a captivating and immersive read that will appeal to fans of suspenseful literary fiction. It is a story of love, loss, and the consequences of our actions, with a truly satisfying and unexpected conclusion.

There's a lot going on with this one. Shifts in timeline, sort of a mystery, sort of a tragidrama. I lost the thread about halfway through and didn't finish. I can see others liking this one, but it's just not my cup of tea.

This book brought me the tears. Beth is a woman who loves her farmer husband but she has a past also. That past brings back old love and heartbreak. I wondered how much heartbreak one family could endure and still survive. I was definitely turning the pages to find out.

Thank you to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC to read and review.

What a beautiful and captivating novel. Beth fell in love with Gabriel as a young woman and it was pretty much doomed from the start with their different background & social status. While this was happening, Frank was watching and loving her from afar while taking care of his family's farm. There is SO much to this story and I do not want to ruin it for anyone, but this is a MUST read. I loved it from start to finish and the ending had me crying happy years.

This is an amazing book! The story is captivating and the characters are so memorable, identifiable and likable. These are real people with real world emotions and problems. There is a suspenseful piece as well that isn’t revealed until almost the end of the book. I don’t like to recap the story in my review ( you can get that anywhere). I truly thank NetGalley for the ARC.

The Love Triangle

This is a love story filled to the top with emotions. I don’t think I can even list them all. It is filled with love, young love, enduring love, love of a child, heartbreak, heartache, happiness, sadness, excitement, guilt, regret, forgiveness and so much more.

The romance of Beth and Gabriel, the newness of first love, the laughter, then the breakup and the heartache. The lies told, the misunderstandings.

Then two new beginnings for both Beth with kind and loving Frank the farmer, and Gabriel with the society woman his mother picked. Everything seems to be good until Gabriel returns with his young son.

In the weeks after Gabriel’s return Beth and Gabriel become close and an affair becomes. This will tear both families apart with a young child in the middle and ending with a tragedy that will scar everyone. The ending you will not guess and you will not forget.

There are many twists and turns and as it goes back and forth between past and present. It is done seamlessly and easy to read.

It is a book which will take you through many paths and surround you in conflicting emotions, lies, and misunderstandings.

I received a copy for free to read and have left my review voluntarily and in my own words.

Compelling story of love, betrayal and redemption. Two people from vastly different backgrounds fall in love and through misunderstanding, break apart. Years go by and life happens before they meet again and rekindle their love affair. Unforeseen consequences are disastorous. But in the end, love conquers all…just not the way you may have thought.

This was a good read, filled with lots of emotions. I loved the author writing and the mystery aspect was good.

This was so darn good! A very touching love triangle. How can a woman deeply love two men at the same time? This author tells us how and it’s a tender story that you know won’t end well for all three. The author also portrays a grieving mother well. (I can relate). Really well done. An author to watch!

In Clare Leslie Hall’s BROKEN COUNTRY, a lot seems broken: broken hearts, broken lives, broken promises. In fact, the only thing not broken is the country which Hall lovingly describes in striking detail. Despite the hard work farming entails, the land, whether the family farm or the family estate near North Dorset, the land, not Oxford which figures briefly, is where each character’s true mettle, and true passion, is revealed.

The story is told in fractured timelines, before and now, with a final jump to the future. It is easy to follow though because the story is streamlined and compelling. I enjoyed both strands and doubt Hall would have been able to create the necessary suspense without splitting up the time. It was a small price to pay for the combined passion and mystery this book delivers. I read it compulsively to the end.

The only quibble I had with the book was the main character Beth. I didn’t always like her. I understand we’re not supposed to endorse her decisions throughout but so many times, I would say NO, don’t do it! I never like watching a train wreck and, at times, I wondered if the author pushed the unlikable protagonist too far. But ultimately I decided the book worked. Who isn’t flawed? And she certainly came through her experiences a different person. The book is quite well written and I kept returning to finish it. What else can a reader ask for?

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Simon & Schuster for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall 4.5
What a treat to read this story before it is even officially published. Story of family – love – This is the story of Beth who fell in love with Gabriel as a teenager – were inseparable until they entered college – then things seemed to fall apart – as time goes by Beth marries Frank and has a son Bobby whom they both adore. But as things happen they lose him – time goes by and Gabriel returns with his son and then another story starts again. I did not In the least suspect what was going to happen and how this story ended. I believe you will be surprised as well. I believe you will enjoy this story and when it ends will you be as surprised as I at the ending? Enjoy!

Tons of raw emotions throughout this book. The book explores the story of a couple in great detail. Hall's writing is fresh but classic at the same time. I found the story captivating. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book already had one thing going against it with me: Farm life. Farm life 😑 I’m from Iowa; don’t give me that mess!

It’s neither thriller nor romance though there is some mystery trying to keep track of the different timelines.

There was a mystery twist at the end which didn’t add much to the plot. It’s an okay book, certainly competently written.

It just wasn’t for me, sorry.

This was a fantastic read! It was a bit hard to get into at first, but after I acclimatized to the style, I read it voraciously. It was well written and the characters just came to life. I loved that scenes were descriptive but not overly so. Beth was lovely but flawed, I definitely identified with her. Great story and loved it!