I went into this not knowing anything about it other than a suspected love triangle based on the synopsis. It’s a different book than I expected, but I hadn’t read reviews and didn’t pay attention to the marketing. Turns out, it’s probably best I didn’t. This book is being marketed as, “the most addictive love story of the year,” “a sweeping love story,” and “a novel of simmering passion.” This is not at all the book I read, it really isn’t. The author says she was influenced by Atonement and the publisher says it’s perfect for fans of Where the Crawdads Sing, this comparison rings much more true to me.

I think the draw of this story is the twists and turns it takes so I don't want to talk about plot details but I will say there’s a love triangle, explosive consequences, and while I wouldn’t expect a passionate romance, I would describe Broken Country as something of a love story with the heart of a suspense novel and twists of a thriller. It’s also historical fiction (something else I didn’t realize going in) set in the 50/60s British countryside. It took me a minute to settle into the story, by about 30% I was well oriented and eager to see where the story went. This book will best suit readers who appreciate twists and turns.

I really loved Broken Country. I couldn't put it down! It was such an emotional and thrilling read. It was such a fun ride to try to put everything together and figure out what happened. It would be a fun book club read as this book would generate some good discussions.

This isn't the type of book I usually pick up, but I'm so glad I did! This book was the definition of a page turner. Every chapter I would think to myself...just one more and then I ended up finishing it in less than two days. I can totally see why everyone is comping this to Where the Crawdad Sings. The trial element interspersed with the time jumps made it feel like a similar experience to reading Crawdad. I love the flawed characters and my heart broke while reading this book more than once. Something about this book really captures a certain vulnerability and frailty in human nature, but also a resilience and understanding of who these characters were and what they were willing to do. I don't want to say too much about the plot because it really is a book that unfolds in really interesting ways. I'm not going to lie, there are a lot of twists and turns this book takes and while some of them I did guess, I did open mouth gasp at one point.

I can totally see why this book is popular with book clubs and why it already has a tv/movie adaption in the works. The story of Beth, her husband Franky, her past love Gabriel and their intertwining and bittersweet story will stay with me for awhile.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love this book! It is perfectly paced and beautifully written. I loved the dual timelines. I tried so hard to figure out the ending, but all the twist made it impossible! Highly recommend!

I know this book has gotten so much buzz and popular feedback, so of course I needed to read, and in my case listen, to it right away.

I did enjoy the storyline and how it was structured. I think part of me was a little annoyed at times by the miscommunication of the two main character's; if they were just honest with each other right away in their younger years, there wouldn't have been any doubt or misunderstandings that drastically changed their lives.

Overall, it was a good read, but it did have some things that bugged me.

This book is good, but it wasn't for me. I lean more towards mystery/thriller and this had a very slow start and it just seemed to drag on too much for me. Almost to the point that I didn't care about the characters.

I devoured this book. It showed so many different types of love. The way the mystery unfolded kept me enraptured from the very first chapter. This book, when you boiled it down, was just about someone's normal country life amidst hardship. I can't explain what was so addicting about it! The writing was well done. I knew all of the characters so well. I was coming up with theories constantly and was never sure I was right at any point. Beautifully done. It was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. I loved this book!

Beth and her husband Frank have been through a lot, including the loss of their son in a tragic accident. Beth's old fling moves back to town with his son (who reminds Beth a lot of her son), which stirs up a lot of history.

I have been seeing this book everywhere, and I couldn't resist the FOMO. I'm glad I picked it up so I know what the hype is all about. There were things around the love triangle that bothered me, so I couldn't give it 5 stars. But the story sucked me right in and I flew through this book in one day. I loved the short chapters.

I went into this book basically blind and I ended up really enjoying it. I felt like it crossed genres. It was a love story but filled with suspense. There was a murder trial, a love triangle, complicated family dynamics and it dealt topics of grief and forgiveness. This story had one POV and three different timelines that created the perfect type of writing for binging it. An emotional and heartbreaking read that I think is perfect for a book slump!

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
This was a layered story that took a little to get into on my part. With the circumstances at the onset of the story, I was hesitant to find a connection but when I did, it was a great story!
The central character is Beth, she is happily married, and surviving the loss of her son. Gabriel, a friend from the past, moves back to town with his young son. His son hauntingly reminds Beth of who she lost and she has a past with Gabriel that ended with heartache.
Dangerous secrets and jealousy resurface with severe consequences. Beth has to choose her past or present, both with significant risks.
This was a heartbreaking story of self-realization, redemption, and forgiveness. The characters are well developed and the story is just layered so well with different perspectives. There are twists but I do think this story is strongly character driven. I connected with the aspects of loss and pain experienced with the characters.
I recommend this book, it’s a complicated story but worth your time to experience it. 4/5⭐
I would like to Thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review an ARC of this book.

This is probably my book of the year so far even though it's early in the year. The characters and the settings were so well written and the complexities of the relationships and the case. The twists weren't that well hidden but I didn't feel like they needed to be I thought it was just right. I think the only thing I would have changed is the description of Bobby's body, I felt like that was too graphic.

There are simply no words to adequately describe how much I love this book! Please get your hands on this book as soon as you are able - I highly recommend.

Great book! I didn’t want to put it down. All the characters were vividly described and you got to know each one of their personalities.

This book is amazing, definitely one of my top books for the year. The story is a haunting story of love and loss, sacrifice and redemption. I loved every word of this book.
The book opens dramatically - with a statement - the farmer is dead. It takes quite a while to find out who is dead and who killed them. The story unfolds layer by layer, alternating between before (1955) and now (1968). At the center is the relationship between Beth, Frank, and Gabriel. It is a story with longing and you can feel the heartache on each page.
I devoured this book in just a few hours, and will be recommending it to everyone!

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall is a sweeping tale about love, grief and secrets.

As you can imagine, I had really high expectations for this one. But I didn’t quite love it like a lot of people do. It is an intriguing story, but this is a case where I actually think it needed to be longer (it sits at 320 pages), and I needed more character development.

But it is quite an emotional ride, and I thought the ending was good. So while it wasn’t a book I fell in love with, I did enjoy aspects. But there are also elements I was not a fan of as well. But if you didn’t love it like me, you’re not alone! Sometimes the big, buzzy books don’t work for us, and that’s okay too.

This book has it all. This is a gorgeously written, thriller, heartbreaking love story with believable characters. It grabbed me from page one and did not let me go until the unexpected ending. It is the Wow book of the year. Highly recommend – 5+stars!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an early read in exchange for a fair review. Best book of the year!

This is one of those books that grabs you right away. I am a huge dog lover, and the opening almost turned me off, but it did grab my attention. There is so much to this book - family drama, mystery, relationships, etc. Very well developed plot and characters. This will be a good book club book.

I can see why this book is so popular right now and loved by many!

This is a book about grief and forgiveness. I recently read What Happened to the McCrays? and they had very similar vibes and themes. I do kind of wished I wouldn't have read these so close to one another lol.

But, I think this was a very well written book. I enjoyed seeing the story unravel, even if it broke my heart.

I'd recommend this book if you enjoy complicated relationships, and maybe enjoy shedding a tear or two while reading 🥲

Beth lives in a quaint village in the English countryside. As a teenager in the 1950s, while most of her peers dream of marriage and babies, Beth, a studious girl, dreams of studying literature and poetry at Oxford. The summer before her final year of high school, she wanders through a meadow and meets Gabriel. They fall madly in love. Gabriel, a year older and extremely wealthy, shares her passion for writing. He is beautiful, gentle, and completely captivates Beth’s heart. However, his controlling mother disapproves, believing Beth isn’t good enough for her son. Determined to keep them apart, she does everything in her power to sabotage their relationship. Fast-forward to the late 1960s—Beth is married to Frank. Together, they run a large farm with his brother, Jimmy, while still mourning the loss of their son, Bobby. After a decade of silence, Gabriel suddenly returns. The village erupts in gossip, judging Beth for reconnecting with her first love. Through it all, kind and steadfast Frank remains unwavering in his commitment to their marriage and farm. Shifting between past and present, we are led to a courtroom trial. Someone stands accused of murder. But who is on trial? Who was killed? And why? This novel is a breathtaking rollercoaster of love, heartbreak, and secrets. Suspenseful and beautifully crafted these short, gripping chapters make it utterly unputdownable. The biggest compliment I can ever give a book: I didn’t want it to end.

I first heard about this book from the Currently Reading Murderful episode in 2024, but wanted to wait until spring time to read it because they mentioned it gave off spring time "All Creatures Great and Small" vibes meets the mystery vibes of "Where The Crawdad's Sing". They were right...now is the prefect time to read this book! I totally get why this has been hyped up by everyone and their mother...it's that good! I'm sure we are all desperate to get a hold of the author's 2 other books that haven't been released in the US...yet! Shout out to NetGalley for the ARC!