Title: Broken Country
Author: Clare Leslie Hall
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.50
Pub Date: March 4, 2025

I received a complimentary eARC from Simon & Schuster Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Layered • Sweeping • Sensitive

📖 S Y N O P S I S

“The farmer is dead. He is dead and all anyone wants to know is who killed him.”

When her brother-in-law shoots a dog going after their sheep, Beth doesn’t realize that the gunshot will alter the course of their lives. For the dog belonged to none other than Gabriel Wolfe, the man Beth loved as a teenager—the man who broke her heart all those years ago. Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son Leo, a boy who reminds Beth very much of her own son Bobby, who died a few years earlier.

As Beth is pulled back into Gabriel and Leo’s lives, tensions around the village rise, and jealousy rears its ugly head. Beth and her gentle and kind husband Frank are happily married, but they have their fair share of secrets, and their relationship relies on the past staying buried. And when the truth begins to come out, events spiral out of control, this time with deadly consequences. Beth is forced to make a choice—between the woman she once was, and the woman she has become.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I had Broken Country on my list of 2025 anticipated releases before it took the book world by absolute storm, because it sounded like exactly my type of book. The synopsis included several buzzwords of mine and while the infidelity trope isn't one I often feel drawn to, but there was just something about this one that stood out to me.

Told in alternating timelines, the writing style made for easy reading despite the heavier nature of the content. A story of grief and tragedy, of small town secrets, of complicated love, and of real and raw emotion, this genre bending story is one I couldn't put down. It's equal parts historical fiction, romance, and mystery that sucked me in and got better and better as it went.

The characterization is absolutely fantastic! Each character is deeply flawed in their own way and it all felt like something that could have actually happened. Yes, I questioned Beth's choices from time to time and it is her character alone that kept this from being a 5-star read. And then there is Frank. Frank is the type of character that will stick with me for years to come.

Without giving anything away, I'll say I didn't completely understand the hype (it hovered between 3.50 & 4.00 stars), until I COMPLETELY understood the hype. Broken Country is exactly the type of read that will stay with me long after turning the final page and it is highly likely it will find its way onto my favourites come years end. I had honestly never heard of this author before but will definitely be keeping eyes peeled for news on what she is working on new. This one would have a great pick for book clubs, offering a lot of topics of discussion.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• stories of first love
• love triangles
• flawed characters

⚠️ CW: death, child death, animal death, animal cruelty, gun violence, murder, injury/injury detail, blood, infidelity, grief, alcohol, alcoholism, pregnancy, sexual content, cursing, abortion, classism,

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"It’s strange, the patchwork stories we tell someone when we want them to catch up, a shortcut to knowing us, as if such a thing were possible."

"My boy, my lovely boy, skulled smashed, limbs broken and bloodied, but still him. Still mine. I lie down next to him as close as I can. He was right, the tree did make a huge gash in the earth."

Delighted to include this title in the March edition of Novel Encounters, my column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction for the Books section of Zoomer, Canada’s national lifestyle and culture magazine. (see column and mini-review at link)

Book Review: Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

If you’re a fan of emotionally charged stories with suspense, complex relationships, and simmering tension, Broken Country is a must-read. Set against the windswept beauty of 1960s rural England, this novel weaves a gripping tale of love lost, secrets buried, and the ripple effects of choices made long ago.

At its core, Broken Country is about Beth Johnson, a resilient sheep farmer’s wife whose world is upended when Gabriel Wolfe, her enigmatic first love, returns to their small village—bringing with him his young son and a storm of unspoken history. Beth’s current life with her husband Frank is built on quiet routine, but Gabriel’s reappearance ignites old passions and new tensions, pulling her into a love triangle that's as emotionally fraught as it is unpredictable.

What makes this story stand out is the dual timeline structure: the present day, where a mysterious death has led to a courtroom drama, and the past, slowly revealing the tangled web of relationships that led to the tragedy. This structure keeps the suspense sharp, gradually peeling back layers of truth and deception.

Clare Leslie Hall's writing is beautiful and atmospheric, capturing not just the emotional depth of her characters but also the rugged elegance of the countryside. The pacing is perfect—slow-burning at times, but with dramatic revelations that hit hard.

The love triangle is anything but cliché. Each character is fully realized, and the emotional stakes feel real and raw. You won’t know who to root for, and that's what makes it so compelling.

In short:
If you love historical fiction packed with drama, suspense, and forbidden love, Broken Country delivers all that and more—with a haunting intensity that lingers long after the last page.

This was a lovely read that quietly works its way in. It reminded me of Kristin Hannah, particularly True Colors and The Four Winds, with its blend of intimate family drama and sweeping emotional arcs. The narrative flows across three timelines, but the transitions are smooth and clear, maybe too clear? I wanted a few more surprises or deeper twists, nothing was unexpected to me. The characters’ motivations felt natural and understandable, which is impressive given we see them all through the lens of the main character. Everyone is flawed, deeply human, and loveable, except for HER (if you know, you know). The story explores themes of passion, love, heartbreak, guilt, and duty beautifully. It didn’t break me open, but it probably left an impression.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the advance copy.

. . . ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑
This was an unexpected excellent read. I have seen it around a lot, with accompanied high ratings, but sometimes the hype isn’t real - in this case, for me, it was.

I definitely didn’t expect this to be such an immersive read. I fell right into this book and was entirely swept up by the plot and characters. The back-and-forth and alternating timeline definitely aided in pulling me into the story and finding it hard to put down. I all but devoured this book, something I would have never suspected and is a huge testament to the author’s ability to weave a tale.

I feel like some aspects of this book may have had a lukewarm reception in the context of sympathizing or empathizing with Beth’s choices, but I think sometimes, not everything is entirely black and white. The pull of and emotional ties from a first love, in combination with both the feeling and unrest of the path-not-taken and unfinished business, are described through an understanding of their weight and influence, which I feel is honest.

In terms of plot, while I had anticipated some the of events, there was definitely few moments that surprised me. Without giving spoilers, it did good job of having a story arc while offering up some surprised.

There’s also a spotlight here in the weight of unbearable loss. The author also did a good job of highlighting secondary losses within grief. When you endure a life-shattering loss, your grief can become an insular experience, even if the loss is a shared one. One thing in particular that I noted was the commentary on how other people become uncomfortable with your grief and have a tendency to not allow space for it, including the ability to talk about the person you lost. Not allowing space for you to talk about the person you lost is almost like a repeated or secondary loss.

Ultimately, for me, this was entirely worthy of the hype it stirred and an excellent read.

~👩🏻‍🦰

I loved this book, this story, these characters. Flawed, human, real! It starts with a death, a bit of a who dun it, but ultimately a love story, and what a love story. This had all the 'feels' - plus, courtroom drama. I had to force myself to read it slowly, because I wasn't sure I was ready for the end, or even the middle. definitely one of the best books i've read so far this year, if not the best.

The only reason this soap opera even gets two stars from me is because I did enjoy the first half of it, the loss of a child and all that went with those feelings, I felt it as a mother. More than halfway in, however, I knew this would not get from me because of the infidelity, the whining, how this mother dealt with the loss of her child by involving another child and a former lover.

The story was a flipping mess. Why it’s rated so highly is a mystery to me. Why women choose to read about infidelity, be it physical or emotional, is a mystery to me. Although the ending is somewhat satisfying, it is unrealistic. Oh my gosh, I could go on but there would be too many spoilers. Moving on.

Thank you Net Galley for an advanced peek. Glad I didn’t purchase this one.

I will be thinking about this book all year. Part character driven family drama, part mystery, part love triangle, this book grabbed a hold of me and ripped my heart in so many different directions. We are sucked into the mystery immediately and the dual timeline was expertly written. I can't say enough good things about Broken Country. Read it!

This book really surprised me! Based on the cover, I didn’t think it would be a favourite of mine. It also felt like a little bit of a slow start for me, so I didn’t think I was going to gain much interest. But it didn’t take long for me to be completely invested in this heart-wrenching story.

You’ve got Beth and her husband Frank who are farmers. Then you throw in Gabriel, Beth’s first true love, who has returned to her small town after years of not speaking. And with Gabriel is Leo, his son, who reminds Beth so much of Bobby, her own little boy who died in a tragic accident.

See what I mean by heart-wrenching?

The story has a variety of timelines and bounces back and forth between them, which kept things interesting and put the pieces of the plot together nicely. I found myself not wanting to put this one down at all, which is always a lovely feeling.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for my gifted copy!

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall is a captivating novel set in a rural countryside that alternates between the past and present, with multiple timelines weaving through the narrative. The book dives deep into a love story intertwined with a mystery, complete with a plot twist that keeps you turning the pages. It’s a definite page-turner that captures attention from start to finish.

With its emotional depth and twists, it’s no surprise that Broken Country has become one of the buzziest books on Bookstagram. In fact, it already feels like the kind of story that’s destined for a movie adaptation. At its heart, it’s a tale of heartbreak, with the kind of emotional resonance that lingers long after you finish the book.

While the novel is engaging, there are moments where it feels a bit far-fetched and predictable, relying on familiar tropes that might feel cliché to some readers. It’s a book full of well-worn conventions, making it a typical pick for a book club, but it doesn’t detract from the overall enjoyment. Broken Country is undeniably full of feels, offering an immersive experience that allows you to completely lose yourself in its world.

Broken Country is a beautifully emotional read with characters you can’t help but feel deeply connected to and writing that will absolutely knock your socks off. There is no question why this book is getting so much hype!

This story is told using multiple timelines which I found to be a very effective way of unraveling this mystery and getting to know the lives of the characters. The trial chapters sprinkled throughout kept me on the edge of my seat, I HAD to know what happened!

The ending of this story is one of the best I’ve ever read! The way the author pieced everything together was nothing short of masterful - my heart was broken into a million little pieces and then glued back together within the final few pages. Goosebumps and butterflies all around.

Personally, there were some aspects of the novel that I just couldn’t overlook and this impacted my reading experience and overall how much I enjoyed this story but it was still a book I would recommend to the majority!

I will be SHOCKED if Reese doesn’t turn this one into a movie and I’ll likely be there in the front row with my mother and grandma who I already know will be HUGE fans of this book!

A love triangle/mystery novel set in the late ‘60’s, this is perfect for fans of a great sweeping relationship saga.

This is a book that’s tough to review as I don’t want to give too much away. It’s much better to go in blind to this one imo.

I enjoyed the strong imagery of this story, and while I determined one of the twists early one, I was stunned by the one at the end. I will definitely look forward to more from the author.

On another note, one of the main themes in this book is possible infidelity, and while I know this is a troublesome plot point for a lot of readers, I am personally comfortable with reading books that don’t align with my own values.

Pick this one up if you’re in a reading slump or want a great binge read!

I’m probably one of the few readers not raving about this book enough to give it five stars. It could have just been the mood I was in while reading. I loved the story, and the characters will tug at your heartstrings; the novel is beautifully written and successfully weaves several genres, including mystery, family drama, and historical fiction. The only reason I didn’t give it a full five stars is that I don’t usually enjoy books that deal with the tragic loss of a child, and I guessed at all the story’s mysteries that others found shocking. Still a solid four star rating and this will be the first book pick for a recent book club my friends and I have started! I would recommend Broken Country to others, especially those who enjoyed Where the Crawdads Sing. Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an advance e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

What a great surprise this book was! I suspect it will be one of 2025’s bestsellers.

The story follows Beth and her relationship with two men, Gabriel, a well-to-do writer, and Frank, a local farmer. The story takes place in a dual timeline: we meet Beth in 1955 when she first meets Gabriel, and then again in 1968, when she is married to Frank and they are struggling to heal from the death of their only son. When Gabriel returns to town with his own son, Beth is forced to confront her doubts and navigate the impact of her uncertainty on both families.

It’s a complex (yet simple) story that is hard to summarize; it’s a mix between a love story, family drama, court drama, and murder mystery… all set in a small close-knit English countryside town.

I loved Hall’s writing style. Simple short chapters that draw you in from the first page. I also loved her storytelling approach. The book is written in such a way that you are left wondering, until midway through the book, which of the characters was killed, and who is being accused of the murder. When you find out, you are surprised, heartbroken and confused… how did this particular murder end up happening? It doesn’t make sense!

This book has several unexpected twists and turns that I did not see coming but that all made sense in the end. I strongly encourage it for anyone who gravitates to literary or family fiction but loves a bit of mystery along the way.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

*Broken Country* by Clare Leslie Hall is a gripping blend of love, mystery, and suspense. Beth's seemingly perfect life with her husband, Frank, is shattered when her first love, Gabriel, returns to their village with his young son, triggering buried emotions and secrets. As tensions rise, Beth must confront her past and make an impossible choice. The novel masterfully toggles between past and present, exploring love, loss, and the dangerous consequences of unresolved desires. With a shocking twist and unforgettable characters, *Broken Country* is a must-read for fans of *Where the Crawdads Sing* and *The Paper Palace*.

Wow, this historical fiction debut set in the 1960s was getting crazy buzz and I finally understand why!!! I flew through this book about an unconventional love story, second chances, grief, loss and tragedy. It's best to dive into this one pretty blind and just go along for the ride. I promise your emotions will be all over the place and there's a great couple twists at the end!! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This was also good on audio narrated by Hattie Morahan and perfect for fans of books like Ask again, yes by Mary Beth Keane.

CW: tragic loss of a young child, gun violence

4.5 stars

I was so excited to get my hands on this one before pub day! I kept seeing glowing reviews for it. This story was emotional with complex relationships, secrets with past and present timelines. There was one thing that I didn’t love about this one, but the ending redeemed it for me.

Thanks to Netgalley, Simon & Schuster Canada | Simon & Schuster for my e copy arc in exchange for my honest review.

If you are looking for your next emotional read, this book is it.

This book is so beautifully written. I absolutely devoured it in 24 hours. I couldn't put it down. It's a love story, but it's historical fiction, but it also has elements of a suspense and thriller... It is powerful and heartbreaking and completely captivating. A must-read for fans of The Paper Palace and Where The Crawdads Sing.

I don't want to give too much away as this is a book you will want to experience. There's a married woman. There's the husband she loves. There's a lost love returning. There's a child and there isn't. There's grief, and there's passion, and then something terrible happens that threatens to ruin everything. You will cycle through every emotion while reading this book.

Why wasn't it a 5 read read for me?

I've been told before that I am a very black and white person and I have trouble with books where characters are not truthful or knowingly cause pain to others- it stops me from fully enjoying a book, but I recognize this is a ME problem. I buddy read this with a few other book readers, and they absolutely LOVED it, and it has been receiving glowing reviews from EVERYONE.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for my physical copy in exchange for my honest review.

Broken Country is a publishes at the beginning of March, and it’s a book that I think you’ll be seeing a lot of. Apparently @hellosunshine has already secured the film rights, so I imagine it will be the Reese pick for March?

After seeing a handful of five star reviews, I was eagerly anticipating reading this. It’s a bit of a genre bender- part historical fiction (taking place in the 1960’s) with some romance and courtroom drama as well. I liked how the book was structured, moving between past and present kept the pace moving, and there were some twists I wasn’t expecting. I think for me, I just tend to feel uneasy with love triangle scenarios- just can’t always get behind them. Plus, the actions of the MC at times left me feeling frustrated, although I did appreciate that she did take accountability for the messy situation she found herself in.

So my verdict on this one is- more of a like than a love. But I do think there will be a lot of love for it when it publishes next month.

🎀 ARC Review 🎀

PUB Date: March 3rd 2025

My Rating : ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ All the stars !

Oh where do I start and how do I do this review spoiler free 🤔

I loved this book!!

This book made me cry more than once , and that rarely happens.

Told through 3 timelines back and forth and done very well.

This is a love story triangle that had me rooting for everyone, how is that possible 🤷🏻‍♀️

There is tragedy and serendipity healing ❤️‍🩹

There is someone on trial and accused of murder but we don’t know who it is ..

This is a story that is thought provoking in a way that questioned my morals .

This is a beautifully told unique love story 💕

This possibly will be in my top 10 reads for 2025 !

If you’re looking for a captivating love story that the author dances us around tiny little bread crumbs scattered throughout the story setting the pace keeping you gripped to the very end , then add this to your TBR I promise you’ll enjoy this one 🫶🏼

Thank you NetGalley, Simon & Schuster & Clare Leslie Hall for this delightful ARC ❤️