Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall is one book that will stay with me for a very long time, and it was a book that took my breath away and I had to grab some tissues and lots of them. The author wrote from her heart and was so beautifully written from start to finish. . . . . . .

Brocken Country was a beautiful love story with great pace and twists of a thriller, with great characters who had to make some impossible choices, and these had explosive consequences that toggles between the past and present to explore the far reaching legacy of first love.

WoW . . . . . . . .This was a book I read in one sitting and I can not recommend it enough. . . . . Just Beautiful!

Big Thank you to NetGalley and John Murray Press | John Murray for my ARC.

Considering the buzz surrounding this book, both from the publisher and reviewers, it was with no small amount of trepidation that I picked it up. Hype, after all, can so often be exactly that: exaggerated propaganda.

Let me tell you, though, every single word of praise heaped on Broken Country is totally justified. It’s stunning in every respect, from the exquisite prose to the beautifully crafted storytelling to the humanness of its gently flawed characters. It’s a triumph of a debut, and I finished it feeling like I’d been pulled through an emotional wringer.

Its essence is the story of a tragic love triangle, but to describe it as such is to underplay its carefully constructed layers and simmering, eviscerating power. Opening with a murder, the narrative immediately draws you in, throwing out the questions: who and by whom, and why.

The answers are revealed but gradually and are so skilfully mired in misdirection and obfuscation as to completely wrong foot the reader. It’s the best kind of slow burn: tantalising, richly atmospheric, and relentlessly gripping.

And the characters! Star-crossed first loves, Beth and Gabriel, and stoic, dependable, big-hearted Frank. Boldly drawn, flaws and all, who could fail to empathise with the turmoil of emotions in all three.

Author Clare Leslie Hall holds back on the twists until the very end, producing them like so many rabbits from a hat to gasps of surprise from her audience. I saw none of them coming, but what they revealed eviscerated me. Even now, a week after finishing the book, my heart still feels raw.

I adored everything about Hall’s tangled web of love, loss, grief, guilt and atonement, but appreciated most of all the reminder that beautiful, generous souls can and do exist in this crazy world.

An interesting plot but still not a book I can rave about. I’m in the minority but that’s ok. I can only give it three star rating because it seemed over complicated to me. I would still recommend it though as it has an original plot.

A gripping read by Clare Leslie Hall, full of drama, a love triangle, long lost love with disastrous consequences. Could imagine this being serialised for tv, one of those novels you can’t put down. Short chapters gave it the appearance of a thriller read and kept me engrossed as secrets were revealed right to the end.

The scene is set in a farming community during the 1960s, Beth Johnson is married to Frank a farmer and is grieving the death of their son Bobby, some years earlier, Her first love Gabriel appears on the scene, a single parent with his son who needs a maternal influence and Beth finds herself feeling needed and somehow filling the hole in her life, albeit being with her first love.

Thanks to the author, publishers and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

*Broken Country* by Clare Leslie Hall had been buzzing around the bookstagram world for months, with so many readers raving about it, and I couldn’t wait to dive in. The story promises a mix of unresolved past loves, buried secrets, and suspenseful twists, all set against a backdrop of mystery and courtroom drama. While I wouldn’t necessarily label it a traditional thriller, the tension and intrigue are undeniable.

I went into it expecting a raw, emotional, and twist-filled journey, but honestly, it didn’t hit me on that deeper level I was hoping for. It felt a bit surface-level for my taste, and I didn’t connect with the story as much as I anticipated. That said, I know I’m definitely in the minority here — so many readers have been deeply moved by it, and I can totally see why it resonates with others. If you’re into stories with buried secrets and suspenseful drama, this one might just be your next great read!

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall is a book I’d been hearing about for some months. Early readers have been raving about it and I was so keen to read it. It’s described as ‘an epic love story with the pulse of a thriller that asks: what would you risk for a second chance at first love?‘. Well, I thought this book was wonderful.

It’s beautiful portrayal of love: from first love, to more settled married love, brotherly love and parental love. The passion Beth feels for Gabriel never really left her after they broke up due to a mis-communication and some external interference. Ten years of so later, now happily married to Frank, though with tragedy in their past, when she meets Gabriel again that flame is clearly still burning brightly.

I loved the way the author told her story. The narrative weaves between two main times with chapters around a trial interspersed. Through this, we gradually learn about what happened between Gabriel and Beth, the tragedy which Beth and Frank experienced, the shockwaves caused by Gabriel’s return and what happened the fateful night that led to a murder. It’s so cleverly done too that at first you don’t eve know who is on trial and who has died.

The three main characters of Beth, Frank and Gabriel are all beautifully drawn and you can’t hep but be drawn into their lives and understand the impossible choices they were faced with. The supporting characters were good too and I was particularly fond of Beth’s parents.

A emotional story of passion, tragedy and love, Broken Country really is an epic love story with the suspense of a thriller threaded through it. I loved it.

This is the kind of book that tells you it's going to break your heart but keeps you hooked because you need to know how.

Now look, I’m not a fluffy romance kinda gal, but give me something with heart and depth and I’ll devour it. I got all of this and more with Broken Country. I was wrecked by the end. And that never happens.

At the very start, there is a murder but we don’t know who has been killed. From then on, the book moves seamlessly between the ‘before’ (1955), 1968 and the trial (1969). And what starts off as a murder whodunnit story, unravels into a beautiful but tragic love story.

The characters are all so well written and they add so much warmth and depth to the story (apart from a couple but there’s always a few) that I honestly felt like I’d known them for years. The setting of the English countryside is gorgeous and Clare did a beautiful job of painting such a vivid picture of the outdoors. And the plot twists at the end? I never saw any of them coming.

This is going to be a favourite for so many this year and it deserves all the praise.

Broken Country is a very special book which is going to stay with me for a very long time.

Instead of spending time trying to work out what twists may happen along the way, I just immersed myself into the beautiful storytelling and it was a joy to simply enjoy the brilliant writing and realistic characters without over thinking it. This book has a lot going on with definite crime/courtroom drama, but at the heart of it is love, in all its forms.

I didn’t want it to end and feel rather bereft now it has! Usually I’m starting another book straight away but I’m going to take some time to just remember and saviour this one for a day or two.

I rarely think of reading a book again (too many books, too little time) but I will definitely take the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version as I truly feel with the right narrator, this story will be outstanding.

Thank you to NetGalley and John Murray Press for the eARC of this wonderful book.

Broken Country is a typical live story that doesn’t go the typical way.
Beth meets Gabriel at the age of seventeen, he is born rich and Beth is just a girl from the village. They fall badly in love and then Gabriel deodars for university. They split up and Beth falls straight into the arms of the local farmer that has always admired her. They have a child, tragedy strikes and their lives are never the same again. Beth meets by chance Gabriel and their love rekindles but with it brings another tragedy. Who did what and who will take the punishment?
This was quite slow going but it held my attention. It’s a typical love story but a lot happens within the book to make it not be. There are twists as none knows until the end why things have happened and why the outcomes were as they are. It does have you sitting on the edge of your seat at times and it is an emotional read in lots of ways. The characters to be fair were all likeable and with the book flitting between timelines this helps get background on why characters behave like they do. A decent read that is a different genre to what I usually read but kept me hooked until the end.
I would like to thank NetGalley and John Murray Press for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

"This is a love story with too many beginnings. I refuse to think about how it is going to end."
Broken Country is one of those books that leaves a lasting impact long after you finish it. It is also one of those books where you know that something ominous is about to happen, but you don't know when or where and for this reason, I literally had a pit in my stomach for most of the book.
I thought that Beth and Gabriel's teenage romance was beautiful and heartbreaking. One thing that stood out was that all the characters were likeable. Caught up in circumstances, their vulnerabilities and emotions felt real. The author has truly done a remarkable job.

Every so often along comes a novel and you just know . . .

Beth thought Gabriel was the love of her life; for one long summer in her teens they were inseperable until Gabriel left to become the person his mother thought he should be leaving Beth in pieces. Frank was the man who picked her up and mended her broken heart and they've been happily married ever since. Then her brother-in-law shoots a dog which is worrying their sheep and, just like that, Gabriel is back in their life - it was his dog. Along with his son, Leo, the connection is made and Beth doesn't seem able to resist his charms . . .

Oh, this is such a wonderful novel. For me, it was a slow burner but so worth hanging in there and then, when it speeded up, I wanted it to slow down again. It's one of those books which lingers at the back of your mind long after you've finished. I know it's only the beginning of the third month of the year, but I consider that this will be a contender for my book of the year - yes, it's THAT good. Naturally, it merits all five sparkling stars and my very highest recommendation.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley.

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

I flew through this book over the weekend. It is such an addictive read and I think that everyone will be talking about it.

The book focuses on the love stories between Beth and Gabriel and later Beth and Frank. It is part love story and part thriller and will definitely keep your attention and will bring up lots of emotion.

I loved this book so much that I straight away purchased the authors two other novels and can't wait to read them!

Thank you to negalleyuk, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Broken Country is out today.

I saw lots of other early readers saying this was rip up me apart and break my heart in the best way, and yes, that’s exactly what it did.

Really, at the heart of it, this is about how humans think and act and feel and how love can influence those decisions in ways you couldn’t even imagine.

The story goes between several different timelines but was easy to follow. And it was very easy to read, whilst also being very difficult to get through (because of all the crying, of course). I quite literally flew through the story, desperate to know what had happened and what was going to happen.

It’s a very small cast of characters that the story centres around and I really felt that even within mere pages, I knew them so deeply and every emotion they felt, I was feeling.

This was a heartbreaker, and it’s just one you have to read and cry over to understand

I really enjoyed this story although I found it a little slow. This however didn’t detract from a proper love story. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, end up separating before meeting many years later. in the meantime girl has married someone else.

The narrative gives us an in depth insight into each of the characters and gives a great base for the story.

There are a few twists which I only worked out just before they happened and the story did keep me interested right to the last page

Beth was seventeen when she first met Gabriel & over one heady, intense summer, he made her think, feel & see differently. She thought it was the start of her great love story but when Gabriel left to become the person his mother expected him to be, she was broken. It was Frank who picked up the pieces & together they built a home very different from the one she'd imagined with Gabriel. Watching her husband & son, she remembered feeling so sure that, after everything, this was the life she was supposed to be leading. But then Gabriel comes back & all Beth's certainty about who she is & what she wants crumbles. Even after ten years, their connection is instant. She knows it's wrong and she knows people could get hurt. But how can she resist a second chance at first love?

Wow. Literally, WOW! This book is so outstandingly good, I don’t think there are enough words to say just how much.

This is a love story with the suspense & tension of a thriller, with a cast of characters you can’t help but love, connections built instantly from the very beginning, feeling every single emotion with them. The pace perfectly set, the POV cleverly switching from the summer they met to their lives ten years later, with the tension filled snippets of a courtroom trial also interlinked, the writer executing every element of this flawlessly.

I finished this in one sitting, I honestly couldn’t put it down but also didn’t want it to end. I was left with a ‘book hangover’ after finishing this, I just couldn’t stop thinking of how wonderful this story was. This is the pure definition of a book that you wish you could read again for the first time, many times over.

When a book receives a lot of hype, there is always the worry it can’t live up to it, but Broken Country not only deserves the hype, it excels itself on every possible level. This is a book that will stay with me forever, a story I have no doubt I will revisit time & time again. This is THE book of the year without question.

Wow! What a book. I absolutely loved it. I couldn’t put it down. It pulls at your heartstrings beginning to end. Just brilliant.
Set in the 1960’s in a small English countryside town. A story of first love, grief, marriage, forgiveness and a murder trial. A love story but so much more than that. It’s an emotional rollercoaster.
With short chapters, a beautifully written and all consuming story packed with twists and likeable characters that pull you in. Detailed and atmospheric. I loved this author’s writing style which is passionate, poignant and full of characters that are so real. I look forward to more from @clarelesliehall
Highly recommend this literacy fiction. This book is definitely one of my favourite reads of 2025 so far.
With thanks to #NetGallery #JohnMurray #JohnMurrayPress for an arc of #BrokenCountry in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 4 March 2025

Thank you NetGalley and John Murray Press for this eCopy to review

I recently read Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall, it is a gripping blend of romance and thriller, set in an English farming village where past secrets and present tensions collide.

The story begins with a seemingly simple event: Beth's brother-in-law shoots a dog that was attacking their sheep. However, this incident sets off a chain of events that unearths long-buried secrets. The dog belonged to Gabriel Wolfe, Beth's first love, who has returned to the village with his young son, Leo. Gabriel's return stirs up old emotions and memories for Beth, especially since Leo reminds her of her own son, Bobby, who tragically died a few years earlier.

Beth is happily married to Frank, a kind and gentle man, but their relationship is built on the foundation of keeping the past hidden. As Beth becomes more involved in Gabriel and Leo's lives, the village's tensions rise, and jealousy and old grudges resurface. The story toggles between the past and present, revealing the far-reaching consequences of first love and the choices Beth must make between her past and her present self.

I found Hall's writing very atmospheric and the characters were complex, and well-drawn. The pacing is excellent, with enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. However, some might find the constant shifts between past and present a bit disorienting. Despite this, Broken Country is a compelling read that explores themes of love, loss, and the impact of buried secrets.

Overall, I would recommend Broken Country to anyone who enjoys a mix of romance and thriller with a strong emotional core.

What started off as a beautiful, gentle love story, full of joy, wonder and hope for the future, brutally enmeshed me in it's pages until I sobbed out aloud and put the book down for a break. The story pulled me back in, the twists were totally unexpected and opened my eyes to the love surrounding everyone.

I can see why the rights have been sold as a film, the descriptions of the land and wildlife are glorious. I could see it all in my mind as I was reading.

This is a wonderful book. Full of tension, emotion and nostalgia I read it in a day which I rarely do these days and it is honestly worth the hype (again, don’t feel this that often currently). It’s completely gripping and a proper page turner while also being subtle, complex and nuanced. @clarelesliehall handles multiple timelines smoothly and I’m not going to say effortlessly but that’s how she makes it look. It’s heart breaking and doesn’t let its characters off the hook but also retains a sense of optimism, hope and forgiveness. TLDR it’s really excellent and you should read it but maybe wait till you’re feeling fairly emotionally resilient

If you’re looking for this year’s Where The Crawdads Sing or The Paper Palace: readers, meet Broken Country. This is going to be a smash hit.

The very definition of a pageturner, Broken Country brings us into the heart of rural England, a passionate love story, a marriage in decline, a love triangle and a dead body. But who is dead and who pulled the trigger?

Set in Dorset, we meet Beth, married to Frank, a sheep farmer who is loving and loyal to his wife through turbulent times. Life is peaceful until Beth’s first love Gabriel, a successful author with Hollywood credentials, returns to their village, forcing Beth to confront the past and feelings she thought she had buried forever.

This is a well-written, propulsive, addictive love story with the steam-rolling pace of a thriller. It’s an excellent addition to the rural noir canon and will sell like hot cakes. Is it a bit cheesy in parts? Did I see elements of the plot a mile off? Did I read it in two sittings? Did I cry at the end? Yes to all of the above.

A fantastic read that I’d recommend to readers who love a juicy, suspenseful tale that also manages to tug at the heartstrings. 4.5/5⭐️

*Many thanks to the publisher John Murray for the advance copy via @netgalley. Broken Country is out tomorrow 4 March.