This book is a deeply atmospheric and emotionally rich novel that will linger in my mind and heart for a very long time. The story is set in a tranquil English farming village in Dorset, and the beautiful narrative does a deep dive into the complexities of love, loss, memory, and the haunting shadows of the past. The author’s writing is both poetic and utterly gripping, which really draws you into the landscape and the lives of her beautifully developed characters. Each of the characters are hugely relatable and each of them harbour secrets that unravel with impeccably gentle pacing which kept me hooked throughout. The novel’s slow-burn tension, combined with its vivid sense of place and three dimensional characters creates a truly immersive reading experience that I found both deeply moving and thought-provoking, not only that but there’s a surprising plot twist which I totally wasn’t expecting. This is an absolute MUST READ - in fact, it is a huge contender for one of my favourite reads this year!

This book is a deeply atmospheric and emotionally rich novel that will linger in my mind for a very long time. Set against the backdrop of a tranquil English farming village, the narrative does a deep dive into the complexities of love, loss, memory, and the haunting shadows of the past. The author’s writing is both poetic and gripping, which really draws you into the landscape and the lives of her beautifully developed characters. Each of the characters are hugely relatable and each of them harbour secrets that unravel with impeccable pacing which kept me hooked throughout. The novel’s slow-burn tension, combined with its vivid sense of place and three dimensional characters creates a truly immersive reading experience that I found both deeply moving and thought-provoking.
For those who appreciate literary fiction with depth, mystery, and heart, Broken Country is an absolute must-read - it is a huge contender for one of my favourite reads this year!

After seeing a few early reviews from other readers, I was really looking forward to this one.

This is a beautifully written tale, blending mystery and romance perfectly. Starting off with a trial scene, giving very little away, then taking us back and unravelling the emotional story.

Highly recomended if you are in the mood for an emotional family drama with a side of murder mystery.

Broken Country is exactly my kind of book - a brilliant, beautiful love story with great pace and twists of a thriller. There was fantastic emotional depth here with Beth, though there were times I would have liked a touch more to the start of her relationship with Gabriel. The twists are brilliant, and while I did spot them coming, the execution is fantastic and does justice to the emotional core of the book.
It took me a second to get into this, but once I did I was fully immersed and raced through it. Really enjoyed, would recommend.

Broken Country is one of the most beautiful stories I've read in recent times. Exquisitely written with a story that completely captured me from the first page and kept me enthralled until the last word.

It's a love story but not a simple one. It's about love for a child. Love for the land. It's about steady and kind love, but also about wild and passionate love.

Beth fell in love one summer with a boy called Gabe. A terrible misunderstanding brought this love story to an abrupt end.

Left alone and scared, her friend Frank became her rock and she fell deeply in love. His devotion and unconditional love gave her a life she adored.

But a horrific accident turned all their lives upside down.

And when Gabe comes back into her life, it feels almost inevitable that their unfinished business will rekindle feelings.

This book reads beautifully and effortlessly. I truly cared for all the characters, and I thought the ending was sheer perfection.

Broken Country, Clare Leslie Hall

Synopsis: 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.

🚜

I have heard such amazing things about this book and when it was picked as a Reese's and Happy Place Book Club pick I knew I had to prioritise it!

I would like to preface this review by saying that this is not my typical genre whatsoever. I would categorise this book as a historical fiction, centred around a love story. However, this book has the pacing of a thriller and the twists had my jaw on the floor.

Halfway through I knew this was going to be a 5 star read. I was engrossed and bordering on tears for most of this book.

Believe the hype, it's absolutely fantastic.

I am very fortunate to be a part of John Murray's Lit Circle so this was an ARC ✨️ huge thank you to John Murrays for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was an intriguing read but I did struggle to get into it. This well could just be me though as a large % of the reviews rave about this book!

I do feel like I maybe do need to do a reread at some point though as lots was going on and perhaps I need to anno next time.

I do think that diehard thriller lovers will enjoy this though and have recommended this to a few book friends who I know adore this genre ❤️

(3.5 rounded up to 4 ❤️)

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