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kelly_e 's review for:
Broken Country
by Clare Leslie Hall
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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."
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."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Murder, Alcohol, Classism
Minor: Cursing, Abortion, Pregnancy