Bookseller Reviews
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A Heartbreaking and Beautifully Written Novel That Lingers Long After the Final Page
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall is an incredibly powerful and emotionally charged read that completely drew me in and left a lasting impact—especially ... READ MORE
A Love Affair with Disastrous Consequences.
This was an engaging read that, although it flitted back and forth in time, sustained my interest. I was drawn into Beth’s story and the various events lea... READ MORE
If I’m allowed a wish, just one, then it is this: I wish for our story to have a happy ending.
This romance mystery (romystery if you will) had a bit of a slow start but once it begins to unfold, it really draws you in and takes you on an emotional r... READ MORE
If you read one book this year, make it be this!
What a book!! I'd read some wonderful reviews but didn't think it was my thing. Fast forward to a lunch break where I forgot my current read and this copy ... READ MORE
Beautiful
A beautifully written evocative love story that will be with me for a long time. Telling the story of a family who are very close but then something happen... READ MORE
Heartbreaking and Powerful
From start to finish this book had me hooked! Flipping between timelines, the author does an incredible job of keeping you interested and wanting more. It’... READ MORE
Synopsis
Everyone in the village said nothing good would come of Gabriel's return. And as Beth looks at the man she loves on trial for murder, she can't help thinking they were right.
Beth was seventeen when she first met Gabriel. Over that heady, intense summer, he made her think and feel and see differently. She thought it was the start of her great love story. When Gabriel left to become the person his mother expected him to be, she was broken.
It was Frank who picked up the pieces and together they built a home very different from the one she'd imagined with Gabriel. Watching her husband and son, she remembered feeling so sure that, after everything, this was the life she was supposed to be leading.
But when Gabriel comes back, all Beth's certainty about who she is and 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?
A love story with the pulse of a thriller, Broken Country is a heart-pounding novel of impossible choices and devastating consequences.
Publisher information
- Publisher: John Murray Press
- ISBN: 9781399820417
- Number of pages: 320
- Dimensions: 234 x 158 x 32 mm
- Weight: 527g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allThis book will stay with you
Already easily my favourite book of 2025. What an emotional journey this was! I was devastated, I was exhilarated, I was filled with longing. For anyone th... READ MORE
A Compelling Read
So much more than a love story this novel is so compelling and confusing (in a good way) I really didn’t know how I wanted it to work out as you’re drawn t... READ MORE
A ROLLER COASTER OF A READ...
Written from Beth's viewpoint, Broken Country charts her passionate love affair at 18 with Gabriel Wolfe, the handsome son from the big house in the villag... READ MORE
A romantic trajedy
Love among the haystacks this is not, but we have a village girl, the son of the Manor House and a young farmer’s son. They all have their complicated stor... READ MORE
Fantastic
Some books you just know from the first page that you are going to love it - and this was one of those
Set in the late sixties - there has been a murder a... READ MORE
Stunning
This is a stunning read. A really well crafted story even though it skips backward and forward through the timeline. It is not hard to pick up the thread a... READ MORE
An emotional and truly beautiful read!
Set in a small Dorset village in the 1960s, Broken Country tells the story of Beth, a farmer’s wife grieving the loss of her son. When her first love, Gab... READ MORE
ALL THE FEELS
Some books you start and they grab you immediately, you are immersed in the story instantly, its not hardwork to retain the characters, its not a struggle ... READ MORE
Beautifully crafted
It’s hard to convey how much this novel impacted me. I was thoroughly captivated by it and shall never forget it. It is beautifully written and tuned into ... READ MORE
Four stars!
The Sirens by Emilia Hart is a captivating and atmospheric novel that intertwines the stories of two sisters across centuries, bound by a mysterious and un... READ MORE
Heartbreakingly gripping!
The author is described as loving The Go-Between, with Broken Country being a nod to it. It is certainly set in the countryside, and the main plot is of an... READ MORE
The Farmer is dead - but which one?
The author is described as loving The Go-Between, with Broken Country being a nod to it. It is certainly set in the countryside, and the main plot is of an... READ MORE
Four stars!
Clare Leslie Hall delivers a gripping and emotionally charged tale in Broken Country, a novel that masterfully blends the intensity of a thriller with the ... READ MORE
An unforgettable Moving Story
It’s hard to convey how much this novel impacted me. I was thoroughly captivated by it and shall never forget it. It is beautifully written and tuned into ... READ MORE
A parent's love for a child
Oh my … Clare Leslie Hall captures first love, yearning, guilt, loss and deception with enviable deft. The bladder behind my eyes leaked as this multilayer... READ MORE
Love is all around
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 alou... READ MORE
Tissues needed!
Broken Country should come with a box of tissues, it’s a real heartbreaker and a novel I absolutely adored.
It’s the story of Beth, of her husband Frank, ... READ MORE
Great read
I was given this book and wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it as I don’t normally read love stories but this book is so much more than a love story - there is ... READ MORE
Art takes courage
In post-WW1, Joseph Adelaide is a budding London journalist with an aspiration to write about the famous, reclusive French painter Tartuffe. The artist is ... READ MORE
Part love story, part thriller - completely gripping!
I sit writing this review virtually in the dark - I finished “Broken Country” only a few minutes ago and so keen was I to find out what happened, I couldn’... READ MORE
A must read
Every once in a while, a book comes along, a book that captures a piece of my heart, and Broken Country did just that.
'A kiss that feels like everythin... READ MORE
Perfect
I've just finished #BrokenCountry and I am floored. Weeping. The writing is superb and the description of loss, grief and love are perfect. I possibly may ... READ MORE
Lovely book
A beautiful book, very profound and moving. It really has so much within the narrative, love, grief, loyalty family and other emotions that really hold yo... READ MORE
Secrets and Lies
Oh my goodness, this was epic. I was lucky enough to see Hall at a literature festival and her passion for writing and storytelling was very much evident i... READ MORE
The writing style is this novel’s salvation.
Beth lives in a village in rural Dorset. Close to the village is a manor house called Meadowlands. Gabriel returns during the summer from boarding school a... READ MORE
Riveting from start to finish
Broken Country
By Claire Leslie Hall
This is the closest to a perfect book as I have come across in ages. It's one of those stories that picks you up, ... READ MORE
A brilliant, multi-layered and non-judgemental love story
What an amazing book. For a story that seems so straightforward and not all that uncommon - a love affair that destroys lives - this book is so much more t... READ MORE
stunning read
This is a stunning read. A really well crafted story even though it skips backward and forward through the timeline. It is not hard to pick up the thread a... READ MORE
Secrets, lies and tragedy
When teenagers Beth and Gabriel fall passionately in love, their future together seems assured, despite his wealthy background and the differences in their... READ MORE
Utterly captivating
This story was utterly captivating. The characters felt so real, their struggles so raw. I found myself completely immersed in their world. Every turn of t... READ MORE
Speechless…
Broken Country will leave you speechless. It takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions—one moment, you're intrigued; the next, you're in tears; and before y... READ MORE
Stunning read!
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 Engli... READ MORE
My favourite book of all time
I think I've just found my new all time favourite book. That was the most beautiful, emotional, raw story.
The writing style is so beautiful, the way t... READ MORE
I loved every page
The reader is aware from the start of the book that someone is on trial for murder but not who is dead (other than it is “the farmer”) and who is in the do... READ MORE
Verified Purchase
To Kill a Mockingbird meets Where the Crawdads Sing
I love this novel so much!
The story of Beth and Frank and Gabriel will stay with me for a long time. 'To Kill a Mockingbird' meets 'Where the 'Crawdad... READ MORE
Enthralling
This is a great novel! Moving back and forward in time Beth tells the story of her loves and losses, the sacrifices made and the rewards. I won’t spoil th... READ MORE
Incredible
An absolutely incredible story, it was breathtaking. It was so intense, twisty and heartbreaking at times. I’d give it more than five stars if I could.
... READ MORE
Broken Country.
Beth and Gabriel fall in love in their teens. After their relationship ends she marries Frank and becomes a farmers wife.
I really enjoyed this story it w... READ MORE
Exquisite
This was so much more than I expected - each character is crafted with a deep sense of empathy, all the shades of grey in human actions captured with balan... READ MORE
OH MY GOD. BITTERSWEET
this novel is set in the 1960s in such a comforting setting. Our MC Beth has a novelty, pure kind of love in her teen years with a handsome, rich boy. This... READ MORE
Rural love and death
Love among the haystacks this is not, but we have a village girl, the son of the Manor House and a young farmer’s son. They all have their complicated stor... READ MORE
Broken Country
Utter perfection from start to finish, I want to go back to the start and read it all again, its that good. This novel had me spellbound from the opening... READ MORE
Loved it!
I was sent a copy of Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall to read and review by NetGalley. I absolutely loved this book! Not only is it a love story betwe... READ MORE
I loved it.
Oh goodness me, what an emotional ride this was! The dual timeline works well in this powerful read of young love, set in a different time, loss and family... READ MORE
Wow
5 ⭐️
WOW!
Some books you start and they grab you immediately, you are immersed in the story instantly, its not hardwork to retain the characters, its n... READ MORE
Tragedy in Rural idyll
Love among the haystacks this is not, but we have a village girl, the son of the Manor House and a young farmer’s son. They all have their complicated stor... READ MORE
An emotional compelling powerful read
This is an emotional, compellling and powerful read, a masterpiece, the tension and atmosphere builds as the story unfolds
A love triangle, Beth, Frank a... READ MORE
Beautifully Written, I Fell in Love with It
5+/5 stars
In Hall's US debut, we get a powerhouse of a story featuring awesomely drawn flawed characters, a rich and descriptive location setting (Nort... READ MORE
Emotional
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 romanc... READ MORE
An easy FIVE stars
Broken Country by Clare Lesley Hall should be called Broken Woman, because that is how it has left me. I am a sobbing mess.
What a beautiful book and a... READ MORE
Great read
The only thing I am still trying to sort is why this very good has the title it has. Broken families would be more accurate! It is an intriguing read start... READ MORE
You’ll Read It In One Go
Every so often, you read a book that you know you’ll still be thinking about in ten years time. As you get deeper into the story, the characters become mor... READ MORE
A Wonderful Novel!
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 ins... READ MORE
A book that will stick with you
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall is a book that is going to stick with me, from the characters to the writing there was so much I loved about the book t... READ MORE
Really engaging
A really engaging, emotional read with beautiful descriptions of the countryside and farming life. A slow start which was given interest by the beautiful ... READ MORE
A very special book
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 ... READ MORE
An epic love story
Broken Country is a multi-layered, beautifully written story of first love, enduring passion and second chances. Beth and Gabriel fell in love when they we... READ MORE
Both a family saga and a thriller and a five star read!
Hemston, North Dorset. Beth Johnson has no idea when her brother-in-law Jimmy shoots a vicious dog, it will change her and husbands Frank’s relationship an... READ MORE
Broken Country
A love story involving several characters and told from different angles including parent/ child, first love and enduring love. It was joyous and sad but ... READ MORE
Tissues at the ready
Absolutely fabulous story that covered romance and a thriller I guess…. So many emotions reading this and was drawn into feeling like you were there with t... READ MORE
A moving and unforgettable story
Gabriel is Beth’s first love, in some ways perhaps a forbidden love as they come from such different backgrounds.
Beth meets Gabriel in the grounds of Mead... READ MORE
First and foremost a complicated love story, this is also a court room drama.
Clare Leslie Hall ensures that the central characters in her latest novel, ‘Broken Country’, are fully formed in the reader’s mind early in the novel. Perh... READ MORE
A beautiful book
Broken country is the story of three people who were tied together by love and divided by circumstance. Their families lived close together but we're poles... READ MORE
A love triangle
The story is based round three main characters: Beth, Gabriel and Frank. It starts with a dog being shot for killing three lambs. Ten years on there’s a mu... READ MORE
A love triangle
The story is based round three main characters: Beth, Gabriel and Frank. It starts with a dog being shot for killing three lambs. Ten years on there’s a mu... READ MORE
Love story
A beautifully woven story of true love. The lives of Beth, Gabriel and Frank are told through alternating time lines. A very enjoyable moving read.
An emotional read.
Oh goodness me, what an emotional ride this was! The dual timeline works well in this powerful read of young love, set in a different time, loss and family... READ MORE
Sure to be on lots of 'Books of the Year' lists.
I can't remember the last time I read a novel as good as this one. I was totally hooked from the very first page to the last - and didn't want it to ever e... READ MORE
Captivating read
Broken Country will definitely be a choice of many Book Clubs and justifiably so.
It is a captivating read that holds your attention from the first to t... READ MORE
Compelling
I am struggling to find the words to describe this beautiful but heart breaking story.
What begins as a teenage love affair between two innocents from dif... READ MORE
Heartwarming
This is an amazing story we will carry
with us for a long time following our
time spent with these characters.
Four star!
Clare Leslie Hall delivers a gripping and emotionally charged tale in Broken Country, a novel that masterfully blends the intensity of a thriller with the ... READ MORE
Bittersweet and very moving
A deeply moving story of how you can't go back in life, only try to keep finding a way to move forward, Beth falls deeply in love at a young age with posh ... READ MORE
Beautiful love story with a twist I didn't see coming
Broken Country is up there with my favourite books of 2025 and it's only February. The story begins with a murder trial although we do not know who is on t... READ MORE
Plot twists, passion, trials and tribulations, all set in the countryside.
Clare Leslie Hall ensures that the central characters in her latest novel, ‘Broken Country’, are fully formed in the reader’s mind early in the novel. Perh... READ MORE
A must read
It’s a while since a book made me cry but I was in bits at the end of Broken Country.
This is a beautifully written story of a woman caught between 2 men... READ MORE
Lovely descriptions for an okay book
An English farmwife must face her past when her first love returns to town. As she grapples with what she has now and what could have been, she’s torn betw... READ MORE
Complicated but cathartic family saga
An engine with many moving parts, not least three mysteries that are revealed late on in the tight plot, this will find its fans but may put others off. A ... READ MORE
Best Book of 2025
One of the best books I have read in 2025. Fans of Chris Whitaker will love this. Similar style. The story catches you from the offset, as it flashes back ... READ MORE
In the minority but it lost me in the second half
It is best to go into this one blind in my view, a story described as “a love story with the pulse of a thriller, a novel of impossible choices and devasta... READ MORE
FABULOUS READ!
I know everyone has been telling me to hurry up and read it...
I know you all said it was brilliant...
Well I have now finally read it!
Loved it!
Sup... READ MORE
An emotional read
Having heard nothing but praise for 'Broken Country' I was delighted when my library reservation was ready to collect. From the first page I felt this was ... READ MORE
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