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 trial. That forms a major part towards the end of the book. But the main thrust of Broken Country is a love triangle, beautifully portrayed with exquisite prose. The characterisation is spot on and I felt for the three people entangled in this love story.

We are led through the history of married couple Frank and Beth and the third person in their triangle, Gabriel, via flashbacks to when all three were teenagers and Beth and Gabriel, the scion of a local wealthy family, fell in love. But, like many a teenage romance, interference and miscommunication at a time when mobile phones were not the norm, Beth and Gabriel break up and she marries faithful Frank. Tragedy strikes when their young son Ben dies in an accident. Beth is still mourning her loss when Gabriel appears on the scene again and they begin an affair which, when discovered by their small farming community, causes a scandal that leads to an untimely death.

There are plenty of twists along the way, all plausible. Broken Country is a compelling book that I shall return to simply for the beautiful writing.
Very much recommended. Thanks to NetGalley and John Murray Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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 end.
The author writes such evocative phrases, creating an emotional rollercoaster which is passionate and poignant and full of characters I absolutely adore. Beth, Gabriel, Frank, Jimmy and Nina, I don't think I will ever forget any of you.
The sense of realism throughout adds an extra layer of authentic texture to a plot full of love and tragedy and unexpected twists and turns.
Five stars doesn't begin to do justice to the extraordinary qualities of this novel: Read it!

It is thanks to Bex (@BexBookaholic on Twitter) that this book came to my attention. I was in a reading slump and just couldn't focus on a book for very long and hoped this would bring me out of my slump.

And boy did it! I started it at about 8pm on Wednesday night, read until 11pm, picked it back up at about 8am on the Thursday and had finished it by 9am. I've said in previous reviews how much I love my bed and so it takes a good book to distract me from it. I usually have the intention to read in bed but I just end up falling asleep. But this one...it was like sleep had to remove it from my hands itself so reluctant I was to part with it.

We have multiple time periods with different characters (although always narrated by Beth), which I thought would be confusing but it really worked. We have the present day, the not-so-distant past, and their teenage years and it was just the best way to tell this story.

Our main character is Beth, and then we have her husband Frank, his brother Jimmy, and of course, her old love Gabriel. They are all so wonderfully created, with so much depth. None of them are heroes and none of them are villains, they all have light and dark in them which made for fantastic reading. You really are on everyone's sides all at once. You want everything to work out between them, you want everyone to be happy and get the life they deserve.

It really whacks you right in the face almost instantly and I knew it was going t o be a hard-going read emotionally; I could just see it was going to break my heart.

At its hard it is a love story - old love, new love, love for family, love for friends, parental love, lost love - but it has the excitement and rush of a thriller, which was an interesting thing to read, but really powerful.

It's not the easiest of books to read. It's complex and contains a lot of difficult themes, such as death and grief, fear, loss, love affairs, trust and dishonesty - it's hard, but it makes the brighter parts of it shine even more, because without the dark we wouldn't appreciate the light, and I think that is key in this book.

I sobbed at this so much, in so many places. It is such a perfect book I can't even explain why. It's heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measures. I am so grateful for the publisher rto send me an e-copy of it, as there's a real possibility I wouldn't have read it otherwise, and that would have been a tragedy because the writing in this book is unlike any other.

Not only will it be on my "favourite books of 2025" list, it will definitely be going on my "favourite books of all time" list. It's absolutely gorgeous. This is a book that I won't be forgetting any time soon.

3.5~4
“He is waiting for me to look at him and, when I do, he smiles to show me he is fine, the briefest nod of his head.

Say it, Beth. Say it now.

I look at his face again, beautiful to me then and now and always, one final glance between us before everything changes.”

The publisher’s blurb sums up the premise – love triangle, a murder, a trial. The timelines jump around with each section clearly labelled, but the jumps seemed to interrupt the storyline for me. I’m usually fine with them, but it did feel like a tease much of the time.

Married rural couple Beth and Frank live alone on their farm in Hemston, North Dorset. Early in the book, Frank comes home with news.

“ ‘Gabriel Wolfe is back living in Meadowlands,’ Frank says, the name exploding at me over breakfast. ‘Divorced now. Just him and his boy rattling around in that huge place.’

‘Oh.’

It seems to be the only word I have.

‘That’s what I thought,’ Frank says. He gets up from his side of the table and walks round to mine, takes my face in his hands, kisses me. ‘We won’t let that pillock cause us any grief. We’ll have nothing to do with him.’”

Frank and Beth and Gabriel all grew up at the same time in Hemston, but Gabriel’s family was wealthy and he was sent away to school.

In 1955, Beth literally bumped into Gabriel when she was out walking, daydreaming of wild romance after reading Austen and Brontë and not paying attention to where she was. She’d crossed onto Meadowlands, the Wolfe family property.

Gabriel is handsome, charming, smart and smitten with her. She feels likewise. Frank is a bit rougher but wonderful, steadfast and adoring, when she gives him a chance. Gabriel goes up to Oxford, Frank and Beth settle into a contented rural life with a child.

This is a saga that moves back and forth through the years, with romance, passionate love, unspeakable tragedy, much tugging of heartstrings, and some suspension of disbelief eventually required by me at the end.

Very early in the piece (page 21) is this:
The Trial
Old Bailey, London 1969

Nothing could prepare me for the agony of watching the man I love, sitting high up in the dock, flanked by two prison officers, as he awaits his verdict.

A man accused of an unthinkable crime.”

Perhaps the title refers to the country Beth loves being broken by tragedies. The country of her heart certainly feels broken.

I enjoyed the writing, and I know a lot of readers will love this. I admit I kept reading, eager enough to find out what happened, but frustrated with either the pace or the way it was put together – I’m not sure which.

I am sure it will be very popular.

Thanks to #NetGalley and John Murray Press for a review copy of #BrokenCountry

Broken Country is an emotional book about love and grief, as a family is torn apart by an affair which leads to murder. It starts with a dead farmer and a vague description which draws you in, hoping to unravel what has happened.

I expected the trial to be a big part of this but the narrative goes back to what happened before — both in the recent past and years ago — and reads more as melodramatic literary fiction until the last section. It’s heartbreaking in its delivery, delving into the grief and past mistakes that have changed the lives of our characters, leading to this tragic event. I loved how it explored class and gender, showing how prejudice caused Beth’s life to take a different path.

The affair was a bit of a sticking point for me. I didn’t think Beth and Gabriel had much chemistry, and actually found the scenes between Beth and Frank much more heartfelt and romantic. Maybe this was the intention though, because I was almost shouting at the book for Beth to stop making such terrible decisions. The past trauma did make this believable, I just wasn’t a Gabriel fan.

If you’re looking for an emotional read about grief, relationships and family, I definitely recommend picking this up. Thank you so much to John Murray Press and NetGalley for the chance to read this early 😊

*I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

I didn't know what to expect from this book but it was a fantastic read. Whilst the story line is filled with sorrow and a heavy past it is delivered in a way that is not at all gloomy or depressing, rather it is handled with stoicism in a traditional British manner! It is a tale of choices made and possible other lives lived that is woven with fantastic life filled characters and beautiful writing. One that lingers in the mind after the book is long finished.

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 and it makes the twists and turns unpredictable. The characterisation is great especially the two leads. The woman is highly intelligent and forthright, yet when she commits an unforgivable sin by falling in love with two men she shows vulnerability, shame, remorse and grief. The male lead is remarkable reminding me of a Gabriel Oak type figure. The book also contrasts attitudes in a traditional rural community with a more modern, promiscuous lifestyle belonging t9 the swinging sixties. While I question aspects of the ending, it does not detract from a book that kept me on the edge of my seat while reading it

There is so much buzz about this historical fiction book amongst reviewers and now I've read it I can say that it is justified. Raw and evocative, the writing just absorbs you and takes you on a bumpy ride of shock, tragedy, grief and hope.
The opening chapter sets the scene of something horrific that has happened and there is now a case in court, the details of which are fed slowly through the subsequent chapters with flashbacks to earlier memories, then forward to the time of the tragic events, then the present day experiences of the trial. It is my opinion that this portrays British rural, farming life really accurately with the brutal beauty of working the land and all the life and death that occurs on it.
I felt more of a connection with Frank than I did to Beth or Gabriel, but this did not detract from the impact of the story, I think if anything this space was necessary to watch the characters grow and to see their flaws and faults because that's imperative for what comes next.
A truly memorable story.

I really enjoyed this book! Have to say that I took a while to get into it - it does flit around to different timelines and there is quite a bit going on - but once you get your head around that, you really get into it. It has a bit of everything - yes, it's a love story, but there is some mystery / thriller. There is young first love, a love triangle, family love and heartbreak. And all the way through, there is mention of a trial but it is not until much later in the book you get to find out whose and why. I did not guess this - it is written in such a way that I could not tell and there are plenty of twists and turns along the way, right until the very end. Wonderful characters and such a setting - I loved all the farming and the nature references to the extent that I really wanted to visit and walk those fields! Highly recommended I'm sure you won't be disappointed!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review, which is what I have given.

It's hard to put into words how beautiful this book is. It's a coming of age love story, set in an idyllic rural landscape, but with a darker underlying twist.
I loved the nature elements of this book, the author brings to life the nostalgia and peace of the landscapes without making the writing too flowery which was perfect for me.
I adored the storyline which I'm hesitant to say too much about because I went into the book completely blind, and I'd recommend others to do the same. But this book shows the absolute best of people, and in some ways the worst.
This is definitely a tear jerker, but it's a wonderful, wonderful book that will stay with me for a long time.

I was sucked in albeit from a lot of people raving about how amazing this book is. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Was it the most amazing book I’ve ever read? No.

The writing style reminded me a lot of a Lesley Pearce novel, a bit romancy and a bit unrealistic, I guessed the “twist” before it came, it’s a classic what I consider to be a “happy ever after” - all is well and fluffy in the end which I can’t realistically connect to.

That being said, I wanted to keep reading and see what happened but it’s not the emotional rollercoaster I was expecting.

What a heart breaking yet wonderful story. I had heard great reviews about this book and they did the story justice.

This book captured my heart. Young love, its intensity, it’s all consuming nature is beautifully told and brought to life the love between Gabriel and Beth. As the story moves through their romance the present tense parts give such a sense of foreboding and distress. A brilliant way to capture the reader.

Frank was a wonderful character, his calm and caring nature for his brother, for Beth was beautifully shown and I thought he was the most extraordinary character I have read for a while. I loved his dedication to the farm, the land and his belief of being the custodian to pass it on.

I loved the twist in this story and the characters just made this story so enjoyable to read. I had tears in my eyes at the end, an ending so perfectly wrapped up it gave me so many emotions and a true understanding of loss and love.

Once published in paperback I’ll be buying a copy to keep forever more on my shelves.

A fantastic read and a new favourite of this year.

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 and people are giving evidence in court about the events leading up to it
We don’t know who has been murdered yet or who is on trial
This was a brilliant emotional read and I loved it

Thankyou NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review

Absolutely loved this book! It's a love story wrapped up in a thriller, with intriguing characters that stand up and walk off the page. Beautifully written and atmospheric, but not in a pretentious 'let me see how many adjectives I can use' way. I was gripped from the first page to the last.

My heart is so full of feeling, emotions I cannot name, neither joy nor sorrow but something in between. This is us, I think. This is us.

When you listen to what the tabloids are saying about the trial, you think you know. A love triangle turned sour. A country house wife trying to bring some excitement to her life. A husband devastated. Told in a back and forth style between now (1968) and then, we learn of the devastating truth between Beth and Gabriel and Frank.

Wow, I read this book in one sitting. And I am devastated. I didn't really know what to expect heading into Broken Country but having seen the hype I was desperate to give it a try. This book is a beautifully written, absolutely devastating masterpiece. It has been a while since I've shed so many tears whilst reading a book.
At only 302 pages I was unsure how I'd grow so attached, feel so much with so few pages but its safe to say that I didn't need to worry. I was genuinely captured by the first couple of pages.

Whilst this is about family and an all consuming love affair, there is so much more to it - even a thriller type aspect that kept me reading, desperate to learn how things were going to unravel. I'm honestly a bit lost for words and can see why this book is being screamed about from the roof tops.
I don't want to say too much as I think it is one to experience without knowing too much, but this is one of the best debuts that I've ever read, truly.

A really engaging, emotional read with beautiful descriptions of the countryside and farming life. A slow start which was given interest by the beautiful prose but dragged from time to time, however this then became an absorbing story which moved me to tears. Love, obsession, loss and a mystery, this novel has them all.

Wow
What a tour de force this book is , sometimes a novel comes along which just captivates you from the start & Broken country is one such book. A literary love story crossed with a thriller , a dual time line jumping between the youthful passions of Beth , Gabriel and Frank & a later date of their adult worlds colliding. Whilst reading it I couldn’t get over it’s a debut novel , it is a wonderfully written book of a compelling love triangle with that age old question, is it possible to be in love with two people at the same time ? And how an exciting love/ lust relationship or fling can confuse a deeper shared daily life kind of love . Broken country has been compared to where the crawdads sing , and the paper palace , I’d say more on a par with paper palace and just as gripping . We have to wait until March for this wonderful book to be in the shops and I will be buying a copy for myself and all my friends.

5 stars all the way!

Such a raw, heartbreaking story. It held my attention from start to finish.
I wish I could read it all over again for the first time!!

A story about a love triangle that ends up with a criminal trial at its centre. Perfectly readable, very sad as child loss is at its core, but not sure it’s a read that will stick with me. I just didn’t end up caring for any of the characters, except for one who I couldn’t help but wonder why he stuck around.

With thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

Oh my gosh! Broken Country has broken my heart but also put it back together again.
This book was incredible. Such a beautiful story of love and heartbreak with so many intricate layers. I could not put it down!
I loved all of the characters, ok maybe not Tessa, but all of the others, flaws and all. I just want to stay immersed in this book forever. It is so beautifully written, it was as if I too were sat by the lake, strolling across the fields and having my heart repeatedly broken and pieced back together again.
I know I will remember this story for a very very long time and this book has well and truly earned its spot as one of my all time favourite reads.