Most of the story felt like a romance novel to me; although, like you found, the mystery of the trial was interesting.
I had been warned that I would be flipping through the story and unable to put it down. I am sorry to say it was not what happened. I stopped many times, feeling a sense of frustration with its characters. I must admit it has taken me several days to sort out my thoughts on this attention-grabbing novel. So, this was not an easy review, there are bits of it I liked and some I did not. I enjoyed the drama, tension and most of the characters. Frank was unbelievable, honest, hardworking and devoted to both his wife and brother. Both Frank and Gabriel were equally well-depicted, however, I found a real dislike for Beth with her shallow and selfish ways. How easily she was able to shift her emotions and intentions; it left me struggling to like her. Also, I particularly did not like the ending, I feel strongly that the guilt needed to be shared by more than the one person who was finally sentenced. That being said, this novel contains several interesting concepts. Its themes of immaturity, pride, missed opportunities, and broken hearts will make for some very interesting book clubâs discussion
I enjoyed the mystery - but like others have mentioned, it seemed a bit like a soap opera. Have not recommended to anyone.
There was a lot I liked about this book, but it wasnât one of my favorites. I really donât like stories where a young child dies, but I kept reading. There were many parts where I didnât see what was coming, even though after the fact it seemed obvious (Bobbyâs parentage). But I liked how the story played out and how Beth and Frank came back together in the end.
I liked it. I found myself trying to tie the chapters of the past to those of current day and project for the future. There were a few storylines I did well with, but many more that surprised me. This kept the pages turning.
This was a Reece Witherspoon recommendation and I bit for it. I thought is was a great read- a romance, a mystery and great characters in a British setting. The ending reveals twists and turns that I did not see coming! Our book club discusses this month!
This book was hard to put down. I was in the mood for something fast-paced and twisty. Broken Country didnât disappoint.
I enjoyed the book - would give it 4.5 stars. It was part mystery, part drama, part love story - a good combination. The author did a very good job of not revealing secrets until the end.
An easy reading, very entertaining for me even though it had a soap opera feeling to me. But overall, I enjoyed it!
I donât know if I would have picked this book up if not for reading for my upcoming book club meeting. After reading, I still donât know if I would have read on my own or if I did start it, that I would have finished it. The writing was good enough, but I had a huge problem with the morality of two of three of the main characters. Yes, I know this goes on in our modern world, but it is hard for me to justify the selfish destructive behaviors of these individuals. Iâm sure weâre going to have an interesting book club discussion.
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I really enjoyed the book. It kept me very engaged. I never saw the twist coming. I know how first loves are always in the back of your mind and all the what ifâs!!
While the situation in this story was extreme, the character development was artful, delivery compelling, and the resolution healthy. The one aspect that eluded me was the choice of title, but otherwise, I found Broken Country to be a good summer reading selection.