Broken: Hannah's Story

by Janice Broyles

After heartbreak and betrayal, Hannah Elmsworth's life is in shambles.

In Hannah’s Story, Hannah wants to forget the rejection felt after her fiancé leaves her. Determined to start over, she takes the first job offered. It's far enough away from her parents that she can begin to heal without their nosiness interfering in her life. What she isn't expecting is loneliness and isolation. With her friends all gone, this leaves only her sister as her closest companion, and things aren't quite right with the two of them either.

Just as Hannah starts navigating her new life, her past comes back and wants a second chance. But Hannah is unsure if she wants to bring back the past or walk away for good. When an unfortunate series of events rocks her world, it forces her to examine herself and her life and decide what is truly important.

248 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 15, 2024

Reviews

[Maria Paula Castellanos Monroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you recently end a relationship this is for you.

After reading this text, I ended up with the feeling of having gone through my own past heartbreak but seen from another point of view and with greater maturity; at the end, I feel that I was also Hannah and I had a very similar character development.
The book tells the story of a woman who is going through a love breakup. It takes you as a reader to suffer with her stage by stage and to somehow put yourself in her shoes (which I'm sure you have already been). However, over time, you also see how she must go through a style of “metamorphosis” removing more and more prominence to her ex-partner and giving more prominence to herself which leads you even more to connect with the character.
It is a good book; it has a story with a true story that causes you to sympathize but above all it makes you think about your own past breakups, what you lived through and where they took you.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah Elmsworth is the protagonist of this story where second chances have a place. After her relationship ended, Hannah tries to rebuild her life, but she is not very sensitive, wrapped in her pain, she distrusts everyone. As time goes by, some wounds heal, and Hannah rebuilds her life, but when she thought everything was left behind, her the past knocks on her door. Could she be happy once and for all?
Although this is fiction, it is very similar to real life, in the sense that it is never too late to start over. It's never too late to believe in love again. I think it is an extremely entertaining story that readers who enjoy this genre will fall in love with.
Author Broyles does a great job when it comes to storytelling, that is why I encourage all women who love the romantic genre to read her proposal.

[Aneley Sánchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance and drama.

It is the second installment of the Broken Series written by Janice Broyles, and I think it is very important to read the previous book to understand the story in detail. In this book, Hannah tries to recover after a breakup without the interference of her “special” family and just when she thinks she is succeeding, the past comes back to haunt her.
This story has all the classic elements of romance and drama, but I must say that a good classic never fails. The plot is well built, the story is good and I liked seeing Hannah's personal growth throughout the book, although I think she still has potential to explore.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could list many reasons why I liked this book; however, I choose to mention the most important one. I felt absolutely identified with the main character of the story, Hannah. It made me rethink my own life, to consciously examine my actions, to understand where I stand and to decide where I want to go. It is clear that for me, this book was not just a pastime but it opened my mind and made me reflect.
The narration is an emotional rollercoaster as we can understand the main character’s pain when her fiancé broke up with her. The amount of things she has to face in that time reflects life itself, which never ceases to surprise us.

[Lia Lorimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

BookSirens lists that this book can be read as a ‘standalone’; however, this reader strongly recommends that Book 1 (Broken: Macy’s Story) is read first as many of the circumstances in Hannah’s story are a consequence of Macy’s childhood and the family dynamics. Fortunately, the author has skillfully incorporated the important aspects which enables the reader to grasp the gist of the earlier book.
Hannah's story is a compelling narrative of complicated family relationships, often governed by the behaviour of parents towards each of their children and the effect it has on sibling liaisons and the ability of said children to develop healthy and successful adult connections.
With Hannah’s dad being the pastor, the whole family is intricately involved in their church community; however, the Christian inspiration is missing in their home. Deciding to move away from toxic influences takes courage and allows Hannah to perceive her true character and thereby start healing herself and her relationship with Macy.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Becky Durstenfeld · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am sorry I didn't like this book very much, though it's not bad writing. I just didn't like most of the characters. I did not read the first book, so perhaps that was a disadvantage. I don't remember what in the description of the book made me decide to read it. It is about a dysfunctional family and the main character is definitely broken. The family is a pastor's family but very few family members seemed to actually be Christian (aside from the father and his parents). The mother was a really bad mother and I hate bad parenting. The behavior of the troubled main character was appalling. The way everyone handled the betrayal was not very Christian. The only character who seemed extraordinary was Macy, but she had issues with men. I liked Nelson, but didn't understand why he liked Hannah. I am glad Hannah owned her issues and wanted to change, but it didn't seem possible or realistic for her to change all at once. Also, it didn't seem like God was the one they turned to for help in transforming the family.

[Erin Fanning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again demonstrating her excellent ability to create intricate characters, author Janice Broyles perfectly captures the difficulties in trying to live up to other’s people’s expectations. In the main character, Hannah, Broyles has painted a complex individual trying to find herself and become independent from her family, yet she’s unable to completely distance herself from past mistakes.

Most people will relate to Hannah’s personality, as well as the plot, which includes everyday struggles, along with tragedies that almost everyone faces at some point in their lives. The book’s message of faith, forgiveness, and hope is believable and inspirational. Bottomline, it’s an excellent addition to the Broken Series, but also works as a standalone title.

[PAMpublish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story about a broken pastor's family attempting to sideline issues to maintain image. Daughter Hannah, whose fiance cheats with her adopted sister, shatters all that when she goes out on her own when she finds out. With a jealous and snarky tendency, Hannah finds it difficult to forgive and move on. Yet, this is just the beginning of the many ongoing issues within the family. Really delves into character-development using first person and maintains one's attention. However, one needs to read Macy's story to know the full complexity and conclusion of the ongoing family dynamics.

[Vicki F · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really didn't like the character of Hannah. Too much of the story showed her as petty, self-centered, and at times mean. It was the last couple of chapters that showed a redemptive quality of Hannah. Which, I suppose, was the author's intent. To show that redemption is possible. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Jill Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hannah is not likable. Will there be another book? Because a lot of was left hanging.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things are not always as they appear!

The relationships in this story ring true. Janice Broyles has created a disfunctional family that rivals other books on this subject. The plot took me through several emotions, but what bothered me the most was the meanness from Macy's sister and mother. But lessons learned and forgiveness received wrapped up the story with a nice, big bow. Kudos to the author!!