Love On Broken Grounds

by Miss Harriet Olivero-Chapman

430 pages, Paperback

Published December 7, 2025

Reviews

[vivie · Rating 5 out of 5]

i started this book quite excited because i’d only just gotten this delivered, and watching all of Harriet’s tiktok’s about her book made me physically ITCH to read it.

first of all, Bessie, i LOVED her character. the way she writes about her and her love of books. don’t get me started on her stubbornness because that is something i just love about her character. and her connections with the other characters like edith and daisy were so sweet 🥹

thomas is now officially one of my TOP book men. the way he was so teasing in the beginning yet was serious at times that mattered really spoke to me. and the way he is so protective and SILENTLY ASKS before kissing her 😫 he was such a funny character in lighthearted scenes and cured my girl bessie so much.

the scene were harold died caught me off guard 🥲🥲 i was just celebrating about their first kiss then BOOM, don’t get me started on Eleanor talking about the date they were going to have and the blue dress she was going to wear that was his favourite 😭 i felt so bad for all of them and i can’t lie i shed a few tears. I did so at the funeral scene as well, the way she said “i will find you in every lifetime, my love” BROKE ME. and the use of forget me nots during the whole book was such a beautiful detail.

when thomas had to leave, for example, and he put the small purple flower behind her ear, i just couldn’t. and the letters were so sweet and showed that even though they were so far from each other, their bond stayed strong. SOULMATES! when he returned and she was in that dress, i was so happy, and when it was told that he brought the farm i squealed. and when he got down on one knee, WHEN I TELL YOU I SAT UP SO QUICKLY. i was so happy. and i’m so gutted that we didn’t get the answer because THAT ENDING?!?! holy i did not expect that.

i am so proud of harriet for this book and im WAITING (as patiently as i can) for the next one 🤞🏼 and edith was right. you really can find love on broken grounds ☺️💕

[Candice Joargenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a beautiful journey from start to finish. I truly loved every moment of it. I saw Love on Broken Grounds mentioned in one of my online writers’ groups, and felt overwhelmed with pride that a 15-year-old had written it. The cover also drew me in with captivating urgency. I knew it was my next read - I finished it in 3 days! Harriet, you’ve done a truly amazing and phenomenal job. Through your book, I’ve fallen in love with Bessie and Thomas, feeling every emotion alongside them with the same love, joy, sadness, and passion as they did. The story’s beautifully told and well-written, I loved the vivid details in each chapter, the relationship between Bessie and her grandparents, and that ending! WOW. My heart felt so heavy feeling all the emotions alongside the characters, but in the most beautifully bittersweet and heart-touching way. Bessie and Thomas are portrayed/written extremely well, and I really enjoyed his chapters along with Bessie’s main ones. I could hardly put the book down! For anyone looking for a heartfelt, beautifully told, olden day inspired novel – don’t overlook this one!

[idk ꨄ]

I originally chose to begin this book after following Harriet on TikTok for a while, and this became a highly anticipated debut to read.
This book was a fun vibe to read, and while you can tell the author’s age during the read, I would definitely say her strength lies with dialogue, particularly in certain scenes within Thomas’ POV.

Bessie- she’s immediately defined as defensive due to her attachment to the farm, and I do love her connections with other characters like Edith and Daisy. She’s really quite soft, just broken due to the attachment she had with her mother who was presumed dead.

Thomas- at first, I wasn’t entirely sure on him because he seemed like your typical MMC, with a mix of Kai Azer and Julian santos. Particularly in the line, ‘You always greet people like that, or am I just special?’ I was reminded of ‘Do you always fall into the arms of handsome strangers, or is this a new thing for you?’. However- and I could be wrong- I suspect the author was reading Powerless during the writing of this and it accidentally seeped in. Thomas later grew on me because he was always quite patient and/or eager to be with Bessie from the beginning, and I love yearning.

Plot- while this is a romance, I think the quick plot twists were made quite well to keep the reader entertained, particularly when there was the death of Harold (I really loved Thomas here) and the selling of the farm.

Writing- i am aware this is a debut and a young author and I think this was incredibly well written for her age! Only things to note were that things occasionally felt rushed or dialogue unnatural, but that can be easily fixed if more beta readers were brought in.

I think Harriet will continue to improve as time goes on, as she is truly an inspiration to teen authors out there who watch her content, (harrietocbooktok) and I eagerly await her next novel.

3⭐️

[Poppy Mccullough · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good! It was beautifully written and I kid you not, I cried quite a few times! The ending?!?! I need the next book please!!🤍

[maxx ... · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such an easy read for me. I absolutely the the main characters and related to Bessie so much through out the book. All the plot twists were amazing and I loved then ending. It has most definitely interested me enough to want to read more. Overall it was an amazing story and the plot was amazing. 100% would recommend.

[Harriet Olivero-Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

HEY GUYSSS I REALLY HOPE YOU ENJOY LOVE ON BROKEN GROUNDS OUT NOW!!!!!