Broken Women (Barb and Janet #1) by Anne Hagan

Broken Women (Barb and Janet #1) Reviews

• 
  susan

  Omg
  
  Ok I am so glad that Anne wrote this book. During the series I felt like I was missing out on stuff about Barb and Janet. This had it sad minarets but then when you couldn't take good things happen. Ok off to read healing embrace...I would definitely recommend this book.
• 
  Elle Hyden

  I have actually read this book twice. I read it in Amazon Unlimited the first time and then was fortunate to receive it in a give-a-way. Glad that it in now in my Kindle Library, as I know I will be reading it again.
  
  I am now reading a compilation of the first eight of the Morelville Mysteries Collection where the main character in this book makes another appearance. All of this authors books are well worth reading, I highly recommend them.
• 
  Tony Hisgett

  The book is written in three sections with each of the two main characters having their own section and then the final one when they get together. This doesn’t make the book easy to read and by the time I got to the final section I was nearly ready to give up.
  I didn’t like the first section ’Barb and Lisa’, particularly reading about Lisa knowing she was about to die and then I really couldn’t understand the legal wranglings. If Lisa and Bard were married and there was a legal will how could Lisa’s distant relations make any claim of her estate? This part of the book was not only frustrating, but also quite depressing to read.
  Unfortunately the second section ’Janet’, was just as frustrating and depressing.
  The final part of the book sees Janet and Barb getting together, but at times this was written in a very disjointed way, something would be happening, then in the next paragraph the story suddenly jumped in time or location. I suspect part of the problem was trying to fit in with the ’Morelville Mystery’ books.
  
  I enjoyed most of the ’Morelville Mystery’ series, so I was surprised I didn’t really like most of this book. Although it did become a more coherent story towards the end, which is why I might try the next book.
• 
  Dorothy Bennett

  On the whole, I enjoyed BROKEN WOMEN. The story was interesting, the characters were appealing, the sexual scenes were detailed and provocative. As an Indiana native (Speedway, outside Indianapolis), I particularly enjoyed the references to places I know and grew up with. My problem with the book has to do with the first person being assigned to several characters, switching back and forth between chapters. It was confusing to me each time, as to who was "I" this time around. Eventually, I put it together fairly well, but in an ebook, it's hard to flip back and forth between earlier sections to find out who this is. Also, there were some missing words in sentences and several missing punctuation marks. This book would have read a lot more smoothly with additional attention to proofing and detail. It is an entertaining story!
• 
  Mx Phoebe

  You might have met them already in Morelville, but now they get their own story. Read where Barb and Janet came from before Morelville when love had different plans.
  
  Barb is living her great love story with her wife. They have a thriving business and are getting ready for the next move. Life has other plans and suddenly Barb is standing alone and in massive debt.
  
  Janet, on the other hand, is stumbling from one unhealthy relationship to another. She frequently falls for unavailable women in positions in her life that then make it intolerable. She gets a phone call one day that her mother who she is not close to needs her because she is sick.
  
  Barb and Janet meet in Morelville and chemistry burns bright. Can broken hearts heal enough to want to feel a spark?
  
  Anne Hagan brings us back to Morelville, but no one has been murdered in Broken Women. Women is the first book in a trilogy about “Barb and Janet”. Women is Hagan’s first strictly romance novel and she packs a lot of emotions in her first outing. This is a second chance at love romance (Barb) and a first time in love story (Janet). I write “first-time” for Janet as I do not consider her previous relationships to be true relationships as they were one-sided and this is the first time she is attempting a mutual healthy relationship.
  
  Hagan gives us a solid foundation as to who these characters are and where they are when they meet. I was not even sure how Hagan would end the book, especially as I knew that there were two more in the series. This attests to Hagan’s ability to draw the reader into the characters’ emotions and that is a thrill.
  
  Women can be read as a stand-alone without having read any of the Morelville Mysteries.
  
  I received this book for free in a Giveaway and give my opinion without prejudice and voluntarily.
  
• 
  Angel

  Enthralled by this story...
  
  This story kept me flat on my back in bed with my eyes glued to my kindle. This story tugged at my heartstrings, my heart went out to both Barbara and Janet. I was pleasantly surprised to meet up with Dana and Mel again in this book but I'm so glad that they are in it for many delightful reasons. I can't wait to read the sequel to this heartwarming story. Both women have endured a great deal of pain and hardships but only love can heal the both of them.
  I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Woody

  Endearing love story
  Wonderful romantic story told from several points of view. We see two women both suffering from loss and find love. I loved seeing Barbara and Lisa happily married from the start, and the romance scenes. There was a lot more romance in this book than in the Morelville Series. I enjoyed reading about both Barbara and Janet’s stories. Then I recognised a bar scene from the fantasic Morelville Murder Mystery Series and the characters Mel and Dana appeared in the book. I thought this was very clever. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this entertaining book.
  
• 
  Tracy

  A great departure!
  
  This is the author's first true romance novel and although it's a departure from her usual murder mysteries there are familiar characters.
  The story is both heart breaking and heart warming. The heartbreak is handled with care and compassion.
  I look forward to catching up with these women in the next book!
• 
  Joc

  I found this a bit disjointed but I always find that when chapters are dated and specific to a character's point of view that the story doesn't flow well for me. I liked that characters well enough but found I wasn't completely invested in the story.
• 
  Jennifer Hilliger

  A nicely intertwined trio of stories.
  
  I enjoyed getting to know the characters and see how the related develop. I'm looking forward to reading more from Anne Hagan in the future.
• 
  wendy smith

  This book kept me going! It made me happy and then sad. Two women who need love but is afraid to find it! This is a very good read by Anne Hagan.
• 
  Rolande Vien

  Excellent read looking forward to reading books 2 and 3.
• 
  Kitty McIntosh

  Wow, what a triumph! When I started reading this book I had no idea that I was going to meet some old friends. The story of Barb and Lisa was sad and frustrating but beautifully written. When we meet Janet in the army, getting up to some hot and steamy shower action I still didn’t click. Then when i heard Zanesville mentioned again I thought, hey wait a minute!
  This is Detective Janet, she works for Mel in my absolute favourite mystery series, The Morelville mysteries. I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to discover that I knew Barb and Janet already and was going to find out just how their relationship was going to pan out. This was a brilliant story, wonderfully romantic and helluva sexy. The love scenes were scorching and very detailed. They were meant for each other but getting to the point where they were both ready to see that was the trick. Anne Hagan has written an amazing romantic novel and has managed to surprise and thrill readers like me who love her previous work too. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. It has everything you could wish for in a romance - tenderness, sexual tension and sizzling love scenes.
  I was given this ARC free in return for an honest review.
  
• 
  Amy

  I received a copy of this book from Inked Rainbow Reads in return for an honest review.
  This book almost seemed like three books in one. First, we have Barb and her wife, Lisa. We see them initially happy, and then going through a health crisis, and finally the aftermath of tragedy. Then we get Janet and her unsuccessful love life that ends with her losing the friends she was closest to. And finally, we see the two of them meet while they're trying to move on. There are pros and cons of writing the book this way. I loved the look into each character's past, but I felt like each part could've have benefited from more story, a deeper relation of their feelings and problems. As it is, the book almost seems too quick, or too short, where at the end, there isn't much time for their relationship to form and heal. This was my first Anne Hagan book, and I enjoyed it enough to want to go back and pick up Mel and Dana's story, so I'm looking at picking up the bundle of Morelville Mysteries. I liked the flow of Hagan's writing, and am left with the feeling of having a new author to discover.
  
• 
  Christine Close

  
  Three Stars: f/f love story
  
  I was sent this book by Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.
  
  Ms Hagan is an accomplished writer. Personally I found this novel to be a bit like a sandwich,made with lovely homemade bread, thickly cut but with only a thin filling.
  
  The beginning of the novel quickly catches your interest. The characters are interesting and there is the promise of an entertaining plot slowly uncovering.
  
  Unfortunately the center of the novel becomes a little complex and doesn't, for me, seem believable.
  
  The final part of the novel cleverly brings all the characters and unanswered questions cleverly together.
  
  A good book for bringing previous characters together and explaining how they arrived at where they did and how they came to be with the one they loved.
• 
  Loek Krancher

  A fascinating read and I loved it.
  
  The pain of lost turned around, love turned to real. Barb is struggling with the lost of her wife and losing everything with her. Sometimes things happen in life that are beyond our control and the future can be very scary. Barb has to make a new life for herself and must find the courage to follow her heart when love comes knocking the second time around. I loved each character, they are realistic and down to earth. In this story you get equal amounts of drama, sadness, happiness and of course love and hot scenes. I've never read a book by this author and now I can honestly say that I cannot wait to read her other books. The Morelville series are already waiting for me.