"Just Jack" (2011) deals with the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake as part of the plot. The story borrows from Broadbent's own family stories, told by her grandfather. "New Zealand Books" calls Broadbent's writing in "Just Jack" "fresh, convincing and distinctive." It was named a Storylines Notable Book in 2012, and a 2012 New Zealand Children's Book Awards Junior Fiction finalist.