Major trigger warning for this book so definitely check those before you read this.

It was a great story about love, healing and finding yourself! Some parts were hard to read but over all really good! I

I honestly don’t know how to write this review and give this book the justice it deserves. I have been putting this book off for a while now because I’ve heard that it would rip your heart out. And boy did it! This book definitely lived up to the hype. My heart broke reading not only the traumatic events that Dean and Cora had to go through but also their healing. Yes, their story was hard to read but it was also beautiful and beautifully written. It was angsty, forbidden and an emotional roller coaster. This is the first book that I’ve read by this author and I will for sure be reading more by her!

4.5 rounded up!!

this was my first jennifer hartmann book and it absolutely will not be my last! please read this review with caution bc i go into some details 🫶🏼

He kisses my forehead, my nose, landing on my lips with a final goodbye. “You’re still my girl. You’ll always be my girl.”

BYE. dean asher deserves the universe and more.

i went into this book kinda blind, i knew the two main characters were kidnapped and thats it. so you can imagine my surprise when i found out that the hero was her sisters fiancé, which leads me to my 4.5 rating and that i need to have a rant about it 😁

pls skip next paragraph if you dont want to know certain things ab mandy!

mandy (h’s sister) is absolutely without a fucking doubt the WORST side character i have EVER read about. she is the most self centered c*nt i have ever seen in a book. your sister and fiancé are abducted, she is r*ped everyday for three weeks and they are both tortured and you have the nerve to make it all about you!? she forces her sister into talking about things that happened, makes everything out to be cora’s fault and like shes some monster, all the while little miss perfect cheated on her fiancé was never going to say anything to him about it AND THEN plays victim yet again, let’s cora know she still doesnt forgive her and that shes seeing someone and very happy who LOW AND BEHOLD IS DEANS BEST FRIEND.

LITERALLY CHOKE.

now back to why i loved this book 🤭

i can put this very simply. dean. dean is the absolute glue that holds this entire book together, i started off being completely sure i was going to this he was the biggest fuckhead in the world, only to very quickly be proven wrong. every little thing this man did through out his life for cora was just AKFHASLJ to me, ya know? this poor man had been in love from the very first time he saw her as a kid and that does unspeakable things to my heart. and the soup? i mean come on THE SOUP 😭

i was also extremely happy that the abduction didnt take up the majority of the book, i think it took up the perfect amount of space, just enough to really get how awful it was across.

this book is honestly a very intense and sad read so pls if you have any triggers make sure you check the warning prior bc you and your mental health are very important and things are graphic and on page!

this book still messes me up in the best way and remains one of my favorite books ever. Dean Asher is a perfect Angel baby and I will accept no dean slander. I will forever recommend that you go into this book blind. This book is such an emotional rollercoaster, it’s devastatingly beautiful and it’s just perfect Imo.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

I DEVOURED this book in a day. Right from the beginning it grabbed ahold of me - heart, mind and soul.
A dark, suspensful romantic thriller, where beginnings are endings, and endings are beginnings.

The story of Cora and Dean - long time enemies, yet connected through family. This is their story of survival. Of love. Of betrayal. And their future. As long as their hearts are still beating.

* Content warning - sexual assault, kidnapping, murder, sell-harm, attempted suicide, loss of pet.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Pub date: 11 July 2023

I have been sitting on the book for a while and have heard about it for a while as well. The re-release by Bloom Books was the push I needed to see if the hype was worth it or not.

It was OH. SO. WORTH. THE. HYPE.

It was not a feel-good story. I spent the first half gasping out loud, saying WTF, OMG, OMFG... a slew of other NSFW expletives. HEED THE CONTENT WARNING from the author at the very beginning. You've been warned.

While Dean and Cora weren't mortal enemies, they didn't get along. More like frenemies tolerating each other for Cora's sister's benefit. If there could have been a rewind to their evening out, the harrowing and brutal events that occurred wouldn't have happened. If Cora had gone home with Dean and Mandy, her wallet wouldn't have been stolen so she wouldn't have had to call Dean for a ride home and they both wouldn't have ended up chained in a basement.

Everything Dean and Cora were made to do and did was out of the need for survival. It was all atrocious and the brainchild of a truly mentally ill individual. The physical and emotional scars they endured weren't anything anyone they knew would be able to fathom. They managed to survive by putting aside their differences and by sheer will. In the aftermath of their ordeal, Dean and Cora relied on each other to get by, to support and be supported. The trajectory of their relationship was permanently altered.

The author doesn't romanticize the abuse, assault, and abduction that occurred in the book, but she does a good job of ensuring depicting what happens in the aftermath, the changes that the characters went through, the reintegration into their regular lives, and trying to move past the trauma. The book does end with HEA, but not before the characters work through their issues and learn how to live with the literal and figurative wounds that are still healing.

I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.

Still Beating by @author.jenniferhartmann
Re-releases on Jul 11.

I've heard a lot about this book from my favorite booktubers, so I knew what I was going into. Dean and Cora's story is heartbreaking and so beautiful! They found themselves in a unique and impossible situation, I really didn't know how they were going to make it work. Jennifer is a master of dark romance for a reason!

The dark parts were, well, dark, but they didn't turn me off the story. The first act pulled me in so hard and fast that I couldn't stop reading for hours!
I have no idea how people in such situation would cope, but Jennifer handled it beautifully. The relationship development between Dean and Cora was fleshed out, starting from their bond forming in that basement, and progressing in a believable way in the aftermath.

I stayed up half the night to see through their happy ending. This book is a great example of a third act breakup that was absolutely necessary for both leads. When it happened, I was heartbroken for them, but also screaming “yes!” in my mind at the same time. Because boy was their relationship unhealthy before they split! And it made their reunion and HEA so wholesome and well-deserved ❤️❤️❤️

I read and listened to this book and enjoyed it in both formats. Thanks to the wonderful narrators for bringing these characters to life!

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Thanks to Jennifer for this unique story and to Bloom Books for this advanced copy! All opinions are my own.

Some personal preferences:
- I wished they were actual enemies at the start of the story. To me their "prank war" was not enough to make them real enemies. However, I understand the need to make sure there was a connection between them from the beginning. Otherwise we would always be questioning the truthfulness of their relationship.
- I wished for Mandy's character arc to be different. Just my preference, but I wanted there to be no excuses and no justifications for Dean and Cora to lean on. I felt a bit like I was pushed not to like her from the beginning, in both Dean’s and Cora’s POVs. Nevertheless, I get why it happened the way it happened.

★.·´¯`·.·★ A R C Review ★·.·`¯´·.★
✨ Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann ✨
💭 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5) 💭

“Love doesn’t exist without sacrifice.”

“… Shackled by hate, freed by love.”

°•*⁀➷

Thank you Sourcebooks Bloom Books, #NetGalley and Jennifer Hartmann for an ARC of #StillBeating.

Like most books I read, I jumped into this one without knowing much about it. I'm not ashamed to admit that I requested it on Netgalley solely because of the cover. I mean, seriously, it looked stunning. Although, I have to confess, when I first saw the cover, I thought it might be a story about someone drowning. Haha, I was totally off!

But let me tell you, those first few chapters blew me away. I had no idea this book would be such a dark, emotional, and heavy read. If you have any triggers, make sure to check out the trigger warnings, because it can be quite tough for some readers.

The characters, Cora and Dean, developed an unbreakable bond after enduring a tragic and harrowing ordeal. Their journey was both heart-wrenching and horrifying, yet I found solace in witnessing their resilience amidst the struggles that followed the tragedy. Exploring their history and the complexities of their past, particularly their tumultuous relationship, added depth to the narrative.

Now, here's the thing that stopped me from giving this book a perfect 5-star rating—it's Cora and all the other characters. I just couldn't wrap my head around why she was so unsympathetic towards Dean, especially considering he went through the same things she did. Honestly, she annoyed me at times. I don’t mean to be insensitive but yes maybe for people who've experienced similar trauma, she'd be more relatable. I don't want to dismiss Cora's feelings and struggles, but there were moments when I felt it was a bit too much. Sorry. 😭

And don't even get me started on the lack of sympathy from the other characters toward Dean and Cora. How can they expect them to get over the hell they went through in just a few weeks? I want to rant more, but I don't want to spoil everything.

Sure, some parts were predictable, but overall, I still enjoyed reading it.

The writing, though, was fantastic. I had heard of Jennifer Hartmann before, and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of her work. Although, maybe I'll take a break and read a few lighter books first because, honestly, if all her writing is as depressing as this one, I'll need a breather. Haha!

By the way, have you read this book? If so, please shoot me a message because I'm dying to chat about it. Thanks, Steph, for putting up with my Still Beating obsession.

°•*⁀➷ This book contains/talks about:
💓 Dual POV
💓 Heavy triggers (Please check TW; don’t want to list it down here bec it can be spoilers as well)
💓 Dark romance & spice
💓 Mental health
💓 Abuse
💓 Enemies to lovers
💓 Forbidden love
💓 Second chances

This was my first dark romance. This book graphically detailed some very horrifying stuff so please check the trigger warnings. Cora and Dean develop a bond based on a traumatic experience. Once I got passed the hard stuff I settled into the book. This book was heartbreaking and emotional for me but I enjoyed the journey. Not sure if the dark romance genre is for me but this was a solid read. Thank you Netgalley and SourceBooks Bloom Books for the ARC in exchange for my review.

I miss dark romance! But warning, this one is really dark, and it wasn't particularly dark romance that I usually read, which was refreshing. But also, I did find myself needing breaks while I read this one. I really liked Jennifer's writing style, and I was looking forward to an emotional read, which it fully delivered. It wasn't my favorite storyline, and I wasn't in love with the characters. However the writing really was beautiful!

4.5 stars!

"Still Beating" by Jennifer Hartmann is right up there with any book by Colleen Hoover or Mia Sheridan in terms of it being "trauma porn." PLEASE check the trigger warnings before you read this because it is a doozy. It is a dark romantic suspense with some truly messed up plot lines, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't like this book. I zoomed through it in a day and a half and was riveted from start to finish. It's sick and twisted, but like a car crash, you can't look away. It's full of "love and sorrow and regret and anger," all of which are addicting and hard-hitting. It delves into survival, sacrifice, destiny, true acts of love, what happens to people after they experience deep, unimaginable trauma and how to heal from those wounds. Hartmann's writing is in-depth and descriptive, which is both a good and bad thing because of the aforementioned dark, destructive, difficult themes. It's harrowing and raw. I won't be forgetting this one any time soon. I don't like the late-book revelation from Mandy to Cora, we really didn't need more reasons not to like her. This book will test you and make you wonder what you'd do if you were stuck in Cora and Dean's situation, clinging to life and at death's doorstep, forced to fall in love but having it all ripped away. Wow.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jennifer Hartmann, and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

This was so good. It starts off dark, and by that I mean Cora and Dean get kidnapped and go through a seriously traumatic experience together. The second half is more about healing, and has a forbidden love vibe. Dean is Cora's sister's fiance. Where the first part of the book brings the shock and the whoa, the rest of it really brings in the emotions and I cried for them. Of course no one could walk away from what they did and be the same. I've been hearing about this story for awhile and it lived up to the hype for me. I loved it.

Wow. Still Beating is a hauntingly beautiful read. “As long as it’s still beating, you’re ok” is something I will take from this as a lesson to be thankful for my life and to not take anything for granted.

Part 1 was extremely difficult to read as it is harrowing what Cora and Dean (but mostly Cora) go through. Thankfully we are spared too much in depth detail but it is awful.

However, Jennifer takes something so brutal and harsh and turns it into something beautiful. I did like the “it was always you” vibe and although the circumstances suck (sorry Mandy!), the ultimate lesson is life is far too short.

Please read the trigger warnings before reading as it is very dark and deals with trauma.

This book made me cry sad and happy tears. It genuinely broke me, but I would do it all again.

I was unprepared for the level of hurt this book caused. Seriously if you get triggered READ THE WARNINGS. It gets dark FAST, while still showing a connection forming and growing between Cora and Dean. The up and down battle for healing and happiness was truly heart wrenching. Hartman's writing allowed me to feel the characters pain, comfort, and love. I couldn't put this down and read it start to finish yesterday . Still Beating was my first Jennifer Hartman read but it will be far from my last.

Dean Asher has been Cora's nemesis since her first day in a new school when he put the class tarantula in her gym shoe. She's hated him ever since, made even worse because she's been forced to tolerate him for fifteen years as her sister's boyfriend, now fiance. But he's her last resort for help when's she been out drinking and her purse is stolen. Then they're both abducted, locked in a basement for three weeks and forced to do unspeakable things. He becomes her comfort, her safety, and finally her savior when they finally escape. It's a long road to healing and things will never be the same.
This story was raw and real, and sometimes hard to read. But the wonderful HEA was worth the struggle. They were each strong for each other and their relationship was a beautiful thing even through the rough patches of healing. I started out feeling sorry for Cora's sister Amanda, but her whole attitude after their trauma was so off-putting. When she says to Dean that it was "only" three weeks, it made me want to scream. I felt like the writing accurately portrayed the emotions and actions of these trauma victims after their survival. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The emotional adventure that this book sent me on still has me reeling DAYS later. Jennifer Hartmann has quickly become one of my go-to authors when I just want to be absolutely WRECKED. This book was gut-wrenching yet beautiful. The way that Ms. Hartmann wrote this book made you feel like you were there in that basement with Cora & Dean and then dealing with all of the aftermath. The writing in this book is just absolutely phenomenal.

Tropes: Dark Romance, Romantic Suspense

TW: Rape (there is a lot and it's graphic), Suicide, Self-Harm, Animal Death, Miscarriage, Overdosing, PTSD, Murder, Kidnapping, Physical Abuse

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Still Beating follows our main character and her sister's fiancée when they are kidnapped by an unhinged serial killer and are chained up in his basement to undergo weeks of torture. This serial killer gets off on making his captives fall in love with each other and then killing them.

PLEASE DON'T JUDGE THIS BOOK BY THE COVER BECAUSE I THOUGHT THIS WAS A CUTE, FLUFFY CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE, AND IT'S THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE. I guess this is what I get for not reading the synopsis, LOL. Even though this book was completely different than what I was expecting, I LOVED IT. Be ready to have your heart ripped tf out because this book will tear you apart. This book is different from other books that I've read before. The way that the author wrote this book was genius. The storyline had me hooked right from the very beginning. I loved Cora and Dean, and how they helped each other through their traumatic experiences they went through. I loved how the author wrote the decisions that had to be made for the characters - they were mature and realistic. Highly recommend this book, but definitely look into the trigger warnings before reading!!

That fine line between love and hate is about as sharp as you can get in Still Beating. The kind of story that had me both craving and at the same time hesitant to turn each page. The way Jennifer Hartmann crafts this story, you can't help but feel every single emotion possible as she gives Asher and Cora the chance at love that should have never been. Forcing them together in the most horrific of ways, knowing the other was their only salvation. Their only hope. And perhaps always their only choice.

What a book. I mean I knew Hartmann could grab my heart like no one else but I really wasn't prepared for how this story would develop. Two people always at odds, finding themselves trapped at the hands of a psychopath and realizing through the rawest of ways that maybe, just maybe, there is more than meets the eye when it comes to their deep-seated feelings about each other. Cora and Asher could push each other's buttons like no one else. And as soon-to-be in-laws, they are put to the ultimate test when their lives are abruptly changed within twenty days of despair, coming out the other end fully respecting and wanting more than they could handle.

I simply could not get enough of this book. Despite all the suffering, not just wrt Dean and Cora but also for the blindsided Mandy, the rich emotions that Hartmann brings forth are nothing less than magnificent. And every decision whether or not it would hurt was masterfully crafted as the push and pull between Dean and Cora gets to a fever pitch that is bound to destroy them both.

Both Dean and Cora are great characters in spite of their flaws and desperation to simply feel after all they endured. Dean, in particular, and all of his selfless acts, had me swooning for him even though it felt somewhat wrong to do so since this is not your typical romance. And he's not your typical hero. Instead, he's a man who survived the worst of the worst and simply wanted the woman he first saw all those years ago in high school no matter the damage they might inflict upon each other. Dean's defining decision late in the book was beyond raw and my own heart bled wondering just how Cora could pick up the pieces of her repeatedly broken soul and if there could be a future where the hurt for both of them and for Mandy might ever subside.

I didn't know how this would all turn out but I was there for every last bit of pain and wanted to stand by both characters even if it meant they would forever live separate lives. I will say for those who have not read any spoilers that I was very content and extremely satisfied with how Hartmann completed Dean and Cora's difficult journey. She didn't make it easy either on them but to say that love truly does conquer all is most definitely quite the understatement where this incredible book is concerned.

5++++++ stars!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving this ARC, and this doesn't influence my review. Okay, so considering that this book had a lot of sensitive topics, there should have been trigger warnings. The synopsis made it seem like it wasn't major, but there was so much stuff that should have been listed as a warning. I did not know that I was going into: r*pe, forced r*pe from another person, abuse, depression, and more. I advise the author to add all this to the synopsis for the book.

I am apparently in the minority with my opinion on Still Beating, but it just didn’t click with me. And it’s not the dark or traumatic romance that is in it because that doesn’t bother me. I don’t know if I can pinpoint exactly what I didn’t like about it, but I just didn’t connect to any of the characters. And I will leave it at that!