I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

this book is a big ole book of trauma bonding and it is more than you think it should be. This book is written so well it feels real and that you are actually reading something that happened to someoene. Which means it pulls your emotions. Did we like what happened No.. Do we totally get it and understand YES.

Go into this with a blank non judgy slate and if you do i promise this is a winner.
Also the audiobook is done very well if that is your vibe

I don’t even know how to explain this story, but one thing is for certain: this book is completely one-of-a-kind. The exploration of how people go on after experiencing such a harrowing and heartbreaking traumatic event such as the one portrayed in Still Beating is compelling. Cora and Dean are two characters who you have no choice but to feel deeply for, and root for, after reading the detailed account of what they were forced into. This was only improved by the voice actors who conveyed the intense emotions in the book with a balance of passion and respect.

However, I don’t know that this book should have been a romance (and that’s saying something coming from me). I was intrigued by the romance because it’s the ultimate forbidden match formed through trauma bonding, but as I read the more I didn’t really want Cora and Dean to become a couple. For me, this book would have felt better if it had leaned into its’ thriller nature as opposed to following a romance novel arc with insanely graphic trauma thrown on top as the driver of the romance.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Dean and Cora are captured and this story is what happens during and after the capture.
It is sad at times and the characters definitely have major PTSD. There is a lot of inner turmoil between the characters.
This book is dark but it’s not as dark as what I was expecting. The capture portion I was also expecting to be longer story wise but 🤷🏻‍♀️.
The bonus epilogue was really sad.


The audio is really good! Dual narration with a male and female narrator.
Thank you #netgalley for the audio arc

Still Beating by @author.jenniferhartmann - This book hurt my soul, and I'm telling my mommy! Ugh, seriously, though, this was amazing and exactly the kind of pain and trauma I want in my dark romance books.

4.5⭐
Genre ~ dark crime fiction
Publication date ~ December 30, 2020
Page Count ~ 314 (34 chapter + p&e)
Audio length ~ 12 hours 7 minutes
Narrators ~ Laurie West, Christian Black
POV ~ dual 1st
Featuring ~ 3 part story, multiple timelines, serial killer, abduction, r@pe, forced r@pe, torture, attempted suicide, enemies to lovers, some steamage

Cora & Dean have been nemesis for 15 years, and he is engaged to her sister, Mandy. She calls him one night to give her a ride and they are abducted and held captive for 3 weeks. They are tortured, r@ped and forced to have s*x with each other. After they escape they each deal in their own way. It takes time to heal, but one thing is for sure ~ they'll forever be bonded.

I like that it was broken up into 3 parts. Part 1 is Cora's POV during the abduction, part 2 is Dean's after the abduction and part 3 is a mix of how both are dealing with the aftermath, and their new feelings. There are flashbacks throughout the last 15 years, too, that showed why their relationship was the way it was.

I gotta say too that if you're feeling bad for Mandy ~ how her fiance dumped her for her sister and her sister stabbed her in the back for falling for her fiance ~ you shouldn't, she wasn't a great character. And it wasn't like they escaped and immediately fell into a relationship either.

I've hopped on the hype train so many times and have been disappointed, but this is one of those books that lived up to the hype for me. An emotional story of how you can move on and heal from the most traumatic experience of your life as long as your heart is still beating .

Narration notes:
They both did an outstanding job.

This book is very good, but very dark and sometimes disturbing. I've read the physical book and now listened to the audiobook and I have to say that it was almost more disturbing listening to the book. Even with how hard it is to rad due to the content, the writing is beautiful and Jennifer Hartmann never disappoints.

This so could have been five stars if he hadn’t been with her sister for fifteen years. Really killed the vibe for me.

This book was heartbreaking in the best way possible. I really really loved this book! Please look up trigger warnings for this though, it’s very graphic!!

The love these characters shared was absolutely beautiful and I would have loved them together even more if he hadn’t been with her sister. Other than that, I absolutely adored this book!

This was such a beautiful story. Evidence of how strong a trauma bond can be. These two are basically enemies, but an unfortunate event leads them to a point they can only depend on each other. I like that this book shows the unhealthy side of a trauma bond and how it can be overcome. Dark romance for sure, but a beautiful story with an HEA.
Check triggers

This was one of the darker books I've read. But I had seen such great reviews for it from trusted friends when it was indie published that when i saw it on Netgalley, I had to give it a shot.

This romance was hot and erotic, while still being dark and heavy.

There were aspects of this romance that just spoke to me. This was such an interesting take on forced proximity too! So unique and well worth the read

To be perfectly honest I hate finished this book.

This hatred wasn’t due to the traumatic events referenced in the blurb. It is 100% due to the side characters and their reactions to the traumatic event.

This book starts with Cora and Dean being kidnapped by a serial killer and held for several weeks. Several terrible trigger worthy events happen during their captivity. This section was hard to read and heartbreaking.

HOWEVER, this was not the section that made me continue to question “WTF?!”.

After Cora and Dean are rescued from their captivity is when the truly horrible section begins. No one in their lives respect what they went through or is willing to support them in their recovery. Within two weeks of being rescued their friends and family are constantly questioning why they aren’t “normal” again. They are setting Cora up on dates with strangers and upset when she doesn’t want to go. There are also several instances of victim blaming from both family and coworkers.

Dean is engaged to Cora’s sister, Mandy. Mandy has to be one of the most self centered characters I have ever come across. She is pissed that Dean won’t be intimate with her immediately following their escape. She is pissed that he feels close to Cora after everything they went through. During not just one or two scenes Mandy makes their entire kidnapping to be able her and how she felt at the time.

It isn’t until MONTHS after the trauma that Cora’s parents attempt to help her cope. I’m not honestly sure if this is due to Cora’s POV accepting their help or if it just wasn’t offered. I am leaning towards it not being offered.

There was a lot of trauma dumping in this book one right after another. It honestly started to feel over the top and unnecessary.

The relationship between Cora and Dean was delicate. They went through a lot and had to overcome obstacles. I was interested to see how they would work out, but everyone around them ruined this book. If I hadn’t been listening to the audiobook on my phone I would have thrown the book across the room multiple times.

Still Beating is not for the faint of heart. If you are looking for a fun light romance, look somewhere else because this is not it!

The book deals with some serious and heavy themes, so check trigger warnings. The story was very interesting and kept me interested the whole time! Dean and Cora have quite the relationship evolution due to the circumstances they are put through, but ‘get there’ eventually. The relationship is complicated to put it mildly but easy to follow thankfully.

I’m not a big fan of the drama and the back and forth you see in the book but I do appreciate that it’s true to life in that things aren’t always so simple.

I liked the epilogue and that there was some closure in the end. Also the dog element was sweet and thoughtful.

This book took me through so many emotions. I mean I loved lotus and it feels weird to say that I loved this one too- this was dark and twisted and please check trigger warnings.

First of all- the capture was probably the most intense thing I have ever read. Even through all of that the healing from the trauma. The story and the journey Dean and Cora went on. I was captivated and wow is all I can say. I need to process!

I am so glad this was told in 3 parts and that we got both perspectives! The audio was also well done and the emotions were portrayed perfectly.

I don't even know how to write a review for this book! Even knowing this was a dark book, I still expected it to be slightly less hard to read at the beginning. What they go through is a lot, but the way the author brings the characters back out of this particular hell is so well done.

I loved listening to this story, and it felt all the more intense for it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me listen!

This was my first story by this author and - oof - it was a doozy.

Darker, than my normal reads - I was captivated immediately and positively addicted to the story. Watch the trigger warnings. It's definitely not for the faint of heart. But man - it was so well done.

The way it broke Cora and Dean, and then slowly - methodically stitched them back together. There were some frustrating moments for sure, and some parts were really hard to listen through - but I never wanted to put it down. I was invested, my heart held in thrall while Cora and Dean fought their way through the darkness and toward their happily ever after.

The narration was well done and I liked how it was broken down. It was told in a way that made it so easy to get lost in the story, It was definitely an easy story to listen to, and I effortlessly lost a few hours of my life within their storytelling.

Dark, gritty, and packed with angst - my heart did not come out of this story unscathed. But even so, it delighted and fluttered with joy over the way everything played out. ~ Shelly, 4 Stars

I thought the book was amazing. It broke me in all the right ways. It was intense... so intense that I had to stop listening to it so I could remember to breathe. It makes me want to know more and makes me long for a second book. Seriously, how can this one be topped??? It is by far one of my favorite romance novels of all time. Complete hit!

This is so great! The story is different than anything I’ve ever read before and the narrators are very engaging! Cora and her sister’s fiancé Dean do not get along. They have spent years arguing with each other. But, leaving a party Cora and Dean get abducted. When these two people at odds have to come together in order to survive it creates a bond like no other.

"Still Beating" narrated by Laurie West and Christian Black brings Jennifer Hartmann's romantic story to life. The audiobook follows two characters on a passionate journey of love and healing. West and Black's performances complement each other well, conveying the emotions and chemistry between the protagonists. With its heartfelt storytelling and dynamic narration, "Still Beating" offers a unique experience audiobook enthusiasts.

Still Beating
by Jennifer Hartmann
Narrated by Laurie West; Christian Black

WOW.
This book...
Just wow.

Trigger warning: rape, sexual assault, kidnapping, trauma, PTSD

I don't know what I was expecting, but the summary sounded good, and the story intriguing. Little did I know that this would be one of those un-put-downable books. Now first things first. The first part of the book was rough. When I say rough, I mean that it was written so well that I felt like I was right there with Earl, Cora, and Dean. I had such a stark picture in my head of every little thing that was happening to Cora and Dean, and it was disgusting and disturbing. I mean that in a really good way, though, as Ms. Hartmann set out to make you feel and make you care about them. At this point, you may ask-and how exactly is this a romance?? Well, once they escape, things change, and you'll just have to read or listen to find out exactly what happens. It's their story of finding their way back after everything that happened to them. It isn't as gripping as the first part of the book, but it's believable after having gone through the trauma that they did. This is a very dark romance, so be prepared.

I thought that the narrators did a great job, and though the writing truly brought the characters to life, the narration only added to it. I think I need to listen to something nice and easy next. This was quite the listen.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Tantor Audio, and the author for the wild ride and the chance to listen to and review this title!