For me, though, this was a book I had to put down. And that’s okay. Some stories leave their mark even when unfinished.

Some wounds can’t be seen, but they leave a lasting impact. Tessa’s world has shrunk to the safety of her apartment, fear holding her captive after a traumatic experience. When she’s tasked with planning her best friend’s bachelorette party, the pressure feels overwhelming—until Ben Black steps in.

Ben, responsible for his brother’s bachelor party, quickly notices Tessa’s struggles. Instead of pushing, he offers to take over, giving her something she hasn’t felt in a long time: relief. His kindness and patience slowly draw her out, and she’s surprised by how comfortable she feels with him. But trust isn’t easy, and she struggles to believe that a billionaire like Ben could truly understand pain.

This story is deeply emotional, exploring trauma, PTSD, and the journey toward healing. It’s a raw and moving romance, one that doesn’t shy away from life’s darkest moments. While beautifully written, it was too heavy for me to finish—but that’s a testament to its power. Some books stay with you, even when left unfinished.

This is the first book that I have read by this author, but I have seen her books a lot lately, so I know she is a well established author with many books in her backlist. I could tell that this book was a spinoff of a series about two other characters (Skye and Braden). In this book, Tessa (Skye's best friend) is the FMC and Ben (Braden's younger brother) is the MMC. I thought the pacing of this book was good, it was a fast and easy read, which I have been in the mood for lately. There were some things about this book that I did NOT like. For one, I hated how she called her mom MOMMY, she is 25 years old, and there were other instances when she called her mom 'mother' and 'mom', so I cringed when she started calling her mom 'Mommy". Also I didn't really like how Ben thought he knew exactly what Tessa needed, even though he wasn't a psychologist and didn't have any experience in dealing with someone who experienced what Tessa experienced. He acted like he knew what was best for her. Typical overconfident white male... insert eye roll here. While those few things were annoying to me, I am glad that I read this book and that it was a quick read. #MyHeartStillBeats #NetGalley

Tessa was recently sexually assaulted by her on again/off again boyfriend. She is struggling but her best friend's bachelorette party is coming up and she is supposed to plan. Enter Benjamin Black, the brother of the groom, who offers help. Cautious around men now, Tessa tries to avoid Ben but there is just something about him....
Opinion
Like all of Hardt's books, I could not put this one down. Hardt just knows how to end a chapter making you want to read the next one RIGHT NOW.
Hardt's books all have some type of darkness to them as well (with a good balance of light thrown in as well.) This book contained sexual assault and the fallout from it. But Ben has some darkness too that led to a cliffhanger in this book.
I'm not sure how many books are going to be in this series but I notice that Hardt likes to write in threes for each couple. I hope that is true for this one because I am enjoying Ben and Tessa.
Many thanks to Net Galley and Entangled Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book.

My Heart Still Beats is one of those books that hits like a punch to the gut—raw, dark, and so heavy it lingers long after you’ve put it down. This isn’t your usual swoon-and-sigh romance. It’s more like wading through the messy, jagged edges of trauma and trying to find some light on the other side. I’ll be honest: it wasn’t love at first page, but it pulled me in enough to keep going.

This story dives deep so make sure you’re in the right headspace before you dive in. It’s dark, but there’s also this thread of hope that carries you through.

I didn’t walk away from this book with the usual warm and fuzzy feelings, but that’s not what it’s about. It’s about resilience, healing, and how love can be both a balm and a battle. If you’re looking for something that digs into the emotional trenches and doesn’t shy away from the ugly parts of life, this might be for you. Just prepare yourself—this isn’t a breezy read, but it’s one that makes you feel.

This book is sweet, devastating and emotional all rolled up to one great journey. Tessa has literally been through hell. Her life has never been super easy but her last experience was devastating. She is working through it but she is taking it one day at a time. Ben is extremely successful and is excited about working with Tessa on planning a successful Bachelor and bachelorette weekend in Jamaica. What he was not expecting was to be totally smitten with Tessa…but he knows he has to be careful. As Ben and Tess get to know each other Ben’s past comes banging on his doors…this can’t be good. This is a layered read with a lot going on. Intense characters who have a lot of past history to work through. This was definitely a journey that I’m happy I took. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

This book was good. I love Benjamin! Tess got on my nerves a bit but I hung in there. The rape scene got to me and I had to put it down for a bit. Definitely check your triggers people! Also there is a murder in this. I liked it overall but I probably won't reread it.

A deeply emotional and powerful romance that delves into trauma, healing, and love. Tessa and Benjamin have their demons but they begin to heal each other’s wounds. The writing is engaging and heartfelt capturing the emotional depth of Benjamin and Tessa’s journey. The story offers a message of hope and restoration.
Many thanks to Entangled Publishing and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I absolutely love everything that Helen Hardt writes. And My Heart Still Beats is no different. I was captivated from the first page to the last.

I can’t to read more in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed this book.

To get this all created a really intriguing and fascinating read. I loved everything in this book from start to finish. The characters and the world, and just the way that she develop the plot in the storyline cost me to never be able to put it down. I really enjoyed the character development and the storyline that she decided to go with this book. I found that the main plot conflict was one that kept me sucked in waiting to know what happened and I overall was thrilled with how the book ended.

This emotional rollercoaster was fantastic and I loved every minute. Tessa is relatable — the fragility after experiencing something so traumatic as her normal, bubbly self is reverted to a shell. When she’s invited to her friend bachelorette party, she lets Ben in.

Ben is the golden retriever type — he gives Tessa such grace and attention in this book and offers her strength where she falters. With his own past, it’s easy for them to fall together and relate to one another. This book was a wonderful read and per the usual, Hardt’s writing is a joy to read. Her ability to write a story with some difficult scenes without shock value only serves to show less is more. She really did toss Tessa through the wringer, with Ben being her saving grace

Emotional read but also very dark. There are several trigger warnings like rape and abuse so please make sure you read the authors note in the front of the book.

a dark, deeply emotional story that dives into relationships and the highs & lows of being in love. i didn’t love it but i didn’t hate it

Ben had me hooked from the start. I loved how patient he was with Tessa. And how helping her made him realize he needed to face his own trauma. They both had to navigate through very different traumatic pasts while falling in love. And I liked getting to follow along with their journey.

4.5 stars!

Firstly, the dedication in this book grabbed hold of my heart so much. I already love, admire and will read everything Helen Hardt writes… However, I knew by the dedication she left to her readers with this book that this book was going to be phenomenal, incredibly profound, emotional and inspiring.. and it made me want to read it even more and I was not disappointed. Because be mindful that this book is a dark, emotional romance with a happy ending. However, the story includes elements that might not be suitable for all readers.


𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦:
🖤 Sexual Assault
🖤 Physical Assault,
🖤 R@pe,
🖤 Child Molestation,
🖤 Suicidal Thoughts,
🖤 Suicidal Ideation,
🖤 Depression,
🖤 Anxiety,
🖤 PTSD,
🖤 Panic Attacks,
🖤 Murder.

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦:
✨ Billionaire Romance
✨ Dark Romance
✨ Emotional Story
✨ Trauma Healing
✨ Mental Health Rep
✨ Mixed Race FMC
✨ Destination Wedding
✨ Mild Spice
✨


Tessa used to be a fun, bubbly, young and happy woman who lives with no fear Until the unspeakable happens and she experiences some trauma (Sexual assault/abuse) and her life and the way she viewed it it all changed and now she’s a shell of the person she use to be. She quickly withdrew and became extremely closed off and found it hard to really trust anyone or know or trust anyone’s real intentions. She feels like she’s never going to be happy again, never going to see the old, happy person she was and now she has to pull herself together and act like everything is fine because her best friend is getting married and she’s in charged of the bachelorette party and the last thing she wants to do is let her best friend down but how can she plan a party and act happy when she just wants to go and hide away from the world?



Ben is a rich, sexy reformed business man that works along side his brother Braden. He’s charming, sweet and is a reformed playboy that has a way of sweeping girls off their feet. He knows Tessa and what she has been through so when Ben sees her for the first time he’s extremely protective of her and wants to make her life easier for her and will go to great lengths to do that..He can see the darkness, the torment, the hurt, the fear and the scars that are inside her.

The more time Ben spends with Tessa, the more his feelings grow and the more of a connection they make. Every time he’s in the same room as her she gives him butterflies and makes his heart skip a beat. He’s falling in love with her. It’s clear as day. However, he knows she’s not ready and may never be ready for anything more than friends. That doesn’t stop him from trying to make her life easier, protecting her and trying to make her happy again. He will everything he can to make sure she gets the happiness she deserves.

Ben also has a sordid past that no one close to him knows anything about and while Tessa is slowly finding herself again and in a better head space, Ben’s darkness and demons start to surface.


Helen Hardt is known for her spice when it comes to her books and don’t get me wrong… I LOVE IT! However, this was a little different, it still had spice but this book focuses heavily on the angst, emotion, romance and the connection between these two characters.

This book was not for the faint of heart. It really hit home for me on a few occasions and I had to take steps away from the book at times. In saying that, I think this book and these intense dark topics were handled with care, well-written and executed perfectly. This book took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. I laughed, I cried and at one point I wanted to throw my kindle at the wall.

5 STARS!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I enjoyed this book and think you will to.

Thanks to Netgalley, Entangled Publishing and Helen Hardt for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've been a huge fan of Helen Hardt since I read the first Steel Brothers novel years ago. I've loved everything she's written so far, and My Heart Still Beats is no exception.

I love the mixture of romance and suspense that Helen writes so well. Her characters in My Heart Still Beats were interesting and complex. Tessa and Ben had great chemistry.
It was nice to read more about Braden and Skye again too.

I highly recommend.

4 stars from me. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I've enjoyed Helen Hardt's previous books and this one was just as good. While a bit dark, the story had such touching times and sweet character progression. Tessa and Ben have been major characters in previous books and finally get their story. These two have had, and are now having, some seriously bad times. They're still good people and great together but they have a lot to deal with to get to their happily ever after.

I enjoyed Tessa and Ben. It was fun to see all the characters back. The story had a ton of intrigue and difficult times, some of which are pretty stressful, hard to work through and majorly life altering. Together these two are better at dealing than alone but of course it takes a lot to get to where they'll lean on one another.

I enjoyed the story with all its ups and downs. It was very interesting. There were tear, laughs, frustration and smiles.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

My heart still beats for this book. Billionaire love story. Forced proximity. Working with the best man and fighting feelings for him at the same time. One of my favorite tropes. Check the trigger warnings though.

Unfortunately this book just didn't hit the mark for me personally. I have previously read this authors book and loved them while recommending to others.

I found the plot too dark and somewhat unrealistic. I couldn't connect to the characters and I just didn't get the connection between them. Things took too many turns that I just couldn't get my head around.

If you are considering this book check the trigger warnings. This is a wonderfully written book that includes themes about overcoming trauma, that I enjoyed but may be triggering to others. The path to overcoming trauma is different for everyone and this book gives a handsome guy to help our main girl overcome hers. She is hesitant about letting him in at first but his gentle persistence to just help her wins out in the end. He is not without his own issues of course. that he also deals with throughout the book. They have a wonderful love story and it does end with a happily ever after that makes the entire journey worth it.

I would definitely recommend to my friends, and to you reading this review.