3.5/5

"He is enough. His heartbeat is all I need."

Cora and Dean, her sister’s boyfriend, haven't been able to stand each other since high school. For 15 years they have mercilessly teased, pranked, and annoyed each other to no end.

One night at a bar, Cora’s wallet gets stolen and she has no way to pay for a ride home. As a last resort, Cora relents and calls the last person she wants to deal with. Dean. But when he comes to pick her up they both get attacked, kidnapped, and held captive for three weeks before managing to escape.

This was definitely a hard-hitting novel; trauma, survival, healing and hope are all very intense themes woven throughout. This was well-written (though I would definitely check the trigger warnings for this book before going into it), and my only grievance is that I would have liked to see a little more of Dean and Cora before they got kidnapped. We get flashbacks that help add to their story, but for a while it really seems like they go straight from hating one another, to not.

Still Beating was originally published in December of 2020, and is now set to be re-released with a brand new cover on July 11, 2023. Thank you to Bloom Books, NetGalley and the author for the digital advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Jennifer Hartmann's Still Beating is a gripping exploration of dark and taboo themes that pushes the boundaries of traditional relationships. The story follows Cora Lawson and Dean Asher, whose lives are intertwined in a tumultuous relationship filled with teasing and pranks. When they find themselves trapped together in a madman's basement, they must confront their shared trauma and rely on each other for survival, discovering a bond that transcends their troubled past. The book stands out for its powerful character development and evocative writing style, as Hartmann skillfully crafts a narrative that goes beyond a typical captivity story.

Hartmann's descriptive and emotive writing shines in Still Beating, capturing the raw emotions and harrowing experiences of the characters. The author expertly balances darkness and hope, infusing moments of light amidst the story's intensity. The realistic portrayal of the characters' emotions and their evolving connection is commendable, as readers witness the growth of Cora and Dean from adversaries to partners. While addressing uncomfortable subjects such as sexual assault and self-harm, the book challenges societal norms and sheds light on their impact.

Despite the book's commendable qualities, some readers, like myself, may struggle to connect with the characters. Still Beating's intense narrative may be overwhelming for those who prefer lighter content, leading to skimming over the more traumatic parts. However, Hartmann's courage in tackling difficult and rarely discussed subjects deserves recognition. The book's well-crafted narrative and exploration of challenging themes make it a compelling choice for readers who appreciate darker and more intense storytelling.

This book killed me. I saw it all over TikTok and was scared to read it, but as heart wrenching as it was, I am thankful I got an ARC from NetGallery!! Jennifer’s writing was so descriptive and it made me feel as if I was a fly on the wall witnessing the horrible things the characters went through before overcoming them, growing and healing themselves before reuniting at the end!

Not all love stories begin with hearts and flowers and pretty words. Some begin in darkness, reeking of despair and pain, anguish, and terror. That is where Cora and Dean found their story changing forever. Dean was supposed to be marrying her sister, Cora saw only the years of pranks and hurt feelings when she looked at Dean. Until the night they are taken and the unimaginable happens. This is a story of healing and forgiveness, pain, and acceptance. It may have some darkness, but that's always when you find the light, if you look hard enough.

“It’s still beating. As long as it’s beating, you’re okay.”

Cora and Dean are a thorn in each other’s side, but when a madman kidnaps them outside a bar and they are locked and chained up in his basement, they are forced to become each other’s lifeline.

This is my first time reading a Jennifer Hartman book, and I will definitely be reading more. Still Beating caused so much emotional damage. It’s been a while since I’ve cried this much while reading. It has kept me awake until 4 AM because I could not stop reading! Dean and Cora’s experiences and bond really complicated all of their relationships. It was amazing to see the character growth of both Dean and Cora. It was messy, realistic, and raw. I ate it up!

This book is very dark and is not for everybody. Be sure to check the TW/CW. I have listed a few below.

TW: Sexual Assault (Rape), Kidnapping, Confinement, Miscarriage, Infidelity, Animal Death, Suicide Attempt, Self Harm

this was disappointing. i’ve been recommended this book if you liked the mindf*ck series but honestly, it just didn’t have the impact of those 5 books. first, our characters: cora was the cliché “not like other girls” + a sprinkle of “pick me girl”, she loves books, is a little nerdy, doesn’t wear a lot of make up and so on. and it’s A-NNOY-ING! why? you can write a woman without blatantly displaying your internalized mysoginy, which is also why i still don’t understand why the sister had to be such a b!tch! girly was really mad at her sister for sleeping with her now ex-fiancé when she, herself !SPOILER! cheated on him AND after everything that happened to the 2 of them. she was really insensitive to dean’s trauma in the dumbest way possible. i didn’t like dean either if we’re talking about him, he just gave me bad vibes and his chapters annoyed me to no end. now the romance: 1) the spicy scenes REALLY made me cringe, 2) did we need this book to be THIS cheesy? no. i wished it had focused more on their healing journey and taken more time to do so, and not be like: “well, it’s been a year, they’re mostly fine now”. i don’t know anything about human psychology but a few months seem a very short time to overcome this much trauma. their journey was pretty messy, which is to be expected after what they’ve been subjected to and i liked the mom, even if her advice were over the top cheesy, they were also kinda true and helpful to cora (?). also, did we get a little cameo from the guy in hartman’s lotus novel or is it just me? anyway, i’m kinda disappointed and underwhelmed after having finished this book. look up TWs and CWs before picking this book up! 2⭐️

<strong>Dark and angsty</strong>

Two people forced together who maybe should have already been together are wrapped in the bindings of this book. Excellent tale of woe.

What did I like? This is one of those stories that starts out dark before we get the light. It does come and it’s beautiful when it does. Blood does form a family and it’s true in this book.

Would I recommend or buy? Love the cover, it’s extremely eye catching. I would recommend this book to people not put off on rape or dark romance. Something ugly brought these two together but something beautiful came of it.

My copy came from Netgalley!

I was really unprepared for what this book entails when I requested it on netgalley. The description over there doesn’t quite convey the content like the description on Goodreads did and I failed to compare prior to starting it. The content was darker than I prefer reading, so I did skim over the traumatic parts. I got the gist. The story was well done for what it was, but I don’t feel like I can give an accurate rating or review since this really isn’t my typical genre of choice. I would not discourage any readers of the genre from this book, I think it’s a good story for you. But I definitely wouldn’t encourage others who don’t typically read the genre to hop over and give it a go.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC of this rerelease.

My heart can’t handle what I just went through. However it’s one of those books you wish you could experience all over again for the first time. Such an emotional and incredible story.

This book literally had me laughing and crying my eyes out. There is so much heartbreak in this book that you can’t help but root for them the entire time. I absolutely loved it and couldn’t put it down!

Still Beating is releasing with an all new cover on July 11th! I was lucky enough to get an eARC of this book from Bloom Books and NetGalley prior to the rerelease and I will tell you this book is not for the faint of heart! This story is a dark romance with a whole bunch of triggers piled on top! It is totally worth reading to see Dean and Cora’s poignant, destructive and completely undeniable connection! They are both thrown impossible odds that should leave them with deep and traumatizing scars, but Hartmann does a wonderful job showing how they persevere and come together instead. Fantastic read!

This was such a tragic and beautiful story. I love the growth Dean and Cora went through. So much happened to both characters but they made it though it in the end. The pain Cora went through hurt my soul it was so beautifully written

Thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for this ARC.

I devoured this book within 14 hours, and I was biting my nails, I was that on edge. Still Beating is a gripping dark romance book that is full of emotions. Even 2 days after finishing this book, I can't stop thinking about it. I very highly recommend this book!

**Please be aware there are TWs in this book, and I highly recommend that you make sure you are comfortable with them before reading.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Bloom Books, and Bloom Books for allowing me to read this book!!

This was my first dark romance. I've read messed up things before, but this takes the cake. I was unsure how I was going to enjoy the dark romance aspect, but I ended up really enjoying it. Cora and Dean were really nice characters to read about. My only issue is I feel the side characters needded to be fleshed out more, especially Mandy. I feel there was an opportunity to explore the tramua Mandy experienced from having her sister and fiance being kiddnapped. Instead Mandy is insufferable the whole time.

A review will be posted on @abookwormsgarden on IG on July 3rd @9:00am.

Why did I wait so long to read this. Truly an amazing story from beginning to end. These are characters that I will never forget.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Holy SH*t!! When I say I devoured this book, I mean I didn’t stop, couldn’t stop, and wouldn’t stop until I finished it!

Cora does not get along with her sisters fiancé, Dean. They’ve been antagonizing each other for years and she’s tired of it.
When they go out for her sisters birthday, the next thing she knows is that she wakes with her and Dean in shackles, in a serial killer’s basement. They now must work together to get survive. What they don’t expect is the bond that this situation forced upon them.


This book was SO good! I’ve read over 100 books this year, and this is probably my favorite. I kept thinking about it days after reading it, and can’t wait to read it again!

This was emotional, intense, heartbreaking, and heartwarming. I cannot recommend this book enough and I know it will be on the bestseller list!


📘: Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann
🗓️: July 11, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley, Jennifer Hartmann, and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for this ARC!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*Reviewed on NetGalley and Goodreads.

4⭐️

I didn’t expect to like this as much as I did—at first I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue reading it because the beginning is intense. But I’m glad I did, because the story, while dark, was mostly about healing and second chances, and I ended up unable to put it down. This was my first read from this author, but I think I’ll check out her other stuff at some point.

5/5 ⭐
2/5 🌶️
5/5 🎧

Still Beating is one of my all time favorite books. It's tragic, but it's so beautiful too. This was my second time reading it and I loved it just as much, if not more, this time around. There is something so profound about Dean and Cora's love, finding hope in such darkness and the bond they found while chained in a mad man's basement. I also loved the little peeks we got into Lotus and Jennifer's upcoming story The Stars Are On Our Side. This little world she built is amazing.

I adore Dean so dang much. This man goes from playing childish pranks on a girl to helping her through the hardest thing in both of their lives and the emotions you feel and discover from him in that basement will rattle your soul. The way he caressed her wrist, how he sung her favorite songs to her and all the words he said to keep her calm were magical in the most heartbreaking of ways.

What I didn't realize going in the first time was that them being captured and tortured was only a third of the story. The actual main storyline of this book is how these two learn to live with their traumas and how they overcome the taboo nature of their relationship to finally get to live out their happily ever after. Jennifer will probably write her story someday and make me love her... But I can't stand Mandy almost as much as I hate the Matchmaker. There are some things she does and says that are unforgivable and made Dean and Cora's healing so much harder. And by her attitude in the bonus scene, I'm not convinced she's ever going to grow into a person who thinks about others before herself.

Speaking of the bonus scene, I was expecting more from Dean and Cora but it actually ended up being a POV from Tabitha and gave us a little peek into her story which is coming in early 2024. I really can not wait for this Still Beating and Lotus crossover story and I'm so excited to watch her and Gabe get their happily ever after, it's so deserved.

This one was just wow. Very deep emotional read. I've loved all of Jennifer Hartmann books that I've read.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Publication date: July 11, 2023

Still Beating is a dark romance novel by Jennifer Hartmann. This was previously self published by the author and now being refreshed and released again.

⚠️ Trigger warnings ⚠️
Kidnapping
Rape
Captivity
Loss of pregnancy
Loss of pet

Okay so this is my first book by this author. I have read dark romance before and enjoy it. In this case, I’m not sure the lead up to the relationship was necessary. I did love the connection between Cora and Dean and really wanted to see them together, just not sure the set up was right for me.

Cora Lawson has always disliked her sisters long time boyfriend Dean (now fiancée). They tolerate each other for the sake of her sister but mostly spend any time together arguing or pulling extreme pranks on each other.

After losing her ride home after her sisters party, Cora is approached by some creep. In her desperation she calls Dean to give her a ride home and it spirals into the worst possible scenario. Cora wakes up chained in the creep’s basement with Dean by her side.

After escaping a month long harrowing experience, Dean and Cora descend into a strange new relationship born out of the tragedy they experienced together. But they soon discover that their connection runs deeper than the last month and they share more than just an experience.

This was a 3 star for read for me. While I really enjoyed the connection between Dean and Cora, I really didn’t find the initial events were to my taste or necessary to understand the connection between them.

#NetGalley #stillbeating #jenniferhartmann