My Heart Still Beats by Helen Hardt is the story of Tessa, a young woman who is fighting her way out of depression following a sexual assault, and Ben, the billionaire playboy who falls in love with her.

This book was positioned as a dark romance, and while it has some cute date moments and a happily ever after, it's more dark than romance. Yes, Ben helps Tessa on her healing journey, but the story spends more time on her experience of depression and trauma than it does on the romance between them. Overall it felt really gray, and I had to fight to stay interested and keep reading it.

The writing style is consistent with Helen Hardt's other books, but by necessity of the type of story she's telling there's a lot less spice in this book than in her others.

I don't recommend this book if you're looking for deep romance, but if you're into stories about women healing from depression and finding love after SA, then this book might be for you.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for providing a digital ARC copy for me to review.

My Heart Still Beats
Helen Hardt
Pub: 5/28/24
4☆

Whew! Helen Hardt pulled out all the stops in this one. It was about so much more than just a love story. It was heartbreaking and equally healing as well. Hardt has a knack for complex characters and Ben and Tessa are prime examples. I was pulled into their emotional story from the very beginning and their journey as individuals and as a couple kept me engaged throughout. I loved the strength these two provided for each other and how instead of trying to “fix” her he provided the much needed support and allowed her to work through it and her own pace. While this may be “dark” Helen gives us such a sweet HEA.

What I enjoyed;
✨ Billionaire Romance
✨ Dark
✨ Emotional Story
✨ Trauma/Healing

There is A-LOT to unpack here, so please make sure to check the TW!

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to be an early reader in exchange for an honest review.

Check trigger warnings before you read this one.

Themes I really enjoyed and felt were well expressed in My Heart Still Beats:

- Nature is healing. (I do love a good cold plunge.)
- The emptiness and void of depression of the FMC.
- The fear/anxiety/ptsd after an assault and survivorship.
- How to love and support someone you know is suffering (MMC to the FMC)

I felt the pacing was great until the last maybe 15-20% which felt rushed to me. I think the first half does such an amazing job showing our FMC living with depression/ptsd and anxiety as a survivor of assault. I think this is why the nearly complete 180 degree healing journey she went on felt jarring. I know it’s a romance but our MMC was doing such a good job moving slow to just switch to not.

I dropped a star for the quick healing of her trauma and the overuse of the word margarita in like a two page span.

Overall, I did thoroughly enjoy the characters and plot even if the end felt rushed and the healing journey so abruptly turned around for the FMC.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book and providing me with an ARC. All views expressed are my own.

Tessa is suppose to be planning Skye’s bachelorette party, but she’s having a tough time. Ben, the best man, steps up and plans both parties taking the pressure off of her.
…
Tessa is nervous and skittish around Ben. Everytime he tries to touch her she pulls away. She knows she can trust Ben since Skye is marrying his brother, but she can’t shake the feelings of being with a man yet.
…
Ben feels a connection with Tessa and senses her unhappiness. He does everything he can to put a smile on her face. He kind of becomes her depression sponsor coming to aid when she’s feeling down.
…
Helen Hardt writes about a two characters who have made some bad decisions in their past. When they meet each other they have this connection that helps each other heal. For me I was expecting a deep dark emotional story about a traumatic experience that required soul searching and extensive therapy. This is the aftermath of some horrible experiences that still require healing. For me it could’ve been better. I did find the flashback scenes informative and explained the darkness that resided in both Ben and Tessa. I could’ve done without the religious aspect of the story. It didn’t offer any value to the story or the healing process. I felt like Helen Hardt was defining Tessa’s character by these situations. The number of times she compared Ben with Garrett when it was obvious they hadn’t spent much time together. I was annoyed by Tessa’s character defining Ben as a good person because he was wealthy. Or the fact she couldn’t understand why a guy who had money would be interested in her.
…
This is a standalone novel, yet I felt like the ending left unanswered questions regarding Ben’s role in his past choices and the effects it would have on his company.

My Heart Still Beats is a wonderful standalone story based off of characters from Helen Hardt's Follow Me Darkly Series.

Tessa's trauma had closed her off from the things that she normally did and loved. While Ben was dealing with issues from his past that were coming back to haunt him. Coming together for the wedding of Bens brother to Tessa's best friend let the healing commence. As the Best Man and Maid of Honor the two MC's get to work close together in planning the ultimate time for the couple. We see them grow and connect throughout this AMAZING story.

Seeing Tessa grow from a victim to becoming a survivor was heartwarming and inspiring. I really enjoyed this book and watching the characters grow and come together. This is the way a love story should be!

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC of this book for my honest review.

I would liked to have known Tessa before all the trauma she had gone through. Though we meet her afterward and heavy with depression, I didn’t like how she didn’t want to dig herself out of it and wanted no more help. Saying this, give Ben sainthood for sticking by her and taking care of her, allowing herself to wake up and find life again. Tessa’s story is full of triggers, yet there is sunshine and freedom from troubles and his name is Ben. Their story is intense, yet with a HEA and well worth a read.

My Heart Still Beats is a great read, which does not surprise me. Helen Hardt knows how to give a good novel and this did not disappoint!! There is overlap from her past series/books, but this is still a stand alone.

I received an ARC of this book from
NetGalley and Entangled Publishing. Here is
my review:

My Heart Still Beats by Helen Hardt grabbed
my attention from the beginning. I was
immediately intrigued by what secrets Ben
was hiding, but I was equally fascinated by
his character. He was such a kind, thoughtful
gentleman to Tessa. He treated her with
such respect and patience after she endured
such a harrowing experience.

Tessa was such a heartbreaking character,
but portrayed so well. Helen really showed
Tessa's evolution from a victim to a survivor.
She did it in such a way that showed
sensitivity and compassion to those who
have experienced similar trauma.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It kept me
engrossed the whole time. I am going to
highly recommend it to all my groups,
followers and friends.

My Heart Still Beats is a fabulous read. You may recognize a few faces in this one if you have read the Follow Me series. This can be read as a standalone. This is Ben and Tessa. Ben has a secret he has held onto for years and the past is trying to catch up. Tessa is trying to recover from her trauma and live life again. As Ben and Tessa are thrown together you feel the chemistry build. I love how gentle Ben is knowing what Tessa has gone through. Tessa grows so strong even as she faces 2 men from her past. I love how protective Ben is of Tessa even as his past haunts them both. I could not get enough of Ben and Tessa. You need to read this one.

Recovery is a process. It takes time and patience. It takes everything you've got...

One simply does not get over a traumatic experience in their life. Tessa finds herself carrying this burden and cannot find a way to move on. She has her BFF's bachelorette to plan so she needs to take control, if only temporarily She meets Benjamin Black, brother to her friend's fiancé. He is gorgeous on the outside, but Tessa sees anguish in his eyes and wants to know what is causing it.

They are drawn to each other not knowing the other has experienced scarring events in each of their lives. Ben is calm and patient around Tessa as he does not want to push her past her comfort zone

Be prepared to witness and experience a passionate and heartfelt read that will pull emotions from you when you least expect it.

As both a SA survivor and someone who suffers from mental illness, this book was deeply relatable. I believe there is a special power in healing love, and rather than trying to “fix” Tessa, Ben gave her more tools to help her, gave her support, and most of all created a safe space to allow her to work through her trauma on her own. Sometimes that’s the best thing you can do for someone. The strength of Tessa as a character was incredible. She goes through so much and only wants what’s best for everyone else.
This book also shows that no matter what happened in your past, you will be able to heal and are still worthy of love.

My Heart Still Beats by Helen Hardt is a perfect book for a dark and emotional romance fan.

This book is my 3rd book from Helen Hardt and the story really gives emotional rollercoaster.

This book shows Ben giving emotional support and light to Tessa who are having a very rough times in her life. The efforts Ben giving which brings light to Tessa's darkness makes her feel safe again. The attraction between them are just unable to be resist. When it is Ben who needs help, Tessa were there to give him hands. The storyline are so beautiful.

✅ Trigger content: sexual assault, physical assault, rape, child molestation, suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety, panic attack and murder
✅ Heavy conflict
✅ Slow burn
✅ High sexual tension
✅ Spicy scenes: explicit and intense
✅ Angst
✅ Suspense
✅ Tear jerker
✅ Happy ending

I'll absolutely will reading the next book from Helen Hardt.

Recomiendo leer los tws porque trama temas fuertes y algunas escenas pueden ser explícitas.

En general la historia es entretenida, hay algunas cosas que no me gustaron como se trataron, pero estuvo bien.

No puedo creer que esos violadores no pagaran su merecido y no los encarcelaran.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for and honest review.

After reading through the Trigger Warnings I knew "My Heart Still Beats" was going to be a heavy and emotional read.

I've read most of this author's books and I have really come to appreciate how complex and memorable her characters are. The storylines will grab a hold of your attention and keep you turning pages.

I would definitely recommend checking out this book but there are scenes in this books that were absolutely heartbreaking to read, please take the time to read through the warnings for yourself.

Thank you Helen Hardt, Net Galley and Entangled Publishing LLC for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

This is a beautifully emotional read! But it handles some dark topics. So please be sure to check the content warnings to keep your head and heart happy!

With that being said, I enjoyed this book! 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.

If you like darker romances, I recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for allowing me to read this book ahead of release in exchange for my honest opinion.

Rating: 3.5 stars

So I received an early copy of this book to provide feedback on it before it is published. Not sure how much of this will change so please keep that in mind when reading my review if you haven’t read the book yet.

First off, I want to say that I did enjoy this story. It was raw and emotional. I felt so sad when I learned certain things that had happened to the characters. There is on-page triggers, especially for sexual assault and death so please keep that in mind before you read this. Again, it’s very raw and heartbreaking. However I do enjoy these types of stories, so I personally didn’t mind.

This is my first book by this author, and I did like it. I think the author did a great job telling a story of someone who has gone through an experience and is trying to live their life afterwards. I did find some things a little repetitive, but again, I had an early copy.

A couple things are that this is apparently a standalone; however, I kept feeling like I was missing something from the story from two of the side characters. Then when I read the author note or whatever at the end, I found out that those two characters did in fact have a story for themselves. I think the cross between the two makes it so I almost wanted to read the other book first so I could have understood it more.

This story also has little parts that flashback to the past, and while not full chapters, it could be considered a past/present book. Personally, I wanted it to have just flashbacks instead of being full on written from the past sections.

I liked the MMc and how he was dealing with his own past and how it haunted him. At the same time, he was the person that the FMC needed him to be, which I loved. He was very patient and understanding with her.

My biggest complaint is honestly the very end. I kind of felt like it was too abrupt and wanted a little more from it. But overall I did enjoy the story and think this is perfect for anyone who wants an emotional read.

My Heart Still Beats by Helen Hardt is the first book I’ve read by this author and I’m sure I’ll read more of her work in the future based on my 3.5 star review of this one. Before I say anything else, please read the trigger warnings before diving into this heartbreaking and thought-provoking read. There are several trigger warnings for several story elements – please heed them before reading this book. I was somewhat prepared based on those warnings, but it was still difficult reading about the harm and trauma that Tessa endured. On the other hand, it was refreshing to read how understanding Ben was and how “in tune” with Tessa he was from the start. The one disappointment in this read was the rushed feeling I got at the end of the book when Ben was dealing with his issues from his earlier life. Without giving too much away, Ben had been such a dominant, confident, driving force from the beginning that I found it hard to comprehend how he dealt with his issues in the way he did at the end of the book. Based on the self-assured, assertive Ben I got to know, I don’t believe he would have reacted the way he did by walking away from Tessa. Maybe if I had gotten more of his POV at that point, I would have understood it better. It just seemed a bit rushed. Again, as I said, I will probably read more from this author, but I would have liked this more had she written Ben in a different context at the end. I’m grateful to have been given the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book through NetGalley.

This is a story of trauma with a love story mixed in. Trigger warning: there are active rape scenes in this book and murder.

I thought I was really gonna love this story, but I found Tessa highly annoying. I know she went through trauma, but she literally came off as such a self centered btch. I couldn’t stand her.

The saving grace for this book was the ending which was very exciting and had tons of action. The flashbacks I enjoyed too. If it weren’t for those and for me wanting to know the truth about Ben’s past I probably would have DNF’d.

This had a good premise, Tessa was just not a good character in my opinion. I would still try this author again, because there were some really good scenes.

Thank you to netgalley and entangled publishing for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rated 3.5 Stars

My Heart Still Beats was an enjoyable read. However, it was too repetitive especially in the beginning and it never fully drew me in. I felt like I was standing on the outskirts watching what was happening to the characters. I wasn't emotionally engaged nor immersed. I didn't feel any of the emotions that I expected to feel going into this story. I did like the way the hero was with the heroine and watching their relationship develop. I liked this story and would read more by this author.

First of all, trigger warnings are listed and this book must be read with caution and many tissues in hand.

Tessa had a harrowing, life altering experience happen, that caused her to close up inside herself.

Years ago, Ben did something that to this day, still causes him much grief.

This book is more than just a love story, it is also motivational, supportive and very helpful. In the beginning, I had some difficulties reading this book. Although my life experience didn't match that of Tessa's, it did mimic in many ways.

I have been a Helen Hardt fan for many years now, and I have to say, that this is one of the BEST books I have read of hers. It truly touched my heart. It helps to know you are not alone in this world, and that with Time, Patience and lots of Love, you too will find that your Heart Still Beats...

Thank You, NetGalley, Entangled Publishing and Helen Hardt for this unedited copy of My Heart Still Beats