This book can be read as a standalone, but please note it does follow some characters from another series. This book centers around Ben Black and Tessa Logan who are learning to live again after experiencing traumatic events. Tessa is tasked with working with Ben to plan the bachelor and bachelorette party. Through this task, Tessa learns to trust men again

Told from multiple POV, this books does great as its own story.

This book was unexpectedly an emotional read. I can’t wait to get the paperback. Helen created a Well-written, well-plotted steamy yet romantic storyline. It covers very heavy topics but it is so well written please check the triggers.

Helen Hardt has the most amazing ability to bring stories from the past into the present. This story blossomed in the Take Me series and these characters came back to tell us the rest of the story. Tessa is introduced in previous stories and she is full of life. She is the life of the party until…she is broken. Tessa has been through the worst trauma as her spirit is broken. Ben Black has his demons. He’s done bad things but he wants to be there for Tessa. This is a relationship that no one could have predicted but these two imperfect people came together and it made my heart soar. Ben isn’t perfect but he wants to be what Tessa needs. Tessa needs so much but her story isn’t complete and we are witnesses to the whole fall out of it. This book hit me in the feels. It made me think. It made me wish for happy endings and heroes. The Follow Me series came full circle with this book and I feel like it’s complete. This is the book I didn’t know I needed. Helen Hardt did it again.

When I started reading this, I had no idea it was connected to her "Follow Me" series which I loved. Most of the same characters just a switch of Family for the protagonists. I couldn't read this fast enough. Thank you to Netgalley, Entangled Publishing and the Author, Helen Hardt for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this one just didn't do it for me.

While I appreciate the story, I was disappointed that the FMCs entire story was surrounding her SA. I do agree that it takes quite a lot to heal from something like that, but I wish there was more for Tessa in this book than just bad experience after bad experience. So much of the book was just her struggling, and I feel like the added death in her family wasn't quite necessary considering all the other negative aspects of her life.

I also had a hard time with the actual romance in this book. Their progression from friends to more didn't feel organic to me. They went from being hesitant about everything to suddenly in love and it felt like I missed all the important parts of their relationship. I struggled with Ben as a character in general, but more particularly as a love interest. Yes, he was kind and understanding, but his inner dialogue was immature on occasion and some of the things he says and does to Tessa didn't seem like they fit his usual caring and gentle approach. It was almost like he had two personalities and I really didn't vibe with one of them.

The ending felt rushed considering the pace of the rest of the book. I was hoping for something a little happier but Tessa getting attacked again and the entire chapter of arguing were really hard to get through. Overall, this one just wasn't for me.

My Heart Still beats is a deeply emotional story of how powerful love can be and how it can pull you out of the darkness and bring to life.

Helen Hardt has written a captivating story which sucks you in from the first page and you get lost into their world and never want it to end.

I Cannot Recommend it enough to all readers. A Must read.

This was an emotional read. Although a light steamy read, the book was well written and it's easy to see why Helen Hardt is a highly regarded author. This is my first read by this author and I'm going to back and read the first book. It was good to see Tessa grow and "return" to herself. Ben was a great book boyfriend who was rich and caring. Great read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Emotional and heavy, but a great read!

Tessa has been through some serious trauma and has since become reclusive. She has to help plan her best friend’s bachelorette party and meets Ben, the best man. Ben tries to heal Tessa without pushing her, and becomes someone she can count on.

Whew this book was good! I thought the writer did an amazing job covering a very heavy subject. This was well written and I finished it in one day it was so good. I loved the dual pov! Definitely one to read!


📘: My Heart Still Beats by Helen Hardt
🗓️: May 28, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley, Helen Hardt, and Entangled Publishing for this ARC!

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

*Reviewed on NetGalley, Amazon, and Goodreads.

I went into this thinking it would be dark romance and spicy. It was neither. But I can pivot if it's still a good book in its own right which did not happen with this book.

It genuinely makes me sad how disappointing this was. The FMC is recovering from an SA, full CW that there are detailed flashbacks to not only the one referenced in the beginning but other PTSD flashbacks and recovered memories that surface later. If she's not threatened in current time it will flashback to a time where she was. It's a bummer that it was essentially made her personality and you couldn't get to know her outside of it.

We have our classic billionaire MMC but the issue is the romance is so stagnant. They kiss at like 60% and prior they are just talking about the same subject of the bachelor/bachelorette destination party so even the dialogue is boring. Also, the MMC low key gives me the ick. He plans for topless women for his brother's bachelor party and there are scenes with him dancing with them and it genuinely sounded SO awkward. And then there's a classic dark romance moment where he says something along the lines of "if you let me in, let me do xyz then be sure because I won't be able to stop" but then remembers she's literally a victim of MULTIPLE SAs and backtracks and says well I won't if you don't want to. And I guess we are supposed to swoon.

TLDR this had nothing for me, no plot, no romance, no spice, no interesting characters, I do not recommend. Thank you to Entangled for the ARC.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

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 honestly wasn't expecting a Ben and Tessa book. Their story was emotional and dealt with darker issues so be sure to check your triggers before diving in.

Tessa is a shadow of her former self. Some days she can see the person she used to be, the version of herself that felt joy even passion. But she feels out of reach.

Life is moving on, and she's her best friend's maid of honor. She has a bachelorette party to plan, in Jamaica, which means working with the best man Benjamin Black.

He's a catch. Rich, hardworking and handsome.

Someone whom she wouldn't think twice about flirting with. But that was the old Tessa.

It doesn't help that he stirs something in her that she thought long dead. He's nothing like she'd thought he'd be. He helps her work through fears, slowly chipping away at the wall she's built.

And when their pasts come back to haunt them, will they be able to hold onto their love?

Thank you so much to the author, Entangled and Net Galley for this ARC to review.

This is the first book I've read by Helen Hardt. I know she's popular because there are always multiple copies of her books in the romance section. And, honestly? I kind of hated it. The characters never seemed to be on the same page, the sex scenes were weak, and there was just too much thrown into the mix. I'll probably try another of her books at a later date.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for a copy of this book, I enjoyed it and would recommend it. It’s a solid 3/5 stars for me.

MY HEART STILL BEATS by Helen Hardt
I really got totally engrossed into this riveting well written story. It certainly had me reading until the early morning hours as I could not put it down. This is Ben Black and Tessa Logan's story. He is the younger brother of Braden Black, who we met in the Follow Me series. She is the best friend of Skye Manning, fiance of Braden. Tessa is dealing with PTSD from an attack of her ex boyfriend who drugged and raped her. She is maid of honor for Skye, Ben is best man for his brother. Ben has decided he is going to help Tessa plan the bachelorette party and he is planning the bachelor party. This is 5 stars.

An interesting story with characters that are easy to connect with. I was quickly drawn into their lives and troubles. This was my first Helen Hardt book and I will be looking into more from her!

Rated at a 3.75, rounded to 4

At times this was hard to get through cause Tessa would spiral and be in her head and it would either just make me not feel great or want to violently shake her. But then I would have to take a breath and remind myself that she went through something traumatic that I wouldn't wish on anyone and she doesn't know how to go about healing herself from it. Enter Benjamin Black. This man falls for her on sight and basically makes it his life mission to make her whole again. I love how patient he was with her to make sure she was comfortable with him. The way they end up helping each other in the end is very cute.

The one thing that was not for me in this book was Tessa calling her mom "Mommy." I'm sorry, but no grown adult should still be calling their parents mommy and daddy. Did not like that. Didn't realize just how much I didn't like it until I had to keep reading her say it over and over.

This is a sharply emotional book that cuts very, very deeply as you read it. My heart broke again and again as I read this book, and the ache in my chest was painful, but thankfully my heart also melted, and I swooned just about as often as Tessa and Ben's romance takes root, grows and blossoms. Not an easy read because of the dark subject matter but it is also rich with so much hope, love and healing.

Anytime I read a Helen Hardt book, I never want to leave the characters behind. Tessa and Ben will always have a little corner of my heart just for them. I wanted to cry with happiness when they first met and his instincts were to protect her, even if he couldn’t do it the way he really wanted to. I love stories with darker themes but was a little nervous because I usually avoid anything the big R, but I ended up feeling such a connection to Tessa that it didn’t have a negative impact on my reading experience. Thank you Helen for such a beautiful story.

Tessa and Ben are supposed to be working together to plan the best bachelorette and bachelor party for her best friend Skye and his brother Braden. Tessa has been through so much torment and pain she just isn’t up to doing anything. Ben is trying to not only help with the planning of the parties but help her overcome what has happened to her. Ben never expected to develop feelings for Tessa but Tessa never thought she would be able to function like a normal person again. Both of them are ready to see where this relationship will lead them until both their pasts come knocking at their door. Will they both make it through the unbearable times ahead or will they give up and go back to how they lived before meeting? This story had me hooked from the very beginning and I could not put it down. I was given a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.