Thank you Entangled for the ARC!

This book was a step outside of my normal genre of choice, so this may be part of why it fell a little flat to me and I didn't quite connect to the characters. I think those who normally read this genre may connect with it a bit better.

The book is an intense emotional roller coaster (which I love!) but it is also full of triggers, including rape, so if you're sensitive to darker topics please exercise caution when deciding whether or not to read it.

I really liked this book! It covers a very heavy subject that is shown on the page, but I think the author handled it really well and didn't go into it any more than was absolutely necessary for the reader to know. Because this book has such heavy subjects, I'd highly recommend everyone read the trigger warnings in the beginning.

This story follows a woman who was recently raped and is tasked with planning a bachelorette party for her best friend. The best man asks her to meet up so they can plan both the bachelor and bachelorette (which are set to merge towards the end of the night), which challenges Tessa's fear of not only being out in the public, but around men. Ben screws up multiple times with her, and I think the dual POV was definitely the right choice here because I very much liked to get his insight on when he knew he messed up, and then Tessa's reaction to it afterward. In doing my research, it seems this book follows another one, but I didn't feel like I was missing anything because I hadn't read that series. However, I might go back and read it now!

The only critique I can give about this book is that I feel Tessa's level of comfort with Ben was a little too quick at first. I didn't quite believe that a woman who hadn't been out much and was stressing over sitting at a table with a guy would suddenly be okay with driving home in a car with him and letting him know where she lived. Otherwise, this was a great read and I'm now going to put this author's other books on my backlog!

I really enjoyed this one but the ending felt real anticlimactic. Like they went through this entire ordeal and then… what? Nothing. Skye and Braden get married. The secondary trauma they both endured at the end of the book wasn’t even touched on (briefly).

3.75🌟

This is my first book from this author and I really enjoyed it. I was hooked from the first chapter itself and I finished it in a day.

Ben and Tessa knew each other through Ben’s Brother and Tessa’s BFF for sometime now, but they never met face to face.
After surviving a horrific incident Tessa has become a recluse and I loved how Ben was drawn to her from the first meeting itself and tried to help her. He constantly tried to uplift her and helped her heal without pushing her boundaries. I really liked him.
I also liked that, they communicated openly with each other, especially in the last scenes (those are my favourite too).
Tessa was such a strong woman. Both of them had flaws and made questionable decisions but it just made the story somewhat realistic.

But I will be honest, I didn’t like some of their choices and decisions.
Epilogue was so cute.

Recommended and safe but TW.


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The story follows Ben who is about to be best man to his brother Braden & Tessa who is Maid of Honour to her best friend Skye. The two of them get together to plan a joint bachelor/bachelorette party in Jamaica.

They’re both battling their own demons due to the dark pasts they’ve both endured. Tessa was victim to an abusive ex & Ben took part in a robbery gone wrong. Both of their pasts are catching up to them & tough decisions have to be made.

The connection between the FMC & MMC is beautiful, all he wants to do is protect her and make her feel safe & be a better version of herself. She overcomes so much with his help, all whilst he’s secretly dealing with his own struggles.

When a trauma bond is done correctly, it is without a doubt my favourite trope… I LOVED this one!🥰

This is a deeply emotional romance that had a lasting impact on me. Tessa, who is struggling to recover from a traumatic past, is paired with billionaire Benjamin Black to plan their best friends' parties in Jamaica. Despite her emotional numbness, she feels a stirring attraction to Ben, who treats her with unmatched gentleness and respect. Their connection grows as Ben's protectiveness helps Tessa regain her strength, even as they both confront their haunting pasts. The novel beautifully explores love's power to heal, though it includes sensitive themes like sexual assault and PTSD. Helen Hardt's storytelling made me feel every moment of Tessa and Ben's journey. I highly recommend this read for those who appreciate heartfelt, intense romance.

I absolutely love how Helen Hardt weaves the stories that she does. I was such a huge fan of the follow me darkly series and then to find out this book is about Braden Black's brother?! I was instantly hooked in the story and honestly couldn't put it down once I started. I had finished this in one sitting!

My heart still beats is such a great read. A very emotional story.
The story is about Tessa and Ben and the demons of there past
Throughout the book Tessa was dealing with her demons and Ben helped her and when Bens's past comes in light Tessa stood by his side and was there for him
I enjoyed this book
two broken souls who helped each other and fall in love

I haven't ventured outside of the Steel Brothers series in a very long time. Ben and Tessa's story is one of resilience and certainly of pain. As the title says, despite all the difficulties in their lives, their hearts still beat and isn't that what is the most important thing in life. We are all faced with tragedy and pain and horror at some points in our lives. It is who we surround ourselves with, how we move forward and through that matters most. This story wasn't overtly over the top steam wise which is unusual considering Ben's "dark side" but when you find the person who was meant for you, you find yourself changing for the better when you need to.

I have read and enjoyed a couple other books by Helen Hardt. I am so glad I pick this one up! It's a hard read in some ways. They have so much past to overcome. It brought out all the different emotions a person can feel. Such a heartbreaking and heartwarming story. LOVED the characters. I was not ready for it to end.

“Ben makes me want to heal.”

This quote delivers! The story is an emotional roller coaster with dark and troubled past of both the MCs. Benjamin Black & Tessa hurt, heal and grow together which makes the Happily Ever After even more sweet.

Billionaire Ben is a heart-throb with the a big heart, he helps heal Tessa’s traumatic past while dealing with his own demons. Tessa breaking free from the shell of her trauma and embracing herself is expressed beautifully by Helen Hardt.

You’ll love this book if you like -
Billionaire Romance
Emotional
Mutual Pining
Happily Ever Afters

In "My Heart Still Beats" by Helen Hardt, I was drawn to the premise of two wounded souls finding solace in each other. However, the handling of both the romance and the characters' trauma felt overly sanitized, lacking the natural depth that would have made the story truly engaging. Despite the potential for a compelling narrative about healing and connection, I struggled to fully immerse myself in the story. Instead of feeling like an organic part of the journey, I found myself distanced, merely observing from the sidelines. While some may appreciate the subtlety, I felt a natural disconnection and ultimately found the experience unsatisfying.

Tessa is tormented by a traumatic event that she feels she’ll never recover from. Her trust was broken and her body taken against her will. To top things off she’s been let go of her job and has to put a smile on her face and plan her best friend’s bachelorette party. She’s hardly left her house but she needs to do this for her friend, and her therapist has assured her she can move on.
Tessa meets the best man Ben and instantly feels comfortable with him. Dark, mysterious, rich, and hiding his own demons, Ben has this need to care for Tessa. Ben knows he needs to be gentle with Tessa and he’ll do anything to make sure she feels safe, and Tessa knows a little about Ben’s childhood and that behind those kind eyes there is pain.
The two will come together to plan an amazing party in Jamaica and their feelings for each other will continue to grow. Tessa will need to learn that not all men are bad despite what her past has shown her. She deserves love and to be taken care of, and Ben might just be the one.

4.5 My Heart Still Beats Stars

If you have read the FOLLOW ME Series, you've met Braden Black and Skye Manning. This is the story of Braden's brother, Ben, and Skye's best friend, Tessa.

Braden and Skye are getting married, and it's up to Ben and Tessa to throw them a Bachelor and Bachelorette party. But Tessa has become a shell of herself since her attack, so she has difficulty wrapping her head around anything, even her best friend's party. Can she pull off a fun-filled weekend in Jamaica and make sure Skye has a great time?

Ben and Tessa have great chemistry, but because she has been through a traumatic event, he doesn't want to treat her like he has women in his past; he knows she deserves more but doesn't think he is the man to give it to her. He has demons of his own, and his past has come back to haunt him so there is no way he can get involved with her and let her be exposed to his demons while she is fighting her own.

I wish this book was longer or a duet. I wanted more of Ben and Tessa's story after they got together, and the ending felt rushed, which is why it wasn't a five-star read for me.

I highly recommend reading the trigger warnings before diving into this story; there are a lot, and if you are sensitive to any, you may want to pass on this book. However, I highly recommend this book if you don't have any triggers.

Happy Reading!!!

I received an Advanced Reader Copy and my voluntarily reviewing it. This is a standalone, spin off from the Follow Me Series. Ms. Hardt does not do many standalones but this one was just as good as any book in her series. Tessa Logan is fighting some demons. She has to push through for her best friend, Skye Manning. Skye is marrying her billionaire boyfriend, Braden Black of Black Inc. Tessa really needs to get with the best man, Benjamin Black, to plan the bachelor/bachelorette party in Jamaica. Tessa is not ready to jump back into her old life. As far as she is concerned, her old life is what got her into this mess in the first place.

Benjamin Black feels an innate need to protect Tessa. He knows a little bit about the trauma she went through and would like to get her to focus on the fact that she survived. She's still here. Does he have what it takes to help someone with his own past beating at his door? This romance with a hint of thrill will have readers begging for more. I will definitely be reading the Follow Me series so I can get the full story on Skye and Braden. Ms. Hardt hit another one out the park.

I've read a few Helen Hardt's books, enjoyed them all, but this one kind of fell flat for me. Everyone loves a good billionaire love story, but these characters just didn't do it for me. Both characters had their challenges, Tessa more than Ben, but Tessa was just a bit irritating and needy. Just an okay read for me.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book.

I usually enjoy Helen Hardt’s writing and in fact I loved her Follow Me series which first introduced the main characters in this book, but I feel a little bit let down by My Heart Stills Beats. Told partly in flashback, while I loved the premise of the overall story even though I felt the resolution between the hero and heroine was a bit abrupt, for me the characters let it down especially the heroine Tessa who I just didn’t connect with. I didn’t even feel sympathy for the trauma she’d underwent. I think the main reason I just didn’t enjoy this book was after reading Braden and Skye’s story where the characters of Ben and Tessa here were introduced, I was expecting something in the same vein not the emotional and somewhat angsty read I got. If this story had completely fresh characters, I would have gone into it with no expectations and I think I’d probably feel differently about it.

My Heart Still Beats by Helen Hardt

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 4 stars

Dark romance

TW

An emotional story of overcoming trauma and grief. But not only is there the story of trauma but also suspense and mystery!

Both characters had troubled history and barriers to overcome but they had such chemistry and were able to grow together. The way that the story was wrapped in love, communication and healing between them made those heart pounding moments all that more enjoyable in the end.

Make sure to check trigger warnings before reading.

I received an ARC copy of this book and am leaving an honest review. Thank you @entangled_publishing for approving this eARC.

4.75 stars
This book is related to the Follow Me series as it is Ben Black’s, brother to Braden, and Tessa’s, best friend of Skye Manning, story and what a tale it is. Once again, Ms. Hardt has brought her writing prowess to evoke some powerful emotions as the pages turn in this slow burn to romance. I will caution those with triggers to proceed with care as there are some very descriptive scenes. Ben is the epitome of a well put together man who has worked hard to achieve everything he has but it is tainted with a single act from his youth. Tessa is a woman who has dealt with her fair share of demons and is relearning how to be who she is in her own skin again. Things are going well for both, Ben and Tessa, until the past comes back to bite them in the rear. Will these two take things lying down, or will they stand up and fight? The chemistry between Ben and Tessa is akin to a burning fire once the initial match is struck. Watching Tessa come into her power after everything she endured is a feat in an of itself. The caring and tenderness Ben shows Tessa is something that comes from loving another. Prepare yourself for the emotional roller coaster that this storyline will take you on.

Benjamin Black, brother to Braden, self-made partners of a successful construction agency; we immediately find out that Ben has a very dark secret to hide. Tessa Logan, best friend to Skye who is getting married to Braden - the shadow of her former self due to a traumatic attack which almost killed her. This is their story and more.

This is the first time I’ve read Helen Hardt, and I have to say, it won’t be the last. I enjoy the perspective with a two-person narrative, gives the story more depth and makes the characters seem much more intimate, and this book did not disappoint.

Woven into the kind of forced proximity and then friends-to-lover, is the complex and mysterious background from a dark past, each of the brothers still must deal with their “demons.”

The slow bloom of attraction to love between Ben and Tessa is somehow soothing. The angst riding through this journey is certainly a roller-coaster ride.

This is an excellent read from Helen Hardt, will be reading more from her very soon!