It’s not very often that a book takes me down a path, that becomes cathartic to me. I have read dark, light, fade to black and many more. Once in a while I find a book that reaches into my very core and heals it just a little. My Heart Still Beats healed so many parts of me that I was a shattered, emotional wreck and this book was the book I needed in this very moment!

I have come to love Helen Hardt’s words and the worlds she creates but I have a higher love and ultimate respect for her because this book tackled what I call the Mean Reds (thank you Breakfast at Tiffany’s) in a way that I haven’t seen many books do and do it with absolute justice.

Tessa has fought a battle many would collapse from and she’s still standing. Each day she fights for peace and that battle cannot be done alone, enter Ben! The man was taken by her instantly but he knew she needed a friend more than anything and he became her rock. These two were there for each other every step of the way. It was a tough journey but so beautiful seeing them heal and help each other.

A very emotional read but one that will change you for the better after.

This is my first Helen bloom book, and wow she is a story teller! It is a dark story but the love and care Ben has for Tessa makes it a sweet love story too.

Definitely check the TW, I thought it was very well written and the dark was part of a beautiful written love story about finding yourself after a tragedy.

The spice level was a 1. I definitely would read more of her stories she had my attention from the first chapter, I needed to know how she made it all come together.

Thank you to entangled publishing for the e-arc and letting me review this book.

This romance is a separate story of Helen's previous books in the series specifically the story of Tessa and Ben. Their are plenty of rocky moments, but the absolute gentleman Ben is shines through. He's the dream boyfriend we wish we could all have when going through a really dark time, even when dealing with demons of his own. The story itself was great, including the cross-over of several other characters in her other books. The story focuses well on the two main characters. I do wish there was a bit more development in the story of the resolution to their problems as it seems to be fixed a "little too easy" but it was resolved well. Thank you for another great story!

3.5 ⭐️

Before I even start my review, please make sure to check your trigger warnings for this one! There are a lot of really heavy and devastating topics throughout the novel.

This book follows Tessa on her journey to heal and relearning how to connect and love again. The best part of the entire book was easily Ben and his character arc. You can see how he tries his best (but still messes up) trying to be there for Tessa and being strong enough to support her through it all.

The writing wasn't great but it also wasn't bad. It's definitely the quality of book that would get hyped on social media and you would read it and enjoy it, but would never recommend it for its literary quality and that's OKAY!

Thank you Entangled and NetGalley for the eARC. ❤️

I have read a few books by Helen Hardy before and really enjoyed them. I was very excited to receive this one, and started reading right away. I was in love with it the way I was hoping to be. I found it to be a bit repetitive in some of the phrasing of things and parts of the storyline. I loved how the main characters are all about family. How they didn't want to let their families down and how protective they were of them. I don't think this book was 100% for me, but it was a good read.

My heart still beats by Helen Hardt

- this is my first read by this author. Fair warning read the trigger warnings since it will start with a PTSD main character dealing with the aftermath of being SA.

This book starts right in after the main female character Tessa drops most of her life due to being SA by the “ love of her life” . She has to plan a bachelorette party for her best friend and just be around people , while trying to heal herself.

This story is action, mystery, romance, hate and betrayal. The characters are interesting, you can feel Tessa’s anxiety and stress from the descriptions. Ben is not your typical millionaire and seems to be more down to earth since growing up in a different household.

The ending left me with more to be desired , ending abruptly .
I felt the main character male fell very very quickly, but Tessa dealing with her own emotions and internal battles moved at a different space ( which is very normal).

Thank you entangled publishing for the ARC

A story of trauma, grief, overcoming and love. This was fast-paced and beautiful, a man helping a woman through her trauma, sorrow and grief, and she was the unlikely character that found her strength enough to stand by him as he battled his own demons.

Ben, billionaire business man and reformed playboy, finally met Tessa, the best friend and maid of honor to his future sister-in-law. Tessa went through some horrible things (trigger warnings: r@pe and s3xual assault) and kept herself bound in sorrows and pity for herself. Ben, on the other hand, is trying his best to break through Tessa’s barriers and help her find strength in her struggles. Ben has a sordid past of his own though, one of which nobody close to Ben knows anything about. And his demons come out of the closet just when Tessa is starting to right her world again…

I enjoyed this book, I only think the story could’ve been a bit better fleshed out towards the end. The romance, conflict and resolution at the end went a little fast for me. With all the tension and build up throughout the book, I just expected a bit more detail throughout the book’s conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing—Amara for providing me an ARC to read and review.

Helen Hart is one of my favorite authors and I was so excited to read this book!

Overall, I enjoyed the book from start to finish. The rape scenes were a bit much for me, and I did find myself skipping over several pages.

The book is full of emotional trauma, feelings of guilt, and family drama. It is also a book with romance and love. I found my emotions all over the place. I was totally emotionally invested in the characters.

The characters of Tess and Ben were done to perfection, and I found myself reading page after page to find out what happened next.

The ending is climatic! You don't want to miss this one!

Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for this amazing book.

They weren't kidding when they said this story was full of triggers and dark themes. This is definitely a book about keeping your head above water while battling demons of your past and depressive thoughts.

Overall I enjoyed the read but it definitely took a minute to recover afterwords.

DAYUM! Helen Hardt does it again. She wrote another book I couldn't live without. Suspense and romance?!?! Read this book!

I have to say there is a lot to unpack in this one. Hardt never shies away from any topic and this particular one includes many triggers so make sure to read this disclaimer before diving in.

With that said, this book is not just about someone’s trauma. It is about connecting, healing, and finding the right someone who is strong enough to handle your fears. Someone who will guide you, stand with you and help heal the trauma in a patient and loving manner.

This book brings an amazing character developed in Ben. He is everything. His patience and love shine through. He is not only hot and kind, but he is a perfect balance for her. Their love story sparks joy and swoons as he cares for her.

Hardt normally writes her stories with plenty of heat and erotic themes, but My Heart Still Beats is pretty light on the heat level. However, the romance and emotion definitely make up for that!

All in all, My Heart Still Beats is a romance story that showcases strength and compassion while developing a beautiful love for the ages.

Oh, my heart! I wasn't ready for all of the emotions that My Heart Still Beats made me feel. This is a beautiful story of two people that have quite a bit of trauma in their past and deal with it in different ways and how they end up coming together.
Tessa and Ben seem to be drawn to each other from the moment they meet (they are the Best Man and Maid of Honor in the wedding of their brother/best friend). While Ben knows a little about Tessa's trauma, I loved seeing the way he alluded to his secret trauma in his conversations with her. The way he is supportive yet firm with her made me absolutely swoon and I really liked how he helped her start to live her life again.
The slow burn between these two was so very good! I also was not ready for the additional twists and turns that their pasts and present revealed over time!

I didn't realize this was Ben Black's story at first and I'm so glad it was! I loved Braden and Skye's books so I was excited to dive into this one—and it did not disappoint! This was Helen's classic mix of dark, swoony romance and I read the whole book in one sitting. I think the way she handled both Skye and Ben's past traumas was really well done. I also loved the way these characters were introduced. This book certainly wasn't light and fluffy, but it was still a great love story. I liked the tropical setting, I liked the growth and development, and I liked that it was wrapped up in a standalone. This book was a quick read, but definitely on the heavier side. Helen is a favorite of mine and I enjoyed reading this one. Thank you to Entangled publishing for providing me with an e-ARC to read and review!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Entangled Publishing.

My Heart Still Beats by Helen Hardt grabbed my attention from the beginning. I couldn’t put the book down. There are a lot of trigger warnings so please read those first.

Ben was such a nice guy. The way he treated Tessa. You just wanted to know more about his past.

Tessa went through a lot in her life. Her character was portrayed very well. I liked how it showed her as a victim to a survivor. I also loved how she incorporated Tessa’s Mexican culture into the book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged the whole time.
Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishers.

2.5 stars. This was the first Helen Hardt book I’ve read and she seems to have a strong following and a long backlist. However, this book just wasn’t for me. Not for any reason to do with not being able to handle things listed in the content warnings, but do check those.

On the positive side, I admired Tessa’s healing journey following her trauma. I liked Ben’s patience and determination to show care for her at a pace that was respectful of her past.

That said, I struggled to feel any kind of connection to either Tessa or Ben, and also with their relationship. For one thing, I felt like I was dropped into the middle of a story that I should already know background for despite this being declared a standalone. It read like I should already know these characters and I was missing their development. The saving grace was that Ben’s past was interesting, and the blackmail storyline helped carry my waning interest in the book.

Thank you to Entangled: Amara for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another hit from Helen Hardt. Although not as much "heat" as most of her other books, still a worthwhile read. Every gal should find love like that between Tessa and Ben. The ups and downs that they went through made their relationship stronger. I hope that there will be a continuation and that this is not a standalone. Read that delightful novel. Thank you Entangled Publishing for the advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow! This was my first ever Helen Hardt read and I fell in love with it! Though I must warn anyone who wants to read this book to please check over the trigger warnings as there are things that may be triggering to some! Other than that, if you’re looking for a dark billionaire romance with some progressional relationship healing then you are going to love this! I know I did!

Thank you so much to net galley and of course Helen Hardt for this ARC

I absolutely loved this story, it has so much character growth following two people who overcome so much trauma. My heart broke for both Tessa & Ben.

There are so many trigger warnings to this book that I advise you to read before getting stuck in.

This book stole my heart and ran away with it, it was such a easy read which had me gripped very quickly.

I loved the description and am a high fan of angsty and emotional romances. This one started off great, but then kind of got repetitive. I understood Tessa went through a lot of trauma, but it got boring after a while. Ben is such a great love interest and he is way too accommodating to her. It seems like she was thrust into so much, and was just a blah character I did not appreciate the references to the catholic church, it really did not add to this story. Layering trauma, felt forced, she said her parents weren't religious but then describes them as the opposite. Sadly DNFed, I had been very intrigued by the beginning. I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this book prepared for a rough story, I read the trigger warnings, I had read other books by the author, I thought I was ready... spoiler, I wasn't.

This story isn't just about their romance, it shows how you can help someone that's been through trauma, shows that relationships are possible through patience and respect, and most importantly shows that things can get better.

If you're looking for a compelling story or for a trauma laden romance Ben and Tessa's story is the one for you, it's beautiful and tragic, full of pain healed by love and friendships strengthened by truth and trust.

All of that to say this is a five star read for me, I can't get the story out of my head and I'm not mad about it.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for providing a copy of this e-book, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.