Still Beating Paperback – 23 Dec. 2020

No words can comprehend how much this book gave me so many emotions and I felt like the characters were real! I’m so sad it came to an end and this was my first book by Jennifer Hartmann so I cannot wait to read more of her books. I just know she is an auto buy author for me now!Yes this is a dark book so I recommend reading the trigger warnings but it is also special and hits you like something else. I’m lost for words how much I enjoyed this book and the writing is chefs kissIf you haven’t read this yet, what are you waiting for?Dean Asher = new fave book boyfriend 🖤

From the very first page, I was completely drawn into the story and couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.The characters incredibly well-developed and each character has their own unique voice and personality, making them feel like real people. I found myself emotionally invested in their journeys and rooting for them throughout the entire book.The author has a talent for crafting suspenseful and gripping scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. The pacing was perfect, with just the right balance of action and quieter moments for reflection. The story is raw and heartbreaking, it’s tense and sad, what Cora and Dean had to go through… I can’t even put it into words.One aspect of the book that really stood out to me was the writing style. The way the author describes settings and emotions is so vivid that it didn’t even feel like I was reading, I was so invested in their story that I genuinely forgot I was reading, it’s an incredible book.However, the epilogue ruined it for me, I hate those kind of endings, it’s so overused and cliche, this would have been 5 stars but the ending was just not it for me. Not everyone loves these kind of endings and it’s unfortunate when a book does end like that, it’s so predictable and boring.Overall, Still Beating is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a compelling and thought-provoking story. Some parts are quite heavy, so make sure you look up TW before reading.

Angsty, heart-breaking, dark, intense, emotional and utterly addicting.What an incredible book this was, my emotions were all over the place for both Cora and Dean and what they had to endure, during and after their ordeal. It was a tough read at times and there are triggers for some but the pain, love, passion, hurt and healing all shone through it was so well written.5 huge stars

"As long as it's still beating, you're okay."Why do I read these kind of books right before I'm due to start my p*ri*d!? Granted, i may have gone into this blind, so definitely wasn't expecting to be crying at 2am, but here we are. My eyes still feeling sore from the lack of sleep and the tears! lol*IMPORTANT*If you haven't read this, I'd highly recommend going in blind, to have a more open mind about one of the main tropes! (unless you have triggers)..Whilst I've seen so many people talk about this book, I never actually looked at the blurb, I just added it to my tbr. And I'm glad I did because it definitely surprised me. If I had known it was going to be 'sisters boyfriend' trope, i probably would've already made judgements about Cora and Dean. Instead, I wasn't even 100% sure if Dean was going to be the H during the first chapter and a half or so!"Yeah, well, you look like a... bonehead."I certainly wasn't expecting what actually happens to them! But god, this was so heart-breaking and I think JH did an amazing job of making you feel in the moment with each character. And though I didn't like Mandy for the majority of this book, I can also see where she came from.Likewise, part of why I didn't mind Cora and Dean getting together is because even though Dean had always had feelings, neither of them were acting on it because of that. It was solely due to the situation they were put in and recognising that only they knew what it truly felt like to be there in that time. And Dean was so sweet! The way Cora always thought he was some dumb loser, but actually he's probably the most profound character who was capable of seeing the wider picture."I promise you'll get it, and when you do, you'll look back and this will all make a h*ll of a lot more sense."An emotional story that will definitely have you in tears, but also focuses on self-development and loving yourself! Such a good read, it reminded me of how I felt when I read Darling Venom. This was my first read from JH and I'll definitely be checking out more of her books!"We can't give our heart to another without loving our own first."*TW: PLEASE, for the love of god, if you have triggers, check the list before going into this book.

Wow. Just, wow. What an emotional rollercoaster.Please check the TW before reading!This book, I cannot put into words how heartbreaking, horrific and beautiful it is.Cora and Dean are victims of a horrendous crime by a psychopath and forced into a nightmare. Their ordeal and their fight to survive whilst trapped together in a basement. The book focuses more on the aftermath after they escape the basement. How that nightmare has irrevocably changed them and tethered them together. It follows through their dark moments and the hard decisions they make and the consequences. It’s a powerful story about survival and love.

A heartbreaking story with a very happy ending!I loved Dean and Cora's love.I will say, although I loved this book, from all of the reviews I read beforehand I expected more tragedy and more devastating things to happen.Spice 2.5/5

Meh. I really liked this book at first but it started to annoy me and I can’t put my finger on why. It took me an age to finish it. After the initial interesting start it really ebbed in the middle and slowed right down to be a bit boring and somehow still ended up being predictable despite the unconventional beginning

Wow. Just wow. This book is a must read and is very hard to put down. Some parts were difficult to read (make sure you check the trigger warnings before reading!) but I found even the dark, difficult parts of this book were very well written and don’t go into graphic detail.This book is not a mushy romance, the main characters go through very difficult, horrific trauma, but what makes the book so good is how they find their way through that trauma together and find love on the other side. There are so many parts of this book and quotes that I think will stick with after reading, but I think one of the most profound quotes from the book is “As long as it’s beating, I’m yours.”

What a beautiful book !!!“Shackled by hate, freed by love”It’s a dark romance with so much pain, raw, beauty, struggle, so bare and profound !!! It’s so well written and it’s such a tragic beautiful story ! By the way that is written you can be there with the characters through their pain and horror that they survived to. You can walk side by side with them through the authors words.Cora is a teacher, always being the quite girl, friend and daughter feeling herself always passed over by everyone including her own parents starting with her name. Despite being close to her sister she always felt that her sister was the center of attentions while she always walked at her sister shadows.Dean was the guy she immediately smile to when she arrive at the new school but he prank at her making her feel never good enough and starting from that day on their rivalry based on pranks and sharp tongues.Dean is the handsome guy at the school, the one everyone expect to be a player but he is not. When he saw Cora for the first time he was starstruck by her beauty but he was a silly boy and the way he found to call her attention was pranking her. Until the day that he start to date her sister and that’s what all he will ever be. Enemies…They are abducted and forced to live a horrific situation that at the same time put their feelings and memories to a perspective. It’s when Dean realize that he always look up to Cora, that she was the first of the sister that took his breath away, that when he receive her first smile he played in his head their whole life together just to be living it with her sister. During their horrible ordeal Cora struggle not only to survive but also to come to agreement of her feelings after all, she is betraying her sister, she don’t feel good enough for him and she holds him as her lifeline during the survival and the guilt she live in.Cora and Dean are for sure one of my favorite couple now. Their story is heartbroken, angst, harsh and at the same time so full of love, of hope, of strength and dedication to each other and to themselves.I am not a crier but this book wet my eyes a couple times and this says a lot. It’s my first Hartmann book and surely not the last.This book is disturbing, it’s confusing, it’s heartbreaking and heartwarming, its conflicted and it’s healing. And so is love !!!!!Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Spicy : 🌶️.5Darkness: 🖤Range of emotions : 🥺🤣😳😩😭💔🥺💓Ending : HEA 💓POV : 👫 (Dual)

What a beautiful book !!!“Shackled by hate, freed by love”It’s a dark romance with so much pain, raw, beauty, struggle, so bare and profound !!! It’s so well written and it’s so a tragic beautiful story ! By the way that is written you can be there with the characters through their pain and horror that they survived to. You can walk side by side with them through the authors words.Cora is a teacher, always being the quite girl, friend and daughter feeling herself always passed over by everyone including her own parents starting with her name. Despite being close to her sister she always felt that her sister was the center of attentions while she always walked at her sister shadows.Dean was the guy she immediately smile to when she arrive at the new school but he prank at her making her feel never good enough and starting from that day on their rivalry based on pranks and sharp tongues.Dean is the handsome guy at the school, the one everyone expect to be a player but he is not. When he saw Cora for the first time he was starstruck by her beauty but he was a silly boy and the way he found to call her attention was pranking her. Until the day that he start to date her sister and that’s what he will ever be. Enemies…They are abducted and forced to live a horrific situation that at the same time put their feelings and memories to a perspective. It’s when Dean realize that he always look up to Cora, that she was the first of the sister that took his breath away, that went he receive her first smile he played in his head their whole life together just to be living it with her sister. During their horrible ordeal Cora struggle not only to survive but also to come to agreement of her feelings after all, she is betraying her sister, she don’t feel good enough for him and she holds him as her lifeline during the survival and the guilt she live in.Cora and Dean are for sure one of my favorite couple now. Their story is heartbroken, angst, harsh and at the same time so full of love, of hope, of strength and dedication to each other and to themselves.I am not a crier but this book wet my eyes a couple times and this says a lot. It’s my first Hartmann book and surely not the last.This book is disturbing, it’s confusing, it’s heartbreaking and heartwarming, its conflicted and it’s healing. And so it’s love !!!!!Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Spicy : 🌶️Darkness: 🖤Range of emotions : 🥺🤣😳😩😭💔🥺💓Ending : HEA 💓POV : 👫 (Dual)

5🍭🍭🍭🍭🍭Spanish & English Opinion🇲🇽 Este libro no se parece a ningún otro que haya leído. Llegó en el momento exacto, en donde ya sentía que todo era similar a otra cosa.Es un “dark romance” salido de una situación muy complicada. Tiene triggers pero lo que más me impresiona es cómo el amor nace en los lugares más complicados. Si bien un personaje muestra la terrible capacidad de estar deshumanizado, llegan los MCs para recordarnos que el ser humano tiene la increíble capacidad de amar y ser amado y eso, es un privilegio. ¡Me encantó!🇺🇸 Wow. This book is not like any other. I was in a moment were writings seemed to be similar to others, so it was perfect.A dar romance that is born from diversity, with triggers and a very sensible topic, but with the amazing message about humans being able to love even in the most complicated situations.We have the villain, showing the terrible capacity of dehumanize as a being, and then the MCs showing us how to love and to be loved is the most amazing thing ever.Loved it!

Please read the trigger warning.Be careful with yourself regarding this book.I was not sure I would be able to go through this but I did. And I am glad I did.It is a powerfull story with all well written characters.It is tought as it is soft.Dean and Cora are going to hell and drag us with them. And slowly they are, with us, going through monstrosity to go to happiness.