Still Beating: A Dark Survival Romance

"Look at me, Cora. Focus on me. Nothing else is real. It's only me and you." "I didn't think you ever noticed my heart." "It's impossible not to notice, Cora." "You don't feel like my enemy anymore. You feel like my lifeline." "It's still beating. As long as it's still beating, you're okay." "I feel his fingers interlace with mine. I hold onto him. He's still my lifeline. He's still all I have. We're in this together." "We are bound, chained, tied--to our trauma and to each other. We're in this together. And yet, I've never felt more alone." "She doesn't need to pretend with me, though. She doesn't need to hide. I'm here, and I see her--every scar, every flaw, every broken, hollow piece. And I understand." "Dean is like the ocean. Compelling, calling to me, within reach. So much magic. So much beauty. Something I want with every aching layer of my soul. But I'm that little girl again, frozen in the sand, afraid of the dark waters in front of me." "I need him. He's the only calm to my madness, the only light to my dark, the only sweet to my bitter remains. He tames me. He heals me." "He holds me like a lover. Like my own, personal defender. Like my savior. After all, he saved me from a serial killer. He saved me from an overdose. He saved me from myself." "Are you still mine?" "It's still beating. As long as it's still beating, I'm yours." This was such a phenomenal and gut-wrenching story. It was a tragic but beautiful love story. This author did a fantastic job of drawing you in and making you feel every emotion possible. I was bawling in this book so many times. These characters endured so much pain and trauma and I felt every last demon 😭. Despite all the heartbreak, guilt, trauma, and pain, there was so much healing and growth. This author did a flawless job depicting and portraying all the sensitive topics in this story. This is a very heavy read, so be prepared to hurt badly 😞. It's worth it in the end with such a beautiful HEA 😍. This story follows Cora and Dean. These two have known each other for 15 years and Dean has been dating Mandy, Cora's sister, those 15 years. Cora and Dean "hate each other." They're always pulling pranks and bickering with each other. Secretly, Dean always had a thing for Cora. Cora calls Dean to pick her up from a party as that's her last resort and they both get kidnapped. They're held in a basement chained to pipes by a serial killer. While they're held there, horrendous things take place. They become each other's lifeline. They eventually escape and survive, but they're both broken beyond repair. Something happened in that basement and they started to feel more for each other. Dean returns to Mandy, but he's a different person now. Cora is a shell of herself. They both find solace in each other, but it's completely toxic. Will this toxic pattern continue to exist between them? Will Dean let Cora go so she can finally heal herself? Can Cora climb out of her darkness to finally save herself? God, these two together were everything! Dean is the biggest green flag ever. This man did everything to help and save Cora. He even broke his own heart just so she can smile and heal and be healthy. Cora was a toxic disaster and was too codependent on Dean. They both were codependent but Cora couldn't let go. My soul bled for these two and what they had to endure 😭😭. The healing process was so rough for them both. They both handled things so differently. I loved the relationship between them. The bickering and pranks. You can tell they had feelings and this was a long time coming. I loved seeing the flashbacks of their younger selfs. Dean was so different with Mandy and you could see his spark was only for Cora. I loved how protective he was of Cora. The chemistry and tension was through the roof 🔥🔥🔥🥵🥵. My favorite part of this book was when he was talking about her heart beating and rubbing her pulse point on her wrist 🥹🥹. And the heart locket he gave her 😭🥰. The epilogue was everything! Seeing them down the line so healthy and peaceful made my heart happy. This was one of the hardest fought HEAs period but God it was worth every tear. I didn't like Mandy at all. She was so selfish and not understanding. I'm glad things worked out the way they did but eh still don't like her 😅. I loved the scenes with Dean's mom 🥹. The parts with all the dogs had me bawling especially blizzard 😭😭. I highly recommend this amazing book!

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 4/5⭐️ 2.5/5🔥 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬/𝐂𝐖/𝐓𝐖/𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬: MF/dual POV/dark romance/HEA/enemies to lovers/kidnapping/sexual assault/r@pe/violence/murder/self harm/reference to miscarriage/loss of pet 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: Cora and Dean have known each other forever and have spent at least that much time being enemies. Pranks, insults, taunts, you name it… that’s them summed up in a few words. It doesn’t help that he is engaged to her sister and around all the time. After a night out with friends, Cora needs a ride home and even if the last person she wants to call for a ride is Dean, he is the only one available. Little do they know that night will change the trajectory of their intwined lives forever. Being kidnapped, held hostage, and forced to do unspeakable things, Cora and Dean only have each other to cling to in the deep dark cellar that will become their home for 3 weeks. There are so many words to describe this book but raw, tragic and heart wrenching are some that come to mind. After Dean and Cora’s escape, separated by real life, they struggle to move forward from their trauma while ‘normal’ life threatens to pull them under. They knew before they escaped their relationship would forever be changed. I felt like Cora struggled the most, barely keeping her head above water but that could be because I feel like we didn’t a lot of Dean’s healing. It seemed to be him keeping Cora afloat and him dealing with his relationship with Cora’s sister, Mandy. I felt like she was extremely inconsiderate for the healing Cora and Dean were trying to accomplish. The information that surfaces about their kidnapper afterward was definitely twisted, but it was intriguing to have this in the story also. As Cora and Dean follow the news stories, I think this really made them question if their feelings were real. I loved the aspect of Cora being able to bond with another survivor. I like the POV from Tabitha after the end of the book and I can’t help but hope maybe she will get her HEA in a future book. [if there isn’t one already; I haven’t looked into that.] Dean’s decisions toward the second half were painful but necessary. Seeing them come out the other side of this was gratifying. This was definitely dark and messed up, but the overall story was something I won’t easily forget. at least thatthat’s in a few words It doesn’t help that he is engaged to her sister and around all the time.AfterCora needs a ride home and even if the last person she wants to call for a ride is Dean, he is the only one available. Little do they know that night will change the trajectory of their intwined lives forever. Being kidnapped, held hostage, and forced to do unspeakable things, Cora and Dean only have each other to cling to in the deep dark cellar that will become their home for 3 weeks. raw, tragic and heart wrenching After Dean and Cora’s escape, separated by real life, they struggle to move forward from their trauma while ‘normal’ life threatens to pull them under. They knew before they escaped their relationship would forever be changed. I felt like Cora struggled the most, barely keeping her head above water but that could be because I feel like we didn’t a lot of Dean’s healing. It seemed to be him keeping Cora afloat and him dealing with his relationship with Cora’s sister, Mandy. I felt like she was extremely inconsiderate for the healing Cora and Dean were trying to accomplish. The information that surfaces about their kidnapper afterward was definitely twisted, but it was intriguing to have this in the story also. As Cora and Dean follow the news stories, I think this really made them question if their feelings were real. I loved the aspect of Cora being able to bond with another survivor. I like the POV from Tabitha after the end of the book and I can’t help but hope maybe she will get her HEA in a future book. [if there isn’t one already; I haven’t looked into that.] Dean’s decisions toward the second half were painful but necessary. Seeing them come out the other side of this was gratifying. This was definitely dark and messed up, but the overall story was something I won’t easily forget. ** 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘐 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 … 𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙖𝙡𝙡. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝙖𝙗𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙚 𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙮 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦, 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 =𝘋 **

Jennifer Hartmann has officially become an auto-read author for me. While the story starts a little slow, it quickly becomes impossible to put down. The heartbreak, trauma, healing, and character growth throughout this book were beautifully written. Cora and Dean’s journeys felt incredibly raw and authentic, and getting both perspectives made every emotional moment hit even harder. This book took me through every emotion imaginable: sadness, anger, hope, and joy. Just when I thought I knew where the story was going, Jennifer surprised me and made the ending even more meaningful. Still Beating is so much more than a romance. It’s a powerful story about survival, healing, and finding light after unimaginable darkness. Absolutely unforgettable.

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 : 🌶️.5 Darkness: 🖤 Range of emotions : 🥺🤣😳😩😭💔🥺💓 Ending : HEA 💓 POV : 👫 (Dual)

1st person/dual pov Spice: 3.5/5 So I read this book back before I started really writing full reviews. I've been going back and filling in some of my favorites with more detail to explain why you should give them a chance. This was one of the first books to introduce me to Jennifer Hartmann and it instantly became my favorite of hers. I won't lie and say that several of her other books have not come very close to taking that number one spot from this one because all of the ones I have read since this one are just that good. However, this one stood out to me because this was one of the first times I had read a book where the entire story not only put me in the characters' mindset as if it were me living through these events. The way the emotions and the surroundings are described is not only beautifully done it is also easy to read and picture in your mind. This story also had a feeling of authenticity to it that had me believing something like this could actually be happening out there somewhere in the world. I mean realistically it could but where most fictional realism keeps this feeling of unbelievability throughout the book this one went in the opposite direction and it paid off in spades. From the events that led to the situation the main characters find themselves in, to the trauma they go through together (which is both heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time), and then to how they recover from that trauma the blinders were completely off. There were no rose-colored glasses or promise of a perfect ending where everything magically works out because it's a romance book. Now I'm not implying there isn't a happy ending just that the way the characters get there felt natural and true to their characters. They had to work for their ending in a way that felt real. The spice is also very well written because you can tell it isn't there just to make the book "spicy" but to enhance the emotions that are being felt throughout the story. It evolves with them and compliments the connection that develops so that it's more than just sex tossed in for those who prefer to read books that include it. I guess what I'm trying to say is each aspect of this book no matter how light or how dark had a purpose. It doesn't tell you a story it makes you live it. It was darker than I anticipated it would be so if you're someone who has triggers or doesn't normally read darker romance I encourage you to read through the trigger warnings before starting. But if you decide you can get through the darker content you will close this book with a new favorite in your hands just like I did. And if you haven't read anything from this author before be prepared to dive into the other books Jennifer has written because there is a spark to the way she writes that will have you constantly coming back for more.

Firstly, Corabelle is SUCH a cute name. Secondly, I have never had a book organized like this one. There is so much trauma on page, but it’s written so delicately that you feel everything alongside Cora and Dean. I do wish some parts would have been elaborated more and the main characters would have had more time to develop rather than a pattern of trauma, sneak around, trauma, sneak around, distance, together. Overall, it was a quick and emotional read!

The book really grabbed me from the beginning. But then midway and into the end of the book it just really dragged on with the same scenario, seeming to happen over and over. So my opinion, it was an “okay” book.

This book is an emotional roller coaster that I never wanted to get off. The story was a good one. This would be a good beach read. First time reading from this author and I really enjoyed her writing. The smut wasn’t overly obnoxious and repetitive. Great read. Highly recommend!

I read this book in less than 24 hours and all I keep thinking is why did it take me so long to read it? 😲 I don’t even know where to start because I feel my heart was taken out of my chest, mended, and then placed again still beating. 💓 Still Beating by Jennifer Hartman broke me completely and I was here for it every step of the way. When I read the premise of how this book is about a woman and her sister’s fiancé and how they get kidnapped and because of this they form a bond and she falls for him, I knew it would be a dark one and I was very nervous to start, but for those who are sensitive on the abuse topic although it’s there it’s not the very graphic description and it is easier to read. 🙈 The book is a rollercoaster divided into parts and it felt like whenever I saw light I was thrown down again, it is dark, raw, and an emotional journey and I loved every second of it, it’s been a while since a book has made me cry, but this book hit that spot of no return and just thinking about it this morning after finishing it last night makes me want to cry again. 😢 Still Beating is a dark and beautiful story and I recommend it to anyone who wants to read a romance that is so different from everything we are used to reading as romance book readers, although there is a HEA, the bumps and stones in the way to get it are dark and difficult, but at the end it’s beautiful. 🌹 Check your TW with this one, I honestly couldn’t put it down even though I found it difficult at times, and I have to say it has become one of my favorite reads of this year. 🌟 Tropes: Dark Romance, Forbidden Love, Enemies to Lovers

Non avrei mai pensato di leggere un libro con una storia simile, ma devo dire che nonostante l'impatto emotivo sia molto forte, il libro è molto bello. Certo non si digerisce con facilità, ma l'ho iniziato ieri e finito oggi, tutto in un fiato perchè una volta iniziato non si riesce a smettere. Non è adatto a persone traumatizzate o troppo sensibili, ci sono momenti in cui piangere è l'unica azione che non riesci a controllare. C'è l'happy ending, ma prima si passa da un inferno ad un altro. Date una possibilità a questa storia non vi deluderà

The beginning is so so dark. It’s gut wrenching. But it’s not as hard as the rest of the story. Yes, the beginning is terrible, the fear, the disgust, the horrors. What truly brings you to your knees is the rest of the story - the trauma, the constant downward momentum, and the absolute soul crushing heartbreak. I held it together for the first half and spent the second half blubbering. I think a part of this will always stay with me.

When I found this book on Amazon, I had not expected this. This story was more about healing love than about the trauma the characters go through. It’s about the pain that we will never know but it is also about the struggle of a person to reach the end of the journey and find themselves. When I first spotted the book, the readers had all raved about the book. I have to say that the connection is there, and it is strong, but the situation that made it so hit you so hard that you cannot forget it soon. The situations that Dean and Cora face are so forced and cold that it is almost clinical. The darkness that became a part of them and the connection that they form because of it is like thorns inlaid on the feather-like link of our relationships. I was shaken by what I read. It has never happened before. How the book is written made me imagine it to be a movie in my head. I could imagine every scene. The setting, the camera shots, and even the lighting in some of them. I know a movie might not be possible with the contents of the book as they are without major cuts, but the author writes the book to show you what happens at all times. I saw the greys and every dullness in the book and I also saw the world through their eyes as they battled themselves to come out from hell that they had never come out of for a long time. I saw them heal bit by bit and imagined when Dean said, She feels like Healing. There are several quotes from the book that make you skip a beat or just take a moment to read again, but the one that I love the most is because it connects with the title of the book. “It’s still beating.” he whispers, his words a soft kiss against my lips. “As long as it’s beating, you’re okay.” This was a story about survivors. It was about a world where anything may happen and handling it is not as simple as many other stories may make it out to be. It is about breaking down before building back up. It is about the painful digging out of feelings that were more or less ignored by both protagonists. The events that happen from start to finish are like nothing I have ever read before. This book made me pause as I looked at nothing before I could continue. I wish to tell everyone to read this book, but there are many triggers for people who may not be alright. Read this book only after considering the sunrise after the storm.

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)