Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - Still Beating

Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann

52 reviews

bibliomikee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Honestly, I am stunned and speechless. The first part of the book was a bit intense and traumatizing for my unprepared heart. There are tons of trigger warnings in this book but I never thought and expected it to be this profoundly agonizing.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙈𝙚:
• I was hooked on the plot and the character's trauma bonding and their healing together. This book did not disappoint.
• The second part was a lot better and it's giving me different emotions. I was pleased with it.
• The main character's relationship was so fucked-up but it was understandable and reasonable. I can't fathom the experienced they have gone through if this was in real life.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝘿𝙞𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙈𝙚:
While I was pleased with the execution, the only hole I needed to be filled was the character's impression it left on me. I didn't feel strong connections towards the main characters. I care for them but it was not enough to make me love them as much as I loved its core and the meaning of the book.

𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗖𝗧:
Recommended with caution.

𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
[𝙨𝙚𝙭𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙪𝙡𝙩, 𝙠𝙞𝙙𝙣𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙢𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧, 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛-𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢, 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚, 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙜𝙚 /𝙣𝙤𝙣-𝙫𝙞𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙮 , 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙩]

Disclosure: I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Also, I read this final manuscript side by side with the first published/independently published book. This final manuscript has been polished and gone through revision for republication purposes.

Content Warnings

rockettar's review against another edition

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dark

2.75

Content Warnings

sammymilfort's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

readingwithjamie's review against another edition

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dark hopeful sad medium-paced

5.0

Before going into this book you need to check trigger warnings. I cannot stress this enough!

This is a dark romance, and the first part of this book is very dark. It starts off very dark but eventually changes along the way. There is growth, friendship, enemies to lovers. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year.

Cora is at a bar celebrating her sister, Mandy’s birthday. Cora ends up staying out late, well past when her sister and friend leave. She decides to call a cab to take her home. She quickly realizes that her wallet was stolen and she needs to call a friend for a ride. Since its super late, she has limited options. Cora calls Mandy’s fiancé, the guy she hates most in the world, Dean. She has known him for 15 years and they have never gotten along, but she knows he will help her. Dean picks her up, sparring and insulting each other on the car ride. Red lights follow Dean and pull them over, and that’s when this nightmare begins. They find themselves chained in a basement with a deranged killer.

Every day is violent, ugly, and hopeless. They are stuck with each other and they slowly start to rely on each other, talk through memories, give up their truths and find moments of escapes from the horrors they’re forced to endure.

Eventually they do get out and have to deal with what happened, what they said to each other, their family, the spotlight and most of all, Mandy. Reading this part of the book was agonizing, and I felt so much for the MCs. Cora and Dean changed, they shared something that no one else could possibly ever understand and they both struggled with that they are to each other.

Their chemistry is explosive. This was such an emotional, painful, hopeful, raw read and I really enjoyed this. Still Beating is heart-breaking, uncomfortable, provocative and brilliant.

Overall: 5

Spice: 4

Content Warnings