Reviews with content warning for Bullying - Still Beating

I could not put this book down but I did want to at times, and not because of the dark elements (CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS) but because I found 99% of the characters unlikable (including Cora) 😬Overall, i did enjoy this and was moved to tears. This was not really a dark romance to me. I loved the writing, Dean (not a bad boy), Tabitha, and Lily. My favorite line from the book is…

It’s still beating.
You’re still okay.
And I still love you.
— Dean

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alilbitofeveryth1ng's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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risquish's review

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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whatjasread's review

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

• super traumatic and haunting
• definitely going to stay with me for a long time
• not really a fan of the miscommunication, many times I wished things would’ve just been stated plainly
• Mandy sucked so badly I don’t think I could ever deal with someone so self centred
• pretty sure I had tears in my eyes the entire time I was reading this
• enjoyed dean’s character development but still some moments where I didn’t care for him, mostly in the first part
• really not a fan of pick me girls so Cora was not the best character in my opinion although she did get slightly better as the book progressed
• super complex, moments where I had mixed feelings and could see both sides of arguments
• understood the need for connection and familiarity and understanding but still don’t think the cheating was necessary
• also don’t know why he ended up with Mandy based on his high school experience lol

TWs: Alcoholism, smoking, bullying (before book), kidnapping, murder (before book), torture, sexual assault (in book), spiking (before book), serial killing, physical abuse, discussion of miscarriage, animal abuse, PTSD, cheating, pet euthanasia, self-harm, death of parent (father, before book, heart attack), dementia, attempted suicide (overdose), nicotine withdrawal

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mrsschreave's review

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dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

i devoured this book. read it so quickly i couldn’t put it down

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maybhank's review

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dark emotional inspiring sad 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

5.0

Bro, that's deep. I did not expect a taboo romance to be this emotional. And the meaning behind the book title? Ahhhhhhhhhhhh

I honestly went in for a quick steamy dark romance (which I got), but this book is more than that. It's about two people who were put in an unimaginable situation and had to learn to put pieces back together after surviving it.

It's really interesting because that was also the exact same expectation the author herself had when she started writing it. From her Author's Note she said, "I anticipated it being nothing more than an erotic novella. Then I gave it a little heart, then a little more, and all of a sudden, this beautifully tragic love story began to unfold."

She turns this story into more than just a taboo romance. I like that she acknowledges the relationship between Dean and Cora wasn't healthy. Everything was messy and everything is fucked up. It's not going to work unless something changes.

What I like the most though is that she didn't romanticize the abuse (when the killer forced them to be intimate.) The author made sure to show that the situation was fucked up and both parties were traumatized by it. The characters didn't fall in love with each other because of that. It was when they were alone in the basement and had to comfort each other with a song, shoes, 20 questions, a confession for a confession that they realized maybe they didn't really hate each other that much.

For some people Cora can be annoying, but to me it feels realistic for a person who just went through traumas like that. Dean as well. I'm happy about the decision he made closer to the end. And I like that Mandy isn't quick to forgive her sister. It makes the story feels more realistic.

I don't know what else to say except that I love this book and I love it even more when I know the author put her love and soul into it. Her husband create this book cover while their toddler running around and the hands are actually hers and her husband's. Something about all of these just make this book feels so special.

Also this book screams "TRIGGERED". It's about a woman and her soon-to-be brother-in-law getting kidnapped by a serial killer and forced to be intimated with each other. It's a lot. So beware before diving into it.

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and Misogyny

Moderate: Alcoholism, Addiction, Cursing, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Bullying and Miscarriage

Bro, that's deep. I did not expect a taboo romance to be this emotional. And the meaning behind the book title? Ahhhhhhhhhhhh I honestly went in for a quick steamy dark romance (which I got), but this book is more than that. It's about two people who were put in an unimaginable situation and had to learn to put pieces back together after surviving it. It's really interesting because that was also the exact same expectation the author herself had when she started writing it. From her Author's Note she said, "I anticipated it being nothing more than an erotic novella. Then I gave it a little heart, then a little more, and all of a sudden, this beautifully tragic love story began to unfold." She turns this story into more than just a taboo romance. I like that she acknowledges the relationship between Dean and Cora wasn't healthy. Everything was messy and everything is fucked up. It's not going to work unless something changes. What I like the most though is that she didn't romanticize the abuse (when the killer forced them to be intimate.) The author made sure to show that the situation was fucked up and both parties were traumatized by it. The characters didn't fall in love with each other because of that. It was when they were alone in the basement and had to comfort each other with a song, shoes, 20 questions, a confession for a confession that they realized maybe they didn't really hate each other that much. For some people Cora can be annoying, but to me it feels realistic for a person who just went through traumas like that. Dean as well. I'm happy about the decision he made closer to the end. And I like that Mandy isn't quick to forgive her sister. It makes the story feels more realistic. I don't know what else to say except that I love this book and I love it even more when I know the author put her love and soul into it. Her husband create this book cover while their toddler running around and the hands are actually hers and her husband's. Something about all of these just make this book feels so special. Also this book screams "TRIGGERED". It's about a woman and her soon-to-be brother-in-law getting kidnapped by a serial killer and forced to be intimated with each other. It's a lot. So beware before diving into it.

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