Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann

48 reviews

klsreads's review

challenging dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Violence, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Self harm, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Torture, Addiction, Alcohol, Dementia, Gore, Grief, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Blood, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexism, and Pregnancy

Minor: Animal cruelty, Death of parent, and Forced institutionalization

gottbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

I am giving this book 5 stars because the emotion that I felt from this story was so strong. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart. However, the message is so important and the story is just so good. It speaks a lot about trauma bonding and how to recover. Additionally, how others can misunderstand trauma that is experienced especially if they were not a witness to it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Suicide, Rape, Miscarriage, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Confinement, Sexual content, Self harm, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Violence

yinzer_barbie's review

challenging 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Kidnapping, Torture, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death, Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, and Infidelity

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Self harm

reddeddy's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense fast-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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Cursing, Confinement, Grief, Infidelity, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Murder, Abandonment, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Self harm, Stalking, Torture, Violence, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Medical trauma, Abortion, Blood, Dementia, Alcohol, and Gore

Minor: Gaslighting, Medical content, Pregnancy, Car accident, Dysphoria, Misogyny, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Adult/minor relationship, and Incest

fink1129's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, Murder, Grief, Cursing, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Rape, Confinement, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Minor: Abortion, Alcoholism, Animal death, Dementia, Pregnancy, and Vomit

hannibanani29's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Kidnapping, Confinement, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Mental illness, Murder, Alcohol, Self harm, Cursing, and Alcoholism

Minor: Grief, Homophobia, Car accident, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Animal cruelty, Torture, Dementia, and Death of parent

lmayfieldx's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

“𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐤𝐚𝐲”

⭐️: 5

🌶️: 3

⛓️ dual pov

⛓️ first person

⛓️ angst

⛓️ enemies to lovers

⛓️ contemporary

⛓️ touch her and 💀

⛓️ abduction

⛓️ trapped together

⛓️ second chance

⛓️ shared trauma

cora goes out for the night to celebrate her sister’s engagement, even though she hates her fiancé. she decides to stay out late. when leaving, she realizes her wallet was stolen & she worries how she’ll get home. when her sister’s fiancé, dean, is the only person that answers, she thinks her night can’t get any worse…until they’re abducted & held captive together. they have to fight to survive & try to make it out 

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i really enjoyed this book. i listened to the audiobook and was listening any chance that i got. i finished it in, i believe, 3 sittings - would’ve been 1 if i didn’t have other things to do haha

there were some times when cora was feeling confused that i wanted to knock her upside the head LOL but she finally found clarity haha

there definitely are a lot of deep topics in this book, so please take tws seriously

this was my first jennifer hartmann book, but certainly won’t be the last 🤩

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death

Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Rape, Self harm, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Miscarriage

rallyrowlett's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty

shelikesbig_books2's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Physical abuse, Torture, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Grief, Gun violence, Death, Miscarriage, and Self harm

Minor: Infidelity and Dementia

dontbechey20's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

5.0

This book absolutely DESTROYED me in every way possible...and has become one of my favorite books because of it. I initially tried so hard to not like this book. Seriously! I was fighting it. It's beyond messed up to fall for your sister's fiance after he is forced to do unspeakable things to you after being kidnapped together...right?! WRONG! Jennifer did such an impeccable job unraveling the story of Dean and Cora, both as enemies and lovers. 

One of my favorite things about this book is how raw and real it is. It's not an insta-love story that works out perfectly. It has glaringly obvious and frustrating bumps along the way, which makes the love between Dean and Cora feel so real and authentic. As a reader, I was THROWN every which way with my emotions. I spent the entirety of this book crying, laughing, swooning, and yelling from pure and utter frustration. 

Authors can very quickly and easily fall into a "pit" of trauma and pain. Writing a story stemming from pain, dispair, and trauma can be easy. Jennifer seamlessly joined two timelines together to tell the love (and hate) story between Dean and Cora. She somehow brings awareness to dark, heavy, and deep topics, while simultaneously keeping the book hopeful and hauntingly beautiful. I was honestly worried the entire book was going to be focused on the abduction, so as I got through the first chapters that were utterly disgusting (in the best way possible), I was worried Jennifer was only going to hone in on the ugly. To my surprise, she pivoted the story rather quickly to focus on the part of the story a lot of people avoid - the recovery. That is why this book is so powerful. 

This book is not meant for everyone, but if you can find the mental space and capacity to read it, please do. You will not regret it. It will leave you aching, crying, and in love with both characters individually and together. Also, this book is NOT focused on the spice. Expect spice (don't worry, it gets better), but that is not the focus of this story. 

Quote from the book: "I know I said you’re holding me underwater but you’re the only thing keeping me afloat." I CAN'T!! How can you read that and not fall in love?! 

BRB, going to see if I can find a matching necklace, because I need to torture myself every single day with a reminder of a chef kiss of a book boyfriend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Sexual content, Rape, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Self harm, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence

Minor: Abandonment and Alcohol