Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann

8 reviews

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

hannahbeanies's review

dark emotional reflective sad 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, Violence, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Pregnancy, Abandonment, Miscarriage, and Grief

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

mamede's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child death, Dementia, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship

hekareadsbooks's review

challenging 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Torture, Self harm, Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Infidelity

Moderate: Abandonment and Miscarriage

Minor: Animal cruelty

ashlikes's review

dark emotional hopeful 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? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Death, Sexual violence, Infidelity, Rape, Suicide, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Animal death, Cursing, Drug use, Grief, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Medical trauma, Dementia, Medical content, Sexism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Murder, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Self harm

Minor: Abandonment, Ableism, Pregnancy, Stalking, and Homophobia

risquish's review

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: Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Violence, Gun violence, and Confinement

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Grief, Blood, Abandonment, Animal death, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Murder, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, and Bullying

Minor: Animal cruelty

kc1234's review

dark emotional sad medium-paced

ok wow never read a dark romance before... 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Torture, Animal cruelty, Abandonment, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Cursing, Pregnancy, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt