A review by kimkybooks
Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

I’m trying to gather my thoughts and feelings on this.. and put them into words. 

“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.”

This was like one big trip down PTSD lane and it was beautiful yet heart wrenching. 

Cora and her brother in law, who she despises are being held captive by a serial killer. 

They try to survive for 3 weeks in horrible circumstances and become each others lifeline. 

“𝐈’𝐦 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧..”

While reading this book you get a little glimpse of how people try to survive after trauma. When you are still mentally chained and unable to get free. When you are trying to float but feel life is pulling you under and you’re drowning. Every day. The romance isn’t easy, nothing about this story is. It’s complicated, raw and messy. 

I wouldn’t say this is a dark romance perse but this is definitely trigger heavy, especially in the trauma department. Some potential triggers: 𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙚, 𝙥𝙝𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙪𝙡𝙩, 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙚, 𝙨𝙪𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨, 𝙨𝙪𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚, 𝙥𝙝𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙚, 𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙋𝙏𝙎𝘿.

The reason why I rated it 4,5 stars is that I might have preferred it to be a non-HEA.. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, and Alcoholism