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A review by namorgan
Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann
3.0
3.5 - the first half was 5 stars, the second half was a 1
This is a dark romance and it won’t be for everyone. It’s brutal from the start and the characters experience unrelenting cruelty that they are helpless to do anything about. Definitely recommend looking up content warnings before you decide to pick it up.
I was completely engrossed with the first half of the story and felt every moment of hope and heartbreak between Cora and Dean. They had great banter and natural chemistry that could be felt from chapter one. Their reluctant allies to friends to something more was *chefs kiss*. I thought for sure this would be a five star read.
However, I feel that the second half halted all the momentum of the first half. There were some moments I enjoyed, like Cora adopting her kidnapper’s two dogs, but mostly I just found myself annoyed with the direction this book took after such a gripping beginning.
Cora’s back and forth about Dean became tiring almost immediately. I felt so bad for Dean, he needed her comfort just as much as she needed his after what they went through together, but it seemed like she kept forgetting that and came across as selfish. I tried hard to sympathize with her because I thought she was amazing in the first half, but it became more difficult the longer she dragged out her commitment to Dean. Like, I wanted my girl to get the happy ending that she deserved, but she kept resisting it with all her power. I understood her initial resistance, but it just dragged on and on and on until finally I was felt she didn’t deserve Dean anymore.
Mandy was completely insufferable. I get why she’d be hurt over Cora and Dean’s connection, but, come on… they were literally held captive together in a life or death situation and will carry a trauma with them that only the other could possibly understand… I think the two of them get a pass from any judgment. And yet, Mandy still had the audacity to condemn her sister even considering Cora’s life altering circumstances then come to find out Mandy had cheated on Dean during their relationship
This is a dark romance and it won’t be for everyone. It’s brutal from the start and the characters experience unrelenting cruelty that they are helpless to do anything about. Definitely recommend looking up content warnings before you decide to pick it up.
I was completely engrossed with the first half of the story and felt every moment of hope and heartbreak between Cora and Dean. They had great banter and natural chemistry that could be felt from chapter one. Their reluctant allies to friends to something more was *chefs kiss*. I thought for sure this would be a five star read.
However, I feel that the second half halted all the momentum of the first half. There were some moments I enjoyed, like Cora adopting her kidnapper’s two dogs, but mostly I just found myself annoyed with the direction this book took after such a gripping beginning.
Cora’s back and forth about Dean became tiring almost immediately. I felt so bad for Dean, he needed her comfort just as much as she needed his after what they went through together, but it seemed like she kept forgetting that and came across as selfish. I tried hard to sympathize with her because I thought she was amazing in the first half, but it became more difficult the longer she dragged out her commitment to Dean. Like, I wanted my girl to get the happy ending that she deserved, but she kept resisting it with all her power. I understood her initial resistance, but it just dragged on and on and on until finally I was felt she didn’t deserve Dean anymore.
Mandy was completely insufferable. I get why she’d be hurt over Cora and Dean’s connection, but, come on… they were literally held captive together in a life or death situation and will carry a trauma with them that only the other could possibly understand… I think the two of them get a pass from any judgment. And yet, Mandy still had the audacity to condemn her sister even considering Cora’s life altering circumstances then come to find out Mandy had cheated on Dean during their relationship