Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'

Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann

40 reviews

reddeddy's review against another edition

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

---

Content Warnings

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

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

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

emmab_86's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

homebodynate's review against another edition

female lead got on my nerves

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Miscarriage

kylieduncan's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

• Trigger warning of a lot of dark content such as rape, torture, suicidal thoughts, injury description 

Jennifer Hartmann is such a beautiful writer. This book kept me hooked from page one. It was a bit hard to read through the earlier part of the book describing Cora and Drew’s experiences, but watching them to be able to flourish and recover after their shared trauma was really beautiful. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for them to get out of their situation. I’m so glad that Drew did the hard thing and left Cora to allow her to be the best version of herself. it felt a bit problematic that Dean falls in love with his financé’s sister, but I think it could happen to anyone given the situation they faced together and previous history of feelings. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

mamede's review against another edition

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

---

Content Warnings

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

aliceloyallaleon'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? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

smbl's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

2.75

It’s like reading a train wreck, you can’t stop even if it’s not the best writing. 

Pros: It dealt with messy process of healing from trauma - it wasn’t perfect which arguably why it’s done a decent job because everyone’s healing journey is different. MMC trauma journey was written well and overall the character had a lot more common sense. The serial killer motives weren’t something common.

Cons: FMC can be a little pick-me and self-centered. Actually she annoyed me a lot more than her sister which it wasn’t written to be that way. And how the sister was written is giving some internalize misogyny. Also no real relationship development on why the MMC was even dating the FMC’s sister. 

I think it had a lot of potential but as a standalone dark romance it missed the mark. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Self harm, Torture, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

amy_mhairi's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Pregnancy

emilyreadstoomuch's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

2.25

very unique book, but it tried too hard and also was somehow not enough at the same time. don't know why when they were screaming at the abductor, of all the horrible things he did that they could've thrown in his face they just kept calling him fat?? they were like "you are FAT" like why not murderer, rapist, creep, etc.????? so insane. also it was just annoying at parts where cora was soooo not like other girls and mandy was villainized for no reason at times lmao mandy was a really terrible person though. this had a TON of potential like i could see the vision so clearly but was honestly underdeveloped. very fake deep!!!!!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Cursing, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

I heard about this book from Booktube and was intrigued.
"Still Beating" is a dark romance that follows Cora and Dean. Cora has known Dean since High school, and she has loathed every minute she has to spend with him. Unfortunately for her, he is her sister's fiancé, and it looks like she is stuck with him in her life. After a night out, Cora calls Dean for a ride home from the bar, but they never make it home. Cora and Dean wake up chained in a stranger's basement, and they will have to learn to get along if they want to make it out alive.
Warning: this book is VERY dark and tackles some very challenging issues.
I devoured this book. I was so captivated by Cora's and Dean's story, and I was entirely enamored with watching their relationship evolve. I am normally not a huge fan of enemies to lovers, but this felt so believable and not like true hate, and they were not "enemies" for too much of the story. Their chemistry was undeniable, and I loved that they have known each other for so long. Their history, despite the constant teasing and pranks, really made their connection all the more believable.
 

Something I loved more than their raw chemistry was how Dean knew how to take care of Cora afterwards. They went through an unimaginable experience and Cora especially had a really difficult time dealing with it. Even though Dean wanted nothing more than to be with Cora, he knew what she really needed was to find herself again, and he stepped away. This selfless act was so beautiful and really proves how much Dean adores Cora. 

 
I 1000% will read from Jennifer Hartmann in the future and I will recommend this book to a very niche audience. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Miscarriage and Pregnancy