Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann

74 reviews

rosalieromero's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

I absolutely LOVED this book! Check your trigger warnings!! The beginning had me so grossed out with the matchmaker….but the way Dean protects Cora at all costs, the way he left just to save her… He moved away simply to allow her to find herself no matter how bad it hurt him… that’s love!!! I absolutely love how they end up together as a beautiful family!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Kidnapping, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

meowrie's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I'm not sure that I can add anything that hasn't already been said. 

This book is amazing. If I was a crier, I would have cried. Still, this book made me really emotional and for those who know me, that's quite an achievement. 

I'm also a forced proximity, enemies to lovers, taboo, dark romance fan. There are triggers here for readers who may be sensitive. The dog dying was not cool. It would have been fine without that part. I normally would knock a star or two off but the book was so damn good that I couldn't. But I'm still not happy about that. Boo.

The audio was very good. Laurie West was spectacular and Christian Black did a good job as Dean. I wish it was duet, but I always wish it was duet. Still, very good audio. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal death and Car accident

elianaosburn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Pregnancy

seemadyal50'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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Miscarriage, Self harm, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Pregnancy

tashcsx's review against another edition

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? Yes

5.0

I’m gonna call it and say this is the best book I’ve read in 2024. I was booked from the very beginning of this one.

Ive never thought a character should commit suicide but all I could think is that if I was Dean then I would have…. It it never happened. This book was constantly throwing me the unexpected and I couldn’t put it down. 

I feel heartbroken, sad, uncertain… yet happy for the ending. I do hate “8 years later,” type endings but it was very necessary for what this story was and it was. Hard story. This one is not for the faint hearted. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

lisabaebe's review

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

3.5

Enemies to Lovers?.. or does that even count in this situation? It’s a strong battle with the two main characters, Dean and Corabelle. You watch them hit the lowest of lows, but become triumphant in the end. I am proud of Dean making the hard choices of the two because I could only imagine after everything they went through. This was an interesting read.

PLEASE READ ALL TRIGGER WARNINGS PRIOR TO STARTING THIS BOOK!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Dementia, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

carli_likes_books's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This is one of the darkest books I’ve ever read. I know it is going to be a core memory. My heart is simultaneously full and broken. 

There is a HEA

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, and Pregnancy

mrsmishler's review

dark emotional 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Abortion and Pregnancy

reka111's review against another edition

Okay, you've got me me, I can't go on, it's just TERRIBLE. 

The writing is incredibly awful, FMC is terribly annoying, MMC gets a little credit, but he doesn't get much either. Both are completely empty and utterly unrealistic. I don't have a problem with the theme itself, I think it was bold that the author chose this and put it bluntly lively, but it was harder to execute for her. 

PS; why is Core's rape only mentioned when Dean ALSO went through it? It doesn't make any sense. 

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Pregnancy

blumerlamotte's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

3.75

Heart wrenching, intense, dark, complicated. Check the trigger warnings. They’re no joke. This novel is NOT for the faint of heart.

Folks seem to either love or hate this novel. I swear reviewers either give it 5 stars or 1 star. I’m really torn. Unsure how I feel about it. It started so strong (but extremely hard to read) and from there… the character development was convoluted and messy and erratic. I think that follows with the excessive trauma the characters had to deal with. For me I think it just felt a little too contrived and not quite authentic enough. 

It’s a good book with awful topics. The authors writing style is smooth and easy to follow. Something about it just left me wanting but I don’t know what I want …

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Pregnancy