Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann

58 reviews

tashcsx's review

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. 

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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 against another edition

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!

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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

klpage's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is very dark so please check for trigger warnings! 

This was brilliantly written but also there was so much heartbreak in this book!! 

You could feel the emotion getting more intense as the book went on. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt

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 …

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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

rdaacvhiesl's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.75

If you can make it through the triggers and initial taboo, this is a unique love story that will stick with you for all the right reasons. Everything written had a purpose and never was used as a prop or just shock value. I applaud Jennifer Hartmann for masterfully toeing that line in order to share this beautifully traffic and harrowing story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death, Dementia, Stalking, and Alcohol

Minor: Gun violence, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Blood, Vomit, Car accident, and Death of parent

susansantos's review

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book is so different than other dark romance books I’ve read. I loved the story and felt the struggles of the FMC and MMC so hard. There were a couple quotes in the book that resonated with me and that I could connect with on a deep level. It’s both sad and happy and admittedly I did cry. Check triggers before reading, but it’s truly beautiful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Grief

cozyreader9752's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

jess_bee's review against another edition

challenging slow-paced

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

0.5

This book was so shit 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

bibliobetty's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

I have no complaints about the writing style but I won't be recommending to friends as I don't think that this type of contemporary romance is for me. Doesn't mean it's not worth reading or not good, just not for me. Absolutely read the TW/CW. This is not a "dark romance", this is dark and a romance. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Dementia and Pregnancy

Minor: Miscarriage and Death of parent

nursemelissa19's review

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt