Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann

115 reviews

liz_kat's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, and Murder

bekahzabel's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

I ate this one up. Very dark, taboo topics, trigger heavy but wowza… I was hooked. Devoured in one sitting. Not a situation to idolize in real life but an absolutely heart wrenching plot that keeps you needing more from start to finish.

4⭐️ / 🌶️🌶️🌶️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Murder

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. 

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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

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

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Content Warnings

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

laurenh6416's review

dark emotional funny 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Self harm

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

cheriejanette's review

challenging dark emotional 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Miscarriage and Dementia

Minor: Infidelity and Death of parent

mflynn8908's review

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Ok I’m in the minority but this was SOOOO slow and I struggled reading it. The beginning was so strong and literally had me consumed but then everything just turned cringe and slow. I mean I’m not a fan of the author making the older sister sound like an over the top exaggeration of a human while Cora is just this super cool and amazing girl (without even trying). Then Dean literally loving Cora the whole time he was engaged to her sister but he just kept it to himself and pretended to go along with the hate Cora gave him. YUCK! That was sooo cringe. 
I was team Mandy when she basically sent Cora to hell for failing for her fiancé and then sleeping with him so soon after their breakup. I get that they were trauma bonded but COME ON… it was your SISTERS man and you just his bones not while she still had a tan line from that ring on her hand. No. Just no. Not to mention their mom being like “oh we knew Dean loved you the whole time but he was faithful to your sister so we just let it go”… like WHAT??? If I was Mandy I’d disown the whole family and send them all a shit filled box for the holidays. 
I think all the issues I had with this book just didn’t motivate me to want to finish reading it and getting to the end of the book was a chore because I just didn’t care about the characters once they escaped Earl. I can see why it’s so hyped up but to me it’s a little too hyped. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Gun violence, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

gracedoesbooks's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Physical abuse, and Rape