Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann

35 reviews

bookshelvesandbookcorners07's review against another edition

dark 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

3.25

This book covers a very traumatic experience and the aftermath. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Alcohol

The main characters suffer a lot of trauma, especially the female. She experiences terrible sexual experiences which are detailed in the book.

sienasummerrreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Wow, I’m in shock honestly. This was dark and I felt sad the whole way through. Don’t get me wrong, this was a fantastic read but I believe it is better if you go in blind. These characters go through so much that their connection is inevitable. This isn’t your average romance it’s a journey of being at your lowest point and coming back and battling demons and finding yourself in the world again. From the start of this book, it just dived straight into the darkness and draws you in so fast. I honestly only felt one emotion reading this book sadness. If there were happy bits I was sad still. I read the physical and listened to the audiobook. The audiobook was fantastic and enhanced my experience while reading. It's told in a dual narration as well. 

Overall really good read and I do recommend just please look into triggers before diving in. 

If you love: 

🔹Dark Content & Themes 
🔹Graphic Scenes 
🔹Survival 
🔹Intimate Connection
🔹Mental Health 
🔹Emotional Reads

Genre/Type: Dark Romance 18+
APK: Physical & Audiobook ARC
Pages: 300
Audio Length: 12hrs 7mins
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Series or Stand Alone: 
Tropes or Themes: Enemies To Lovers, Forbidden, Forced Proximity, Kidnapping, SA, R, Captivity, Violence, Physical Abuse, Guns, Forced Cheating, Murder, Past Memories, Miscarriage, Tattoo, Alcohol, Drug Use, Overdose, Mental Health, Trauma, Medical Content & Playlist 
Check Triggers ⚠️ 💫 

All Round Romance Reader 
Sienasummerrreads 💕📚
TikTok | Instagram | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Scribd | Amazon | Audible Reviews 💫

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Murder, Medical content, Violence, Kidnapping, Animal death, Sexual assault, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Physical abuse, and Cursing

Moderate: Miscarriage

bnully1027's review against another edition

dark sad tense

4.0

I’m having a hard thinking of a review right now. This book was an emotional roller coaster. I’m surprised how instantly I was connected to these characters. I mean having it hook you almost immediately was a big plus. My ONLY issue is that Cora was sometimes too much. I get the trauma but still. This took me by surprise and as graphic and fucked this story was it was kind of a beautiful too. I dont think I’ll eve pick it again but I’m very happy I read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Kidnapping, Rape, and Violence

Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, and Miscarriage

Minor: Animal death

jordiemooon's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Alcohol, Blood, Self harm, Murder, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Rape, Violence, and Sexual violence

sjbookslut's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Kidnapping, Confinement, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Animal death, Murder, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Death, Blood, Miscarriage, Self harm, Dementia, and Pregnancy

volatile's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Sexual assault

siffpedersen's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Violence, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Alcohol, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

amanda_reads13's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

*Please check the trigger warnings before reading this book*

Cora hates her sisters fiance Dean. He has been a thorn in her side for the past 15 years. After attending her sister's birthday party, her wallet is stolen and she has to call Dean for a ride. She figures she will just sit through the awkward car ride home. What she doesn't anticipate is waking up the next morning handcuffed in a psychos basement, next to Dean. The two of them must lean on one another to survive and support each other as they are tested in unimaginable ways. 

When I say I cried, I mean I sobbed. This story tore my heart open. It was tragic and heartbreaking, yet beautiful. There were parts that were really hard to read. Everyone deals with trauma differently, I think that Cora and Dean's story shows that in a realistic and sensitive way. 

Dean was extremely traumatized and definitely suffering from PTSD, yet he still had this incredible emotional maturity.

Spoiler

He loved Cora, but realized that they were in this toxic spiral. He always put her first and did everything possible to protect her and help her heal, even when that meant walking away. He is much stronger than he gave himself credit for.

Cora went through something unimaginable. Not many people would have been able to survive what she did.

Spoiler

She struggles with being pulled between Dean and her sister. Dean is the only one she can lean on and she depends on him heavily. She is going through a rollercoaster of emotions and really struggles to deal with the trauma she has endured. She is scared to be 100% in with Dean because of Mandy and she kind of treats him like crap. She doesn't realize that Dean's sacrifice is really what she needed, she needs to heal herself, he can't heal her.

A few things that annoyed me:

Spoiler

- I didn't like how everyone pushed Cora to "move on". She has been through something seriously fucked up. No, she doesn't need to date or go out to the bar. 
-I disliked Mandy. She is completely devoid of compassion and empathy. At one point she says to Dean that she was surprised that he didn't want to have sex the second he escaped. Like what? He has been through some MAJOR trauma and you are being so disrespectful and overly pushy. She gave him no space to breathe and just expected Dean and Cora to go back to "normal". 
- I didn't like that we got this backstory of Dean and Cora hating each other, but not really hating each other. We are supposed to believe that they have formed a trauma bond, which makes total sense, but then we are shown all these flashbacks that lead us to believe that there were feelings between them for a long time. I wish that there wasn't this "we loved each other all along" undertone to the story. It kind of takes a away from it. 

Tropes: Dark, Taboo, enemies to lovers

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, and Confinement

sjj1993's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, and Alcohol

chaniesgirl's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

One of the best book I've ever read.
It was so we'll written and the story was so we'll thought and executed.
I felt every emotions the characters went through
Dean is perfect for Cora and is the best male protagonist ever.
Love the dual POV 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Rape, and Self harm

Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Pregnancy