Still Beating

He puts his hand against my chest. "It's still beating," he whispers, his words a soft kiss against my lips. "As long as it's beating, you're okay."

When Cora Lawson attends her sister's birthday party, she expects at most a hangover or a walk of shame by the end of it. She doesn't anticipate a stolen wallet, leaving her stranded and dependent on her sister's fiancé, Dean Asher--her archnemesis and perpetual thorn in her side.

And she really doesn't anticipate getting knocked out and waking up chained in a madman's basement, Dean in his own shackles beside her.

After fifteen years of teasing, insults, and never-ending pranks, the ultimate joke seems to be on them. The two people who always thought they'd end up killing each other must now work together if they want to survive long enough to escape.

But Cora and Dean don't know that their abductor has a plan for them. A plan that will alter the course of their relationship, blur the line between hate and love, and shackle them to each other long after they are freed from their chains. They're in this together--no matter what their unexpected bond might cost them.

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Published Jul 11, 2023

Average rating: 7.95

385 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *Still Beating* by Jennifer Hartmann is a haunting, intense dark romance that powerfully explores trauma, survival, and complex relationsh...

Missfitz225
Nov 01, 2025
9/10 stars
So wrong, yet so right! Check your trigger warnings. I’m still tearing up over this one. 😭
Cheryl’s Cozy Reads
Sep 14, 2025
10/10 stars
One of my favorite books ever!! If I could read this for the first time again I would!
kategryson
Sep 02, 2025
6/10 stars
This is a really dark, intense, emotional story about two people who bond over a horrific experience, and come out as survivors. The thing is, when they finally escape is when the real trouble starts.
Zepplincat
Aug 03, 2025
8/10 stars
Really great dark romance. Completely new plot line. Well done
FernGully
Jul 25, 2025
9/10 stars
I thought I was going to DNF this one in the first few chapters. Dean and Cora's interactions were eye-rolling, to say the least. But by the end of part I, the eyes rolls had subsided, and part II & III really brought it all together in a beautiful way! I'm so glad they got their happy ending. 🥰

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