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

336 pages

Average rating: 7.85

406 RATINGS

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Obsidian Hearts

​Obsidian Hearts is an exclusive TW Needed Dark Romance Book Club, run by Four Seasons Books in Shepherdstown, WV.

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“For all the bookish baddies with a thrill for thrillers, a taste for romance, and a craving for fantastical adventures—this one’s for you.”

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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 deeply explores trauma, survival, and complex relationships....

Missfitz225
Nov 01, 2025
9/10 stars
So wrong, yet so right! Check your trigger warnings. I’m still tearing up over this one. 😭
Laura
Dec 17, 2025
10/10 stars
Wow ! This was such a well written story but please read the trigger warnings for emotional trauma. The epilogue sets up for another book or a secondary side character which now I want to read. I have to thank Ericka with a K on TikTok for her review of Jennifer Hartmann and praise for her books. I had never read any and now I have added four to my TBR !

Bekahh
Dec 05, 2025
8/10 stars
OMG this wrecked me I was no expecting all the happened so much pain, hurt, and the fight. It was such an amazing read
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.

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