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A review by justinkhchen
Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann
4.0
Hype worthy, I'm pretty late on this, but finally got around to reading Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann, which was all over romance Booktubers' recommendation list at one point in time. And I'm happy to say this is indeed a very solid dark romance with an unconventional premise.
The first 2/3 is extremely strong, as we witness the two protagonists going through a very brutal, traumatizing experience, as well as the psychological aftermath dealing with their tangled emotion (trauma bonding), and survivor guilt. Even though this is marketed as a dark romance, its bleak scenario doesn't feel overly sensationalized and exploitative (comparing to some other dark romances I've read), and all the emotional notes hold a punch (the book title hits different knowing the context). The dual POVs are also strategically placed, divided into big chunks rather than the typical alternating chapters—allowing enough space to really sink into each character's psyche.
The last 30% is well done, if formulaic. Still enjoyable, as I was emotionally invested at this point, but plot-wise it is quite derivative, lacking the freshness in the story's front end, reading more like an off-the-shelf contemporary romance (I wish the 'thriller-y' flavor can somehow make its way back). My edition also comes with a bonus scene at the end, which is sadly rather pointless and tonally jarring, to the point it almost extinguishes my high coming out of the very sweet epilogue.
Laurie West and Christian Black narrates the auidiobook, and does an excellent job. One note I would add is that they narrate at a slightly different speed, which means I have to adjust my playback depending on whose section I'm listening to—not too big of an issue for this book since the POVs are divided into big chunks as I previously mentioned.
Overall Still Beating definitely deserves the attention: it has an unusual premise, extremely readable writing, and a heartfelt romance—a neat hybrid for someone like me, who read in both romance and thriller genre.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
The first 2/3 is extremely strong, as we witness the two protagonists going through a very brutal, traumatizing experience, as well as the psychological aftermath dealing with their tangled emotion (trauma bonding), and survivor guilt. Even though this is marketed as a dark romance, its bleak scenario doesn't feel overly sensationalized and exploitative (comparing to some other dark romances I've read), and all the emotional notes hold a punch (the book title hits different knowing the context). The dual POVs are also strategically placed, divided into big chunks rather than the typical alternating chapters—allowing enough space to really sink into each character's psyche.
The last 30% is well done, if formulaic. Still enjoyable, as I was emotionally invested at this point, but plot-wise it is quite derivative, lacking the freshness in the story's front end, reading more like an off-the-shelf contemporary romance (I wish the 'thriller-y' flavor can somehow make its way back). My edition also comes with a bonus scene at the end, which is sadly rather pointless and tonally jarring, to the point it almost extinguishes my high coming out of the very sweet epilogue.
Laurie West and Christian Black narrates the auidiobook, and does an excellent job. One note I would add is that they narrate at a slightly different speed, which means I have to adjust my playback depending on whose section I'm listening to—not too big of an issue for this book since the POVs are divided into big chunks as I previously mentioned.
Overall Still Beating definitely deserves the attention: it has an unusual premise, extremely readable writing, and a heartfelt romance—a neat hybrid for someone like me, who read in both romance and thriller genre.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**