Still Beating
Cora's night out takes a terrifying turn when she wakes up shackled in a madman's basement, only to find her arch-nemesis, Dean, in the same predicament. After years of mutual antagonism, they must now rely on each other to survive their captor's twisted game. Their abductor's plan aims to force them together, blurring the lines between their long-standing hatred and an unexpected connection.
The "good" Lawson sister, dependable and dutiful; abducted alongside her lifelong rival Dean Asher and forced to survive their captor's game with him.
Cora's sister's fiance and lifelong rival; the two of them are abducted together and must cooperate to survive their captor's plan, which forces their long-standing hatred into something else.
The captor who abducts and chains Cora and Dean together, known as "The Matchmaker," forcing horrifying situations on them meant to bond the two.
Still Beating is a standalone dark romance and does not require reading other books. It is connected in setting and tone to Jennifer Hartmann's other standalones, including Lotus and June First, which readers often recommend reading in that order, but each book tells a complete, self-contained story.
Yes. Still Beating is an 18+ dark romance dealing with abduction, captivity, and violence, and it carries content warnings for graphic violence and trauma. Readers sensitive to depictions of kidnapping and psychological abuse should check content warnings before starting.