--- product_id: 540979398 title: "Still Beating: A Dark Survival Romance" price: "€ 27.79" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.at/products/540979398-still-beating-a-dark-survival-romance store_origin: AT region: Austria --- # Still Beating: A Dark Survival Romance **Price:** € 27.79 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Still Beating: A Dark Survival Romance - **How much does it cost?** € 27.79 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.at](https://www.desertcart.at/products/540979398-still-beating-a-dark-survival-romance) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description 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. Review: 🌊🖤 It's still beating. As long as it's still beating, you're okay 🖤⛓️ - "Look at me, Cora. Focus on me. Nothing else is real. It's only me and you." "I didn't think you ever noticed my heart." "It's impossible not to notice, Cora." "You don't feel like my enemy anymore. You feel like my lifeline." "It's still beating. As long as it's still beating, you're okay." "I feel his fingers interlace with mine. I hold onto him. He's still my lifeline. He's still all I have. We're in this together." "We are bound, chained, tied--to our trauma and to each other. We're in this together. And yet, I've never felt more alone." "She doesn't need to pretend with me, though. She doesn't need to hide. I'm here, and I see her--every scar, every flaw, every broken, hollow piece. And I understand." "Dean is like the ocean. Compelling, calling to me, within reach. So much magic. So much beauty. Something I want with every aching layer of my soul. But I'm that little girl again, frozen in the sand, afraid of the dark waters in front of me." "I need him. He's the only calm to my madness, the only light to my dark, the only sweet to my bitter remains. He tames me. He heals me." "He holds me like a lover. Like my own, personal defender. Like my savior. After all, he saved me from a serial killer. He saved me from an overdose. He saved me from myself." "Are you still mine?" "It's still beating. As long as it's still beating, I'm yours." This was such a phenomenal and gut-wrenching story. It was a tragic but beautiful love story. This author did a fantastic job of drawing you in and making you feel every emotion possible. I was bawling in this book so many times. These characters endured so much pain and trauma and I felt every last demon 😭. Despite all the heartbreak, guilt, trauma, and pain, there was so much healing and growth. This author did a flawless job depicting and portraying all the sensitive topics in this story. This is a very heavy read, so be prepared to hurt badly 😞. It's worth it in the end with such a beautiful HEA 😍. This story follows Cora and Dean. These two have known each other for 15 years and Dean has been dating Mandy, Cora's sister, those 15 years. Cora and Dean "hate each other." They're always pulling pranks and bickering with each other. Secretly, Dean always had a thing for Cora. Cora calls Dean to pick her up from a party as that's her last resort and they both get kidnapped. They're held in a basement chained to pipes by a serial killer. While they're held there, horrendous things take place. They become each other's lifeline. They eventually escape and survive, but they're both broken beyond repair. Something happened in that basement and they started to feel more for each other. Dean returns to Mandy, but he's a different person now. Cora is a shell of herself. They both find solace in each other, but it's completely toxic. Will this toxic pattern continue to exist between them? Will Dean let Cora go so she can finally heal herself? Can Cora climb out of her darkness to finally save herself? God, these two together were everything! Dean is the biggest green flag ever. This man did everything to help and save Cora. He even broke his own heart just so she can smile and heal and be healthy. Cora was a toxic disaster and was too codependent on Dean. They both were codependent but Cora couldn't let go. My soul bled for these two and what they had to endure 😭😭. The healing process was so rough for them both. They both handled things so differently. I loved the relationship between them. The bickering and pranks. You can tell they had feelings and this was a long time coming. I loved seeing the flashbacks of their younger selfs. Dean was so different with Mandy and you could see his spark was only for Cora. I loved how protective he was of Cora. The chemistry and tension was through the roof 🔥🔥🔥🥵🥵. My favorite part of this book was when he was talking about her heart beating and rubbing her pulse point on her wrist 🥹🥹. And the heart locket he gave her 😭🥰. The epilogue was everything! Seeing them down the line so healthy and peaceful made my heart happy. This was one of the hardest fought HEAs period but God it was worth every tear. I didn't like Mandy at all. She was so selfish and not understanding. I'm glad things worked out the way they did but eh still don't like her 😅. I loved the scenes with Dean's mom 🥹. The parts with all the dogs had me bawling especially blizzard 😭😭. I highly recommend this amazing book! Review: “ I hold on to him. He’s still my lifeline. He’s still all I have. We’re in this together.” - 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 4/5⭐️ 2.5/5🔥 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬/𝐂𝐖/𝐓𝐖/𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬: MF/dual POV/dark romance/HEA/enemies to lovers/kidnapping/sexual assault/r@pe/violence/murder/self harm/reference to miscarriage/loss of pet 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: Cora and Dean have known each other forever and have spent at least that much time being enemies. Pranks, insults, taunts, you name it… that’s them summed up in a few words. It doesn’t help that he is engaged to her sister and around all the time. After a night out with friends, Cora needs a ride home and even if the last person she wants to call for a ride is Dean, he is the only one available. Little do they know that night will change the trajectory of their intwined lives forever. Being kidnapped, held hostage, and forced to do unspeakable things, Cora and Dean only have each other to cling to in the deep dark cellar that will become their home for 3 weeks. There are so many words to describe this book but raw, tragic and heart wrenching are some that come to mind. After Dean and Cora’s escape, separated by real life, they struggle to move forward from their trauma while ‘normal’ life threatens to pull them under. They knew before they escaped their relationship would forever be changed. I felt like Cora struggled the most, barely keeping her head above water but that could be because I feel like we didn’t a lot of Dean’s healing. It seemed to be him keeping Cora afloat and him dealing with his relationship with Cora’s sister, Mandy. I felt like she was extremely inconsiderate for the healing Cora and Dean were trying to accomplish. The information that surfaces about their kidnapper afterward was definitely twisted, but it was intriguing to have this in the story also. As Cora and Dean follow the news stories, I think this really made them question if their feelings were real. I loved the aspect of Cora being able to bond with another survivor. I like the POV from Tabitha after the end of the book and I can’t help but hope maybe she will get her HEA in a future book. [if there isn’t one already; I haven’t looked into that.] Dean’s decisions toward the second half were painful but necessary. Seeing them come out the other side of this was gratifying. This was definitely dark and messed up, but the overall story was something I won’t easily forget. at least thatthat’s in a few words It doesn’t help that he is engaged to her sister and around all the time.AfterCora needs a ride home and even if the last person she wants to call for a ride is Dean, he is the only one available. Little do they know that night will change the trajectory of their intwined lives forever. Being kidnapped, held hostage, and forced to do unspeakable things, Cora and Dean only have each other to cling to in the deep dark cellar that will become their home for 3 weeks. raw, tragic and heart wrenching After Dean and Cora’s escape, separated by real life, they struggle to move forward from their trauma while ‘normal’ life threatens to pull them under. They knew before they escaped their relationship would forever be changed. I felt like Cora struggled the most, barely keeping her head above water but that could be because I feel like we didn’t a lot of Dean’s healing. It seemed to be him keeping Cora afloat and him dealing with his relationship with Cora’s sister, Mandy. I felt like she was extremely inconsiderate for the healing Cora and Dean were trying to accomplish. The information that surfaces about their kidnapper afterward was definitely twisted, but it was intriguing to have this in the story also. As Cora and Dean follow the news stories, I think this really made them question if their feelings were real. I loved the aspect of Cora being able to bond with another survivor. I like the POV from Tabitha after the end of the book and I can’t help but hope maybe she will get her HEA in a future book. [if there isn’t one already; I haven’t looked into that.] Dean’s decisions toward the second half were painful but necessary. Seeing them come out the other side of this was gratifying. This was definitely dark and messed up, but the overall story was something I won’t easily forget. ** 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘐 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 … 𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙖𝙡𝙡. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝙖𝙗𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙚 𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙮 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦, 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 =𝘋 ** ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #6,025 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #689 in Romantic Suspense (Books) #695 in New Adult & College Romance (Books) #851 in Contemporary Romance (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 91,275 Reviews | ## Images ![Still Beating: A Dark Survival Romance - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81XB5ZQVrmL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🌊🖤 It's still beating. As long as it's still beating, you're okay 🖤⛓️ *by S***R on February 27, 2026* "Look at me, Cora. Focus on me. Nothing else is real. It's only me and you." "I didn't think you ever noticed my heart." "It's impossible not to notice, Cora." "You don't feel like my enemy anymore. You feel like my lifeline." "It's still beating. As long as it's still beating, you're okay." "I feel his fingers interlace with mine. I hold onto him. He's still my lifeline. He's still all I have. We're in this together." "We are bound, chained, tied--to our trauma and to each other. We're in this together. And yet, I've never felt more alone." "She doesn't need to pretend with me, though. She doesn't need to hide. I'm here, and I see her--every scar, every flaw, every broken, hollow piece. And I understand." "Dean is like the ocean. Compelling, calling to me, within reach. So much magic. So much beauty. Something I want with every aching layer of my soul. But I'm that little girl again, frozen in the sand, afraid of the dark waters in front of me." "I need him. He's the only calm to my madness, the only light to my dark, the only sweet to my bitter remains. He tames me. He heals me." "He holds me like a lover. Like my own, personal defender. Like my savior. After all, he saved me from a serial killer. He saved me from an overdose. He saved me from myself." "Are you still mine?" "It's still beating. As long as it's still beating, I'm yours." This was such a phenomenal and gut-wrenching story. It was a tragic but beautiful love story. This author did a fantastic job of drawing you in and making you feel every emotion possible. I was bawling in this book so many times. These characters endured so much pain and trauma and I felt every last demon 😭. Despite all the heartbreak, guilt, trauma, and pain, there was so much healing and growth. This author did a flawless job depicting and portraying all the sensitive topics in this story. This is a very heavy read, so be prepared to hurt badly 😞. It's worth it in the end with such a beautiful HEA 😍. This story follows Cora and Dean. These two have known each other for 15 years and Dean has been dating Mandy, Cora's sister, those 15 years. Cora and Dean "hate each other." They're always pulling pranks and bickering with each other. Secretly, Dean always had a thing for Cora. Cora calls Dean to pick her up from a party as that's her last resort and they both get kidnapped. They're held in a basement chained to pipes by a serial killer. While they're held there, horrendous things take place. They become each other's lifeline. They eventually escape and survive, but they're both broken beyond repair. Something happened in that basement and they started to feel more for each other. Dean returns to Mandy, but he's a different person now. Cora is a shell of herself. They both find solace in each other, but it's completely toxic. Will this toxic pattern continue to exist between them? Will Dean let Cora go so she can finally heal herself? Can Cora climb out of her darkness to finally save herself? God, these two together were everything! Dean is the biggest green flag ever. This man did everything to help and save Cora. He even broke his own heart just so she can smile and heal and be healthy. Cora was a toxic disaster and was too codependent on Dean. They both were codependent but Cora couldn't let go. My soul bled for these two and what they had to endure 😭😭. The healing process was so rough for them both. They both handled things so differently. I loved the relationship between them. The bickering and pranks. You can tell they had feelings and this was a long time coming. I loved seeing the flashbacks of their younger selfs. Dean was so different with Mandy and you could see his spark was only for Cora. I loved how protective he was of Cora. The chemistry and tension was through the roof 🔥🔥🔥🥵🥵. My favorite part of this book was when he was talking about her heart beating and rubbing her pulse point on her wrist 🥹🥹. And the heart locket he gave her 😭🥰. The epilogue was everything! Seeing them down the line so healthy and peaceful made my heart happy. This was one of the hardest fought HEAs period but God it was worth every tear. I didn't like Mandy at all. She was so selfish and not understanding. I'm glad things worked out the way they did but eh still don't like her 😅. I loved the scenes with Dean's mom 🥹. The parts with all the dogs had me bawling especially blizzard 😭😭. I highly recommend this amazing book! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ “ I hold on to him. He’s still my lifeline. He’s still all I have. We’re in this together.” *by K***Y on July 6, 2023* 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 4/5⭐️ 2.5/5🔥 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬/𝐂𝐖/𝐓𝐖/𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬: MF/dual POV/dark romance/HEA/enemies to lovers/kidnapping/sexual assault/r@pe/violence/murder/self harm/reference to miscarriage/loss of pet 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: Cora and Dean have known each other forever and have spent at least that much time being enemies. Pranks, insults, taunts, you name it… that’s them summed up in a few words. It doesn’t help that he is engaged to her sister and around all the time. After a night out with friends, Cora needs a ride home and even if the last person she wants to call for a ride is Dean, he is the only one available. Little do they know that night will change the trajectory of their intwined lives forever. Being kidnapped, held hostage, and forced to do unspeakable things, Cora and Dean only have each other to cling to in the deep dark cellar that will become their home for 3 weeks. There are so many words to describe this book but raw, tragic and heart wrenching are some that come to mind. After Dean and Cora’s escape, separated by real life, they struggle to move forward from their trauma while ‘normal’ life threatens to pull them under. They knew before they escaped their relationship would forever be changed. I felt like Cora struggled the most, barely keeping her head above water but that could be because I feel like we didn’t a lot of Dean’s healing. It seemed to be him keeping Cora afloat and him dealing with his relationship with Cora’s sister, Mandy. I felt like she was extremely inconsiderate for the healing Cora and Dean were trying to accomplish. The information that surfaces about their kidnapper afterward was definitely twisted, but it was intriguing to have this in the story also. As Cora and Dean follow the news stories, I think this really made them question if their feelings were real. I loved the aspect of Cora being able to bond with another survivor. I like the POV from Tabitha after the end of the book and I can’t help but hope maybe she will get her HEA in a future book. [if there isn’t one already; I haven’t looked into that.] Dean’s decisions toward the second half were painful but necessary. Seeing them come out the other side of this was gratifying. This was definitely dark and messed up, but the overall story was something I won’t easily forget. at least thatthat’s in a few words It doesn’t help that he is engaged to her sister and around all the time.AfterCora needs a ride home and even if the last person she wants to call for a ride is Dean, he is the only one available. Little do they know that night will change the trajectory of their intwined lives forever. Being kidnapped, held hostage, and forced to do unspeakable things, Cora and Dean only have each other to cling to in the deep dark cellar that will become their home for 3 weeks. raw, tragic and heart wrenching After Dean and Cora’s escape, separated by real life, they struggle to move forward from their trauma while ‘normal’ life threatens to pull them under. They knew before they escaped their relationship would forever be changed. I felt like Cora struggled the most, barely keeping her head above water but that could be because I feel like we didn’t a lot of Dean’s healing. It seemed to be him keeping Cora afloat and him dealing with his relationship with Cora’s sister, Mandy. I felt like she was extremely inconsiderate for the healing Cora and Dean were trying to accomplish. The information that surfaces about their kidnapper afterward was definitely twisted, but it was intriguing to have this in the story also. As Cora and Dean follow the news stories, I think this really made them question if their feelings were real. I loved the aspect of Cora being able to bond with another survivor. I like the POV from Tabitha after the end of the book and I can’t help but hope maybe she will get her HEA in a future book. [if there isn’t one already; I haven’t looked into that.] Dean’s decisions toward the second half were painful but necessary. Seeing them come out the other side of this was gratifying. This was definitely dark and messed up, but the overall story was something I won’t easily forget. ** 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘐 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 … 𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙖𝙡𝙡. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝙖𝙗𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙚 𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙮 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦, 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 =𝘋 ** ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🌶️🌶️🌶️½ *by T***A on June 24, 2026* Jennifer Hartmann has officially become an auto-read author for me. While the story starts a little slow, it quickly becomes impossible to put down. The heartbreak, trauma, healing, and character growth throughout this book were beautifully written. Cora and Dean’s journeys felt incredibly raw and authentic, and getting both perspectives made every emotional moment hit even harder. This book took me through every emotion imaginable: sadness, anger, hope, and joy. Just when I thought I knew where the story was going, Jennifer surprised me and made the ending even more meaningful. Still Beating is so much more than a romance. It’s a powerful story about survival, healing, and finding light after unimaginable darkness. Absolutely unforgettable. ## Frequently Bought Together - Still Beating - Birthday Girl --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.at/products/540979398-still-beating-a-dark-survival-romance](https://www.desertcart.at/products/540979398-still-beating-a-dark-survival-romance) --- *Product available on Desertcart Austria* *Store origin: AT* *Last updated: 2026-09-07*