Nadine's Obsessed with Books: My Heart Still Beats by Helen Hardt ~ Book Review with Excerpt

When our hands touch, it’s a heady reminder that even if I feel numb, my heart still beats.

My Heart Still Beats, an all-new must-read, emotional, dark romance from New York Times bestselling author Helen Hardt, is now available!

Some days I can almost see the person I used to be. See the version of myself that felt joy, even passion. But she's gone...just out of reach.

Life moves on for everyone else, though, and as my best friend’s maid-of-honor, I have a bachelorette party to plan—in Jamaica, no less. And that means working side by side with the best man: Benjamin Black.

Billionaire. Workaholic. Ultimate bachelor. The perfect catch for any woman—unless she's lost her sense of self.

Apparently, my body hasn’t gotten the memo. Because from the second we meet, something begins stirring, warming my blood.

And when our hands touch, it’s a heady reminder that even if I feel numb, my heart still beats.

He’s nothing like I thought. Every moment with him unshackles a little more of my fears and cracks another layer of ice.

But I should be afraid—and so should he. Because the past never lets go so easily.

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Keep reading for a look inside My Heart Still Beats!

“Your lips are so beautiful, Tessa…” Ben thumbs my lower lip, sending tingles down my spine.

Kiss me.

The words hover in my mind.

They make it from my brain, to my tongue, almost to my lips…

But I can’t say them.

I can’t bring them forth.

My body is so hot. In a different way than ever before. Does this mean these emotions I’m feeling for Ben are different? Or is it simply that I’m different from all of my experiences?

I don’t know. I may never know. Does it even matter?

Kiss me.

Again only in my mind.

“So fucking beautiful,” he says again. “I’d give my entire fortune to kiss your lips right now. If that were the cost, I’d gladly pay it.”

I’m not sure what to say to that, so I say nothing. My heart thumps wildly, though. The thought doesn’t frighten me. No.

It arouses me.

I want his kiss.

I want it so badly.

“But I’m not going to kiss you, Tessa. Not yet.” He caresses the side of my face with his other hand. “When I kiss you, it’s going to be a spectacular kiss. I’m talking rockets and fireworks. A fucking explosion, Tessa. The earth will move when we kiss for the first time.”

I can’t help the soft sigh that escapes my throat.

“Part of you wants it as much as I do. I know you do.”

All I can do is nod, my lips trembling.

“I see it in your eyes, in those big, beautiful brown eyes that reflect something truly remarkable back at me.”

“What’s that?” I ask, willing my voice not to shake.

“You have a depth about you,” he says. “A depth so great that I’m not sure I’ve seen anything like it.”

Depth? I’ve never thought of myself as deep. I always thought I was kind of shallow. I rejected my parents’ and grandmother’s religion for boys and parties. I was into my looks, into my body. Obsessing over those ten pounds I thought I had to lose. Wanting fun, to live life day by day.

Carpe diem was my mantra.

Let your hair down was another.

“You say more things with your eyes,” he continues, “than most people say in words. I see the pain reflected there. But I also see the pleasure. I see the good life that you’ve led. I see the memories. The memories of what life was before. They’re still in there, Tessa. We both know that. We both know you can be whatever kind of woman you want to be. You’re healing. Healing takes time. I should know.”

4.5 My Heart Still Beats Stars

If you have read the FOLLOW ME Series, you've met Braden Black and Skye Manning. This is the story of Braden's brother, Ben, and Skye's best friend, Tessa.

Braden and Skye are getting married, and it's up to Ben and Tessa to throw them a Bachelor and Bachelorette party. But Tessa has become a shell of herself since her attack, so she has difficulty wrapping her head around anything, even her best friend's party. Can she pull off a fun-filled weekend in Jamaica and make sure Skye has a great time?

Ben and Tessa have great chemistry, but because she has been through a traumatic event, he doesn't want to treat her like he has women in his past; he knows she deserves more but doesn't think he is the man to give it to her. He has demons of his own, and his past has come back to haunt him so there is no way he can get involved with her and let her be exposed to his demons while she is fighting her own.

I wish this book was longer or a duet. I wanted more of Ben and Tessa's story after they got together, and the ending felt rushed, which is why it wasn't a five-star read for me.

I highly recommend reading the trigger warnings before diving into this story; there are a lot, and if you are sensitive to any, you may want to pass on this book. However, I highly recommend this book if you don't have any triggers.

Happy Reading!!!

**I have voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book for my Blog, Nadine's Obsessed with Books**