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, cracks another layer of ice.
But I should be afraid—and so should he. Because the past never lets go so easily.
Start reading today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3UHccbq
Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mhsba
Barnes & Noble: https://tinyurl.com/mhsbbn
KOBO: https://tinyurl.com/mhsbkobo
Google Play: https://tinyurl.com/mhsbhhgp
Add My Heart Still Beats to Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/mhsbhh
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.
Kiss me.
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.”
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars
Holy Moly, My Heart Still Beats is a doozy!! I have to admit, even though I read the author’s notes about the content warnings, I was still blown away by how emotional and dark this book was! But it does have a happy ending, so if you are willing to stick it out, Tessa and Ben’s story is a rollercoaster of a ride that is gut-wrenching and beautiful all at once!
Both Tessa and Ben have their demons that they are dealing with. While Ben’s stem back to childhood trauma (losing his mom at a young age) and then a secret he has desperately been trying to keep buried, Tessa’s is much more recent: She was SA’d by her ex. It takes a lot of Ben to coax her out of her shell, and it surprises him how much he feels toward her so quickly after meeting Tessa. As they spend more time together, she begins to let down her guard around him. He is so patient and kind and gentle with her, building back up her trust in men and proving to her that she really can depend on him.
I thought that Helen Hardt did a lovely job of dealing with Tessa’s assault and all the other things that go along with it; the anxiety, the depression, the distrust, etc. This story was a beautiful tale of healing and growth, finding your other half, and moving past the pain and coming out stronger on the other side.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
For more information about Helen Hardt and her books, visit her website:
Homepage
Sunny Shelly Reads 