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When Time Stands Still (Second Chance Romance Book 1) Kindle Edition
It's been nearly a decade since Elle Sloan last saw Luke Hutchins. Close to ten years since she broke up with him over a single phone call, providing him with little explanation. Since the end of their relationship, Elle has done everything she could do to move on, marrying, proceeding forward with her life, almost allowing herself to completely forget about Luke.
Almost.
Out of nowhere, Elle receives a phone call from Luke's mother. Luke has been in a horrific car accident and, a month later, has just awoken from a coma. However, instead of celebrating, his family is stunned to learn that Luke is suffering from amnesia and only remembers his life as it was before his breakup with Elle. Not wanting to tell Luke that he and Elle aren't together anymore for fear it may compromise his recovery, Elle is asked by Luke's family to come to the hospital to see him. Their hope is that she will slowly be able to jog his memory and cushion the blow. Guilt-ridden over how their relationship ended, Elle readily agrees, finding herself transported back in time with Luke to the life they once shared and the future they could have had together.
CW: SA, Parental Neglect, Miscarriage, Alcoholism
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateJune 15, 2018
- Reading age16 - 18 years
- File size459 KB
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Winner of the 2019 Next Generation Indie Book Awards in the Romance category
Winner of the 2018 Breakthrough Fiction Award for Romance
Winner in the category of Humor/Comedy in the 2019 TopShelf Book Awards
Finalist Best Romance 2019 Kindle Book Awards
Named one of Shelf Unbound magazine's notable indies of 2019
Love that endures tragedy and triumph reveals its true nature in this second chance at love story. The author has created endearing characters who face challenges yet remain true to who they have become after a decade from their breakup. This story definitely has some twists and turns as this couple finally find their way back together -Jennifer McCord, Next Generation Indie Book Awards Judge
★★★★★ I can honestly say I haven't read a book like "When Time Stands Still" before. It is truly in a class of its own. - Amazon UK Reviewer
★★★★★ I found myself crying over the book and I am not a natural born crier. - Amazon UK Reviewer
★★★★★ The blurb for this book hooked me, but the story itself wrecked me. - Sunny Shelly Reads
★★★★★ ...so romantic that my heart hurt. - Goodreads Reviewer
Oh what a movie worthy book this is! - Wall-To-Wall Books
★★★★★ It is the clever conversation between Luke and Elle that tells the story of how they met, their intelligence, their education, their history, the depth of their connection to each other, the deep things they share in common . . and (despite Elle's rather tragic upbringing) . . . it's funny as heck! - Goodreads Reviewer
★★★★★ WOW!!!! I am not sure where to start in order to describe how much I loved this book! The story line was so different from any other second chance romance and it really drew me in and had me hooked right away. - Sassy Southern Book Blog
★★★★★ ...the book is so well-written, so descriptive, and so carefully driven in its storytelling that I plowed through it in a single evening. -Goodreads Reviewer
I started it and stayed up until 4 a.m. to finish reading it. - Goodreads Reviewer
★★★★★ Oh my god what a wonderfully crazy story. It is completely well written and thought through. I could not put it down. I found myself reading it straight through in one sitting. - Goodreads Reviewer
★★★★★ This story tore me apart and put me back together. -Goodreads Reviewer
★★★★★WOW! Just wow! I absolutely loved this story. It was so emotional and powerful. I liked how the author incorporated their backstory throughout the time Elle was back in Virginia. I enjoyed all the characters and felt so much of their heartbreak. While I loved the ending, I really wished it had a little more...maybe an epilogue. THIS IS A MUST READ!! -Goodreads Reviewer
From Onlinebookclub.org When Time Stands Still by Sara Furlong Burr is the story of lost love and redemption. Elle Sloan hasn't contacted Luke Hutchins in almost a decade, choosing instead to bury all of their shared memories in the deepest corner of her mind. She dives into a loveless marriage, concentrates on going forward in life without Luke by her side and fools herself into thinking that everything is smooth and dandy in her life. However, her plans come to a brutal halt when she receives an unfortunate call. Luke has been in a dreadful car accident and is now suffering from amnesia, forgetting completely about the past ten years and his break up with Elle. Driven by guilt and a silent need for closure, Elle agrees to return to Luke's side in hopes of jogging his memory and lessening the pain of reality. What happens when old feelings begin to return, and Elle starts to question every choice that brought her to this moment?
The book discusses extremely triggering themes such as alcoholism, rape, emotional and physical abuse, miscarriage and so on. It is not, by any means, a light read but it is very educational and insightful. The author makes sure to explain all of the protagonist's suffering and worries in full detail, which I highly appreciated. Elle has been the leader of a very harsh life with barely any form of security. She was raised by an alcoholic, single mother who didn't pass a day without reminding Elle of her inadequacy. Later on, she was abused and raped by an ex-lover, and she continues to deal with insecurities and traumatizing memories even after she meets Luke.
What I greatly enjoyed about the storyline was how Luke wasn't created as Elle's savior, as I expected in the beginning, but as her support. Elle's pain didn't end with the presence of Luke in her life, but it became more concealed despite Luke's apparent attempts to be the person Elle confides in. I understood Elle's tendencies to create a solid barrier in her relationship, how her involvement with her mother and ex-boyfriend affected her perspective of who she should allow in her life despite the strong connection she felt with Luke. Her emotions and thoughts were messy and contradicting up until the very end, which made them even more believable and relatable - especially when she broke up with Luke. I commend the author for putting tremendous care in portraying Elle's complex character. Also, I enjoyed the stories of the minor characters and their charming sense of humor. Each one had a distinctive, unique personality which I loved reading about throughout the book. For example, Mena, Elle's best friend, was loud and out-spoken while Monroe, Luke's best friend, was more calm and bold. Both of them had contradicting personalities yet shared the same morals and immense loyalty to their loved ones. Their dynamic was the most fascinating to read about, and I cracked a few laughs whenever they were involved in conversations.
On the other hand, there were some aspects of the book that I didn't find believable. For instance, the start of Elle and Luke's relationship was immensely fast-paced and too cliché to be captivating. It was a love at first sight where they couldn't stop staring at each other for a couple of seconds. Later on, Mena forced Elle to go on a date with Luke, a complete stranger, without at least a background check on him - simply because the way they gawked at each other was so love-struck. Also, after a day of knowing each other, Elle already trusted Luke enough to sleep next to him despite getting raped in the past. I just didn't find this fairytale-like love to fit Elle's cautious nature and past struggles with trust. There were a few minor typos but other than that, the book seemed to be professionally edited and proofread.
For the reasons above, I will rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. The book was written beautifully and realistically, but I would have greatly appreciated it if the author focused a bit more on writing shorter descriptions while explaining a scene or a character's feelings - since it made me lose focus of the main purpose of a scene sometimes. I would recommend this book for ages above 16 because it contains triggering scenes and sexual content. I would also recommend it for lovers of a meaningful and inspirational love story, but not for the readers who are looking for a quick and light read.
From the Author
About the Author
Join Sara's readers group on Facebook for the latest updates on future books: facebook.com/groups/2950011398558211/?source_id=179374038873249
You can also follow Sara on Twitter at @Sarafurlong and on Instagram: instagram.com/authorsarafurlongburr
Product details
- ASIN : B07CW9RF3T
- Publisher : (June 15, 2018)
- Publication date : June 15, 2018
- Language : English
- File size : 459 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 264 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #857,845 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,689 in Medical Romance (Kindle Store)
- #1,796 in Medical Romance (Books)
- #18,905 in Romantic Comedy (Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Sara Furlong Burr is an award-winning author of romcoms filled with angst, heartbreak, and a sprinkle of laughs. She was born and raised in Michigan and currently still lives there with her husband, two daughters, a lively corgi that closely resembles a sack of potatoes, three judgmental cats, and a hedgehog named Juniper who's almost as antisocial as she is. When she's not writing, Sara enjoys reading, traveling, spending time with her family, using her treadmill as a clothes hanger, and mindlessly scrolling through TikTok and Instagram. She's also an advocate for melanoma awareness, having been diagnosed with stage 1b melanoma in 2017.
Join Sara's readers group on Facebook for the latest updates on future books: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2950011398558211/?source_id=179374038873249
Other Ways To Follow Sara:
https://linktr.ee/authorsarafurlongburr
Twitter: @Sarafurlong
Instagram:@authorsarafurlongburr
TikTok: @authorsarafurlongburr
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSaraFurlongBurr
Website: https://www.sarafurlongburr.com
Sign up for her newsletter: https://sarafurlongburr.com/newslettersignup
Customer reviews
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To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book easy to read and engaging. They describe the story as a sweet love story that tackles tough topics without being overly emotional. The characters are well-developed and the emotional content is relatable, touching readers' heartsstrings.
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Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it engaging and easy to follow. The ending is satisfying, and the characters are well-developed.
"...Elle and Luke are a good pair though I did think that Elle might have displayed more angst over her background - her mother's alcoholism and the bad..." Read more
"...at times, and made me tear up at a few points, but we get a wonderful HEA (and a little bit of a soap-opera-esque ending) that brought joy to my..." Read more
"...and I just wanted to hug Elle and tell her she’s beautiful, smart and worthy! I don’t want to give anything away, but please pick up this book...." Read more
"This book was good. Unfortunately, it wasn’t great. It started so incredibly strong...." Read more
Customers enjoy the story's quality. They find it sweet and relatable, with a unique take on the amnesia romance. The characters are well-developed and the plot twists are unexpected. Readers appreciate the healing themes and forgiveness found in the book.
"...The plot twists had me yelling out loud. If you're a sucker for second chance tropes and sweet loves I highly recommend this indie book!" Read more
"...Anyway, this was a good story, and I enjoyed the read very much. Readers who like second-chance romances will like this one." Read more
"In a very unique take on the amnesia romance, Elle is called back to her ex-boyfriend's side after he wakes up from a coma because he can't remember..." Read more
"This is a completely fabulous story! Luke and Elle are a wonderfully sweet couple who truly love one another...." Read more
Customers enjoyed the emotional content of the book. They found it touching and heartbreaking, with swoon-worthy moments and laughter.
"Here is an indie book that will touch your heart strings...." Read more
"...This book was very emotional to me and I was rooting for Luke and Elle so hard it almost hurt...." Read more
"...This story can be incredibly heart-wrenching at times, and made me tear up at a few points, but we get a wonderful HEA..." Read more
"...I LOVE ANGST! There is nothing like the rip-your-heart-out-and-stomp-on-it theme, as long as the story has an HEA...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's characters.
"...The secondary characters are fun. Both Mena and Malone deserve their own book as Mena's dialogue is hilarious...." Read more
"...Sara does a great job of building her characters and creating a story where the reader is rooting for the good guy...." Read more
"Great characters make a great book...." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2023Here is an indie book that will touch your heart strings. Elle receives a phone call from the past, her ex is in the hospital with amnesia think it's 10 years ago. Throughout the story the reader goes from current time to when the two were dating. Elle is a woman who didn't always believe in herself, but as she steps into the hospital room she is faced with her number one cheerleader who doesn't remember their breakup.
Throughout the book the reader can expect to fall in love with Luke. To watch Elles growth as she has to go back to go forward. The plot twists had me yelling out loud. If you're a sucker for second chance tropes and sweet loves I highly recommend this indie book!
- Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2018Elle Sloan hasn't seen Luke Hutchins in over a decade since she broke up with him over the phone. His mother calls her because Luke was in a bad car accident and can't remember anything since the time he and Elle were together in college. She agrees to go see him, hoping to help recover. There are just a few complications: Elle is married, Luke's family and friends still blame her for the breakup, and Elle has her own issues from her background to cope with.
I love second-chance stories, and Ms. Burr does a nice job on this one. The book goes back and forth from the current time to the ten years earlier when Elle and Luke met. It builds the story quite nicely and the pacing is good. Elle and Luke are a good pair though I did think that Elle might have displayed more angst over her background - her mother's alcoholism and the bad boyfriend - than she did; it would have made her eventual reason for the breakup to be more believable.
The secondary characters are fun. Both Mena and Malone deserve their own book as Mena's dialogue is hilarious.
Anyway, this was a good story, and I enjoyed the read very much. Readers who like second-chance romances will like this one.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2021In a very unique take on the amnesia romance, Elle is called back to her ex-boyfriend's side after he wakes up from a coma because he can't remember the last ten years of his life and still thinks he and Elle are together. The story is told entirely from Elle's perspective, but in alternating timelines between present day and back when Elle and Luke first met and started dating through their ultimate breakup. It is extremely hard to do dual timelines well without it being confusing but the author does a masterful job. This story can be incredibly heart-wrenching at times, and made me tear up at a few points, but we get a wonderful HEA (and a little bit of a soap-opera-esque ending) that brought joy to my heart.
CW/TW: sexual assault, alcoholic parent
5 stars - 9/10
- Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 20183 Cranky Stars
This story was a mediocre story. I had gone into this excited for a second chance love. I love rekindled romances but was sadly disappointed when I got through it. I had higher expectations that were not met with this. I wasn’t turning the pages with anticipation. There was no on the edge of your seat, heart throbbing tearjerker like I had hoped to get with this story. It was just… Meh
Main girl Elle was a really broken character, but honestly it wasn’t broken in the sense you would think. This character is a very flawed character. I didn’t quite click with her. If anything, I found her very whiny and immature. I don’t honestly understand how she goes from having this great relationship and seemingly confident to insecure and doubtful in the blink of an eye. I enjoyed the confident side of Elle, the Elle that was sure of her future, herself and what she wanted. She was making something of herself and wanted to be better than where she came from. But her bipolar personality threw me off and I didn’t care for it. I quickly lost interest in her when she started putting herself down and sulking about her past as if there was nothing she could do about it.
Logan was nearly perfect. Every girl’s dream. Blonde hair, blue eyes and just yummm. But his biggest flaw, he didn’t go after Elle. I swear. What is it about men and NOT going after the woman they claim to love unconditionally. If he loved her as much as he said he did, he would have dropped everything and showed up on her mom’s doorstep to fight for her. Not give up because of a hung-up phone call. Also, what male remains a virgin through college? That just didn’t seem real.
Which brings me to the next problem I had with this story. The breakup… It made no sense to me. Elle goes from having the perfect relationship to randomly breaking it off for her dying mother, a mother that has hated her, her entire life and lies to him about why she is leaving him. Come on… and why not find him after the mother dies to get her life back? Why leave everything she ever built for herself and all her friends and her education? It made no sense. The logic of the main character was just…. Idk. Odd. It didn’t seem realistic to me. Didn’t seem like it fit together flawlessly.
And who is Eric? Seriously this guy was mentioned in the beginning and then forgotten about until the end when it was convenient for him to appear for the finale. It would’ve been better for him to not have existed at all and for Elle to just be up front and honest.
All in all, this is a 3-star read for me. It could use some editorial reviews and some structure clean up, but it makes for a simple read if you are looking for something to get through quick.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2024This is a new author for me,and to say the least a keeper.
A weird request turns out to be the best thing that could happen to Elle.
A must read.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2020This is a completely fabulous story! Luke and Elle are a wonderfully sweet couple who truly love one another. So Luke is completely blindsided when Elle suddenly breaks up with him over the phone. Ten years later he gets in a terrible car accident and has lost all memory of the past decade, thinking he and Elle are still together. However, Elle has since gotten married and tried to move on with her life after Luke.
I really enjoyed how the story alternated between past and present very fluidly. This book was very emotional to me and I was rooting for Luke and Elle so hard it almost hurt. I also adored Elle’s friend Mena and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series, which is her story.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2023This story was heartbreaking, but so beautiful! I went into it blind not knowing anything about it and I loved almost every part of this book! Elle’s mother reminded me of my own, and I just wanted to hug Elle and tell her she’s beautiful, smart and worthy! I don’t want to give anything away, but please pick up this book. Especially if you love second chance romances! This one will stick with me for awhile!
Top reviews from other countries
- SarahReviewed in Canada on January 3, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars The Perfect Read
I don’t think I’ve ever turned the pages of a contemporary romance novel so fast in my life. This wasn’t just your typical romance story, it was a touching, real-life situation, go through the motions type of love story. I could not get enough of Luke Hutchins and Elle Sloane’s love story. I literally wanted to jump into the storyline and be a part of it.
When Elle gets a call from her college (ex) boyfriend’s mother, her life turns upside down. She tells Elle that he was in a terrible car accident and has just woken from his coma.... not remembering the last 10 years of his life because of amnesia. Elle has not spoken to him or seen him in over 10 years, when she ended their relationship over the phone on her way out of town for good - which broke Luke in pieces. Luke’s mother asks her to come to the hospital to see him and perhaps trigger his memory. Elle agrees to go ...even though she is now married.
The story jumps back and forth between 2008 and 2018 and we find Elle caught in the crosshairs of what she presently has and what she had with Luke ...and if what she had was always hers to begin with...
This story is more than just a story, it tugged at my heart strings and put me in a real life scenario. The author’s writing was so well done and it just made all the difference. I’m definitely ready for book #2!
- Ellie YardeReviewed in the United Kingdom on April 23, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars A lovely romance!
I don't tend to read too many romances (although they've been growing on me a little lately). Generally, I think that they all follow the same sort of storyline (couple meet, fall in love, have an argument and break up, only to make up and end with a happily ever after). So this was a bit of a different read for me.
Elle Sloan had finally managed to move on from Luke Hutchins. She was married, had a house of her own, and a stable job. It had been ten years since she ended the relationship, ten years since she last had contact with him. So when she gets a phone call saying that he has had an accident, has amnesia, and can't remember the last ten years, she agrees to travel to see the boy she loved, to try and help him remember. The only trouble is that his limited access to his memories means that he still thinks he and Elle are together.
This novel is a dual timeline story, which surprisingly didn't pull me away from each storyline as much as I thought it might. One timeline is that of 2007, when Elle and Luke meet, when their relationship forms. The other is 2018, when Luke cannot remember anything much past this period. The timelines meant that while each story is that of the same people, you get a wonderful rounded sense of the relationship Elle and Luke formed, of the bond that tied them together. In a sense, you can almost imagine that you are getting the story of the life Elle is living, in 2018, and the one Luke thinks he is living, in 2007.
While both Elle and Luke are pivotal characters, this story follows Elle. She clearly has some issues, for she had a distant mother growing up and an abusive relationship in the past. When she meets Luke, she is not looking to date, she is looking to find herself. Elle was an interesting character to read about, because she craves love, but she doesn't see herself as worthy of it. She doesn't want to pull anyone down, to be the cause of them not reaching their potential, so she pushes people away, no matter how much it may hurt her to do so. Reading about Elle's past, and how her upbringing has led to the formation of such characteristics, was saddening, and I found myself feeling sorry for her and hoping she could see herself as worth just as much as she thinks others are worth.
I read a majority of this book sat outside in the sun, which was extremely pleasant and was the reason for the freckles on my nose to start appearing (they only come out when I have a tan). I read the end of this book in the bath. Now, I will point out once again, I was reading this book on my eReader. I am clumsy as it is with paperbacks in the bath, but I like a bit of risk every now and again and my eReader is broken enough – a little water couldn't do any more damage... right?! Luckily I did not drop it, or get any water on it, so no harm done!
- JayCeeReviewed in Australia on June 19, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Time stood still
You can't help but empathise with the characters in this story. Can't decide what would worse...to lose the last decade of your life or be the ones who were forgotten. I doubt there is a single person who doesn't wish they could have a do over. Go back and right a wrong, take the road less travelled, say all the thing we left unsaid. Happy that Luke & Elle got that chance. So how does it end? Well you'll have to read it for yourself and find out.
- TammyReviewed in Canada on February 25, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars An Unforgettable Second-Chance Romance
Let me start off with the fact that I cannot do this story justice with my review. But I will, however, tell you about how much I loved the story of Elle and Luke.
Elle’s previous history is a sad one and broke my heart to hear about the neglect that she endured. I loved that Luke always saw the strength within Elle that she couldn’t see and especially made her recognize her worth.
I also loved Elle’s best friend Mena’s character. She provided the right amount of comic relief in this emotional rollercoaster of a story with her brash mannerism and witty comments.
Sara pulled off a second chance romance that was hard to put down and was captivating. I’m very much looking forward to reading about Mena’s story in When Stars Collide.