Review
Winner of the 2020 Independent Publisher "IPPY" Book Awards in the Romance category
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
I tend to write while listening to music, and I find that certain songs have served as inspiration for some of the scenes in my books. When Time Stands Still was no different. Here is the unofficial playlist for When Time Stands Still.The Night We Met - Lord HuronI Don't Wanna Live Forever - Zayn and Taylor SwiftI Will Remember You - Ryan CabreraLove - Lana Del ReyEvery Breath You Take - Denmark +WinterOhh La La - GoldfrappIf I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time I Found - Amber RunAre You With Me - niluWicked Game - Ursine Vulpine(feat. Annaca)In My Mind - Heather Headley You Found Me - The Fray Photograph - Ed SheeranLove Story - Taylor Swift
About the Author
Sara Furlong Burr is an award-winning author of contemporary, dystopian, and young adult romance filled with angst and heartbreak. Sara was born and raised in Michigan and currently still lives there with her husband, two daughters, a high-strung Labrador, lively corgi, three judgmental cats, and a guinea pig named George. When she's not writing, Sara enjoys reading, traveling, spending time with her family, and attempting to paint while consuming more amaretto sours than she cares to admit. 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: facebook.com/groups/2950011398558211/?source_id=179374038873249
You can also follow Sara on Twitter at @Sarafurlong and on Instagram: instagram.com/authorsarafurlongburr
