Hazel would do just about anything to stop the chaos of every moment clashing with the next. Between her mother’s cancer treatment and the deadline for her thesis-novel, Hazel is barely holding it together. Add one infuriating Dr. Cosmos Romero to the mix and she needs to world grind itself to a halt. Strangely enough, it does… only when their eyes meet. Is it fate? Or a fluke? Whatever it is, it's adding itself onto a laundry list of to-dos for Hazel.

I received an ARC copy of “When Time Stood Still” from Thea Masen after seeing a post calling for readers for this personal project. The blurb played on that romantic cliche of “the world stops when I look at you” and I couldn't help wondering how the story would take shape. So I started it and I finished it in one day. In fact, I was sobbing well past 4am as I read Hazel’s story. She was relatable and getting to experience her world and her mind was cathartic. This wasn’t a novel I could intellectualize my own emotions to. It demanded I feel everything and accept that I was happy or sad or grieving.

I am, officially, a fan of romance. Because, there's magic in this world we deserve to feel. Even if it is only for a brief moment. We deserve hope, and love, and to be truly seen. Hazel and Cosmos were that for me… and I hope they can be for many more readers