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Pause
He sees her before he knows her.
She feels seen before she’s ready to be known.
In a candlelit corner of a Chicago hotel bar, Clark becomes captivated by a woman he doesn’t know, a woman who appears each week, always alone, always after dinner. He doesn’t speak to her. Not yet. But something about her quiet presence unsettles him, challenges him, stirs something dormant.
Simi isn’t running, but she’s not standing still either. She’s grieving, healing, trying not to come undone. The hotel is her refuge. The ritual is her escape. When Clark finally approaches her, their connection sparks quickly, but what begins as a slow burn becomes a complicated entanglement neither of them are prepared for.
Told in alternating points of view, Pause is a magnetic, intimate story about timing, grief, longing, and emotional resurrection. For readers who believe love doesn't always arrive gently and sometimes, the person who sees you most clearly is the one who meets you when you're falling apart.
For fans of: Normal People by Sally Rooney, Before We Were Strangers by Renée Carlino, and Seven Days in June by Tia Williams.
She feels seen before she’s ready to be known.
In a candlelit corner of a Chicago hotel bar, Clark becomes captivated by a woman he doesn’t know, a woman who appears each week, always alone, always after dinner. He doesn’t speak to her. Not yet. But something about her quiet presence unsettles him, challenges him, stirs something dormant.
Simi isn’t running, but she’s not standing still either. She’s grieving, healing, trying not to come undone. The hotel is her refuge. The ritual is her escape. When Clark finally approaches her, their connection sparks quickly, but what begins as a slow burn becomes a complicated entanglement neither of them are prepared for.
Told in alternating points of view, Pause is a magnetic, intimate story about timing, grief, longing, and emotional resurrection. For readers who believe love doesn't always arrive gently and sometimes, the person who sees you most clearly is the one who meets you when you're falling apart.
For fans of: Normal People by Sally Rooney, Before We Were Strangers by Renée Carlino, and Seven Days in June by Tia Williams.
281 pages, Paperback
Published August 4, 2025
1 person is currently reading
13 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 17, 2025
This book did not go where I was expecting. It was more emotional than I expected. I loved seeing the main characters work through their pain and trust issues. So many times I wanted to hug the FMC.
The writing style is on the formal side, but so are both of the main characters so for me it worked.
The writing style is on the formal side, but so are both of the main characters so for me it worked.
September 8, 2025
The setting of Chicago lured me in and I was captivated by the story of the two main characters. I was rooting for their HEA but of course there were bumps along the way. Some of the conversations were very formal and not how people talk in everyday language but other than that I enjoyed the book and look forward to more from this author!
September 10, 2025
Pause excels with its attention to character histories and their emotional differences. It's where the highlights of the narrative beats occurred for me, especially when it came to lending towards Simi's hesitations to being vulnerable with Clark.
I wanted more from the prose. It's not dry writing, it's predictable writing. If the narrator wasn't magically telling you everything that happened within the characters' heads, then it was showing you verbatim how they reacted. Dialogue felt a bit unnatural and formal for given situations, especially with a topic as delicate as grief and healing. It was a simple-to-understand plot, yet it was missing another emotional or artistic layer.
That's a shame because, while I didn't personally enjoy the romance between Simi and Clark, I appreciated that they took their time learning one another before they hop into bed with one another. I'd have liked that extra layer to have translated into their romance too.
Pause curves into another direction outside of the romance, and I quite enjoyed that second half over the first. I think it resolved a little too quickly, but that's all right. Left mixed vibes overall. Hoping that Sahar will keep writing.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I wanted more from the prose. It's not dry writing, it's predictable writing. If the narrator wasn't magically telling you everything that happened within the characters' heads, then it was showing you verbatim how they reacted. Dialogue felt a bit unnatural and formal for given situations, especially with a topic as delicate as grief and healing. It was a simple-to-understand plot, yet it was missing another emotional or artistic layer.
That's a shame because, while I didn't personally enjoy the romance between Simi and Clark, I appreciated that they took their time learning one another before they hop into bed with one another. I'd have liked that extra layer to have translated into their romance too.
Pause curves into another direction outside of the romance, and I quite enjoyed that second half over the first. I think it resolved a little too quickly, but that's all right. Left mixed vibes overall. Hoping that Sahar will keep writing.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 31, 2025
Pause is an emotional and evocative novel, centered on Simi and Clark’s story. It depicts the characters’ respective journeys with healing from trauma, grief, and trust as well as their feelings for each other.
Clark sees Simi had a hotel bar in Chicago, where she goes each week alone. Their connection is immediate, but continues to build over the course of the novel.
I was drawn from the start to Simi and Clark’s story and the hopeful outlook for their relationship. The novel shows their work together on their relationship and individually. I enjoyed how character-driven the novel is and the complexity and verisimilitude of their characters.
I recommend this book for readers who enjoy character driven, slow burn stories.
There are open door scenes in this novel.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Clark sees Simi had a hotel bar in Chicago, where she goes each week alone. Their connection is immediate, but continues to build over the course of the novel.
I was drawn from the start to Simi and Clark’s story and the hopeful outlook for their relationship. The novel shows their work together on their relationship and individually. I enjoyed how character-driven the novel is and the complexity and verisimilitude of their characters.
I recommend this book for readers who enjoy character driven, slow burn stories.
There are open door scenes in this novel.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 6, 2025
The writing was a little formal but there’s a culture factor as well. I like the book it tells you there hope at the end of the tunnel. The amount of grief you have with loss never really quits but heals in different ways. It was a emotional book for sure I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 28, 2025
Overall Rating: (4.5/5)
Pause is not a traditional romance—it’s an emotionally charged, raw, and sometimes painful exploration of love, grief, and survival. Readers looking for a spicy yet deeply introspective story will find it haunting and memorable, while those preferring a lighter rom-com style may find it too heavy.
Pause is not a traditional romance—it’s an emotionally charged, raw, and sometimes painful exploration of love, grief, and survival. Readers looking for a spicy yet deeply introspective story will find it haunting and memorable, while those preferring a lighter rom-com style may find it too heavy.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews