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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
Long Temple’s When the Chat Paused follows the four women of the Ebony M. Elite, a friendship held together through a group chat built into the rhythm of their lives. Their time together moves easily from messages into nights out, where one video of them entering a venue brings unexpected attention from strangers who see something in their confidence. As invitations begin arriving, Marlie starts planning a Sneaker Ball that could turn their new visibility into something bigger. Yet Mia’s replies are changing. She is slower to answer, her headaches keep returning, and the women begin noticing moments she keeps dismissing. When the chat pauses in a way none of them can laugh away, friendship has to become more than conversation, because showing up will ask something new from all four women.
Long Temple’s When the Chat Paused is a really moving novel, and Temple does an excellent job of showing friendship as something people actively do for one another. I love that Mary brings a weighted pen and a cream-paper notebook into the rehabilitation center, because the gift makes writing easier while still leaving the work in her friend’s hands. Marsha is wonderful too, especially when her Rich Auntie nail polish turns a rehab visit into the first joke that feels normal again. Temple writes with a warm and sometimes witty style, and the restaurant scene with the empty fourth seat is beautifully done because nobody rushes to make the absence easier. Readers who want fiction about women who truly know how to show up will find real heart here. Very highly recommended.
