thank you netgalley for the e-arc. omg i loved this. it truly was a slow burn but then you pair that with food and well written characters and it was so good!

I knew it was a slow burn and I still was ITCHING for them to finally put their differences aside and get together, I think this was an exceptional debut novel and I can't wait to see what Sarah Chamberlain has in store for their next novel.

✨𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰✨

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 🌶️🌶️
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: 20, 21 & 30
𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧: 49%
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: Workplace romance, opposites attract, he falls first, forbidden romance,
𝐏𝐎𝐕: 1st person, Dual POV
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Dual

👨🏻‍🍳 Short King
👨🏻‍🍳 Chef MMC
👨🏻‍🍳 LGBTQIA+ rep
👨🏻‍🍳 Black Cat FMC
👨🏻‍🍳 Golden Retriever MMC
👨🏻‍🍳 Plus-sized FMC
👨🏻‍🍳 Neurodivergent MMC
👨🏻‍🍳 Widowed FMC

This book tried to do way too many things, and in because of that none of them were executed well. It literally read like a kitchen sink of tropes (no pun intended), and because of the number of tropes, none of them had a chance to be flushed out. In addition to the ones I listed above, the characters fake dated for like, 1 chapter. This book was just all over the place.

I think because of all the tropes, it took away from my ability to enjoy the romance. There was just so much always going on, and then all of a sudden, the characters got together. Since the title indicates there is the slowest of all slow burns, I expected a great deal of tension and that was lacking in my opinion.

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me and I would not recommend it.


⚠️𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬:⚠️
Multiple open door scenes with light descriptions
Strong language

For those like love a slow burn - this is your story. I enjoyed this one - the build up was done well. Another one centered around cooking / food - which I always love. It was a fun read that many will enjoy. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to SMP Romance and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. These opinions are my own.

I really like ghost writing as a means to throw two love interests together. In this book, Kieran just won a reality TV cooking show, and Ellie is helping to write his cookbook. I really enjoyed their forced proximity (with a romance loving FMC who makes a one bed joke).

The cooking scenes and food descriptions are some of the best parts. I especially loved the visit to the farmer's market. I would absolutely buy their cookbook.

Parts were challenging to read, especially in how Ellie was treated. She's such a people pleaser, and I appreciated her character growth. Kieran similarly grew a great deal. They felt like a good pair for each other, but it was a tough (and aptly slow) journey to get there.

3.5 stars rounded up

Thank you St Martin Press and Netgalley for providing me e-ARC.

The Slowest Burn is a lovely contemporary romance about two human beings who are drawn to each other. Ellie and Kieran are the epitome of pinning, desire, and slow burn. The book perfectly fits the title. Ellie is paired with Kieran, a local chef and winner of reality food shows, to write his debut cookbook. I will definitely be looking forward to reading more books by Sarah Chamberlain because I really enjoyed this one.

I love that this book was told in duel POV, that is my absolute favorite way to read any book, but especially romance books. The title was spot on it was a slow burn, and a delicious one. I loved reading this book.

I wanted to love this but I found it to be aggressively mid!!! I think the premise was cute but why were these characters acting a fool? I kept cringing and getting secondhand embarrassment like I was reading a certain clown romance (iykyk). Anywayyyy I will always read a sapphic book but I won’t be shouting this one’s praises.

I thought this book had a unique storyline, but it did not hit the mark for me! It was quick and easy to read, so that made it a bit more enjoyable. I was hoping for a bit more chemistry, but the dual POV was nice!

This was an easy read - the writing was good and felt pretty smooth. I just didn’t feel like I connected with the characters as much as I’d have liked to. The food aspect of the story was my favorite by far. Kieran was a now famous chef after being on a television cooking competition and Ellie was a ghostwriter hired to write Kieran’s cookbook. The food and cooking descriptions were so good and kept me reading! I also appreciated the author’s depictions of grief. It felt realistic and showed different stages in different people and how everyone walks through grief differently.

𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧:
•enemies to lovers
•workplace romance
•slow burn
•foodie romance

A superstar chef needs to write a cookbook, a serious ghostwriter needs the money - the sparks fly inside and outside the kitchen.

CW/TW: Grief, Parental Neglect, Abandonment, Neurodivergence, Addiction, Mental Abuse from family

If you like:
- Dual POV
- Enemies to Lovers
- Reverse Grumpy + Sunshine
- Forced Proximity
- Slow Burn
- He Falls First
- Plus Size FMC
- Cooking
- ADHD Representation
- Dyslexia Representation
- Jewish Culture / Family

Overall - a sweet book that handles some serious subject matters really, really well.

I really loved this story!!
Right at the beginning we are introduced to Ellie and Kieran as they are tasked with writing a cookbook together; Ellie is the ghostwriter of the book, who really needs the paycheck, while Kieran is a chef who recently won a cooking reality show. Their personalities are so different; however I was fully invested into the love story. Both of them had specific personality traits, with the history to support where it stems from. I also enjoyed the ways in which the author presented information about the two characters, such as the ways in which dyslexia, grief and alcohol use were portrayed.
As someone who is a clinical social worker, it is clear to me that the author has done her research on the ways in which ADHD presents in men, especially as it relates to working in a fast paced environment like a restaurant kitchen. I really enjoyed the ways in which the characters were so against each other due to the task at hand, but as the story progressed they became more empathetic towards each other and were able to accomplish what was needed for them.
The pacing and the writing is so digestible. I would recommend this novel to anyone and I can't wait to read this author's next novel!

Thank you so much NetGalley, Sarah Chamberlain and the publisher for providing a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book.
I am always in the mood for a good slow burn, and tension. And this book delivered on those.
I also liked how surprisingly emotional this book was. There was a lot to unpack, and I really enjoyed that aspect of it.

If you're looking for a romcom, with grief and emotion, and slow yearning. This is it!

Kieran O’Neill is successful chef yet his parents are never impressed. Ellie Wasserman is Kieran’s cookbook ghostwriter and can’t seem to catch a break from her family. As the two pairs feuds began to soften, they start to investigate their own relationship. The book was a slow burn but had a very intriguing plot. I enjoyed the characters and they developed relationship but the beginning was a little too slow for me. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️ 4 Stars

The Slowest Burn is Sarah Chamberlain debut novel. Take the title literally, it is a slow burn. This is a dual POV romance novel about a chef and his ghostwriter working on a cooking book. There was great character development making this a quick fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.

Overall I really enjoyed my reading experience with this book. Although it was a slow burn, it was not something that had me wanting to just put the book down. I loved seeing the growth of both the main characters. I do feel like towards the end everything felt a little rushed especially with the lead up/slow burn aspect. My heart broke for both characters having to deal with such problematic people in their lives. The recipes/cooking scenes were so enjoyable! All in all I think this was a solid read, I would def recommend it to anyone needing a quick slow burn romance.

The Slowest Burn is the perfect title for this delicious, slow-burn romance between Ellie and Kieran, two characters whose chemistry sizzles right from the start. They’re the embodiment of pining and longing, drawing you into their push-pull dynamic that leaves you completely hooked. The premise of a chef and ghostwriter working together on a cookbook is so unique—I’ve never read anything quite like it, and it added a fresh twist to the classic romance.

Ellie’s journey of finding love again after loss, all while dealing with the emotional complexity of her in-laws, made her incredibly relatable. I found myself deeply connected to her and cheering for her the whole way through. She’s a strong character, full of spunk, and refuses to just let life happen to her, which I absolutely adored.

Kieran is the perfect match for her, and their slow-burn romance was paced perfectly, keeping me on the edge, waiting for the moment they would finally come together. I also loved how even the side characters had depth and heart, adding richness to the story. The cover is stunning too—just an extra bonus for an already wonderful read.

Overall, The Slowest Burn is a heartfelt, charming romance with well-developed characters and a unique premise that kept me fully engaged. This is one slow burn you’ll want to savor!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The title is accurate - this is a slow burn, but so so worth it. Fans of cooking, fake dating, and open door spice will need this one on their TBR immediately.

Could not put this one down and definitely recommend!

Words cannot express how much I loved this book. Ellie is a young window who is a cooking book ghost writer whose life has been on pause for the three years since her husband’s sudden death. Kieran is a sous chef in a top restaurant who’s flying high after winning a cooking show and becoming a household name. The two are paired up to write Kieran’s book however they could not be more opposite and struggle to co-write the book together. As time passes and they find some common ground with their mutual love of food these two spark up more than just delicious food. I loved the story between these two characters and the subplots of the book. I laughed and cried throughout the book and loved the way the whole book came together in the end.

Meh. This book had the opportunity to be so delicious with the way they constantly describe food. But it felt like so much telling and lacked any feeling. I love top chef and other culinary shows, so I thought I’d fly through this one, but I started skimming just to move the pacing along and admittedly wasn’t even swooned by the romance. The concept was there but I wanted my mouth to water.

I received an advance review copy for free from the publisher via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.