<b> Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ☺️ </b>


4.5 stars!
This is basically one of my favorite enemies-to-lovers and friends-to-benefits story ever!

Ellie is this super organized color coordinated-make-a-plan-type-a person that immediately clashes with Kieran, who basically flies by the seat of his pants. They really hate each other at first. Like, so much that I was a little unsure of where it was going to go. Turns out lots of places!

The premise was unique - Ellie is a ghost writer for Chef Kieran. They find each other impossible to work with at first … it’s amazing how much they “hate” each other at first. After being forced to work together for the book that they’re publishing together, they learn that the other isn’t as bad as they thought they were. Among other things …. 😏

I FREAKING LOVE THEIR RELATIONSHIP WHEN IT BECOMES A THING AHHHHH SO MUCH ITS SO CUTEEEEEE AHHHHHH
LIKE KIERAN IS SO SWEET AND ELLIE BECOMES MARSHMALLOW FLUFF AROUND HIM AHHHH MY HEART
and I hate Tod sm

The characters were well developed! The plot was awesome! I loved everything about it and if there was something that I didn’t like I don’t remember bc literally all I remember right now is ELLIE AND KIERAN AHHHHH I LOVED IT ALL 😍

3.75/ 5 stars.

It has these really moving moments that made me aw verbally out loud.

The fights between the two main characters annoyed me too much to be a full four stars.

I think the dynamic where they’re working together to create food made the slow burn not feel as long.

I would recommend for someone who is looking for a pallet cleanser

When Ellie is tasked with ghostwriting a cookbook for the newest star of a cooking reality show, she can't wait to get started. This might finally help her save enough money to move out of her in-laws guest cottage, where she's been ever since she tragically lost her husband three years before. But the reality of Kieran, nicknamed the Pirate Leprechaun by the judges of the show, doesn't seem to take anything seriously. He ignores her emails, refuses to choose any layout ideas, and in general just seems to avoid her. Then her boss and publisher offers up his vacation retreat for them to work on the cookbook and suddenly they're thrown together. They each discover that their first impressions were wrong, and as they work together, more than just the kitchen is heating up.
I love that these characters aren't the typical. Kieran is short and red-headed with dyslexia and ADHD. Ellie never recovered from her difficult childhood and has been exhausting herself doing everything for others, to the point that everyone around her takes advantage. But as they get closer and support each other, they each grow stronger to stand up to family and friends that only our them down. Overall a great forced proximity enemies to friends to lovers romance.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book fell a bit short for me... I think this had the potential to be a really good and captivating story but at times it just made me cringe and hard to believe the chemistry at best. There were far too many tropes happening here, between the widow, fake-dating, forced proximity and friends-with-benefits. I felt like the main female character was far more emotionally mature than the main male character to the point where he often felt juvenile. As far as slow burns are concerned, I didn't feel like this was very slow and it lacked chemistry at every turn. It didn't feel believable most of the time and the spicy scenes gave me second hand embarrassment almost every time. Ellie was treated horribly the whole time and everyone around her was so self-centered, I felt like we didn't get closure or apologies from every supporting character like we should have. Her brother nor her mother-in-law did not adequately apologize for constantly taking advantage of her. Some things I did enjoy about this book was the cover is very cute, I felt like the representation of someone with ADHD was spot on and gives a bit of insight to how someone with ADHD's brain functions and it made me a bit more interested in investing in cookbooks. All in all, this book did not live up to what I thought it was going to be. For a debut novel, I think this author has a lot of potential to grow and develop really enthralling stories as time goes on. It was just very bland for me and not a book I likely would have finished if I wasn't reviewing it. 
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review of this book.

A chef romance in my local setting — yes, please! This was charming and sexy with serious substance. The chemistry was there but it was definitely a slow burn.

The Slowest Burn lives up to its name and is definitely a slow burn but once you get to the heart of the romance, it’s totally worth the buildup. I loved the culinary aspect added and I want my own copy of Nourish!

One aspect I really enjoyed about this book is neither Ellie or Kieran were perfect and that was 100% acknowledged and dealt with throughout the book. I loved the ending and was so happy with how things came together.

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

I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of Ellie and Kieran, two people who don't really want to like each other but ultimately, well, fall in love. Ellie is a widow still struggling with grief three years after the death of her husband and she's been hired to help write Kieran's cookbook. This could easily have gone another way but Chamberlain gives a sensitive portrait of both of them- and of Ellie's in laws. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

The Slowest Burn has one of the most beautiful covers I've ever seen. Beautiful story too. Ellie is a ghost writer. Kieran is a chef. They are thrown together when she agrees to write his cookbook. I'll admit that at first I didn't warm to either mc. But this wonderfully told story uncovered many layers of these complex characters, and I started to love them. Ellie has a lot of grief to wade through, and we are right there with her. And FLOYD THE ADORABLE CAT.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

I loved this book so much! It’s a feel good book that also delves into deeper issues. It’s a super cute enemies to lovers but with a unique plot. The banter and chemistry was shown through out the book and I really enjoyed the friendship building and the time line. I was very well written. Thank you St Martin Press and Netgalley for the ARC!

I was really drawn to this book because of the cover. In practice though I struggled to connect with the plot and ended up not finishing it. Thank you for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a shot straight to the heart! It is sweet, heartwarming, heartbreaking, funny, sad, sexy and everything in between! It is a slow burn (play on title not intended, but it is the best description) that builds to a hot and spicy romance. The characters are so realistic that they feel like fully fleshed out people in realistic setting that enhances the storyline as it unfolds. You don't feel as if you are reading a story, but rather are living it along with the characters. The narration on the audiobook brings the emotions and personalities of the characters more fully to life making the emotions that you feel along with the characters even more impactful. You feel his frustration with other's views of his dyslexia and ADHD issues as well as the heart crushing issue of her abandonment fears while recovering from the death of her spouse. She tries so hard to make everyone happy to the detriment of herself, while he is used to focusing on just getting through the day in a manner that is best for him. Toss their baggage in a blender and you have the heartstring pulling book that this author has written. Seriously realistic and impactful. I can definitely see this book becoming a book club favorite in no time at all! Whether you choose to read the book yourself or have it narrated for you via audio, this book will not disappoint! This author has definitely shot to the top of my must watch for more books from list!

A delightful blend of romance and culinary chaos. Kieran O'Neill, a newly crowned cooking show champion, seems to have it all, yet struggles to impress his family and manage his ADHD. His ghostwriter, Ellie Wasserman, is navigating her own challenges as a young widow living with her demanding in-laws. Together, they must finish a cookbook that could change their lives, but the real recipe here is the simmering tension between them.

While it wasn't exactly my cup of tea, I found the characters' chemistry and growth heartwarming. Their journey toward love, set against the backdrop of their culinary aspirations, was cute and engaging. If you're in the mood for a light, sweet read about second chances and finding connection amidst chaos, this one’s worth a try!

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the arc!

This was a fun friends to lovers, forced proximity, dual POV romance debut between a dyslexic chef with ADHD and the ghostwriter widow who is tasked with helping him write a cookbook. I loved the disability rep in this book, the passion both protagonists share for food and their undeniable chemistry. Great on audio and perfect for fans of books like Business casual by Rachel Lynn Solomon. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you for the advanced copy! I was truly captivated by the premise of this book, but I found it challenging to stay engaged as the pacing felt a bit slow for my taste. I did appreciate Ellie’s journey through grief and her relationship with her in-laws; that aspect was beautifully portrayed. However, I struggled to connect with Ellie and Kieran’s dynamic, which left me feeling a bit detached from their story.

Publication: September 24th, 2024

Rating:🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

What an absolutely stunning debut!

Ellie Wasserman likes to keep her life organized; honestly, that's how she prefers it. She’s a top ghostwriter for celebrity cookbooks. Still, ever since losing her husband three years ago, she's been avoiding risks—whether it’s writing her cookbook, telling her in-laws (who are still grieving) that she’s ready to move out, or even dipping her toe into the dating world. And let's be real, dating feels as overwhelming as a recipe with fifty steps.

Kieran O'Neill is anything but organized. As a rising star chef who made his mark on a reality TV competition, he's known for cracking jokes and leaving chaos in his wake—a fact his distant family never lets him forget. The only place he feels truly in control is in the kitchen. But when he's teamed up with a no-nonsense ghostwriter with cool blue eyes and curves that catch him off guard, she cuts through his jokester facade as easily as a paring knife slices through an orange peel.

The side characters truly brought this story to life, especially Ben—what a dream father-in-law, He added such warmth and heart to the story. The writing itself was a wonderful mix of humor and emotion. I’m already excited to see what the author comes up with next!

Thank You Netgalley and ST. Martins Press

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When Ellie is contracted to ghost write hot shot chef Kieran O'Neill's cookbook she immediately at odds with the playboy who can't seem to take anything seriously when he's not in the kitchen.

This was a cute romcom! Here's what I liked:

Ellie: I found her interesting. She's in her 30's and still getting over the death of her husband. Her journey is a good one. The golden retriever energy of Kieran is perfect for helping her along as well. The most interesting thing though was her relationship with her former in-laws. I really loved seeing how close they still were.

Enemies to Lovers: Always top tier! This one was interesting because these two really didn't get along. Being so opposite of each other, it was hard for them to really accept those differences.

On the other side, I did think the pacing was a bit off. The beginning dragged a little but it sped right up after they got together.

All in all, a good romcom!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy!

A spicy romance that starts in the kitchen - aspiring chef Kieran meets his match with cookbook author / recipe developer Ellie. One focused on driving his career, the other equally focused to lose herself amidst a tragic loss a couple of years prior. Throw in cats, family dynamics and personal struggles - and some great scenery to make you feel like you are there!

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Wow - what an impressive debut! Kiernan and Ellie were ADORABLE. So different yet perfect for each other and watching them fall in love but pretend it was just a "light" friends-with-benefits arrangement was such fun! I adored all the side characters but especially Ben. What a dream father-in-law! The Jewish rep was an extra treat. Honestly, this book was so beautifully written, funny, and sexy with the perfect amount of steam (in my opinion). It's hard to believe it's a debut and I can't wait to read the author's next book.

3.5. I ended up enjoying The Slowest Burn much more than I expected. I thought it was going to be a slog to get through after the first few chapters, but I ended up getting pulled in. Along with the romance, both main characters go through a lot of personal growth. Particularly the FMC, Ellie, who works on becoming her own person, after realizing she had allowed herself to be molded by those around her because love had always been conditional.

I wanted to love this book, perhaps because the cover is stunning. However, the book itself didn't work for me. I didn't find the romance very compelling, and the writing sometimes felt awkward to me.

One aspect of the book that I was initially intrigued by was Ellie being a young widow, which is not something I've seen much in romance. I ultimately felt a bit let down because there was a lot of Max (the husband who died) vs. Keiran (the main male character) talk, but not much time to really explore it. I came away feeling like the book was arguing that Keiran was a better fit for Ellie than Max, which I didn't love, nor do I necessarily think the author was trying to say.

I enjoyed reading about Ellie's job as a ghostwriter for cookbooks, which isn't something I'd ever thought about before.