Love this cover and story! It's a slow burn about overcoming grief and forced proximity., which is a favorite trope of mine. I really enjoyed this!! Thanks for the copy!

3.5 stars rounded up

I enjoyed this! Ellie and Kieran were really sweet. I loved seeing some neurodivergent representation. I adored how Kieran fell head over heels for Ellie and constantly wanted to make sure that she got the credit she deserved. Ellie had so much happening in her life and it was great following her journey to getting her joy back. My heart soared when she finally started getting the courage to take her life back.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the privilege to read an ARC of this book!

I was really excited to read this book until I started reading it. WAIT - don't run for the hills just yet! The book started off a little shaky. I didn't necessarily like either of the characters and was worried that as the book progressed, that I wouldn't be able to connect with either of them. But I was wrong! Ellie and Kieran really grew on me as the book progressed and as they started to change their lives. It really felt like a coming-of-age for adults.

Widower, Ellie, has become a hermit since the death of her husband. A hermit who also lives with her dead husband's parents... who are extremely overbearing and rely on Ellie to keep their son's memory alive. Her only escape is the work she does as a ghostwriter. But she was not anticipating that her new job of ghostwriting a cookbook for hotshot cooking star, Kieran, would completely upend her life.

Do you like the Opposites Attract trope? Well, look no further. Ellie and Kieran are the exact opposite of each other. Ellie is uptight and about as fun as a stick in the mud. Kieran, on the other hand, is full of chaotic energy and impulsivity. They get along great and there is no conflict whatsoever. JUST KIDDING. Of course, they drive each other crazy and have no idea how they are going to work together. But as they get to know each other and lower their guards, they realize they have more in common than they ever expected - and together they create a strong bond that makes each of them better.

I loved the ADHD representation on Kieran's end and the curvy/body positive representation on Ellie's end. And even more, I appreciated how deep the story went. It wasn't a superficial plot. It was funny, heartfelt, and incredibly touching. So yeah, I went from immediately disliking this book and considering DNFing to absolutely adoring it. I look forward to reading whatever Sarah Chamberlain writes next.

Ellie is a ghost writer for celebrity cookbooks. 3 years after her husbands death, she likes to play it safe and stay in her cofmort zone, which is why she hadn't written a cook book for herself yet. Kieran is chef who recently won a reality cooking competition. Tasked with collaborating on his debut cookbook, Ellie and Kieran couldn't be more different. Their initial meetings doesn't go great. The two are complete opposites. Kieran has ADHD which is why he needs Ellie's help on writing his cookbook. The two of them build up to a relationship as they continue to spend time together writing his book.

Thank you St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the DRC of The Slowest Burn. All opinions in this review are my own.

DNF at 37 pages

I could not believe the amount of information I learned about these two characters in such a short amount of time. I was already hesitant when I found out that the FMC's husband passed suddenly a few years ago and she lives with his parents who are still actively greiving him because I wasn't in the mood for such an emotionally heavy romance. I like the concept that she is a ghostwriter for cookbooks and the MMC just won a cooking competition so I wanted to keep reading, but I felt overwhelmed by the amount of information we learn about the MMC. He is short, has red hair, ADHD (which may or may not affect his reading ability since he needs everything read aloud for him), and he is mostly ignored by parents. I felt like the author leaned a little too hard into the opposites attract trope and was trying too hard to make it clear that the MMC is the "wrong" choice for the FMC, which unfortunately stopped me from really connecting with either character. Maybe it gets better but I also am trying to get better about recognizing when books aren't for me and DNFing them.

So this wasn't the slowest burn but a slow burn for sure.

I have so many mixed feelings regarding this book like at one side it was so enjoyable and easy to read but the other side had me rolling my eyes because the characters did not act the way people in their age gap would. I would say that fans of Tessa Bailey would enjoy this book quite a bit as the writing was very similar and easy to read as Tessa has and the spicy scenes were a mix of hot and cringe so take what you will from this. The book follows two point of views, Kieran and Ellie. These two were charming characters and I had a good time but I feel like I will forget them soon

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC!!

This cozy romance was an enjoyable, easy read with some heavier themes woven in—like a Hallmark movie. Ellie was deeply relatable, always putting others first while neglecting herself. Her growth was satisfying as she learned to embrace her own worth. Kerian saw her strength from the start—tough yet passionate, a true Queen.

Kerian took time to grow on me, but I loved him by the end. His journey of self-discovery was compelling, though his hesitation in the restaurant scene was frustrating. Diane, however, was unbearable—every word she spoke felt toxic, and while Ben had flaws, he deserved better.

The romance had great tension, but the spicy scenes felt unclear, with explicit dirty talk yet vague descriptions. The book also leaned too heavily on tropes; fake dating felt unnecessary, and moments like the “one bed” scenario and Kerian declaring, “he fell first,” came off as forced. The story was strong enough without them.

This book follows Kieran and Ellie, two charming characters whose perspectives alternate throughout the story. While their chemistry is undeniable, their actions didn’t always feel authentic for their age range, which made their dynamic a bit hard to fully buy into. The spicy scenes were hit or miss—some were steamy, others felt cringe-worthy. Overall, it’s a mixed experience, with both enjoyable moments and some awkward ones.

Ellie is a successful ghostwriter and Kieran is a chef who just won a cooking challenge show. They couldn't be more opposite but they're paired up to work together on Kieran's cookbook. After a few bouts of realizing just how polar opposite they are, they slowly start to trust & develop a mutual respect for each other. I genuinely enjoyed this book! It's always so fun reading about characters who couldn't outwardly be more different but are actually fairly similar beneath the surface.

Rating: 5/5
I received the eARC for my honest opinion.

If you are wanting to read a cute, dual POV, enemies to lovers(ish), grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, slowest best burn ever, dyslexia and ADHD rep and grief. Oh, and did I forget to mention that the MFC is a ghost writer and the MMC is a chef? If that doesn’t alone make you want to pick up this book I hope the rest of my review will.

I found the plot of this book to be something fresh for me, I loved that we had the MFC, Ellie, who is a ghost writing for chefs but has dreams of writing her own. She is also still grieving her husband but as you read the book you can see that she is healing but a certain individual keeps pulling her back into the deep with her loss. You will meet Kieran who has recently won a cooking show and is now supposed to write a cookbook but what everyone doesn’t know is that he is dyslexic, and he struggles with this. When they first meet up it’s not a success, but setup for a great rom com book. The banter between the characters was perfect, and it really helped in this book to break the ice between the characters. I loved that we had forced proximity right away really gave the readers what they love and at the same time still giving us the slow burn throughout those days that you will be screaming in your head omg, just kiss already. I enjoyed getting to see the characters open up to each other and learn that healing is a process that is better done with others. I loved getting to see the characters shine at what they do best.

Ellie is such a strong woman, but you will also see that she is still healing from the loss of her husband. I think a lot of that is due to the relationship that she has with her in-laws, well mainly her MIL. She wants to change but she doesn’t know how to care for herself and put her wants first. I really enjoyed getting to see her bloom and open up to Kieran and help him with understanding that his disabilities don’t define him but add to his charm and that he really could help people. Kieran, he is so sweet, yes you can see that he has a hard time opening up to people. He hasn’t had a real relationship in years and instead he would rather have friends with benefits. I loved getting to see him change and finally want something real and he starts to think about that life with Ellie. I loved getting to see him change and working hard to show Ellie how special that she is. I loved this book so much with the characters having flaws, with the plot being fun and yet serious at the same time and the best slow burn. Oh, and I forgot the friends with benefits side was fun to watch grow. I can’t wait to see what else this author will give us.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin Press for the opportunity to review this book.

Kieran O’Neil - In his 20’s and living his absolute best life with lofty and achievable goals ahead in the food industry. Kieran just won a popular cooking reality TV Show and is majorly on track to open his own restaurant by the time he is thirty years old. He just accepted an offer he couldn’t refuse…the opportunity to write a cookbook for a rather large sum of money. Regardless of Kieran’s accomplishments, Kieran still finds his family to be stuck-up and unapproving of his career choice. Kieran finds that writing a cookbook proves to be more challenging than one would think. Therefore, he’s hired a ghostwriter but she is uptight and no fun at all.

Ellie Wasserman - Feels like her life is in shambles, she is feeling grief in full force, and quite honestly has no time for anyone else’s BS. She is in her thirties, recently widowed, and currently living with her in-laws. She is desperate to find work so that she can begin a different life on her own. She accepts Kieran’s offer to be his ghostwriter but finds it hard to capture the full essence of Kieran since he doesn’t take himself too seriously about anything.

Words are written on paper, food is cooked in the kitchen, and the flames seem to be igniting more and more frequently out of work hours. Will Kieran and Ellie be able to keep a professional front to complete the cookbook without jeopardizing each of their careers?

this was really cute. nothing life changing but it was sweet. i would read another of her books. cute!!!!

Cute but forgettable. I could not really get on board with Kieran as a love interest. Ellie deserved better!

This was such a wonderful slow burn. I’m going to be completely honest, I went into this one knowing nothing but the title. I’m a sucker for slow burns, so of course this title would draw me in. I wasn’t expecting such a sweet wholesome story between Ellie and Kieran. I loved how these two were polar opposites, but yet they clicked in such a wonderful way. They made each other better. They compliment each other perfectly. Ellie is grieving and has carries a huge burden of responsibility within her. Kieran is impulsive and his ADHD makes it difficult for him to focus. When we mix these two together we get a recipe for a slow burning, sweet growing romance.

“She was so […] smart, and so far out of my league. But right now, she could decide to eat me alive and I’d hand over a knife and fork.“

I loved seeing Kieran fall hard for her and also watching Ellie come out of her shell more and more with every interaction they had.

This was a read I really enjoyed and can’t wait to read more from Sarah Chamberlain.

A huge thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin, Sarah Chamberlain, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC for review. All thoughts are my own.

This was such a slow burn (not that I expected anything less) and such a good story. There was a lot of grief that we got to see Ellie deal with. It was heavy at times but overall I liked it. It was surprising to know that this is her first novel!

The Slowest Burn is a delightful blend of humor, heart, and romance, set against the backdrop of the kitchen. Ellie and Kieran make for an entertaining pair—her neat, orderly life contrasts perfectly with his chaotic, free-spirited personality, and their dynamic creates sparks both in and out of the kitchen. The cooking setting adds a unique and flavorful twist to the romance, and the gradual development of their relationship is both heartwarming and steamy. The emotional depth of both characters, as they confront their pasts, adds richness to the story, making it more than just a sweet romance. A satisfying, feel-good read that will leave readers with a smile.

This one was really good. At first, I wasn’t sold on the relationship because I wasn’t a huge fan of either Ellie or Kieran, and felt like they acted a bit younger than their ages. But as we got to know them better and their chemistry improved, I found myself rooting for them. I enjoyed the cooking scenes and had fun with their romantic tension before they finally decided to be together. I also enjoyed the exploration of complicated family dynamics, and found myself tearing up a number of times.

I love finally getting an MMC who is 5 foot 7 inches with red hair! I have been getting so sick of all the men over 6 feet tall, super buff, with dark hair. I also love finally getting a character who has a cat, instead of a character who is either allergic to or hates them.

🌶️🌶️ - Mildly-descriptive scenes that rarely happen; Moderate tension.

very sweet romance and i enjoyed the pace of the book. the relationship with the in-laws was very interesting to me

What a fun read! This story follows cookbook ghostwriter Ellie as she gets paired up with up and coming chef Kiernan on his cookbook, and the adventures that entail during the writing process.

This book dives into discovering your worth beyond how you have been conditioned by your circumstances. Both characters have been molded by their parent’s expectations of them, and this book shows how to work through this while figuring out who you are and what you deserve through the process.

Ellie was such a fascinating character to dissect, because her motivations, even though misguided, had many layers to them. I truly appreciated how she had to find her own worth and how you can use resources to help you up, instead of a crutch. She also learns how to get to a point to know boundaries with those around you, which is a lesson that everyone can use.

Thanks to St. Martins Griffin and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

Thanks to SMP & Netgalley for the arc.

There's nothing groundbreaking to add to the romance genre here. It's a forgettable story where the only part I remember is they were working on a cookbook together.