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.

Thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy.

I had a lot of fun with this book! Kieran is a chef that won a reality cooking show, and Ellie is the ghostwriter that is writing his cookbook. I wouldn't necessarily say it's enemies to lovers, but it's kind of "don't really like each other much" to lovers. They are struggling connecting on a level that is conducive to writing said cookbook, so they are sent to a cabin to spend the week together. Of course, there was some chemistry but once they got comfortable with each other and developed an understanding, things started to get a bit more tense. It didn't help that Ellie is a widow that still lives with her dead husband's parents, and his mother is still grieving HARD. She turns to Ellie more than is really healthy and Ellie is just kind of stuck in the middle of everything. Oh, and there was a fake dating (date?) situation that was super cute too.

I wanted Ellie to get out of that situation so badly so she could move on and live her life. I think Kieran was good for her, but he was struggling with his own issues. I liked the ADHD/dyslexia rep, and I also liked that it wasn't insta-love.

Overall this was a fun read! 3.5 stars rounded up.

I’m super late on reviewing this one but I received an ARV and I really enjoyed it. I liked the premise and the food porn, but more importantly I enjoyed the slow burn budding work relationship to friendship then friends with benefits then more and the even more, not without its struggles and challenge. But it was also a story of finding yourself and what you want and standing up for that and supporting your person. I thought it was definitely a great love story and an important one of how to support your partner and lift them up. It was also a way to discover love after loss and how to find yourself again! Super cute and spicy!

What a great romcom!!! I absolutely loved the characters. Although very cheesy at times, the cooking aspect and the happily ever aspect of it was light hearted and delightful. just a happy read that brought smiles to my face.

This story was an interesting story from an author I don’t know or haven’t read before! Will look at finding other things by this author. I am grateful for the early access, thank you to those that allowed it!

While this book didn’t feature the sloowestt burn I’ve ever encountered in a book, there was definitely some slow burning happening! I really enjoyed the premise of a reality tv cooking show star meets cook book ghost writer, and this was a set up I have never read about in a book before. It brought something new to the table and I enjoyed getting to read this one!

Thought this did a great job exploring grief around a deceased loved one and the different ways people are affected. Chemistry was great but sometimes the story didn't grab me as much as I wanted and I was slow reading. Would definitely try author again though.

Okay, so I wanted to love this one more than I did. It had all the right ingredients (grumpy x sunshine, foodie romance, forced proximity), but the execution was not all there for me. There’s banter, there’s kitchen tension, and there’s slow burn (like, verrrrry slow).

We have Kieran O’Neill a chaotic golden retriever chef who just won a reality TV show but has no clue how to write a cookbook. He works with Ellie Wasserman, a ghostwriter who’s super structured, emotionally guarded, and still grieving her husband. She’s here for business, not Kieran’s disaster energy. I liked the foodie vibes galore, all of the food descriptions left me hungry. I love a good opposites attract trope, a structured, guarded heroine and lovable chaotic man combo. I also appreciate the emotional depth that was given to Ellie’s grief and I thought Kieran’s ADHD was handled well, both felt realistic to me.

While I generally liked the book, the slow burn was reallll slow, even for me and I love a slow burn, but this one dragged. By the time they finally got together, I wasn’t totally invested anymore. I also wish there was more tension. It felt like they were almost there, but never quite got past friendship vibes.

It wasn’t bad, but I needed more spark, more tension, and a little less drag. If you love foodie romance and seriously slow-burn tension, this one might be for you!

Tropes
-slow burn
-grumpy x sunshine
- foodie romance
-forced proximity
-found family
-workplace romance adjacent

I thought I was going to devour this. I love a chef/baker trope, but this one let me down. The slow burn was almost too slow, mainly because for as long as it took for the feelings to develop I never really felt the chemistry between these two. The pacing was an issue overall. Some parts were really rushed, others way to slow. I wanted to love this, but I just didn't

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Great book filled with multi dimensional characters set in one of my favorite areas. Who doesn’t love a romance involving cooking and personal growth?

I enjoyed this one. Ellie, our main character, is someone who feels the need to do everything for everyone because she took it on at such a young age--it was so relatable and accurately portrayed for those who have had this experience. Kieran's ADHD was described well and written in a way that was simple to grasp and see just how it can affect people for someone not super familiar with it firsthand. The food descriptions were AMAZING, and i loved that this was duh, a slow burn, but did not feel like a drag at all. It wasn't the spiciest, but the minimal spice was satisfying for a slow burn. I even appreciated that the villains were villaining. I hated Kieran's parents and brother, Hank was so freaking oblivious, as was Ellie's mother in law (I don't care what she was going through). No one was outright evil, but the privilege and ignorance they all had was villainous in itself. Overall, this was a fun one!

The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain is a foodie’s dream, packed with mouthwatering recipes, sizzling chemistry, and a perfectly executed opposites-attract romance. Ellie and Kieran’s dynamic is equal parts sharp and sweet, and I loved watching their relationship evolve alongside their personal growth. The dual POV was a great touch, giving insight into both of their struggles and making their connection feel even more real.

That said, the pacing was a bit slow at first, and it took me a little while to really get into the story. I also found myself frustrated at times with how the characters acted—they didn’t always feel their age, which pulled me out of the romance here and there. But overall, if you love cookbooks, kitchen banter, and a romance that simmers before it boils over, this one is worth a read!