The Slowest Burn lives up to its name! and I loved every minute of it! Sarah Chamberlain’s debut is a sweet, dual POV, opposites-attract love story that’s filled with all the right ingredients: a chef, the writing of a cookbook, and some wholesome characters. Sure, the plot is a bit predictable, but it's like comfort food—cheesy and totally worth it.
Ellie’s relationship with her father-in-law was a standout, adding an extra layer of heart to the story. It's an easy 4-star read that will leave you feeling warm and satisfied. Pick this one up—you’ll be so glad you did!

Thanks, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the ARC!

This one was super sweet - I loved the romance and all the talk about food gave me an appetite for delicious eats.

This was a fun romance read with mental health rep, ghostwriters, and a sprinkling of fake dating.

I really enjoyed the first half of the book - the angst, the back and forth, and the tension between the characters was so fun to read. I’m also a sucker for a chef, so reading about all the food they were making was perfect for me.

Towards the back half, the story slowed down a bit, and became less believable. There was a lot of conflict that felt manufactured, characters seemed to suddenly switch gears, and I began to lose interest. There were also a couple of characters who I wish had more background (like the agent and the ghostwriter boss), and some characters who felt unfinished (like the friends).

Overall I enjoyed reading it, but it left me wanting a bit more!

If you’re looking for light and fluffy, look elsewhere. If you’re looking for emotional depth between two people navigating adulthood after childhood neglect and loss with food playing a key role in building connection, this is a book for you.

Ellie has had a difficult life from childhood and beyond, and I really admired the way she was resilient in the face of it all. The care she showed for others spoke to her heart, though she could have been the poster child for putting her own needs at lower than the bottom of her own list. My heart ached for her as she struggled with the weight of feeling responsible for everyone else’s well-being to the detriment of her own. I wanted to shake so many of the people in her life for how much they took her for granted and took advantage of her, whether intentionally or due to lack of self-awareness. Part of what I loved about Kieran was that he was the opposite and didn’t want to take anything from her.

Kieran was a character I felt empathy for and often wanted to hug, especially early on when he and Ellie weren’t seeing eye to eye. He was someone I could tell worked hard every day to overcome the challenges in his life and had put in the work to learn how to manage in a healthy and functional way. The way he was misunderstood in the beginning made me sad for him. I loved how immediately Ellie’s views shifted in a professional standpoint once they began to understand each other.

The romance lived up to the slow burn title but it felt mostly true to who the characters were. Once it hit, it was a bit up and down for me, particularly with the third act where it felt almost too far to come back from (for me) but also found reflection and resolution in a way that both made the previous actions and choices understandable and authentic and come back around to a point where growth was evident and the bond felt stronger.

Bonus points for both Ellie and Kieran each having a solid best friend who wasn’t afraid to say the hard things to them.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book. This book has my whole heart. I absolutely adored this! From the incredible characters, to the plot, to falling in love with everything so quickly- I couldn’t put this down. I highly recommend this! It really just sucks you in and makes you never want to leave. In my opinion, those are the best books and I couldn't get enough.

unfortunately, this book was not for me. it was cute. it was fun. i think this one is squarely on me – i could not connect with the characters. i find myself in a "read it and forget it" situation.

i must say, though, i think people will enjoy this book. kieran was a terrific MMC. i wanted more of him and his backstory. i loved the growth ellie went through (especially with her in-laws).

now i love a slow burn, this one didn't have enough angst for me. not enough tension. not enough of me WANTING them to get together. instead i was kind of just like ehhhh

anyways, i am sad i didn't love this one.

A wonderful slow burn romance. It is told in a dual point of view of Kieran and Ellie. She is a widow who lives with her in-laws and helps take care of them. She jumps at the chance to be a ghost writer for Kieran, who is a celebrity chef. They really dislike each other at first, but it’s time goes by they start feeling differently. The writing style is excellent, and I found myself engaged from beginning to end. The topics of loss, depression, ADHD, and sobriety were handled very well by this author. I’d loved Ellie and Kieran. The chemistry between them is hot and it has a perfect amount of spice. I can’t wait to see more from Sarah Chamberlain. Thank you, NetGalley and Saint Martin’s press for the chance to read and give my honest opinion.

This was an okay read. I was hoping for a little more chemistry between the leads and that pull that makes for a good slow but this never really got there for me. Others may like it more. 2⭐️

Unfortunately this really did not work for me. The beginning of this story was confusing, so may characters being introduced that were irrelevant throughout the rest of the story. Ellie was horrible to Kieran when they first met- the scene in the restaurant was honestly shocking. I wanted more backstory of Kieran, his sobriety and dyslexia- neither of these were fleshed out. The dialogue was cringey and clunky. These chapters were loooong, and I really dislike when there are dual POVs within the same chapter. It’s always hard to write reviews like this, but this book just wasn’t for me.

This book was an easy enjoyable palate cleanser romance. It was cute and had many troupes that I like but also had some character depth.

Ellie is a ghostwriter for a publishing company and she does a lot of cookbooks. 2 years ago her husband suddenly died and she lives with her in-laws in a detached cottage on their property. Even after 2 years, her MIL is struggling to get over the death of her son and Ellie provides stability and support to her even though she is also grieving.

Kieran is a chef who recently won a cooking competition show and was offered a book deal. He is paired up with Ellie to write his book but his demeanor is very carefree and unorganized, unlike Ellie who is a control freak and wants everything measured to a perfection. They start off very rocky, since he puts off her emails and doesn't want to take the time to go into depth with her about the book and she is struggling to get anything measurable from him to go off.

Kieran brings out a fight in her and they argue most of the first part of the book. He is goofy and easily distracted. He likes to fly by the seat of his pants when cooking and thinks differently than Ellie. Also, when he is exhausted or stressed his ADHD takes control and he becomes selfish and a bullheaded prick. Troupe #1- enemies to lovers

After a huge public blowout between them, the publisher sends them away to his vacation house to find a way to work together and focus on the content for the book. Troupe #2 shared space and one bed

They slowly come together and form an understanding once they confess their fears to each other. This allows ideas to flow and get the book back on track. They become friends and continue to work on the book back at home by testing recipes. When he has to return home for an anniversary party for his parents he asks Ellie to come with him to pretend to be his girlfriend. Troupe# 3 fake dating. This part was unnecessary. We already know his childhood was not great and there was no reason to go to dinner. His parents are a non issue for the rest of the book and there was no closure. It also kinda stalled the organic relationship they had formed and this made things feel forced .
The book was a very slow burn— the slowest in fact! And at times I struggled to read it. I think the pacing needed to be a little better because the author did a good job of building up the tension between the two but it didn't pack the payoff punch I wanted it to.

The rest of the books seemed like a different book— Ellie finally stands up to her MIL and her FIL, Ben, finally realized how the mother has not been well for years and he never saw it. I did like Ben, he was remorseful and very sweet with Ellie. Also After the blow up with the MIL we never really hear from her again.

This book just seemed a little disjointed and left a lot of things unfinished but an overall solid read.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for sharing this book’s digital advanced review copy with me in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book through a digital ARC from NetGalley
Author: Sarah Chamberlain .
Genre: Romance
Troupe: Listed in the review!

3.75

There were plenty of aspects of this novel that were definitely promising! But unfortunately the immediate clash between the FMC and Love Interest left a bit of a sour afterthought for me. While I definitely understood why the FMC had such a control issue there were times that Kieran (the love interest) was definitely grating rather then endearing. The pseudo attraction while they were still at each others throats was a bit bizarre and the argument towards the small time apart felt a little chaotic at best. I did feel for the FMC deeply though with the loss of her husband and then the emotions of grief and how it manifests for different people (particularly her MIL). Overall, I did get through the read and had some points where I did love the interactions, but other times it felt a little too forced for me.

3 ⭐️ 1 🌶️

Read As An Arc

🔥 Reverse Grumpy xSunshine
🔥 Dual POV
🔥 Neurodivergent MMC
🔥 Forced Proximity
🔥 Hand Kisses
🔥 Foodies
🔥 Workplace romance
🔥 Opposites attract
🔥 Black Cat x Golden Retriever
🔥 He falls first
🔥 Young widow
🔥 Plus size FMC
🔥 Parental Neglect/Emotional Abuse



This book is exactly what you get… THE 👏🏼 SLOWEST 👏🏼 BURN!!! This is an easy read with some heavy topics in it but can be enjoyable. This read is like reading a hallmark movie but the spice is not spicing!

The characters, Ellie and Kerian are great! Relatable and you are always rooting for them. Their tension building was great throughout the book, slow is slow.. but the spice needs a little bit more help in that department. It was a weird, open door spice scene… I’m just going to leave it at that.

The tropes… waaaaay too much as you can see.. and they literally get announced in the book as dialogue… like as a reader, I don’t need the character telling me he fell first, I’m reading it, I’m immersed and invested now.

What I did love about the characters is that Ellie is a plus size FMC and Kerian is a neurodivergent MMC, and this was a refreshing mix to see! And the cat, Floyd.. so cute! Loved that a lot!

Overall, it’s good read! This may not have been my perfect cup of tea, but this will be someone’s I know it! Give this book a chance despite my opinions and review!




* Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!

To Kieran, Ellie is an annoyingly uptight ghostwriter who was hired to write his cookbook. To Ellie, Kieran is an original and useless brat who finds her job ridiculous. Will they be able to work together?
This is a workplace, enemies to lovers romance with ADHD rep, told in dual POV in first person. It was cute and fluffy, but there was lots of what was supposed to be banter but came across as childish bickering, so the level of maturity was lacking for me to truly enjoy this. Also, to have a slow burn, there has to be a bit of burning, yearning, angst, tension along the way, and there was none.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Sous Chef Kieran O’Neill just won the reality cooking competition Fire On High, catapulting him into celebrity status. In order to capitalize on his new found fame and possibly receive a shot at his own restaurant, Kieran must write a cookbook. His publisher hires experienced cookbook ghostwriter, Ellie Wasserman to guide Kieran through the process. The only problem, Kieran and Ellie are like oil and water. Kiera is chaotic and intuitive, while Ellie loves structure and organization. The cookbook is on the verge of imploding, but, for personal reasons, both Kieran and Ellie need the cookbook to be successful. Kieran to prove his parent’s opinions of him are wrong and Ellie to afford to purchase her own home after a childhood full of upheaval. In order to reach their goals, Kieran and Ellie come to an understanding and devote themselves to the cookbook. Over the long hours and months of working together, they start to develop a friendship as they realize they each have something to offer that the other is missing. Care and comfort, support and encouragement. As their friendship deepens, can Kieran and Ellie overcome the obstacles in their paths or will their new relationship burn them both?

Sarah Chamberlain’s The Slowest Burn is simply fantastic! The burn is oh, so slow and oh, so sweet. The relationship between Kieran and Ellie builds and builds over months until it finally catches fire and leads to a passionate inferno. An inferno that could leave them in ashes or forge bonds of steel. I adore Kieran and Ellie. They both had crappy childhoods and traumas that they are actively trying to heal from. They’re complete opposites, but they soothe the raw parts in each other. Grief, loss, ADHD, dyslexia, neglect, and addiction are all addressed, but Chamberlain has a delicate and gentle touch in dealing with these difficult issues. The writing is beautiful and moving. The Slowest Burn is emotional and romantic, joyous and humorous. It delves deep and showcases every aspect of the character’s personalities. They aren’t cookie cutter, cardboard characters and this isn’t a cookie cutter, cardboard plot. Cooking and food is such a sensual, sexy experience and Chamberlain reflects that in her writing. She definitely brings the heat! The Slowest Burn is scrumptious!

This was really freaking cute. It felt like a classic modern romance book in the best way. The dual POV worked well, though it didn’t drive me a little nuts that there were sometimes two POVs in one chapter. My neurotic brain prefers each chapter to be a POV. But I really loved the neurodivergent representation with Kieran and I loved the way Ellie responded to him once she understood those parts of him. I very much got the opposites attract trope and loved the way the author made that work so well for Ellie and Kieran. I also loved how the story dealt with Ellie being a widow, never devaluating the relationship she had with her husband but using that to show her growth. I also very much appreciated the positive treatment of therapy and medication, showing it as a support and normal part of life. The spice was light but well written and fit well with the rest of the story. I’m really quite pleased with this book and very much looking forward to more from this author!

The title says it all. This was a true slow burn but it was so endearing. Ellie and Kieran learn to understand one another before they dive into any type of intimate relationship, and I think that's what makes their relationship so lovely to read. They get to know how each other communicates, what their needs are, and what their deepest wishes are. They develop a bond before jumping into bed together, and while those books are fun to read, this one had deep emotions tied to it.

It was a fantastic debut and I look forward to where Chamberlain takes us next!

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

Absolutely beautiful. I loved this story of healing, forgiveness, and growth. Like it's namesake, it is a slow burn between Ellie, a ghost writer, and Kieran, the cook who's getting a cookbook ghost written by Ellie. The ADHD representation was well done. The grief was palpable. The characters were richly developed. The food world is always so interesting, and I enjoyed getting to learn more about cookbook creation. I also liked how these characters grew as friends first, and they really got to know each other deeply before falling. There were swoon worthy moments, true heartbreak, and so much growth between these two together and individually. Such a great romance.

4.5* I really enjoyed this debut novel, especially the dual POV, which gave insight into both Kieran and Ellie's struggles and personal growth. Their chemistry was undeniable, and I enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers plot. This was a charming, fun read overall and I would definitely recommend for fans of sweet, slow-burn romances!

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

5/5 ⭐️s
🌶️1/2 - low to medium spice

LOVES:
- Ghostwriting is such a fascinating concept to me, I love reading about it
- Ellie’s reaction to learning more about Kieran and how his mind works 👏🏻 Then the shift after that point is sooo good, they just become adorably sweet 🥹 he feels calmed in her presence and she is able to let loose a little
- Mr. Murphy, the tailor, is the coolest
- Thank goodness for Ben, the father-in-law. The grief in this book is extreme and felt really real.
- This is a good kind of agony, a slow burn done well
- The way she learns to make space for herself is beautiful 😍

This felt so authentic. It felt like real people issues. Great pacing, true grief and sadness as well as joy and humor. ♥️

Overall, this was a cute story with good characters and a rather interesting plot! It’s a slower burn… if you didn’t gather that based on the title and the wait was worth it.

I liked that Ellie (the fmc) was plus size/curvy and that her weight wasn’t the ENTIRE plot of the book! Look it can be done :)
I also truly loved that Kieran was a smaller man!!! I love my tall male main characters, but he has a special place in my heart now.

I’m going back and forth between 3 and 4 stars because 3 feels too low for my enjoyment level of the book but 4 seems a smidge high considering the other books I’ve recently rated 4 stars. If I could I’d give this book 3.87 stars and I stand by that.

I read this in one sitting and was engaged the entire time. It was unique to me that Ellie at the point in the book had been widowed for 3ish years so her not being able to commit to a relationship didn’t feel super contingent on her moving on from the spouse she had. Which in a lot of books that feature this storyline, the entire premise is usually the lead working through moving on. That was just a small thing I enjoyed. Obviously we still see the grief (and poor treatment because of that) with other characters.

The fake dating/gf felt thrown in there but I guess for the sake of the story it had to be there? I wish since that was already in there maybe there had been other opportunities for them to fake date prior to the whole declaration of love and stuff.

Okay this is long and I feel like I have more to say but I’ll leave you with I enjoyed this book. It wasn’t my favorite but I did like it and am glad that I experienced their story