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

The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain is a debut romance fit for any food lover! Opposites attract when ghostwriter Ellie and chef Kieran meet, but there’s one problem: they are supposed to be working together on his new cookbook. I loved the way the characters met, and I really enjoyed watching them eventually go from dislike, to friends, to lovers. This book has dual POV, which is one of my absolute favorite incorporations in a romance. The characters have depth, but there is also a really beautiful lightness to the story, which makes it super cozy to read. There were moments that were a bit cheesy for my taste, but I found a balance in the characters’ real-life issues they were facing.

I must admit, my favorite parts to read were the descriptions of the food they were cooking and including in Kieran’s cookbook. The descriptions of the tastes and smells were heavenly. I highly recommend this book, and I can’t wait for it to come out, so I can put it on my shelf.

Thank you SO much to Sarah Chamberlain, St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for an ARC of The Slowest Burn.

What a DELIGHT this book was!! I truly enjoyed every moment. Kieran and Ellie are such a textbook case of opposites attract but when they find the way they fit, it was truly a beauty to behold.

There are a lot of tricky subjects tackled in this book, and I think Sarah Chamberlain did a beautiful job handling them all with respect and grace while also filling the book with light and joy and love.

If you’re looking for a book to make you hungry, introspective, and overwhelmed with love, this is the book for you! I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical version.

POV: dual first person

You can expect: ghostwriter FMC, chef MMC, opposites attract, grumpy (her)/sunshine (him), short ginger king, forced proximity, fake dating, coworkers to lovers, combatants to lovers, he falls first.

Rep: grief, dyslexia, ADHD, depression, sober MMC, congenital heart defect (past character), queer side character, Jewish FMC, Filipino side character.

Spice: 2/5

CW: neglectful parents, emotionally abusive parents, death of a spouse

A great slow burn romance with food.

Full review: Well, this was a great romance to me at least. Fair warning, this is a romance dealing with a widow, I know some romance readers are not a fan of that, but it made sense in this one and I loved that Chamberlain did not try to hide the dead spouse.

"The Slowest Burn" follows Ellie Wasserman, a ghost cookbook author (yes this is a thing I am finding in my romance reads these days). Ellie is still dealing with the death of her husband, Max, from several years earlier. She lives with his parents (in a guesthouse) and finds herself wanting to move on from Max, but is scared to leave since Max's mother depends on her so much. When she gets offered the job to write for Kiernan O'Neill, she jumps at the chance. However, Ellie meets Kiernan and finds herself unimpressed with the new celeb chef. Kiernan finds Ellie bossy and judgmental. However, both start to realize they are interested in each other, way more than they should be.

The book jumps back and forth between Ellie and Kiernan's perspectives. I liked the slow build from enemies to lovers that we get. And I thought Chamberlain did a great job developing Ellie and Kiernan both. They both have hard backstories that just worked. I definitely wanted to beg Ellie to get rid of several people in her life. Also the love scenes were hotter than hot. I definitely enjoyed them.

The secondary characters (their two best friends) were great and I like them though the book moved away from where I thought they were going there.

The ending was wonderful and we get a HEA.

Oh my god, this book! Seriously, it is so swoon-y and romantic and frustrating and heartbreaking and funny and joyful. All the things. I stayed up way too late finishing it, but I simply could not put it down. The MCs both carry heavy baggage, and they both have to fight so hard for what they want, so when they finally get it, it’s unbelievably satisfying. I can’t wait for more from the author. Thanks to SMP for the arc.

A cute, sweet, opposites-attract foodie romance full of reader favourite tropes and lively dialogue between a “chaotic” chef and the order-loving ghostwriter of his first cookbook. Attraction is quick but appreciation develops slowly as the pair gets to know each other beyond surface level, probing into complex family struggles, shelved career aspirations, and the challenge of caring for oneself while also caring for others. Chamberlain balances the tough stuff with lots of yearning gazes, sexy thoughts, and multiple public declarations of love that will have fans of the trope grinning ear-to-ear. I enjoyed the thematic thread about food as care and the nod to found family near the end, and the cat was a fun addition to the cast of characters.

I thought this was well done for a debut! I really enjoyed how much depth these characters had. They had a fun banter, but they were also characters that had been through a lot and that really added to the relationship. I think this one is perfect for romance readers, and of course readers who enjoy a good slow burn.

The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain

Kieran is an up-and-coming chef who just won a reality tv cooking competition. Ellie is hired to be Kieran's ghostwriter for his first cookbook. They are so different, but just what they need for each other. I loved these characters so much. The author wrote both of their stories of growth and healing with such care that my heart was full of all the feelings as Kieran and Ellie navigated their individual paths to the point where they were able to come together as soulmates. I loved the dual points of view. I loved the food and the description of Kieran's restaurant. I want to experience a place like that in real life! I loved that this was a romance with a slow burn. Not every author gets the slow burn right, but Sarah Chamberlain did an outstanding job.

My sincere thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read The Slowest Burn and give my unbiased opinion of it in this review.

I don't really know how to describe my feelings about this book. It has everything I should love about a book from the tropes to the characters to the emotion and depth, but there was something major missing. I think the way the MMC was described from the very start had me struggling to connect, which is rude of me because I am VERY well aware that it is what's on the inside that counts. The writing felt a bit slow as well and the switching of POV multiple times per chapter was tough.

Overall, I really wanted to like this book. I truly did enjoy the story and I wish I had a more concrete reason as to why it didn't resonate with me.

This is an enemies to lovers story about Ellie, a ghost writer, and Kieran, a famous chief who is looking to write his first cookbook. Immediately Ellie and Kieran get off on the wrong foot and I loved their snarky banter in the beginning. This is a slow burn of a book for chemistry but it is worth it to keep reading.

Thank you St. Martin's press and Netgalley for the advanced reading copy.