The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain is a charming enemies-to-lovers romance. Ellie and Kieran's opposing personalities provide both hilarious banter and a believable slow burn. While the plot pacing is a bit uneven, with a sluggish start and a rushed ending, the foodie details are delightful and the characters' growth is heartwarming. This book will hit the spot if you're looking for a light read with a guaranteed happy ending.

If what you're looking for is a super spicy book with immediate attraction, I hope the title of this book makes it clear for you that you should not choose this one. If however, you're looking for a sweet and slow burn romance where the characters are real and grappling with their own journeys and grief and flaws then this is the novel for you.

It has heart and laughter and creates a story where you find yourself slowly falling in love with each characters as layers of their story get peeled off. You root for them both individually and together. I enjoyed all the moments I spent with this story.

with gratitude to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

A fair warning to anyone reading this: you will be hungry! There's so much talk of cooking and eating in this, and food is basically a love language for our two main characters. I had to take some snack break. 30 year old widow Ellie Wasserman is in a bit of suspended animation. Since her husband's untimely death three years before the events of this novel, she's been living in a tiny in-law cottage belonging to his parents, cooking their Shabbos dinner every week, saving money meticulously, comforting her mother-in-law (who is wracked by deep, constant grief over her son) during regular late night visits, worrying over her younger brother who she has essentially raised, and working hard as a ghost-writer for cookbooks. That's how she gets connected with Kieran O'Neill, the young and hot chef who just won a reality cooking show and is riding his reputation as the "happy pirate leprechaun" chef and his success as a sous chef at a Bay Area restaurant to a cookbook contract. The apparently flippant Kieran makes a pretty bad impression on serious Ellie, which ultimately leads to a very public (and well-documented) argument between the two of them at the restaurant where Kieran works. Their editor sends them away to his cabin to overcome their differences and get things going on the cookbook, and they're able to not only call a truce but actually start building a pretty strong friendship and professional relationship. They still clash, but they start to bring out the best in each other, and they help each other grow. But they both carry pretty deep childhood scars and, of course, Ellie is still dealing with the death of her husband (and her own people-pleasing behavior that has made it almost impossible for her to get distance and closure). I wasn't sure about this at the start, because I don't always like an "uptight woman needs to live a little and this guy can help her" story, but I quickly realized that wasn't what this was (at least for me). This reminded me sometimes of Erin La Rosa's For Butter or Worse, maybe because there's both a food/cooking element and an enemies to lovers plot, and I ended up really enjoying it. I think it could have been a touch shorter, but it never really dragged for me. Content warnings for childhood trauma and death of a spouse.

Loved it! Fun. Adorable. Swoon worthy. Made me hungry. Just read it.

I voluntarily read an early copy.

This was a really great story with some underlying heavy topics. But Sarah Chamberlain masterfully wove the fun with the serious and took us on a lovely journey.

This book had a lil more spice than I typically like, otherwise a great book and I cant wait to see what else she writes!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love the fake dating forced proximity trope, and this was a fun twist. I liked the idea of being a celebrity chef rather than a movie star or other variations I've seen in the past. Such a fun read!

This was a cute, fluffy romance! I enjoyed the storyline and the way the characters brought together. Some parts were a bit slow, but interaction between Ellie and Kieran were so sweet.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I do not enjoy writing reviews like this, but this book is one of the most unexciting books I have ever read. The only thing I liked about the book was Kieran's sense of humor. Although Kieran was tolerable, Ellie was an awful character. From the minute Ellie met Kieran, she didn't like him and was completely rude to him on multiple occasions. He was kind enough to invite her to his dinner, and she was rude to him and embarrassed him all because she wasn't getting the response she wanted. She was constantly belittling him and talking to him as if he were her child, and when they had a meeting about it, she flipped the script and hit him with "Is it me? Do you not like me?" Woe is me. Meanwhile, he's struggling with ADHD and dyslexia, and she's just constantly giving him crap, and whenever he tries to lighten the mood, she gives him even more crap. As far as the chemistry, it was nonexistent. There was no chemistry between the two, and honestly, I'm not even sure what attracted Kieran to Ellie in the first place. The writing also made the book difficult to get through. Not only was the book very long and unexciting, but the writing was very choppy and haphazard. Unfortunately, this book was not for me.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Sarah Chamberlain for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This was sweet! It took a minute to get into, but I loved how the couple's dynamic grew throughout the book — there was definitely some satisfying and emotionally surprising complications, and any romance with a chef is already a win in my book.

The sweetest love story with dual POV and opposites attract. A wonderful plot that slowly grows and develops into a lovely romance. I love the ideas and foods that they were cooking up together. This was a debut novel for Sarah Chamberlain and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from her. Highly recommend this to others to read!

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I requested a bunch of romance on here because I wanted to try it out. However, romance is just not working for me at the moment. I think its more me than the books themselves so I will be giving this one a neutral rating.

I know this book is called the slowest burn but it was just too slow for me. I didn't feel the connection between the main characters either. This book just wasn't for me but I know there is an audience for this one.

What a beautiful, honest, sweet novel. This novel weaves together a love story that unfolds at a deliberate pace, with complex characters that are treated with empathy and depth. The characters are nuanced and relatable, and have clear and complex histories and backstories that have brought them to the place they are at the start of the novel. The character growth throughout is directly related to the characters relationship and such a strong connection is made.

I loved the descriptions of food, which were just the right amount of detailed and evocative. I fell in love with Ellie and related deeply to her people-pleasing tendencies born out of a childhood without positive role models of love or caring. I also fell in love with Kieran's inherent goodness sprinkled with self-doubt. Highly relatable.

There are fully baked and interesting side characters, bringing another layer to the plot and the book. The big moments are emotional and true.

I can see this becoming a big hit.

Thanks to the author and St Martins Press for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

👩‍🍳ARC REVIEW👩‍🍳
The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain

The Slowest Burn is exactly that...it's a slow burning love story that's super cute and easy to read. This is Chamberlain's debut novel and it delivered with an opposites attract that's sweet with a side of spicy. You get a handsome chef who has all the right ingredients to charm his way into your heart.

It reads a little like a Hallmark movie but in the cutest way and I'd say it's chef kiss! A book about two foodies, one whose a chef and the other a ghost writer for a cookbook. Both MC's are dealing with some past trauma from their childhoods and Ellie especially. She's still navigating the loss of her husband. The characters certainly developed throughout the story and were both able to heal over the course of the book.

There's tension amuck and banter for days and it was enjoyable to follow along the journey of these two characters. It is a slowwww burn, one little spark at a time, but it certainly didn't take away from the story or ruin it for me. Once, these two finally get together, I was melting. They start working with each other instead of against one another. Kieran is such a lovable MMC, sprinkling little acts of kindness throughout the story for Ellie. She's been making everyone else a priority and it was sweet to see Kieran prioritize her.

The romance is sweet but not overly spicy and has a wonderful plot that develops slowly and eventually grows into a cute romance. The whole cooking aspect of the storyline was fun and fresh and I really enjoyed that part of the story.

This debut novel was a delight to read and I think many will enjoy it. It certainly is one you could recommend to lots of people without hesitation. To stay on the theme of cooking, it's a palette cleanser and in the best way. It's tender and sweet with a happily ever after.

PUB DATE September 24th 2025

Thank you Sarah Chamberlain, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reading copy and chance to give my honest review. I look forward to seeing what Chamberlain releases next.

The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain is a delectable five-course meal of yearning, witty banter, exquisite gourmet cooking, a generous helping of spice, and a satisfying happily ever after. I thoroughly enjoyed indulging in this captivating romance novel, which expertly weaves together the themes of fake dating and the glamorous world of celebrity chefs.

The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley for review. My opinions are my own.

5/5 stars

This book was SO GOOD. You guys must read this. It features some heavy topics - the main character, Ellie, has issues with her brother and is a widow. She’s also the ghostwriter for new celebrity chef, Kieran. Kieran has ADHD and some major family issues.

The author writes these characters so beautifully flawed that they are so relatable. I can absolutely see myself in both of them.

I don’t want to give anything else away but please read this book 💙

What truly stood out to me about this book is its uniqueness! I've never encountered a plot like this before, and it made the experience even more enjoyable.

The tropes in this story? Absolutely squeal-worthy! Ellie and Kieran perfectly embodied the workplace enemies-to-lovers dynamic, and I was here for every moment of it. Watching them collaborate and gradually open up to each other made me swoon. Kieran is an incredible male main character—sweet, funny, and endearing. He had me laughing out loud countless times. I felt a deep connection with Ellie as well; she’s a strong and inspiring female lead. Together, they were unstoppable.

Another aspect I adored was the realistic portrayal of mental health struggles. I appreciate when an author can weave real-life challenges into a story and make readers feel understood. Sarah did just that with this book, and it resonated deeply with me.

This is such a delightful story! I'm obsessed with Ellie and Kieran’s chemistry, especially during the cooking scenes—they were electric together!

The slow burn was real (wink, wink), but it was definitely worth the wait

"The Slowest Burn" truly lives up to its name, and I loved every moment! This is Sarah Chamberlain’s debut novel, and I can't wait to see more from her in the future. It's the sweetest love story, featuring a dual POV and an opposites-attract dynamic. With the writing of a cookbook, a chef, and all the perfect ingredients, it's an easy 4-star read. Pick this one up—you’ll be so glad you did!

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the ARC copy of this book.

Slow burn has a great plot; that truly is a slow burn. But the character development in this book is *chefs kiss*. I would recommend this to anyone that loves a lot of romance with a plot that is great just a little slow

A debut novel being this good???? Unreal.
I absolutely loved this story and loved the FMC and MMC. Loved that she was curvy and that he was a short king. They did portray it well in terms of stereotype perception of the physical characteristics. He’s the Happy Pirate Leprechaun (he’s also got red hair), but really in Ellie’s eyes she just sees his veiny forearms and his sculpted stomach. SHITTY people in Ellie’s life describe her as “rubenesque” and will have health problems in the future because of her size. NEWS FLASH you’re not unhealthy if you’re curvy, but I also hated how SHE referred to herself as fat. But it’s just a word, she didn’t necessarily talk down about herself and her body. BUT Kieran only had positive things to say about her, and was always sticking up for her. I love his little daydreams when he looks at her. Remarking on her brown beauty spots “what would they taste like?”
She is so intuitive with everything in this story. She realizes he has addiction issues, notices his anxious tick, realizes he’s dyslexic. Never has an issue with any of these things, just will approach their project differently as a result. And she’s SO understanding.
I love the depth of the story. That the author didn’t explain everything a bunch of times so the reader would pay attention. Ideas and history was always just sprinkled in. We find out more about Max, and then see the layers to her and the in-laws relationship. It’s so REAL.
Ellie is such a caretaker and in the beginning of the story I was getting prepared to be annoyed by how much she’d be trying to make everyone happy but it was woven in SO WELL. You see her struggle, you see her perception. You understand it and it doesn’t get “old”. I love that she called out her agent at first when they were asking her to keep Kieran on track. “Why aren’t you telling him to be responsible for his own behaviour? He’s a grown man”. I don’t love that she essentially has to make him a functional adult, but I at least appreciate them being aware of it.
And Kieran calling her out for her vocabulary?? “You like your five dollar words, don’t you” I’m glad he calls her out. Because, again, I noticed it at the beginning mostly when she was talking to Ben and Diane. And then it becomes almost an inside joke and sort of making fun of her. Honestly this was so well done. There were so many fun elements and the author was just so seamless at explaining things and building relationships and tying things together without needing to come up with another plot line or cliche. MAN this was refreshing. Beautiful story.
The grief of losing a son and losing a husband was done so well as well. The way they explain Diane’s grief as metastasizing into something viscous. I loved that line because it just summed it up so well.
And no one believing in Kieran as much as they should. Dude is TALENTED. Ugh he was so perfect.

✨ When she smiled at me, it was like she’d taken the jumble of puzzle pieces inside me and laid them out in a clear picture. Everything was rearranged now✨

Tropes: fake dating / forced proximity / he falls first / enemies to lovers (sort of) / third act breakup (no miscommunication)
5⭐️ 3🌶️
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

As a Food Network fan, the premise of this sounded amazing, but the execution just didn’t work for me. I feel like I missed out on the cooking competition and also didn’t get the “slow burn” of this at all. The difference between these two characters was jarring, and the MMC reminded me of an immature teenager, so overall this was painful to get through

PS I know this is an ARC and therefore unedited, but “midcentury avocado” around the halfway point really got me 😂