Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this e-ARC!
In full transparency I read several chapters of this book and DNF. The writing was choppy and the characters were a bit cheesy to me. It was hard to believe the two of them would have anything in common, and not just in an “enemies to lovers” tropey way. I just genuinely did not find them to have much chemistry, and the writing did not make up for it.

The Slowest Burn follows Kieran, a chef who recently won a major cooking competition, and Ellie, a writer who was hired ghostwrite Kieran’s first cookbook. With a looming deadline without any progress made, Kieran and Ellie are sent to a cottage to work on the cookbook and get to know each other in the process.

Ultimately, I was underwhelmed by the lack of chemistry between Kieran and Ellie. It really felt like they were friends who hooked up when one of them was at their lowest.

Thank you to Sarah Chamberlain, Saint Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Slowest Burn comes out on 9/24/24.

Ellie and Kieran are a great examples of finding and making your own family. His family seen him as a disappointment and needing to be measured by his accomplisgments. Hers was MIA, causing her to grow up sooner than most and be responsible for others. Together they learn to make a family that makes them both happy and feel alive again. Great read!

I feel compelled to share how deeply this book resonated with me. Chamberlain has crafted an intimate exploration of healing and connection that manages to feel both deeply personal and universally relevant. The main characters in this narrative are developed with incredible care and complexity. Their gradual emotional journey, filled with vulnerability and tentative trust, really pulled me in. The way they grapple with their past traumas while tentatively building a future added a profound depth to their interactions, making each development feel significant and earned.

This book was just what I wanted. I love reading books about food. The romance was so cute and the plot was perfectly done. I would highly recommend this book!

This book is aptly named as this burn is definitely slow. It took me a bit to get into this book and while I did like it I didn't love it. It is a cute rom-com that many readers will enjoy and all of the descriptions of food were amazing. I had a hard time connecting with our two main characters, Kieran and Ellie and there was a lot of internal dialogue. The cover of this book is stunning and the description drew me in right away but the book as a whole left me feeling a bit underwhelmed.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and Sarah Chamberlain for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! THE SLOWEST BURN is one of the best romcoms I've read in a while, and I already know it'll be one of my favorites of the year. I was intrigued by the gorgeous cover and the plot description, but luckily, what's inside was even better! The story follows Ellie and Kieran, two total opposites who are forced to work on a cookbook together (Ellie is a ghostwriter for celebrity cookbooks, Kieran has just signed a book deal for his debut). While they may start off on the wrong foot, their work partnership soon becomes something more. But with their own personal struggles to work through, and their own individual dreams to follow, can Ellie and Kieran's romance withstand the heat outside of the kitchen?

There were so many things I really enjoyed about the story—the Jewish rep (loved reading about Ellie's Shabbos dinners with her in-laws!), the mouthwatering descriptions of food, the writing style in general. But I particularly loved that Ellie and Kieran were just such real, relatable characters. Ellie was always the primary caregiver for her younger brother growing up, and although she and her late husband Max adored each other, theirs was also a relationship where she put her needs on the back burner to take care of him. Even three years after his sudden, tragic death, the pattern is now repeating with her in-laws. Kieran grew up in a chilly, distant household where his parents never truly understood him, and his ADHD and dyslexia made it even more difficult. Now, he's the winner of a hit reality TV cooking show, but still, no one will fully take him seriously. It was so sweet to see how Ellie and Kieran supported each other, helped each other heal, and pushed each other out of the boxes that people had put them in. Plus, they just complemented each other really well (love a Black Cat/Golden Retriever couple!). Kieran shows Ellie that she can put herself first and shine in her own spotlight, and Ellie shows Kieran that he can be taken seriously without losing his fun-loving, carefree nature.

Overall, THE SLOWEST BURN was a definite fave for me! Good pacing, unique plot (that still included some of the tropes everyone knows and loves), well-developed characters, swoon-worthy romance, what's not to like? If you love sweet romcoms that also have tons of depth and complexity, pick this one up this fall! I can't wait to see what Sarah Chamberlain writes next. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

The Slowest Burn is about Ellie who is a ghost writer. She is going to help Kieran write is cookbook. They butt heads right away. The characters had a heated disagreement at Kieran’s restaurant where he’s a chef. They are forced to go away for a few days so they can work on the cookbook. Ellie and Kieran get to know each other on this trip. I loved this book so much. I loved the writing style. The characters had both been through their own struggles. This book is more than a romance. I was able to connect with these characters. I am a big foodie. Food is a big part of how my family shows they care. I like how that was a piece in the book.

I received an advance copy of this book in ebook format in order to provide feedback. Now that I have that out of the way…. WOW!!! This book was so great! Starting out with Kieran and Ellie butting heads allowed the scene to be set and built upon. This book had amazing character development and really made me fall in love with the characters. I was rooting for everyone to get their happy endings. This was an amazing read and I would highly recommend it!

This was a great story! The characters were like able and the plot was great! I was really interested and would definitely recommend.

Debut Novel by @sarahchamberlainauthor
This was a sweet Love story
*Dual POV
* opposites attract

I really enjoyed this story, about ghostwriter Ellie, and TV celebrity chef Kieren. They initially clashed when they first met trying to work together to write the cookbook.

Ellie is highly organized and detail oriented and Kieren is her complete opposite, which is why they had a rocky start. Once Kieren was able to finally open up to Ellie about his struggles, she was able to adjust her way of working so that they could create his cookbook.
Then the love story unfolded.

Although it was a rom com, some heavy topics were woven into the fabric of the story, alcoholism, ADHD, dyslexia, childhood trauma, and loss of a loved one.

Thank you St Martin Press and Netgalley for providing me this galley copy for my review. All opinions are my own.

PUB DARE: SEPTEMBER 24!

The Slowest burn is such a cute chef x ghostwriter romance that I think many people will love it and devour it.

I think the setting is unique enough to keep you engaged but what really makes this debut shine is the characters. They are super relatable. Ellie, finding love after loss and especially dealing with her in laws makes you grow more attached to her.

For me the pacing was perfect, true enemies to lovers which I completely ate up! I also loved our main character, she has spunk and she’s not going to take things lying down.

I also love how personal everyone was even the side characters had heart to them.

What to get you excited:

Foodie romance🥗
Love after loss 🌧️
Neurodivergent lead 🥰
Love after loss 🫶
Reverse grumpy sunshine ☀️
Opposites attract 👀
Open door spice 2/5 🌶️🌶️

If you are fans of Tessa Bailey and Katherine Center I think you would love this gorgeous debut!

This debut was a slow start for me but the beginning sparkled with bits of promise, and the story picked up and drew me in in the second half. This is a sweet enemies-to-lovers romance with a delicious, delightful foodie twist — would recommend!

The Slowest Burn delivers a delicious contemporary romance with two relatable characters drawn to one another like a moth to a flame. Ellie and Kieran are the definition of pinning, longing, and a slow burn. The title couldn’t have fit the book better. 

First off, the premise of reading a book where one of the characters is ghostwriting a cookbook is so unique I loved it. I’ve never read something like it, and it's such an interesting concept. I channeled my inner “expert” top chief critiques (that I have from binge-watching the show multiple times a year) while reading. --The cover is gorgeous as well.

Some of the tropes:
- Dual POV
- He Falls First
- Grief, Death of a Loved One
- Slow Burn
- Fake Dating
- Black Cat/Golden Retriever (Reverse grumpy sunshine)
- Mental Health Representation

I can’t believe this is Sarah Chamberlain’s debut novel and will absolutely be checking out whatever she releases next.

Thank you to the publisher; St. Martin's Press, the author; Sarah Chamberlain, and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ARC. This is my unbiased opinion and is given with free will.

This book was such a cute, fluffy and cozy read with some good spicy moments! Dual POV, semi-forced proximity, and I would consider it to be enemies to lovers. This book is def a slow burn, and had me thinking “come on already” in some parts! Also, If you like spice, this book mentions spicy actions in reference to personal thoughts from the main characters throughout the slow burn eventually leading up to full spice.

For this being a debut novel, it was a great read even though some of the tropes and parts of the stories didn’t feel fully fleshed out. I also, and this is a personal preference, found some of the “spicy” internal thoughts to be a little out of the blue/ feel that it didn’t add to the story in the moments they happened. However, with that being said, this is a great little romcom read that of course has a HEA ending! I really enjoyed the read and will recommend this to my romcom loving friends:)

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This was a good, cozy romance palate cleanser. It had some heavier topics interwoven throughout the book, but for the most part, it was an easy and enjoyable read. It felt like I was reading a Hallmark movie.

Ellie was extremely relatable. She falls into a common trap that a lot of women do: she cares deeply for other people and asserts herself into such a caretaking role that she never allows anyone to take care of her, and everyone in her life expects her to do everything for them. Her growth in this novel was beautiful; Kerian was right, she is tough and demanding, yet passionate and warm, a true Queen.

I had weird vibes from Kerian in the beginning, but he grew on me, and I really loved him by the end. I know this story is kind of about him finding his own way a bit, but the scene in the restaurant had me screaming for him to do better. Which he did eventually, I just wish we didn’t have to wait so long for him to get there.

Diane was going through something, but wow, did I absolutely despise her character. Everything that came out of her mouth was poison, and I know Ben had his faults, but he honestly deserved better.

The spice felt off to me. The tension building throughout the book was brilliant, but then when we finally got to the spicy scenes, I couldn’t really figure out what was happening. The scenes were open door, and while the dirty talk was mostly explicit, the actual actions being described were very vague. It just felt like a weird mix to me.

I feel like this book was trying to do too much with tropes. I absolutely love fake dating, but I hated it for this book. Both characters had started to grow on me by this point in time, and how their first kiss played out just irritated me. It felt a little cheesy at times with the mentions of “one bed,” and Kerian actually declaring that “he fell first.” It was just trying to do too much when it really didn’t need to.

I could not put this book down! Thanks to St. Martins Press for the advance reader copy. I have never read a Sarah Chamberlain book, and was pleasantly surprised. This book is written in both characters' viewpoints, and their story has a great element of enemies to lovers. Kieran, a local chef and reality cooking show champion, is paired with Ellie to write his first cookbook. Their opposite personalities clash at first, and his reluctance to write a book infuriates her. As they get to know each other, they discover they love cooking and working together, and the relationship takes off from there. Both characters have childhood trauma, that Chamberlain addresses in a sensitive way. Also, Ellie is a widow with close ties to her in-laws, which adds more drama and layers to the story. Their personal lives eventually blow up their professional lives, and they part ways. The ending wraps up the story beautifully, and you feel great about their futures, both career-wise and for their relationship. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will look for more Sarah Chamberlain novels to read in the future!

When it says slow burn it means it lol
Although , it does take a bit for the couple to get acquainted. it is very worth it. When a chef and writer get together sparks fly …but not in the best way lol opposites attract, slow-burn, and I felt one sided hate to love . I personally felt like he falls first ❤️ and definitely gives golden retriever/black cat vibes.
Overall a cute love story and I can’t wait to see what this writer has for the future.

Thank you NetGalley , the publishers and Sarah chamberlain for the amazing opportunity to read this ARC.

Inspirational, as in I want to savor the moments when my own love feels like Kieran and Ellie’s. This book is honestly everything! It starts as enemies to lovers, with luminous forced proximity in a California cottage as Kieran and Ellie attempt to figure out how to work together on his cookbook. Chamberlain’s characters feature genuine stories (she’s a young widow, he has ADHD and dyslexia) that shine with the MOST CLEVER banter. I’m a foodie and everything about the way their cooking is written sings. Their challenge and resolution reads authentic, yet loving. The spicy scenes feel realistic, and also aspirational. Honestly, I am left inspired, surprised, and swooning! I cannot wait to read more from this author, and it’s a book of the year for me!

I really enjoyed this book and appreciated that the main characters weren't the picture perfect standard of beauty like in most rom-coms, but they were real, unique, and beautiful nonetheless. To me, this book was all about character development, which I thought the author executed really well. I also enjoyed the cooking aspect and loved the imagery.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!