The Slowest Burn is a very cute story of Ellie, a recent widow and ghostwriter for, ... cookbooks (is this a thing?)
Kieran, the chef she will be assisting has some sad stuff in his past and present also that pops up as the two mix recipes and banter.
This book is a light and tame rom-com, but actually has really heavy topics weaved in nicely. Loss of a loved one, alcoholism, childhood trauma, these are all tackled while still keeping an airy feeling to the story line.
The characters feel genuine, and while there are a few typical rom-com scenarios placed, this really felt quite original. I'm food-centric and the imagery of cooking, meals and strategizing Kieran's coobook and story was really fun. Many moments felt similar to Lucy Score and Tessa Bailey books with a little less spice, which isn't a bad thing. Sometimes you need a nice happily ever after, and this is it.

A story about overcoming loss and falling in love. The story was a cute one although perhaps a little cliche but that isn’t always a bad thing. It took a bit to get into but I did believe the chemistry and enjoyed watching the relationship unfurl.

This was a cute read! It took a while for me to get into it, but I caught myself thinking about it throughout my day so that has to count for something! I thought multiple times how this book would be a cute rom-com movie as well.

Ellie and Kieran are total opposites and are forced to work together when Kieran, a chef who’s writing a cookbook, and Ellie, a ghostwriter for said cookbook, get teamed up. Initially they can’t stand each other but over time they grow to understand one another.

I didn’t expect the depth to the characters that this book brought and that was definitely a plus but I still had a hard time loving the book 100%. I think it was their chemistry- I thought they were cute together and at times could see the chemistry more than other times. It just didn’t give me the “swoon-y” feelings that I normally get when I love two characters together, but I’m glad that I read it nonetheless.
3/5 ⭐️
2.5-3/5 🌶️

4.75 ⭐️ This story of overcoming loss, finding love, and going after your dreams and aspirations absolutely captured all my attention, I couldn’t put it down! Also great neurodivergence diversity with the MMC having ADHD and dyslexia diagnoses, I feel the topic was handled with care and attention to detail.
Tropes
Grief + overcoming loss
-one bed
- forced proximity
-enemies to lovers
-neurodivergence representation
- reverse grumpy sunshine
- hint of spice!

Opposites attract in this swoony slow burn, dual POV charmer. Take one ghostwriter for celeb cookbooks, and a recent winner of a TV reality chef contest, and watch the magic unfold as the two work together on producing a fab book while working through past trauma and grief. Loved it!

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

This book truly gives the term "slowest burn" *chefs kiss* while also giving you an emotional ride with Ellie, her family story, and a love story with Kieran.  Ellie was a love and I liked her story, along with her relationship with her FIL. She's been through the wringer and I truly feel for her. Besides Ellie, the MMC was top-notch. I absolutely loved Kieran and even though it was a slow burn, every little thing about their chemistry made my heart melt. This book also hit sensitive topics but wrote about them with care and thought. If you are a fan of Chloe Leise, Elena Armas, or Ali Hazelwood, you will thoroughly enjoy it. Cannot wait to read more from you Sarah Chamberlain.

Read if you like:
-Slow burn
-Enemies to lovers
-Dual POV
-Reverse grumpy sunshine
-Forced proximity
-Neurodivergent character

3.5 stars

I liked the characters and the overall plot of this story, but the transition from enemies/rivals to lovers didn't really click for me. There was something about them not being able to stand each other to having a begrudging understanding to work together, then a time jump ahead, then they suddenly were lusting after each other that didn't feel authentic and didn't have the proper build up to make me believe it.

Overall, the book was good, just the chemisty wasn't totally believable.

— 3.5 stars ★

Thoughts Ꮺ
— This debut novel was a delight to read! I wish we could do half stars because while it wasn't a four star read for me, it was close. I wasn't expecting the amount of depth from the lead characters but was pleasantly surprised. The backgrounds from which the characters came from and how it shaped them in the present day felt natural and realistic. The themes used were complex but were explored in a careful manor that still made the book fun!

The lead characters were very cute. I loved that while Ellie is a plus size woman, her arc doesn't involve her hating her body. as a fellow plus size girly, it was super refreshing to see that! Throughout the book, she gains the confident to stand her ground and go after what she really wants. It's not a "spur of the moment" decision that we see some leads in novels make. This story progresses things along smoothly and in the end, reactions and actions make total sense!

Sometimes, I felt like tropes were thrown in just to not be explored any further. at some point, fake dating was involved and I expected it to go on for a bit longer, thinking the media might have caught ahold of the situation. It wasn't entirely a bad thing, I just liked the fake dating dynamic and had fun when they finally indulged in their wants! Along with that, I think the random time skips threw me around too much. Sometimes we'd skip a few days here and there and then we'd skip three months. Time skips are good to help reduce repetitiveness, but I would have maybe thought a quicker deadline would be fitting to help pace things along!

overall Ꮺ
— I'll definitely keep an eye out for future books by Sarah Chamberlain! This book was a super easy read and if you're a foodie - this is perfect for you.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

The description of this book was misleading and did not fit what I was looking for. That's always frustrating for the reader, and I assume also frustrating for the author.

The Slowest Burn is just that…. The slowest burn and I loved it!! This is Sarah Chamberlain’s debut and I hope to see more from her in the future. This is just the sweetest love story, dual POV, opposites attract, etc. We get the writing of a cookbook, a chef, and all the right ingredients for an easy 4-star read. Pick this one up- you’ll be so glad you did!!

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for an ARC copy of this book.

Ellie, a people-pleasing ghostwriter for cookbooks and young-widower, is paired with Kieran, an exuberant sous chef at Qui, to write his debut cookbook after Kieran won a reality TV cooking competition. The progression of their enemies-to lovers' relationship while writing the cookbook over months felt organic. The emotional growth seen as Ellie and Kieran navigate their own grief/self-deprecation, childhood traumas, and fears made them very relatable. I appreciated the FMC’s weight not being the center of attention and highlighting the MMC’s ADHD and dyslexia learning curve.

Readers that are fans of cooking or reality cooking competitions (Hell’s Kitchen/Top Chef/Chopped) will thoroughly enjoy this book.

Tropes: Dual POV, Neurodivergent MMC/Curvy FMC, Reverse grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity

This was a super sweet, dual perspective, love story built around the writing of a cookbook. I really enjoyed it!

"Slowest Burn" is a charming debut by author Sarah Chamberlain. It's a heartwarming love story that delves into some intense themes for readers to explore. I was invested in every moment of the story, and it was a delightful journey.

The book introduces us to Ellie Wasserman, a ghostwriter of celebrity cookbooks who takes on a new assignment to help upcoming reality celebrity chef Keiran O'Neill write his first highly anticipated cookbook. At first glance, it may seem like a typical rom com, but the story has more depth than that. We discover that Ellie is a young widow who had to cope with the loss of her husband while taking care of her fragile mother-in-law, who was also struggling with the loss of her son.

Ellie and Keiran are two characters with contrasting personalities. While Ellie is structured and serious, Keiran is chaotic and spontaneous. Both of them have been through a lot and carry a significant amount of emotional baggage. It takes a considerable amount of effort for them to adapt to each other's personalities and quirks. The result is a delicious slow satisfying burn that does not disappoint.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the eARC. It was a pleasure and privilege to be able to review this wonderful book.

This book was so cute! Opposites attract in this foodie page turner. Cookbook ghostwriter Ellie clashes with the recent cooking show winner Kieran was the try to write his cookbook. Watching them overcome their initial impressions of one another and seeing their relationship bloom, this book does tackle some pretty complex issues (parental neglect, addiction recovery, young widowhood, complex grief).

This was a super cute book. But a little too wordy and it’s like there were too many plots happening at the same time. The MMC is great! The FMC annoyed me the entire book. It’s not something I’d pick up again, but it’s cute and quirky.

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.

"The Slowest Burn" by Sarah Chamberlain is a touching book about second chances, self-growth, and love above all else. The story follows Ellie Wasserman and she embarks on the seemingly difficult task to ghostwrite a cookbook for the latest star in the culinary world, Keiran O'Neill. What begins as a strictly professional relationship soon turns into so much more as both Ellie and Keiran find in each other a partner who sees past their public persona and past hurts for the person they truly are. "The Slowest Burn" will captivate you from the very first page with the promise of a sweet love story, well-developed characters, and delicious recipes - and will only leave you wanting more.

This was an absolutely delightful read. I'd classify it under Heat with a Heart. By no means is it the spiciest book on the spectrum, but for fans of Rachel Lynn Solomon or Abby Jimenez its a great new book to add to the docket.

This was a cute book, I enjoyed the cooking and enemies to lovers slow burn. It was hard to relate to the FMC at certain points but I enjoyed the couple growing within themselves and life. I did love that the FMC was voluptuous and wasn't the main point of the story. There were some steamy scenes with a HEA!

opposites attract
fake dating
cooking
forced proximity
enemies-to-lovers

I would suggest this book to friends!

This book was delightful and felt so fresh. It dealt with some very serious and complex themes (young widowhood, childhood trauma, parental abuse and neglect) and at the same time was sparkling fun and a sensory delight. The writing was incredibly evocative without being excessive.

The characters were multifaceted and even side and secondary characters felt real and robust, not just props around the main characters. Also, the dry wit had me literally laughing out loud.

The female main character is fat and I absolutely loved that her arc didn’t revolve around angst over her body. As a fat woman myself, it was really lovely to read a fat character who was just living her life while being unapologetically fat, without the size of her body being a major plot point. Sarah Chamberlain did a beautiful job writing two main characters who don’t fit the mold of typical contemporary romance main characters in many ways and yet are compelling and blazing hot together. Justice for ginger short kings and women who wear flats! 😅 Also loved the ADHD and dyslexia rep.

I was nervous that all the people who needed comeuppance in the story wouldn’t get it, but the last comment in my Notes app about this book is “assholes got told” and YES THEY DID, in the best way.

If you like Rachel Lynn Solomon, Jessica Joyce, Chloe Liese, or Ava Wilder, you will love this book. Can’t wait to read more from Sarah Chamberlain.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin for providing me with an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley.