Thank you to @netgalley and @Stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @macmillian.audio for a free download of the audiobook.

The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain is a captivating romance that masterfully blends slow-burn tension with deep emotional connections. This novel follows the story of Emma and Jack, two individuals with complicated pasts who find themselves drawn to each other despite their best efforts to stay apart.

What I Loved:
Character Development: Chamberlain excels at creating multi-dimensional characters. Emma and Jack’s personal growth and the gradual unfolding of their backstories make their relationship feel authentic and deeply moving.
Slow-Burn Romance: The slow-burn aspect of the romance is beautifully executed. The tension and chemistry between Emma and Jack build steadily, making their eventual connection all the more satisfying.
Narration: The audiobook, narrated by Hunter Johns and Kate Handford, adds an extra layer of depth to the story. The narrators’ ability to convey the characters’ emotions and personalities enhances the listening experience, making it easy to get lost in the story.
Overall, The Slowest Burn is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant romance that will appeal to fans of slow-burn love stories. Sarah Chamberlain delivers a story full of love, heartache, and redemption, making it a perfect read (or listen) for anyone who enjoys a deeply emotional romance.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

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This story has wonderful growth arcs. As they navigate grief, complex family dynamics, neurodivergent challenges, and other real-life challenges, these characters not only strive to strengthen their bonds with one another but also to develop themselves in a healthy way. Ellie's secondary relationship with her father-in-law Ben is one of my favorites. Even though they weren't the healthiest of families at one point, his unadulterated love for her as his daughter stood out.

This one hit me right in the feels. The author took us on a journey, which was refreshing. THe characters were well developed & enjoyable. I tend to get impatient with slow burn trope, but this one kept my attention the entire way. I enjoyed it so much that I talked my library into ordering extra copies for our book club!

What a satisfying book! What stuck with me more than anything was the way the author handled heavy topics like grief, adhd and dyslexia with such an authentic grace. I felt very deeply for both of the characters and really enjoyed watching them fall for each other. I was really rooting for them!

I loved the female actor’s narration, however the male actor’s voice didn’t match the character to me.

Kieran is the new hottest chef, wanting to capitalize on his popularity he teams up with a ghost writer, Ellie- to release a cook book.
After butting heads they are finally able to form a partnership, that has all the ingredients (pun intended) to turn into something real.

This one was ok.
The story was cute enough, but very slow and didn't really hold my interest.
I didn't really like the characters either, they were all a little annoying to me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🎧Song Pairing: In The Kitchen - Reneé Rapp

💭What I thought would happen:

Loves the gorgeous colours of the cover! Honestly when I hear slowest burn I kind of immediately think UTI…😂

📖What actually happens:

📒Cookbook collaboration
🔥Heat in the kitchen
😭Grieving widow for many years
🤬Enemies to lovers

🗯Thoughts/sassy musings:

Okayyyy so I know everyone has their types but arrogant short king with curly red hair is not my yum. Sorry if it’s yours but I will not be looking twice at your man 😂 my point being that is the book’s male MC. Immediately lost me there.

I’ve dated a short pastry chef and let me tell you, one of thee worst experience ever. Chefs are a no bueno for me and of course I married a man who cannot cook. Like at all 😂

I have a new appreciation for those who write cookbooks because I would absolutely give someone an aneurysm with my lack of measuring. I chop and pour with my heart okay?!

This was both enjoyable and boring. So while I didn’t hate it, I just can’t get on board with the love either.

Loved the grief and Jewish representation! And I really loved the main character. I really felt her loss and enjoyed the perspective of a young widow.

Kieran has won a cooking show and now has to write a cookbook. That is like a nightmare for this man with ADHD who only wants to cook. He is assigned a ghostwriter, Elle, but she is not what he expects. She wants accountability but he will not answer her emails. When these two do finally come together, will they write a cookbook or find something more?

When Ellie is brought in to ghost write Kieran's debut cookbook after his recent win of a cooking competition, they immediately get off on the wrong foot. But as they're forced to work together, they both learn that maybe Kieran could benefit from Ellie's grounded-ness and Kieran could help Ellie break out of the routines that have become suffocating after her husband's death three years earlier.

It's a great romance that builds slowly.

I really liked both narrators. I thought the way they did the voices worked really well together.

DNF @ 30%
I like the idea behind the plot but I just couldn’t connect with the characters at all. They didn’t have much chemistry. But definitely slow burn

Widow Ellie Wasserman is struggling to hold things together following the death of her husband. Reality chef Kieran O’Neill is at the top of his game, but struggling with his ADHD. When Ellie takes on the role of ghost writer for Kieran’s new book, sparks fly both in and out of the kitchen.

This slow burn, debut romance is perfect for those who like their romance to have substantial emotional depth as well as a love story. Told in dual POV, this story is as charming as it is bittersweet, and I enjoyed taking the journey with these characters as they learned about themselves as much as they learned about each other. It is in fact a slow burn romance, so prepare yourself. However, the payoff is worth it in the end.

The growth arcs in this story are fantastic. Dealing with grief, complicated family issues, neurodivergent struggles and other real world issues, these characters not only work to develop their relationship with one another, but work on the growth and development of themselves in a healthy way. One of my favorite secondary relationships is between Ellie and her father-in-law Ben. While not necessarily the healthiest of families at a certain point, his pure affection for her as his daughter (by love) was standout.

🎧 This was terrific on audio, helmed by Hunter Johns and Kate Hanford.

Read if you like:
▪️women’s fiction
▪️over coming grief
▪️neurodivergent rep
▪️opposites attract
▪️forced proximity
▪️foodie romance
▪️Jewish rep

Thank you SMP Romance and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copies.

Lighthearted Romance at Its Best!*

This audiobook delighted me with its perfect blend of humor and romance. Well-developed characters shine in this character-driven story. Narrators were great, but 1.25x speed made it perfect. A must-listen for romance fans!

Rating: 3/5 stars

This was a fun, lighthearted story. The right combination of funny & romance. The characters were well-developed. This is a character driven story.

I listened to the audiobook. The narrators were good but they read a bit too slowly so I listened at 1.25 speed and it was perfect.

The Slow Burn by Sarah Chamberlain is a delightful and heartwarming listen. Ellie and Kieran's opposites-attract romance is a slow simmer, filled with witty banter, steamy chemistry, and emotional depth. Chamberlain does a great job of developing the characters and creating a dynamic that keeps you engaged.

Ellie is one of the best ghostwriters for celebrity cookbooks and her next cookbook is for Kieran O'Neill who is an up-and-coming chef who won a reality tv show and he is not used to being held to a schedule like Ellie likes. They struggle to work together at first, but as they spend more time together, their walls start to come down. Ellie was widowed a few years ago and has no interest in moving on especially when she lives with her in-laws who still are focused on their sons death.

I thought this was an interesting read with the ghostwriter aspect and with Ellie's relationship with her in-laws and how they are still mourning their sons death. The love story between Ellie and Kieran takes a while to develop and is a little slow, but it picks up towards the end and there is plenty of spice. Overall, a good, cute read!

THE SLOWEST BURN succeeded more as a tale of Ellie's personal journey than as a romance, for me.

Ellie's husband died suddenly three years ago. She now lives in a cottage on her in-laws' property, cooking them dinner weekly and providing late-night emotional support for her grieving mother-in-law.

Ellie works as a ghostwriter for celebrity cookbooks and is assigned the cookbook of a chef who just won a reality TV competition. Kieran, the chef, has no vision, theme, or ideas to guide Ellie in her work. He also doesn't feel capable of coming up with and communicating those.

This one had a lot going on, sometimes to the detriment of the romantic relationship that should have been at the book's core. But I did enjoy rooting for Ellie (even if I feel like she never got some of the apologies she deserved!). Narrators Kate Handford and Hunter Johns were OK, they helped keep me reading.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a free ALC, and St. Martin's Griffin for a free e-arc.

A chef who recently won a cooking competition is paired with a cookbook ghostwriter to work on a project, and the two of them could not be more different. He's a neurodivergent mess of a man, while she is organized and deadline driven...but their slow burn ignites over time.

I was charmed by Kieran and Allie's love story, which really does take a while to develop, but their mutual attraction is palpable throughout and they have great chemistry. A bit slow at times, but sweet with plenty of spice.

The audiobook narrators were well cast.

I absolutely loved this audiobook! The plot was simply adorable, and the characters were beautifully developed. The way their relationships evolved felt natural and heartfelt, drawing me deeper into the story with each chapter. The narration really brought the characters to life, making it even more enjoyable to listen to. A perfect balance of charm and depth, this story kept me hooked from beginning to end. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a sweet, well-paced tale with endearing characters!
Thank you NetGalley for this opportunity

I enjoyed this. The narrators did a great job, especially bringing Kiernan's quirks & way of thinking to life. The story was good & entertaining, if not a little predictable. Floyd <3 Watching Ellie bend over backwards and sacrifice so much of her life for everyone else irritated me, but I think that's the point especially as a recovering people pleaser (first child!).

4.5 stars. This was surprising. I thought I wouldn't like this book because it's starts off poorly. And the male narrator sounds a little effeminate--and the character description of 5' 7" with red hair and I wasn't all that invested. But the characters really grow on you. As does their relationship. Lots of heavy topics are addressed: parental shortcomings; addiction; grief; ADHD and dyslexia; flaws of self, and depression. I loved how Ellie and Kieran bond over cooking--not just the cookbook and how their relationship becomes a partnership in more ways than one. The spice is perfect and it's certainly a slow burn. Great romance. Thank you to NetGalley for an audio copy

No one, I repeat, NO ONE needs that much Taylor Swift in a book. This should come with a content warning. If you aren’t a swiftie you’ll probably be annoyed- just like I was.