Just not my favorite. I didn’t love Ellie or Kieran as main characters. And as the book progressed, I felt like Max and Ellie’s relationship with him got more and more villainized. Obviously no relationship is perfect, but she spent a lot of happy years with him and it feels like everyone wants to paint Max as controlling and domineering in hindsight. Regardless of whether that was true, that’s not the story I was hoping to get. One thing I did like is how fiercely protective Nicole is of Ellie.

Note: I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A heartfelt and poignant romance that beautifully balances emotional depth with a satisfying love story.

The story explores themes of grief, personal ambition, and the healing power of love.

Perfect for fans of slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers tropes.

I enjoyed this chef and cookbook writer romance from Sarah Chamberlain. It was a slow burn, like the title suggests, and I found the last 25% of the story to be a bit boring and slow. I do wish I could eat Kieran and Ellie’s food!

This is a delightful debut romance about a reality TV champion chef who is teamed up with a ghostwriter to write his cookbook. It utilizes favorite tropes like forced proximity, one bed, and grumpy sunshine with pretty good success. The first half of this book was a 5-star read for me. I immediately fell in love with Kieran, a short, ginger king, executive chef, and definite hero of the story. The FMC, Ellie, is less likable overall, but I think that is because she isn't as successfully developed as a character on page. Unfortunately, the story began to lost momentum at about 50% and I had to wade through the last half to get to what I felt was a rather anti-climatic ending. Taken together, I am rating this one a 3-3.5 stars.

What this book did right:
Kieran is a cinnamon roll chef who isn't emasculated by his feelings and is openly vulnerable. Did I mention he is a CHEF? Such sexy knife skills.
Neurodiversity representation (dyslexia and ADHD)
Sobriety representation (One of my favorite quotes from the book is: "Every day you've had since you got sober has been an act of optimism.")
Body size diversity (Kieran is only 5'7" "on a good day"); Ellie is described as "endlessly curvy")
Mental health representation (depression, anxiety)
Multi-cultural representation (Jewish, Filipino)
Exploration of grief (Ellie is a 30-year old widow)
THREE! grand gestures that don't feel forced or cheesy
A great cast of minor characters (Ben, Jay, Nicole)

Why this book missed:
Tried to be about too much and about too many people (see above) so some of the best aspects of the story were really abbreviated and felt thrown away by the end
Word count crowded with detail that didn't have anything to do with the plot or explored by the characters (see above) to the point that it felt like the author was checking off a DEI list. (The author often gives just one piece of information about a character, and that piece of information is their minority group.)
Plot was too shallow for the length of the book
Nicole and Jay? What was the point of their subplot?
Despite the time spent with them in the narrative, Kieran didn't get any closure with his family at all
Third act break up that doesn't make as much sense as the author thinks it does
The last chapter didn't feel true to the characters

The shining star of this book is Kieran. He isn't the traditional tall, dark, and handsome romance hero, and is secure in his ability to please women and take care of them. His vulnerabilities don't stop him from going after what he wants. He is just so good, and kind. One of the sweetest aspects of the story is his bond with Ben.

Overall, the positives outweigh the negatives, and I will be reading this author's next book.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Rating - 4/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Date Read - July 12, 2024
Publication Date - September 24, 2024

*I received an E-ARC of this book for free in exchange for an honest review* - Thank you @sarahchamberlainauthor, @stmartinspress and @netgalley!

The Slowest Burn was a really interesting read for me because I never thought about how complicated writing cookbooks can be. I feel like it gave me a totally new perspective and appreciation for everything that goes into making a cookbook. The food in this book sounds amazing and I would catch myself smelling the dishes while reading, so this is not the book to read on an empty stomach! I will definitely be making some of these meals! The Slowest Burn is slower paced but it’s even in the title, what did you expect? There are some heavier topics and I often found myself wanting to give Kieran a big hug.

If you’re a foodie who likes ADHD and dyslexia rep, forced proximity and fake dating, you should check out The Slowest Burn!

Get excited to read The Slowest Burn, available September 24! 🎉

*Please check trigger warnings*

Ellie Wasserman has spent her whole life behind the scenes making sure everyone else’s needs were met. As a cookbook ghostwriter, she’s used to being out of the spotlight. When Ellie is hired to ghostwrite with viral celebrity chef Kieran O’Neill (aka Happy Pirate Leprechaun), she’s immediately exasperated by how opposite Kieran is to her. She’s order and he’s chaos, and it will never work. When Kieran’s agent forces them to go on a retreat to work out their differences, Kieran and Ellie have to come to terms with the fact that sometimes the people least like you are exactly what you need.

This debut really knocked my socks off! It was filled with depth and emotion while still having moments of levity and joy. There are some seriously heavy topics covered here (Ellie is a young widow navigating grief and grieving in-laws while Kieran is a recovering alcoholic) but the book itself never feels overly heavy.

The side characters, including Floyd the cat, round out this book in a really lovely way. I especially loved Ben, Ellie’s father in law, and Nicole, Ellie’s best friend.

This is (obviously) a slow burn, opposites attract, forced proximity, deep romance that I encourage anyone who enjoys those tropes to try! I’m excited for what comes next from Sarah Chamberlain!

4/5 ⭐️

This was a slow burn in every sense. It took a bit for me to get into the story and care about the characters but once I did I was hooked. First off, I think this might be one of the only romance books I've read with a short king (also a red head) in it and I was so here for it. It's refreshing to not always have a giant, muscular, 6' 7'' guy who can just pick up the FMC and put her in his pocket. Kieran and Ellie had great enemies to lovers chemistry with a nice dash of spice. Secondly, the book handled Ellie's grief from the loss of her husband and her relationship with her in-laws in such a beautiful and realistic way. I found myself rooting for the three of them just as much as Ellie and Kieran.

This wasn't 5 stars for me because it was so slow getting into it in the beginning, but it was definitely worth reading on as I really enjoyed it overall. A great debut by Chamberlain and I'll look forward to what she comes out with next!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Chamberlain, and St. Martin's Press for my early access to this.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the early copy. Review below - swipe for tropes, spice meter, my favorite quote and some dumb memes 🫠

This book is quite literally the definition of ✨chef’s kiss✨ Ellie and Kieran go from judging and misunderstanding each other at first sight, to seeing the best in one another as they cook and work together.

This isn’t just a love story. It’s a story about two people who learn how to stand up for themselves by showing up for each other. Ellie deals with the lingering grief over her husband’s death and the guilt and obligation that cling to her because of it. Kieran struggles with the sudden pressures and misconceptions that come with his newfound fame, while still learning to cope with the expectations his parents had for him all his life. This book is very much about coming to terms with the fact that the boxes others create for you can’t determine anything about your life and the way you choose to lead it. I cared about them both so much and I wanted them to be happy and fulfilled in their own lives as much as I wanted them to get and stay together.

All this to say, this book is gorgeous in all the ways and I’m obsessed with it. Also, I will be the first in line to purchase a companion cookbook from Sarah Chamberlin as I need that peanut butter salted caramel cake in my life, like, yesterday.

Read this book if you like:

🍊Temperamental orange cats
🍊 Watching The Bear without the anxiety inducing kitchen scenes
🍊 Happy Pastries ™️
🍊 Deliciously satisfying epilogues

A ghost writer and a chef must work together to write the chef's cook book. Kieran is a celebrity chef and pretty full of himself outwardly. Ellie is a widow living with her in laws.

I thought this was a beautifully written story! I enjoyed Kieran and Ellie as they worked together, driving each other crazy, while they got to know one another. For a first novel, I thought it was a great read!

This book was similar to another book I read recently but it stood out on its own for sure. I love romances that highlight food and I thought the story was electric. Definitely a great read!

4.5 stars!

Thank you, Net Galley, St. Martin's Press and Sarah Chamberlain for this ARC in exchange first my honest review.

This book follows Ellie, a cookbook ghostwriter and Kieran, a chef who recently won a reality TV series. The two MCs couldn't be more different; she's straight laced, serious and organized, and he's a bit more wild, focusing on fun and not taking anything too seriously. Early on, this frustrates Ellie beyond all belief. As they get to know each other and start working on recipes together, they open up to each other and Ellie's uptight attitude starts to fade away.

I really liked this book. The writing was great, and the interactions between the MCs and the supporting characters were realistic. (I LOVED the relationship between Ellie and Ben.) Even the third act "breakup" was realistic. (Seriously, the romantic gesture... SWOON!)

One thing I absolutely loved about this novel is the physical descriptions of the two MCs. So often in romance, you read about the petite, gorgeous woman and large, hulking man. Ellie is curvy, and Kieran is shorter than average. As someone whose husband claims to be 5'7" but is actually 5'6", the scene with the tailor was like something out of my own life.

The premise of the book was really unique in my opinion. I love how it poked fun at tropes while fully leaning into some of its own. Kieran and Ellie both have a lot going on and a lot to learn at the beginning of the story, and I enjoyed how that played a part throughout. Bonus points for having a chonky cat.

The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain is a beautiful story. This book has humor, heat, and heartache. The character are well-written with deep emotional layers, and the love story is a slow burn. The story felt real and earned. I recommend.

I’m very happy to report that Ellie and Kieran didn’t take the whole book to get together (spoiler alert? But you know how I feel about slow burns) and that it was a true enemies-to-lovers plotline—my favourite. I thought Ellie’s backstory and relationship with her in-laws was complex and unlike anything I’d read before (which was refreshing) and I loved getting to know Kieran.

The one thing I will say is that the synopsis mentioned “steamy days and even steamier nights” and there really wasn’t that much of a spice factor to this book. I was expecting more considering it was actually specifically mentioned on the jacket copy. But that didn’t detract from the main characters’ relationship for me.

As a person who has worked in recipe development (not actually making the recipes, just part of the editorial packages and photo shoots), I thought that part of the story was pretty realistic—though with some romance-novel flair, of course (pared with a close proximity trope…another one of my faves).

I really enjoyed this story—especially for a debut novel—and can’t wait to see what Sarah Chamberlain writes next.

4.5 STARS

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

Food, Writing, and Romance! Sign me up!

The Slowest Burn is the debut novel by Sarah Chamberlain which follows Chef and Reality TV cooking show winner Kieran O’Neill as he is given a contract, and a due date, on delivering his own Cookbook! Introduce Ghostwriter Ellie Wasserman, a widow at 30, through her agent has been assigned this amazing new job which entails creating and testing recipes and wording them in an easy way for the public to be able to easily recreate them at home! Sounds easy, right? Think again! Kieran and Ellie are complete opposites, both dealing with different pasts that guide their current decisions and are having a hard time connecting – on any level.

Yes, this book is a “slow burn” for sure. As much as I LOVED THE PREMISE, there was too much “fluff” for me that was unnecessary, and I believe it distracted from the main storyline (like the mother-in-law, the cat etc.). There are so many tropes in this novel, I lost count: close proximity, opposites attract, fake dating, etc. and maybe there was too much going on that took the focus away from all of the good that was happening. Ellie and Kieran’s story didn’t need all the extras – the plot has so much potential, and I loved these characters together; both had such positive attributes that I wish were honed-in on a tad more.

I truly enjoyed the new approach to a slow-burn romance with celebrity chefs, restaurants, and cooking – I do wish this book came with a cookbook at the end or some recipes that we could see or even one or two pages that Ellie “created!”

If you like books like The Rom-Commers and By The Book – this is a perfect book for you! The play on words for the title was a cute touch as well. It was sweet and I’m happy I read it, but it dragged out some. However, Chamberlain is a great writer and can create scenes beautifully; I would definitely read anything else she writes. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this arc! All opinions are my own.

(I was totally getting Bobby Flay / Dr. Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd on Grey’s Anatomy) vibes for Kieran. I could never clearly get a picture of Ellie in my mind.)

Pure comfort reading this!

4.25 stars rounded up to 5. The Slowest Burn is such a sweet romance with a bit of spice (yes, that was absolutely a food pun). I really loved that Kieran was not the stereotypical romance MMC in looks and a bit in personality. It was so intriguing to see Ellie and Kieran work together because they were both interesting characters on their own. I loved Ellie’s character, but I just felt so bad for her a lot of the time. She had some of the WORST people around her! I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

THE SLOWEST BURN is aptly titled. This is a love story between two heavily damaged people that takes a long time to develop. Patience is required to let the relationship between Ellie and Kieran simmer to completion.

Ellie is a young widow hired to ghost write a cookbook with a hotshot chef who rocketed to fame after winning a reality cooking show. Kieran is the chef whose culinary brilliance is hampered by his crippling ADHD. They are opposites in every way imaginable, yet find themselves drawn to each other as they work together on the project.

Sarah Chamberlain packs this book full of familiar tropes: enemies-to-lovers, workplace romance, fake dating, forced proximity, opposites attract; that it sometimes feels overwhelming. The basic love story is enough - Ellie and Kieran are both looking for love, acceptance, and support - and they find that in each other.

There were times I wanted to scream at Ellie for allowing people to treat her like a doormat - her MIL, her brother, her employer - and I’m not sure she ever got the apologies she deserved.

The cooking components of the book were quite enjoyable and were perfect analogies to the emerging romance between Ellie and Kieran. Overall, this was a satisfying read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for the advance copies in exchange for my unbiased review.

Thank you to SMP and MacMillan Audio for review copies!
TL;DR: A slow-burn romance that takes its time but ultimately delivers a well-developed, engaging female protagonist and a sweet, satisfying love story.

The Slowest Burn introduces Ellie, a female protagonist whose journey is beautifully narrated by Kate Handford, who truly brought her to life. Ellie’s backstory—marked by unexpected grief as a young widow and a complicated childhood that still affects her adult relationships—felt poignant and relatable. Chamberlain's writing, paired with Handford’s performance, added layers to Ellie's character, offering a powerful exploration of her challenges and personal growth throughout the romance. The nuanced depiction of how grief and loss shaped her connections with her in-laws and brother was especially well done.

Ellie’s evolving relationship with Kieran was another highlight. While "enemies to lovers" isn’t my favorite trope, this felt more like two wounded people learning to open up and realize how much they needed and wanted each other—and it worked beautifully.

While I enjoyed much of the story, I found Kieran’s perspective less compelling. Chamberlain's focus on neurodiversity was appreciated, but his chapters didn’t engage me as much as Ellie’s, and the male narration didn't help (which likely influenced my feelings). The pacing of the first 25% was also a bit slow, especially in the audiobook format. The dual POV may have contributed to the slower start, but once it found its rhythm, the story became much more captivating.

In short, if you find the beginning a bit slow, stick with it! The plot develops into a richly layered examination of Ellie’s character, and the romance heats up as well.

I guess the title should be a dead giveaway for the book but it was a little too slow for me.

I do enjoy a slow burn but I just could not connect with the characters. I did not buy into the romance, it felt off and I wasn’t rooting for them in the end.

This was a cute and easy read! Although I enjoyed the premise and the characters, it was a little slow for me and I found myself lacking engagement in reading. I did appreciate Kieran’s sense of humor and Ellie’s growth throughout the story.