This book had more heart than I was expecting. I couldn't binge through it which is completely fine! I loved both Ellie and Kieran. But the way my heart bled for Ellie the whole way.

Both characters are flawed in ways that feel real and were easy to go along with. I think it's rare to see a romance with a character who is recovering from a loss the way Ellie is. It was just so well done and I really loved it.

This has a great slow-bun plot (exactly as the title suggests). The characters were at odds for the majority of the book until they finally started to warm up. It felt so slow at first, but it was worth it in the end. The portrayal of grief in this book was impactful as Ellie navigated her life moving forward after a loss. I loved all the foods they cooked together in the kitchen and the romance they grew into.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this ARC.

I had a hard time with this one. I couldn’t connect with the characters and I didn’t like the writing style. Ellie and Kieran didn’t have a lot of chemistry and it felt pretty forced at parts. I had high hopes given the title and the description, but I don’t feel like it lived up to my expectations.

The title does not lie! This one was a slowwww burn, but their romance was worth the wait!

I love books about cooking almost as much as I love books about books. And this was about writing a cookbook, so... *chef's kiss*

I loved the slow build of Ellie and Kieren's chemistry and their banter. (And we love a neuro-spicy mmc.) I loved some of the side characters. But dang, there were some plot points that made me really sad - to the point I almost stopped reading. This book addressed some really serious and important issues, and it's really more of a reflection on me that I read for escapism and I couldn't hang. :)

Overall this is a sweet read about overcoming trauma and adversity to chase what brings you joy, finding your safe person, and eating a lot of good food in the process. I think we're all in agreement when we beg for some recipes to be included in the final version!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was a cute book and easy read. I can’t say I fell deeply in love with it, but it had its moments! The build up kept me hooked.

I adored this book. Usually Slow burns are either a miss or hit in my book ;) but this one was so lovely, the whole process or distrusts and straight up not liking someone to start building trust, friendship and then love it is usually not showed as much, and even overlooked sometimes in regular romances, but in this one, It took my breathe away.
The tropes used, of her being the black cat and him being such a cute golden retriever with a found family and a sassy cat, it filled my heart with happiness.
honestly this book was amazing. A breathe of fresh air after I was stuck in a reader slum.

Perfect for fans of slow burn romance, enemies to lovers, fake dating, and opposites attract. As the title promises, this book delivers on a slow burn romance. Sarah Chamberlin does a excellent job of moving the characters convincingly from what initially seems like hatred to attraction and desire for one another. I love how initially Ellie and Kieran seem so wildly different from one another that it doesn’t seem possible that they could be a good match, but then slowly you can start to see how their differences compliment one another.
The book covers tough topics while managing not to get too heavy. Issues such as the unexpected death of a spouse, grief, family struggles, and managing life with ADHD are all covered in this book. This gave the book a nice dose of reality and made the struggles feel genuine and the connections between the characters deeper.
Lastly, this book is great for anyone that loves food. The recipes and foods described in this book made me want to run to the nearest farmers market to buy fresh produce to try my hand at some of the recipes described.
4 stars and looking forward to what Sarah Chamberlain writes next!

How to create The Slowest Burn; start with a base of opposites-attract, add a friendly helping of forced proximity, a splash of whitty banter, and pull it all together with the charming writing of Sarah Chamberlain.

The push and pull love story between Ellie Wasserman and Kieran O’Neill in The Slowest Burn will capture your heart. Ellie, a talented ghostwriter who is learning to find joy after loss, crosses paths with misunderstood, quirky chef, Kieran, who is out to prove he’s more than what the media has portrayed him as. The pair are thrown together to write Kieran’s debut cookbook.
The snark begins to flow the moment the two meet; I was at the edge of my seat awaiting the moment Ellie and Kieran would begin to see each other in a new light...when they would start to peel back the layers of one another and connect on a deeper, more emotional layer.

I appreciated the mental health angles thought out this novel, from both main character’s POV. It was exciting to experience the moments of self discovery alongside Ellie and Kieran, not to mention how freeing it was to see the pair break free of the “chains” holding them back in life.

I cannot express how easy it was to fall in love with Ellie and Kieran, and The Slowest Burn as a whole. I’m looking forward to what Sarah Chamberlain writes next and will be first in line to scoop it up!

A big thank you to Sarah Chamberlain, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC

I should have been more self-aware when choosing this book, slow burn is not normally my favorite trope. When they describe it as "The Slowest Burn," they truly mean the slowest burn imaginable. This was a charming and delightful story, perfect as a light, fluffy, and predictable palate cleanser. The pacing was undoubtedly slow, but this contributed to the exquisite build-up of tension throughout the narrative, making it top-tier in that regard. The anticipation was skillfully drawn out, and when the story finally delivered the "spice," it was definitely worth the wait.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

this book was a good read! I enjoyed the general premise of the story as well as some elements of the characters. the overall romance was definitely a slow burn, but I wasn’t super convinced by the characters and didn’t love their chemistry. but the book did delve into some deeper topics that I found insightful!

I appreciated how the main character, Ellie, was in a phase of her life I don’t read a lot about. recently widowed, she is going through a lot as she rediscovers her identity, and I did like this exploration within the book! Kieran was not my most favorite mmc. he annoyed me a lot in the beginning of the book, and although I did start to like him more as the story progressed, I just could fully wrap my head around his character.

overall, I did like some of the book but there were certain parts that dragged a bit for me and didn’t fully get me invested in the story. while this book wasn’t for me, I do think it might be great for others so I still recommend giving it a try :)

Cute cooking romance, definitely felt the slow burn. Wasn't ever convinced by this couple, however. I don't mind opposites attract, but never at any point did I think these two would work out. Like, in real life, they already broke up. Grabbed this on Read Now, thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read!

Love, love, love! Slow start but wow, I loved these two so much. What was broken and scarred and how they fit. Do not miss this one.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Such a cute book about a slow-burn romance!
Has some really spicy scenes! Ellie and Kieran have great chemistry. Nice summer romance novel.


Thanks to Netgalley and St Martins for this eArc!

This was a slow book (no pun intended) and I found the characters to be blah. Ellie was over the top dramatic and Kieran just dull. Their backgrounds and back stories I felt were a bit chaotic and I’m not sure really helped the story. It felt like a lot of the subplots just fell flat too. The gist was Ellie is a ghostwriter for Kieran’s cookbook (winner of a cooking show).

I genuinely really liked this one! Sometimes slow burns aren't fun and done well and just rushed at the end, but this one did it really well in the amount of pages it had. It's definitely a cleanser read, just a silly filler between reads. It's also, at the end of the day, a cheesy rom-com. I always appreciate the setting being in the Bay Area!

Now one thing about me is that I love a slow burn so I could not resist this book once I saw the title.

This story follows Ellie and Kieran. Ellie is a young widow dealing with grief and she is a cookbook ghostwriter. Kieran is a chef who recently won a cooking competition show but he struggles to focus. They immediately clash as Ellie has everything in her life planned out while Kieran isn’t someone to think too far ahead. As they work together they settle into a tentative friendship that begins to blossom into something more.

The emotions of this book felt very real to me. Ellie and Kieran struggled with figuring out who they were. Ellie lived with the weight of her dead husband and her fear of failure while Kieran viewed himself as a constant disappointment. They’re both afraid of the unknown and together and separately they have to work to change it. They both are flawed characters who come together to make something beautiful.

If you’re a slow burn lover I’d highly recommend.

Now this is a culinary romance that sizzles! “The Slowest Burn” by Sarah Chamberlain is a delectable feast of longing, banter, and gourmet cooking, served with heaps of spice and a cherry on top. It’s a happily ever after that will leave readers craving seconds.

Meet Kieran O'Neill, a talented chef who should be on top of the world. He's just won a cooking reality TV show, is about to open his own restaurant, and has secured a high-paying cookbook deal. But there's one problem: his ghostwriter, Ellie Wasserman, is the most uptight, humourless woman he's ever met. Ellie, a thirty-year-old widow, is barely holding it together. She's living with her needy in-laws, helping her little brother navigate adulthood, and ghostwriting Kieran's cookbook. As their deadline looms, the heat between them builds, and they find themselves caught in a deliciously slow-burning romance.

Who doesn’t love a fake dating trope?! The chemistry between Kieran and Ellie crackles from the moment they meet. Their fake dating escapades are both hilarious and heartwarming. The title says it all. The romance simmers, building anticipation until it reaches a boiling point. Prepare for swoons!

If you've ever fantasized about dating a celebrity chef, this book delivers! The culinary world comes alive, and you'll practically taste the dishes as you read. Chamberlain deftly explores grief, family dynamics, and second chances. Kieran and Ellie's vulnerabilities make them relatable and endearing. From Kieran's quirky sous-chef to Ellie's meddling in-laws, the secondary characters add flavour and depth to the story.

“The Slowest Burn” is a delightful blend of humour, heart, and heat. Chamberlain's writing is as smooth as a perfectly crafted sauce reduction, leaving readers hungry for more. Whether you're a foodie or a romance enthusiast, this book will leave you satisfied and craving dessert.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Such an apt title for this book! Ellie is a widow stuck in a safe life - living with her deceased husband’s parents, working as a ghost writer for celebrity cookbooks, and just afraid to take risks. In comes Kieran - up and coming chef who brings heat, tension, chaos, and ultimately - LOVE - into Ellie’s world.

This is definitely a slow burn with some really good romantic chemistry. The scene where they ultimately get together was 🔥! But there’s also a lot of substance here as well, and some pretty strong themes related to loss and moving on.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press from an advanced copy of this ebook. 3.5⭐️

The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain was a cute and refreshing read. The story between Ellie and Kieran was truly as the book title implied - a slow burn but a very satisfying burn still. I connected really well with Ellie because she was selfless and was going through grief while at the same time taking care of others. It was realistic as I know many people are like this sometimes - they take care of others and forget themselves. It was great to see her progress and how she gained more confidence and started to think about what she wants with the help of Kieran, who was a wonderful MMC. He was going through his own problems being a celebrity chef and we see him grow into acceptance of himself and grow emotionally.

Overall, I liked the book. It was a good balance of romance, slice of life and opened my eyes to some aspects of ghostwriting and cookbook writing that I didnt know before. I love that its dual POV (which I love) as I read through their thoughts to heighten feel the tension between the leads. The banter is also great.

Thank you St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book!

I couldn’t get into the story just as I thought. Not disappointed but need more depth, I think. I can't remember when was the last time when I read a book in which the whole plot was 100% equal to what was written in the blurb and nothing more. There was no surprise there, no resolution to any of the plot threads and the whole story was blatantly predictable and painfully dull.