This book is delightfully inclusive, not that the reader will think about that much.

The characters are well developed with their hopes, dreams, and idiosyncrasies. This makes a huge difference. For example, the female lead, Ellie is a ghost writer who dreams of writing her own cookbook and buying her own home. She's also a bigger girl, but again: she's created so well. She's not a big girl who also happens to have a career. She's Ellie, with all the things that make her whole, and here's a bit of descriptive.

The reader isn't bombarded by other traits that step outside of what is considered conventionally attractive. What some people might consider as weaknesses or points of insecurity are not treated as such. Kieran, the male protagonist, is 5'7". His height is mentioned twice, and matter of factly. The reader is more cognizant of his relationship with his family, how cooking plays on his strengths and overcomes his weak spots, and that he's an all around good guy.

Neither protagonist is perfect, but they're perfectly sympathetic. I was cheering for both of them.

One thing that was really important to me: as a widow, I really appreciate that they didn't make grief Ellie's entire personality. Though he's mentioned only in memories, her late husband is a real character, too: good in some ways, not great in others.

This book was well balanced. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to people who care about inclusivity and food.

ETA: the narrator mispronounced a few words. I thought "renaissance" (Renee-sance?) might have been in character, but then she had a Filipino character mispronounce Nanay.

In this slow burn romance (no pun intended ha) it is about a upcoming chef and his ghost writer putting a cook book together. It has all the top chef vibes and makes you crave everything they make. Anyone know how to make duck confit or where I can find their cookbooks?

I loved the narrators' voices in this audiobook, it truly brought the characters to life and made the book more enjoyable.. Hunter Johns voice is unique and will remind you of an actor in a movie because it seems so familiar like you head it before.

This book maybe trigging for some because it deals with a loss of one as well.

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

Wonderfully charming start to finish. This story weaves grief, mental health, romance, recovery, self growth and delicious recipes all together in the best possible way. A really strong debut book from Sarah Chamerlain, and a great duel narrator audio book.

Is this a slow-burn romance? Yes, but I enjoyed every minute of it. It gave us time to watch as Ellie and Kieran got to know each other, savoring the building attraction. Ellie is hired on as a ghostwriter for Chef Kieran O’Neill’s cookbook. It seems like the two are completely incompatible - Ellie, a grieving widow who likes things by the book and orderly, whereas Kieran is a smartmouth and kind of a hot mess, emphasis on “hot.”

As the two are forced to work together, they are drawn to each other. Not only is this a delicious enemies (coworkers) to lovers, but it touches on grief, family expectations, sobriety, and ADHD. The characters felt genuine and realistic. Plus, you can’t go wrong with lots of great food, a little spice, and a happily-ever-after ending.


Thank you @macmillan.audio for the gifted audiobook.

As a lover of competition shows, especially when knives and ovens are involved, it is no surprise I loved this read. Yet, author Sarah Chamberlain folds so much into this compelling romance. A male lead that is clearly insecure about his looks and height and a woman that doesn't know how to place boundaries on her own family - how relatable?! Nuanced and delectable, "The Slowest Burn" reads faster than it takes to bake a pan of brownies!

This was a lovely story, and it was indeed a very slow burn. What happens when a chef who has adhd (Kieran) is partnered with a type A /people pleasing ghostwriter (Ellie) to write a cookbook? Well it's a rocky start, but the more Kieran and Ellie work together and learn about each other we see that opposites may attract.

Thank-you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the advanced listener copy. Narrators Hunter John and Kate Handford were great to listen to in the dual narrated audiobook.

I highly recommend this audiobook. It has great ADHD rep and explorations of grief. I loved the tropes slow burn, a little enemies to lovers, and opposites attract. I can't believe that this was a debut for Sarah Chamberlin. I look forward to her future books. 4.5 stars.

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book. It was so cute and both main characters back stories were developed so well. They both have significant struggles in their past and together they really grew and supported each other. I read alot of chef romances and this is one of the best. The forced proximity of having to write this cook book together, the opposite personalities, and the side characters were the perfect addition to this story. After reading this, I looked into the author a bit, and she has a background in cookbooks, so I'm thinking this is very realistic and it shows. This lost a half star for me because some of the dialogue was a little rough and cringy at times.

Kieran is a chef who just won a cooking competition show, and now wants to write a cookbook. Ellie is a cookbook ghostwriter who is trying to figure out life as a widow while still living her in-laws. They don’t get along. Kieran is spontaneous and easily distracted. Ellie is organized and driven. Of course, they don’t start off liking each other, but because they have to work together they are sent off to a cabin by the publisher to learn to tolerate each other for the book. Like turns to lust and then to love as they both work through their pasts. This, yes slow burn, romance has all of the tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, fake dating, and workplace romance. The addition of the food, the backstory, the side characters, and both main characters’ perspectives make the overload of tropes bearable. There were a few seemingly extraneous moments, but they let readers really get to know the characters separately and together. The audiobook even had two narrators for each perspective. The narrator for Kieran was a little flat and didn’t give the characters discernible voices, but the narrator for Ellie made up for it. This book was a fun mix of food and romance that any romance reader will enjoy.

I love when I love a debut from an author, and this one hit its mark for me. I love to cook so I liked the foodie vibes, and the build up between Ellie and Kieran. The slow burn here is no joke!! But once the fire is ignited, it becomes such a sweet romance. These characters deal with a lot, and my heart hurt for them while learning their histories and as they went through their daily struggles. There is a lot of conflict within themselves and with each other, but it all makes for a fun ride. But some of the side characters!! They are so easy to dislike.

🎧This was my first time listening to Kate Handford and Hunter Johns and I really loved their narration! I think the audiobook definitely made this story more enjoyable all around.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ALC!

Slow burn but well worth it! I loved everything about this book and the romance was definitely worth the wait! There was more than just romance in this book as well and it definitely had points that made me reflect on my life and decisions! It's a book that makes you feel something!

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗵 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻 was a cozy, feel-good romance with a dash of heavier topics, making it a satisfying read. I loved how Ellie was portrayed—relatable, strong, and constantly caring for others, to the point where she forgets herself. Her character growth was beautiful, and I really connected with her struggles. Kieran, on the other hand, took a while to grow on me. At first, his impulsiveness was frustrating, but by the end, I was rooting for him. The tension between Ellie and Kieran was good, but the spice scenes felt a bit off—vague descriptions left me wanting more clarity. Overall, it’s a charming read, but some elements felt overdone. Still, I enjoyed the ride and all the good food mentions!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan audio for my ALC! I was really looking forward to this chef/ghostwriter love story and the cute cover drew me in.

Unfortunately, it was a DNF at 60% for me. I was a little disappointed with the male narrator. I am not a fan of friends with benefits trope so that was where things went downhill fast for me. Those who enjoy this trope, will have a better experience.

This book was ok. I appreciated that the MFC was plus sized, but it was hard to remember that she was because it hardly came up. Both sets of parents were awful, especially Kieran's. The scene at his parents' anniversary party had me feeling some anger. This book was fun to share with others because they loved the title. I just found myself moving through this book slowly because I wasn't as attached as I thought I would be. I liked the book, but I didn't love it enough to look for extra time to listen outside of regular driving.

3.76 stars. It’s a SLOW burn alright but the plot was there and I really enjoyed it. Something about a storyline where a main characters cooks, just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Ellie and Kieran are complete opposites. She’s well put together, a no nonsense ghost writer for cook books. And he’s an adhd fueled, kind of all over the place, talented chef who’s just won a cooking competition. When Ellie gets assigned to be his ghost writer for his first cook book, things are rough from the start, but after their boss makes them spend a week in his cabin, they find a mutual understanding with each other and embark on the slowest of romance building. The majority of this goes through the timeframe it takes for them to write and complete the book. Watching both Ellie and Kieran grow and even balance each other out. The cooking details were a nice touch, you could almost taste the meals as you read. And as someone with adhd, I really identified with Kieran at times when it comes to the frusteration of staying on task and not being able stand still or sit still for long. The concept and storyline were there, but it definitely was a very slow buildup.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

I am thankful to have gotten the ALC for free from Netgalley and Macmillan Audio so I can leave my voluntary review.

Well the title warns you that this is going to be a slow burn 🔥! Did that compute when I requested it? Of course not! Do I typically enjoy slow burn tropes? Nope. Not at all 😝 BUT I did this! It was probably because of the subject matter that it drew me in easily.

In general it’s about a writer who is ghost writing a cookbook for a celebrity chef. She, Ellie, is a top ghost writer for this specialty sub genre . Ellie and Kieran (the celebrity chef) are of course opposites in every way and have to battle through their personalities to even work together.

Is it predictable and full of every romance literary trope? 100%. But is it a fun ride with a good amount of spice 🌶️ to keep the reader engaged? Yup! I wouldn’t exactly call it a palette cleanser as it has a little bit of grit to it but it is an easy read or listen.

I consumed the audiobook and the narrator did a fine job. I think I would have enjoyed the book more had I consumed the print format but that’s a me issue.

It came out on Sept 24th 2024 so you can get your copy now!

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

This was a sweet read. Two chefs find love in San Francisco, a book right up my alley! I would say this was a 3.75 ✨ It ran maybe a tad long in some parts but it definitely had some spice!! I loved to Bay Area descriptions since that’s where I am from and the food scenes were great as well.

Thank you to the publishers and author for this ARC!

So much to consider to rate this book- rounded up from 3.5 because I really enjoyed the characters. Ellie and Kieran both strong and different, the best friends and the in laws all had their moments that I enjoyed. The language during the spicy scenes really cheapened the romance parts of the book. Triggers for young spouse death, surviving, guilt and dysfunctional families are a big overall storyline for the main characters. Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy of this audiobook. Told alternating between the two main chanters the narrators do a nice job switching and keeping engaged.

A really enjoyable listen. A bit of a surprise as I struggled through the first few chapters, stopped listening and restarted it after a bit. I’m glad I did. An opposites attract romance with perfectly imperfect flawed characters. The story takes its time for the characters to slowly grow, mature and figure things out even with some stumbles along the way. A nice story about love, loss, mental health, widowhood, friends, family and food leads to the inevitable happy ending we all read this category for.


I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Kieran O'Neill is a chef who recently won first place in a cooking reality show. His agent wants to capitalize on his new fame by having him publish a cookbook. Just one problem: his ADHD and dyslexia make it nearly impossible to do so alone. So, he hires Ellie Wasserman to ghost write the book for him.

Ellie is a young widow, living in her in-law's guest house to save up for a place of her own. She's a highly organized people-pleaser, but this gets in the way of her publishing her own cookbook.

At first the two clash. Ellie is unaware of Kieran's neurodivergence, so she just thinks he is an arrogant jerk who is avoiding her. As they work through writing the book, they learn more about each other and slowly fall in love.

I love that this book is realistic about mental health, not just with the issues neurodivergant people face, but also those having to cope with grief or a bad childhood. There's more depth to this book than you usually see in romance novels, but the relationship between the two MCs is the better for it. I would love to see more form this author!

The narrators also did a great job of bringing the characters to life. I was able to stay immersed in the story throughout the book.

The only issue I have with the narration (other than maybe two or three mispronunciations) is that Hunter Johns didn’t change the tone or quality of his voice for different characters. So when he was performing a scene between Kieran and Ellie, it was the same straight toned voice. Not always easy to know which character is speaking.