Reviews - The Slowest Burn

404 reviews for:

The Slowest Burn

3.74 AVERAGE

what_whits_reading's review against another edition

3.5

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

emorymcc's review against another edition

3.75

emotional funny lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

laurenlodonnell's review against another edition

4.25

I love this book, I love this book. I immediately cooked after I finished this book.

ollmka01's review against another edition

5.0

5/5 ⭐️s

meghan_readsbooks's review against another edition

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.

reaganb1212's review against another edition

4.5

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

libbyaf7's review against another edition

3.0

slow-paced

alexa_i's review against another edition

4.0

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!