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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
This book did not work for me. If I weren't listening to the audiobook I would not have finished it.
I was not a fan of the spice and felt there wasn't chemistry between the two main characters. Just loads of lust that came up in the most random moments.
The concept behind this story seemed like it could have the perfect balance of emotional depth and still being fun and playful. Sadly it didn't work for me.
Thank you, NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy!
2.5 ⭐️ (rounded up)
I was not a fan of the spice and felt there wasn't chemistry between the two main characters. Just loads of lust that came up in the most random moments.
The concept behind this story seemed like it could have the perfect balance of emotional depth and still being fun and playful. Sadly it didn't work for me.
Thank you, NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy!
2.5 ⭐️ (rounded up)
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
This book lived up to it's title, it was quite the slow burn. Kieran is a chef who recently won a TV baking contest, and to keep the hype going he is writing a cookbook with the help of a ghostwriter. Ellie though isn't much of a ghost, she is demanding a lot from Kieran and he refuses to answer her emails. When they finally meet up it is explosive.
I did enjoy their friendship once they do eventually get together. Ellie helps him start to make small steps in getting his life together. Their recipe sessions were mouthwatering.
Ellie was struggling with her own situation, living in the guest house on her in-laws property after her husband passed away. She is the emotional support for them both, but even more so for the mother. With last night sessions she doesn't sleep much and puts everyone above herself.
This had a lot of heavy topics which made it a slower read for me. From Ellie's grief, and relationship with the in-laws to her mooching brother and absent mom to Kieran's troubling relationship with his family, his ADHD and his imposter syndrome.
If you love a red headed short king than this one might just be for you.
I received an arc for review, all opinions are my own and given freely.
I did enjoy their friendship once they do eventually get together. Ellie helps him start to make small steps in getting his life together. Their recipe sessions were mouthwatering.
Ellie was struggling with her own situation, living in the guest house on her in-laws property after her husband passed away. She is the emotional support for them both, but even more so for the mother. With last night sessions she doesn't sleep much and puts everyone above herself.
This had a lot of heavy topics which made it a slower read for me. From Ellie's grief, and relationship with the in-laws to her mooching brother and absent mom to Kieran's troubling relationship with his family, his ADHD and his imposter syndrome.
If you love a red headed short king than this one might just be for you.
I received an arc for review, all opinions are my own and given freely.
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 think the start was a little rough but i’m glad i stuck it out
Big thanks to St. Martins Press for providing and advanced copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
If you love a slow-burn romance that simmers with real-life challenges and emotional depth, "The Slowest Burn" by Sarah Chamberlain is a must-read. This story dives into the lives of Kieran O'Neill, a rising star chef, and Ellie Wasserman, a ghostwriter barely holding it together. They’re thrown together to create Kieran's cookbook, but what starts as a professional collaboration slowly turns into something more personal and heartfelt. The rivals-to-lovers dynamic works beautifully here, especially as Chamberlain lets the heat build at just the right pace.
What really stands out is how well-developed both Kieran and Ellie are as characters. Each is dealing with their own personal battles—Kieran’s ADHD and the pressure to impress his distant family, and Ellie’s intense grief over losing her husband, along with the pressure of supporting her in-laws and brother. Chamberlain touches on difficult topics like sobriety, grief, and mental health in a way that feels genuine, not overly dramatic or forced. Both Kieran and Ellie have hard backstories, but instead of overwhelming the romance, it makes their eventual connection feel earned and deeply satisfying.
I also loved the way the book alternates between Kieran and Ellie’s perspectives, giving us a full sense of their journeys and allowing the reader to really root for them. Their relationship builds over nearly a year of creating the cookbook together, which felt realistic and made the slow-burn even sweeter. By the time things start heating up, you’re so invested in their story that you can’t put it down!
Overall, "The Slowest Burn" is a beautifully paced story that balances humor, heat, and heartache. With well-written characters, deep emotional layers, and a love story that feels real and earned, this book will leave you feeling warm and satisfied—just like a great meal.
If you love a slow-burn romance that simmers with real-life challenges and emotional depth, "The Slowest Burn" by Sarah Chamberlain is a must-read. This story dives into the lives of Kieran O'Neill, a rising star chef, and Ellie Wasserman, a ghostwriter barely holding it together. They’re thrown together to create Kieran's cookbook, but what starts as a professional collaboration slowly turns into something more personal and heartfelt. The rivals-to-lovers dynamic works beautifully here, especially as Chamberlain lets the heat build at just the right pace.
What really stands out is how well-developed both Kieran and Ellie are as characters. Each is dealing with their own personal battles—Kieran’s ADHD and the pressure to impress his distant family, and Ellie’s intense grief over losing her husband, along with the pressure of supporting her in-laws and brother. Chamberlain touches on difficult topics like sobriety, grief, and mental health in a way that feels genuine, not overly dramatic or forced. Both Kieran and Ellie have hard backstories, but instead of overwhelming the romance, it makes their eventual connection feel earned and deeply satisfying.
I also loved the way the book alternates between Kieran and Ellie’s perspectives, giving us a full sense of their journeys and allowing the reader to really root for them. Their relationship builds over nearly a year of creating the cookbook together, which felt realistic and made the slow-burn even sweeter. By the time things start heating up, you’re so invested in their story that you can’t put it down!
Overall, "The Slowest Burn" is a beautifully paced story that balances humor, heat, and heartache. With well-written characters, deep emotional layers, and a love story that feels real and earned, this book will leave you feeling warm and satisfied—just like a great meal.
This was a really great story with some underlying heavy topics. But Sarah Chamberlain masterfully wove the fun with the serious and took us on a lovely journey.
This book had a lil more spice than I typically like, otherwise a great book and I can’t wait to see what else she writes!
Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book had a lil more spice than I typically like, otherwise a great book and I can’t wait to see what else she writes!
Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
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
I absolutely loved this friends-to-lovers slow burn of a romance. The setting (San Fran), the premise (cookbook ghostwriter + newly-famous chef collaborating on a cookbook), and the problems (overbearing ex-in-laws + ADHD and unfocused chef + a family who was never present) made this one of my favorites of the year.
These last few days I have been unfocused and not really in the reading mood; however, I did listen to this one and was surprised by how emotional it made me. Maybe it was a mix of current events too, but I genuinely felt angry and so sad for Ellie Wasserman.
A young widow to a husband she never truly believed she deserved and living with his parents three year later, she’s stuck in a pattern of feeling like she has to care for people to a debilitating degree to have them care for her in turn. She has her unbelievably self-involved parents to thank for that.
She’s a ghostwriter for cookbooks and she’s assigned hot shot chef Kieran O’Neill who is fresh off a reality cooking show win. He’s brash and playful, disorganized and, in her opinion, thoughtless. She’s frustrated when he doesn’t respond to her emails and when he shuts down while she’s trying to discuss his viewpoint for the book.
This leads to a huge blowup where the publisher sends them off to figure their shit out together and alone. Dear reader, I think you know this forced proximity will make them see each other in a new light. Indeed.
There’s a lot I love about this book and people-pleasing Ellie is the best. I get her on a soul level. I also weirdly love that our Kieran is a knockout short king. I can’t recall one romance novel I’ve read where the MMC is less than 5’11”. Kieran is 5’6”. I mean, he says 5’7”, but we know that means 5’6”. Ain’t nothing wrong with that.
I enjoyed this story and these main characters. Several of the side characters made me want to smash heads.
A young widow to a husband she never truly believed she deserved and living with his parents three year later, she’s stuck in a pattern of feeling like she has to care for people to a debilitating degree to have them care for her in turn. She has her unbelievably self-involved parents to thank for that.
She’s a ghostwriter for cookbooks and she’s assigned hot shot chef Kieran O’Neill who is fresh off a reality cooking show win. He’s brash and playful, disorganized and, in her opinion, thoughtless. She’s frustrated when he doesn’t respond to her emails and when he shuts down while she’s trying to discuss his viewpoint for the book.
This leads to a huge blowup where the publisher sends them off to figure their shit out together and alone. Dear reader, I think you know this forced proximity will make them see each other in a new light. Indeed.
There’s a lot I love about this book and people-pleasing Ellie is the best. I get her on a soul level. I also weirdly love that our Kieran is a knockout short king. I can’t recall one romance novel I’ve read where the MMC is less than 5’11”. Kieran is 5’6”. I mean, he says 5’7”, but we know that means 5’6”. Ain’t nothing wrong with that.
I enjoyed this story and these main characters. Several of the side characters made me want to smash heads.
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
Yes