The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain

3.74 AVERAGE

bookishbyrenee's profile picture

bookishbyrenee's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 27%
DNFing at 27%

I loved the premise and so many of the tropes but this one just wasn’t for me. I DNFed still very much in the enemies to lovers stage but they were so mean and annoyed with each other - so much of it could have been fixed with some communication and it just left me very frustrated. I know I stopped reading before the author could bring things around but so far this book was so negative. She’s widowed, living with her depressed former in-laws with a tough past family life and is supposed to work with a recovering alcoholic chef MMC who deals with extreme ADHD and also had horrible parents. I did like the idea of all the representation, curvy or average bodies, grief and ADHD but this one isn’t bringing me joy. 

I received this as an ARC and all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

itsesther's review against another edition

4.0
3.75⭐️
Very unique exploration on love after loss. Really enjoyed the character growth of the FMC and how she grows into her dreams. Didn't love the resolution though as I felt that none of her family actually apologised for belittling her and then we just skip to the epilogue. For a debut book, this was really good though.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC
librarianh's profile picture

librarianh's review against another edition

3.75
emotional hopeful lighthearted sad 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
overbookedmama's profile picture

overbookedmama's review against another edition

3.75
emotional hopeful medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

amandareadsbooks_'s review against another edition

4.0
There is so much love written in this book. Not just with the two main characters but as well as the side friendships! The title is very fitting as this is quite the slow burn but the tension is so well done. 

Sarah wrote such an interesting story about a chef with ADHD(which I related to way too much) and a ghost writer who has to have everything perfectly organized and planned, which created the perfect dynamic for opposites attract. 

I love a “hate” to love book and I enjoyed how their bickering turned to foreplay. They both have parental trauma and had so much self doubt. But the two of them patched up the cracks for eachother. 

One part of the book I really appreciated was that they didn’t just accept each others faults, they both worked separately to achieve their goals and make sure they were confident in themselves before fully given themselves to the other. Just so much growth on each of their parts, as well as a few of the side characters. 

Do yourself a favor and say “yes, chef” to this book!

rsbrack's review against another edition

5.0
This was a nice enemies-to-lovers slow burn. I was also incredibly hungry while reading this because of all the food discussions in the book. This book handles heavy topics very well. I would read the trigger warnings before reading. 

I received an arc from Netgalley and the publisher. 

ntc10's review against another edition

4.25
dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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
I really enjoyed this book and for the first 80% I was convinced it was going to be a 5 star read. However, I was really annoyed by the third act conflict. I was disappointed that this book fell into a formulaic plot structure in the last fifth of the book when the rest of it had been so unique. I really loved the  premise of the main characters being a chef fresh from winning a competition show and a young widowed cookbook ghostwriter. This is not the slowest burn romance but it is a slow burn where the guy falls first and it's dual POV and I love that we get some pinning while working in close proximity daily. This book had two on page sex scenes but what made it hot was the chemistry and build up!  I love that Ellie who is not yet 30 is struggling with remembering her husband while also moving with her life. While many people in her life take advantage of her selflessness, Kieran sees how strong she is and is her champion. Ellie and Kieran have very few people in there life who see each them clearly and they support each other unconditionally, which is why I was so annoyed by the third act
out of character third act break up
conflict. Overall, I did really enjoy this book and would recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

joyfullylauren's review against another edition

4.0
emotional funny hopeful lighthearted slow-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
The Slowest Burn is an opposites-attract, hate-to-love romance between a newly famous chef and the ghostwriter he's partnered with to write his cookbook. Kieran was thrust into the spotlight when he won a TV cooking competition, and while he's keen to capitalize on his newfound fame, he is overwhelmed by the organizational challenge of creating his cookbook. He is charming, inventive, and has ADHD. Ellie is a dedicated, self-controlled, and experienced ghostwriter who needs to succeed with this project so that she can finally afford to move out of her in-laws backyard cottage. She's been a widow for three years, and she's having trouble beginning the next phase of her life without her husband.

Kieran and Ellie's differences lead them to misunderstand and fight with each other in the beginning, but as they're forced to spend time together working on the cookbook, they grow to appreciate the unique gifts that each of them possesses.

If you love a sweet romance with elements of forced proximity, fake dating, and opposites attracting, and you're comfortable with a little bit of spice (there's one on-page intimate scene), then The Slowest Burn is for you.
thosebookbesties_la's profile picture

thosebookbesties_la's review against another edition

4.0
 Thank you to St Martins Press, Sarah Chamberlain & Netgalley for an advanced digital copy of this book. My thoughts are my own. 

What truly stood out to me about this book is its uniqueness! I've never encountered a plot like this before, and it made the experience even more enjoyable.

The tropes in this story? Absolutely squeal-worthy! Ellie and Kieran perfectly embodied the workplace enemies-to-lovers dynamic, and I was here for every moment of it. Watching them collaborate and gradually open up to each other made me swoon. Kieran is an incredible male main character—sweet, funny, and endearing. He had me laughing out loud countless times. I felt a deep connection with Ellie as well; she’s a strong and inspiring female lead. Together, they were unstoppable.

Another aspect I adored was the realistic portrayal of mental health struggles. I appreciate when an author can weave real-life challenges into a story and make readers feel understood. Sarah did just that with this book, and it resonated deeply with me.

This is such a delightful story! I'm obsessed with Ellie and Kieran’s chemistry, especially during the cooking scenes—they were electric together!

The slow burn was real (wink, wink), but it was definitely worth the wait!

 

madscientistjen's review against another edition

4.0
adventurous emotional funny inspiring 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