docrobreads 's review for:

The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain

5.0

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-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

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I am stunned that this is Chamberlain's debut novel. It read as though it came from a seasoned, long-published, writing professional. While I'm sad I don't get any backlist, I am genuinely excited for what she does next. The way she treated the various ways that grief presents, as well as the differences in how love "shows up" for people, was done with care and empathy. I also adored that while the FMC was clearly not a size 6, and the MMC was not a jacked 6'5" muscular dude with abs for days, the author didn't beat the reader over the head with their "normalness" (not a word, got it!). I felt like I was reading about real people, with real problems, finding real love, and navigating life. Stellar, lovely first published novel! 💖