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Love could be a recipe for disaster, or the best thing they ever cooked up... Kieran O'Neill should be on top of the world. He's just won a cooking reality TV show, he's on track to open his own restaurant before he turns thirty, and he's even got a high-paying cookbook deal. Still he can't impress his stuck-up family, his ADHD makes planning ahead impossible and, worst of all, his ghostwriter is the most uptight, humourless woman he's ever met. But to be seen as a serious chef like he's always wanted, he needs to finish this book... Ellie Wasserman is barely holding it together. She's a thirty-year-old widow living with her needy in-laws, her little brother won't adult without her help, and instead of working on her own cookbook, she's ghostwriting one for the chaotic, impulsive Kieran O'Neill. Or would be, if he'd ever answer her emails. But to own her own home like she's always dreamed of, she needs to finish this book... As their deadline gets closer and the heat between them builds, can these two driven, lonely people let go of their past hurts and make something truly sweet together? Or will their fragile new love go up in smoke? The ultimate will-they-won't-they, enemies-to-lovers romance that readers everywhere are falling in love with!
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This book was delightful and felt so fresh. It dealt with some very serious and complex themes (young widowhood, childhood trauma, parental abuse and neglect) and at the same time was sparkling fun and a sensory delight. The writing was incredibly evocative without being excessive.
The characters were multifaceted and even side and secondary characters felt real and robust, not just props around the main characters. Also, the dry wit had me literally laughing out loud.
The female main character is fat and I absolutely loved that her arc didn’t revolve around angst over her body. As a fat woman myself, it was really lovely to read a fat character who was just living her life while being unapologetically fat, without the size of her body being a major plot point. Sarah Chamberlain did a beautiful job writing two main characters who don’t fit the mold of typical contemporary romance main characters in many ways and yet are compelling and blazing hot together. Justice for ginger short kings and women who wear flats!
03.5 stars
The Slowest Burn was quite enjoyable and easy to read!
It follows Ellie Wasserman, a ghost cookbook author who is still dealing with the death of her husband. She gets offered the job to help write a cookbook for Kieran O’Neill, a chef who recently won a cooking competition show.
We get dual POV, and I feel that this really helped to slowly build up their romance and get a good glimpse at both of their back stories. It is much deeper than a romance and also touches on familial issues and grief. I liked watching both characters heal throughout the course of the book.
There is great tension and banter between the two, however, at times I didn’t really feel the chemistry between the two of them.
Overall, it’s a pretty sweet romance!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc!
0I love foodie romances, and I had high hopes for The Slowest Burn. The Bay Area setting was an extra cherry on top, and I was really looking forward to a delicious romance...
Unfortunately I was left disappointed by what was ultimately a somewhat stale, flavorless rendition of a typical romcom recipe I feel I've consumed a dozen times.
Okay, I'm done with the food metaphor. But genuinely, it was just a bit shallow, a bit flat, a bit trite and obvious, and many of the requisite moments - conflict between the two, eventual closeness, etc. - felt forced. It just didn't work for me, and I didn't find the characters as individuals or as a couple appealing enough.
Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin for the advance review copy.
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