The Slowest Burn is a foodie romance you'll simmer for

Food is some people’s love language and in The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain, that sentiment is taken to heart. 

Not only did I fall in love with the cover when I first saw it, but I also saw that this is Sarah Chamberlain’s debut so I was even more excited. It’s so awesome to see more romances being published so I’ll always champion debut authors. 

Considering that I also love romances about food or about chefs and cooking, this one had my name all over it. Plus like I said, I’m the sucker for a pretty cover and the cover for The Slowest Burn is just so dang pretty. 

Thankfully, St. Martin’s Press sent me an ARC so I was able to read this one early and can share my thoughts with all of you. 

The Slowest Burn is food for the romance reader’s soul. 

The Slowest Burn follows Ellie, a ghostwriter who is known for her work with celebrity cookbooks. She ends up getting paired with Kiernan, who is a hot-shot chef and the recent winner of a cooking competition. From the start, it’s clear that these two don’t seem like the best fit. 

Things only get worse from there as Kiernan won’t reply to Ellie’s emails but invites her to one of his events. The two end up getting into an argument and essentially get stuck together. They end up going to a cabin to learn to work together and figure out what’s going on with Kiernan’s cookbook. 

Of course, while they’re up there, the attraction between them begins to simmer but they agree to just be friends. The plan quickly goes up in flames as Kiernan needs a date to his parents’ party and enlists Ellie. The two have a terrible time but do put on a believable act and from there, the chemistry is off-the-charts. 

While it does take a while for the romance to develop, it does make sense. Ellie is a widow as she lost her husband extremely young. She’s also dealing with his mother, not coping with his death in a healthy way, and on the whole, not making time for herself. Kiernan has issues with his own family as they can’t seem to get a clear picture of who he is and what he does. 

As heavy as the themes in this book are, Sarah Chamberlain still makes sure to insert some light and fun moments to break it up. Plus there are so many great recipes and moments in the kitchen that your mouth will be watering as you’re reading. If you’re a foodie or food is your love language, you’ll absolutely devour The Slowest Burn. 

The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain is out now where books are sold.