The Slowest Burn

A Novel

By: Sarah Chamberlain

Narrated by: Hunter Johns, Kate Handford

Most Anticipated by The Nerd Daily * Brit + Co

"A five course feast of longing, banter, gourmet cooking, heaps of spice, and a cherry on top happily ever after. I devoured this fake dating, celebrity chef romance."—Erin La Rosa, author of Plot Twist and For Butter or Worse

Business or Pleasure meets Evvie Drake Starts Over in this delicious opposites-attract romance from debut author Sarah Chamberlain.

Sometimes the perfect recipe just needs a little extra heat.

Ellie Wasserman’s life is neat and tidy, and that’s exactly how she wants it. Really. A top ghostwriter for celebrity cookbooks, she was widowed three years ago and has no interest in taking chances—not on writing her own cookbook, not on telling her still-grieving in-laws she wants to move out, and certainly not on dating, which is about as intimidating as a recipe with fifty steps.

Kieran O’Neill isn’t known for being organized. An up-and-coming chef who scored big on a reality television competition, he’s been the guy who cracks jokes and makes messes—something his chilly family has never let him forget. The only place he feels truly capable is at the stove. But when he’s paired with an uptight ghostwriter with cool blue eyes and distracting curves to write his debut cookbook, she shreds his class clown act like a paring knife cuts an orange peel.

As Ellie and Kieran are forced to work closely together in a hot kitchen for weeks on end, their sharp edges and harsh judgments slowly soften and sweeten into a wildly delicious attraction. Long, steamy days turn into even steamier nights, but they have to face their painful pasts to know if this tender new love can transform into something lasting.

"A romance as sharp as it is sweet. Fans of Emily Henry will devour this delectable story of love lost and found."—Cecilia Rabess

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

©2024 Sarah Chamberlain (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"The Slowest Burn will steal your heart with its perfect chemistry and the totally satisfying ending, and it will stay with you for its subtle exploration of family and friendship. This is a truly thoughtful, rich love story."—Annabel Monaghan, bestselling author of Same Time Next Summer and Summer Romance.

"In The Slowest Burn, Chamberlain serves up a romance as sharp as it is sweet. Fans of Emily Henry will devour this delectable story of love lost and found."—Cecilia Rabess, author of Everything's Fine

"The Slowest Burn is a five course feast of longing, banter, gourmet cooking, heaps of spice, and a cherry on top happily ever after. I devoured this fake dating, celebrity chef romance and can’t wait to read more from Chamberlain."—Erin La Rosa, author of For Butter or Worse and Plot Twist

Deliciously romance and writing

I am absolutely loving this book! Each scene is so vividly described that I feel like I’m standing right there, fully immersed in the world of the Ellie and Kieran. Sarah Chamberlain brings each personality to life with such detail that I get a deep sense of who they are, both in their inner and outer life.

I love how Chamberlain has imbued so much texture in every scene, and especially the way she writes about food—every dish is so mouthwateringly described that it’s practically a sensory experience. This is one of those books where you don’t just read it, you taste it. Simply delicious!

The audio performance is also great. I felt the characters through their voices, and the chemistry is palpable!

PLEASE write more

I loved the character development in this story so much. The unique element was the food scene and the characters popped as they moved from enemies to lovers. Male longing fans look no further. PLEASE write more!!

So Cute! Great Narrators

Loved the narrators performance in this story! Could feel every emotion and really liked the narrators voices.