The Slowest Burn by Sarah ChamberlainMy rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Enjoyable romance with a foodie angle!
THE SLOWEST BURN is a cute romance, though there's nothing hugely original about it. The entire time it nagged me that it reminded me so much of another book I'd read -- believe it was Ashley Poston's Seven Year Slip.
Here we have the usual set-up for a love story: two people with baggage have to get over it if they want to wind up together. Kieran won a reality cooking show and now he's trying to capitalize on that fame by publishing a cookbook. Ellie is the ghostwriter for said cookbook. Kieran is dyslexic with ADHD, but--of course--Ellie is orderly and uptight. The two clash... until they don't.
The serious aspect of the story revolves around a study of grief. Ellie is a young widow who still lives in a cottage behind her late husband's parents, and they depend heavily on her. Kieran has his own family problems, with a family who always had very high expectations for their son.
Kieran and Ellie are frustrating in the beginning, when they lack the ability to communicate. Once they get to know each other, it's an enjoyable book. The two feel they can't have a relationship due to perceptions in the publishing world. And Ellie is hung up on the fact that she can't have anything for herself (the usual) while Kieran is sure he'll destroy anything good he touches. I do feel badly for Ellie, as she has a lot going on, and Kieran seems like a pretty decent guy. Their chemistry is good, and there's a lot of cooking/baking references, if that's something you enjoy.
There are not a ton of major happenings or deep revelations, despite the serious topics covered, but this is still a sweet romance. 3.5 stars.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin in return for an unbiased review.
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