What do you think?
Rate this book
Slow Burn
Twenty years ago, a fire stole Jocelyn Murphy’s mama and shattered her childhood, leaving only ashes behind.
Everyone called it an accident. Jocelyn never believed them. Now she’s back in Cedar Hollow, determined to uncover the truth—even if it means stirring up old grudges and waking ghosts the town would rather forget.
Cole Hauser can’t seem to get out from under the shadow of his daddy, the firefighter hailed as a hero for saving Jocelyn that night. But Jocelyn’s questions threaten to crack open the story his family is built on. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous it becomes—for them both.
Passion ignites where old wounds and buried lies collide. In Cedar Hollow, Tennessee, secrets burn hotter than desire—and some flames never die.
Everyone called it an accident. Jocelyn never believed them. Now she’s back in Cedar Hollow, determined to uncover the truth—even if it means stirring up old grudges and waking ghosts the town would rather forget.
Cole Hauser can’t seem to get out from under the shadow of his daddy, the firefighter hailed as a hero for saving Jocelyn that night. But Jocelyn’s questions threaten to crack open the story his family is built on. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous it becomes—for them both.
Passion ignites where old wounds and buried lies collide. In Cedar Hollow, Tennessee, secrets burn hotter than desire—and some flames never die.
349 pages, Paperback
Published November 3, 2025
1 person is currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Tracey Barski
11 books52 followersTracey Barski lives in Tennessee with her husband and their two children. When she’s not writing or homeschooling her tiny humans, she works as a proofreader and cover designer in an attempt to subsidize costs for fellow indie authors. Find her on Instagram and Facebook, as well as her website, to find out about her upcoming books!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 14, 2025
I read this in three days because I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!! The romantic tension and suspenseful elements were done in the most delicious way, both of which pay off big time in the end.
Barski is so good at immersing you into a scene that you forget you’re not actually the main character. The development of each of the characters was so well done and realistic that it makes it easy to root for them.
Easily my favorite read of hers!!
Barski is so good at immersing you into a scene that you forget you’re not actually the main character. The development of each of the characters was so well done and realistic that it makes it easy to root for them.
Easily my favorite read of hers!!
October 20, 2025
A burn so slow I couldn't put it down.
This book was all the right amounts of romantic angst, suspenseful mystery, and hot dude who owns a bar. Oh, and small town Tennessee vibes. Lots of those too.
A perfect read for those who want to dive into a romantic suspense for fall instead of a cozy romance.
Can't wait for more like this from Barski.
This book was all the right amounts of romantic angst, suspenseful mystery, and hot dude who owns a bar. Oh, and small town Tennessee vibes. Lots of those too.
A perfect read for those who want to dive into a romantic suspense for fall instead of a cozy romance.
Can't wait for more like this from Barski.
December 12, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Gritty, Atmospheric Romantic Suspense That Lives Up to Its Title
Slow Burn is the kind of small-town romantic suspense that grips you from page one and doesn’t let go. Tracey Barski weaves together mystery, trauma, and forbidden attraction in a story where the past is never truly buried—and the truth can be as dangerous as the fire that started it all.
The book centers on Jocelyn Murphy, who returns to Cedar Hollow twenty years after a devastating fire stole her mother and destroyed her childhood. Everyone else in town insists it was an accident, but Jocelyn has never accepted that. Her determination to dig up the truth creates immediate tension—not just with the townspeople who want their ghosts to stay buried, but with Cole Hauser, a firefighter fighting battles of his own.
Cole is stuck living in the long shadow of his father, a town hero praised for saving Jocelyn the night of the fire. His family’s reputation is everything in Cedar Hollow—but Jocelyn's questions begin to unravel the very story that built it. The more she pushes for answers, the more the walls of lies start to crack—and the more Cole struggles between loyalty to his family and his growing pull toward Jocelyn.
Barski builds the suspense with a steady, simmering pace—true to the title—letting old wounds, buried secrets, and volatile emotions ignite naturally. The chemistry between Jocelyn and Cole feels authentic, shaped by shared trauma and an unspoken understanding of the cost of silence. Their relationship is tense, complicated, and deeply human.
The setting of Cedar Hollow, Tennessee, is also wonderfully atmospheric: a town steeped in history, rumor, and simmering resentment, where everyone knows everyone, and secrets are currency. Barski captures that claustrophobic small-town vibe perfectly.
By the time the truth begins to surface, the stakes feel genuinely high—not just emotionally, but physically. The danger to both Jocelyn and Cole is palpable, and the final revelations hit hard.
Final Verdict:
A gripping blend of romance and mystery with strong emotional depth. If you enjoy small-town secrets, family drama, slow-building romance, and the tension of uncovering long-buried truths, Slow Burn is well worth the read. Atmospheric, evocative, and filled with smoldering tension.
A Gritty, Atmospheric Romantic Suspense That Lives Up to Its Title
Slow Burn is the kind of small-town romantic suspense that grips you from page one and doesn’t let go. Tracey Barski weaves together mystery, trauma, and forbidden attraction in a story where the past is never truly buried—and the truth can be as dangerous as the fire that started it all.
The book centers on Jocelyn Murphy, who returns to Cedar Hollow twenty years after a devastating fire stole her mother and destroyed her childhood. Everyone else in town insists it was an accident, but Jocelyn has never accepted that. Her determination to dig up the truth creates immediate tension—not just with the townspeople who want their ghosts to stay buried, but with Cole Hauser, a firefighter fighting battles of his own.
Cole is stuck living in the long shadow of his father, a town hero praised for saving Jocelyn the night of the fire. His family’s reputation is everything in Cedar Hollow—but Jocelyn's questions begin to unravel the very story that built it. The more she pushes for answers, the more the walls of lies start to crack—and the more Cole struggles between loyalty to his family and his growing pull toward Jocelyn.
Barski builds the suspense with a steady, simmering pace—true to the title—letting old wounds, buried secrets, and volatile emotions ignite naturally. The chemistry between Jocelyn and Cole feels authentic, shaped by shared trauma and an unspoken understanding of the cost of silence. Their relationship is tense, complicated, and deeply human.
The setting of Cedar Hollow, Tennessee, is also wonderfully atmospheric: a town steeped in history, rumor, and simmering resentment, where everyone knows everyone, and secrets are currency. Barski captures that claustrophobic small-town vibe perfectly.
By the time the truth begins to surface, the stakes feel genuinely high—not just emotionally, but physically. The danger to both Jocelyn and Cole is palpable, and the final revelations hit hard.
Final Verdict:
A gripping blend of romance and mystery with strong emotional depth. If you enjoy small-town secrets, family drama, slow-building romance, and the tension of uncovering long-buried truths, Slow Burn is well worth the read. Atmospheric, evocative, and filled with smoldering tension.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2026
First book of 2026 was a hit! This was my first Tracey Barski book, but it won't be my last.
It’s dual 3rd person POV, closed door, minimal cussing, small town in Tennessee (with all the gossip that comes with it), a hot bar owning MMC, and a murder mystery to solve. An adult book that is perfectly suited for teens as well.
I got sucked into the story in the best way possible. You know how some books are easy to put down? This one isn't. You know how some books are good, but you kinda nibble at it until it's done? Not this one. It's a devour this story kind of book. The writing was top notch, polished, engaging and intriguing. "Good!"
The mystery was layered so well. It kept me guessing in the best way possible and was so fun (which sounds terrible to type out given what the mystery was about).
The characters were well rounded, developed, and unique. There was no mistaking whose POV you were in in this one. The development was paced so well and developed nicely and smoothly.
The romance though. The dialogue. The small moments of subtly in between. I think my highlighter ran out of ink, and I read on kindle.
This book was the best kind of slow burn because it lingers after.
Should you read this one? Yes absolutely no question. I can't wait to dive into Ms. Barski's back catalogue!
It’s dual 3rd person POV, closed door, minimal cussing, small town in Tennessee (with all the gossip that comes with it), a hot bar owning MMC, and a murder mystery to solve. An adult book that is perfectly suited for teens as well.
I got sucked into the story in the best way possible. You know how some books are easy to put down? This one isn't. You know how some books are good, but you kinda nibble at it until it's done? Not this one. It's a devour this story kind of book. The writing was top notch, polished, engaging and intriguing. "Good!"
The mystery was layered so well. It kept me guessing in the best way possible and was so fun (which sounds terrible to type out given what the mystery was about).
The characters were well rounded, developed, and unique. There was no mistaking whose POV you were in in this one. The development was paced so well and developed nicely and smoothly.
The romance though. The dialogue. The small moments of subtly in between. I think my highlighter ran out of ink, and I read on kindle.
This book was the best kind of slow burn because it lingers after.
Should you read this one? Yes absolutely no question. I can't wait to dive into Ms. Barski's back catalogue!
November 1, 2025
This book was good, but not quite what I was expecting. Instead of a romantic suspense, it was more of a mystery with romantic elements. Jocelyn has come back to her hometown to dig into her mother’s death, which occurred twenty years ago. She meets Cole, the son of the man who saved her from the fire that killed her mother, and the two of them begin to look into the events of that long ago night. It was dual POV and Jocelyn was much more focused on her investigation than anything else. Cole, meanwhile, was struck by Jocelyn immediately and so most of the romantic moments of the book came from his perspective. I came away feeling like I didn’t get to know the characters as well as I would have liked, but that isn’t to say I didn’t still enjoy the book. The story was interesting and had me invested in the outcome. The author has a really great voice and she conveyed the feel of small town Southern life so well. With such an engaging writing style I’d definitely be interested in reading more by her.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 17, 2025
I'll read anything Tracey writes, and this was everything I've come to expect from her!! She perfectly layers in mystery and romance, and the slow burn tension in this one in particularly was *chef's kiss*!!
I got SO CLOSE to guessing correctly in this, but alas, I didn't, and that's what made this so good! She stumped me!
Seriously. Tracey is a favorite author, and a force to be reckoned with (but not intimidatingly!!)
I got SO CLOSE to guessing correctly in this, but alas, I didn't, and that's what made this so good! She stumped me!
Seriously. Tracey is a favorite author, and a force to be reckoned with (but not intimidatingly!!)
February 2, 2026
Tracey Barski’s Slow Burn is a masterclass in the "small-town romantic suspense" genre. It’s a heavy, atmospheric story that balances a cold-case investigation with the high-voltage tension of a "star-crossed" romance.
October 28, 2025
Great romance with some suspense and mystery! Really enjoy her writing style.
November 8, 2025
What an exciting read! I appreciated the mystery and suspense coupled with small town dynamics. Add in the romance and it is a fantastic story that will have you engaged to the very end!
December 12, 2025
No adivine quien fue el culpable.
January 23, 2026
4⭐s for the suspense, 3⭐s for the romance.
LOVED the insidious small town vibe, but the romance was a little flat in comparison. I did wish they left that town and never looked back, but oh well.
LOVED the insidious small town vibe, but the romance was a little flat in comparison. I did wish they left that town and never looked back, but oh well.
November 8, 2025
More mystery than romance, a gripping tale of how a girls mother met her death in a house fire 🔥 Jocelyn goes back to her home town to investigate her death and meets a man….
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews