This was a wonderfully written book. I really enjoyed Kate as a character and her development. I do feel like the romance element is not the strongest plot in the book, but honestly I didn’t mind because of how much I loved other aspects of the book.

It's been a while since I've read anything from Josie. This book was just what I was wanting. I really enjoyed it. Gave me all the feels. It was funny, heartwarming and gave all the summer feels.

I loved the story and the characters

This book had me smiling and sighing in equal measure. I loved how Kate’s journey—recovering from divorce and stepping into a faux author role—unfolds with warmth and humor. Plenty of reviewers called it “adorable” and “a slow burn worth the wait,” and I totally agree. There were moments where the romance felt understated, almost too gradual, but the sisterly dynamics and character growth more than made up for it. Overall, it feels like a cozy hug of a novel—thoughtful, gentle, and charming enough to earn 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC 💕

I really enjoyed this!
Kate is your run of the mill divorcee with a 19 year old daughter when she decides to try and contact her agent from her days acting 20 years ago. Little does she know that her agent has passed away and the business is now in the hands of his son, who just so happens to be looking for an actress to pretend to be the author of a new romance novel that is really written by a well known author of a different genre, wishing to detach their name from this book.

Kate takes on the role and for a brief moment everything is amazing but with such an intricate lie going on behind the scenes, how long can this narrative be kept up?

I found Kate to be a relatable, funny character to follow and I really felt for her in her tougher moments (like dealing with her asshole ex-husband) and I loved seeing the natural progression of her friendship and feeling for Charlie (her new agent).

Charlie is such a likeable love interest and I liked the subtle backstory of his own divorce with elements of the media getting in the way of the real story.

I can’t wait to pick up a copy of this for my bookshelves!

3.5 ⭐️

To be honest I don’t think the title makes a lot of sense. I wouldn’t consider this a slow burn and I didn’t get summer vibes AT ALL. The romance part was pretty weak actually, because it seems like the characters just liked each other and got together with no more depth than their personal problems (divorces and family) and their “forbidden” love. What I mean is that they didn’t seem to connect any further than that and it looked a bit weird.

I still liked the book though. It was well written and had a good main storyline (which doesn’t match the title). I also liked the characters and their personalities a lot. I loved how Kate and her sister had this tight relationship and how Charlie was willing to help Kate every time. The mystery author part was really cool, actually, though I would’ve enjoyed if we were told a bit more about their back story.

It wasn’t a bad book but I was expecting it to be as emotional as One Day in December. I would work more on the romance and their feelings towards each other.

Thank you Penguin UK for the arc :)

A great summer rom com, fantastic for book lovers with some unexpected twists.
Kate has an appointment with her old acting agency as she very much needs a job since her horrible divorce but it’s her agent’s son at his desk who offers her a very unusual role. Charlie is back in London from California trying to cover for his late father at his agency, can he carry on the legacy!
There is some tension, some slapstick here and there, a few surprises and a whole lot of love. Life is complicated and not straightforward that’s for sure in this story!!
At times heartwarming, funny and a glorious summer feel good read. Loved some of the situations and descriptions, fun and brilliant! This book certainly keeps you guessing!
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin books for the early read! This is fab!

found the plot for this book really unique, I enjoyed how the main characters were involved with each other and how they worked together.

I didn’t have an emotional connection to either of the main characters but it was an easy romance book to read.

Josie Silver has written some of my favourite wintery reads so I’ve been very excited to get my hands on her latest novel.
‌
The story follows Kate, a newly divorced ex-actress, living in a flat above her sister’s shop, trying to get her life on track. She sends an email to her old agent on a whim and his son, Charlie who has taken over the agency, picks the email up. The agency has a job, to be the face of a new romance novel as the author wants to remain anonymous. This is such a unique idea for a book and I really enjoyed the ride.
‌
There are two main reasons I loved this story, which felt like a breath of fresh air. For one, although romance is a theme, it felt subtle and secondary to the main plot. The fact that the two main characters are slightly older than the twenty-somethings we’re normally reading about in these books and that they’re divorcees navigating a new version of their lives, felt refreshing. The romance felt more mature and real in a way.
‌
The second point is that this book has such an important message throughout. It is really clever, pitching the good and bad sides of the internet against each other and really drawing on how things work in the modern world. The fact that in the blink of an eye, social media can play a part in destroying something good or lifting something to new levels. It felt powerful.
‌
Adding to these points, it’s bookish, there are some great side characters, the banter is bantering and a Cornwall getaway sneaks in there at one point, I think it’s a perfect summer read. The only downside is I’d have loved slightly more romantic build up and yearning but that’s me being picky!
‌
💕forced proximity
💕workplace romance
💕divorcees
💕living with grief
💕bookish
💕london setting
‌
Thank you so much to Viking, Penguin and Netgalley for the e-arc of this book

i just couldn’t get through this :( i was SO confused about the POV and what was happening from the get-go. this is in desperate need of more editing!

I really enjoyed this sweet romance. I’ve read all of Josie Silver’s books and loved all of them. They’re such wonderful and easy reads. With the cutest romances. And “Slow Burn Summer” was no different. 💜
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Kate Elliot’s life needs a rewrite. She is newly divorced, after discovering her husband cheating on her with his secretary, and without money and a job. But she can act. So she contacts her ex-talent agent, Jojo Francisco, in the hope that he can find her some work. But Jojo sadly passed away and his son Charlie is now filling his shoes. 👞
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Charlie has just escaped the disaster that was his life in LA. He is desperate to play by the rules, make his father proud and have a successful new life in England. So he is keen for Kate to take the job that has landed on his desk. It’s not conventional. But this may just be the opportunity that both Kate and Charlie need to turn their lives around. 🥰
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This was such a warm and wonderful romance. Kate and Charlie are a fantastic couple. I liked that they were older and had already experienced a lot of life and that this romance was a second chance for both of them. 🩵
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Kate was just adorable. She reminded me a little of Bridget Jones, moving from disaster to disaster but somehow landing on her feet. Charlie, was strong and dependable, always playing the superhero and helping as much as he could. Their relationship was a real slow burn but I was here for that. 🔥
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This was so much fun to read. I had a massive smile on my face and I often found myself chuckling at the antics in the book. 🤣

Less romance than I was expecting, given the cover and the blurb, however I did enjoy this novel by Josie Silver. The 'ghost author' plot offered an interesting portrait of the publishing industry and the wheeling/dealing that goes on behind the scenes to get our favourite books into stores and on best seller lists.

I loved the character of Kate, trying to get her life back together after a divorce, showing real heart and humour throughout this journey. As a reader, I didn't feel the chemistry between Kate and Charlie, although I did enjoy the sweet moments when he came swooping in to rescue her. I would have liked to get to know Charlie more before he and Kate professed their love for each other.

Starting over, slowly—and with feeling 💔➡️💖

Josie Silver’s Slow Burn Summer is exactly what the title promises: a slow, tender unfurling of two people picking up the pieces of their lives and figuring out how to start again. It’s a contemporary romance, yes, but also a midlife coming-of-age wrapped in humour, hope, and a bit of publishing-world intrigue. And it’s set in England, which gives the whole thing that lovely British wit and charm.

🎭 A story of second chances

At 17, Kate had star quality—her acting dreams were very nearly within reach, until she chose love, marriage, and motherhood instead. Fast-forward two decades and Kate is divorced, broke, and ready to rediscover herself now that her daughter Alice is off at uni. She reaches out to the talent agency she once left behind, only to discover that Jojo Francisco—the agent who once believed in her so passionately—has died. In his place is his son, Charlie, a former LA screenwriter nursing his own wounds from a failed marriage and a career that depended on his partnership with his ex.

Charlie’s not sure he’s up to running the agency—but when Kate walks in, he sees potential. Not as an actress, but as a ghost author for a romance novel written by a bestselling author who wants nothing to do with the book. So Kate steps into the strange world of pretending to be someone else’s voice—and in the process, begins to rediscover her own.

🧡 Love, heartbreak, and healing

The relationship between Charlie and Kate is beautifully slow and believable. These are two people in their late 30s - early 40s who’ve been burned before and aren’t rushing into anything. There’s care, mutual respect, and a quiet sort of longing that makes their eventual connection feel real and earned.

But this isn’t just a romance. It’s also very much a story about Kate: her grief, her courage, her laugh-out-loud banter, and her slow but steady reclaiming of identity. There are some truly funny, tongue-in-cheek moments that had me snorting, especially in scenes with Kate’s sister—who completely steals the show every time she appears. Their bond is joyful and authentic, the kind of ride-or-die sisterhood we need more of in fiction.

🎤 Final thoughts

While the romance is sweet and satisfying, the real gem here is Kate’s journey of self-discovery. It’s about believing in your own worth after years of compromise, about taking chances when life hasn’t gone to plan, and about finding joy in unexpected places.

If you enjoy mature protagonists, second chances, and stories with heart and humour, Slow Burn Summer is absolutely worth picking up.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Romantic, addictive, and packed with sizzling chemistry ☀️🔥. Slow Burn Summer is a deliciously paced love story about longing, friendship, and the sparks that ignite when the timing finally feels right. Josie Silver crafts characters that feel real and relatable, with a storyline full of emotional depth and sunshine-soaked romance. I adored the slow build of tension, heartfelt moments, and the dreamy summer setting. Perfect for fans of second-chance love and slow-burn passion.

This took a while to get into, I’ll admit.

It definitely was a slow burn, but the flow of their relationship progression wasn’t very smooth. It seemed to jump a lot and relied heavily on him jumping in to ‘rescue’ her. There weren’t many opportunities presented to them both to navigate a relationship progression outside of their agent-client one.

This isn’t a story that delves into the character’s thought processes. It relies heavily upon dialogue and the ‘right here and now’ of everything. There’s no inner monologue aside from a brief thought before an action or piece of dialogue, so when the characters finally lay it all on the table it feels very sudden and out of the blue.

I found myself torn with how to rate this one. Although it’s a sweet story and I enjoyed it, and there’s a lot of weight to the unspoken moments with this one, I still finished the book with too many questions. How was Alice after everything? How did she react to her father’s public comments? How did Liv react to the drama Kate faced in her absence? How did the public react after the unveiling?

All of these were things I felt I needed to know to have the book wrapped up for good. It was short enough to have had these questions answered whilst still leaving some parts open to interpretation.

I’d still recommend this to anyone who enjoys slow burn romances of older MCs, it just wasn’t my favourite.

This as the title tells us is definitely a slow burn story. It took a lonnnng time for any romance to happen and even when it did it didn’t feel exciting and felt quite stilted. I liked the characters and parts of the story were very interesting. Iv read a few of Josie Silvers books and I’m really sad to say this one did not grip me like the others. It will not put me off reading more from her though as it was still a pleasant read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this early copy.

Slow Burn Summer is the first book I've read by Josie Silver, and overall, I found it fairly average. The story follows Kate, a recently divorced woman who turns to Charlie Francisco for a job at his publishing company. She ends up agreeing to pose as the author of a novel whose real writer wishes to remain anonymous - a reverse ghostwriting setup that I found genuinely intriguing.

However, the romantic element of the story fell flat for me. The chemistry between the main characters was nearly nonexistent, and their interactions felt minimal and forced. The romance lacked emotional depth and didn’t feel believable, which made it hard to invest in their relationship.

While I appreciated the originality of the premise, perhaps this novel would have benefited from being marketed more as a contemporary fiction title than a romance. That said, I’m still open to giving Josie Silver another chance, One Day in December and The Two Lives of Lydia Bird are already waiting on physical TBR.

Kate Elliott gave up the spotlight for love, only to find herself years later divorced and desperate for work and fresh start. Until her letter brings her the chance she never expected.

Charlie Franciso is the heir to his father's agenting throne and when he reads Kate's letter seeking another chance in the acting business, he cannot help but think that she could be the one they're looking for. An unknown actor to pose as a romance author for PR purposes.

Fake identities, real chemistry, and a whole lot of " what could possibly go wrong?"
Spoiler: everything __ and it's glorious.
It's a funny feel good romance/women's fiction novel. I enjoyed every moment Josie's writing hits different quirky, emotional , and so enjoyable. No spice here( as the title hints), but it's a perfect slow ❤️‍🔥 burn.
It's all about second chances, unexpected sparks, rediscovering yourself, and finding joy in the mess, and maybe just maybe falling in love along the way. Emotional with the right amount of humour and fun.

Thanks so much to @netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC of #SlowBurnSummer in exchange for my honest review.

Xoxo😘

This book gives you exactly what you come to expect from a Josie Silver romance and I especially loved that the main characters were a little bit older than what you usually find in a romance novel.

3.5 stars rounded up because I enjoyed this, really - I do like the author's writing and I really liked Kate. It's refreshing to read about characters in their late thirties and forties, who've already lived a good chunk of their lives and are now undergoing the "what's next?" struggle, and Kate is an excellent example of that. So is Charlie, although he wasn't as well fleshed-out: this is very much Kate's story and her insecurities, humour and determination are very well depicted. Also, her sister is an absolute joy. But this isn't a five-star read for me (unlike some of the author's previous novels) for a few reasons. Some things could have been wrapped up better, particularly the plot line relating to Kate's daughter and to a lesser extent her ex-husband. The romance felt unbalanced - it doesn't have to be the fulcrum of the plot and indeed that wouldn't have worked either, but the way it progressed seemed quite out of the blue. And when I finished the book, I looked at the title again and realised that it doesn't really reflect the plot. Is the use of Slow Burn Summer purely designed to appeal to the romance market? The hot summer is mentioned but doesn't really matter, and the slow burn is kind of there, but see my previous point on the romance aspect. But if you shelve any expectations of a frothy, heated summer romance and appreciate a tale of a woman rebuilding her life and navigating the inevitable pitfalls with grace and wit, then give this one a try.

I’ve been a fan of Josie Silver’s books for a while, so I went into Slow Burn Summer with pretty high hopes. And while it had its moments, this one just didn’t do it for me.

Let’s start with the good: it is actually funny. Josie Silver knows how to write humor that feels natural and genuinely entertaining. But on the other hand, the title is super accurate. This is the slowest of slow burns. So slow, in fact, that at times I wasn’t sure there was even going to be a romance.

What really saved the book for me was Kate, I adored her. She’s honest, unfiltered, and just brimming with personality. Her vulnerability makes her so easy to root for. And shoutout to Liv, the ultimate supportive sister! Every scene she’s in just shines. Honestly, the sisterly bond might’ve been my favorite “relationship” in the whole book.

In the end, I’d say this felt more like women’s fiction with a splash of comedy than a true romance. Still enjoyable in parts, especially because of the characters—but not quite the emotional love story I was hoping for.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for the digital copy in exchange for my honest reivew.