Slow Burn Summer is Josie Silver’s latest romance; this is my first non-Christmas story by this author. The story is part character-development and part romance, with some suspense. While the action takes place in London, it can easily be understood by international readers.

Kate Elliott is a 39-year-old recent divorcee whose life has fallen apart. She left her husband after discovering that he was cheating on her, but the prenuptial agreement prevents her from getting a financial settlement. She worked briefly as an actress in her as a young adult but gave up her career for marriage and motherhood. Her 19-year-old daughter, Alice, is in college. Kate’s former talent agent, JoJo Francisco, is deceased but his son has taken over the business. When Kate contacts him looking for work, he has only one potential assignment: pose as a romance novelist and go on a book tour for the anonymous publicity-shy author.

Charlie Francisco is a recent divorce who is adjusting to his new life and career. He was married to a daughter of Hollywood royalty, and together they were successful screenwriters of rom-coms. When she ended the marriage, he was so despondent that his father, JoJo, dragged him back to London. Shortly afterwards, JoJo died and Charlie was left to run his talent agency. JoJo shared an office with a prominent literary agent, Fiona Fox, who represents writers. Fiona has a potentially bestselling romance novel written by one of her clients who writes bestsellers in another genre and wants nothing to do with this book. Fiona has to find someone who can pose as the author, Kate Darrowby, and go on a summer book tour, while keeping the true author’s identity a secret.

After Kate reads a few chapters in the novel, she’s enthralled with the story and accepts the author-impersonator assignment. She is required to attend all interviews, signings, and appearances surrounding the novel’s publication as Kate Darrowby. Kate loves the book and is intrigued by the mystery of the author’s real identity. The story is so beautiful that it’s made her believe in love again. Kate and Charlie initially have some friction between them but they soon become more friendly and develop romantic feelings for each other.

Kate enjoys her role as “successful novelist,” but the lies start to get out of hand. As the book tour progresses, things heat up between Kate and Charlie, but it’s sometimes difficult to distinguish between what’s real and fake. Kate is trying to figure out the identity of the real author, which isn’t revealed until the end of the book. Kate’s sister, Liv, is very supportive of her, and adds a lot of humor to the story.

Slow Burn Summer is a gift to romance readers, providing behind-the-scenes views of the publishing world. Readers will empathize with Kate and Charlie’s initial heartbreak and their subsequent determination to build new lives for themselves. The fact that they forge a romantic bond is a bonus, if it can survive the madness of the book tour. Slow Burn Summer will make readers laugh at the predicaments and entanglements that Kate gets herself in by her author-impersonation duties.

I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Random House Publishing-Ballantine for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I found the concept of this book to be interesting and different. Kate recently divorced and in need a job connects with her old talent agency, where Charlie has recently taken over for his father. She agrees to be the public face and name associated with a novel as the author wants to remain anonymous. They are navigating the balance of a working relationship and complicated personal lives. Overall, I liked it but didn’t love it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Finding herself in need of a job, Kate reaches out to her agent from 20 years ago, back before she followed her now ex-husband to another country, giving up her dream for his. The agent’s son is now fulfilling his late father’s duties and proposes an interesting deal for her to consider: not ghost writing a book, but ghost authoring - being the public face for an established author seeking privacy. What could go wrong, right? A lot! I was committed to a 3 star rating due to some character (under)development and timeline/story progression unbelievability, but the last 10% boosted it a half star to a solid 3.5. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This is my second JS book (the other being One Day in December), and they are great feel good quick reads in between heavier titles!

I've enjoyed a number of books by this author and was looking forward to jumping into their latest!!

A little workplace/friends to lovers romance but honestly, Kate and Charlie worked so much better as friends. A little booktok drama montage at the end that worked but also felt out of place. Some magical sounding locations outside of London that I would love to go spend time in all packaged up in a new take on a ghost writing story that we haven't seen before.

The story itself was enjoyable and a rather quick read but ultimately I think my expectations were a little higher than what was delivered.



Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for the ARC in exchange for my review!

I wanted to love this one, I really did. I had such a hard time getting into it, and it just did not keep my attention at all. I didn’t feel an emotional connection to the characters, so it made the book fall flat for me. I still love Josie’s writing style and it was well written, just not my favorite by her.

I love all of Josie Silver’s books and this was no exception! I liked the premise of the story, a successful author will only release his next novel under a “ghost author”, cue the hiring of out of work soap opera actress Kate to fill the role. The slow burn romance in the story lives up to the books name!

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Josie Silver delivers a story full of second chances, publishing hijinks, and unexpected connections in Slow Burn Summer.

Kate is newly divorced and craving a fresh start—personally and professionally. She reaches out to her former agent only to discover he has passed away, and his son Charlie has taken over. When Charlie offers Kate the chance to be the public face of a romance novel written by a reclusive author who wants to remain anonymous, she accepts, not realizing just how complicated things are about to get. As the book becomes a media sensation, secrets unravel and chaos ensues—but in the midst of it all, Kate and Charlie find themselves leaning into something more than just a professional partnership.

The love story between Kate and Charlie is sweet, but it felt a bit rushed in the end—I found myself wanting more emotional buildup to really root for them. Still, there are plenty of highlights: Kate’s loving relationship with her sister Liv, the delightfully brash Fiona, and a charming cast of quirky side characters (hello to the Bridgerton-inspired bridesmaids!).

Overall, this is a light, fun, and easy read that brings summer vibes, found family warmth, and a behind-the-scenes look at the book world.

Read if you like:
📚 Workplace romance
💬 Slow burn tension
🎭 Second acts in life and career
📸 PR spirals and public drama
📖 Books about books!

I really did want to love this book, but for me, the story got off to a slow start, and I struggled to get hooked on the plot. The characters were fine, but I didn't feel the attraction between them was strong enough that I'm typically used to with romance novels. The plot was original, Kate plays an author even though she didn't actually write the book. The real author did not want to do the press tour to promote the book. She falls in love with her agent, Charlie. If perhaps the build-up between Kate and Charlie were stronger, I'm not sure. For me, this was just a miss, but that's not to say that you shouldn't give this a read. Thank you to Josie Silver, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Cute premise. I didn't love this one as much as the other Josie Silver books I've read. Slow to start, but overall enjoyable.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @PRH Audio for the advanced reader and listener copies. All opinions are my own.

What I love about a Josie Silver book--and this one was no exception--is that they are more than just romance stories. In Slow Burn Summer, we got to see Kate go on a journey of returning to herself, rediscovering lost passions and finding new ones after a dreadful divorce. I loved going on this journey with her. What I also appreciated (and my appreciation surprised me a bit since I am all about character development) was how both Kate and Charlie grew as characters but not in any drastic or monumental ways. Josie did such a wonderful job at showing how even small changes can make a difference in life.

The relationship between Kate and Charlie was definitely a slow burn, and it was exactly as it should have bee considering their professional relationship. I loved how Kate's affection for Charlie grew because he proved himself to be loyal and dependable (and, okay, attractive too). One complaint I did have was that we didn't get enough of Charlie's point of view. While we got little snapshots from his perspective, it felt more a necessity to plot rather than us getting to know him as a character. It made the romance aspect of the story feel a bit unbalanced because we got to see why Kate fell for Charlie but not nearly so much why Charlie fell for Kate. I would have preferred to have more of his perspective or none at all. This is really the only reason why I marked this a four rather than five star.

Elements of this story are a little preposterous--in a fun way--yet I found both Kate and Charlie to be very relatable characters. Josie's writing was smooth and easy to read, and I truly enjoyed the whole experience!

Charlie Francisco’s agency is sitting on a guaranteed bestseller—a swoony romance novel the real author refuses to claim. Desperate, he hires Kate Elliott, a recently divorced soap actress, to pose as the writer on a national book tour. But as interviews blur into intimacy, and fiction starts to feel like truth, real feelings threaten their carefully crafted script.

This is extremely well-written and executed. The slow-paced British charm thoroughly shines through, and I completely understand why everyone is obsessed with this author.

But I was boredddd, and I just couldn’t get over that hump. I think I’m okay with Josie’s meandering, nostalgic charm for a holiday novel once a year. However, I’m learning the style is not what I look forward to most of the time. Also, I’ve only read a couple of romances with divorcees—or even love over 40, for that matter—but those elements just don’t draw me in. I’m glad authors are writing about them for representation, but I don’t connect with them, and I think that contributed to my overall boredom.

If you love thoughtfully slow romances with sharp British prose, you’ll soak up every moment of this slow-burn summer.

Thank you @randomhouse for my eARC

Perfect for you if you like:
Love over 40
Books about publishing
Dry British wit and charm

Similar to:
Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella
The Switch by Beth O’Leary
The Dead Romantics by Ashley Boston

⛔️chapter 25 contains vague open-door romance scene
⚠️explicit language, mentions of adultery, grief

This was definitely a slow burn romance like 70% before things heated up type of slow but it made for great build up and character development. I enjoyed this one, it was fun, not something that I've read before (at least not that I remember), and the characters were great. Kate is definitely very relatable and I love her sister and the bond that they have. Charlie seemed to me like he was a bit lost and was still finding his way through loss and life. My favorite scene was probably the t-rex scene! I mean I can only imagine it. 😂 All in all a solid read and would recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review. As a book lover, I also love reading about books. Josie Silver is an author that I have previously liked, and I enjoyed this book as well. It is more of a women’s fiction than a romance novel, but was a perfect summer read. I’d recommend it to those who enjoy reading about the publishing world and overcoming obstacles in your life.

Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver is a fun rom-com with love, sweetness and a splash of humor. Kate, a thirty-nine year old divorcee and former actress, is seeking a job since she is virtually penniless. With no other option, she considers restarting her acting career. Charlie, a talent agent, is also a divorced and is seeking out someone to play the author of a book a bestselling romance. Since the book is in a completely different genre than their norm, they don’t want to be associated with. Enter Kate, now starring in the role of ghost author; doing all the publicity events and acting as though she is the actual author. With Charlie accompanying her on the tour, one wonders if there will a happily ever after between the two of them. This is a story about grief, not just the grief of losing a loved one, but also the grief of losing yourself, and eventually, finding your way back.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#NetGalley #RandomHouse # SlowBurnSummer

I would say the romance in this story takes a backburner to the main plot, where Kate is playing the public role in place of an anonymous author who has written a love story. She’s a recently divorced mother of a university student who really needs a job, so she tries to get in contact with her previous acting agent. The old agent, Jojo, has passed away, leaving his son Charlie to take the job. For the most part, Charlie is a totally professional and supportive colleague to Kate as she finds herself in crazy situations in her new “author” role. I feel like the romance comes out of nowhere a bit, but it still works ok for me. I was much more interested in Kate’s life with her family and friends and how she deals with her newfound fame.

Twenty years ago, Kate Elliott gave up a promising acting career for love. Now she's divorced and thanks to the prenup she signed in the throes of romance, she is nearly broke. She writes to her former agent seeking roles, only to discover he recently died and his son, Charlie, has taken over his agency. Despite a disastrous lead up to her interview (involving baby puke), Charlie offers her a unique role--to pretend to be the author of a stunning new romance novel whose real author wants to remain anonymous.

Kate jumps at the opportunity--after reading the book. At first, everything goes brilliantly, with readers loving the book and loving Kate's approachability. When things hit the rocks, due to a betrayal, Kate becomes the target of online vitriol. Charlie stays by her side, and both Kate and Charlie try to avoid their growing attraction.

I love everything Josie Silver writes and this book does not disappoint. Kate is such a likable character, with her close sister equally as delightful. Charlie is adorable and the antagonists are delightfully despicable. This is another book that's impossible to put down. #SlowBurnSummer #NetGalley

I was intrigued by the premise of this book and the plot kept me interested throughout but I didn’t quite feel the romance / it felt like it took a side seat. Where’s the tension of a slow burn!

Kate gave up her burgeoning acting career as a young adult in order to marry and support her husband, only to come crawling back to her talent agent years later when it all falls apart. While her agent has passed, his son presents the perfect opportunity - to stand in as for an author who wishes to remain anonymous. Kate gets a fresh start with her career and potentially in love.

I really enjoyed this book overall! I read this in about a day and had a hard time putting it down. I loved watching Charlie and Kate interact. I loved how her neighbors rallied around her when it all went to crap. I was giggling reading about the secret author in the dinosaur suit.

I do think this is more of a contemporary fiction with a hint of romance vs a true romance novel.

Overall, I gave it a 4.5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and Dell for the ARC. All views and opinions are my own.

I absolutely love Josie Silver and was so excited to get a copy of her latest, Slow Burn Summer. I loved the main character and that she was older than your typical rom-com main character. The romance was swoony and I was smiling from ear to ear from page one!
Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Josie Silver is one of my favorite authors, so I was super excited to read this book at the start of summer, however, it unfortunately fell a little flat for me. I enjoyed the fact that this was ultimately a book about people who love books and the people who write them, but this honestly felt more like women’s fiction than romance. I didn’t feel like there was much connection or chemistry between the characters, which was want I was wanting. That being said, there was character development centered around finding oneself and coping with grief, which I appreciated; it just wasn’t the story or vibe I was expecting.

I still love Josie Silver and look forward to reading her future books! I also think readers will enjoy this story more if they don’t go into it expecting it to primarily be a love story. Thank you NetGalley and Dell for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!