** spoiler alert ** I read A Winter in New York by Josie Silver last December and I really enjoyed it and I had high hopes for liking this one too but it just didn't work for me. I felt like the MMC, Charlie, was only a side character until over the halfway point in the book and even after they finally connected and had some meaningful moments together, he disappeared into the ether again...for weeks! Their interactions were so scarce. I can't believe the point of the book was supposed to be a slow burn between these characters because it wasn't even a smolder and then it never really became a fire at all. The relationship between Kate, the MMC, and her sister packed a far greater punch to the book. By the time these characters shared their feelings for each other, it didn't come off as believable at all. Also, the scene where the readers come to help her fend off the balaclava guy was ridiculous. I think the story had some serious potential and because the storyline was creative and unique, but I don't think it fully delivered. I was left not believing in their relationship and I think there were unresolved issues around Kate's ex-husband, her daughter and the daughter's ex-boyfriend, the agency partner, Fiona, and especially with Charlie's relationship with his ex-wife and that whole backstory which was glossed over.

I was given Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Kate Elliott is starting over. She’s recently divorced and an empty-nester. Once a soap opera actress who left her career for wedding bells, she’s now unemployed and needing a job. Enter Charlie Francisco, a screenwriter who has inherited he’s father’s talent agency. And he is looking for someone to play the part of romance author to a real life future bestseller.

I really enjoyed this book and think it is the perfect beach read for summer. It has everything - laugh out loud and cry your heart out parts.

This one was more com/dram than rom, and was full of Josie Silver’s classic heart!

Divorced single mom Kate needs something fresh in her life, and ends up cast to portray the author of a new book (written by a famous author hoping to keep their identity under wraps) while managed by her late agent’s son Charlie (who happens to be v handsome, of course). All signs point to romance between the two, but that’s not the main focus of the story. Kate’s tenuous role snowballs into something bigger, and when the fallout comes - who will she be on the other side?

I wanted to like this one so much, but the pacing felt off to me and the focus jumped around! I adored Kate as a character, she was a vivacious, determined, and so very brave. Her sister Liv was protective and sassy in that way that older sisters only can be. Charlie was a consummate professional with a heart-on for Kate but wasn’t given as much backstory as I would have wanted!! What happened in LA!! I still adore Josie Silver’s writing, but this is not in my top tier of hers :/

Thanks so much to Josie Silver and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

I was not very invested in this story. At times it felt a bit over the top. My favorite scenes were the ones of Kate and her sister and all of the shenanigans they got up to. I just didn’t feel the relationship between Kate and Charlie and the story dragged a bit at times. It was a bit all over the place and none of the storylines ever fully came to conclusion. It felt like there were parts that were missing. Unfortunately this was a miss for me from an author that I usually love.

Thank you NetGalley and Dell for my copy of this ARC.

This is my first Josie Silver book and it was Okay...I personally don't think this book was for me. I enjoyed Katie and Charlie individually but together I didn't feel/see their chemistry. There weren't enough interactions between Kate and Charlie, to consider this a slow burn. A good chunk of the book is about Kate's career/personal life. We get sprinkles of her and Charlie and it's mostly work related. I will say there is good humor and even some emotional moments.

Thank you Netgalley and Josie Silver for the ARC 🫶🏾

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Kate had given up her burgeoning acting career to marry the man she loved, but twenty years later, she finds herself divorced and in need of a job. It so happens that her former agency is looking for an unknown to play the role of ghost author - be the face for a book in order to conceal the true author's identity. Things are amazing until they are not, but this journey proves to be a valuable one for Kate.

I can always count on Josie Silver to make me feel something. I can attribute many tears to her books, but this time, she crafted a comeback story of sorts that was filled with humor and heart. I had no trouble embracing both main characters - Kate and Charlie, as they attempted to navigate this new and tricky situation. Both had suffered multiple losses with them sharing the pain of divorce, and they were attempting to start anew and figure out who they were post married life.

Charlie sort of fell into his role as an agent when his father unexpectedly passed away. Once a lauded Hollywood rom-com screenwriter, he was now doing a job a never wanted. He was, however, very invested in helping Kate fulfill her role as the ghost author of a love story for the ages.

Kate had spent the past twenty years being a wife and mother. She had very little time to feed her creative side but was so taken by the book, she had to be part of its story. Her role involved book signings and media appearances which Silver filled with many comedic moments, but they also served as opportunities for Kate and Charlie to spend time with each other.

There was an instant attraction which they both fought hard to resist, but a natural friendship did form. I was very happy with this pairing. I enjoyed their rapport and chemistry. I thought it was important that Kate knew Charlie's father, and that allowed her to relate to him in a special way. Charlie was truly sweet and caring, and I wanted that for Kate. The more I learned about her ex, the more I wanted her to be with a tender man like Charlie.

I will admit that I did not see the romance as the main focus of this tale, but I was not disappointed because I felt Kate's story was one worth reading. It was wonderful to cheer this woman on as she picked up the pieces and attempted to rebuild her life post-divorce. She was thrust into a very unique situation which was trying at times, but ended up helping her learn so much about herself.

Overall, I loved spending this slow burn summer with Kate and Charlie as they both healed and figured out their futures together.

This book brought on all the feels. Charlie comes off cold, aloof, and far too serious. Kate was a child actress, desperate to find her way into a new field in Hollywood. When the pair comes together, it’s magic. The banter, the longing, and the growth that comes from these two was so heartfelt and beautiful to read.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this advanced copy!

Synopsis: When a famous author of a different genre writes an unexpected romance novel, the publishing group will do anything to get this story to print – including hiring an actress to play the part of author. Enter Kate Elliott. Her life looks a lot different than she dreamed of – no longer an up-and-coming actress, divorced at age 40 and sharing a college-aged daughter with her cheating ex-husband. When Charlie, the son of Kate’s talent agent from 20 years ago, offers this unique role to Kate, she decides something new and exciting is just what she needs. With heartfelt relationships and a slow burn romance, Kate begins to find and reshape the new version of herself.

I absolutely loved the premise of this book – it was so unique! Kate’s character is quirky, and the relationship she has with her sister is so special; it reminded me of my own with my sister.

I felt like the pacing was a little off. It felt like things were mostly going more wrong than right, and there was a stretch in the middle regarding social media and overall unkindness that, while I imagine so accurate, felt really depressing. While the title suggests a slow burn romance, I felt like the chemistry still wasn’t fully there for Kate and Charlie. I’ll take slow burn all day if it comes with a piping-hot bowl of tension.

My favorite scene is when an unlikely group of characters unites together for a very worthy cause that helped bring it back around to heartfelt, warm, fuzzy feelings. Overall this was a like not a love for me, unfortunately!

Make sure to add this book to your TBR pile and get swept away in a slow burn, mild spice, heartwarming and funny story of Kate and how she ends up as a ghost author for an amazing book.

I love that Kate is in her late thirties, wears her heart on her sleeve and is so openly honest that it draws people in and all of her blunders and moments of honesty make he so relatable that I felt like I was reading a story of my own life.

Charlie is like a modern day Mr. Darcy not great at saying what's on his heart. I'm a goner for anything even remotely Darcy-esque so I loved that about him.

I love the ending of the story and I really enjoyed that there was a lot that happened in the book that I didn't anticipate and I am so glad that I read it.

This book was ok! Slow start, and once it got into it, it was really good! I really enjoyed it by the end. The banter was good, but it took awhile to get there.

If I've ever been asked for a book rec, odds are I’ve mentioned Josie Silver. There’s something about her books that rise above and beyond in my heart. Just the way her sentences and phrases turn about are like a gut punch to my emotions. She’s able to evoke such feelings in any story and I’m obsessed with her because of that.
And while this story felt a little different, more lighthearted than her previous books, her beautiful writing is still there in all its glory.

First, a big thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group–Ballantine for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This novel shines brightest through its standout protagonist, Kate Elliott. At 39, Kate is a former actress whose life has taken an unexpected turn. After a decades-long marriage ends in the most clichéd way—her husband cheats with his secretary—Kate finds herself financially drained and emotionally unmoored. With her daughter heading off to college and a few glasses of wine under her belt, she sends a desperate letter to her former agent asking for any acting gig. Instead, she’s offered something more unconventional: to pose as the face of a bestselling romance novel whose real author insists on remaining anonymous.

Kate is a force—intelligent, endearingly goofy, and refreshingly unfiltered. She practically leaps off the page, and she is the reason I did not DNF this early on. Her dynamic with her sister Liv, a wonderfully supportive and scene-stealing side character, adds even more heart to the story.

The book’s concept is unique and immediately engaging, especially as Kate navigates her strange new job—public appearances, radio interviews, book signings—all while corresponding with the mysterious true author known only as "H."

The romance in this story felt more like a subplot than a central focus—not necessarily due to the slow-burn pacing, but rather because it didn’t fully capture my attention or emotional investment. When the romantic arc eventually culminated, it lacked the impact I had hoped for. To me this novel should have been marketed as women’s fiction with romantic elements—rather than as a romance. If it was not for Kate bringing this story to life through her comical outlook of life post divorce, I would have DNF but she made the read worth it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dell Publishing, and author Josie Silver for the ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Quick Take: Slow Burn Summer is really good contemporary fiction, that's more about two individuals instead of a big focus on romance. As long as readers go in with those expectations, they should enjoy this funny, heartful book.

Blurb: Talent agent Charlie hires Kate to play the role of the book author on a book tour because the actual author does not want to have his or her name associated with the book in any way. The book is an epic love story, and becomes a runaway bestseller. But Kate and Charlie aren't prepared when their plans are uncovered, and they definitely aren't prepared when they realize their relationship is more than it seems.

Mood Reader Guide: slow burn / sisters / silver bangles / legacies / trifle / creativity / finding oneself / empty nester / divorce / stories we tell / British / romance / book tropes / book community

Thoughts:
- I loved all the behind the scenes of the book publishing industry and world
- there are so many special shout-outs to the reading community and book lovers.
- slow burn is an apt description for all of this book; it took me a long time to connect with Kate, and the romance between Kate and Charlie is secondary to the main plot of the book. I never felt like I got a strong sense of Charlie.
- the side characters, like Kate's sister Liv, are great. (The whole storyline of her surprise pregnancy at age 42 and then Kate has to watch the costume shop and the trifle throwing was pretty ludicrous, but also fun)
- The deleted chapter at the end of the book was surprising. I'm both glad it was deleted as the prologue of the book AND also glad it was included because it gave you much more insight into Hugh and Fiona. Had it been the actual start to the book, I think it would have a set a very different tone for the story and made me view both of those characters differently. Including it at the end was just this nice little bonus for readers.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5/5 stars

Josie Silver does it again! Slow Burn Summer is an utterly charming, emotionally layered story that swept me off my feet. From the very first page, I was immersed in a world of heartache, hope, and healing. Silver masterfully captures the bittersweet beauty of love lost and found, all with her signature warmth and wit.

I’m a sucker for stories about writers, and this one checked every box—books, storytelling, second chances, and characters who feel so real, you’ll want to hug them (or hand them a cup of tea and a listening ear). Add in laugh-out-loud moments and a setting that screams summer escape, and you’ve got the perfect book to devour in a sunny spot.

A heartfelt thank-you to #NetGalley for the e-ARC—my thoughts are my own, as always, and shared with pure bookish joy!

**Publication Date - 6/10/25

#BookReview #SlowBurnSummer #JosieSilver #Bookstagram #ReadersOfInstagram #BookLove #FictionFaves #RomComReads #BooksAboutBooks #BookishEscapes #ContemporaryFiction #NetGalleyReviewer #SummerReading #BooksAndCoffee #TBRList #BookishThoughts #ReadingRetreat

I have liked this authors books, this one missed the mark. I felt it was a little too obvious and it did not have enough depth.
Kate is an actress hired to be the face of a ghost writer. No one is to know that she did not write the book. Ok course it gets found out.
There were stories that were completely glossed over that could have been dealt with better.
Three stars because I did finish it.

3.5 stars

I wanted to love this one, but it just didn’t quite work for me. For one, it’s not advertised correctly- it’s definitely not a romance. Not primarily. It’s a story about a woman coming into her own space after a divorce, getting a really unique job opportunity, and the pitfalls that come with that job opportunity.

I’m sorry to say that the romance in this book was … not great. Charlie and Kate had zero chemistry. I didn’t buy their attraction for a minute.

I did love the unique situations Kate found herself in with her job…and I really loved H and Kate’s interactions with H. The side characters - Liz, Nish, Fiona, H - were all really great and I would have enjoyed seeing even more of them. Charlie felt like a side character, too, but not a very well-fleshed out one.

I think was a decent read, but expectations on genre type need to be adjusted before digging in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell Romance for a free eARC in exchange for my honest review. This one releases on 10 June 2025.

Thanks to Netgalley & Random House- Ballantine for the E-ARC! Loved so much! Wonderful characters & fun setting. The romance was so good too. Will read more from this author.

This review will contain spoilers. This book was sweet. Interesting concept in a ghost author but it makes sense. It also makes sense how the internet got really nasty for something that they didn't understand.

Some of the notes I wrote down while reading were.
Chapter 16, Liv is accidentally Live at one spot. it says that Live snapped a photo.
Chapter 24, I was disappointed with the cab driver who said that romance books were "pies in the sky." I personally love that romance stories give us hope for the future in whatever that may look like for us.
Unknown Chapter, I was confused how quickly it went from happy sex to not talking. It turned so quickly out of nowhere. I think a little more description may have been needed to show in that moment that he chose his phone at the wrong moment.
Chapter 46, When the author's name was used, it felt like a random drop, it felt like we already knew it. I wish their was a little more to this.
Chapter 51, the idea of book friends melted my heart. How supportive we all can be.

Overall, I thought this book was sweet. It just needed to be flushed out just a little bit more. I really liked it though. I will share this title on my instagram near the publication date.

This felt, unfortunately, rushed and under developed. The slow burn romance is TOO excruciatingly slow, specifically because nothing romantic ever occurs. In fact, it's between one chapter and the next that the two seem to suddenly have feelings for one another.

Agent / Client
Strong Sister Bonds
Life Post-Divorce
Hidden Identity

This one’s for the readers who love stories about stories.

Charlie is a washed up talent agent with one shot to save his agency. Kate is a former soap star in desperate need of a break. When he asks her to pretend to be the author of a romance novel for a summer book tour, things get messy, fast.

This was such a fun read for any book lover!! I loved the behind the scenes peek at the book world.

Kate’s relationship with her sister was my favorite, the focus on books and family made it feel extra personal to me!

This book had lots of drama, sweet moments, and an ending that made me smile.

Thank you NetGalley and Dell for the gifted copy.