Dual pov, divorced main characters, grief done well, wonderful sister relationship. Story got a bit slow half way through and had some pacing issues. Cover led me to believe it was going to a bit more light hearted than it was.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a cute premise. And while I did think it was a bit predictable, I ask you what rom-com type book isn’t? They aren’t meant to be thrillers or mysteries. The characters were cute. I loved the sisters connection. In fact, that may have been my favorite relationship in the book.

This author is an automatic read for me.

Slow Burn Summee, made it seem like this was a slow burn romance. But the romance seemed almost nonexistent except for one semi steamy scene that honestly seemed so out of place. And the chemistry between Kate and Charlie just wasn't there for me.

2.75 stars

Another lovely Josie Silver read for me. This story is very plot driven and I know it’s a rom-com but the romance is definitely a side plot. The slow burn in the title is very true when it comes to the romance in this story. If you want romance forward this book probably won’t be for you.
The cast of characters were so lovely and felt very real. Kate is truly such an open book. She’s been through a lot and still always showing up and giving it her all. Then Charlie the main stud who has also been through a recent divorce is facing the forbidden romance trope. The side characters were some of my favorites too. Liv is the most amazingly funny and protective sister. Fiona is so bold and won’t take no for an answer kind of powerhouse.
As for the story it takes place in London during summer. You mostly get Kate’s pov with a little of Charlie’s to help round out the story. I love that the story did come full circle and the author thought of cute little things to bring it to a beautiful end.

I think it was a decent reader and would certainly fit someone’s narrative taste palette but it was too adult and too slow burn for me leaning more into women‘s literature rather than a funny romcom I have been expecting.

I’m a huge Josie Silver fan and this books just solidifies me again why I love her writing! I liked how the story unfolded gradually, with that classic slow-burn tension that makes you want to keep reading just one more chapter. The characters felt honest and a little messy in the best way.

Slow Burn Summer follows Kate Elliott, a recently divorced former actress looking for work in her late 30s. She is offered a job as a ghost author, with all the interviews and public appearances that come along with actually authoring a novel. There was drama and suspense that kept me engaged and wondering what would happen next - even when Kate made a very questionable decision that had me scoffing out loud as I was reading. I also found myself constantly reevaluating the morality of the premise - it was hard to get behind the idea of the blatant dishonesty of Kate's role and I never felt like I fully got on board with the concept. I would say the romance was a mild burn and I didn't feel like the summer season played into the plot in a meaningful way, but I was invested in the characters and enjoyed this read overall.

Thank you Random House for the arc!

Josie Silver does it again with a feel good romance that has all of the touches we have come to expect from her work. You will not be disappointed.

Book people know this to be true - meeting your favorite author is akin to meeting a rock star.
So what happens when the woman pictured on the back of the book cover, the one you saw on TV and podcast interviews, the one you stood on line to meet at a signing - is not the one who wrote your most favorite love story?

That's how we meet Kate Darrowby, really Kate Elliot, a divorcee who once had a bit part in a soap opera. When Kate becomes an empty nester at just 40 years old, she takes a chance and emails her old agent. Unfortunately, Jojo has passed and in his place is his son Charlie- and Charlie does have a job for Kate. She will be the face of The Power of Love, a book whose real author would like to remain anonymous - and unknown.

Naturally, the book community finds out that Kate is not the real author of the heralded romance novel and hijinks ensue - too many hijinks. The book gets bogged down in the middle and a slow burn turns into a bit of a slog. There are plotlines surrounding Kate's sister, her family, her dress shop etc etc etc. There is, of course, a romance of one's own for Kate as she starts to fall for Charlie.

As much as I love books about books, I would have preferred a more streamlined version of this one.

SLOW BURN SUMMER ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Release date 6/10/25. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! Unfortunately, this one wasn’t really for me. Kate at the age of 39, is now divorced, her only child away for college, and she’s been left with virtually nothing from her cheating ex. She needs to get back to acting as an income. When she approaches her old agency, they have a gig for being the face and author of a novel that someone else has written (wanting to remain nameless). This book was..fine. Nothing special, a quick read. I did t quite feel the chemistry nor the need for romance with the leads. I couldn’t tell if this was 2 different stories and 3? The flow felt a bit odd to me. As a Josie Silver fan, this one missed the mark for me.

This is my first Josie Silver read it certainly will not be my last. What a pleasant read. The topic was handled in the most interesting way. Kate gives up an acting career to marry supposedly the love of her life. After finding out he cheated they divorced. She writes a letter to the agent that gave her her acting career start and it all continues from there. Do not pass up the chance to read this novel Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3 ⭐️

Katie Elliot is recently divorced and sends a letter to her old acting agency. She ends up getting a role as a ghost writer for a romance novel.

You fall in love with Katie as the FMC. Her character develops well. While I liked the MMC as well, their connection was a bit short. Needed more to make the ending believable. Felt a bit more like literary fiction than romcom.

I typically love Josie Silver so I was excited for this. It fell a bit flat for me. The ending felt especially rushed. Read this book as an ARC. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity.

3.5⭐⭐⭐ stars rounded to 4

This book started out a little slow for me, but I kept going and it did pick up. Kate, a divorcee and once upon a time actress, reaches out to her old agent, ready to explore options. However, her agent has passed and she comes to find herself working with his son. The job he has for her though is not your common acting job.

Charlie presents Kate with the option to be portrayed as the author of a romance book. The book was authored by an international best selling crime author. After losing his wife, he poured his feelings into a romance novel, but doesn't want his name tied to it. So his agent comes up with the plan to put a ghost face and name to it. Enter Kate. Kate agrees to the job, and from there her world turns upside down.

She must do interviews, meet and greets, etc. Her biggest cheerleader is her sister, Liv. I loved Liv's character - she didn't take any BS from anyone! Kate also finds herself being supported by her new agent, Charlie. Throughout the book, they tiptoe around one another as they work through this unconventional job.

I love Josie Silver's novels, and while this wasn't my favorite of her books (that belongs to A Winter in New York), it was a good read!

I loved Kate finding herself again through this. A woman who thought she was weak portrayed incredible strength in the face of adversity! The scene where people showed up for her was so heartwarming and was a good reminder that there are still good people in the world who show up when life gets hard!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the eARC of this book! Definitely on to put on your TBR list!

I am so enchanted by the characters and the plot. I wish I could be a part of this story because I felt very welcomed reading it. Definitely one of my best reads of the year. Thank you for the early opportunity. 🥺❤️

Slow Burn Summer is Josie Silver’s latest romance, following an actress who is stepping in as an author of a book (for a ghost writer) on her journey to publish the book. Charlie is one of the agents involved in publishing and is constantly is stepping into help Kate.

I really love the concept of the pair being thrown together involving a ghost written book, that was very original and very interesting to read.

However, I feel like it fell really flat for me. In building the narrative for Kate as an author I feel like Charlie & Fiona (other agent) were creating an excessive amount of lies. Some of these details were just really unnecessary? for example, Charlie and her sister have a pet tortoise (which is so cool by the way) but for her author bio they changed this to a bengal cat?? like it was already interesting enough it just felt weird.

I feel like the romance felt like a subplot in this story, not even because it was a slow burn but just because it wasn’t concerning me at all? And then when it finally happened I just felt meh.

Throughout the story we see the author and Kate communicate in emails and that was very cool and I really enjoyed the change in writing format to break up the story.

One small thing, but I feel like Bridgerton was mentioned way too much? At least 10 times and I get using it as a reference but it felt over kill and then made me question if the author was trying to throw shade? I feel like a small detail ended up casting more than necessary/intended.

At the end of the book there is a playlist listed. This is somewhat common for romances now, but usually I think these songs have some sort of tie into the story (at least through an artist mention or any music mention) but this book didn’t have that at all so it felt unnecessary? Also, it specifically made me mad because one of the songs, A Safe Place to Land by Sara Bareilles (featuring John Legend), is incorrectly listed, with Sara listed as the featured artist and John as the main artist. As a huge Sara Bareilles fan, this made me really mad :/ like let’s credit artists correctly! Simple error but it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for honest feedback.

Overall I rate this book 2.5/3 stars. It was enjoyable until it was meh.

I’ve loved other books I’ve read by Josie Silver, so I was really excited to read this one. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for me. I didn’t feel any connection to the characters, they didn’t seem to have much chemistry, I felt like some parts were rushed and some parts were dragged out, and it really bothered me when it switched to Charlie’s POV. His POV was thrown in at strange times and it was always so abrupt. I think I would’ve preferred if we got his POV more often or not at all.

Kate finds herself in need of a job after her husband cheats on her, and the only thing she’s done professionally before marriage is acting. Hoping to restart her career, she reconnects with her old agent—only to meet a new one, Charlie, who offers her an unexpected gig: “ghost authoring” a romance novel. What could go wrong… unless someone finds out?

I was really enjoying the first half of this book. The setup was engaging, and I appreciated the character development and premise. However, around the 50% mark, the tone shifted and became a bit too over-the-top for my taste. Scenes like the trifle throwing, the T-Rex moment, and lines like “everyone farts” pulled me out of the story—it felt very cheesy.

Additionally, I started to lose sympathy for both Kate and Liv as their behavior became increasingly extreme. The romance also didn’t quite land for me. While there was a lot of buildup in other areas, the actual relationship felt underdeveloped. I found it hard to feel invested in them as a couple, and the repeated references to his “whiskey-colored eyes” became a bit much.

Overall, this one didn’t quite work for me, but I appreciate the opportunity to read it—thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

DNF…I couldn’t get into the storyline like I have with the previous books from the authors. I found both MMCs to underdeveloped and I couldn’t get invested in them. The pacing of the story is odd.

3.5 Stars
Josie Silver has a way of writing books that are quietly romantic. While this is considered "romance," to me, the bigger side of the story was watching Kate reinvent herself and grow as a person who is essentially starting over in her late 30s. She becomes a stronger person as she navigates the trials and tribulations that her new ventures throw at her. Charlie is there by her side throughout it all, but in a quiet way. He shows his support and sticks by her, but he is not screaming from the rooftops. It was a refreshing take on a romance that I haven't read anything like in a while.

This book also took on the toxicity of social media, particularly in the book community in a way that is sadly extremely relevant at this point in time. But, on the flip side, Silver also showed how that community can come together when people stand together. A bit of a juxtaposition that shows the current state of social media in the book community and truly, overall.

thank you dell publishing for the e-ARC!

this is my first josie silver novel & although this took a minute for me to get into, i enjoyed the writing style and found the story pretty entertaining. it’s definitely more on the fiction side with all the twists & sub plots but still has some cute moments!