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!

Former actress Kate, takes on a new role post divorce--standing in for a new author who doesn't want to be publicly known. With the help of her new agent--and maybe crush--Charlie, she navigates book appearances pretending she's the actual author.

I loved this one! Here's what I loved:

Kate: She has such a great sense of humor! I adored her completely. While she's trying to play this part, she's also getting over a nasty divorce and trying to bond with her collage aged daughter. She's endearing the entire time.

The ups and downs: Not only does Kate crack me, but the rest of the characters are also laugh out loud funny. There are also many scenes that were so funny. At the same time, the book also has moments where I cried. Kate gets to some points that are so down that my heart broke.

Charlie: Ugh, new book boyfriend alert!!! Charlie was amazing. I adored everything about him. He's quiet and kind of broken but this works so well with the chaos that is Kate.

All in all, I adored this one! Such a good romcom

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy!

A fun read about newly divorced Kate, her talent agent Charlie, and her new acting role as the author of a book (that was actually written by a well-known author who did not want their name connected to this book). Despite being sworn to secrecy (and a NDA), Kate tells her daughter about it in an email. What could go wrong?

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another hit from Josie Silver! Thank you to Josie Silver, Penguin Random House & NetGalley for the eARC of Slow Burn Summer in exchange for an honest review. I was so excited to read Josie's latest book as I've loved her prior books and writing style. Slow Burn Summer blew me away! It revolves around a newly divorced actress trying to get back into the business and a unique role offered by her new agent, Charlie, that required more than acting; it would involve being the name, face & voice attached to the next big book. As this has never been done before, she faces challenges as the popularity of the book grows; Kate really shined as the protagonist with excellent supporting characters that had me laughing, while our male lead, Charlie stole my heart from the very beginning.
Just like I figured I would, I loved Slow Burn Summer! I adored the unique plot along with the mystery throughout the book. It's so special how Josie builds the world and 3 dimensional characters throughout the book. I was completely engaged and invested in the lives of all these characters. The only downside is that I would love to read Kate's The Power of Love, but alas, it does not exist.

This was fun but little middle of the road. Kate and Charlie were cute but they didn't really have any big problems, just kind of failed relationships. It was a little too slow burn, there wasn't much connection between them til halfway through or later.

Josie Silver has been a favorite author of mine since her release of One Day in December. That book continues to live rent free in my head. If you haven’t read that one yet, read Slow Burn Summer first and then read that one!

Josie has such a heartfelt and warm writing style. I don’t think she has written a leading lady that I haven’t immediately connected with and really loved. In Slow Burn Summer you get to meet Kate. She is so vulnerable and real, what you see is what you get, she really wears her heart on her sleeve. She acted when she was younger and then got married young and is now going through a divorce and needs a job. She reaches out to an old agent and ends up meeting Charlie instead. I think you are really going to love Charlie!

Charlie offers Kate an opportunity to pose as a romance author and what ensues is incredibly entertaining and so much fun! I do not want to give too much away but you get a t-rex, a loyal book community, and a sister bond that will make your heart melt. I also love the mystery aspect of the story and you will know what I am talking about when you start reading!

This is such a fun summer slow burn romance! Definitely read this one if you love books about books, a leading lady that will make you feel seen, and some pretty funny banter!

Also, thanks to @prhaudio I was able to do an immersive read of this one and really, really enjoyed Anna Acton’s narration. She really brought the story to life conveying the emotions of the characters beautifully!

When I picked this up, I expected a classic slow burn romance — but to be honest, the romance felt more like an afterthought. That said, there’s still a lot to enjoy here.

I really loved the humor woven throughout the story, especially Kate’s inner monologue and her witty, relatable way of looking at the world. She’s a lovely character to spend time with. I also adored Liv, Kate’s fiercely protective older sister — her fiery loyalty was a highlight for me. Charlie, the main love interest, was another wonderful character, and his protectiveness was endearing.

This is a light, easy read overall, but I did find some parts a bit hard to connect with — especially the plot point about Kate’s deep attachment to a book she didn’t actually write. For me personally, the romance didn’t quite deliver the chemistry I was hoping for, perhaps because both Kate and Charlie are navigating big changes in their lives (divorce, new beginnings, rediscovering themselves).

In the end, I think this book is more about self-discovery and family bonds than a true slow burn love story — and if you go in with that mindset, it’s quite an enjoyable, heartfelt read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the eARC!

Kate Elliott is looking for a fresh start amid a rough divorce and becoming an empty nester. As a former soap actress, she goes to connect with her former talent agency. In comes Charlie, taking over the agency after his dad’s passing. It’s time to promote a new romance novel by a famous author who wants to remain anonymous and not connected to it, and it seems Kate will be the right actress for the job, becoming the face & “author” of this book. She agrees because the story gives her hope for romance…but she doesn’t expect for sparks to fly so soon when it comes to Charlie, but they also must balance the complications when the lies around the book begin to snowball.
I thought this was a fun new romance but felt it paled in comparison to some of Josie’s past novels that made me fall in love with her writing.
Thank you to Random House Ballantine for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a cute read 🧡 my favorite part was the emails!! I love when a story has emails or letters. I really enjoyed the plot and the relationship that Kate had with her sister. It was a great story for people who like to learn about behind the scenes of the publishing industry. I really admired her positivity after her divorce and that she went back to focusing on her career that she gave up to focus on her ex-husband. I definitely need to pick up some more books written by Josie!

Slooooow Burn Summer…..yeah. I don’t know what to think of Josie Silver right now because my first time reading her, she blew me away but the most recent two made me fall asleep. It almost seems like the difference between writing for yourself and writing for a deadline. Like her heart wasn’t in it. With too many storylines and characters, I just wasn’t able to invest in anyone at all. The early moments of attraction between the two MCs felt like they were dropped in out of nowhere but then the romance was…as titled, a very slow burn. I have also read a couple of books with the publishing world as the backdrop and for whatever reason, it sucks all the glam in romance from the imagined life of an author to me and I honestly don’t want to hear about it. Let me have this magical dream! This was an ok read for me, but I’m definitely looking for Josie Silver LESS in the future.

This romance contains slightly older protagonists who've been through it and gives slow burn romance a whole new meeting. Both Kate and Charlie are cautious about trust, reeling from their pain. But it also gives them both a stake in the beautiful, if heartbreaking, love story they find in the book they're here to help promote. I also enjoyed seeing Kate rediscover herself. She was lacking in confidence thanks to the divorce and the fact that she gave up her career for a marriage that's fallen apart. The small element of Kate taking on the ghost author role is a fun addition to the plot.
Overall, It's well-written, well-paced, and has just the right amount of slow burn payoff to be satisfying.

Thank you Netgalley for this eARC!

Kate Elliot is recently divorced and her daughter is off to university, making it the perfect time dip her toes back into acting. When Charlie Francisco the son of her old agent offers her a job posing as a debut romance author, Kate accepts. She fell in love with the story and would be happy to be the face of the author in the public eye. After a few blunders, Kate becomes more comfortable being the face of a success romance book. She also enjoys spending time and working with Charlie. Kate is reluctant for things to become more than professional between them. When Kate’s false identity is outed she must lean on her sister and Charlie to help navigate all the public scrutiny. Will Kate be able to change people’s perception of her and romance books? And most important of all, will she finally find out the true identity of the author?

With Josie Silver’s trademark English wit and humor, this romance envelopes the reader in a hug we desperately need and perfectly captures our love of the romance genre.

This book had humor and heart and is centered in the world of authors/ publishing. I adored our main character Kate who falls in love with a special novel, ai think most readers will be able to connect with her.
I was sucked into this story from the first chapter. Whenever I had to put the book down, I was eager to get back to reading to find out what happened next for these charming characters. My only wish was that we had more of the interactions between Kate and Charlie.
Highly recommend this slow-burn romance! 4.5 stars.

The last Josie Silver book I read, I adored! But the first one was not my favorite book unfortunately. This one falls somewhere in the middle 🤷🏽‍♀️

I will say the thing I really like about her writing is that the stories always feel different and interesting, they're never TOO obvious or predictable which can be a lot of fun and tends to hold my interest!

The main cast of characters in Slow Burn Summer is predominantly strong women. I loved Fiona and Liv who were both forces to be reckoned with. Kate and Alice have found themselves in positions where they need to learn to be strong, independent women. I loved this journey for each of them - Alice's journey isn't very prominent, but she's starting at university as a young adult. Kate's story is of course the main story - she's newly divorced after 20 years and looking for work in a field she left literally 20 years ago. The showcase of women in this book is definitely one my favorite details.

Interestingly enough there is also some subtle male commentary. The main focus there is on how love stories are for everyone - they can be written by and/or enjoyed by men (just as much as women). We see this addressed between the main characters and even several side characters.

While I really liked the different representations and commentaries, I don't know if the overall story really worked for me too much. I liked it, but I didn't love it. I think part of this is pacing, in which I felt like everything was really rushed. Perhaps this was intended to represent the speed of things in the publishing world but to me it felt like there were so many sudden events happening one after another with little to no notice. There were also A LOT of elements in this book in general. Lots of characters, lots of subplots, I definitely think a thing or two could've been removed to keep things tidier.

The romance was sweet though and it is IN FACT a slow burn as the title suggests. I liked Charlie's role in trying to fill his father's shoes but also feeling such a connection with Kate that he wanted to be there for her constantly. I saw a trope post from the publisher that said this has fake dating in it but I didn't think there was any fake dating... Not really a complaint, but still weird. As a whole the couple definitely made me smile and that's what's truly important, but the romance isn't the main story - this felt more like a story about Kate rather than Kate and Charlie.

Overall this was an enjoyable, quirky read!


Thank you so much to Dell Romance for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this! The main character, Kate, is so easy to root for. I loved her. The secondary characters are great, too—especially Liv, Kate’s sister. The love story between Charlie & Kate did seem somewhat underdeveloped for me. It didn’t really read like a typical rom com, which isn’t exactly a bad thing. I think it’s a matter of expectations! This would be a great book to throw in your beach bag if you are looking for a low conflict, big hearted read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for the ARC! I've read Josie Silver in the past and always enjoy her books but this one isn't at the top of the list. Totally enjoyable but predictable book but that didn't stop me from reading it in a couple of days. I liked the story and the different characters of the book. I had a feeling that the plan they cooked up would go awry but wouldn't have predicted how. I would have liked the "real" author of the book more in the story. I felt like their background and story would have been fun to know more about. Overall, easy read for summer while you're by the pool!

This is the type of story where you have to suspend reality a bit. I spent much of the book focusing on all the plot holes with the whole “assumed identity” bit. Did they really think that was ever going to work? What about all the people who are acquainted with her who know that is not her name. So many issues with that plot line but it’s okay, romance novels don’t have to be totally realistic! That’s why we love them.

Aside from all that, the story was cute but just not full enough. I was very distracted by side stories and minor plot details to really connect with the romance. I could tell there was at least something there and there were some good moments but it wasn’t quite enough. The whole correspondence and every interaction with the actual author really threw me off. It just felt like two different stories that didn’t mash up well. Also I feel like the main character was made out to be much older than she was. When I realized she was only 39 I was shocked. I was sure she was mid fifties.

Don’t get me wrong, the book had strengths. It was easy to get through and the setting was fun. Just could have used more editing in my opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are mine alone.

If you are looking for a fun book to kick off your summer reading with characters that are real yet find themselves in comical situations, this might just be the book for you! Thank you @dellromance for my early reading and @prhaudio for the listening copy of @josiesilverauthor upcoming new release, SLOW BURN SUMMER, out June 10th!

The novel’s premise is an actress has taken a hiatus for the slug of a husband who does her dirty, so she needs to get back in the game. Enter Charlie and his father’s agency. They have a need for a ghost-author and she’s got a need for money, so why not, what could POSSIBLY go wrong, right?

Loved the storyline as Kate navigates life as the author of this wildly popular romance novel while it all seems to be crashing down around her. I really liked that she is a 40-something woman with struggles and is still embracing life as full as she can; she has the fiercest sister and a cast of amazing supporting characters that we’d all like to get to know better.

The novel really shows us how life can certainly throw you curveballs, but we can speak up for what’s right, and even see our favorite sports fans show up for you, especially when it involves flying pastries.

Fiona, Charlie’s motherly co-worker has some serious crass vibes, but dang she’s on point humorous!

I literally laughed out loud at the imagery she creates! Just imagine: a 7 foot T-Rex with a Welsh accent in the middle of a tiny costume shop. CERMUDGEONINGLY MAGICALLY HILARIOUS!

PS: This is my campaign for Hugh’s story!

The audio is narrated fantastically, and the book is delightful. Throw this on your summer reading TBR right away!

2.5 ⭐️ rounded up

I really wanted to like this one as I’ve loved so many other Josie Silver books, but slow burn summer had no burn and was a serious flop for me. It felt like the focus was all over the place and I felt ZERO chemistry between the FMC/MMC. They felt more like co-workers who had a random hookup on a work trip than two people who were falling for each other. This whole book felt way more like a discovering yourself after divorce story than a romance. There were so many loose ends (no closure with the ex and absent daughter) and random unnecessary side stories (her sister’s family news) that took away from the main focus of the book. I think my favorite part was her emails with the author of the book and I would have been happy hearing more about the author’s love story that inspired the book. Overall, it just felt like it needed some major reworking and it could have been a great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.