2.5 rounded up. I wanted to love this so badly but I have a couple problems with it. First, this was made to sound like a romance book when it definitely reads more like women’s fiction (which is okay but when you’re expecting romance and it doesn’t come, can be frustrating) second, I know this was titled slow burn summer but the slow burn in my opinion wasn’t done well at all. They had no romantic scenes, no chemistry for most of the book then all of a sudden they’re together and saying I love you. I feel like there was definitely “deleted scenes” that the readers didn’t get to see because we went from 0 to 100 so fast?? With all that being said, as a women’s fiction read, I enjoyed seeing her journey after her divorce and trying to find herself. I do wish we saw more of her family at the end to tie it all together.

Josie Silver does it again! I love all of her books and she is an autobuy author for me. Thank you Netgalley!

This was...not good.
Firstly, I have absolutely zero idea why it is titled "Slow Burn Summer". I can't even confidently tell you it takes place in summer.

Secondly, this is not a slow burn romance. There isn't even really a romance here. Yes, we have our gal (who's name I cannot even remember) and Charlie, our guy. But these two have no chemistry. Their romance is an obvious conclusion, but it is boring. This reads more like women's lit, about a 40 something finding herself after a messy divorce. The romance was thrown in as an afterthought.

Thirdly, what even WAS this plot? A former soap start returns to "acting" after a 20 year hiatus only to be "cast" as a ghost author for a book that the real author can't stand to publish as himself because...eek...it's a romance. And then, while the whole point is to keep the real author secret, literally everyone knows she is a fake author, so wouldn't you know it, she gets exposed and her life is ruined! GASP! I really had a hard time getting through this book and honestly, should have DNF'd it.
2 stars is generous.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

Our FMC Kate is looking to return to acting work after a long hiatus while she was a SAHM. She is now divorced, and her daughter is off studying. Her first gig back will be playing the part of author of a novel who's true author doesn't want any part of being known for this work. Eventually she is outed as an actor and Kate has to deal with being on the bad side of the "no publicity is bad publicity," marketing chaos.

Reading this one felt very timely given the popularity of a book in this space that we know was written with a pen-name with lots of speculation over who the author is, and even some musings on whether or not AI was involved.

I really loved the epistolary portions of this book, when Kate finally gets the go-ahead to email the true author. At one point the author says she likes to think of it as release day vs. publication day because it's like she's releasing her book to other guardians, Kate included.

The side characters in this one were GREAT: Kate's sister Liv is hilarious to me in a sister-bear sort of way including breaking and entering into Kate's ex's house (hello Finlay Donovan lovers!), and Charlie's agent partner, Fiona is a love to hate her hardass!

Slow Burn Summer discusses deeper themes than just play-acting and a cutesy romance. There is grief in the form of Charlie's recently late father and growing pains as he comes into his own under his father's shadow. Kate is dealing with stresses of her divorce and her grown child moving away, as well as how the internet perceives individuals.

The story also shows us what can happen if we just show up as our true selves, even in the midst of a shitstorm, that the internet can truly be a dumpy place and that there are real people with real feelings reading what is said about them, and there is even a *small* part that makes it clear that romance novels do NOT set the bar too high for men and that they can compete with romance novel MMCs "by not throwing pudding at us, for starters!"

TL;DR This was a really cute book about a book with a love story, great side characters, and laugh out loud moments

Slow Burn Summer follows former soap actress Kate Elliott who takes on a new role after twenty years: pretending to be the author of a book that the real author doesn’t want their name associated with.

There are some aspects of this book that I loved such as Kate discovering a renewed purpose in the spotlight and her (protective, occasionally destructive) relationship with her sister, Liv. They had the most compelling scenes together and strongest character chemistry. The mystery of who actually wrote "The Power of Love" genuinely kept me guessing throughout the book. With that being said, I would’ve liked to have liked more flashback scenes between Kate and Jojo, the talent agent and Charlie’s dad. Jojo is a shared memory between her and Charlie, but he stays a mystery because the reader gets little access to Jojo except in passing quotes and memories.

More flashbacks of Jojo might have also helped flesh out Charlie's character more, because despite this book technically being a romance, the romantic subplot with Charlie left a lot to be desired.

Particularly, Charlie’s POV felt half-baked, a glimpse into his mind that often pulled back and retreated whenever we’re finally given a chance to know him better and understand his motivations. It didn’t help that his interactions with Kate were brief and usually interrupted by external factors (which the reader never learns about because his POV was insubstantial!)

You could say their romance was so slow burning that it forgot to spark.

Thank you Dell for the advanced eARC via Netgalley!

Kate Elliot is just starting to recover from a divorce and she’s in need of a job. After a night that includes a bit too much wine, she sends a letter to her former talent agent, Jojo, asking for him to give her a chance. He told her she had promise 20 years ago, so she could still have that spark. When the response she gets comes from his son, Charlie, she’s taken aback…even more so when he presents her with a job offer that is definitely unconventional. I loved the storyline of this book, it’s different and fun! Kate definitely finds herself in quite the situation on multiple occasions, and she always finds a way to manage things even when she feels like she’s at the end of her rope. Charlie is a sweetheart through and through. He takes his responsibilities as Kate’s agent seriously and when their lines begin to blur he still puts what’s best for her ahead of all else. I would have loved to have seen Kate and Charlie’s characters fleshed out a little more. It felt like there could have been stronger chemistry there, but it ended up falling a little flat for me. Overall, a cute read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine/Random House Publishing for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

DNF'd halfway, going to try this if it hits audio. Still intrigued, but the plot just didn't hit with me. Usually love Josie Silver and this will not turn me away from reading her work.

4 stars. A fun and unique summer rom-com with an enjoyable bookish premise and relatable characters that had me in stitches. The friends to lovers romance is secondary to the story but I can see why Silver chose to focus on Kate’s journey over the latter. This is definitely more character driven bringing Kate to the forefront detailing her individual self through the chaos.. she’s a one of a kind gal and it’s what makes this story work so well. And I really liked the sister relationship of looking out for one another - loved Kate and Liv! ❥ Pub. 6/10/25

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

I always love Josie Silver books. This one was really good with great characters. I love some banter and a dual POV. I think it gives a better perspective. Overall, it was well-written and good palate cleanser.

A million thanks to Dell for the digital review copy via NetGalley.

Ahh, to sink back into another Josie Silver novel. This book is told in close third person, primarily from Kate's perspective but with occasional insight into her agent, Charlie. I loved seeing how both people were navigating life after divorce. Slightly older protagonists who've been through it 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.

The quiet, easy connection that builds between the two main characters as they work together is just right. We see them learn to trust and rely on each other, as that trust slowly builds into something more.

I also really liked getting to see Kate rediscover herself. She's lacking in confidence thanks to the divorce and the fact that she gave up her career for a marriage that's fallen apart. Taking on this unusual acting role and all the drama that unfolds as a result sees her recalibrating who she is and who she wants to be. It's a good bit of growth for her and, to a smaller degree, Charlie as they see the project through and try to work out how they feel about each other.

The element of the mysterious true author is a fun little mystery to unpack, as well. I like how well that secret is kept from us along with Kate, without feeling like a trick or trap. The payoff of this story element is top-tier.

While this book is a romance, it's also a love letter to books and reading. We get to see the good, the bad, and the beautiful of the reading community, especially romance readers. The community becomes a part of the story at multiple points, which really adds another layer of love to the story.

I absolutely devoured Slow Burn Summer in the span of a single day. It's well-written, well-paced, and has just the right amount of slow burn payoff to be satisfying. If you enjoy books and love stories, this latest from Josie Silver is a definite must-read.

Sweet and charming story that reads like a Nora Ephron film.

Both still grieving over sudden heartbreaks, agent Charlie and one-time actress Kate, join forces for a summer press tour to promote her debut novel. The novel isn’t actually hers but she is hired to pretend that she wrote it to keep the identity of the real writer a secret. He fell into the job as an agent after his Father’s passing and isn’t quite sure of his ability to help Kate navigate this farce.

Nice banter between characters, and Liv clearly steals the show as the quick witted older, protective sister of Kate.

I, personally would have liked to see a little more from Charlie’s POV and just didn’t feel the romantic chemistry between he and Kate as mush as I had hoped. I just felt like they rarely were ever in the same space and when they were, it felt a little forced.

I did enjoy how the story came full circle in the end and other readers look for little to no spice will enjoy this book.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I like the themes in Slow Burn Summer: it's never too late to chase your dreams and people process grief differently. Charlie used to be a screenwriter and is now a talent agent, stepping into his father's shoes after he dies. At 39 and divorced, Kate pursues acting again, after a 20 year break spent raising her daughter. Charlie, the son of her previous agent, offers Kate the role of a ghost writer since the popular established author who wrote the romance novel does not want to be known.

Liz, Kate's older sister, is fiercely protective of her. I love how the bookish community, the sports' fans Kate met once, and her sister's customers all step up to defend Kate when there's backlash once she's revealed as an actress. Charlie and Kate found love again after being divorced and will not let anything stop them from pursuing their dreams of screenwriting and writing romance.

My biggest disappointment is that the romance between Charlie and Kate was barely there. The slow burn was dragged out for too long, and we barely get scenes that show the evolution of Charlie and Kate's relationship. I also wish there were more scenes with Kate's daughter as well.

The reveal of the true author behind the romance novel is engaging and done well. The epilogue and deleted scene (prologue) were a really nice way to end the story.

I really enjoyed it and it was really easy to follow along with. Kate is a very strong women and I really liked that about her especially near the end. Josie Silver did a great job at adding a little bit of everything we needed. Not just in the characters relationships but the whole story itself. One of my favorite parts is the dinosaur part, it was perfect I loved it. I wish we got more from Charlie because I really liked his character. Liv is a sister that everyone hopes to have and I loved reading her love for her sister. Overall this book was a light-hearted easy read that I definitely recommend to be the perfect summer read.

The premise of this book is there, but for me, I just couldn’t get into the writing style, unfortunately. I ended up DNFimg it because it was a struggle for me and that’s not to say it’s bad, it’s just not for me, the content was good, I was just struggling to process the words as I read them.

I really enjoyed this book and I knew from the premise that it would pique my interest. While this is marketed as a romance book, I think it did read more as a lit fic which I personally loved. This book was a proper slow burn and the build up of Kate and Charlie's relationship was done so well. This was the perfect summer read for all book lovers!

Josie Silver is just a hit and miss for me, I think. I really enjoyed her book last year, A Winter in New York but Slow Burn Summer was a miss for me. It was soooo slow at the beginning, I couldn't get into it. The slow burn was too slow.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review. I've read other Josie Silver books and enjoyed them, so I had high hopes that I'd enjoy this one as well! Josie writes a perfect summer romance where two people help each other out and end up falling in love. There is the perfect amount of humor and slow burn romance between Charlie and Kate while on a book tour.

Without question Josie Silver has become an autobuy author for me; she’s someone who delivers a solid story from page one and Slowburn Summer had all the ingredients for a page turning romcom.
This story is primarily about Kate, a former actress whose recent divorce status and lack of funds has led her back to the agency she worked with many years ago. Mostly unrecognized, Kate is the perfect actor to stand in as the name and face for a romance debut written by a famous writer who wants to remain anonymous. In this non-traditional ghost-actor role, Kate becomes entrenched in the bookish life of Kate Darrowby, never knowing who actually wrote the book she’s representing. The mystery remains throughout the entire book with little slips and bits of info as to the author’s identity emerging throughout the novel, but I truly was surprised by the final pages.

This book felt like a love letter to readers. Kate experiences what it’s like to be a famous author without actually writing the book so there’s a sort of “fan in the day and the life of” feeling that runs throughout. She’s such a likable character so when things turn south it’s who shows up that makes this story special. I absolutely loved Kate’s sister Liv. Every girl should be so lucky to have a badass sister like her. Not only did she always have Kate’s back but she provided quite a bit of comic relief.

Like the title suggests, this is definitely a slowburn, in fact the romance itself isn’t front and center (which was totally fine by me), so readers should be aware that this book feels more like a comedy than a Rom-com. As Kate’s hot Top Gun-esque agent, Charlie’s responsibility is to represent her. Initially there is more work than workplace romance, but a steady spark begins to kindle when time and again Charlie prioritizes Kate more than a typical client. My favorite part was the grand gesture that doesn’t even come from Charlie, but by the bookish community who show up for her when it counts the most. Imagine if the book world always did this instead of jumping to condemn authors? Hmmm, just a thought.

This would be a perfect beach read and a book I feel like I could recommend to many readers. I received a copy from the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Thank you Net Galley and Ballantine Books for the e-Arc of Josie Silvers newest book.
I had really high hopes for this one because I loved “A Winter in New York” but unfortunately this one fell short for me. It felt really broken up and disjointed. I felt there were so many avenues tried within the book especially in the end it was almost too much going on. On the other hand, I went in thinking this would be a romance novel but there was very little romance… it took 2/3 of the book to get any. I will still give it 3 stars because the premise of the actress playing a fake author was really interesting and fun, but most of the book just fell short.

I think this is a case of “it’s not you, it’s me” for why this book didn’t work for me. Unfortunately, I’m not sure if Josie Silver’s writing is for me anymore; I think my preferences have changed since I first found and love ‘One Day In December’ and I keep picking up her books hoping for another win like that but I think it’s time to accept we‘ve grown apart.

I was pleasantly surprised that the FMC wasn’t in her early 20s like it’s so common to see in contemporary romance (instead she has a daughter around that age!) but I didn’t love the ex-husband drama. The description mentioned she’s divorced but the talk about cheating just isn’t for me, there’s a lot of (understandable) bitterness and I just don’t care for that. But I do really hope this book finds its audience!