Thank you Dell & NetGalley for the e-ARC! 💘
Overall this was a great summer read & contemporary romance! I really enjoyed it. This was my first read by this author but I really liked her waiting - it felt clear but also different and fresh. The relationship had a great progression, but my favorite relationship was probably the one between our FMC Kate and her sister Liv!
Overall I highly recommend this, for a summer read or to read any time!

I was really looking forward to this book (One Day in December was one of my favorite reads last year), but this just completely missed the mark for me. The premise of it was intriguing (hiring an actress to play a writer instead of ghostwriting), but for this to be called "Slow Burn Summer", I was expecting something to be burning and nothing was. The FMC and MMC did not seem to really have any initial attraction to each other or any spark whatsoever, so when they randomly start thinking about each other in a romantic light almost halfway through the book, it's kind of jarring. This was just not satisfying and honestly difficult to convince myself to get through at times.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC!!

Talk about a book that swept me off of my feet! Slow Burn Summer is that book and I'm here to say it made me smile and chuckle while falling hard for Kate Elliott and her sudden whirlwind life. Josie Silver gives us such a clever and unique premise as Kate is to be the face of a new romance written by a well-known crime writer who doesn't want his/her name attached to the project. We follow Kate from the moment she shows up for what will be presumed to be a disastrous meeting with her former agency that she had been represented by before she left the UK to marry what she thought was the man of her dreams, had a now 19-year-old daughter and gave up her promising future, to the offer from said agency and a formidable publishing and marketing team hiring her to be the woman who wrote a truly beautiful love story. Everything goes from zero to sixty as this divorced mom goes on a journey that is wildly humorous one minute and sadly despondent the next. But Silver manages to not only give us a smart bird's eye view into the world of publishing but all that could and does go wrong when too much is put upon Kate's shoulders and she is desperate not to fail anyone most importantly herself.

I have to admit that so much of my love for this book is how much I gleaned about the world of publishing as it opened my eyes as to what is expertly planned every step of the way for a new release. Silver perfectly combines that aspect with Kate's somewhat stagnant life which is also thankfully filled with great love and undying support from her standout sister Liv and that woman's fierce nature no matter what might be happening around her. Liv is a force to be reckoned with and her talent for dressmaking is just one incredible attribute she shows us, along with fighting with her most formidable opponent: the ornery Fiona Fox. These two could have a row that would be epic...I'm just glad things stayed somewhat neutral with Liv earning a bit of respect from Fiona that surprised them both.

But then there is the very unexpected love that begins to bloom between Kate and Charlie Francisco, the son of her former agent. This is the ultimate sweet addition to the book that had both recently divorced and romance-shy people suddenly coming out of their shells. There was an immediate spark and I just adored how both Kate and Charlie kept their guards up even when you could tell they didn't want to. How trusting again would be difficult but with everything that goes down as Kate's true identity is suddenly at risk and this whole facade of her being someone she isn't could blow up in both their faces, I was beyond impressed with Charlie and how he did everything possible including standing up to Fiona (who btw was his dad's partner before his untimely death) in order to prevent Kate from any more fallout with all that transpires. And to say it's a muck-up of epic proportions is quite the understatement!

In fact, it's the selfless nature of most of these characters that endeared themselves to me over and over again. I couldn't wait to turn the page and find out how this wild journey would ultimately conclude and if we'd ever find out who the mysterious 'H" was while hoping that everyone involved even in the smallest of ways would get their due. And I'm here to say with a few grand gestures that actually had me tearing up a bit combined with great humor when things seemed all too dire, that this book answered all of my questions in the best possible way. Along with a burgeoning love for Kate and Charlie, yeah, I'd say this book truly has it all and then some.

I've become such a great fan of Josie Silver's work and to me, it's like she really did open up her own real life a bit with this latest work, showing us the ups and downs of the world of books and how smoke and mirrors may actually play a part sometimes in the stories that we love to devour. But there is no faking Silver's talent and I know she'll be more than proud to have her photo on his latest book since it is one of her best yet, no question about it.

When looking for a story that is not the same old same old, grab Slow Burn Summer. You'll have the time of your life losing yourself in this talented wordsmith's words and finish those last lines happily grinning from ear to ear. The Power of Love indeed.

5+++ huge stars!

Kate is recently divorced and trying to get back into the working world after being a stay at home mom for many years. A former actress, she sends a letter to her former agent asking if he would be willing to give her another shot. Only her agent suddenly passes away and his son Charlie is taking over. Charlie and his business partner Fiona think Kate could be the perfect candidate for a new and unconventional role - being the face of the author of a new romance book written by a best-selling author that wants to remain anonymous. After reading the book and falling in love with the story, Kate agrees to be the author and the book becomes a best seller sending her on a whirlwind media tour. With all the attention on the book, can their secret stay safe?

This one was mostly a miss for me. While I enjoyed the mystery of the unknown "real" author of the book, the romance felt forced and I didn't sense any chemistry between the two leads. And if I had to read about Charlie's "whiskey-cola eyes" one more time, I was going to poke my own eyes out. I did enjoy some of Kate's journey and the anonymous author story is the only

Overall: 3/5
Spice: 1/3

Thank you to Dell Romance, Netgalley and Josie Silver for my ARC of this book.

Kate's daughter is now at University and her 20 year marriage has ended due to infidelity. After a couple of glasses of wine, she sends a letter to her former agent to see if there is a possibility of getting back into acting.

Charlie had his own life as a screenwriter implode with his marriage, he moved home to London and after the unexpected loss of his father, finds himself trying to fill his shoes as an agent. He receives Kate's letter and agrees to meet with her.

Charlie has an unconventional offer for Kate, his father's business partner has an author who wrote a romance book and doesn't want his name attached to it. Kate's acting job would be to pose as the author of this book, her name would be on it, and she would do the publicity for the book. Noone can know that Kate is not the real author or Who the real author is!

I enjoyed this book, I liked Kate's journey throughout the story. She really had to figure out who she was now that she wasn't a wife and now that her life didn't revolve around being a mother. And Charlie had to figure out where he wanted his life to go, did he want to keep being an agent or did he want to purse screenwriting again.

I liked the friendship Charlie and Kate developed. I also liked the email correspondence between Kate and H (the author) and the friendship they developed throughout this journey. I LOVED Kate's sister, she was fiercely protective and hilarious.

The romance fell flat for me though. It felt like an afterthought and I don't think the romantic connection was established between Charlie and Kate. This did hold up to its title, the little romance there was definitely came in the last 15% of the book, I love a good slow burn but this book lacked the tension I love in a slow burn romance.

Another gorgeous, poignant lovestory by Josie Silver! Kate was a loveable FMC that you couldn't help but cheer on as she navigated rebuilding her life after divorce and taking on her new job. And Charlie... **swoon**. He's a top tier MMC with his own compelling arc surrounding grief and loss as well as navigating a new career. I loved the way he supported Kate in her "role" and how he grew and was revealed over time. The side characters are also fabulous - in particular Liv, Kate's sister, and Fiona, Charlies business partner, who added a lot to the story in both levity and supporting our MCs. Thank you NetGalley and Dell for the ARC, 4.5 stars rounded up.

Slow Burn Summer was a fun, easy read with a unique setup. It’s more women’s fiction than straight-up romance, but I didn’t mind that. Kate, a 39-year-old former soap actress, agrees to pretend she wrote a romance novel for a book tour—and ends up finding a little romance of her own. I really liked seeing an older woman as the lead, and her journey post-divorce felt real and relatable. The chemistry between Kate and Charlie was there, but the romance felt a bit rushed. Still, the story had heart, some sweet moments, and a cool book-within-a-book twist. It’s a great pick if you’re looking for something light with a bit of depth.

3.75/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Dell Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I decided to DNF this one about a quarter of the way in. I just couldn't get into it, and this year I'm allowing myself to DNF books that I am not enjoying. And this is no shade to Josie Silver as an author. I loved the Secret Lives of Lydia Bird and enjoyed One Day in December.

I'm not sure what it was exactly. Maybe it was that from the start, I didn't sense any chemistry between Charlie and Kate, though maybe this would have happened if I had given it more time.

But maybe this will be a story I'll come back to one day and give it a second chance.

We’ve heard of ghost writers, this is a story of a ghost author. Kate has been asked to take on the identity of an author of a romance book. The actual author wants to remain anonymous. Kate has been hired to play the role of an author. Recently divorced, she’s trying to get her life back on track. Once she reads the manuscript, she can’t help but say yes to get this book out into the world. She has the help of her agent, Charlie.
Charlie has taken over his father’s talent agency. His client who he wants to protect is Kate.
Unforeseen circumstances occur in which Kate’s subterfuge is unveiled causing some serious problems for both Charlie and Kate. This slow burn story tells the tale of Kate wanting to do right by the book and protect the author’s identity while also exploring the feelings she’s developing for Charlie.
I’m here for the slow burn. I enjoyed reading this book. It’s cute and romantic.

This was my first Josie Silver book, despite owning most of her others, and I fell in love. Every moment of this book felt cozy and beautiful.
The premise of this book was so unique and fun, I was excited to go along with Kate for the ride of what her new job would become. It turned out to be much more than she anticipated, with some not so great moments, but became a journey worth taking in the end.
The romance was more of a subplot in this one, but the story was so enjoyable it didn’t subtract from anything at all. The side characters were so endearing, especially Liv, and I fell for Hugh immediately. There were so many funny moments and Kate truly was an unprecedented character.
Slow Burn Summer was a fantastic summer romcom every romance lover should pick up!
Thank you to Dell for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley.
Publication date 6/10/25

I'm not sure how I feel about this book so I'm going to leave it with 3 stars. It was good, but it also could've been better. While this book is not my cup of tea, it doesn't mean you shouldn't give it a fair chance.

What I liked:
*The author's story and their need to be anonymous
*The emails between H and Kate
*Liv, I loved how ferociously she loved Kate, and her humor was amazing
*The portrayal of social media and how it can make and break someone's career/image
*I enjoyed the representation of the book community, especially toward the end

What I disliked:
*I didn't feel the chemistry between Kate and Charlie
*The story felt too choppy, there were bits and pieces, but it didn't really flow together
*I spent a good chunk of the book absolutely hating what happened to Kate and hating her team for not doing more to support her
*Fiona, did not care for her one bit
*The lack of support from Alice, ugh I hope not all teenage kids are that selfish

Format: ebook

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the arc!

Slow Burn Summer is set in London and stars a 39 year old, recently divorced, former soap actress, Kate. Kate is brought on a by talent agent, Charlie, to act as a ghost author of a romance book whose true author wants to remain anonymous.

I enjoyed the idea of the premise of the book, but feel the actual execution of the plot was a bit all over the place. I was expecting more straightforward romcom vibes, but the focus is more on Kate rediscovering herself post-divorce and moving past her grief. I mostly enjoyed Kate’s story, but was just expecting something different.

The story is told through dual POV…sort of. We get a handful of chapters from Charlie early on and then again nearer the end. But most of the chapters are solely from Kate’s POV. I wish we had gotten more Charlie as it would have provided more insight into his character and their relationship.

The romance portions of the book feel out of place and disturb the rhythm of the story. There was a lack of chemistry between the Charlie and Kate. They felt much more like friends who had shared experiences of horrible divorces and were helping each other work through that time in their lives. On page, they didn’t give enough backstory on Charlie beyond vague references and a few sentences, so I never felt invested in him enough to root for them as a couple.

There was a lot of mystery and a few red herrings around the identity of the true author of the book. I was very invested in this and had several ongoing theories of my own. I found it to be rather anticlimactic and a bit of a let down when the identity was revealed. Though the author and Kate exchanged a few emails, we didn’t know enough about them to be invested by the reveal of an otherwise unknown character being the author.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: June 10, 2025

Cute premise of a former actress who wants to get back in the game and finds herself hired to play the author of a new romance novel because the real author wants to remain anonymous. I really thought this would be about her cosplaying a best selling author, but after violating her NDA (in writing, with no legal repercussions), the majority of this book is about the fallout once the public learns she’s not the author.

Could’ve been fun and whimsical, but was a bit of a downer. Fiona is a jerk, her sister Liv is the best character, and I didn’t even see a hint of a spark between Kate and Charlie but that doesn’t stop them from getting together.

Thank you so much for the ARC! What a great storyline with her as the soap opera actress posing as an author! Hate how it blew up in her fast, and I honestly didn't think Kate and Charlie had very good chemistry when the finally got together.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc and to PRH Audio for the ALC.

Josie Silver is back with another charming and cozy romance. I even enjoyed this book more than I enjoyed One Day in December. I enjoyed the relationship between Charlie and Kate. There were also some LOL worthy moments in the book as well. Furthermore, Anna Acton was the perfect choice to narrate the audiobook and I love how she brought the characters and the story to life. I am excited to see what Josie Silver writes next!

I love Josie Silver. One Day in December is one of my favorite books. The depth that was in the characters of that book took me on an emotional roller coaster that I still think about. I was so excited to have the opportunity to read Slow Burn Summer but it didn’t quite hit me the same way her other books have.

Pros:
- [ ] I loved Kate. Being a woman with four kids in my late 40’s, I felt Kate relatable. The development of her character and the depth put into writing her had me feeling along with her.
- [ ] Kate and her sister, Liv, had such a sweet, loyal relationship. Their relationship is what sisters should be. I loved Liv’s spunk and big heart.
- [ ] H, the mysterious writer, had me wanting to know who the real writer was. I thought he was a very endearing character as we got to know him through his emails.
- [ ] The writing of Josie Silver’s book is detailed but easy to read. I always get swept away in her words every time I read one of her books.
- [ ] The deleted scene and the playlist at the end was a nice touch to the book.
Cons:
- [ ] As much as I liked Charlie, I didn’t feel his character received the depth he should have. It felt like he would disappear for a while then he was there. I felt a disconnection to his character. I would have liked to have learned more about what made him tick.
- [ ] The romantic relationship between Charlie and Kate fell flat for me. In my opinion it felt forced and not organic. Not to mention, the popping in and out of Charlie throughout the story, made it hard to see the development of their relationship. I kept thinking I missed something.
- [ ] Wow, when the secret of Kate and the book came out people were just terrible. The whole time I kept thinking it seemed over the top but maybe I’m abnormal and throwing trifles at people’s shop doors is a way to behave. People were just horrible towards Kate. I kept thinking when it was discovered that Milli Vanilli (I’m totaling dating myself here) were lip syncing their songs, I still listened to Blame it on the Rain because it was (and still is) a good song.
I wanted to rate this four stars but some of my cons really outweigh the pros so I give it a solid 3.5 stars. Will I still buy the book, yes. Do I still love Josie Silver, absolutely yes! I will continue to read anything she writes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the arc of this book!!

I really enjoyed this story! The romance really took a backseat, but the main plot was interesting and kept me engaged.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and Random House for the eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
Effortlessly romantic, wildly charming, and brimming with emotional depth—Slow Burn Summer is Josie Silver at her finest.

This book is everything a summer romance should be: sun-drenched, slow-burning, and filled with characters who feel as real and flawed as your best friends. With a premise that’s pure rom-com gold—an actress hired to impersonate an author on a book tour—it delivers not only laughs and tension, but real heart.

🎭 What makes this a five-star standout:
Kate Elliott is magnetic. A former soap star rebuilding her life, she brings wit, warmth, and vulnerability to every scene. Watching her fall in love with a story—before the man—is a romantic arc that feels beautifully earned.

Charlie Francisco is peak reluctant romantic. Grumpy, guarded, but quietly devoted, his transformation from agent-in-crisis to love interest will have you swooning.

A love letter to books and storytelling. The mystery around the true author, the emotional weight of the novel at the center, and the whirlwind of book tour events give this rom-com literary depth and delicious tension.

Chemistry that simmers. This really is a slow burn—and when it ignites, it burns. Their banter, hesitations, and late-night moments are full of heat and heart.

Silver’s signature voice. Thoughtful, sharp, and emotionally resonant. She never shies away from grief, regret, or second chances—and it makes the love story all the more satisfying.

🌞 Final thoughts:
Slow Burn Summer is the kind of story that sneaks up on you. It’s smart, sexy, and layered with emotional nuance. Whether you’re here for the fake identity hijinks or the heartfelt redemption arcs, this is one summer story that earns a permanent spot on your shelf.

Five stars, no hesitation. Josie Silver proves once again that the best love stories don’t just make your heart flutter—they make it feel.

This was a cute read, although I don't feel like the title fits the story. Kate is a divorcee in need of a job so she contacts her former agent from when she was an actress. He has passed but his son, Charlie, has taken his place and has the perfect job for her. There is a romance book that the author doesn't want their identity known so they need her to be the ghost author. Kate fits the bill and begins the process of promoting the book.

*~*Most Creative Bookish Plot*~*

As soon as I started this book and saw the situation Kate had gotten herself in, I was pretty sold on this book. First and foremost, I laughed during this story. A lot. Probably most during the scene with the T-Rex question. But Kate was funny. Her sister was hilarious and the fact that they clung to each other and backed each other up was so endearing.
I always love books about books, but this plot was so interesting and original with the "Ghost Author" concept. And the partnership that Kate and Hugh grew between one another was so sweet.
I also really enjoyed how, even though romance was definitely there, it didn't overshadow Kate's own journey to get back on her own two feet. To figure out who she is now that her marriage is over, her daughter is grown, and she is on her own.

Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher, and Josie Silver for an eARC of this story.