I loved this book. Kate and Charlie were perfect together and the story line was great. Liv was also very entertaining.
Thanks for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

I feel like this is definitely a great book for summer! We follow divorcee, Kate, as she decides to dip her feet back in the acting world and pairs with agent Charlie to pose as the author of a new romance book as its actual author wishes to remain anonymous.

This story flowed really nicely, had a great set of characters, and an intriguing premise for a romance book. My favorite part of it was the love for readers appreciation of books and of authors. Personally, I really loved Kate and Charlie, buuuut I didn't fall as deeply in love with them as I'd hoped I would. It felt like their romance was an afterthought and I wish it had more time to grow. I wanted those summer romance butterflies to twinkle in my tummy, but I didn't get those. My favorite character was definitely Kate's sister, Liv, who was a hilarious, spunky badass.

First off, thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Josie Silver is one of my all-time favorite authors! "One Day in December" and "A Winter in New York" are both five star reads for me, so it honestly pains me to say this one didn't quite land in the same park. The cover gives off sweet, cozy, slowburn rom-com vibes but that's not what this story delivers.

If you're picking this up expecting a heartfelt romance, be warned! The romance feels like an afterthought, maybe 10% of the plot at best. There's little build-up, no real chemistry or development between the main characters, and when they suddenly declared their love, I found myself thinking, Wait, what?!! It just didn't feel earned.

That said, it's not that I didn't enjoy the book, because I did. It simply wasn't the story I thought I was getting. If I had gone in with the mindset that this was women's fiction rather than a romance, I think it would have hit differently. There are definitely fun and heartfelt moments scattered throughout. The T-Rex costume scene? Absolutely hilarious!! I'm still smiling thinking about it.🤣

I also really appreciated the unique plot centered around a reader's love for books and authors. Kate's sister was a standout character that is both strong, supportive, and someone I genuinely loved. At its heart, this is a story about grief, not just the grief of losing a loved one, but also the grief of losing yourself, and ultimately, finding your way back.

In conclusion, while this wasn't a new favorite, I still enjoyed it overall. And will I keep reading Josie Silver's books? Without question, resoundingly yes.⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫

✨3.5 stars rounded up to 4 ✨

3.25-3.5 ⭐️?! with a title like slow burn summer, i went in expecting a romance that simmers and builds tension—but i am torn. the plot itself was strong and kept me interested! i genuinely enjoyed the storyline. however, the romance didn’t fully click for me :( .

thank you net galley for the e-arc!!

i really loved how fun this book was! the characters know how to be silly and have fun and it made me laugh more times than i can count!!

Slow Burn Summer has an intriguing premise and appealed to me as an older, divorced reader. Kate, the main character, has just finalized a divorce from a cheating husband and is living in a small flat above her sister’s shop outside of London. On a whim, she contacts her former agent from decades prior, who helped get her acting jobs before she married, stopped working, and moved to another country. When her agent contacts her to come in, she is offered a job that she would never have thought possible: to be the author’s name on a book written by an author who wants to remain anonymous.

Kate cautiously accepts the job, then throws herself into playing the role of an author. She spends a lot of time promoting the book, doing interviews and meeting readers at events, and loves her new life as an author. Something unexpected brings everything crashing down, and Kate is left to be the scapegoat of the situation. Her former agent’s son, Charlie, is now her agent, and their work together leads to attraction and romantic feelings.

I loved the characters in this book, and felt a real kinship with Kate as she navigates her new life post-divorce. While still the same person she always was, her identity has changed in major ways, and I know from personal experience how hard that adjustment can be. Her sister and family were hilarious, feisty and a great support team. The staff at her agency were memorable, and I found it interesting how they created a person who didn’t really exist for Kate to become as a new, up and coming author.

This book seemed to be much more women’s fiction than romance. I appreciated the supportive workplace relationship between Charlie and Kate that grew to be something more significant, but without Charlie’s POV, I didn’t feel much of a spark between them. Kate’s attraction to him in the first half of the book was limited to admiring his good looks. After they spend a romantic weekend together, and sleep together, he leaves the country and she doesn’t hear from him at all for quite a while. Their relationship seemed to be much more work colleagues than lovers to me, I just didn’t feel a strong connection between these characters.

Kate perseveres through the many challenges that present themselves in the book. It is obvious to the reader that she is strong, capable and resilient, even if she often doubts herself. I liked the positive message that the author shares with the reader through Kate’s successes. She handled many challenging situations with grace and humor, and that gives the reader hope that they too can persevere when life gets very challenging.

My main critique of this book is the choice of title. While Kate and Charlie’s relationship is a slow burn, there are so many other significant events in the story that could be named in the title. This book is uplifting and shows us how our community can support us even through the worst of times. Her family, co-workers, and neighbors were there for her at her lowest point. This book had a lovely ending, and so many positive new beginnings for Kate. I recommend Slow Burn Summer as an inspiring summer read.

Thanks to Josie Silver, Random House Publishing Inc, and NetGalley for an advance reader’s copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I’m a big Josie Silver fan. This wasn’t my favorite but it kept my attention. I liked Kate a lot. It didn’t feel like a typical rom com which is good. i couldn’t predict what happened. I thought the trifle stuff was unnecessary and there was too much of Liv.

This book was incredibly disappointing. I've read all of the author's previous books and enjoyed them, but this absolutely missed the mark. While I did like that the romance angle was between two people in their 40s (more of this, please), the romance itself didn't seem to make any sense. It came out of nowhere and there was no slow burn to be found. I loved the character of Liv, she was my favorite, but she's not a part of the last 15% of the book. I know this seems like a weird criticism, but the font of all of the handwritten letters contained throughout the book was incredibly difficult to read on Kindle.
I will not be recommending this to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the ARC!

I have read every Josie Silver book and truly have enjoyed every one! This one was cute and good, but tooooooo slow in my opinion. I love a good slow-burn, but I was, at times, forcing myself to continue reading. It just felt monotonous and boring.
However, the premise was fun and unique and the author always writes her characters so well. I felt very connected to Kate and loved getting to see multiple sides of her - a client in a professional setting, a sister, a friend, a mom, a lover. I think that Josie Silver has a way of making her characters feel very relatable which is always refreshing to read!
Charlie was also a fun character and you couldn't help but root for him in his work, but also with Kate.
Still worth picking up if you like this author or a slow-burn romance, but I won't be recommending this to very many people.
Big thanks for my ARC to read and review!

Unfortunately, the title Slow Burn Summer and the description of a romance are somewhat misleading. While the story delivers good writing and an easy read, it lacks any real romance (and quite frankly, I can’t even remember if it mentions at all that this story takes place over the summer). The main characters, Charlie and Kate, are great individually, but I struggled to love them together. Overall, while certain aspects of the story are enjoyable, this was a bit all over the place and was not the summer romance I was expecting, especially since it’s marketed as such. This was more about self-discovery and starting over.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for this ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. I knew from the title that this was gonna be a slow burn but wow was it slow. I started to question if there was gonna be a romance story at all. I did like the characters in this story but not sure how I feel about the plot.

The title and cover of this book do not do the story justice, in my opinion. It’s being marketed as a summer romance, but I found that hard to buy into considering I have more chemistry with a wall than I felt Kate and Charlie had with each other.

I struggled to connect with or really care about any of the characters, except H. His story and the partnership that develops between him and Kate were the most interesting part of the book to me.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing House - Ballentine | Dell for the eARC. I’m sure this will be for many, but it wasn’t for me.

Slow Burn Summer had a promising setup, but it really didn’t work for me. It felt more like a finding yourself story than a slow burn romance, and despite a promising premise and a relatable lead in Kate, the plot moved too slowly to hold my interest the majority of the time. The romance lacked chemistry and tension, and the title felt more like a marketing hook than a true reflection of the story, there were no summer vibes at all! I could see what the author was aiming for, but it just didn’t click for me.

Thanks Dell for the advanced copy through NetGalley!

This was my first time reading a book by the author. It takes me a little bit to adjust to a different writing style, especially since the author is from the UK. It was overall a cute read. I did like that the main characters were aged up instead of reading about characters in their 20’s. I don’t love slow burns, but this wasn’t terrible. Cute, easy read.

Divorcee, Kate Elliot is ready for a fresh start, but first she needs a job. A couple of glasses of wine was all she needed to find the courage to write to her former agent. And as the saying goes, the rest was history. This one opportunity turns her world upside-down and takes her on a journey of a lifetime.

Overall, I thought this book was an entertaining and well-written read. The plot was unique and refreshing. I appreciated the realistic approach to readers and their love for books. I liked the concept of ghost writing and ghost authors. I felt like it highlighted real book world drama and issues regarding an author's right to privacy.

As far as romance goes, it was there, but I didn't feel like it was the star of the show. That being said, the romance that was there was sweet and definitely had a slow burn.

I wouldn't really classify this book as a romance, but more like women's fiction, as ultimately this a story about Kate finding herself again.

Slow Burn Summer wasn't what I expected it to be, but I still found it entertaining and enjoyed getting to know these characters.

I really wanted to love this book, but I felt like it missed the mark for me. It felt a bit all over the place.

What a lovely story! I will always love Josie Silver, and this was another great story.

Kate has been through the ringer with her recent divorce and is just trying to get back on her feet. In an act of bravery, she sends a letter to her old acting agent, Jojo, hoping he will take her back. Unfortunately, Jojo has since passed and his son, Charlie, is filling his shoes. Luckily, Charlie has the perfect job for Kate, and what starts as a small gig quickly snowballs into something nobody expects.

Kate’s character is loveable and flawed, and it made her so endearing. This was a tale of finding your own two feet, finding strength within yourself, and learning to open your heart up to love again. If you are a fan of Josie’s other works, you’ll love this one. Josie will always be an auto-buy author, and I’m so grateful to have received an advanced reader’s copy of this!

4⭐️
Slow Burn Summer really surprised me! It came off as a cute summer beach read but it has some hidden depths to it. I really liked all the correspondence between H and Katie throughout the book. I also thought Katie and Charlie’s romance felt really natural (though if I read “whiskey cola eyes” one more time, I was gonna scream). Most of all, I loved the relationship between Katie and her sister.

Thanks NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a digital advanced copy of this book!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the digital ARC — I went into this with high expectations, being a longtime fan of Josie Silver’s emotional storytelling. This time around, though, she pivots into lighter territory with a romantic comedy that, while still heartfelt, leans far more into humor and character charm than sweeping romance.

Let me start by saying this: Kate Elliott completely stole the show for me. She’s not just the star of the book — she is the book. At 39, freshly divorced, broke, and a little lost, Kate is chaotic, sharp-witted, and deeply authentic in a way that’s impossible not to root for. She’s blunt, self-deprecating, and has a vulnerability that’s both hilarious and endearing. Honestly, I would’ve been happy to read 300 pages of her just navigating life and cracking sarcastic one-liners.

The setup is clever: Kate, a washed-up former child star, impulsively reaches out to her old agent after hitting rock bottom. Through a strange twist of fate, she ends up impersonating a mysterious romance novelist as part of a publishing ruse — and that’s where she meets Charlie, the son of her former agent and the man tasked with managing her new public persona. Their dynamic is charming, and there’s definite chemistry, but I’ll be honest — the romantic arc between them didn’t fully land for me. It felt more like a connection between two people bonding over shared emotional wounds rather than a true slow-burn love story.

That said, the surrounding elements more than made up for it. The premise is fresh, the pacing quick, and the tone delightfully witty. Side characters, especially Kate’s sister Liv, added so much warmth and personality to the story. And the anonymous author plotline added a fun layer of mystery, even if the resolution was a bit predictable.

If you’re going in expecting a deeply romantic or emotional journey, this may not hit all the marks. But if you’re here for clever dialogue, quirky characters, and a main character you’ll wish was your real-life best friend, this absolutely delivers.

I’d personally call this more women’s fiction with romantic elements than a straight-up romcom — and that’s not a bad thing. It’s a playful, feel-good departure from Silver’s usual tearjerkers, and I really enjoyed seeing her flex her comedic voice. My final rating? 4 stars, entirely for Kate and the joy she brought to every page.

As a book lover, I found the premise of this book to be very interesting! A complete ghost author, different from the the ghost writers that we know are out there. I wouldn’t totally categorize this as a romance book, with all the other plot lines happening, but it did show the love of family, as well as friendship! Kate’s life took one dramatic turn after another, with Charlie there to support her through it all. I enjoyed their banter and all the hilarity they endured together. This will be a fun summer read for all!