Josie Silver starts Slow Burn Summer with a promising setup and engaging characters, but the story quickly loses its focus. What begins as a compelling summer romance unravels into a scattered narrative with inconsistent pacing. The plot feels unfocused at times, with too many subplots pulling attention away from the central relationship. While Silver's writing is always easy to read and occasionally charming, this one doesn't quite hit the mark. A few heartfelt moments, but overall, a mediocre read that doesn't live up to its potential.

This was a nice slow burn story of romance and figuring life out after the life you had changed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for this book. ~I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions, favorable or otherwise~

Josie Silver delivers yet another emotionally resonant gem in Slow Burn Summer, a novel that feels like a warm, melancholic breeze—comforting and painful all at once. From the very first page, I found myself completely rooting for Kate. Her vulnerability, her quiet strength, and the way she’s just trying to hold herself together in the aftermath of heartbreak—it all hit me deeply. I genuinely ached for her.

Kate’s journey is about more than romance. It’s about finding yourself when life hasn’t gone to plan, and Silver captures that beautifully. The storyline is both clever and emotionally grounded, with the unique premise of Kate pretending to be a reclusive author on a book tour adding layers of both humor and depth. It was such a smart way to set the stage for her to slowly confront who she is and what she wants.

And let’s talk about the romance—because wow, it was so on point. The tension between Kate and Charlie builds perfectly, and even though the burn is slow, every glance, every conversation feels earned and electric. I was completely invested in their connection. You feel the spark, but even more than that, you feel the risk and the fear behind it—two people who’ve been hurt trying to find something real.

By the time things start to really come together, I was flipping pages like mad, desperate for Kate to get the happiness she so deeply deserved. Josie Silver has once again crafted a love story that lingers long after the final page.

🔥⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver – A twisty, bookish escape!

Okay, so I thought I was settling in for a cute summer romance... but Slow Burn Summer had other plans. This book took me on a wild, behind-the-scenes ride through the literary world—with drama, plot twists, and a main character I wanted to grab coffee with (and maybe shake a few times, lovingly).

Kate is incredibly relatable. She’s messy, smart, unsure, hopeful—and watching her figure herself out felt so real. I loved her journey of self-discovery as much as I loved the bookish backdrop (publishers, authors, drama… yes, please!). If you’re a fellow bookworm, this part will feel like home.

And the plot? Buckle up. It’s got twists and turns like a rollercoaster designed by a soap opera writer who binged too many reality shows. Some were jaw-droppers, some were what just happened?? moments—but all of them kept me flipping pages way past bedtime.

It’s a summer read with heart, chaos, and a lot of soul. A little messy, a little magical, and totally worth the read. If you love stories about women rediscovering their spark—with a side of publishing-world shenanigans—this one's for you. 💛📚

Though it greatly pains me to say so, Slow Burn Summer is not Josie Silver's best work. It had an intriguing premise but I'm not sure if it ever quite decided what it wanted to be: an Emily Giffin style chick lit book or a romance. There is almost no tension between the two MCs, wrapped up as they are in the more involved plot, and then they abruptly have sex, just seemingly out of nowhere. That said, if you like your stories more plot oriented and less heavy on the romance, you may prefer this title to other summer releases.

As for the story itself, there was really a lot to like. Our FMC is a middle aged mother of a college aged daughter, divorced and figuring out what her next steps are. Fully realized adult FMCs are one of the things that I love about Josie Silver books. When our FMC is approached with a unique job opportunity, she gets mixed up with the son of her former agent and all sorts of drama ensues regarding the job. A story of family, second chances, and how we are always evolving as people.

I loved this book! It is a slow burn, but one with many wild turns. I found the character of Kate to be incredibly relatable. She was charming in her normal gal sort of way, which I always find to be the type of character I most connect with. While she sets out on this adventure of playing a debut author, she has some incredible support along the way. The first being her sister, Liv. Liv is by far my favorite part of this book. She was hilarious and one of the best supporting characters I have ever read in a book. I would read a whole book about Liv. In addition to her sister, Kate's agent, Charlie, seems always to show up right when she needs him. The moments between Kate and Charlie felt genuine and not at all forced. I enjoyed how their relationship grew over time. Ultimately, the anonymous author played a crucial role in helping Kate on her self-realization journey. Watching their relationship grow was also one of my favorite parts of the book. The story was more than just a romance; it was about a woman finding herself after losing everything, and I was so satisfied with where Kate ended up. I would highly recommend this story.

Josie silver is an auto read author for me and I loved this one as much as her others.

“She’s playing the part of romance author, but has she found her own real life love story?”

This was a very unique story as the main character gets hired to be the face of a book when the original author wanted to remain hidden, they just wanted to story out in the world. You won’t be disappointed if you pick this one up!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this arc!

I loved this so much! I’m definitely used to Josie’s books being more emotional but this rom com was done perfectly! It was funny, relatable, and I loved the book theme! It was fun and honestly don’t think I’ve read anything like it before! Well done!

Thanks NetGalley for the arc.

A cute and funny story about finding yourself with a touch of romance. The side characters are just as enjoyable and the end gets tied up with a bow. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5!! Really liked this one. Kate felt so real — I connected with her honesty and how she’s just trying to find her footing after everything she’s been through. The slow burn between her and Charlie was so satisfying. Nothing rushed, just two people growing closer in a way that felt natural and earned. Josie Silver nailed the quiet, steady kind of love story that sticks with you. Great summer read! Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

Talent agent Charlie Francisco needs to hire an Actress to play the part of “Debut Novelist” for a Romance book written by an author who writes bestsellers in a completely different genre. It sounds simple at first-create a name and author bio-take a professional photo-and voilà-an author named Kate Darrowby is born! No chance of a pseudonym getting traced back to the author who wants to remain anonymous, when the book has a different name and face attached to the work. The marketing strategy is unique but what could go wrong?

Kate Elliott, a former soap opera Actress, is in need of a fresh start, so after reading “The Power of Love” -which just may be the BEST romance that she has ever read-she signs the NDA (non-disclosure agreement) agreeing to play the part. After all, it should just be a few interviews, and a couple of signings, and appearances during a Summer Tour when the novel is released for Publication.

Aided by Kate’s charming personality, the popularity of the book takes on a life of its own UNTIL…🤐 (No spoilers here!)

I was immediately engaged by this story-curling up on my couch with my kitten, and enjoying the glimpse we are given into the World of Publishing and the life of an author! I loved Kate’s relationship with her sister, Liv, and reading this made me miss my Sister who I haven’t seen since last Fall. The first half of the story only hints at a potential romance, which takes a back seat to the story described, which was fine by me.

The second half, while STILL enjoyable, wasn’t as strong for me as the humor didn’t always hit-becoming a bit too slapstick for my personal taste, and the romance seemed to develop just a little TOO quickly, preventing this from earning all the stars-BUT it’s still a book that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend!

One fun addition to the book-there is a deleted scene after the epilogue which I believe was originally the prologue of this story. I am glad it was deleted but it will be fun to hear if you think it should have been left in!

This book is scheduled to be released on June 10, 2025

Thank You to Dell for the gifted ARC provided by NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts!

So grateful to have received this arc from NetGalley! I eat up a book about books! Started off little slow for me but then it was drama after drama and I was hooked to see what happened next. I would def say little to no spice (there’s only like 1-2 pages either little spice) so if that’s your preference def recommend reading this. Adored the ending so sweet!

Josie Silver has done it again! If you couldn’t get enough of One Day in December, you will be at the edge of your seat for Slow Burn Summer. The perfect romance to kick off the summer season with. I don’t know about you but to me summer wouldn’t be complete without an over flowing stack of romance books to be read. Make sure Slow Burn Summer is in your stack!!

Slow Burn Summer was such a perfect summer read. I always love Josie Silver’s books, and this one was no exception. The story was fun, heartfelt, and had just the right amount of slow-burn romance that kept me hooked the whole way through.

I really liked the setup of Kate pretending to be the author of a romance novel on tour. It was such a unique twist, and her chemistry with Charlie was there from the start. Both of them are dealing with a lot, and watching their relationship build as they navigated all the chaos felt really natural.

I also enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look at the book world and the little mystery around who actually wrote the novel. It added just enough depth without taking away from the romance.

This one had everything I wanted in a summer read and left me smiling. If you’re a Josie Silver fan or just looking for a feel-good book to relax with, I definitely recommend it.

Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver

This is my first read by Josie Silver and I see I have some catching up to do with her other books. Thirty nine year old Kate Elliott is a former soap actress and at one time she was represented by talent agent Charlie Francisco's father. But Kate got married, had a baby, and now, all this time later, she's divorced and living over her sister's shop. Not the grown up life that Kate envisioned at this point in her almost forties.

Charlie isn't doing what he planned to be doing, either. He was a very successful member of a TV writing team until he and his partner (wife actually) broke up and the Hollywood rumor mill trashed his reputation. So off to work for his dad's company slunk Charlie and now that his father has died, this is the life Charlie feels compelled to live. It's when he needs to find a person to play the writer of a novel that he meets Kate, someone his father really liked all those years ago.

Kate feels like a fraud as she garners accolades for a book she didn't write. Charlie promises Kate he will be with her at every stop of her fake publicity tour, which grows by the day since Kate's motormouth goofiness is a big hit on the tour circuit and is propelling the book's success by leaps and bounds. The book is good anyway but Kate is drawing in the attention in ways that were unexpected. She's almost too good at her job. It doesn't hurt (or does it?) that Kate and Charlie are falling for each other.

But disaster hits in various ways and things become a big mess...literally. Think cake pieces, custard, fruit pieces, jelly and cream...yeah, I had to look this part up but trust me, it makes a mess. Of course, wires get crossed, feelings get hurt, and one can regret falling for someone just as quickly as one fell for someone.

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

This was a unique storyline, cute, a very slow burn, more of a contemporary fiction than romance. I enjoyed the read but nothing outstanding, 3.5 stars.

An addictively fun read!
While most of the characters have experienced loss of some kind, the group of friends are quite resilient despite hurts of the past.
This book unwittingly shows the power of friendship and how the love and support of just one person can make a positive impact on ones life.
Don't misunderstand - this book is more comic than tragic,by far!
The overall tone of the book is a fun, manageable chaos with lots of laughable moments.
A wonderful choice for a lite summer read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the opportunity to read this ARC.

First of all. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Secondly, I did not know this was not going to be written in first person and I truly don’t enjoy them as much if they’re not…

Sadly, this book was just not hitting how I felt it should. The slow burn was just not there for me tension wise. Also, this seemed more like a find yourself book than a romance book but maybe that’s just me.

I love Josie Silver and was so thankful to be approved for the ARC of Slow Burn Summer! This was a fun, lighthearted romance. I especially loved the relationship between Kate and her sister, Liv. Some parts of this felt a bit choppy for me, while other sections felt a bit too drawn out (trifle gate), but overall I did enjoy the story.

This was an engaging and character focused story with a fun setup when Kate a newly divorced actress agrees to impersonate an author for a promotional book tour.

The romance between Kate and her talent agent Charlie was sweet, but ultimately didn't fully deliver the romantic fulfillment I was hoping for. Her personal growth and self discovery was more the star of the show and this felt more in line with women's fiction.

Still a great read with a lot of heart.