3 ⭐️

Katie Elliot is recently divorced and sends a letter to her old acting agency. She ends up getting a role as a ghost writer for a romance novel.

You fall in love with Katie as the FMC. Her character develops well. While I liked the MMC as well, their connection was a bit short. Needed more to make the ending believable. Felt a bit more like literary fiction than romcom.

I typically love Josie Silver so I was excited for this. It fell a bit flat for me. The ending felt especially rushed. Read this book as an ARC. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity.

3.5⭐⭐⭐ stars rounded to 4

This book started out a little slow for me, but I kept going and it did pick up. Kate, a divorcee and once upon a time actress, reaches out to her old agent, ready to explore options. However, her agent has passed and she comes to find herself working with his son. The job he has for her though is not your common acting job.

Charlie presents Kate with the option to be portrayed as the author of a romance book. The book was authored by an international best selling crime author. After losing his wife, he poured his feelings into a romance novel, but doesn't want his name tied to it. So his agent comes up with the plan to put a ghost face and name to it. Enter Kate. Kate agrees to the job, and from there her world turns upside down.

She must do interviews, meet and greets, etc. Her biggest cheerleader is her sister, Liv. I loved Liv's character - she didn't take any BS from anyone! Kate also finds herself being supported by her new agent, Charlie. Throughout the book, they tiptoe around one another as they work through this unconventional job.

I love Josie Silver's novels, and while this wasn't my favorite of her books (that belongs to A Winter in New York), it was a good read!

I loved Kate finding herself again through this. A woman who thought she was weak portrayed incredible strength in the face of adversity! The scene where people showed up for her was so heartwarming and was a good reminder that there are still good people in the world who show up when life gets hard!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the eARC of this book! Definitely on to put on your TBR list!

I am so enchanted by the characters and the plot. I wish I could be a part of this story because I felt very welcomed reading it. Definitely one of my best reads of the year. Thank you for the early opportunity. 🥺❤️

Slow Burn Summer is Josie Silver’s latest romance, following an actress who is stepping in as an author of a book (for a ghost writer) on her journey to publish the book. Charlie is one of the agents involved in publishing and is constantly is stepping into help Kate.

I really love the concept of the pair being thrown together involving a ghost written book, that was very original and very interesting to read.

However, I feel like it fell really flat for me. In building the narrative for Kate as an author I feel like Charlie & Fiona (other agent) were creating an excessive amount of lies. Some of these details were just really unnecessary? for example, Charlie and her sister have a pet tortoise (which is so cool by the way) but for her author bio they changed this to a bengal cat?? like it was already interesting enough it just felt weird.

I feel like the romance felt like a subplot in this story, not even because it was a slow burn but just because it wasn’t concerning me at all? And then when it finally happened I just felt meh.

Throughout the story we see the author and Kate communicate in emails and that was very cool and I really enjoyed the change in writing format to break up the story.

One small thing, but I feel like Bridgerton was mentioned way too much? At least 10 times and I get using it as a reference but it felt over kill and then made me question if the author was trying to throw shade? I feel like a small detail ended up casting more than necessary/intended.

At the end of the book there is a playlist listed. This is somewhat common for romances now, but usually I think these songs have some sort of tie into the story (at least through an artist mention or any music mention) but this book didn’t have that at all so it felt unnecessary? Also, it specifically made me mad because one of the songs, A Safe Place to Land by Sara Bareilles (featuring John Legend), is incorrectly listed, with Sara listed as the featured artist and John as the main artist. As a huge Sara Bareilles fan, this made me really mad :/ like let’s credit artists correctly! Simple error but it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for honest feedback.

Overall I rate this book 2.5/3 stars. It was enjoyable until it was meh.

I’ve loved other books I’ve read by Josie Silver, so I was really excited to read this one. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for me. I didn’t feel any connection to the characters, they didn’t seem to have much chemistry, I felt like some parts were rushed and some parts were dragged out, and it really bothered me when it switched to Charlie’s POV. His POV was thrown in at strange times and it was always so abrupt. I think I would’ve preferred if we got his POV more often or not at all.

Kate finds herself in need of a job after her husband cheats on her, and the only thing she’s done professionally before marriage is acting. Hoping to restart her career, she reconnects with her old agent—only to meet a new one, Charlie, who offers her an unexpected gig: “ghost authoring” a romance novel. What could go wrong… unless someone finds out?

I was really enjoying the first half of this book. The setup was engaging, and I appreciated the character development and premise. However, around the 50% mark, the tone shifted and became a bit too over-the-top for my taste. Scenes like the trifle throwing, the T-Rex moment, and lines like “everyone farts” pulled me out of the story—it felt very cheesy.

Additionally, I started to lose sympathy for both Kate and Liv as their behavior became increasingly extreme. The romance also didn’t quite land for me. While there was a lot of buildup in other areas, the actual relationship felt underdeveloped. I found it hard to feel invested in them as a couple, and the repeated references to his “whiskey-colored eyes” became a bit much.

Overall, this one didn’t quite work for me, but I appreciate the opportunity to read it—thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

DNF…I couldn’t get into the storyline like I have with the previous books from the authors. I found both MMCs to underdeveloped and I couldn’t get invested in them. The pacing of the story is odd.

3.5 Stars
Josie Silver has a way of writing books that are quietly romantic. While this is considered "romance," to me, the bigger side of the story was watching Kate reinvent herself and grow as a person who is essentially starting over in her late 30s. She becomes a stronger person as she navigates the trials and tribulations that her new ventures throw at her. Charlie is there by her side throughout it all, but in a quiet way. He shows his support and sticks by her, but he is not screaming from the rooftops. It was a refreshing take on a romance that I haven't read anything like in a while.

This book also took on the toxicity of social media, particularly in the book community in a way that is sadly extremely relevant at this point in time. But, on the flip side, Silver also showed how that community can come together when people stand together. A bit of a juxtaposition that shows the current state of social media in the book community and truly, overall.

thank you dell publishing for the e-ARC!

this is my first josie silver novel & although this took a minute for me to get into, i enjoyed the writing style and found the story pretty entertaining. it’s definitely more on the fiction side with all the twists & sub plots but still has some cute moments!

Anything Josie Silver writes is a must read for me. Her books have depth, beautiful character development and compelling plots. This was no exception!

I loved the concept of a ghost author, where an actor war recruited to step into the role. It felt believable, yet new, and set up an adorable read. I love Kate by the end, wishing her the best and rooting for her!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

Another cute rom-com from Josie Silver and I've got no complaints. As usual this was well written with likable characters who you wanted to root for. Would definitely recommend this one as the perfect summer read, rating it 3.5/4 stars. I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

wow!!! a delightful summer time cozy romance!! i loved this book so much and found myself smiling all throughout

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Kate Elliot, recently divorced, decides to try and get into acting again by sending her old agent a letter. Unbeknownst to her, he has passed and his position has been taken over by his super hot , also separated son , Charlie. Kate is offered an unconventional role as a “ghost author,” that is, taking on the persona of an author wishing to remain completely anonymous.

I thought the story was super cute overall. The tone felt slightly different than Josie Silver’s other books (ie I didn’t sob once reading this). My main critique is that the trifle situation (that’s all i’ll say to avoid spoilers) really dragged on far too long.

Otherwise, quick, enjoyable read!

I loved this story, it was so sweet and heartfelt and felt like it could really happen. The characters were well developed and I enjoyed going through the story with them.

While this book met the main criteria for a romance novel, it was certainly more of a literary fiction piece.

Thank you to NetGalley and PRH for the free electronic ARC.

I enjoyed Josie Silver's previous books, but Slow Burn Summer fell flat for me.

The pros: Lovely writing, a creative premise and a likeable main character.

The cons: The book is marketed as a romantic comedy, but the leads didn’t have a lot of chemistry or connection, in my opinion. The plot felt slow at times.

I wanted to love this book, but I didn’t find myself excited to pick up where I left off each day.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I’ve read a few books by this author and honestly they have gone downhill fast. The last two books I’ve read the MC has been so utterly ridiculous and unlikable it just ruins the whole story. A lot of promise but sadly no delivery.

Kate is ready to dip her toe back into acting now that her daughter is grown and flown. Charlie is working through his grief over losing his father and inheriting his business. The two come together when Charlie hires Kate for a most unusual role - she'll pose as the author of a romance novel that Charlie is sure will be a blockbuster, but that the author doesn't want associated with their own non-romance writing career. This is uncharted territory for both Charlie and Kate (and the publishing industry!), but at least they have each other to navigate through the chaos that ensues.

If this isn't my new favorite Josie Silver, then it's definitely in my top 3. Kate's not just playing a role at a few author events, her name is on the cover of the book - as far as the world knows, she IS the author of this book - so it's a step beyond ghostwriting. It's a romance novel, sure, but it also really made me think about the publishing industry, ethics, authenticity, and the benefits and harm of social media. I thoroughly enjoyed the peek behind the covers of a book into the world of publishing and marketing. The characters are lovely and the premise was unique, so I kept reading "just one more chapter."

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House (Ballantine/Dell) for the chance to read this novel prior to its publication in exchange for this honest review.

time of dnf: 10%

unfortunately realized almost immediately that I was too ambitious and this book was probably never meant for me so I figured I would pivot to my other Josie Silver ARC bc I am still in the mood for her work!!

thank you sm to netgalley and balantine/dell for this arc to review!

I loved One Day in December and really wanted to love this. The plot is so unique and could have absolutely been a home run.

BUT
-the romance fell really flat for me
-i didnt like the female character. the way her cover was blown was so obvious and happened a bit to early for me. and shes a grown women but i felt like her attitude or commentary was a little more immature than i liked.

this feels like a step back from ODID where we got so much character development and really got to know them. This book felt like it wasnt given 100%.