Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 
Book girls unite! Josie Silver pays homage to book girls and romance book girlies everywhere.
Newly divorced, empty nester, Kate Elliot is looking for a fresh start  and a cash flow. After a few glasses of wine, she writes a letter to her former acting agent to see if there is any work out there for her. Instead of hearing back from the larger than life Jojo Francisco, she hears from his son, Charlie. He has a gig for Kate, and it's not one she would expect. 
I really enjoyed the fresh storyline. Not only did it offer a plot I have not encountered before- it gave us a sneak peak into the world of publishing, and the concept of ghost authors/ghost writers. Additionally, it showed a realistic view into the book world and the die-hard fandom. 
I did enjoy the slow burn romance between Kate and Charlie but feel it was secondary to Kate finding herself again. The true standouts in the story were the relationship between Kate and her sister Liv and the community you can build by just being your authentic self.

I love Josie Silver. I love epistolary novels. I love romance books. I love books ABOUT writing romance books. I can read cursive JUST FINE. I could not, in the NetGalley or Kindle app, engage with the handwritten-styled text on a small screen, and once I skipped past it, found there was too much going on and too many characters to keep straight to enjoy the book. I am admittedly not a mystery fan, and perhaps that also contributed to my putting it down and not finishing at 16% read. I think it's a finely written emotional story, but not the right book for me at this time.

Thank you to Random House Publishing/Ballentine/Dell and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
When Kate Elliott writes a letter to her old agent in the hopes of jump starting her old career, she doesn't think she'll end up working for his son after her agent's untimely death. Charlie Francisco is not his father, nor does he want to be. But he's determined to help a surefire hit book make it to publication. And Kate is just the person to help him with it!
I loved that Kate was a divorcee who has lived life a bit. She has a daughter in college and she's coming up on midlife. I don't read a lot of books with characters her age and it was refreshing to see a 40 year old woman portrayed. I felt everything she did when it came to her personality and how it had been wrapped around her marriage. She didn't have a sense of her own self and now that she was divorced she was determined to find it. She is quirky and fun and the author made her someone you truly wanted to have find her happy ending after all she had been through. I loved her sense of humor and how, even though she had many awkward situations in this book, she handled them well and tried to embrace herself as is.
Charlie was harder to get a read on. I don't think the author gave him enough time on the page. As a reader, if the author is using a dual POV type of storyline, I need equal time from the characters. And I didn't get this at all. It made it hard to get to know Charlie. I wanted more of him and I didn't get it. What I did get, I really liked. He was genuine and caring.
The romance seemed a bit forced for me. I did like it once it was revealed but it just seemed to forced. The close proximity trope aside, the chemistry seemed off. Charlie definitely appeared more into Kate than the other way around, which would have been fine if we didn't only see this through Kate's eyes. I wanted to watch Charlie fall for her and Kate realize it. But beyond that, I just didn't necessarily feel the chemistry between them. I just didn't believe they loved each other as much as they told each other they did.
The pacing of the story was good. I loved all the humor the author infused and the chapters flowed well to move the story forward. I liked the writing, it was easy to read and Silver kept me engaged.
Overall this story was just ok for me. I needed more romance and chemistry. I needed more of something. The idea was there but the execution left something to be desired. That being said, I would pick up other Silver books as I did enjoy the writing.
3.5 stars

The ending was my favorite part of the book! I loved how it all tied together, but while reading, I had a hard time connecting and being invested in the story. Slow Burn Summer had cute story elements, but still left me wanting more throughout reading.

3.25ish ⭐️

I really enjoyed the story of Kate, a retired soap actress that takes a job as a ‘ghost author’ for an unknown best selling author that would rather keep their identity unknown.

Kate falls deep into the bookish world, and her bubbly personality help skyrocket the book to best seller status. However, when her identity is revealed to be a fraud, the book fans turn against her and come out with their pitchforks trying to find out the authors true identity.

Now there is a romance story in this book as well, but it kind of takes a back seat to the rest of the drama. I did not get the chemistry between them, Charlie just was entertwined into the story as her rock support system.

There is lots of little things to love and take away from this book. Quirky moments and always there for you family ties. It’s hard when you go in thinking it will be a big romance and find that part of the story lacking. But it was still enjoyable to read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I received ARC from NetGalley for this novel. I'll be honest, it truly is a slow burn like the title says. But I couldn't get into it and the characters dynamic was little confusing at first and I was finding myself little bored. I couldn't get into the characters. The premise of the novel sounded really interesting and I had this on my TBR list for a while, but I was little disappointed when reading this. I wanted to love this, but I was underwhelmed.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens to a woman who is hired to pretend she wrote a book, this is for you! The premise of this book was absolutely intriguing and had me excited to read it.

Except I zoned out quite a bit and this book felt too long. Based off the title, I thought it would have a bit more romance but honestly, it came out of nowhere. There was no chemistry, no depth to Kate and Charlie’s relationship. There is a moment of spice that I rate 1 🌶️ out of 5. If there had been a bit more depth, their relationship would feel more believable.

I did love the sister bond between Kate and her sister. They had so many funny moments from a T-Rex encounter to Bridgerton being the reason the sister is pregnant again. 🤣

Kate felt a bit insufferable, especially because it’s her fault for what happens. You would think a 39 year old would have taken her secret more seriously and not leave a paper trail. I was honestly so annoyed when that happened. Ugh.

Overall, I didn’t love it but I didn’t fully hate it either. Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and Josie Silver for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I’ve been a Josie Silver fan since the beginning. This is a sweet romantic comedy about two adults who are middle-aged finding themselves again. The plot was fun with the twist of acting and literature merged together. Charlie and Kate are a great couple to follow. This is a great summer read! Thanks to Netgalley and Dell for the advanced digital copy.

A talent agent hires an actress to play the part of “novelist” on a book tour for his agency’s publicity-shy client

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

I really liked Kate, I really liked Charlie. I also loved their chemistry. But there wasn't enough romance. Not enough history. Maybe if we had more of the book she "wrote", it could have been more impactful.

I love Josie Silver. I typically audiobook her books so maybe that I didn't this time, it was harder for me to emotionally connect to it.

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.