Kate Elliott is the kind of character who’s instantly likable. She’s sharp, a little chaotic, and clearly trying to rebuild her life with some sense of purpose. Once a soap actress, now taking on a strange gig pretending to be the author of a romance novel, she brings a kind of weary charm to everything she does. What really works is how grounded she feels despite the absurdity of the situation she’s in. You want to root for her, even when things start to unravel.

The book shines most in the quieter moments. Kate’s interactions with the people around her—especially those who believe she’s the real author—are layered with tension, humor, and surprising warmth. There’s something deeply human about watching her navigate praise that isn’t hers, while still forming real connections with readers and industry folks. The role she’s playing starts to bleed into her real identity in ways that feel emotionally honest.

While the first half had a great balance of humor and introspection, the second half didn’t land quite as well for me. Some of the comedy veered into over-the-top territory and the romance, though sweet, felt like it sped up too fast to fully click. It didn’t ruin anything, but it did keep this from being a full five-star read for me.

Still, I really enjoyed the experience. It’s a creative take on authorship and reinvention, with a lead character who carries the whole thing on her back in the best way. There’s also a deleted scene at the end that was originally the prologue. I thought cutting it was the right move, but it’s a fun extra for anyone curious about how stories evolve.

QUICK GLANCE-
My format: 📖Physical (352 pages) 🎧Audio (8 hours and 51 minutes)
Spice: 🌶️🌶️(skip part of Chapter 35 for closed door modification)
Language: 🤐🤐moderate

MY THOUGHTS-
A charming peek behind the curtain of publishing, marketing, and the magic of books!
I adored Kate's quirky and imperfect charm; she’s the kind of protagonist you can’t help but root for. The strong female relationships truly shine, bringing a depth of warmth and authenticity to the story. Watching Kate navigate real-life challenges with the support of her friends made her incredibly relatable.

The premise itself felt fresh and engaging, and the characters had a lovely dynamic. However, the romance left me wanting a bit more; while sweet, it felt a little underdeveloped. There were moments where the pacing felt slightly choppy, but overall, the story delivered a heartfelt journey worth diving into.

READ IF YOU LIKE-
💗Summer romance
💗Rom-com
💗Starting over
💗Slow burn
💗Post-divorce Self-Discovery
💗Workplace Romance

Thank you Josie Silver and @netgalley for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think slow burns are not for me. I did like the story overall, but it was a little long and slow. I enjoyed Kate's comeback and the romance once we got to it. I would still recommend trying it if it sounds like something you normally go for.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was such a warm, character-driven story with one of the slowest burns in the best way possible! 💕I loved how nothing about Kate and Charlie’s relationship felt forced. Their connection built gradually and when it finally clicked, it really hit!

Charlie completely stole my heart. 😊 The way he kept showing up for Kate again and again, even when things got messy, was subtle but so powerful for their foundation. I loved seeing his quiet evolution just as much as I loved watching Kate start to believe in herself again. The book tour setting and the whole fake author setup added such a fun twist, especially if you’re someone who loves books about books! It had charm, heart, and a romance that felt mature without ever losing the spark.

Definitely one to pick up if you’re in the mood for a thoughtful summer read with depth, heart, and a romance that makes you root for the long game!🩷

Thank you Random House Publishing Group & NetGalley for the early digital copy of Slow Burn Summer!

This was such a unique plot and I really enjoyed learning more of the behind. The scenes of what goes into a book release tour and publishing process.
I loved Liv’s spunk and fire and her the sister relationship with Kate. I’m glad we got to see so much of her.
On the flip side I was disappointed in how little we dove into the relationship between Kate and her daughter. The first half Silver really highlights the speakers between Alice’s current life choices and the choices of Kate’s younger self- but I feel like we never really come full circle with a true mother daughter moment I was expecting.
I also didn’t really feel the romantic connection on this one compared to her other novels- maybe had they had know each other when they were younger and it was a crush from the past? But i just didn’t see how they developed that deep of a relationship in the interactions we had

Overall, while it might not be my favorites Silver book to date- I’m so glad I got my hands on it and would definitely recommend as a summer read! Would give it a 3.5 so I rounded up

Slow Burn Summer is written for all us bookish girls! A delightful premise of an actress hired to play the role of an author and all that ensues from that, coupled with such a sweet romance makes Slow Burn Summer the perfect summer read. Kate, Charlie and the whole supporting cast of characters are relatable and fun...just enough drama, a hint of mystery and beautifully wrapped up with a nice bow. Loved it!
Thanks to #NetGalley and #Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for the ARC.

I really wanted to love this book but I just couldn’t get into it. I adore Josie Silver and usually resonate with her books and they usually have some very emotional theme, but the drama in this book didn’t feel that devastating or honestly that big of a deal. I liked Kate and Charlie but didn’t feel the build up of their romance, it felt rushed at times. I would give this 3.5/5 stars.

This one was kind of a mixed bag for me! I liked the overall vibe of the book — it felt bright, warm, and summery. I also really appreciated that the main characters were a bit older than what you usually get in romance novels. And I loved Kate's sister Liv — she was a fun side character!

I also liked the premise of an actor getting hired to pretend to be the author of a book and the wild situations that followed. I thought I had a few of the twists figured out, but I ended up being completely wrong.

What didn’t work for me: The romance. I just didn’t feel it. I never bought into the chemistry between Kate and Charlie, and their connection fell a little flat for me. It wasn’t bad, just lacking the spark I normally like to see in romance novels.

Who I’d recommend this to: Someone looking for a light, summery read with a fun concept, a charming setting, and a great cast of side characters, but maybe someone who’s a little less picky about the romance part than I am.

I am forever a fan of Josie Silver, and Slow Burn Summer was the perfect romance to kick off summer this year. When Kate Elliott interviews with Charlie Francisco to play the role of 'author' of a sure-to-be hit romance whose real author wants nothing to do with its publication, sparks fly and it is the beginning of a whirlwind of events that will make both of them believe in love again.

Charlie is absolute perfection, in my opinion, and Kate is a completely relatable heroine. I especially liked the character of Liv, Kate's sister. Everyone needs a Liv in their life, someone who is fiercely protective and accepts you in all of your wild imperfection. What a wonderful sister! The romance in the novel is definitely a slow burn, and there are a few absolutely swoon-worthy moments.

The novel will make readers nervous for Kate, the way things go off the rails is not unexpected although I kept hoping I would be wrong. I did not figure out who the real author was, and when it was revealed, I went back a reread part of the novel in confirmation. I love a good twist!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House-Ballantine for the digital ARC of Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver. The opinions in this review are my own.

There were some things I really enjoyed about this book and others that didn't work for me. I loved Kate's character and her sister Liv - they were hiliarous and had a very cute and supportive relationship. I ate up all the parts of the book that focused on their characters. The story was fun and different (not the same copy/paste plot), however I expected the romance to play a larger part based on the description. I'm not sure that I would call this a romcom - this was more women's fiction to me and about Kate's story. The romance was almost unnecessary and felt a bit like an afterthought. Overall, I really enjoyed this read and loved following Kate's story. I would definitely recommend checking this book out but go into it knowing it's light on the romance.

Thank you for the eArc!

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

I wasn’t a huge fan of this one. Most of the book was pretty slow, and even after the big problem nothing really drew me in and held my interest. I also really hesitate to call this a romance book because the romance here actually felt unnecessary

This was quite an unusual premise and I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about a main character whose job is to act like an author. When Kate was introduced, however, I immediately loved her. She was sad, sassy, a bit of a hot mess, and totally irresistible. She made her job totally believable that I couldn’t help but like her. Charlie, too, seemed to find her zaniness attractive. The two of them had immediate chemistry but their relationship leaned towards friendship more than a hot romance, at least at first. When things started to become difficult he was the shoulder she leaned on and the slow burn romance began.

Kate was really the star of this book. She had some great monologues, her relationship with her sister is one that any family of girls would want to emulate, and we can all bond over her terrible ex. He was really kind of horrible. Most importantly, we got to read a great redemption arc. Kate overcame adversity and we were lucky enough to bear witness to her comeback. I love those types of novels!

this was a short read. it was interesting in the fact that i haven’t read anything like the plot yet. but it lacked some things for me. first i’ll say, i really enjoyed the characters. i really loved kate, charlie and liv. the things that i felt could’ve been better were honestly the relationship between charlie and kate. i wish it was More. this could be more women’s fiction than a romance. i also wish the epilogue was longer.

3.5-4⭐️ Divorced talent agent, Charlie Francisco, is in need of someone to “play author” for the book that’s sure to be the biggest hit of the year, but whose actual author wants to remain anonymous. Kate Elliot, a recently divorced former soap opera actress, needs a job quickly. But as their arrangement leads to chaos, and the lies grow bigger, their slow burn summer begins to spark.

I usually find myself chomping at the bit the second a new Josie Silver is announced. Offering her readers the quintessential cozy (and British) romance, her books are like balm to the soul even as they tackle some of the more emotional topics. While this one ended up not quite a favorite, there is still quite a lot I enjoyed about it.

The romance is slow burn (I mean, HELLO, it’s in the name). But it is the type of slow burn that gives us that great tension building dynamic between our main characters, as we also get to know each character individually as well. As always, the side characters add sparkle and humor to the story, particularly Liv and their sweet sisterly bond, but my favorite character was definitely Kate who has to be one of the most relatable characters I have ever read.

Read if you like:
▪️women’s fiction
▪️late 30’s MCs
▪️books about books
▪️slow burn romance
▪️friends to lovers
▪️ghost writing chaos
▪️forced proximity
▪️emotional romance

Thank you Random House for the gifted copy.

This was unbelievably mid. This was wayyyy beyond a slow burn romance, there was a 3rd act break up before the 2 main characters even got together which I didn’t even know was possible. I normally love Josie Silver’s books but this one lost me. In typical Josie Silver fashion the external relationships & friendships were great! I adored Liv and felt like she brought a lot to the story but the main characters were flat. Also, romance? chemistry? WHERE? I have read thrillers with more chemistry between the 2 main characters than between Charlie & Kate in this book. Anywayyyy, I would only recommend reading this book if you like painfully slow literary fiction with a hint of romance. 2.75 stars!

Thank you to Random House Publishing, Josie Silver, & NetGalley for sending me an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

I am the absolute biggest Josie Silver fan (like I talked about the Two Lives of Lydia Bird DAILY) but this one moved a little slow for me. A mix of that and the third person wasn't allowing me to connect. I'm hoping maybe it was just my mood and I'll enjoy a reread later on this year.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Dell for this advance readers copy, in exchange for an honest review. Romances have been a hit or miss for me lately and I was worried this story might feel too far fetched to be believable and thus, enjoyable. But, I was pleasantly surprised! In my opinion, this definitely felt more like a contemporary/women’s fiction story and I thought that made the story much more enjoyable. There was more substance to this story, in terms of character development and a believable romance that slowly unfolded in the background of the major events ongoing here.

I thought the characters were likable and I was invested in the plot line throughout, eagerly looking to see how it all would work out. The side characters were sweet too and had clearly defined personalities, all of which added to the enjoyability factor of this book. Plus, I’m a sucker for contemporary fiction set in the UK instead of the US. Overall, I’d definitely recommend this book to readers who are looking for a book without an overtly, romance heavy through line but, rather might appreciate more modern fiction with other topics at hand too. I also would look to read more from this author, this was a win for me!

I always enjoy Josie Silver books and was excited for a new title. But this moved just a little too slowly for me and I stopped reading.

Oh Josie Silver did it again!!

I basically read his book cover to cover on Saturday - and can think of no better companion for my first pool day of the summer.

Kate Elliott finds herself suddenly single, jobless, homeless and reeling after walking in on her husband cheating on her and sending their daughter off to university. Thanks to an airtight prenup, she has moved in with her sister4, and is desperate to figure out how to start over. Before she got married and became a fulltime homemaker and mother she briefly worked as an actress on a well known UK soap. With nothing to lose she reaches out to her former agent, Jojo, desperate for any roles or auditions he may send her way.

But the letter to Jojo instead ends up in the hands of his son, Charlie, who took over the agency after his father suddenly passed away. And he may just have the right role for a total unknown: play an author for an upcoming romance novel whose real author is desperate to keep their identity secret. And while Charlie and Kate need each other to cooperate for their careers, it is immediately clear that there's more there,

In lesser hands this could go off the rails easily - but Silver nailed it with her incredible character development, funny bits tossed in, chemistry that jumps off the page and whimsical romance. I laughed, I cried, I cheered. I couldn't get enough.

Happy US Pub Day Josie! Thank you Dell and NetGalley for this ARC. A must read this summer!

I enjoyed the book. I liked how the main story was about Kate’s love for books. I was just hoping for more of a romance storyline. It definitely wasn’t in the forefront of the story. I felt like there wasn’t a whole lot of chemistry between Kate and Charlie. Definitely potential for some tho!