I’ve read Josie Silver’s One Day in December and Winter in New York, and another poster described this as more “comrom” than “romcom” and I can heavily agree with that. Not that I didn’t enjoy the book publishing June 10th but I almost was surprised at how little romance there was in the book. Kate is a recent divorcee who has her life fall apart after being the SAHM and stepford wife to her husband she married very young, and her prenup left her with nothing. As a former soap actress before marriage, she tries to reach out to her agent who has passed and his son has inherited the family business. They have a non-traditional part for her as a “ghost author” with her name, socials and interviews all pretending she has wrong the book as the author typically writes another genre and doesn’t want it associated with their name. No one can see how big the book gets and chaos ensues. While most of Silver’s books take quite a while to get to the romance (she loves a slow burn so to say), this one really draws it out. This was a fun, low stakes read and the characters were very enjoyable! Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Slow Burn Summer // Josie Silver
Publishes June 10, 2025

I am in love with the plot of this book, the characters, the settings, just everything. The plot is so unique for a romance.

Kate is a former teen actress who left the acting world for love and marriage. Twenty years later, her child, Alice, is off at uni and her husband has divorced her after he was caught in an affair with his assistant. She writes a letter to her former talent agent to get back into work and instead of her agent receiving it, his son, Charlie, who has taken over the business since his death receives the letter. The job he has in mind for her is representing a book in which the author wants no notoriety. After reading the book in one weekend (more than once) Kate falls in love with it and agrees to be its “author”.

I’m sure you can guess where the problems might arise. It’s a slightly when is the house of cards found to fall feeling throughout. What I really loved is seeing who shows up for Kate and how (throughout the whole book, but just when the cards fall). The characters really shine in this novel.

My one slight issue came with the romance. I felt the attraction, the tension, the friendship and then one thing happens and I struggled to see it again. I even went back to reread but it still bothered me. I’m not sure it’s the book or me so I look forward to reading other reviews.

Thank you for this ARC

just didn’t love the concept of this one - was hard for me to get into. i wasn’t obsessed with the characters either, but was still entertained.

Thanks for the review copy. I love the premise of the book and feel it is well-written and executed. I love the cover. I like how different Silver's books are from each other and how her characters feel like real people.

While there were parts of this one that I did enjoy, there were some parts I didn’t. I thought the chemistry between Kate and Charlie could be hit-or-miss; I wanted to fuss at them to get over themselves. I think Kate’s character had some good development, but I did want to like a bit more.

Silver has again weaseled her way into my reading heart with characters who are highly enjoyable and a story that works even when it is at its most far-fetched. This is, however, a first for me in terms of her books because I'm usually a solid 4 star and this one managed to soar up to a 5 star rating. I could be uncharitable and say that the rating is because I've been on a reading drought of late and had a hard time really getting into anything that's on my TBR. But the reality is that I just really liked everything about it. Kate is a well written character who I found it hard to dislike. She has her faults, and she does lean on big sister Liv a lot, but she also realizes it and course corrects of her own volition. And even when she thinks she's being selfish, she's actually still there for her sister in little ways. Charlie is also a good person. Flawed in some ways, but those just make him more real. You would think that the plot would feel contrived, but there is never a moment where I thought that Silver was forcing things to make for a cute scene or to pave the way for the romance. Everything, even the baclava trifle guy, was believable and worked.

If you liked Silver stories in the past, this one shouldn't disappoint. And while you may think this one is picking up from Book Lovers thematically, it's really not and is just a good read that happens to be a romance with writers. Great for a vacation or when you need a pick me up. A few chuckles for sure interspersed with some drama and great slow build romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for honest feedback.

I really enjoyed the beginning of the book but halfway through it really slows down and there’s just not enough of a connection between Kate and Charlie to keep you interested. In fact, for a book billed as romance the romance almost feels like an after thought through the entire story.

I also felt like there were a lot of side plots in the book that could have been removed. There was so much to the plot: the sister, the snarky ex husband, a drifting college aged daughter on top of being a fake author finding romance again that it just got to be too much. I think if they had cut out some of those the book would have felt more succinct.

I’m still giving this one 3 stars because Josie Silver is a good author but this one could have used a little bit more editing to really make it shine.

Katie Elliott agrees to pretend to be the author of a newly published romance novel. The actual author wants to remain anonymous. Charlie is the talent agent who brokers the deal for Katie to "act" like she is the author.
This started out cute but by the 50% point I began skimming through the story. The romance between the two main characters felt like kind of a sub plot to me. I did enjoy Katie's emails with the actual author of the book. Those felt genuine and heartfelt.
Slow Burn Summer is a cute story but don't expect much romance.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Kate is a former actress who writes a letter to her old agent after her divorce. She left acting to become a wife but needed a job after finding her husband in bed with his secretary. Charlie is also getting over a divorce and his father's unexpected death when he receives Kate's letter to his father. She is exactly what he needs - an unknown actress who can portray an author for a romance novel whose actual author does not want to known as it is a completely different genre from previous novels.

I really enjoyed this book! Kate was such a relatable character. She was down on her luck but still kind and attempting to make the most of her situation. She is able to email with the actual author and when she is deemed the book's guardian angel and really embraces that role, it was perfect. I believe any true book lover would feel honored to do the same thing in her shoes just to allow the book to get out into the world and be shared. I found the relationship between Kate and Charlie to be (mostly) much more realistic than the standard romance novel's lead romance. It was a slow burn, getting to know each other while navigating a working relationship. Kate's sister is an absolute firecracker and balanced out her kind, non-confrontational ways. I was really happy that all of the characters were fleshed out and the overall tone of the book was sweet.

Kate is recently divorced after finding her husband shagging a younger woman, her daughter has gone off to university, and she’s living in the flat above her sister’s costume shop. Before marrying her ex-husband, Kate was a young actress, so she decides to reach out to her former agent to see if there’s a chance he could get her acting work again. Her former agent has passed away and his son, Charlie, has taken over his book of business. Lucky for Kate, Charlie has just the role for her!

As an avid Josie Silver reader, I don’t know if this one hit the mark for me. I have always loved the way Silver writes main characters you want to root for, but Kate felt a little too ditzy for me and Charlie was hot and present, but not particularly interesting. The premise is interesting, but it feels kind of abandoned half-way through.

There were some very funny moments - Kate’s sister throwing a trifle at a shop worker, the group of bridesmaids and footballers who show up to protect Kate at 6:30am, and “H” losing his mind in a T-Rex costume all had me giggling. Overall this is a light, easy read that is great for the summer!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine, and Josie Silver for providing the ARC of this fun novel!

I love Josie Silver's writing and was so excited to get a review copy of Slow Burn Summer! This might be my favorite book of hers yet. Kate and Charlie had great chemistry and have a slow, sizzling story. Loved it!

3.5 stars, rounded down.

I have greatly enjoyed other books by Josie Silver so I was super pumped to start this one. Unfortunately, it feel a bit flat for me. I just didn't feel the spark and chemistry between Kate and Charlie, it felt too forced. In fact, I felt it more between Kate and H and was rooting for them. With that said, I did enjoy the plot of the book (minus the romance) very much.

I will for sure pick up the next Josie Silver book and highly recommend her Christmas books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This romance didn’t do it for me. Charlie and Kate’s connection was such a slow burn that I thought Kate and H had better chemistry.

I really struggled to get invested in this story and the relationships. There was a spark that was missing for me. I found that my main drive to keep reading was to discover who the mysterious author was, not because I really cared about the central relationships.

There’s something about Josie Silver’s writing that always enamors me, and her latest release Slow Burn Summer is no different. Kate, an almost 40 year old divorcée, finds herself as the face and author of a soon to be best seller that was written by someone else.

I thought the premise of the story was quite unique and different from anything I’ve ever read. I found parts of Kate’s character relatable and she’s so likable—I’d love to have her as my friend. The main conflict of the plot kept me reading and I actually enjoyed that the romance wasn’t at the forefront. It felt refreshing.

Thank you again to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine/Dell for a chance to read an advanced copy and give an honest review of this book!

Josie Silver writes some of the most cozy books, and Slow Burn Summer is no exception. I am obsessed with any book about books, and the book within this story and the people bringing it to life kept me captivated the entire time. The characters were lovable, the conflicts kept me interested, and I left wishing I could read the story within the story to know why these characters fought so hard to protect it. Although the plot itself was cozy and interesting, I did wish that the love story between Charlie and Kate happened a bit more slowly to allow the payoff to feel stronger. The love story felt secondary to the plot, even though it was obvious that it was important enough to include in the first place.

Overall, I really enjoyed this, and I can't wait to see what Josie Silver does next!

I am a Josie Silver fan and this was a very fun summer chick-lit read. The perfect book to spend time with and the pool or beach. Easy and lighthearted reading.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the advanced copy of Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver. I discovered this author when my sister recommended One Day in December back in 2021, and I've been a fan ever since. I love reading English authors, especially those who write rom-coms with a touch of fantasy/science fiction.

This summer, plan to spend some time with Kate and Charlie in Slow Burn Summer. Unfortunately, this wasn't my favorite of Josie Silver's recent books. While it has fun characters, a unique premise, and laugh-out-loud madcap humor, I wouldn't consider it a true romance. The title Slow Burn Summer feels misleading because things move fast in this story. The relationship with Charlie is secondary to the plot and doesn't fit the definition of a slow burn romance.

Kate is a former actress hired to pose as a romance author for the publication of an amazing love story where the real author refuses to attach their name. I related to this plot point because what reader wouldn't want this opportunity? This is why the book gets 3.5 stars from me.

What you do get from Slow Burn Summer is a FMC approaching the next stage in life after a divorce and her kid flying the coop. However, the true slow burn between Charlie and Kate is lacking, and (without spoiling) I almost wished her fire burned hotter with another character. The book was supposed to show Kate growing through this next stage of life, but her reliance on certain men, after not being able to rely on her ex-husband or father, left me questioning if she really grew.

I did find the resolution satisfying, and I'm glad I finished the book because it took my rating from 3 stars to 3.5 stars. I found this book enjoyable and hope you will as well.

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I found the concept of this book so unique and interesting that I was more willing to ignore some of the problems that would have bothered me more in a different book.

The chemistry between the characters does not come through well. You don't really feel where it's coming from, so by the end, it's almost a surprise that they feel so strongly about each other. Kate's relationship with her sister is better written and more intriguing. The relationship between her daughter and her ex-husband is abandoned and not sewn up, which feels unfinished. It felt like there was a chapter at the end missing (maybe that's the blank page we're supposed to fill in from the storyline?).

I enjoy Josie Silver's ability to write a main character that you're rooting for but also recognize their flaws. The charm factor takes this book a long way.

This was a solid rom-com read with a very likeable FMC. The idea of a ghostwriter needing the actor to be the "face" of the book was a fun twist on the usual setup, and that plot was interesting. The book lacked a little chemistry for the "rom" bit of this rom-com, but still an enjoyable read.