Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Sure this was called slow burn summer, but this was the slowest of burns. It was also setup to make you think that Kate was going to be with H, but she actually got with Charlie. I personally don’t like romances where the character gets with their boss so I was turned off and was left wanting her to get with Hugh. This book was just so flat, had no romance and was boring to me.

I was immediately sucked in (I love a book related workplace romance) and the short chapters made me feel like I was flying through it. Closer to the middle it got slower and didn’t hold my attention as well. Some parts were kind of predictable and dragged on but other parts I found myself surprised. The story was really cute!

I think this book was an incredibly relevant example of fiction with how rabid the book community can get over an authors perceived misstep but I loved the ending scene where the community really rallied around Kate.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell And NetGalley for the copy in exchange for the opportunity to review.

RECAP: After hiring Kate to pose as the reluctant author of a bestselling romance, Charlie finds their summer of staged appearances & interviews complicated by unexpected sparks and growing feelings that blur the line between fiction & reality.

REVIEW: I read A Winter in New York by this author almost 2 years ago & thoroughly enjoyed it - 4 stars! But this book just didn’t deliver, and I have to wonder if it’s because I found the premise to be a little too unrealistic? I mean, I understand ghostwriters and pen names, but the situation that Kate found herself in was borderline delusional. And I felt myself dwelling in how ridiculous the whole situation was, definitely taking me out of the story, instead of just enjoying it for the lighthearted romance it is.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was just so not what I was expecting it to be, and not in the best way?

I’ve had a lot of Josie Silver on my list of books I want read, and I definitely still plan to get to them.

This one just went in a direction that I wasn’t quite expecting. I felt like it was gonna be much shorter with a lot less drama! A lot of the drama just felt kinda not needed.

4🌟
Overall a fun and quarry story with yearning. Loved the interactions between the two main characters and the fun side characters. The FMCs rambling were sometimes cringy but that makes you love her even more.

This book was very difficult for me to get into and I didn’t enjoy the first few chapters. I usually love Josie Silver but this felt like a miss for me. The talent agent concept has been done before and it wasn’t anything unique.

I have loved Josie Silvers books. Unfortunately this one was a miss for me. I didn’t really connect with the characters, and I never found myself really wanting to pick it back up.

I found this pretty forgettable. I didn’t really care for any of the characters and I found the love story boring. It wasn’t even really a slow burn because there was very little yearning. And I really got tired of the “whiskey cola” eye description.

Unlike Josie Silver’s other books which are more like emotional, tear jerking romances, being more of a romcom, this one was a bit different, and I really enjoyed it!

Kate Elliot was a fantastically funny, sarcastic, and strong main character—even if she didn’t feel that way because her life was in shambles after a nasty divorce. Her humor and amazing relationship with her sister, Liv, made for a fun & interesting read.

While the growing attraction between Kate & Charlie takes a slight backseat to the other drama in the book, their relationship is one you root for all along.

4 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Josie Silver never misses! If there's something Josie is good at, it's writing stories that break your heart and simultaneously make you believe in love.
One of my favorite things about her writing is how real her stories are. The characters that have more life experience paired with these raw situations just makes for incredible stories. While this wasn't my favorite of her catalog, it fits so well within it. Honestly, the end bits really brought the rating up for me with the classic HEA feel.
Overall, another solid read from Josie Silver that delivers all the feels, but I just didn't connect with it as much as her others to bring my 3.5 up to a 4.

Slow Burn Summer is a masterpiece. I immediately fell in love with Kate “Darrowby”, the FMC, because she is incredibly relatable. We all find ourselves in situations where we say 500 words where 20 would suffice, but nobody can spin it like Kate does. She is fiercely loyal, empathetic, and a person I would want in my corner. Charlie (MMC) could learn a few things from our shining star, but he does have his own set of redeeming qualities. This was a spin on the romance genre that I have not read before and it’s one that I am so grateful I was able to read!

Thank you to NetGalley for an Advanced Readee Copy of Slow Burn Summer. All opinions and thoughts are my own!

Could not get into this book, which is so strange for a Josie Silver book. I enjoyed the comedy of it all, but just didn't feel any pull towards any of the characters or the overall story. Will forever read Josie Silver, but this just wasn't in my top books.

This was cute.

I just didn’t connect to the characters in the way I wish I would have. The romance felt a little flat and felt like there should have been more depth involved.

I did, however, like Kate as a character, and I thought the plot was unique and well-written. It did keep me interested throughout the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an e-ARC of this book.

I’ve been a fan of Josie Solver since One Day in December came out and was thrilled to have the chance to read her new novel. She does a really great job of building whimsical and sort of outlandish scenarios and characters into stories that feel grounded in reality and emotion. I felt so invested in our FMC Kate and her journey to figuring out her post-divorce life. This was heartfelt and lovely — though not quite my favorite Josie Silver book.

4 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was good but maybe my expectations were higher? I went into Slow Burn Summer expecting full rom-com vibes, something a bit different and dreamier and maybe that’s on me. The book is still a fun read, though. The premise is: Kate Elliott, fresh off a messy divorce and feeling lost, gets hired to pretend she wrote a bestselling romance. Her boss is a brooding agency owner juggling grief, legacy pressure, and he has a mystery manuscript he can’t publish under the real authors name.

Without giving much away, brace yourself cause the slow burn part is very real. But I didn’t feel THAT spark. It’s more like slow-building tension without delivering big passion or romance.

Middle of the book dragged for me. I hated that part of the story and how it felt like no one protected Kate in such a difficult spot. I also kind of wished the “real author reveal” and Kate’s ex backstory were explored a bit more - kinda felt rushed.

Still no hate—there’s heart. Kate’s arc about reinventing herself, Charlie’s journey hacking out his own path, and the sister bond grounding everything made it soft and relatable. But for someone expecting full romance, it’s a quiet simmer not a fireworks show.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

⭐⭐⭐⭐ = 4/5 Stars!

I always look forward to reading a Josie Silver book and Slow Burn Summer was no exception. The banter alone made this book worth it to me, especially between Kate and her sister. This book is about a recently divorced woman trying to sort out her life. She’s a former soap actress looking for work. Enter Charlie Francisco, the son of Kate’s former talent agent, also recently divorced, former screenwriter, and who happens to have a job that he thinks Kate would be perfect. Kate is hired to be a ghost author for a famous writer who wrote their first romance book, a genre they’re definitely not known. Kate must pretend to be the author and navigate the publicity during a book launch. Kate and Charlie must work closely together to pull off the ruse where sparks begin to fly. I adored Kate. She reminded me a lot of a Brigitte Jones type character and I was rooting for her the entire time. Charlie grew on me throughout the book but by the end I adored him too. There were so many side characters that really elevated the story too – Kate’s sister, Fiona, the real author (T-Rex), the neighbor, etc.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Dell for a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I honestly just didn't "get" this book. An out of work, divorced stay at home mom and wannabe author that was once a soap star, returns to acting by pretending to be a ghost author in looks only for a top secret author for a publishing house. It had some lovely pieces, but overall, it was equally preposterous and slow. It was "fine," but nothing I'd recommend to my readers.

Josie Silver is always an auto buy for me, and this book reminded me why. It started off a little slow, but I’m really glad I stuck with it for its ending. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Slow Burn Summer definitely delivers on the slow - this was a sweet but snail-paced love story. It was a lot of half-starts and so the burn was constantly doused by inaction or avoidance of the romantic interests in favor of preserving the work relationship and contract responsibilities. It was an enjoyable read and I sort of enjoyed the languid storytelling that veered off on various tangents. I went into this book expecting this so it felt sweet and not dull.

This book lacked some of the fire between the characters that I have loved in her past books - I don't mind a slow burn but I still want the fire at some point and this one was only slightly firey!

"Slow Burn Summer" by Josie Silver is available now & it's the perfect read for a low key summer, literary love story. Thank you to Penguin Random House publishing for the eARC via #Netgalley in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy of this book.

I'm huge fan of Josie Silver but this one was a bit slow. It is more of a woman's fiction than romance. Overall, liked it but not my favorite of hers!