**spoiler alert** This review is based on an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review This review may contain spoilers.

I was drawn to Slow Burn Summer by its charming cover and intriguing premise—and the concept definitely delivered on originality. An actress stepping into the role of an anonymous author? Yes, please! The mystery surrounding the author’s true identity added a fun thread to follow throughout the story.

While the premise was a hit for me, I went into this expecting a romance-forward story, and I think this book leans more plot-forward than I anticipated.

That’s not a bad thing at all—it just wasn't quite what I was in the mood for. As the title suggests, this is a true slow burn in every sense: the story takes its time building momentum, both in the central mystery and in the romantic subplot.

Kate, the main character, is sweet and easy to root for, and while I didn’t always feel fully connected to her journey, I appreciated her growth and vulnerability. One of my favorite elements was watching her step into a fictional role with real-world stakes—it’s a clever setup that opens up fun commentary on authorship and truth in storytelling.

I also really enjoyed trying to guess the real author’s identity throughout the book. I found myself hoping it would be someone close to Kate, like Fiona or Charlie, which would’ve added emotional depth and romantic tension. I suspected Fiona early on because of her suspicious behavior, but when it was revealed to be a man, I thought it would be Charlie. When it turned out to be someone outside her circle, I felt a little let down, just because I was hoping for a more personal payoff—especially with the letters woven throughout. These letters could have been a way to establish more depth in the romance between Kate and Charlie.

In the end, Slow Burn Summer was a sweet and light read with a creative concept and cozy vibes. While it may not have been a perfect fit for me right now, I can definitely see it appealing to readers who enjoy a slower-paced story with a clever twist.

I loved this book! Before I read this, I'd only read One Day in December by Josie Silver, which is very sad and moving. This book had a totally different vibe, and I loved it just as much.

Kate is a former actress who has just been through a brutal divorce. Through a strange sequence of events, her former agent's son Charlie offers her an unconventional job: pretend to be the author of a new romance book that is bound to be a bestseller. The actual author of the book wants to remain anonymous, so Kate is tasked with doing interviews and book fairs for the book. Charlie helps her navigate everything, but of course her job and their relationship gets extremely complicated.

I absolutely tore through this book. Kate is so endearing - her relationship with her sister and their family is pure fun and support, and I loved how she processed her divorce and having to start over. The trust and intimacy that builds between Kate and Charlie feels special right away, which is always good in a book, and I loved the way they showed up for each other. This is also a love letter to reading and to love stories, which I always enjoy: the conversations between Kate and the unknown author are absolutely lovely, and Kate's journey to finding her voice and taking a chance with her writing is very sweet. There are parts of this book that are definitely a little overly cheesy and cringey, but overall this was very well-written and heartwarming.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

What I love about Josie Silver books is that they're gentle and leave the reader feeling warm and fuzzy. This one is no different.

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

Despite the title, this book's theme wasn't focused on simply romance. At its heart, there was themes of grief (loss of a loved one and life after divorce) and self growth. There is a great sister bond in this book. Kate's sister was a standout character that is both strong, supportive, and a humorous side kick.

This book was also an ode to the Bookish community. It showed how invested readers are and the lengths fans go to for the love of a book. Book signings, bookstagram, support (and maybe some hate).

Overall, this book left me with warm fuzzies and contentment. 4.25 ⭐
Pub Date: 06/10/2025

3/5 - Enjoyable and sweet, I’m a sucker for books about books and writers and this was a fun twist on a love story. I loved that Kate was in her late 30s, and dealing with so many traditions and changes. The chemistry between her and Charlie wasn’t quite ENOUGH for me but I enjoyed the characters and chaos all the same. Silver has an engaging writing style and voice, and her side characters are always strong - Liv! A riot!

Thank you to @netgalley and Dell for an ARC of this story in exchange for my honest review!

📖 Book Review 📖 Do you have goals this summer? Forget hot girl summer…I am here for a book girl summer! And apparently I am not the only one. Josie Silver makes all of our dreams come true with her latest novel, Slow Burn Summer. Mid-life has not been kind to Kate Elliot but the former soap opera actress is offered the role of a lifetime: author to a novel that knocked her off of her feet. We’ve all ravished a book that has forever changed us and she gets the chance to play the author of that dazzling novel. Kate has learned her lines, rehearsed, and is the definition of grace under pressure but can she survive the slow burn summer? Slow Burn Summer is the kind of rom com book lovers wait all year for.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
4.5 stars
Silver is an auto read author for me! She does not miss. I loved this story. I loved Charlie and Kate and how they grew throughout the book. I liked that this book was about two divorcees trying to navigate life. I am obsessed with Kate’s sister Liv and want to be her friend.

Josie Silver is a master of the summer romcom! This read like a movie and was such a fun journey. I had such a good time!

A fun rom com featuring a fake...author. Kate was once a soap opera actress and Charlie's father was her agent. She wants to get back to work since her marriage has fallen apart and the first thing Charlie has for her is portraying a romance novelist because the real author doesn't want the romance to overshadow earlier serious work. All's fine for a while but then not so much and Kate is on the hot spot. Focus here on the slow burn between Kate and Charlie. There's good banter (always a plus) and they're both good people. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Entertaining read.

This was a cute romance, but I wasn't completely blown away. I didn't believe the chemistry and romance between Kate and Charlie. I enjoyed Kate's dynamic with her sister, Liv, but other than that, I was very underwhelmed by the relationships in this book. I've read other books by Josie Silver and enjoyed them much more than this one. I just feel like this book is kind of forgettable when there's so many romance books out there. Also, this one pretty much didn't have a single bit of spice to it.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Josie Silver for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book however the romance just wasn’t romancing for me.

To be clear, I recommend the book and enjoyed the storylines but I would expect more women’s fiction than straight romance in my humble opinion.

Our girl, Kate, is a former actress who walked away from her career to follow her husband. Now, divorced, 40 and without a career she reaches out to her old agent, hoping for anything that could get her working.

Her former agent recently passed but his son has taken over and when he reads her letter he has the perfect opportunity for her - to be the face and named author of this breathtaking romance book for a seasoned author who writes another genre and doesn’t want their name associated with this book as it’s too raw and personal.

The book ends up being a huge hit and Kate is doing great until there’s a leak and the book world turns against her.

As I said, I enjoyed the book but the tension was very luke warm for me. Charlie was attentive and wildly supportive and there were a few instances of “will they, won’t they” but not enough for me. The “deleted scene” was creative but almost felt like a negotiation instead of something based on passion.

I enjoyed how things were resolved but per usual the 3 little words felt wildly out of nowhere.

Thank you to NetGalley, Josie Silver, and the publisher for the advanced copy of Slow Burn Summer. I usually fly through Josie Silver’s books, but this one was a bit harder to get into. The premise—an actor pretending to be an author—was unique and believable, but the pacing felt drawn out, and the romance didn’t really pick up until the very end. Still, Josie Silver is a talented writer, and I’ll continue to read anything she puts out—this one just wasn’t a personal favorite.

Kate is starting over - you know the cliche found husband with the secretary or something like that, she decides to look up her old agent from her pre husband life (she had a chance at success but chose the man) her agents son has a proposition for her pretend to be the suthor of a book for ( the real author wishes to not be known) - the secondary cast of characters in like Kate's sister, cutthroat Fiona, and Charlie. I loved the character of Kate- she takes the job and has email conversations with the real writer and starts her new life as author of a great love story (fun press stories entail- love the cab driver most) then something happens and could ruin her gig - it was a different kind of Josie Silver book but I liked it .....also this book takes place in England -- not a big deal, however i just like to make a note for people

Thank you netgalley for an arc in exchange for my honest review

A talent agent hires an actress to play the part of a romance novelist. Kate Elliot walks back into the Francisco & Fox Agency 20 years after she gave up her promising acting career to run off with the love of her life. Things are different. Jojo Francisco is no longer there. His son, Charlie has taken over the business. The acting jobs are different as well. Kate is hired to play the part of an author. Of a real book. The real author of an incredible love story wishes to remain a mystery (to everyone, including Kate) but for press and publicity reasons, they need a face so Kate agrees to the role. It’s fairly smooth sailing until word gets out that she’s a fraud and she’s just acting. It all gets so complicated especially when she also finds herself falling for Charlie.
I’ve read quite a few of Josie Silver’s books and I’m happy to report that that she’s back on form. This is up there with her debut, in terms of enjoyment. Love it!

Charlie has taken over his late father’s agency along with Fiona, a somewhat crabby older partner and dear friend of his father. Fiona and Charlie have a manuscript of a love story that the actual author refuses to associate with (the author doesn't normally write romance and don’t want to be viewed as a romance writer) so Charlie needs someone to “play” the author. Kate was a soap opera actress in her youth (until she got pregnant and got married to her ex-husband) and Charlie’s dad was her agent. Now needing work, Kate is the perfect fake author for the book. Charlie and Kate start off with sparring but soon realize that there is more to their relationship, however they know that they have to keep their eye on their job, making sure the book is a success and no one finds out that Kate is not the author.

This is a great throw in your bag and read at the beach book - light, entertaining and a fast read. I enjoyed the story and the characters and I asked my to stop talking to me long enough so I could just finish the last 10% of the book (I never claimed to be a good parent). Why not 4 stars? I didn’t think this is one that will stick with me and some of it was just a little silly - I wouldn’t recommend this one to someone who doesn’t love romances in general. I did really enjoy listening to the audio with the British accent of the narrator though and I ended up listening to to about half of it. I am going to try another of the author’s books because I did like the rom commy style.

3.75 stars

thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC to review

In this delightful romantic comedy, talent agent Charlie Francisco is desperate to promote a breathtaking new romance novel, except its real author refuses to go public. To save his agency and the book’s success, Charlie hires Kate Elliott, a former actress recovering from her own divorce, to pose as the mysterious writer on a summer book tour.
What begins as a professional arrangement soon becomes more complicated, as Kate is drawn to the novel’s emotional depth and begins to rediscover her belief in love. Meanwhile, sparks fly between her and Charlie, despite their initial friction and the layers of deception they must maintain.
As the tour progresses and their fake roles start to blur with real emotions, both must decide whether to keep pretending or risk everything for a chance at something real.

I loved One Day in December and was really excited to read this novel! It was an entertaining read. The story was front and center, while the romance felt more secondary and slow.
Both main characters are divorced, and the book explores love after divorce in a thoughtful way. Their relationship wasn’t the all-consuming, blinding love that’s often portrayed in romance novels, but something more mature and practical. I thought it was very realistic.
I also loved the portrayal of the book community and how everyone came together to stand up for one of their own. That was a really heartwarming part of the story.
One Day in December still remains my favorite for now, but I enjoyed this one too!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Dell for this ARC!

I really wanted to love Slow Burn Summer, but unfortunately, it just didn’t click for me — much like my experience with One Time in December. I went in expecting a romance, but the story felt more like women’s fiction with romantic elements rather than a true romance arc. The pacing was slower than I prefer, and the emotional beats didn’t quite land for me.

The writing style is clearly polished and will likely appeal to readers who enjoy introspective, character-driven stories. But for me, the focus felt a little too diffuse — more about personal growth and less about the relationship, which made it hard to fully invest in the love story.

I can see why this author resonates with some readers, but I think our tastes just don’t align.

I unfortunately did not finish this one, I read 50% and just wasn't invested. I thought the romance was very lacking and I didn't really believe in the plot.

Kate is ready to dive back headfirst into an acting career after her divorce. When Charlie brings her a job that a bit different than she expected she is cautious. Charlie has an author that wants nothing to do with publishing their amazing book. They don’t want their name on the cover, and they most certainly don’t want to go on book tour. So Kate will be the “author.” She will head out and do interviews and publicity as the author of the next best seller. Nothing could go wrong…right?

Romance readers warning-this book has some romance, but it is not the main plot! For me, that was perfect since romance has not been working for me recently, but if that’s what you are looking for, it might not be the best choice for right now. I absolutely adored this story and following Kate as she pretended to be the author of a book that touched her so much. Really this book just made me want to read the book in the book! I can never understand how someone can ghostwrite a book and then just never spill that they were actually the author, so I have a hard time understanding this situation as well, but I enjoyed every twist of this ride! I always love Josie’s books and this one was no different!!

Thank you to @randomhousebooks for my gifted copy of this book!

Slow Burn Summer was…different. Something that makes Josie Silver one of my favorite authors of all time is her ability to make you feel. Each of her books are so different but all consuming in their own way. This is the first time I didn’t feel that. My only dislike is really how slow it felt at times. The romance almost caught me by surprise even knowing the story itself is supposed to be one. It was just there and didn’t have much build up. Overall the story itself was very unique and the message itself very heartwarming. Kate is a relatable and funny character who is served every bad luck outcome possible while still remaining herself and I loved that about her. While it fell a bit flat for me I would still recommend this because it’s witty and above all it’s real.

This was a fun, entertaining rom-com with really likable characters. I found both Charlie and Kate heartwarming and funny. There's definitely chemistry between these 2 but their work relationship is always in the way.

The premise of this story pulls you in if you are an avid reader. It might also make you question who the "real" author of the book your reading is.

Charlie is divorced and has recently taken over his father's agency after he passed away. Kate used to work with Charlie's father JoJo and is still recovering from her own divorce and is looking for work. After she sends a letter to JoJo, which Charlie reads, he determines that she would be a great fit for a new project... an author that wants nothing to do with their new book. Charlie asks Kate to step in and like she wrote the book, going on the book tour and even putting her name on it.

These guys were so fun to root for. There were some parts that dragged a bit, but overall, Kate and Charlie had such a quirky, goofy relationship that was fun to watch bloom.