Divorce is never easy to navigate. Starting over after your husband cheats but gets everything makes it even tougher! Kate is grasping for what's next while living above her sister's dress shop. She wrote a letter to her former talent agent, Jojo, the man who helped her star on a soap opera as a teen. She was a rising star who gave up on her dream to get married and follow her husband's dream instead. Unfortunately, Jojo passed away, but his son, Charlie, has taken over his portion of the business.
Charlie is in need of an unknown actress to play the role of author for a new romance book. The actual author is famous for crime writing, wrote this as a tribute to his late wife, never anticipating to publish. He doesn't want to be associated with the book at all, while his agent knows it would be a well-received book. In comes Kate.
Kate is offered the acting role - the name (different last name) and face of the book. No one is to know she isn't the true author outside of Kate's family. Falling in love with the manuscript, Kate is fully absorbed into the world of debut author. Radio shows, podcasts, even TV couches! All she has to do is keep it secret that she didn't write the book. She can keep the secret, can those around her?
Meanwhile, there are definitely some snuggly feelings between Kate and Charlie- emotional tension if you will. Charlie is trying his best in his new role, he is not his father, though. Life never goes as expected, and secrets are hard to keep.

I think I just have to accept that Josie Silver might not be the author for me. I didn’t love A Winter in New York, and unfortunately, Slow Burn Summer didn’t change my mind.

There were definitely things I liked: the Kate the FMC is in her 40s, divorced, a mom, and trying to move on with her life. As someone in my late 30s, I’m finding it harder to connect with books where the main character is in her 20s, so I appreciated that this felt a little more grown-up. I also liked the relationship between the sister and the idea of ghostwriting a mystery author’s book.

Many great ingredients were there, but none of them really came together. The pacing was slow (not in a “slow burn” kind of way, just slow), and I was bored for most of it. It took me a lot longer to read this one than my usual pace. By the time it was revealed who the actual author was I was underwhelmed and wasn’t invested anymore.

Also, this is being marketed as a romance, and I’m not sure why. Charlie, who’s on the cover, isn’t really a big part of the book. I would not call theirs a love story- more an afterthought. Their relationship didn’t feel developed at all, it just kind of showed up out of nowhere, and when they finally got together, I felt nothing. It wasn’t earned and didn’t add much to the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

This is the cutest book that follows Kate and Charlie. Kate is recently divorced and looking for a new start. She was an aspiring actress before getting married and starting a family. Now that she is divorced, she has decided to give acting another chance. She reached out to her old agent to discover that he has died and his son has taken over the business. When Charlie (her old agent’s son) lets her know about a job to be the “name and face” of an author who wishes to be anonymous, she accepts the position and the story goes from there.

I loved this book! I loved the slow burn romance between Kate and Charlie, but I also loved the mystery of who this author was and why he wanted his anonymity. It was such a good read and the setting was perfect! Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet summer read but a little slow to start. It had a cozy, charming vibe and a promising premise. While the writing was lovely (Josie Silver definitely knows how to create atmosphere) the story took a long time to build, and I found myself waiting for the emotional spark that never fully arrived.
There were moments of warmth and depth, and I appreciated the gentle exploration of grief, friendship, and second chances. But it felt more mellow than memorable. A nice read for a lazy afternoon, but not one that left a lasting impression.

This book just wasn’t long enough! That’s my only complaint; well, I do wish there were more vengeance (spoilers!). There were SO many delightful characters and interesting situations that it was a pity they all couldn’t be front and center.
Our FMC, Kate, is returning to a salaried work force post a devastating divorce. Her first job is extremely unusual and, happily, surprisingly, she takes to it like the most charismatic duck to water.
Naturally, shenanigans and drama ensue, while relationships (profesional, familial, romantic and therapeutic) develop. This was a heartfelt and multi-faceted story. I’m looking forward to reading other stories by Josie Silver.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my free ARC.
All opinions here are my own.

I started this book before pub day, read a few chapters and have been unable to get myself to pick up the book again. It makes me sad to say because my sister loves her books so much but I just don't think this author is for me. I love a book about the book world but the beginning of this one fell flat and ultimately wasn't my cup of tea. Thank you to Dell for allowing me to be an early reader. All thoughts are my own.

I loved Josie Silver's One Day In December when it came out, and I've enjoyed her books since, although not as much as that first book. That being said, Slow Burn Summer was romantic and fun. Kate and Charlie's story was original. This is a well-crafted romance that examines how our personal life can impact our professional life and vice versa. I recommend it if you're looking for a romance with a lot of heart and a unique plot.

I really enjoyed the characters in this novel. There was a little bit of romance and comedy throughout the story.
The main character goes through a lot.But I love books based in the book world.

This book had me trying to predict and figure out what was going to happen throughout the ENTIRE read. It’s safe to say I was surprised multiple times and never expected what was around the corner. There were so many laugh out loud moments too it was just so good.

-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-

When Kate Elliot was younger, she enjoyed her job as a soap opera actress. But life drastically changed when she met the so called “love of her life” and dropped her dreams to marry and start a family. Now years down the road, she wishes she would have listened to the advice on not to throw her passions away—because all she’s been left with is a nasty divorce and no career plans… that is until she reaches out to an old boss and gets called in for an interview for a very specific job.

Charlie Francisco is a talent agent who is struggling to follow in his father’s footsteps and attempting to run the business he unexpectedly inherited when his father died. Not only is he overwhelmed with a job that he can’t seem to fill the shoes of, he also has to find someone to act as the author of a romance novel for a summer tour in which the real author wants no part of other than to get the book published.

It seems like a true moment of fate when Charlie finds Kate’s letter that she sent to his dad, and she seems like the perfect fit for the ghost author job. Enter in “Kate Darrowby”—the new author of The Power of Love.

Come along for a bumpy ride full of twisted lies & complicated feelings as Kate and Charlie get closer together and tangled up in what’s true and what’s not. Will they make it through the summer, or will the lies catch up to them and bring them down?

-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-

The plot for this story was phenomenal. I was engaged 100% through the entire read. I rate it a 4.5 ⭐️ only because the romance really took a seat in the back for a large chunk of the story. I feel like the chemistry between the two main characters wasn’t near as deep as I was anticipating. The story in and of itself made up where the relationship aspect lacked though. I loved seeing the real struggles and growth Kate dealt with and how she came out stronger in the end. I cannot stress enough how impressed I was with her character and morals, too. She’s so honest and truly wants the best for everyone else around her—even if that means she gets drug through the dirt. She is a 10/10 character 🤝🏼

-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-

things to know about the book ↓

📖 slow burn
📚 strangers->friends->lovers
📖workplace romance
📚 dual pov
📖 written in third person

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Josie Silver for allowing me to read this arc. These are all my honest opinions in this review.

Slow Burn Summer was a fantastic summer read. Kate is one of my favorite FMC. Not only is she relatable but she takes accountability when it matters. Charlie (MMC) was fun to get to know but I wish we had gotten more of his back story. This story was super creative with Kate being hired to fake being the author of a book after the real author wanted to remain anonymous. Loved this morality check in a romance book. As a reader it made me actually consider if I would be willing to do what Kate did. Spoiler alert: ABSOLUTELY! I will be recommending this book to all my friends.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

This is 3.5 stars. 3 stars for the romance and 4 stars for the rest. The plot is a bit silly but I love how it helped the FMC grow. I don’t think this story needed a romance. I also didn’t get a lot from it. The side characters were quite good.

I received an arc from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Kate needs to find a job, so she sends a message to her former agent. She didn't realize that her agent from 20 years ago has passed away, and his son, Charlie is now taking his place. Charlie does indeed have an acting job for her, but an unusual one - he wants Kate to "ghost author" a book that a mysterious writer penned but doesn't want to have published under his own name. Kate agrees to take that task on, and she gets swept away into the publication of a beautiful romance title that takes the book world by storm.

Kate and Charlie navigate the publication of the book and enjoy seeing the success of the book, until the truth comes out - how will they survive the negative publicity?

This was a fun little twist on "ghost writers" - Slow Burn Summer is available now! Special Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this title.

Oh how I wish I enjoyed this book. The premise sounds right up my alley and the cover is gorgeous. Unfortunately I DNF’d this one at 40%
When I realized I was only that far in I couldn’t believe it and could not spend another 60% of the book not caring what happened.

I’m still waiting to enjoy a book from this author as much as I enjoyed One Day in December.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing this ARC for my voluntary and honest review!

I devoured A Winter in New York by Josie Silver but this one didn’t quite meet the mark for me. A slow burn with minimal payoff and odd pacing. A unique plot line that felt half-baked.

I loved this story so very, very much! I rely on Josie Silver to create wonderfully relatable characters- and Kate was no exception. The end could not have been more satisfying… and getting there was a delight. Thank you, Josie Silver!!!!

I love Josie’s books, and this one didn’t disappoint! I loved the relationship between Kate and her sister. Her ex husband was a piece of work! Charlie wasn’t my favorite character at the beginning but he really grew on me, and I’m really happy with his and Kate’s ending!

Slow Burn Summer is the kind of book you read with an iced coffee in hand and your phone on Do Not Disturb. It’s not super fast-paced or overly dramatic—it’s just real, emotional, and honestly kind of lovely. The setup is fun: a soap actress gets hired to pretend to be the author of a romance novel on a book tour, and it totally delivers on the behind-the-scenes book world vibes.

It’s definitely more about Kate finding her footing again after a divorce than it is a full-on romance (though that does show up later). She’s a little messy, a little lost, and doing her best to rebuild when everything feels unfamiliar. I really liked her. There’s also a sweet sister relationship and some thoughtful reflections on grief—not just the kind that comes from losing someone, but the kind that shows up when your life turns out completely different than you imagined.

It’s one of those quiet reads that sneaks up on you. If you’re in the mood for something honest and character-driven with a little book world fun, this one’s worth checking out.

Thank you @josiesilverauthor and @dellromance for the #gifted PR, book and ebook ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Spicy, male female, 3rd person dual point of view, contemporary romance. This has a bit of spice that isnt explicit. Interesting and original premise with grown up actual adult main leads. Very slow burn with humor and my favorite trope of forced proximity.

This was an interesting storyline with potential!

Kate, a retired (?) actress, tries to get back into acting after taking a long break to raise her child (now a young adult in college) in order to support herself after a divorce and a hefty prenup left her with barely anything.

She had wrote a letter to her old manager, only for his son, Charlie, to respond. His father had previously passed, and now he’s trying to fill his shoes and works at his talent agency with his previous partner.

The new role that they think is perfect for her? She’ll be the face of the author of a new romance book - a book that it’s already famous author didn’t want to have tied to them because romance wasn’t their genre. Kinda like ghost-writing, but with a bit of a more extreme twist to it, if you will.

While she’s doing events, Charlie shows up for her in all the ways. They slowly start to bond, and their friendship blooms but not without its ups and downs.

A huge thank you to Netgalley, Josie Silver, and Random House Publishing / Ballentine for an eARC in return for an honest opinion.

Kate didn't realize what she was getting herself into when she signed up to be a "ghost author" for someone who wanted to remain anonymous. She just loved the book and wanted the world to know about it. She meets up with Charlie who becomes her agent after his dad passes away and ends up being there when she needs someone the most. This really was a slow burn love story, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I think by the end of Slow Burn Summer you'll be rooting for Charlie and Kate just as much as I was!

I read/listened to the audio and loved the narrator, Anna Acton.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 10 June 2025