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.

I’m not quite sure why this book resonated so much with me, but it really did! This was such a unique spin on this story- Kate isn’t a ghost writer and isn’t writing under a pseudonym but a surprise other thing! She’s an actor that takes on the role of pretending to have authored a book that she did not write, at the request of the author who wants nothing to do with the book, and doesn’t want anyone to know that they wrote it. (Side note: where can I sign up for THAT job???)

I really really loved this story. Romance novels inside of romance novels are having a moment right now, and I for one, really love it! This story hooked me from beginning to end- I’ve read A LOT of romance books, especially lately, and this was a fresh story with so much heart.

I loved Kate as a main character- she’s so likable and easy to root for, and I just wanted things to work out for her. Will also say that I LOVED the ending, especially the resolution of what went down in Liv’s store, and the nice detail with the tie to wrap things up perfectly. I’ll definitely be recommending this one to everyone I know!

3.5 rounded up to 4!

This was a quick read for me and perfect for this time of year. I felt the most connected to the FMC and wish that I could have felt the chemistry between the FMC and MMC more. Overall, I would recommend this book to others!

Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver is another fantastic rom-com that was truly utterly delightful.
Josie Silver crafts a heartwarming tale that is both relatable and poignant.
The characters were lovely and smart and funny.
Silver is a must-read author for me. This book was sweet and charming with picture perfect romance.
I loved their connection and banter over all... and some great slow burn tension that makes it all worth it.

This was a cute, funny, romance novel where the romance didn’t over power the book at all, it kind of took a backseat to the story and I loved that. This is about Kate, who is hired to play an author releasing a debut romance novel. Charlie is the literary agent who is trying to follow the footsteps of his late father who had a magnificent legacy in the literary world. It’s funny and cute, and endearing. I liked that the characters where a bit older 30’s-40’s and the drama between our main FMC and MMC wasn’t this bit exaggerated production. It was a believable love. Great summer book.

After loving One Day in December and A Winter in New York, I consider myself a Josie Silver fan. That said, Slowburn Summer didn’t quite hit the mark for me. When Kate finds herself in need of work, she reconnects with her former acting agency two decades after leaving the industry and unexpectedly lands a job as a ghost author (not to be confused with a ghost writer). I was immediately intrigued by the premise, but the execution felt a bit off at times, with certain plot points unfolding in a scattered way.

The standout for me was the cast of supporting characters, especially Kate’s sister Liv and the mysterious real author, H. They added feistiness, heart and charm to the story. I just wish we had gotten more depth from the male lead, Charlie. I struggled to feel fully invested in the chemistry between him and Kate without a stronger sense of his character.

Still, there’s a lot to enjoy here. The pacing moved well, and the behind-the-scenes glimpse into the publishing world was fun. And while the journey had its bumps, the ending was genuinely satisfying and brought everything together nicely. I’d still recommend this to fans of Josie Silver, and I’m definitely looking forward to what she writes next.

TechaBooks Review Rubric:
Narrative Elements (Characters, Plot, Pacing, etc.,) - 2.5 STARS
Genre: Romance (Chemistry and Tropes) - 2 STARS
Spice - 4 🌶️ (Open-door scenes w/ some explicit descriptions)
Overall - 2.3 STARS

Much appreciation to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the gifted e-book. The opinions within this honest review are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! This was really cute, classic Josie silver with heartwarming vibes and lovely romance

I have loved (truly loved!) Josie Silver’s books in the past, and was looking forward to another slow burn book written by her. Unfortunately this did not hit the same as her previous books. The pacing was off for me, and the plot felt choppy and unfinished. The story more ebbed and flowed rather than built towards a climax of a story, so it felt incomplete and just off. I felt the plot in general had too many holes to feel finished. I didn’t feel invested in any one character to hope for a happy ending so it just felt a bit lackluster for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

I really enjoyed this, though I'm not completely clear on the title?

Anyhow, I LOVE Josie Silver and will automatically read everything she writes. I'm so happy I got my hands on this one and will definitely recommend it to all.

The characters were lovely and smart and funny. I was obsessed with the relationships and all the back and forth - even though that sometimes annoys me. It was emotional and sweet. 4 stars!

3 stars

Definitely not a lie in the title, it is very much a slow burn to the point that the romance wasn't even the main plot of the story but a minor subplot in my opinion. I enjoyed the premise and can understand why an author would want to use a fake person to represent the book so that it could still get the proper marketing if the actual author doesn't want to be public. Knowing how people can be on social media, I don't fault the decision. And Josie Silver always writes interesting romances that have more than just the romance for plot. This one for me was fine but wasn't my favorite.

Here are some of my issues: it was in third person with views of both MCs but 90% was the FMC. If it isn't close to a 50/50 split, it makes the few times we get the MMCs POV feel a bit pointless or like a tease. Why didn't we get any of his events when he was out of town or when he gets big news? Those would have been interesting to see especially since we got nearly nothing from his POVs about the romance itself or his actual feelings. I also felt the FMCs daughter was only there as a foil to the plot and then gave nothing else. I'm sorry but if I inadvertently caused all of that to happen to my mother, hell if I'd be jetting off on vacation with my cheating father. And how would a daughter be THAT forgiving of her father cheating?? It's not like this happened when she was a small child, it was recent and she is full grown! And the ex-husband's comments to the media were never addressed even though he said something pretty damn horrible. Not to mention, EVERYONE left town when the FMCs life was imploding around her. Her daughter never even came by at all before a surprise vacation, her sister and her family also go on vacation in the midst of this, and the MMC goes to LA. This woman takes care of everyone but when she needs someone, nah they are all gone. What the heck??

Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of this one overall which is a bummer because there was some stuff I did enjoy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.

This was a great story! Kate is 39 and newly divorced from Richard. She gave up an acting career at 19 to follow Richard and now that they've divorced, she reaches out to her former agent. Charlie is handling his Dad's agency after his sudden passing. He's going to meet with Kate to possibly offer her an acting job as the ghost author of a potential best selling romance written by an actual best selling author of a different genre. I loved Kate's relationship with her sister Liv.

I adored this clever little plot line that has an actress pretending to be a bestselling author. It is such a fun take on the book community and the life of an author: the process, the fandom and the leap into popularity that can undoubtedly change your life. It can also have the opposite effect when things don’t go as planned.

Kate Elliott is newly divorced, her daughter is away at college and she needs to get a job. Before getting married and becoming a mom, she was an actress on a soap opera and decides to try and get back into acting. Reaching out to her old agent, she learns he has passed away and his son Charlie has taken over the business. Charlie thinks Kate will be perfect for the role of an author of a new and beautiful love story that was actually written by a very popular writer. The writer wants his romance book, which is not his usual genre, to be anonymous.

As the book is released and soars to the bestseller list, Kate is swept up in a whirlwind of book signings, interviews and an explosive online presence. Charlie is always by her side to make sure things go smoothly. But when a private email Kate sends to her daughter is copied and sold to a tabloid revealing that she is an imposter, everything will go to pieces.

This is such an entertaining story. I loved Charlie and his obvious affections towards Kate. I also loved Kate’s sister Liv who is a protective big sister and takes that role very seriously. This book is very heartwarming and I found myself smiling so much at all the book, reader, author and book community sisterhood references. It is sweet, endearing and a wonderful story for any romance loving book nerd.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to @prhaudio for the #gifted ALC and to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell, Josie Silver and NetGalley

I liked this book. It was a cute, funny quick listen.

I liked Kate. I felt like she was funny and I admired her for wanting to get back into acting after leaving it behind all those years ago. I like how she was determined to do her absolute best posing as an author for her first job. She was quick to think of responses and was someone everyone loved. I love how much she loved her daughter and sister. I did feel bad for the things that she had to go through towards the end of the book.

Charlie was a great guy. He is Kate’s new agent and is taking over this business after his father passed away. I love how he was always there for Kate when she needed him. He really stuck up for her especially when she is put in a tough situation.

While I liked these two separately, I don’t feel like there was really any chemistry or romance between the two. There were some scenes were they are getting to know each other and a few where they hook up, but I never really felt like there was a true connection between the two.

While this book didn’t really feel like a romance, I did still enjoy it. I liked the plot and everything that happens. If you’re looking for a quick, easy read, I would recommend it. I did listen to the ALC and I did enjoy the narrator. I thought she did a great job.

I really, really wanted to like this book. The premise was so fun and different. However, I couldn’t get into the story and it fell flat for me. I just couldn’t do it and DNF’d at 40%. 🫣

I was given an advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver truly lives up to the name "slow burn", but in the most delicious way possible. Kate is recently divorced, and on a whim writes to her old acting agent to see if she can get back in the business. Unbeknownst to Kate, she’s exactly what Charlie and Fiona are looking for – an unknown actress to be the “ghost author” of what becomes the hottest romance of the year, because the actual author doesn’t want their name tied to the book. The premise hooked me from the beginning, because we all know about ghostwriters, but to have someone pretend to be the author of a book had me really thinking how I would feel if this happened to one of the books I hold near and dear to my heart. At the core of it this book is very enjoyable, and truly about our main character Kate putting on someone else’s shoes to really find out who she is and gaining her confidence and finding her sense of self. Kate’s relationship with her sister Liv brought me so much joy and laughter while reading, and then also the verrrrry slow burn between Kate and Charlie was utter perfection (I’m a self-proclaimed sucker for the slow burn) and the way Charlie kept showing up for Kate and just being her anchor in the storm had me in a big ole puddle on the floor 🫠

I’d say this one leans more towards Women’s Fiction, and I would have loved to see a little bit more of the romance develop between Kate and Charlie, but what we did get was absolutely well executed. Josie Silver has been an auto-buy author of mine, since I first read One Day in December and I recommend you add Slow Burn Summer to your TBR!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Josie Silver and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

this book was not very heavy on romance but I truly enjoyed it. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it since it was mainly about a woman getting her footing. thank you to netgalley for letting me enjoy this book early!

This story reminds me of a calm,summer weekend in the best possible way.
The plot is what reeled me in, Kate’s longing to find herself again and Charlie’s desperation in finding someone and wanting to be the face of this book. I kept wanting to see where the story was going to head into. It was definitely slow paced, but that’s the beauty of this story. It was real. I kept going back thinking of all the events that happened throughout and I loved that this could very possibly happen to someone. The romance was definitely “lowkey” hence the slow burn, but the tidbits given to us was enough for me to kept rooting for them two.

I found myself crying, laughing, even having anxiety(the good kind) during some parts. It’s equally as heartbreakingly beautiful so much I wish I personally read the Power of Love.

I want to thank NetGalley/Random House Publishing Group and Josie Silver for taking a chance and letting me get to know Kate & Charlie.

I have enjoyed every book I’ve read by this author and this one was no different.

In this book we start off meeting Kate, a newly divorced lady looking to find her place in the world again. She reaches out to her old agent to see if he would take her on again and boy does this really shake up her life as she knows it. I should say that I loved Kates growth throughout this book, love seeing her find herself.

I went into this book blind as I always do so the whole storyline was a wonderful surprise to me and I loved it. I loved each and every character (except the ex actually, he was an absolute idiot) I thought the storyline was unique and brilliantly done and I really enjoyed the whole pace of the book.

My favourite thing I think was the sisterly relationship between Kate and Liv, it was so special and heartwarming. I kept thinking if my sister and I lived in the same country this is what we would be like. I loved that whole aspect of the storyline so much.

I really enjoyed Charlie, and loved how much he looked out for Kate, they had a great connection and I loved them together.

Fiona definitely gave Miranda vibes, she was an absolute b of a woman but you could see she had a soft side peeking out which I really loved seeing in the epilogue.

I enjoyed the friendship H and Kate developed, I loved all the emailing back and forth and thought the book signing part was so beautiful.

I’ll never eat trifle again without thinking of this book haha.

Such a fun, heartwarming easy read, filled with so much joy. I recommend that you grab this one as soon as it’s available.

The title threw me off because I HATE slow burns, but the plot had me really excited. Kate gets hired to be a stand in for an author that did not want to reveal their identity for their new book?? I was like “how is this going to work?” I was intrigued for REAL. How is Kate going to pull this off, Charlie, her agent is right by her side, and so is her very funny sister Liz. But this book was not for me, it was a DRAG, there was no build up between Charlie and Kate, and I started to get bored, I kept on reading because I wanted to know the true identity of who this “mystery” author was, but it was not for me. I see what the author was trying to do when it comes to this book, but it fell short for me. I love that other loved it though.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver (author of One Day in December) has a new book coming out June 10, 2025!

Slow Burn Summer is about Kate who is trying to get back into her acting career after leaving many years ago and gets a part being the face of a new book who’s author wants to remain anonymous. Her agent, Charlie, gives her the part but isn’t expecting it to be such a roller coaster ride in the process.

I enjoyed this book and honestly it was refreshing to read a romance about real aged people who are not in their 20s and have given up on love. Kate and Charlie have real world lives and problems they must confront. It was a mature romance and overall I enjoyed it!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!