Anything written by Josie Silver is a hit, and this book was no exception! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for the ARC!!! This book was a hoot, and I am so excited for the world to read it!

I cannot believe how Slow Burn Summer exceeded my expectations. I was just expecting a light summer read with some kooky hijinks during the inevitable fallout from assumed identity situation so this story caught me completely by surprise. First Kate came in guns blazing and opinions strong and I wasn’t quite sure what to make of her. As she began to win over both her audience and her team however, I found myself rooting for her as well. My favorite surprise of this book was the handling of big emotions. There were some poignant observations surrounding grief and love; how both can alter us so completely and leave us broken or whole with lasting after effects. Without giving anything away, the journey that is taken throughout was satisfying and even with the self-assigned “slow burn” I was never impatient to move things along. Possibly because in large part to me the romance aspect was secondary to the overall story which included grief, family, prior relationship hangups, empty nest feelings, etc. Definitely not a 1 dimensional romance.

Random notes:
- Liv was hilarious and loyal af to her family. A cross between Rebecca from Ted Lasso and Villanelle from Killing Eve (as per Kate) is something I would love to see more of.
- Some beautiful imagery: publication day as “release day” wherein the book is a flock of birds migrating to the readers, a piece of the author visiting them for a while. I don’t know a single reader who would not love that thought.
- Whisky and cola is far superior to husky blue imo.
- Bridgerton and Peaky Blinders. Legendary.
- Minor odd construction of the dual POV where initially it bounced back and forth somewhat regularly and then it went to a more occasional 2nd POV. Made it just a bit odd due to how the book started.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I’ve enjoyed Josie Silver’s works in the past, One Day in December and A Winter in New York, but I liked this one the least so far. I didn’t feel drawn to either of the two main characters nor did I feel any chemistry between them (no banter, no tension). The premise felt a bit contrived and while the concept sounded fun in theory, felt flat when executed. Although I enjoyed the interaction between the sisters, and Fiona Fox was a strong character for sure. The solved mystery unfortunately didn’t feel as rewarding, but the epilogue was quite a treat. I wish there would have been flashback scenes of Jojo Francisco so we could grieve with the characters - more shown, less told would have been more felt.

Thank you for my review copy!

Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver
3.5 ⭐️
World - 3🌎 Plot - 3📖Characters - 4👫
Writing - 3.5🖋️Vibes - 3.5❤️Spice - 1🌶️
Slow Burn Summer lived up to its name, it started off a little slow for me, but once I settled into the story, I was hooked. I found myself really invested in these characters and their messy, unexpected journey. It ended up being the kind of feel-good, satisfying read that’s perfect for summer. And it’s a reminder that book people really are the best kind of people.
The story follows Kate, newly divorced and figuring out what’s next, who reaches out to her former acting agent, only to find out he’s passed away. Instead, she connects with his son, Charlie, a former screenwriter who’s also recently gone through a divorce and moved back from L.A. He offers Kate a single gig: pretend to be the author behind a buzzy new romance novel. Like ghostwriting, but with more lying and public appearances.
Kate used to dabble in writing romance for fun, so what could possibly go wrong? (Spoiler: everything. Everything goes wrong.)
I loved the dual POV, it added depth and made the connection between Kate and Charlie feel more real, but I did wish we got a little more of Charlie’s perspective toward the end. Still, the story is heartfelt, smart, and full of charm.
If you're looking for a feel good, character-driven summer read with a unique premise and some behind-the-scenes publishing drama, this is a great pick

Oof. This was a miss for me. While I’ll always read Josie Silver, Slow Burn dragged and I couldn’t wait to get through it! Just not for me but I’ll be sure to get her next one and try again!

SLOW BURN SUMMER s by Josie Silver, an author I def have to be in the mood for. I feel like her books could be silly little Netflix shows — which absolutely have their market.

I did immediately enjoy the premise — a former aspiring actress attempts to get back in the biz following her daughter growing up and her husband leaving her. She gets picked up for an untraditional role — pretending to be the author of the next big romance book that’s sure to get a lot of buzz. It forces her to buddy up with her talent agent, a handsome man also at a big turning point in his life.

“Slow burn” indeed, but if you think of this more as just contemporary fiction, you won’t be disappointed. Again picture an Emily In Paris-esque type of show and ride the entertainment factor. There’s a random comparison to Jojo Moyes in the book about the fictional author and it really stuck in my head because I felt like I was reading one of her newer books at different points.

Silver captures the bittersweet ache of summer love and second chances with heartfelt charm. A tender, slow-burning romance that lingers.

I feel horrible saying that I really did not care for this book. The only thing that kept me going was being able to speed through it with the audio from Libby & knowing that it’d help get my NetGalley ratio up.

Silver lining is that I really liked Charlie, but I wish we had gotten way more of him; the romance was completely on the back burner. When they said slow burn, they were not joking.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley & Random House for the eARC in exchange for an honest review*

Not my favorite :( Dragged at the beginning and took a bit to get into, and the concept was just too far fetched for me to really get on board with.

Unfortunately I didn't finish this book. I maybe made it to 30%, if that, and decided not to continue. I did listen to it on audio but the story and characters were bland and uninteresting and I can't even tell you a single thing about the bit I got through already. Josie Silver has been a one hit wonder for me so far and it seems that trend is continuing unfortunately.

Ugh emphasis on SLOW. I know I’ve never fallen in deep love with a Jodie Silver book and yet I will always pick them up. If you’re patient? Sure, why not. I wouldn’t have minded a touch more plot and momentum, but I was invested enough to ride it out. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

3.5/5 stars

Kate Elliott is putting her life back together after her divorce and her daughter leaving for college. She was a soap actress in her teens, so she reaches out to her former agent to see if he is interested in taking her back as a client.

Charlie Francisco is the son of Kate’s former agent and has inherited his business. He has the perfect opportunity for Kate: act as a “ghost author” for a romance novel whose real author wants to keep his identity hidden.

I like Josie Silver’s writing, and I thought the premise for this one was interesting. I enjoyed Kate as a character and her growth and character development we saw throughout the book. My only real issue with this one was that it was marketed as a romance, but the romance is really only a minor subplot. If you go into this thinking it’s women’s fiction, I think you will enjoy it!

This is my favorite Josie silver. I can’t wait to see what she puts out next. I enjoyed the character development throughout. I wish we got a little more Charlie and Kate banter and a little more relationship depth, but the groundwork was there.

I've enjoyed previous books by Josie Silver and have always been a fan of a "slow burn", so requesting this book was a no-brainer! In "Slow Burn Summer", Charlie is a talent agent who needs someone to pretend to be a romance author for an upcoming book promotion. Kate is a former actress who is trying to drag herself out from under a heavy divorce and is looking for any available job. The two join forces to make the book tour successful and hijinx ensue. While Kate and Charlie try to work together, their differences become very front and center and sparks begin to fly. What will happen between the two of them, and will they be able to keep the secret from being revealed?

I really wanted to like this book, but had a hard time enjoying the main characters and found myself skimming through the book. I hope Silver's next book will be a return to her usual writing. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

What a charming slow-burn rom-com! I immediately fell for Kate, recently divorced mother desperate for a second chance that she finds in accepting a role to represent herself as the author of a romance novel written by a major author famous in another genre who doesn’t want any association with the book.

This was one of those romances that reads more like lit fic, as the romance definitely takes a back burner with its very slow burn. Made me laugh out loud many times, and I didn’t want to put it down because I was so curious to see how it’d play out! Adored all the glimpses into the publishing industry and community of book lovers, I’m always a fan of books full of bookish love!

It was full of so many more surprises than I expected, and a lot more humor - one thing I adore about British novels is how they truly embrace the slightly madcap action but present it in a way that doesn’t feel silly, and Silver nailed it. Ending was highly satisfying as well. Definitely add this one to your shelf!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sending this DRC for review consideration.

I enjoyed the cozy feels of this book! Kate and Charlie had some laughable moments, but this is definitely more of a women’s fiction book over romance I feel. This story will have you cringing, laughing, growing and loving these characters!

I loved Josie Silver’s last release, so I had high hopes for Slow Burn Summer. While it’s a charming, well-written rom-com with a unique premise, it didn’t fully stick with me. The tension from the secret-identity setup made it hard to relax into the romance, and I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. That said, the writing has Silver’s signature warmth, and I’d still recommend it for a light summer read, it just was not my personal favorite.

3🌟

Josie Silver's writing is great- there is no arguing that! I enjoyed the cozy feels in this novel, but I found the overall premise (her being sooo excited to be a ghost writer) a little bland. Kate and Charlie had some humorous moments, but I would definitely classify this as women's fiction. The romance was non-exist for most of the book. Hence the title, "slow burn" but still... there wasn't enough to keep my attention. Cute but overall, just okay!

Thank you so much Dell Romance for my gifted copy!

I enjoyed the other books I've read by Josie Silver, but unfortunately this one fell short for me. I think the basic premise had potential but the way it was done just didn't work.

Long Story Short
Kate is a recent divorcee who is hired to be a "ghost author" for a new romance novel because the true author didn't want his identity exposed. Meanwhile she starts to fall for her new agent.

The Good
I liked that this book centered around a woman around my age (upper 30's). I also enjoyed the sister relationship between Kate and Liv.

The Bad
The big issue with this book is that Kate standing in for the author would be too difficult to pull off. Social media would be all over it with the change in the name. It would have made more sense to use the anonymity of the author as a selling point and been completely up front about having someone else discuss the book. Secondly, Kate and Charlie had zero chemistry. I wondered for part of the book if the love interest was going to be Hugh, the author. I didn't feel that these were real people who liked each; they were characters and the author had to tell me they liked each other. I didn't get an understanding of these characters as people or understand their feelings at all. I also wanted more of a mystery around "who is the author?" Finally, I didn't get the title. Did this book take place during the summer? It was irrelevant and I feel the title was used simply to lure readers (like me) who fully embrace the "summer" vibe this time of year.

Overall Takeaway
I wanted to like this book but it was not for me. This 2.5 stars but I'll round up to 3. I give it a C-.

Plot - 6
Characters - 5
Writing - 7
Spice - 1

I don't think this was Silver's best work. I usually like her romance novels enough, but this didn't hit for me.