Absolutely brilliant! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending it.

I love Josie Silver books, I always get totally immersed in them, I find them the perfect rom-com blend.

The story follows Kate, who once dreamed of being an actor but put her ambitions aside for marriage and motherhood. Now, newly divorced, broke, and living in a tiny flat above her sister’s fancy dress shop, she takes a chance and writes to her old agent, hoping for work. Enter Charlie, a script writer fresh from LA, navigating his own fresh start after a failed marriage and the unexpected responsibility of taking over his late father’s business. He’s searching for a ghost writer for a new romance novel, and Kate’s letter lands in his lap at just the right time.

I adored this book. The publishing and book community angle made my bookish heart so happy, and Silver’s signature mix of wit and depth made it impossible to put down. As always, you get taken on a little rollercoaster of emotions. Thankfully, it’s not as devastating as The Two Lives of Lydia Bird (OMG, so emotional). Kate and Charlie are lovely characters, and I enjoyed watching their relationship unfold. Kate’s sister, Liv, is another standout character.

This is quick read, no slow burn to get into it, you'll be hooked.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the ARC.

There is nothing not to love about Slow Burn Summer. Kate and Charlie's story is unique, funny and really has an "old school" romcom feel about it which I absolutely loved! The insight into publishing and book publicity was so interesting as a bookworm. I particularly loved Kate's sister Liv who I think deserves a book of her own, she is fierce and fabulous as well as talented. I also had a soft spot for Fiona who is clearly the Miranda Priestley of publishing but I just couldn't read enough of!
Excellent characters, feelgood vibes and lots of juicy chemistry to squeeze out of a perfect book for the summer!

A great holiday read. I loved the story and the characters were just wonderful. Highly recommended for a holiday reading list.

A cracking read with great characters.
Such believable storyline you could imagine yourself in someone else's shoes and be swept away with great story telling.
Thanks to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read the arc copy of Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver

Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver is a heartwarming romance set in a cute English village. The chemistry between Lottie and Sam develops gradually, making every moment feel genuine. Silver creates a cozy, nostalgic atmosphere with relatable characters and emotional depth. Perfect for fans of slow-burn romance this book is a great summer read!

Thanks to Penguin General UK and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This was my first Josie Silver book and I did really enjoy it.

I thought the premise of this book sounded amazing and I enjoyed Kate coming into her own again and rediscovering herself after a messy divorce(HATED Richard I mean she deserved so much better!) I absolutely loved her sister Liv and I loved the trading of the bracelet from their mum when they needed extra luck/courage, I thought this was really sweet.

There were some funny moments in this book which I loved - revenge prawns and the angry T.Rex (iykyk) and I enjoyed Kate exploring the book world.

I will admit I could’ve done with a LOT more of Kate and Charlie, I felt like the romance was kind of sidelined because of the relationships forming with other characters like H and I felt like we didn’t get enough of the two of them together. I also would’ve loved to see Kate’s manuscripts going somewhere after they were rescued by Kate and Liv in one of my favourite parts of the book.

Thank you so much for this ARC! I started to fall in love with this story slowly and then all at once. I read 80% of this book in one sitting, enjoying the way it is wrapped around another story that we don't know, but whose impact can be felt in the characters that interact with it. It is quite a unique feeling to be touched by a book that describes characters having the same experience as you. There was no point in this story when I knew where it was going, an amazing feeling that I hadn't had in a long time. All in all, it is a lovely read that I can't wait to recommend to everyone.

This was absolutely beautifully written, but just didn't sit right with me. I loved Jojo and Fiona, loved the plotline, but the romance between our two main characters felt stilted and forced and then all of a sudden, drenching. Liv felt like a more fleshed out character than her sister and I found myself rooting for her and Nish more than anyone else! I wish we'd gotten more of a slow reveal for the author as it came a bit out of the blue and then suddenly we get all this detail and development for them that felt sort of irrelevant. It was hard to bond with or care about a character we know very little about until the end. I'm not sure I'd read this again, but I enjoyed it while it happened!

When I saw the title I simply had to request!

As a lover of a slow burn romance, I was intrigued to see if this book would deliver... and it absolutely did, with the perfect slow burn and a unique take on the whole boy-meets-girl romance.

The characters were brilliant, and I loved following their individual healing process as they got to know one another throughout. A fantastic read!

Kate has spent the last 20 years being married to the father of her child Alice, when her marriage falls apart and she finds herself kicked out of the family home too, a job is a must. She's spent the last 20 years raising her daughter and supporting her husband and her only work contact is Jojo, her talent agent from a long forgotten acting career. As Jojo has passed away, his son Charlie has stepped into his shoes & offers Kate the role to get her back on track, but it's not your average acting job! She'd heard of Ghost Writer's but a Ghost Author? For a book she fell even more in love with than her first love Richard? Sign her up! The one clause, she can never know the identity of the author & has to take on her toughest role to date - debut novelist!

Josie Silver, once again, gifts us with a book which is laugh out loud funny with a side of feet kicking falling in love! The feeling I get from a 90's, Hugh Grant starring romcom, is delivered in 'Slow Burn Summer'. A 5 star summer must read!

This was such a joyful and refreshing read. Kate and Charlie are finding love again after heartbreak and I loved their slow burn romance.

The storyline was so fun and unique! I really enjoyed it and I found myself really rooting for Kate throughout. I also adored her sister Liv, she was brilliant! She deserved her own book!

This book was addictive, fun, easy going and had me smiling with every page.

Thankyou to netgalley for sending me an advanced e copy of this book, I can’t wait for it to be released for everyone else to enjoy too :)

Slow Burn Summer is an enchanting and delightful summer read that captivates the heart and imagination. Its vivid storytelling and engaging characters make it the perfect escape into a sun-soaked world. I wholeheartedly recommend it for anyone seeking a fun and refreshing literary adventure!

I absolutely love Josie Silver’s books and Slow Burn Summer is a funny, emotional and romantic triumph. Set in the world of books, Kate - in an attempt to return to acting, something she hasn’t done for years - is offered a unique opportunity, to be the public face of a romance book when the author wants to remain anonymous and out of the limelight.

It’s a setup that leads to some hilarious moments as Kate becomes well known, but also some really tricky situations. I loved Kate’s strong will and the relationship with her sister, Liv, and I loved the developing romance between Kate and her agent Charlie, the way it was really slow burn (hence the title) but also utterly delicious.

It’s a poignant, funny, romantic read with such well drawn characters, and it lingers in your thoughts long after you’ve finished it. I loved it.

If you love books about books then I highly recommend this one!

We follow Kate Elliot, freshly divorced and in need of a job. she unearths an old letter from her ex-talent agent, Jojo Francisco – she takes it as a sign from the universe to brush off her old acting skills and become someone else entirely.

I absolutely loved Kate! She is so witty but still very much unsure of herself. She is so relatable. I enjoyed reading about her escapades along with her older sister whom she is currently living with in the apartment above her sister’s fancy dress shop. I wish I had an older sister just like Liv!

I fell in love with pretty much all of the characters. Except a few of course! As a book blogger myself this was so much fun to read, especially about how the book community is portrayed in the book. It’s pretty accurate.

This is such a feel good read. I was laughing and gasping all the way through!
There was enough drama, angst and romance to keep you going.

The storyline was fantastic! It really had me guessing at how it all would turn out. Josie’s writing flows so effortlessly and beautifully I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I read this book so quick!


Slow Burn Summer is a perfect fun summer read and I would highly recommend it.

Thank you so much to random House and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book gave such strong Bridget Jones vibes I loved it! I thought the idea of a ghost author was a clever idea. I felt the romance was a bit rushed and we didn’t have much romantic content of them to build tension. Regardless it was very sweet and feel good. I read these pages at such a rapid rate because the FMC antics amused me so much!

A very unusual, and special story. I have never come across a story-line quite like it. Kate Elliott suffered a very vicious divorce, because she had signed a pre-nup agreement she came away with nothing, and was heartbroken to leave her daughter behind in the family home. She was seeing her regularly, but now Alice is at university in Leeds. Kate has a very strong relationship with her sister Liv, and now lives in the tiny flat above Liv’s fancy dress shop. Kate realises she has got to get her act together, and do something with her life. In her late teens she had been an actress, but had given it up when she decided to marry Richard. Remembering her old agent’s aversion to technology she writes him a letter, with a fountain pen, apologising for letting him down twenty years before, and asking if there was any chance he could find work for her. Sadly, Jo-Jo has died, his business was now run by his son Charlie. He reads his father’s file on Kate, and invites her along for an interview.

After chatting for a while Charlie thinks she would be suitable, and hands her a manuscript to read, and explains the book is about to be published but the author does not want to acknowledge it, or let anyone know they wrote it. The publishers would want Kate to ‘become’ the author - with the book printed with her name on it, she would take on all the publicity, interviews, podcasts, book signings as if she really was the author, so she must know the story inside-out. She agrees she will read the manuscript, then decide if she wants to take the job. She is given the weekend to read it.

Katie finds it one of the most romantic books she has ever read. it is romantic, funny, emotional and in some places unbelievably sad, tragically so. She spends the weekend alternating between laughing and crying. She feels it would be a tragedy if the reading public did not get the opportunity to read it. She accepts the job.

And so it begins. Despite being terrified Katie goes to interviews on the radio and television, answering fan mail and all the other promotional work asked of her. Her enthusiasm shines through, people start discussing the book. It is interesting to see how the publishing industry works, both when things are going well, and when they are not. After the book has published to rave reviews and huge sales, Katie unwittingly makes a small mistake which becomes a huge problem. She feels isolated as she sees the dark side of publishing, she is trolled on-line, verbally abused by e-mail, and other things that scare her. Eventually she snaps, she has to sort this out. She asks Charlie to arrange a television interview, and explains what she has done, and why. She talks about the things that have happened to her. Next day she gets a huge surprise, and her faith in people is restored. It is just one of many really funny scenes in the book.

The characters are extremely well-written, you find yourself rooting for Kate to succeed, and we could all do with a big sister like Liv in our corner. And like THE book, this book is very funny, romantic and emotional, with a little sadness in the mix as well. A lovely holiday read, or any other time in fact!

I really enjoyed this. I’m a huge fan of Josie’s writing and this book is no different.

The premise of this book is really interesting - a previous actor, who gave up her career to support her husband, tries to return to the industry after her marriage falls apart. However, the opportunity she’s given is a bit different - to be the face of a new romance book, to be the author without ever writing the book.

I loved Kate and how she navigated this. Her relationship with her sister Liv was one of my favourite parts of the story. I also loved how she connected with the anonymous author and they actually helped each other. And then there’s Charlie. I loved how supportive he was of Kate, even in the face of his grief and heartbreak. I actually wanted more of him! The romance felt secondary to the plot, which is fine, but I loved the connection Josie had created between Kate and Charlie and I was craving more from it.

The underlying messages in this book were lovely. It brought to life many elements of society and the media and played it out well - but also, it focused on the power of a good book, of how, at the right time, it can be a safe harbour for some.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to read and review this e-arc.

Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for an early copy in return for my honest review.

A famous crime author has written the most beautifully heartbreaking love story about his late wife however he does not want to release it under his name.

His agent decides it would be a great idea to hire an unknown actor to be the ‘author’ of this book and release it to the world

Kate’s life has been anything but perfect for the past few years. She found her husband in bed with his secretary and had signed a prenup that ensured she was left with absolutely nothing. Kate gave up her asipriatons of being an actor to marry her ex husband so when she is left with nothing, she reaches out to her former agent to see if she can dip her toe back into the acting world. When she meets Charlie, her late former agent’s son, he offers her an opportunity to become the author for the book. Surely it can’t go wrong, right?

I really enjoyed this book. I have read Josie’s books before so I knew this would be great! Ioved the characters in this book, especially Liv’s older sister. The sisters had each other’s backs through everything. I also enjoyed how Kate and Charlie’s relationship slowly blossomed.

I loved the nods to the online book community. Especially when they all came together to help Kate in her hour of need. It really showed how the book community is there for each other.

I highly recommend a read when it is released!

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin General for the arc. Unfortunately I DNF’d about halfway through.
I really wanted to love this but it felt too cheesy. I love an easy romance but I think it didn’t quite hit the mark. I didn’t really relate to or like Kate and so I just wasn’t invested in the story. Such a shame!