2,5 stars

I don’t know what this book was—surely not a romance.

Kate is almost forty, freshly divorced, and broke. She badly needs a job, so she accepts a very strange gig: posing as the author of a romance novel. The real author is a big name in a different genre and doesn’t want to be associated with the book, so Kate’s job is to lie to the world and pretend she wrote it.

The whole idea was so bizarre I had trouble relating to it. Kate’s emotional investment—and the way she acted like she’d actually written the book—didn’t sit well with me. She might have been likable if it weren’t for her penchant for lying. Sure, she was hired to fake it, but the ease with which she did it gave me the ick.

The romance between her and her agent, Charlie, felt like an afterthought. They had zero chemistry—really, zilch. The one spicy scene had all the heat of a traffic violation report, and the love declarations made me roll my eyes.

Somehow the book had a decent flow, and the writing wasn’t terrible, so it wasn’t torture to read—but the story was weird, and it didn’t give me the summer-romance butterflies.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A ‘slow burner’ love story with great characters and some humour throughout the story. You can’t go wrong with a Josie Silver book and this one won’t disappoint.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

definitely a slow burn!! i really enjoyed reading it, even though nothing super romantic happened until the end.

Trifles and T-Rex Costumes are now two things I will never be able to deal with seriously…

This book had me on a real emotional rollercoaster of will they, won’t they? But, I was completely here for the ride.

The whole concept of the book being around a book and involving the book loving community was awesome and made this such an easy read. I am normally a slow reader but managed to finish this in just two days.

If you love a swoon worthy romance with just a tiny sprinkle of spice this is the book for you. A perfectly easy read!!

Slow Burn Summer is a sweet, slow-building romance about Kate, a newly divorced actress who pretends to be a famous author for a summer book tour. Along the way, she clashes—and connects—with Charlie, the agent managing the tour. Josie Silver mixes humor, heart, and self-discovery in a story about second chances. While some moments feel predictable, it’s a warm, enjoyable read perfect for a sunny day.

I absolutely adored this book, it won’t be the last Josie Silver book that I pick up!

This was a lovely story to read and it has a sweet outcome, there were even a few laugh out laugh moments along the way.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the book.

If you’re looking for a cute little palette cleanser this is it. It didn’t knock me off my feet but it kept my interest and I wanted to see how it ended.
While I found most of the characters likeable I didn’t feel a huge connection to them. Kate and Charlie as main characters were ok but the chemistry was a bit lacking.
Liz, Kate’s sister, was the real MVP and the T-Rex chapter gave me a giggle.

Slow Burn Summer is a charming, bookish escape—perfect for readers who love stories set in the world of publishing. Josie Silver delivers a unique and fun plot centered around Kate, a woman pretending to be the author of a bestselling novel, and Charlie, a literary agent trying to uphold his late father’s legacy. While the romance takes a backseat to the drama, the chemistry between Kate and Charlie is undeniable and adds warmth and depth to the story.

The characters feel authentic and fully realized, with engaging dynamics that keep the pages turning. The UK setting and behind-the-scenes look at the publishing world add an extra layer of appeal. Though the book runs a bit long and the ending stretches believability, it’s still an enjoyable, clever read with just enough twists to keep things interesting.

A lovely, light summer read for book lovers—thank you to Penguin General UK, Josie Silver, and NetGalley for the advance copy!

DNF 22%

I just couldn't get into this book... the writing wasn't really for me and the fact that it is a romance book that 3rd person is really not for me.

I usually don't rate any books that I DNF'd but unfortunately NetGalley asks to rate do I will put 1⭐️

Just to make myself clear, me DNFing of giving this rating has a lot to do with me not liking that the book is told in 3rd pov and not the actual plot of the book!!!

The plot is fun and definitely unique. I loved that this is a book about book lovers for book lovers and all of the characters felt real and fully fleshed out, just as I’ve come to expect from a Josie Silver novel. I do think it was a bit longer than it needed to be and the ending was just too far fetched for my taste but the actual ride of the story was a fun one. I expected the romance to be a more central part of the plot considering the title of the novel but I was surprised to find that it was very much a sideline to the main spectacle which was the drama of Kate pretending to be the author of a best selling book. Overall, an enjoyable read!

Huge thank you to penguin and Josie Silver and netgalley for the review copy of this book.

A lovely romantic, bright and fun summer read, perfect if you love anything set in the world of books and publishing. I loved all the characters, especially Kate and Charlie whose dynamic practically leapt off the page. Just the right amount of clever twists to keep you guessing and those pages turning, with the satisfaction that there will be romance because it's a classic Josie Silver read after all!

Slow Burn Summer is an easy, fun read about a woman asked to be the face of a book she hasn't written and an agent who is trying to navigate the empire his late father has left behind. I enjoyed the UK setting and that it was a book about books. It gave a (hopefully) accurate insight into a bit of what happens behind the scenes of a book launch, mixed in with two characters trying to navigate new chapters in both their work and personal lives, and a growing attraction between them.

I think the book could've done without the final chapter - it ended perfectly well without it - but overall I enjoyed the book. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for allowing me to read and review it.

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I had a good time with this book! Very funny, I laughed out loud multiple times. Sometimes I find humour in books to not hit the mark and be cringe instead of funny but this one was actually funny. I really enjoyed Kate as a character but the romance lacked a little. Their chemistry just didn’t hit for me unfortunately.

I really enjoyed the writing style and am looking forward to picking up more books by Josie!

Thank you to penguin general for providing me with the earc via NetGalley!!!

This was my first book by Josie silver & although this book was fun to some degree I dont believe I would pick up another in the future . Thats okay though !! I did really enjoy this book but it’s nothing to write home about!!( to me personally) - its definitely not a bad book though. For those who might not want to read that I will say it’s in 3rd person and although some parts are in Charlie’s pov( LIKE 3 parts of the book) it’s mostly in Kate’s POV.

The ending was perfect !!like so perfect!!

Let’s start by saying this was never a book on my anticipated TBR list but i stumbled upon it on NetGalley and decided to request ( and obviously was surprised when I saw i got approved) . However I am glad I was given the opportunity to read this book and because of that although i wouldn’t highly recommend it I will say - it’s one of this quick easy reads .

I wanna say it’s hard to tell when the pov has changed - DONT LET THAT DISCOURAGE YOU FROM reading it . I say this because it may have just been a proof copy only thing. However , it was hard to tell when the pov switched , Charlie’s lasted so little the moment you understood it was in his POV you were back in Kate’s . I really do wish we got more of Charlie’s POV because seeing her from his Perspective may have given the romance more time to build via his feelings for her.

The book felt more like womens fiction than romance and I had no issue with that at all but that May because I like womens fiction . However , many other people feel that the lack of romance was not a good thing. Because of that please don’t go into it expecting heavy romance . IT’s more of a slowburn but you don’t really get much time between Kate and Charlie ( romantically or in general . This is not necessarily a bad things because at the end of the day the romance wasn’t the main plot ! ( instead a very very very small sub plot .

This is a book about a newly divorced woman whoes husband cheated on her ( not spoiler it mentioned in the early pages . ) AND SHE HAS TO PRETEND TO BE AN AUTHOR ( SINCE THE REAL AUTHOR DOES NOT WANT IT Attached TO HIM IN ANY WAY . - So she’s a ghost author . It’s definitely women’s fiction. The love interest is her agent Charlie . The fmc is Kate an actress or rather a past actress .

The book had the potential to be both a slowburn + a romance equally . LIKE NOT IN MY BOOK ( that’s definitely a women’s fiction- in my eyes to some degree . & equally a romance same for ready or not - cara barstone & reel , this could be us and the kingmakers duet by Kennedy Ryan!! However, this was my first book by Josie silver .

The romance felt too slowburnish to the point that there was almost zero chemistry between Kate and Charlie . In my opinion , there was not really getting to know each other that well at all except for a few moments . Those moments were not enough to build a connection to the characters though and besides the fact one minute they were talking “flirting and the next they were fucking their romance felt bland . I feel like it needed more time to develop ( the romance) - before it happened + more buildup so it wouldn’t fall so flat .

I honestly feel like KATE HAD MORE CHEMISTRY WITH H the mysterious author that doesn’t want to be known etc through the emails they exchange with each other .

Thank you Netgalley and PenguinUK for this beautiful ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first Josie Silver book and certainly won't be my last. I absolutely loved her mature writing style - beautiful sentences painting me a picture of a wonderful story.

Kate Elliot is a 39 year old divorcee living in the studio apartment above her sister's dress shop. She's been left with nothing thanks to a watertight prenup and the last job she had was 20 years ago as an actress. She writes to her former agent who begged her not to leave the industry and get married, conceding his "I told you so" would be extremely appropriate and would he have any acting jobs for someone like her. Charlie's father is no longer alive to receive said email. Jojo's son is also newly divorced, returned home to England from LA, taking on his father's legendary agency, trying to fill his shoes, his apartment and the legacy he left behind for his son. Like father, like son - they both see something in Kate as Charlie hires her to be the ghost author of a destined best seller for an author who desperately wants to remain anonymous. Kate's time performing as debut author Kate Darrowby is as exciting as it is frightening as Kate is propelled out of her comfort zone for a book going viral and through it all Charlie takes care of not only her best interests, but her in general.

I really enjoyed the rollercoaster of a ride Kate went through as Kate Darrowby, rediscovering herself following her divorce from (horrible) Richard. Her daughter is at uni and she's alone for the first time in 20 years and forced to reflect and figure out who she is once again. She is naive but honest and kind to her core, caring for others and the translucency of her big heart ultimately wins everyone over.

My only wish was that there was more of Charlie and Kate in this book. When they were together it was magic but I was forever hungry for their next scene together, their next vulnerable moment, next touch, next everything. There is a lot going on outside their chapters together and it's a great read but given this is a romance, I just would have liked a bit more of the romance.

4.25 stars

Like the title suggests...this is a SLOW BURN!
The romance simmers in the background for much of the book, with the main plot centered on Kate pretending to be the author of a wildly successful novel. While the romance takes its time, the story is sprinkled with charming, heartfelt moments between Kate and Charlie that gradually build tension and make their eventual connection feel earned and deeply satisfying.

I really enjoyed Kate’s character. Recently divorced and a bit adrift, she had that relatable “figuring it out” energy without ever compromising who she was. Her wit, warmth, and loyalty made her easy to root for. I especially appreciated that her growth wasn’t about reinventing herself but about rediscovering her confidence.

Charlie was an absolute gem. Sweet, grounded, and quietly persistent, he was the perfect complement to Kate. He nudged her gently out of her comfort zone while always having her back, even when he was just “her agent.” Their chemistry felt natural and unforced, and those subtle moments of support and care made their eventual romance all the more rewarding.

A few small critiques:
While I enjoyed the slow burn, the pacing in the middle did drag slightly, and I would’ve loved a few more scenes that let the romance take center stage a bit earlier on. Also, a deeper dive into Charlie’s internal world, especially his motivations and past, could’ve made his character feel even more rounded.

Overall, though, this was a fun, heartfelt read with a sweet and emotionally mature romance. If you enjoy character-driven stories with a cozy literary backdrop and a gentle, satisfying love story, this one’s worth picking up.

Do you like books set in the publishing world or where the main character is an author?

Slow Burn Summer is a fresh take on the MC is an author trope! Kate is trying to get her life back on track after her divorce so she looks up her old agent and decides to see if she can have another bash at acting. The job she ends up with is definitely different to what she had in mind. The job her late agent’s son Charlie offers her is to pose as an author so the real author can keep their identity secret.

Kate and Charlie definitely have chemistry from their first meeting and bond over their love of Charlie’s father Jojo, and being slightly scared by his business partner! Their romance is threaded slowly throughout the story as the title might suggest and there are some moments where Kate seems to think she knows Charlie before he gets a chance to explain himself!

Alongside their romance is the story of Kate actually posing as the author which is a caper. Kate’s very close with her sister and that is a really strong point in Kate rebuilding her life. There are also some completely off the wall moments to enjoy too!

If you’re looking for more recommendations for this author then I would suggest One Day in December or One Night on the Island. Josie also writes under the pseudonym Kat French and her romance One Hot Summer is 🤌 chef’s kiss.

This book was a delightful read. The plot was well written and I enjoyed how it developed and was easy to read and follow. The characters were had such a brilliant connection and worked so well together.

Slow Burn Summer is the perfect summer read. I'm enjoying the trend of literary career-themed rom-coms and this is a great addition. I love the unique premise of a struggling actress who assumes the role of a novelist. Kate is very relatable, she's honest, funny, and authentic. The chemistry between her and Charlie develops naturally throughout their 'professional' relationship. What I liked the most was the theme of new beginnings. I am a divorcee, and this made me feel seen. If you want a charming literary-themed read filled with genuine emotion. this is the perfect addition to your summer reading.

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.