Kate Elliott, una actriz retirada, recién divorciada y buscando un nuevo comienzo, acepta un trabajo inesperado: fingir ser la autora de un exitoso y misterioso libro de romance en una gira de promoción. El encargado de esta misión es Charlie Francisco, un agente talentoso que, tras la muerte de su padre, está intentando mantener a flote la agencia familiar mientras lidia con su propio divorcio. Juntos, deben navegar entre entrevistas, firmas y apariciones públicas, todo mientras una chispa de tensión y química crece entre ellos. A medida que la mentira se complica, ambos comienzan a cuestionar si pueden seguir jugando sus respectivos papeles o si el guion de su vida cambiará para siempre.



~


No es un libro que vaya a recordar en unos meses.

El romance fue inexistente, el comportamiento de los personajes no corresponde a su edad y el final apresurado. No todo fue malo, hubo partes entretenidas.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Slow Burn Summer is the perfect mix of warmth, humor, and heartfelt romance. Kate’s journey of self-discovery is inspiring, and her slow-burn connection with Charlie feels so natural and rewarding. Their banter, tension, and emotional depth make you root for them from the start.

The charming small-town setting adds to the cozy, feel-good vibe, making it an ideal summer read. Josie Silver’s characters are real and relatable, and this story beautifully captures the magic of second chances. If you love slow-burn romances with depth and charm, this one’s a must-read!

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

A talent agent hires an actress play the part of "novelist" on a book tour for his agency's publicity-shy client in this delightful rom-com.

LOVED THIS. I love everything about this because it involves two of my favourite things, books and love.

Kate was such a great main character and she was so relatable even for me a 24 year old. I loved her relationship with her sister, Liv is just such a badass and I wish I had a Liv in my life.

The connection Kate had with Charlie was palpable from the beginning and I loved how it eventually culminated, though I do wish they had a couple more scenes with affection and yearning before the L word was said but I still loved them together and appreciated the slow burn.

I rated this 4 stars!

This book does exactly what it says - easy cheesy romance! Took me a little while to feel fully invested but overall a great romance story and a plot I haven’t come across before - it has been the perfect palette cleanser and makes for a great holiday read

This was such a cute romance read! I absolutely loved Kate and her story. This book does not disappoint and i would recommend it to everyone.

Thank you To Josie Silver, the Publisher Penguin Books and Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC in return for an honest review.

What a fantastic read, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this book!

When Kate, after splitting from her husband, is at a loose end as to what to do with her life, decides on a whim to send a letter to her old talent agent Jojo. She finds that Jojo has since passed away and that his son, Charlie, is now left in Jojo's position.

Kate is offered a job to act as the face of an already famous Author who has written a Love Story and doesn't wish to be associated with the book for various reasons. After reading the book, Kate decides that she will take the opportunity and the chaos begins!

There are so many different aspects to this story that really enables the reader to get to know the main characters and gives an understanding as to why they are the way they are and why they may behave and react in certain ways.

I loved the relationship that Kate has with her family and in particular her sister who is just so funny and lovable.

This is the first book that I have read by Josie Silver and am looking forward to reading more of her titles.

A slight departure from her previous novels, but as always a fantastic read. Following Kate as she navigates life post divorce and finds her way through it is both relatable and engaging. As the title suggests the romance is a slow burn but the story and characters are brilliantly brought to live drawing you in and keeping the pages turning.

Having enjoyed Josie Silver’s previous books, I was eager to dive into Slow Burn Summer. However, if I hadn’t known she was the author, I’m not sure I would have guessed—it had a slightly different feel from her earlier works.

The protagonist, Kate Elliott, was definitely a highlight. She felt like a real person, full of human flaws, misfortunes, and moments of hope. Her struggles were relatable, and I appreciated how she tried to rebuild her life after her soap actress days and a messy divorce. That said, the book had a slow start, and I initially found it difficult to engage with the story. It took a while for things to pick up, but once they did, I enjoyed it more.

One thing that stood out was that the main characters felt a little older than what I typically read in a romance. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it did make it harder for me to connect with them at first. The romance itself was also quite gradual—there was no instant spark between Kate and Charlie, and as the title suggests, their relationship was truly a slow burn. However, by the end, I appreciated how naturally their bond developed.

A moment that really stuck with me was the scene involving the dinosaur costume—it felt a bit extreme but added some much-needed humor! While the book had its ups and downs, I ultimately enjoyed it, though I wouldn’t rank it as my favorite from Josie Silver. Also, I’m not sure the title fully matched the plot—it conveyed the slow romance aspect, but I expected something a little different based on it.

Overall, Slow Burn Summer was a pleasant read with charming moments, but it didn’t quite captivate me in the way I had hoped. Fans of slower-paced, character-driven romances may enjoy it, but for me, it lacked some of the magic of Silver’s previous novels.

I’d describe this book as realistic fiction. The author has done a fantastic job of creating imaginary characters and situations that depict the world and society. The characters focus on themes of growing, self-discovery and confronting personal and social problems. The language is clear, concise, and evocative, with descriptions that bring the setting and characters to life. Dialogue is natural and authentic, and the pacing is well-balanced, with enough tension and release to keep the reader engaged.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed, and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if it were in a bookshop.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

I had such an amazing time with this book!

Although I usually don’t read about characters that are that late in their stage of life, I absolutely adore how we can see ourselves in them in a lot of ways.

I love when we get to read a book about books! Seeing our passion for them just makes my day.

Totally recommend this book for a fun and light weight novel but with no doubt, one that makes you reflect.

A funny novel. After the breakup of her marriage, Kate decides to resurrect her youthful acting career.... not that she had done much before falling head over heals with her soon to be ex-husband.

Kate reaches out to her previous agent's son (Jojo had passed away a few months previously) to her amazement is hired to act as a novelist for a new novel, the author is kept a secret from her and the public as it was not his normal type of novel.
Kate's daughter has a new Aussie boyfriend at Uni, and decides to take a break to join him there..... when her mother tells her of her secret acting role.... needless to say the Aussie boyfriend acted on this and for money sold the story - all hell lets loose!

It was funny.... how can I ever forget the trifle episode with Kate's sister in the supermarket!!!

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an E-Arc & an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

Quite a sweet story - even though the premise seems quite far-fetched! Suspend your disbelief at that part (although who knows what goes on in publishing!?) and the characters are well-rounded, nice people who find themselves in a rollercoaster situation and at the mercy of a baying mob of social media.

The resolution was good though, and I love a Josie Silver book!

What a fantastic and original approach to the girl meets boy! I found myself thoroughly invested in Kate as the face of the book and felt her guilt and trauma when the truth is revealed step off the page and hit me hard!
Charlie was equally easy to get behind and the unfurling of the story is beautifully paced.

Instantly my favourite read of this year, I was hooked from the very beginning and became quite invested in the fate of the main character. I really like the storyline and it felt new and never been done before.

Kate is a recently divorced actor who has gotten back in touch with her old studio after being out of work for many years and is given a chance opportunity to be the face of an author who wishes to remain nameless. As the book hits the shelves Kate revels in it's popularity, heading off for book signings and tv interviews, she is wholly absorbed as the author character she pretends to be. However keeping secrets is difficult and she tells someone via email that she is infact not the books real author, this information ends up being leaked to the press and causes all sorts of trouble for Kate. Josie Silver writes incredibly well on the abuse Kate suffers, through social media she is bombarded with hate and ill will which was fairly distressing to read and not the usual happy content I am used to with Josie's novels. I couldn't help but feel incredibly emotional for Kate. The real author eventually surfaces as they too cannot bear to see Kate being treated this way although not without lots of drama along the way

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

'One Day in December by Josie Silver' lives rent free in my head, so I was looking forward to this new release by her.

The description sounded fun so I jumped right in after I got the email about the possibility to read the ARC. The story definitely started differently than I was expecting. Jumping right into Kate's story without mentioning the author she was 'ghost authoring' for. It depends on which description of the book you read to set the expectations (Goodreads already mentioned the full name of the author while in the book it's this whole mystery).

I also found myself annoyed with Kate sometimes and I missed the *spark* between her and Charlie.

In the end it was quick and easy to read. I don't think I'd read it again, but in was notheless enjoyable.

A talent agent hires an actress play the part of "novelist" on a book tour for his agency's publicity-shy client.
Kate is looking to try to resurrect her long ago acting career. An offer from her agent, Oliver, to pretend to be the author of a debut heartfelt novel is all that is on offer.
The story of Kate and Oliver over the course of the publicity for the novel is so lovely and real. Very much enjoyed this read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC in return for my honest review.

3.75⭐️

i really enjoyed this story! the premise of the plot really drew me in and i’m so thankful to say that it didn’t disappoint in the slightest. it even had me physically laughing out loud.

kate is such a funny, likeable fmc, i found her really endearing. the relationship with her sister was really well done too, liv was perfect comedic relief and their dynamic felt perfect. i wish we got more of kate and her daughter though, with how much love she has for alice i wish they had at least one scene in the same physical space.

the reason this just missed the mark for me is that i wish we had a few more scenes from charlie’s pov. we can see how much of a caring and protective man he is, so i wish we had some more insight to his internal thoughts and see his growth too after being thrusted into his role after losing his dad.

i can’t believe im saying this, but i also wish the love declaration wasn’t included? everything else in that scene for me was perfect, the dialogue made my heart flutter and i was grinning, so those three words actually felt out of place to me. i felt their chemistry 100% in the book and was yearning for them to be together but it didn’t feel like the right time and for me i think it is because of the lack of charlie’s pov that it missed my mark.

thank you to penguin general uk and netgalley for the arc 💌

If you are a fan of Bridget Jones then this is a book for you.

I enjoyed the romance and characters. Reading a book set in a hot London whilst it was raining in London on my commutes made me excited for the summer. My biggest issue with the book is that it is written in 3rd person as I struggled to connect with the characters and feel myself fully immersed, this is a gripe I have with the majority of romance books written this way and I know will work for some readers.

Josie Silver delivers a charming, witty romance in Off Script, where deception, reinvention, and sizzling chemistry take center stage. Freshly divorced Kate Elliot takes on a bizarre acting gig—posing as the face of a novel—while Charlie Francisco, back from LA, tries to prove himself by keeping the ruse intact.

Set against a sweltering London summer, their sharp banter and slow-burning attraction make for an irresistible read. With humor, heart, and themes of self-discovery, Off Script is a delightful escape for fans of fake identity tropes and steamy, feel-good romance.

Though was something missing, just can't quite put my finger on it.

3.5/5!

Imagine Bridget Jones and Louisa Clark (from Me Before You) were one person and they were pretending to be an author. The entire time I was reading the song “It isn’t perfect but it might be”- Olivia Dean was playing nonstop inside my head and i couldn’t think of a more perfect song for this book.

Thank you to Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business and NetGalley for the Arc!