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.

A great story which was brilliant to read and kept you hooked in as you followed Kate through her journey post the divorce...

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.

This book is actually so good! Yes it took me a month to read but I was in a slump and this got me out of it this past 2 weeks! Obsessed with both the main characters in the book! I love them both so much! I recommend if you love a good slow burn! I’m absolutely obsessed with the plot nothing like I’ve ever read before! Like I’m absolutely obsessed will probably reread and can’t wait for everyone else to get their hands on this book! It’s an absolute masterpiece

What an absolutely fabulous story.
I just couldn't put it down.
It was emotional, hilarious, chaotic and serious. What more could you want!
Thanks so much for the review copy.

I give this book 5 Sunday Times Bestsellers 📚

I started reading this book convinced it was a romance between Kate and Charlie, but this book is so much more.

It is a love story between readers and the books they love. While an author is the person who gifts the story to the reader, the story itself is so much bigger than everything else. It takes on a life of its own, through the importance it holds for each person who reads it.

Kate a struggling divorcee, with a particularly loathsome ex-husband, happens upon a once in a lifetime “ghost author” acting gig. What follows is the unfolding of mayhem and adventure. We, as the reader, go down the rabbit hole with Kate as she finds her way in the world, right at a time when she is question who she is and what she even wants from her life.

What the author does so perfectly, is she makes you fall in love with every aspect of Kate journey of self re-discovery. This is achieved through a collection of perfect supporting characters; Charlie the sexy agent, Liv the protective big sis, wild card and amazing seamstress, Nish her adorable husband and Fiona the indomitable literary agent (just to name a few).
The author also throws in suspense, who is the original author?! Comedy, I dare you not to smile at the idea of a grown man squishing himself into a car while dressed as a giant T-Rex.
And of course at the heart of it, Kate. Kate is so realistic and heartwarming as the girl who loves stories and her family, who is wanting a new and rewarding life for herself.

Also down with Richard! He was the true deserver of Triffle-Gate!

Wow what a read. I absolutely adored this book and read it in one sitting. It tells the story of Kate whose life is at a crossroads as her daughter is off at university and she is recently divorced and has been left with nothing even though her husband was the cheat. A chance letter to an old life sets off a job offer that will change not only her world but also those of her family and her old agency. This is a perfect beach read not to be missed!

Josie Silver is a romance author I trust and this didn’t disappoint! It’s about starting over after a divorce and love for reading, and what goes behind writing a novel and publishing. I always love characters in Josie Silver books, and I loved the MMCs in this book too. I love that she didn’t make a villain out of someone who seems a bit of a villain. Everyone has a story. Not everything is what it seems

There is a good balance of humorous and emotional. Even though we would never find ourselves in the situation of this book (quite unrealistic and impossible), but somehow the dillema is all relatable. Absolutely enjoyed this one!

I am a huge Josie Silver fan so I always go into her books just knowing they will be good! I loved the story of Kate and Charlie and I loved how they found each other along the way! I enjoy books set in the entertainment and Hollywood world and this was a perfect book that combined that with a cute romance sprinkled in as well!

Very good. Full of romance. Josie Silver just keeps on getting better with every book. This story follows Kate who takes on the role of an author as the actual author doesn't want to be associated with the book. Shows the highs and lows of social media. Full of bookish goodness.

Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver

Kate Elliott is about to turn forty, she recently left her cheating husband, Richard, and her nineteen-year-old daughter, Alice, is at university. She has no money and needs a fresh start. In desperation she writes to her old agent, Jojo, to see if he has any acting jobs available. Unfortunately, Jojo has passed away but his son, Charlie, has taken over and he has the perfect acting job for Kate.

A famous author has written a beautiful romance novel but wants to stay anonymous. Kate will stand in as the author of the book, like a ghost author. At first Kate loves her new role and so does everyone on social media but then something happens and suddenly everyone turns against her and the social media is no longer positive but outright menacing.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Penguin General UK for a copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review

Oh I loved this book so much, Josie Silver just gets better and better. In fact, the ending made me go back and re-read the beginning, and I couldn’t stop reading it again. I don’t think I’ve even done that before.

If you’ve enjoyed any of Josie’s books before, you will love this one. Even if you hadn’t, it’s such a lovely book. I can’t recommend it enough. Thank you so much for letting me read an ARC.

A thoroughly enjoyable read to immerse oneself in. An insight to the publishing world and 'ghost writers' when the main character Kate is employed to pretend to be the author of a novel that the original writer doesn't want to be associated with as it's outside their popular public genre. There's quite a lot of humour, especially around Kate as things just seem to 'happen' to her. The book also underlines the venomous world of the internet and social media making some people's life unbearable. Good characters which the reader can no doubt relate to and believe in. Light and easy to read overall and I think one of Josie's best.

A gorgeous read, When newly divorced Kate goes for an interview where she has to pretend to have written a novel as the real writer wants to remain anonymous things get off to a bad start after a series of mishaps on the way there where she meets Charlie who has reluctantly taken over the buisness from his lare father. Its a romantic story beautifully written which makes you laugh and cry full of warmth and charm and will make you fall in love with

I’ve never read a Josie Silver book that I wasn’t instantly lost in, and this is no exception. Beautifully written, and with a unique storyline, I loved Kate and Charlie and how all the threads of the story come together at the end. A really easy read but one that isn’t just another cookie cutter ‘slow burn’

Josie Silver is one of my favourite authors. Sit down with this book and your favourite drink and prepare to feel better. Like a cost chat with a friend this book leaves you feeling warm and glowing.

Kate Elliott’s life is a mess. Her marriage has ended, and she is desperate to find a job and willing to take anything.

She takes on an acting job, where she is expected to act the part of an author who has just written a romance novel.

Nothing goes to plan. I loved this, lots of humour, twists and turns. This was about authors, publishing, relationships and families, with a sprinkling of romance.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher Penguin for a chance to review this E-Book. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Slow Burn Summer.
Newly divorced from her cheating husband and broke due to an iron clad pre nup he had forced on her Kate applies for an acting job at an agency she used when a very young actress. The owner she knew well has died and his son Charlie has taken his fathers place. He has a role for Kate to play, she is to pretend to be the author of a romance book about to be published. The actual author is very famous for his thrillers and in no way wishes his fans to know he has written this book. Kate herself is kept in the dark.
So begins Kates role, on a TV show, radio and book signings. The book is a runaway success and romps up the charts. The role leads Kate into all manner of situations some absolutely hilarious and others heartbreaking.
Her relationship with Charlie deepens but he too has had difficulty in his past so each are wary as things progress.
This is a wonderfully satisfying emotional read, a great story with some real laugh out loud moments and some jaw dropping ones. Kate’s ex is a real piece of work and although he doesn’t appear much in the story I would of loved him to get his comeuppance for his treatment of Kate.
With a lovely finale this is a brilliant book, and I will never see a T. rex again without a smile on my face.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

Absolutely wonderful book, loved every second of it. It had everything I enjoy , great characters, fabulous storyline, romance , humour and exceptionally well written. Highly recommended.

This book was not what I was expecting in the best possible way. There was so much depth to the characters, and it was written in such a simple and charming way that had me completely immersed in the story from the moment I started reading. I truly loved the characters, Kate is incredible, Charlie is a darling, and the chemistry pours off the page. Written with a lot of heart, it was such a beautiful mature love story. I wish I could read it again for the first time.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin

Thank-you Net Galley for this ARC!

This was simply an all round lovely read.
I had no preconceptions and loved all the nods to the book world throughout the story.

The idea of not just having someone release a book under a different name but putting a whole other face too it added a delightful spin. I loved all the characters (apart from Richard!) and enjoyed it from start to finish!

What a great story, I loved how everyone is dealing with their own story but still brings everything together and makes it happen. This has disaster written all over it, but still, you have to understand they give it their all, at each and every turn, and bless Kate she is just trying to get through it all, and her sister made me smile every time she appeared. Kate and Charlie will sweep you up in their story and have you dreaming of the fun it would be to be a writer’s public face. There is something special about this story, and they will all keep you hooked, I adore this author and am so excited to see everything they come up with, the create great concepts and characters that you can’t help but care so deeply about.

Last year I was very impressed with A Winter in New York, so when I saw Josie Silver’s latest book on NetGalley I clicked on ‘request’ before I even read the description. If you’re not familiar with her books, put down your phone and go read them, you won’t regret it!

Slow Burn Summer is about Kate, who is having a hard time. She seemed to have a perfect life until her marriage ended, and she now lives above her sister’s shop and has to find a job soon. She used to work as an actress, so she decides to write a letter to her former agent hoping he has a job for her. Her former employer however has since passed away and his son is now in charge. He definitely has a job for her: pretending to be the author of the most beautiful and saddest love story she’s ever read. The author never wrote a romantic novel before and for personal reasons doesn’t want to publish the book under his or her name. Kate used to want to be a writer, so she seizes this opportunity with both hands. Pretending to be an author, what an amazing job and what could possibly go wrong?……

What a great story, you alternate between wiping away a few tears and laughing out loud the whole time. The story is so well put together, and because you get to know Kate very well, you truly empathize with her. The T-Rex scene was just hilarious, I could totally picture it (you really have to read it yourself, trust me). The characters in the book are incredibly diverse, and make the book a joy to read. I especially loved badass sister Liv and the soccer team that appears again later in the story. You also get an insight into the publishing and author’s business, and you’ll realize how harsh some comments from readers can be while an author puts his heart and soul into his or her work. At the end there was a revelation I didn't see coming, which made it clear to me once again that Josie Silver knows how to write a good story. Highly recommended, and on June 5th you can read this book yourself!

I read Slow Burn Summer whilst lying on a sunbed in Goa and it was the perfect holiday read. Just the right mix of relateable characters to picque one's interest but of course far too physically perfect for this reader to be able to totally relate which is par for the course. The unusual and interesting plot line kept me interested through to the end and the loving relationship between the sisters was an absolute joy. Totally recommend.

I truly believe that Josie Silver can do no wrong. I adore a slow burn romance, but not too slow that it's infuriating (if you know what I mean). This was the perfect balance. Adorable!!

I fell in love with this book in the first few pages and couldn’t put it down. The characters were so vivid I felt as if I knew them and there were enough twists and turns to keep up the tension. A perfect read for a duvet day!

Josie Silver has done it again!
From start to finish this book was an absolute joy to read! Loved it!

I knew that when I saw this and who wrote it, this would be a good read. I have been a huge Josie Silver fan from the very beginning.

This story follows Kate, the 40 something, newly divorced woman who is trying to find her way again after her daughter goes to uni. She walks in to the talent agency that she was with as a kid and meets Charlie, the son of the guy who owned the agency back in the day. She takes on a job pretending to be an author and marketing a book and then chaos ensues.

I truly loved this book and I loved all the little nods to the book world. This story is genuinely unique and one of a kind. The story had all the feels, it had laughs, it had swoons, there were some deep topics and I think it really highlighted the book world in a good way.

I have to say the star of the show, in my opinion, was Liv. She just made me laugh every time she was on the page. I truly loved her sarcasm, dry sense of humour and her protectiveness of Kate. All of the characters were totally relatable though and even the ones who were horrible were well written.

I truly loved this book and the fact that it was so unique and so different and I loved the little nods to the book world and the world of publishing. If I was being a bit picky then it did kind of end a bit abruptly but if you want a read that is fun, sweet, but uniquely different then I would definitely advise that you run and pick this up. I will be advising all my friends to pick this up as their beach read for this summer.

I've loved previous Josie Silver books, so was excited to read this one, too.
Slow Burn Summer is exactly that. A slow burn romance, that has us as readers simmering throughout, as well as the characters!
Kate is reeling from a recent divorce and trying to find her feet again. Her daughter is at university, her ex living in what was their family home with his new partner, and Kate is in a flat belonging to her sister, attempting to make sense of her new life.
She bites the bullet and contacts her old agent, from before she got married, twenty years ago, in the hope that she can rekindle her acting career as a means to an end, and finds herself with a most unexpected role. That of an author. Specifically, she is to act as the author of a book she hasn't written because the actual author doesn't want to have their already famous name associated with this particular story.
Oh, and her agent? He's not the person she started out with, two decades previously, the flamboyant Jojo Fernandes. Instead he is working with Charlie Fernandes, his son. And a rather lovely looking, decent kind of man!
Without going into detail, Kate's life is a rollercoaster as the publication day arrives and the popularity of the novel soars.
She needs all the support she can get, and her sister is one amazing character, a real momma bear, who wonn't let anyone hurt her sister. And, of course, Charlie...
There's a lot that goes on, and it makes for a very entertaining read, and the slow burn is brilliantly done. A fantastic summer read!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for an ARC.

SLOW BURN SUMMER – JOSIE SILVER*****

Yes, this is a love story, but so much more than that. I have to say, Josie Silver has done it again.
Kate is jobless and partnerless and in need of money. She writes to an agent she used years ago as an actress to see if there is any work available. There is, but not what she expected. A well-known author has written a love story, way outside his normal genre, and has refused to publish it unless it can be under a non-de-plume and promoted by the (pretend) author.
The agent has died meanwhile, and his son is in charge along with a terrifying woman Fiona Fox. She gets the job of pretend author, and it all goes wrong, often amusingly so. Don’t want to give anything away, other than the obvious, given the genre, that she and Charlie, the agent, eventually fall in love. It’s a great read, rattling through the pages and set pieces towards an end you don’t want to come, because that means the story has finished. Full of great characters, inventive, sufficient twists and turns to keep you guessing. Loved it.

After loving Josie Silvers previous books I was delighted to get an arc of her newest offering Slow Burn Summer and I wasn't dissapointed.
With a fabulous cast of characters - the good, the bad and the grumpy. I loved Charlie and Kate and how their relationship played out and everyone needs a sister like Liv. I was surprised the Alice didn't make an appearance, especially as a key plot featured her actions but didn't feel the story was lacking from the omission.
Perfect read for the bookish like me out there!

This is quite a book. A beautiful slow love story . You have an out of work actress, pretending to be an author and the story rolls from there. The sister part is amazing . I loved it. The beginning and ending are clever. Some good twists. I loved it .

I finished this book this morning and loved reading it. It was a unique storyline, with an easy writing style, which was easy to read. I loved the premise of a ghost author, someone paid to act the part, to pretend to have written the romance story. Plenty is going on in this story, personal lives moving on, romance, family relations and the role of social media in blowing things out of all proportion.

The characters were well written and I really liked Kate. The other characters were well crafted too, and I could relate to them all. I especially liked Kate's sister, she is a real tiger when fighting for her sister.

I highly recommend this story, it made me smile, laugh and towards the end have a few tears too. Not because it was sad but because I was pleased with the outcome of Kate's dramas. A must-read for the summer!

I really enjoy a Josie Silver romance and this was lovely. I was delighted to receive a digital arc from NetGalley.
The premise of this book is that an author who doesn’t write romance needs a front for a book. Enter Kate, who used to be an actress but gave it up for a husband who turned out to be a toad, and has left her with no money and nowhere to live. Kate agrees to be the face of the novel, leading to a series of catastrophes.
Kate’s sister is wonderful and their relationship is the lynchpin of the novel. There is a slow-burn romance with her agent which I also enjoyed, but not as much as I loved the reclaiming of Kate’s identity. This will make a great summer read when published.

4.5 Stars

Kate is almost 40, recently divorced and her daughter just left for college. So now, with nothing to do and not much money to do it with... she needs a job.
Enter Charlie. He took over his dad's talent agency and he needs an actress to 'play' an author who doesn't want their real name associated with their first ever romance book.
Kate was thinking more along the lines of a theatre job or a commercial. But okay. She can play an author for a bit. She loves books.
And seeing her hot new agent more often won't hurt much either.

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That was so adorable!
And funny and sweet and bookish and also a bit sad.
We want for Kate to get her happily ever after and this new bookish world would be the perfect life for her. But it's not her life. She's just pretending. Ugh. So sad.
But of course it's not all sad. We get lots of funny and sweet and bookish and exciting and ... it's just adorable. I loved reading it. I adored the sister and brother in law and even super grumpy Fiona! Lol! Great cast! Great book world romance that gives us exactly what it promises: an amazing slow burn summer! READ IT!

Another excellent story from Josie Silver. The idea of an unknown actress playing the part of an author because the real author doesn’t want to be associated with the book they’ve written had me hooked from the start. Kate is an endearing main character who’s spent most of her life putting others first, and her new agent Charlie is the ideal, caring love interest. Every good rom com heroine needs a fun, supportive sidekick and Kate’s sister Liv fulfills that role perfectly. With lots of ‘will they, won’t they’ moments and clues to the identity of the mystery writer, this is an entertaining read. I loved it.

Wow. This was IMPOSSIBLE to put down and resulted in far too many late nights but with no regrets because it was a brilliant story. I loved Kate’s character, I loved Liv and their passionate sisterly relationship. I thought the premise was very clever and the best thing was that I was kept guessing the entire duration of the story. Triflegate was inspired and it was just such an entertaining and moving story- would absolutely recommend and will be telling everyone to read it!!

OMG I LOVED IT!!
As with all Josie Silver’s books this had me gripped from start to finish, taking the reader on an emotional ride, I cringed, laughed, cried and felt so frustrated for the character Kate in this truly fabulous novel.
As well as bringing all the characters to life it was a glimpse into the publishing world, which is tough and unpredictable.
I loved Kate and her family, hated Richard and the trolls on social media.
Without spoilers, my favourite scene involved a mass of book community supporters who showed up when really needed!
Charlie was indeed a wonderful character too, we all need a Charlie in our lives, to pick up the pieces and be out cheerleader.
Overall a feel good happy ever after ❤️

I had high expectations of this book, having been a fan of Josie Silver’s previous work.. and it totally delivered! It felt like a fresh angle that I’d not come across before, the characters felt realistic and well developed and the pacing felt just right - I devoured this in one sitting!

If I could give this book 6 stars, I would. I loved it!

Devoured it over 2 days, it was one of those ‘can’t put down’ book- don’t you just love that.

There’s nothing to criticise, it was pure genius.

Josie Silver, you have another best seller on your hands.
Huge recommendation from me.

I absolutely adore Josie Silver! Her books stay with me forever. I love the concept of “acting” I feel we are all actors in some way. Some of us get paid for it and some of us don’t. I love the idea of also starting fresh after turmoil and I think readers are going to love these themes in this beauties uplifting story by one of my favorite authors of all time