Perfect summer romance read. This has just the right amount of slow building romance and down on her luck, self discovery moments from our protagonist Kate. It was cute, the chemistry was good and the characters felt believable and genuine. Characters I could really root for. Kate is funny and relatable, self deprecating but not in an annoying way. More a self aware way, and Charlie is her perfect match. Someone who can push her and make her see a new side of herself but supportive at the same time. I also loved the fact that Kate is a little bit older for a protagonist. She's someone who has that little bit of life experience that makes her not as naive as some other characters I've read. She gave definite Bridget Jones vibes. In a good way.

Perfect summer read that doesn't take itself too seriously, but promises a perfect happily ever after with great characters.

Slow Burn Summer is one of those summer reads that make you wish you could stay in the charming and cozy English summer forever. Reading it was like spending time with old friends and I always love the way Josie Silver tells her stories, with a lot of heart, lots of laughter, and quite a few tears (shed by the reader).

This book is more a story of a woman finding herself and her own voice than your basic romcom but I for one absolutely adored the way it all came together. Kate was wonderful, her relationship with her sister was just so precious, and Kate and Charlie's interactions were tender and true.

Thank you so much Penguin and the author for the chance to read this beautiful book in advance!

Ready, Action!

Kate was an up and coming young actress when she when she gave it all up to follow the man she thought was her dreams, now years later she’s divorced and has no money and is considering starting her life again by restarting her career.

But now an opportunity arises and Kate is acting as a ghost author, attending all the events pretending that she is the author. What could go wrong?

A successful bestselling author has just penned a romance. But they don't want to be associated with the book, as it's a completely different genre.

This was a fun rom com! Truly it wasn’t my favourite read but I did enjoy it, the romance itself could have been a given more but I would still give a it read! A fun romance read!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing

I enjoyed this read, it was quick and easy, and perfect for a summer holiday.
A bit of escapism with a few chuckles along the way.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

what a gorgeous take on this genre. i loved it. it was fun, uplifting and i smiled far too much in that far too goofy way all the way through. i also want to say how much i adored the dry tone to the humour. this is me, this is mine, this is my joy. it was just a delight.
if you haven't read Josie before then why are you here now, you should be hiding somewhere in shame. because she is perfection in this genre and you will want to read this novel and hold it to your chest like all her others. i cant believe how blessed we are to have her talents given over to us a gifts in book form.
from the cover, characters plot and pacing it was all just lovely.
Kate in this book was just a joy. her journey to where she is now has been the kindest. she gave up on her acting dream to follow her dream man. but ermm that didn't turn out. and things arent feeling so dreamy right now either. at all.
Charlie is a talent agent. and he might just have the role for Kate. he definitely needs it to be the role for Kate. because what he does already have is a best selling author who doesn't want to be linked to said romance novel. so hello Kate, you have your starring role. right? right? where could this go wrong?
and there is going to have to be more to come for these two. together. and things take a turn. but there comes the risks to both their professional lives and their hearts.
this had so much heart to it. this book help me in a happy skip all the way through.
Josie bring me joy in her books. they are such skilled pieces of work. another corker.

3.75 ⭐️

Slow Burn Summer was a fun ride—maybe not what I expected, but enjoyable all the same. The premise is definitely a little wild, but I was happy to go along with it.
Kate and Charlie’s romance was cute, even if it didn’t totally sweep me off my feet. What surprised me, though, was how much I connected to the family side of the story. As someone with a sister, those moments really tugged at my heart, it was my favorite part of the book.
Kate as an actress? I wasn’t convinced. And despite the title, I didn’t really get those summery vibes I was hoping for.
But the writing was super smooth and easy to get into, and I appreciated how it balanced humor with more emotional themes like grief and starting over after life knocks you down. Overall, I would recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for the ARC!

Slow burn summer
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Listen, with cover and that title I was expecting a summer romance and yet I was mislead. The romance aspect of this book felt like a very (VERY) secondary plot. I got not chemistry between the main characters, no build up, no tension, nothing and suddenly they were in love, what? I believe this story should be marketed better as a woman's fiction maybe, than as an actual romance.

Now, this doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy the book, I did! But it took me time to adjust to the fact that this wasn't what I was expecting. I appreciate the unique plot line (even tho it cringe me out a little how easy was for the FMC to lie and everything), it was entertaining to read and the humor was amazing! Bonus points to the sister of the FMC, at times she stole the show!

In conclusion, I think the story it's a good time if you go in with the right mindset and expectations. I was wishing for more but overall was an enjoyable experience.

Thank you to Penguin General UK for this ARC. I enjoyed the character of Kate and especially her sister, their bond was fun to read about and really jumped off the page.

I know the book titles itself as slow burn but I found it a little too slow and almost a little unbelievable, I didn’t feel like it had enough build and momentum for me to really be fully invested.

Actress Kate has been asked to play an unusual role, as the author of a book whose real author usually writes more serious books. She has written a new novel under a pseudonym and wants Kate to act as the face of this book. Kate reads the book, loves it and takes the job, especially as she’s recently divorced and needs the money. She also rather likes the publisher, Charlie, who has recently reluctantly taken over his father’s role in the company. Romantic but also shows the bad side of social media. There’s a great twist towards the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this early copy!
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Josie Silver has done it again! Slow Burn Summer is a refreshing and beautifully layered story that surprised me in the best possible way. While I truly enjoyed the characters, it was the concept that absolutely captivated me: an actress hired to impersonate the author falling in love not only with the story she's helping to sell, but also with her acting agent. It’s such a unique and original setup, and it pulled me in right from the start.

What stood out most to me is how this novel quietly but powerfully celebrates the reading and writing community. It explores themes of honesty, transparency, and the value of respecting complexity — reminding us that life and people aren’t just black and white. There’s a whole, vivid spectrum of emotion and experience in between, and Josie Silver brings that to life in such a thoughtful, moving way.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot or the characters, because Slow Burn Summer is best experienced with fresh eyes. But I will say this: it’s the kind of book that lingers. One that makes you reflect, smile, and maybe even fall in love with stories all over again.

🌟 4.5 stars from me, and a wholehearted recommendation for anyone who loves smart, emotional, and quietly powerful romance reads.

Following Kates reinvention after her husband betrayal and subsequent divorce. Loved following the journey with its ups and downs.

I love Josie Silver books, but I do feel the title/marketing of this is a bit confusing. This is less romance and more women's fiction. Slow Burn Summer does indicate...a burn.

I thought this was a slow burn, but there is nothing burning at all... Sorry, had to DNF this @ 50%. I didn't really like the characters.

This was such a gorgeous, uplifting romance! I thought Kate was an absolutely magnetic lead character, so warm and easy to love, and whilst Charlie didn’t have quite the same pull for me, I still really enjoyed their interactions.

I also thought the idea of the ghost author was really fun, and liked the insights into the publishing world! Overall, a great and uplifting read, and refreshing to have slightly older divorced main characters with the different problems that brings!

Josie Silver's words are those that I will always want to return to. They feel like huddling around a warm fire with your closest friends around you. I am someone whose books keep her company on her shelf, and there is no better company than a Josie Silver book. Slow Burn Summer is no exception.

Charlie, an agent who is slowly trying to rebuild his life after a messy divorce and a business inheritance which no one foresaw, comes across a once-in-a-lifetime romance novel. Ensuring that as many people lay their eyes on this masterful piece of art consumes his thoughts. The only problem is that author wants nothing to do with the book itself and wills to remain completely anonymous. That's where Kate Elliot comes into frame. As a former soap actress, also reeling from her recent divorce, the offer from Charlie to act as the author of this novel feels like the first step of many to get her life back on track. When the love story springs of the page and helps Kate believe that she can love and be in love once again, who will be there for her to catch her when she falls? Is it truly possible to keep this facade up in front of so many prying eyes? The most important question of all: will she be able to hold it all together in front of the person who matters to her most?

I loved reading about the different dynamics within Charlie and Kate's support systems, as well as their own blossoming relationship. I don't want to give too much away, but I absolutely adored Kate as a main character. Her life has been thrown into chaos and yet she's one of the funniest and most emotionally available characters that I have had the privilege of reading. She never failed to make me giggle or make my heart stumble.

Slow Burn Summer encapsulates what it feels like to relish in the joy of our own pockets of community.

First off I would like to thank NetGalley and Random house publishing for the opportunity to ARC this book, I picked this book up thinking it was gonna be another cute romcom…but I was wrong, to me the romance was more of a side plot then the main plot.
I personally felt this more more leaning towards woman’s fiction then a romance. The plot centred around the characters love of books rather than the romance I was expecting, I felt there wasn’t much development for the characters and the build up wasn’t really there, some of it felt finds of rushed. For instance the sudden love confession.

That being said, this book was still a really fun read but if your expecting a light fluffy Romance…your gonna be slightly disappointed

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Firstly, thank you, NetGalley and Penguin, for giving me access to a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've never read a Josie Silver book before, but I definitely will again! I absolutely loved reading Slow Burn Summer - it's fun, it's chaotic and a little romantic!

I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't read it but it really was one of those stories that you can relate to aspects of - the chaos, the anticipated romance...I really felt like I was part of the story and could see and feel the things Kate was seeing and feeling.

I feel there was more potential for the romance side, but it was actually nice to read something that didn't go where you expected it to go straight away!

Maybe, just maybe we might get a second book for a follow-up on Kate's life in the future?!

I really wanted to love this book, because I have loved author's previous work, but I barely got through the book. The burn between the characters, sure, was slow, but the whole story unfolds rather quickly. They discover the fact, that she is not the real author of the book, too quick in my opinion. I did like the writing style and Charlie, of course, but it was not a romance, that is memorable. Good read for summer, but that's it.

This was the british rom com I didn't know I needed - oh how I have missed reading british sense of humour!! The characters were unpredictable, funny and Fi's character depth added to the narrative that left me wanting more from all of them. The varied pace kept me hooked from start to finish. Also the mystery of H had me reeling and dying to find out who it could be. I really enjoyed how all the questions were answered in the end and left me feeling warm and fuzzy inside. Would definitely love a series from Josie to get even more of her delicious writing.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. Having enjoyed Josie Silver's previous books, I was pleased to be granted an ARC of her latest novel. It did not disappoint. The storyline felt a bit different from most of the books in this genre (perhaps in part as the character was a bit older and had a grown-up child from a previous marriage) and I found her an engaging narrator. I was invested in the story and the slow-burn relationship, but found the backdrop of the book (her being a ghost author) equally compelling. It was well-written and well-paced, with a satisfying conclusion.