Kate is recently separated from her husband and trying to find her feet after a long marriage. Her daughter is at uni and Kate has moved into a flat above her sister’s shop. Kate was as actor and so contacts her old agent and as a result finds herself embroiled in a situation where she is acting as the author of what is bound to be an extremely popular romantic novel. The agent from the past has died and his son, Charlie, has taken over and Kate and Charlie become close but trouble nearly destroys Kate when the truth about her role in the book is discovered. Most of the story is taken up with the fall out of this discovery with Kate trying to deal with it and protect her family. I have been a fan of Josie Silver for a while and her books are easy to follow with likeable characters. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me an ARC of this book.

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!

Another brilliant read from Josie Silver.
Slow Burn Summer is a fun, pool or beachside read perfect for summer holidays.
4 stars.

This book had a fun premise - a broke, divorced 40-year-old former actress who quit to marry and have a kid young lands an unusual acting role: pretend she's the author of a new romance novel on behalf of the real author who wants nothing to do with it.

I really enjoyed Kate's journey as she learns to regain her confidence, her relationship with her fiercely loyal and sharp sister Liv and the lovely simmering chemistry with Charlie. Kate was also such a compelling character to root for, she’s fun, caring and upbeat. Unfortunately, this book was marred by weak plot development, and a number of illogical and half-baked threads that felt like it was an early draft.

Kate signed an NDA so why was she blathering to her family (especially by text message and email!)? And why wasn't she telling Charlie she needed to tell them so he could organise for them to sign one too. Many things involving her daughter and ex-husband were set up but then left unresolved, such as her daughter basically siding with her dad, and not contacting her (Kate also let her off way too easily when she caused chaos for Kate).

Kate goes to 'steal' her manuscripts back, it doesn't really go anywhere, like enrol in a class or join a writers group or anything to show us she was looking towards her future. The epilogue just felt like she didnt really earn it because we're only told she was decent from her sister. And given she was a promising actress, why didn't her journey involve getting back into real acting roles (like perhaps play the lead in Charlie's screenplay)?

The part that really pissed me off was the unplanned pregnancy storyline with a secondary character. The second she fainted I though 'oh ffs please don't go there'. And sure enough the author did. And, given the character was 42 with two teenagers, why is abortion not considered an option? Instead she's just shocked but accepts it. COME ON its 2025 when reproductive rights are being taken away! If you wish to introduce this really dumb plot development, at least do something different with it!

The romance also felt like a super slow spark-burn then 'I love you' was way too quick given their time together getting to know each other was sparse.

Despite all of this, it's such an easy read and I finished it in one sitting. I still recommend it for just low-key fun London vibes. You just might need to suspend your disbelief a bit.

Thanks to Penguin General UK and NetGalley for the ARC.

Josie Silver is always a treat to pick up!
This was definitely a slow burn as the title suggested and I think it portrayed beautifully. I feel some of the letters were quite long and maybe could have been trimmed down (but that is my only nitpick!)

While this was nothing like the romance novels I normally read, I loved every minute of it. The character growth, the heart, the relatability. This book had me laughing out loud in many parts, and then crying at the end, while still having a HEA that I absolutely needed after the roller coaster of emotions I experienced while reading. Kate was a lovely protagonist with a very relatable but sad past, Charlie was a sweetheart, and there’s nothing I want more than to give H a hug. I also loved the acknowledgment of the book community and how crazy we can be 😉
I don’t generally read the synopsis of most books, and if I’m being honest the cover and title didn’t come close to hinting what this book is actually like, but I’m glad, because I’m not sure I would’ve read it if it had been, which would have been a damned shame.

4.5🌟

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.

Kate is hired by a talent agency to pretend she's written a new romance novel, sure to be a bestseller, so that the actual author (who doesn't want to reveal themselves) can remain anonymous. Oh, and her new agent is the handsome Charlie.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book places itself slap bang in the middle of my Josie Silver book ranking. It was a fun read, if a bit too surface level for my liking. There wasn't anything too special about Kate and Charlie as a pairing. Mostly it was just fine.

What I did love? The cute friendship between Kate and said anonymous author. More of that please. And the cute little pink cottage setting in Cornwall, because pink.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. I enjoyed this book, it made me cry. Would re-read, 4/5.

Damn… That ending!

Loved Kate and Charlie’s story.

I had different thoughts of who H was, I was wrong.

I would love to see this on screen.

What an introduction to Josie Silver!

I will definitely be reading more of her work.

I’ve loved Josie Silver’s previous books, so I was very enthousiast to read Slow Burn Summer, and it did not disappoint!
Nearly all characters were so lovable (sorry Fiona and Richard, perhaps not you) and relatable.
I loved the whole plot of this book and it was worked out really well. It also showcased a reader’s love for books and authors, which I thought was beautiful.

Kate is such a relatable character in so many ways, and I feel like that adds to the reading experiment. Charlie is a complex character on its own, navigating life after losing a dear one and going through divorce.

Liv - Kate’s sister - was such a badass. As was mentioned in the book: she should be president of the country. She’s the exact person you’d love in your life as part of your support system, as she’d always have your back.

The only minor thing in this book to me was the fact that I didn’t really feel the chemistry between the two main characters. I feel like I missed some build-up, even though this book is a slow burn romance, obviously :) but that didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying this book all round!

An enjoyable read that made me think how it would make a brilliant film. Kate attempts to return to her acting career after a painful divorce. She finds that her previous agent has died and been replaced by his son. He encourages her to take the role of an author who does not want to be connected in any way to a love story they have written. This brings drama to her life and her sister's. A love story evolves through the story.

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.

This was so much fun! Slow Burn Summer is the perfect romantic comedy, beautifully woven with themes of loss, perseverance, and healing. While the pacing felt a bit slow at first, once I was invested, I couldn’t put it down.

The story follows Kate, a recent divorcee in need of an acting job, who lands a unique role as the “face” of a newly published novel. Working alongside her agent, Charlie, she navigates this unexpected opportunity which places her in many interesting situations.

There were lots of funny moment which had me laughing out loud, and Kate’s character, while eccentric and unique, never felt unrealistic. The balance between humour and emotional depth, especially with Kate’s journey of healing, was especially well executed.

I do wish we had more time with Charlie. He was such an intriguing character with layers to unravel, and the slow-burn romance was a delight. However, the ending felt a bit rushed, and I would have loved a more gradual buildup. Additionally, despite Kate’s deep connection with her daughter, Alice, we don’t see the pair together, only over email & phone. I would have loved to see more of this relationship!

One of the biggest highlights was the sisterly bond between Kate and Liv - it was so heartfelt. Kate’s evolving relationship with H was also incredibly sweet, and the unexpected twists and turns kept me hooked.

Overall, Slow Burn Summer was a thoroughly enjoyable read, filled with humour, heart, and an engaging storyline. I can’t wait to read more from Josie Silver!

A huge thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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!

Having read books by this author before, slow burn summer looked like something I would enjoy.

The story itself was really good, I enjoyed the whole thing revolving around books and people who love books. The idea of using someone to pretend to be the author was an interesting one and I thought from the start it definitely had the potential to be a little rocky. The characters were so great, I loved the main characters and I thought Kate’s sister Liv was a particularly fun character.

In all an easy to read book that I was pulled into immediately. Look forward to reading more of the authors books in future.

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 .