A talent agent hires an actress to play the part of “novelist” on a book tour for his agency’s publicity-shy client
She’s playing the part of romance author, but has she found her own real life love story?
Talent agent Charlie Francisco has three problems: a divorce that ended his screenwriting career, a business he never planned to inherit, and a take-your-breath-away romance novel whose author wants nothing to do with its publication. The book is a surefire hit, if only his agency can find someone to “play” author on its summer book tour.
Enter Kate Elliott, a former soap actress who’s miraculously right for the part at the very moment her life seems to be going all wrong. Kate is still recovering from her own divorce and Charlie’s job offer is a lifeline. She agrees to the pretense for all interviews, signings, and appearances surrounding the novel’s publication. But she can’t know who really wrote the remarkable story—the one so beautiful it’s made her believe in love again.
When Kate and Charlie meet they’re all friction and sparks—the one thing they have in common is they’re determined to play their respective parts. But as the summer heat ups and the lies get bigger and bigger, can they stick to their lines . . . or will they go off-script?
She’s playing the part of romance author, but has she found her own real life love story?
Talent agent Charlie Francisco has three problems: a divorce that ended his screenwriting career, a business he never planned to inherit, and a take-your-breath-away romance novel whose author wants nothing to do with its publication. The book is a surefire hit, if only his agency can find someone to “play” author on its summer book tour.
Enter Kate Elliott, a former soap actress who’s miraculously right for the part at the very moment her life seems to be going all wrong. Kate is still recovering from her own divorce and Charlie’s job offer is a lifeline. She agrees to the pretense for all interviews, signings, and appearances surrounding the novel’s publication. But she can’t know who really wrote the remarkable story—the one so beautiful it’s made her believe in love again.
When Kate and Charlie meet they’re all friction and sparks—the one thing they have in common is they’re determined to play their respective parts. But as the summer heat ups and the lies get bigger and bigger, can they stick to their lines . . . or will they go off-script?
Title: Slow Burn Summer
Author: Josie Silver
Publisher: Random House Publishing Ballentine/Dell
Expected Publication Date: June 10, 2025
Review:
Thank you to Random House Publishing/Ballentine/Dell and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
When Kate Elliott writes a letter to her old agent in the hopes of jump starting her old career, she doesn't think she'll end up working for his son after her agent's untimely death. Charlie Francisco is not his father, nor does he want to be. But he's determined to help a surefire hit book make it to publication. And Kate is just the person to help him with it!
I loved that Kate was a divorcee who has lived life a bit. She has a daughter in college and she's coming up on midlife. I don't read a lot of books with characters her age and it was refreshing to see a 40 year old woman portrayed. I felt everything she did when it came to her personality and how it had been wrapped around her marriage. She didn't have a sense of her own self and now that she was divorced she was determined to find it. She is quirky and fun and the author made her someone you truly wanted to have find her happy ending after all she had been through. I loved her sense of humor and how, even though she had many awkward situations in this book, she handled them well and tried to embrace herself as is.
Charlie was harder to get a read on. I don't think the author gave him enough time on the page. As a reader, if the author is using a dual POV type of storyline, I need equal time from the characters. And I didn't get this at all. It made it hard to get to know Charlie. I wanted more of him and I didn't get it. What I did get, I really liked. He was genuine and caring.
The romance seemed a bit forced for me. I did like it once it was revealed but it just seemed to forced. The close proximity trope aside, the chemistry seemed off. Charlie definitely appeared more into Kate than the other way around, which would have been fine if we didn't only see this through Kate's eyes. I wanted to watch Charlie fall for her and Kate realize it. But beyond that, I just didn't necessarily feel the chemistry between them. I just didn't believe they loved each other as much as they told each other they did.
The pacing of the story was good. I loved all the humor the author infused and the chapters flowed well to move the story forward. I liked the writing, it was easy to read and Silver kept me engaged.
Overall this story was just ok for me. I needed more romance and chemistry. I needed more of something. The idea was there but the execution left something to be desired. That being said, I would pick up other Silver books as I did enjoy the writing.
3.5 stars
Author:
Josie lives in a small English town with her husband, their two sons, plus a changing cast of cats, dogs and fish. She writes full-time in a studio at the bottom of the garden.
Josie Silver is an unashamed romantic who met her husband when she stepped on his foot on his twenty-first birthday. She lives with him, their two young sons, and their cats in a little town in England called Wolverhampton. She is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Day in December and The Two Lives of Lydia Bird.
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