*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Kate Elliot's life has totally and completely fallen apart. After catching her husband having an affair with his much-younger secretary (and finding out just how iron-clad the pre-nup she'd signed as a blindly-in-love twenty year old actually was), sending her only and much beloved daughter off to college, and starting over in the apartment above her sister's fancy dress shop... it's fair to say life took a wild turn she hadn't been expecting.

So, in part desperation and part hope, when she sent in a letter to her old talent agent, she'd never expected to have a meeting with his son, Charlie Francisco. Back in town after leaving his marriage and career in L.A., Charlie never expected to be taking over his father's agency so soon-- his death was swift and devastating. However, he's determined to keep his legacy alive... even if it is on life support.

When a contract for an unknown actress lands on his desk just as Kate's letter does, it can't help but seem like fate. The job? Acting as a stand-in for the author of a romance novel; the publishing company has decided it wants a face along with the name for promotional reasons, and Kate (with her charming and down-to-earth vibe) fits the bill perfectly. However, the lines between professional and personal begin to blur for Charlie and Kate, and soon things spiral out of control in a way no one expected...

.

I loved the premise of this novel. It felt fresh and teeming with possibility; and I really enjoyed the first half. However,

once Kate's identity as a ghost writer is publicly revealed

the book fell flat for me. It felt redundant and predictable, and I kept waiting for some sort of twist to enliven the plot. All in all, SLOW BURN SUMMER was a fine read, and definitely won't put me off picking up more Josie Silver, but I can't say this will be my favorite book of the summer.