3.5*
Evie has given up on love. She is giving away her favorite romance novels and is wary of happy endings. For an inexplicable reason, she suddenly has the power to see highlights of the romantic relationships of couples as she sees them kissing. There’s heartbreak involved which only reinforces her negative attitude about love.

When she ends up at a dance studio, she gets roped into entering a dance contest with a boy named X. They spend a great deal of time rehearsing and getting to know each other. But her fear of romance causes problems. Evie and X are good dance partners but maybe that’s all they’ll ever be.

The relationship story is cute and the quandary over taking a chance on getting hurt makes the story relatable. Yoon has a breezy style that is engaging and charming. The magical realism adds an ethereal element to the plot. Though not as quite as captivating as The Sun is Also a Star or Everything, Everything, this new book will not disappoint her fans.

I found this to be an enjoyable read, keeping me on my toes throughout. The storyline was written well and flowed seamlessly. I look forward to reading more by this author!

I’m going to be completely honest, I really really really wanted to enjoy this one so badly. I had huge expectations for it but ultimately I felt like it was an okay read.

I don’t really relate with YA that much anymore so I’m not surprised I wasn’t the biggest fan of the characters.

There’s so much hype and love for this book and author so I do suggest you check it out if you’re still interested- I definitely think some will love it.

I don't know if my brain was trying to protect me, but I sat on this book for a long time. I STILL cried. It was a much needed cathartic cry, and I'd do it again.

Initially, this book hooked me with the very meta moments of a romance reader, being very aware of the tropes, yet embracing it all the more. I found myself very much connecting with Evie as a fellow soul, jaded to the HEA but still very desperate to be proven wrong. The inability to support love, but angry when you're proven right with break ups and infidelity.

The book flies by, and asks the question Tennyson has pondered for hundreds of years, is it better to have love and lost, than never love at all?

I'm not sure this would've packed the soul punch if we haven't all felt the impact of lost time, in a global Bananarama. But here I sit, reflecting on moments I would sell vital organs to get back, and the new adventures I've missed, being unable to try something new, and see where it leads.

This book is adorable despite how heavily it is about abandonment issues and how it abruptly ends in a manner that left me a little stunned. The characters feel real and their romance is cute and measured, fitting in with the trauma that both Zoe and X have gone through with other close relationships in their lives. I really enjoyed the way Evie's flashes of other people's romances were captured, so that it read like flashes of scenes, abrupt and a little disjointed. The general setup for the magical realism is a little weak, but overall, this book was a fun read.

Until that last page, when I felt someone had hit me in the face with a bat.

We read this as a potential nomination for our internal Printz Award committee. It was not chosen as one of the finalists.

**Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & the publisher for a chance to read to & review an ARC of this book!**

Please find my extended feedback below...along with some spoilers (beware).
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Things I Liked:
-I loved the banter between the characters!
-I enjoyed how the main character worked her way through her frustrations & irritation with her father (& his choices)
-I loved the highlight on family, grieving in ways that are healthy, & letting yourself enjoy the time you have with loved ones

Things That Didn't Sit Quite Right With Me:
-the magical elements felt a bit weird to me at first (like they didn't fit in with the contemporary themes)
-the ending broke my heart!

Overall, I gave this book 5 stars. I think it would be a great read for those who enjoy YA, those who enjoy romance reads, & those who enjoy books with lessons attached.

Although i’ve read all of Nicola Yoon’s past novels, I sadly was unable to get into this one. I will give it an average rating of 3 stars though since I did not reach the 50% mark.

This has been the perfect companion as I pack up to move into my new house (tomorrow!!!). It’s sweet, fluffy-romantic, and has lots of great modeling for teens of how to handle friends dating, parents cheating and getting remarried, and the perception of teen love as having to be forever.

Sometimes you think you know what a book is going to be about, but then it takes you completely by surprise. Evie is skeptical when it comes to love. Though she used to devour romance novels, the end of her parents’ marriage leaves her cynical. An encounter with a woman at a Little Free Library leaves her with two things: a book (Instructions for Dancing) and the ability to see into others’ relationships: their beginnings, middles, and ultimate endings. In her quest to learn more about this strange new power, Evie goes to a studio to learn how to dance. As Evie learns more about dancing, she also learns more about love. The result is a deep, emotional, vulnerable look at love that will surely resonate with readers.

I have loved all of Nicola Yoon's books so far and had high hopes for this one. It did not disappoint. Super cute and I loved that there was more than romance.

Evie is over love. She wants nothing to do with it, hence why she's giving all her romance books away. She no longer believes in happy endings either. But when she stumbles across an instructional manual for dancing, she inherits a special ability to see the future, a future that may break her apart. Instructions for Dancing is an emotional rollercoaster that will give you numerous and heart-filled highs along with devastating balling out loud lows. Yoon knows how to interlace romance with deeper-rooted topics in such a seamless way. Evie and X are such strong and well-rounded characters, there is no way you cannot fall in love with them. The ending had me crying so much it reminded me of my first true heartbreak.

I absolutely adored this book. This is the perfect book for just about everyone.
This book is so much more than a teen love story.
Evie Thomas has become cynical about love ever since her mom and dad got divorced. She gains a certain type of clairvoyance where she can see what happens to couples when they kiss. This book is about taking a chance on love, and how we never really know how a love story will end. It reminds me of the quote, ‘It’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.’
This story felt authentic.

I enjoyed this one, but it wasn't my favorite of Yoon's books. I think the mesh between supernatural and contemporary might have been pushing into a new type of writing and it can work but it wasn't for me.

Nicola Yoon has not been in the best of light lately and I have nod had a want to read nor review her book. Apologies.

This YA Romance was beautiful!

The characters were lovely, I didn’t want this book to end as I loved spending time with them all.

The romance was sweet! As this was a YA Romance, the clean love story was a perfect fit.

The dancing was really fun. It did take a backseat to the rest of the story and was only mentioned here and there, but it made for a nice backdrop.

The bit of magical realism added to the story made this sparkle with extra special charm.

Romance readers should pick this one up for a light, happy read!

Thank you to #DelacrotePress and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

*4.5 stars

This book moved me in a way that I wasn't expecting. Nicola has such a way with words and I love her ability to weave a narrative throughout different pov's. In my opinion, no one is doing it quite the same as she is. I found myself tearing up at the end. She is an excellent storyteller.

This book has rave reviews and I was over the moon to receive an early copy for review! Nicola is a wonderful writer and I understand the hype behind the reviews readers are giving!

This is one of the most fun things I have ever read and possibly one of the best romances I’ve read as well. Nicola Yoon really knows how to create a story and characters that you want to keep coming back to and not put the book down. I’d recommend this to anyone who liked the movie Shall We Dance. I think even those who don’t like romance would find something to love about this book.

I loved this book and learned so much about dancing. I’m a huge fan of Nicola Yoon. I look forward to reading more of her books. Thanks so much for the review copy.

A YA romcom with a twist. Evie has become a cynic about love. After all, her dad cheated on her mom and upended their lives, so how could she believe in love? Here comes the twist - as Evie is donating her romance novel collection, she comes across a book that changes her life. Suddenly, when she sees people kissing in public, she sees their love stories (good and bad). WTH??

As she tries to break this curse, Evie stumbles upon a new hobby - dancing - and a new partner, X. What ensues is a story filled with humor, emotion, love, and life.