I loved her young adult books and was so excited to read this, but I just couldn’t get into it like I had hoped I would. I’ll try again in the future. Thank you for the opportunity to read it!

Romance isn't really my genre most of the time, especially not M/F romance, but I heard great things about Rainbow Rowell's new book and decided to give it a whirl. I have to admit I got sucked into Shiloh and Cary's decades-long slow burn to finding each other again and again. Rowell writes a well-crafted book full of longing and missed opportunities. The HEA is in spite of the lead characters. They aren't bad, on the contrary they are beautiful souls who just happen to not think they deserve each other. And so the story begins. I got into the groove with the flashbacks and enjoyed the secondary characters. I wish there would have been more of Mikey. As romance goes, it's a decent one. I would definitely recommend to lovers of the genre.

I am a fan of Rainbow Rowell's young adult books and was looking forward to reading this adult title. The book unfortunately fell flat for me. The story is told in dual timelines and the reader learns about the past and current relationship of Cary and Shiloh. I found the characters in the present day when they are in their 30's to still seem like teenagers. The pacing of the book was slow, and it just seemed like these two were never going to learn anything or grow up. Sorry, but I think Rainbow Rowell should stick to YA books where she is a queen.

I haven’t had time to read this yet — I’m so sorry. I plan to read it when Libby has the audiobook available.

good romance and loved how they found love and each other. They survived their trials and found their way back to each other. another great romance.

I am a huge fan of Rainbow Rowell and have only a few titles from her backlist that I have not yet read. I have absolutely loved every single one of them, but Slow Dance was ultimately a bit of a letdown for me.

Shiloh and Cary are two very very awkward turtles. Now, Rowell is known for her realistic characters, and I absolutely live for it. Shiloh was just a bit too much and too realistic for the page in that it was very difficult to relate to her because she was so...Shiloh. Cary, God bless him has enough baggage to last at least a few trips around the globe - which he apparently has done being in the Navy since high school graduation. He just hasn't learned to unpack it all. That being said, it is no wonder these two crazy kids never ended up together.

Shiloh has issues including a very weird tactile obsession with Cary. Rowell is very descriptive with every touch of Shiloh's and it honestly became annoying as a reader. I think I literally cringed reading some of the spicier scenes between the two of them and I think this was my main issue with their romance. I didn't exactly sense a long, deep-seated love between them - just a deep-seated need to be in the other's sphere of existence.

The two things I did love about this book is the way Rowell worked past events into chapters, not chronologically, but as events spurred memories, which is what happens in real life. Someone mentions an inside joke and the next chapter explains how that joke came to be. I know a lot of other people were annoyed with the confusing time jumps, but I thought it was executed exceptionally well. I also adored Shiloh's kids, especially her daughter Juniper. Juniper is every precocious child that ever existed and reminded me so much of my own daughter at that age.

Obviously, if you have read any of Rainbow Rowell's other works, you will still want to read this. She captures real characteristics better than any other author I have read and I can see Shiloh and Cary's quirks being charming to someone who has similar neuroses. It's just that for me, out of her entire body of work, this is the only one didn't live up to the romantic hype. Overall, 3.25 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Rainbow Rowell for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

the storyline and character development in this book are perfection. The character banter alone was delightful. I loved the romp through time via character flashbacks, etc.
Some parts of the book felt a little rushed, and the last third was a bit repetitive and dragged. The pacing definitely could be improved. Overall the general story, characters and emotional response I experienced made the book well worth it. I truly enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

Couldn’t quite get into it. Wish I could because Rainbow is I great writer, but the premise didn’t resonate.

Quite frankly one of the most heart-wrenching books I've ever read! It literally felt like I was intruding on some of Cary and Shiloh's moments because they were so intimate and soft and real. Definitely one of my favorite books of 2024!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. I highly enjoyed it and will be recommending it.

Such a good second chance romance!! Although this book follows our main characters primarily in the present, I really liked that we got some flashbacks to Shiloh and Cary’s past as well. For me as a reader that’s a recipe for a great romance! With a second chance romance, I feel like having both the past and present timelines together create such a validity to the love story. Shiloh was definitely a tortured heroine and I could see how a lot of readers may struggle reading from her perspective. I personally loved her growth and thought that she was a really realistic character. Cary was also just THE BEST. This was a 5 ⭐️ romance for me and I highly recommend it!

I talk about this one more on episode 167 of the Book Talk Etc podcast.

This was a poetically written story about second chance love in a potentially realistic manner where life is messy, love is messy, and no matter how much we may resist it, we sometimes can't stay away from the love we're meant to have.

With the dual timeline where we get to see these two together as friends earlier in their lives, watch their relationship blossom, and then ultimately witness their drifting apart from one another due to life and an inability to voice what they truly want, we also get their present day connection where they're thankfully thrown back into one another's lives time and again and they eventually get out of their own ways.

This wasn't my favorite Rainbow Rowell book, but it was exceptional nevertheless.

I was really excited by this book at first but overall had a hard time connecting to Shiloh which made it hard to read. While not a book I’d recommend it was still a decent read

I normally really love Rainbow Rowell, but something about this one felt off to me. Maybe it was the heavy dialogue or the subject matter, but I found myself feeling a bit bored. This was easy to put down and not as easy to pick up again. This might be a case of wrong time for this one because I loved the flashback scenes, and I think I enjoyed them more than the present tense. Overall, this is another Rainbow book full of absolutely flawed people making flawed decisions, so it hurts to watch, but it's also still written in her incredible voice.

Oh, Rainbow Rowell. For the past 14 years no other author has failed to let me down quite like you. Book after book is a gem and Slow Dance is no exception.

If you've read Rowell's previous works, you know that she trades on authentic characters and not in tropes. You won't find any bizarre third act breakup here. You'll find a quiet, sweet story of two friends finding their way to each other. Slow Dance ups the ante in realness by portraying a love story that involves a blended family and characters well into adulthood. Those looking for a sweet, realistic love story will enjoy this one immensely.

It was great to read Rainbow Rowell again. I didn't love this one as much as a couple of her other ones (Attachments anyone?!), but, it was still up there in the "very. much enjoy" category. It had more mature content than I remember other Rainbow Rowell books having. I liked the characters and it felt like a Rainbow Rowell book in the best way. I will definitely reread.

This book was a delight, the characters felt so real and I loved the way their relationship built over time. Rowell is a master writer and I really enjoyed her return to adult romance.

Did not enjoy this book at all. It was not well written. Nothing of substance and not even able to be considered a sweet, fluffy romance book. Definitely do not recommend.

"Slow Dance" by Rainbow Rowell has moments of charm, but it ultimately feels underdeveloped. While the characters are relatable and the themes of love and self-discovery are appealing, the plot lacks depth and tension. I found myself wanting more from the storyline and wishing it had explored its ideas more thoroughly. It’s an enjoyable read but didn’t leave a lasting impression.

Ah. A classic friends to lovers where they were always in love. There was no third act miscommunication. The book just took a slice of Shiloh and Cari’s life. I’m sure they are living their best life in Omaha. I refuse to believe these are made up characters.