It has been a while since I’ve read a Rainbow Rowell novel! It took me a while to get in to this one, but once I was hooked I flew through it!

she ate AGAIN!!! rainbow rowell always gets me in that second half!!! her books are full of angst nostalgia and gentle heroes who are nothing but an entity of yearning.

as someone who grew up loving rainbow rowell, being able to read her work as an adult tugged at a special little heartstring of mine. this story is a classic romance of the ages that follows the lives of Cary and Shiloh - two best friends… just friends. as the two grow up, they learn how to grow apart and then grow together.

this story is sweet, simple, funny, and all-around a feel-good story about love, family, and making moments count. rainbow rowell has a way of writing that feels so genuine - no conversation between the characters felt forced and the events and emotions are almost too relatable

my only criticism is that this story sometimes felt slow, but it was just so realistic and sometimes life isn’t crazy things and drama - sometimes it’s cooking in the kitchen and having heart-to-hearts on the couch. I found Shiloh and Cary’s story to be so real and raw. the push and pull between the two of them had me flipping each page wanting more and more. this book is the perfect light romance or easy summer read!

I have been a fan of Rainbow Rowell for years, and I typically devour everything by her. This book was not a wood chipper type of book. For me, it took awhile to get through. I found myself lost or not really enjoying it, just bored, and I would put it down for a bit and then pick it back up. I guess it does speak volumes that I wasn't able to let it go. I really liked the main characters and the story was good, just slow in parts. I will always read anything by this author and hope she keeps writing for some time!

I could not finish this book. I didn't like either main character and I found the book very slow. Shiloh was incredibly annoying and Cary had no backbone. If I was Cary, I would have moved on from Shiloh and continue to not see her.

I’ve been waiting years for a new adult novel by Rainbow Rowell and this was definitely worth the wait! She captured the multiple time frames splendidly and her characters were real and flawed and beautiful. Highly recommend!

Fans of Rainbow Rowell will continue to adore this book, especially if interested in slow-burn, character driven romances. This book is about Cary and Shiloh's lives as much as it is about their romance, their lives as teenagers and their lives now. This is not your whimsical, first time falling in love book. This is a mature book about the reality that they face as they reconnect, from children to finances to self-doubt.

hank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I honestly don’t know where to start. RR’s writing had me so caught up that I felt like I was personally involved in the will-they-won’t-they relationship of Cary and Shiloh (and I’ve been married for years).

Cary and Shiloh are brought back together by their best friend Mike’s wedding. After 14 years apart the two are trying to decide if it is finally time to be more than friends.

This book was so sweet and I loved that we get to see all the different stages of Cary and Shiloh’s relationship which is told through flashbacks, along with a glimpse of their HEA

Not me being so excited for a Rainbow Rowell release only to be left feeling a bit ‘meh.’ This second (okay maybe third or even fourth) chance romance had a lot of potential for me! I have thoroughly enjoyed all of RR’s previous work so this had to be a hit, right? …..right? Well, not exactly.

Let’s start off with the good parts:

1) Junie and Gus. You two are the cutest characters and are so worth everything!!

2) awesome dialogue that flows so well. Very realistic and funny. However, there is an inner dialogue moment at the end involving crooked teeth and a certain endeavor that I thought was so cringy and cheesy.

3) a dual timeline that let’s you see how the past affects mainly Shiloh but also Cary at times. It helped build connections with the characters that I felt was needed.

Not the not so great parts:

1) Shiloh and Cary both kinda sucked. Shiloh was pretentious and Cary was just Navy?

2) the ending was so rushed. I was enjoying the will they won’t they and they just bulldozed to the end after a climatic part of the book

3) some of the writing was juvenile. I know RR does a lot of YA stuff but I felt that writing was reflected in this book and it just took it down a few notches for me.


If you’re a fan of RR, you’ll want to pick this book up. If you have never read RR, I’d skip and read something else of her’s first then maybe comeback to this? Up to you.

Cary and Shiloh have known each other since their school days, and they meet back up at a mutual friend's wedding in 2006. Going back and forth from their high school days to now, Rowell tells us Shiloh and Cary's story, but will they end up together? This book was slow for me in the beginning and I almost gave up on it, but I stuck with it and I'm glad I did.

This story is complicated and imperfect and so very real. Faced with the challenges of adult second chance relationships, I loved watching these two know that the easiest part was choosing each other, and the rest of it was stuff to be figured out.

Bouncing between past and present day, the story of Shiloh and Cary is sweet, complicated, frustrating and redeeming. Two people meant to be, but never allowing themselves to fully love each other. "Slow Dance" is a charming novel of teenage love, loss and changes, coming full circle to a happily ever after decades later.

**Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.**

This was so lovely and tender, and felt very realistic to messy lives and messy relationships. Rowell always does such a great job with dialogue and just has a knack for pulling you into the moment when a relationship goes from friendship to more. It's just the sweetest and I don't know how she always pulls it off. I enjoyed both the inner and outer lives of the main characters, plus a well-drawn cast of supporting characters who realistically impact their lives and ability to forge and maintain close relationships. Overall just beautiful.

I absolutely loved this book. I loved it so much that I didn't want it to end. This resulted in me only allowing myself to read a few chapters a night after I hit the halfway point, as I was desperate to stay in this world as long as possible. I loved this slow-burn romance and how the short chapters jumped between the past and present. I loved the text messages. I loved the care packages. I loved Shiloh. I loved Carey. Damn, I just loved this book. all the stars/5.

I love Rainbow Rowell's books, and this is another classic example. I personally wish the pacing had been slightly faster, but the characters were really in depth, and we had a chance to see their growth over time, which was nice. There was a ton of miscommunication in this book, which I'm not a huge fan of, but I still enjoyed the book overall!

I enjoyed this new book by Rainbow Rowell. It was fun to see the relationship of Cary and Shiloh grow and change over time. I could relate to so much of their story. Since I also live close to where the story takes place, that added some fun as well as I followed them through Omaha. .

Another MASTERPIECE by rainbow rowell. I have been OBSESSED with her since my childhood and she published Carry on. Im so proud to see an adult book from her.

This is the first Rainbow Powell book I've read, and I think that's a dang shame because I really enjoyed this. Slow Dance is a tale of best friends told between the past and the present. It's the kind of book that hurts to read because you can see how desperate they are for each other, but they just can't quite make it work.

If you're not a fan of the miscommunication trope, you will not like this book. There are a lot of miscommunications in this book, but honestly, I really didn't mind because it felt so real to me. Both Cary and Shiloh seem to be neurodivergent to me and the way they misunderstand each other seems very in line for people who have ADHD, autism, or a combination thereof. Rainbow also takes such care of her characters, none of her descriptions feel like they're harmful or pushing harmful stereotypes.

My favorite part about this book is it's a second chance at romance. It was so genuine, and Cary/Shiloh's pasts were heartbreaking. They were never meant to work as teenagers, but now as adults in their 30s, maybe they could. I also like how Shiloh took the time to think about what a real romance would look like to her kids and how that would affect them. She never wanted them to feel unsafe or unloved. She also took time to explore her sexuality. There are points in the book where she talks about never really being attracted to anyone or liking anyone. I just know so many people who feel that way and it is so validating to have a character represent that.

I could honestly gush about this book because I really enjoyed it. It was a lovely summer romance read.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

this is an excellent book - a page turner with a well thought-through, humorous friendship that becomes romantic over time. The main characters have reached their late 30's with messy lives, yet find each other to continue a life long conversation. The book is really made up with conversations between them that start in middle school and are mostly either in high school or 'the present' (in their late 30's.) I think that this book appeals to readers of romance, Rainbow Rowell books, and contemporary fiction.

"Slow Dance" is a quick read of a medium paced, second chance love story. Rowell, as always, is on point with the wide range of teenage emotions and all the impulses behind them. MC's Cary and Shiloh as adults, however, were a bit more two dimensional and at times it was difficult to go all in on their relationship and there was something missing that I still can't put my finger on but the book was overall enjoyable and engaging.

NetGalley provided the ARC, opinion 100% my own.