Rainbow Rowell knows how to create characters readers can root for. In her newest book, Slow Dance, the reader is introduced to three best friends during their high school years: Shiloh, Mikey, and Cary. Shiloh is a single mom running late to get to Mikey’s wedding and hoping to see Cary for the first time in over a decade.

Cary and Shiloh have a complicated history and it’s a will they-won’t they kind of dance that picks back up upon the two seeing one another at Mikey’s wedding. A relationship between the two is complicated. Cary is in the Navy and isn’t home often. Shiloh is a divorced mom with two kids and can’t travel easily. Finding their way back to one another is not an easy path.

Slow Dance is a slow dance. It’s a character fueled romance with lots of 90’s and early 200”s nostalgia. It’s not Eleanor & Park, but I devoured it in two days. It fell short of 5 stars for me, but it was a solid read and I know readers who enjoy character-driven romances will love Cary and Shiloh.

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for this ARC.

I loved this book! Fans of Eleanor and Park will love this. Rainbow adds so much depth and detail to her teen romances that they transcend audiences!

I don't know how I feel about this book, honestly. Going in, I didn't know how to feel; Rainbow Rowell isn't one of my favorite authors, but I have read all of her books, and so I went, "Huh. Let me see what this is about."

The book is about Shiloh and Cary, best friends that lost contact after a one (two?) night stand. They reunite at a friend's wedding, and after that, feelings reemerge. It's all super straight-forward for Cary, but for Shiloh, the baggage feels monumental. Kids, an ex-husband. Who wants to deal with that?

There are obviously some good parts of this book. Rainbow is good at dialogue and the back and forth quips are fun. I like the storyline, too. It's interesting to see how all of these people live their lives day to day; it's interesting to see how messy it is. Honestly, these family dynamics remind me of my own if it was from Junie's perspective. Little sibling, divorced parents, military step-parent. I could find my mom enjoying this book.

However, there are things that really stuck out to me and they were annoying.

First off, why are all of Rainbow's female characters the same? She's really good at diversifying her male characters. They're always incredibly different. But every single female character she has is an introverted, broody shut-in that hates everyone and is probably agoraphobic (Cath (lovingly), Agatha, Eleanor, etc). There are some outliers, but a LOT of her female characters act this way.

Additionally, the miscommunication, at times, was just straight-up frustrating. You are grown adults. PLEASE talk. (Does this add some suspense in some instances? Sure. But half of this book is just miscommunication.)

Lastly, some structural things that I'm surprised went past her editor: short sentences and dialogue tags.

Rainbow definitely has a style of writing and while I like it sometimes, it is SO annoying when there is no variance in sentence styles. A lot of her sentences are like this. Quick and choppy. It gets annoying. Especially when it's half of her sentences. See what I mean?

As for dialogue tags, there are a few chapters where very little used and it might be a stylistic choice, but I was confused about who was saying what.

Slow Dance, I think, is made for women in their thirties who don't feel like they have their shit together. That's not a bad thing. I don't think anyone really has their shit together, ever. We're all just varying degrees of different messes and some of us are better at hiding it than others. Shiloh and Cary are definitely good examples of that. Shiloh is very obviously all over the place. Cary hides it under the surface.

Ultimately, this book isn't for me. Maybe I'll look back in ten years and see that it is, but for the time being, I think I'm too young to really resonate with this.

Shiloh and Cary have been best friends forever but after high school went in opposite directions . Now 14 years later and Cary returns to Omaha for a friend's wedding and a reunion with Shiloh. Both are nervous and have led different lives with Cary a career naval officer and Shiloh recently divorced with two kids. They dance around each other's fears and attraction and soon fall into that easy sway leaving the reader (and the two of them) waiting for the potential big dip or drop onto the dance floor. Jumping from past to present we witness what makes their friendship so strong- both unique yet so familiar. My favorite is Shiloh's refreshingly candid daughter Junie. A slow dance instead of a frantic hip hop routine this is one romance to savor but you will race through. Readers of the author's fabulous young adult books and the great character studies of Ann Patchett will love this. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

I was incredibly excited to see Rainbow Rowell return to writing adult fiction, and I was not disappointed. Slow Dance is a delight on every single page. Shiloh and Cary's second chance romance is years in the making, and Rainbow Rowell masterfully guides readers through flashbacks and present day, moving from their childhoods, college, and beyond. It is extremely refreshing to have our heroine be a 30-something single mother divorcee, and Cary's life in the navy is also different from a lot of other current romance novels. Rainbow Rowell goes even deeper by exploring Shiloh's previous marriage and Cary's family relationship, which took many twists that I didn't expect.

I absolutely adored this book and I'm excited to add a copy to my shelf. If you haven't read Rainbow Rowell in awhile, I urge you to give this book a chance. It's quickly become one of my favorites by her right next to Fangirl and Attachments.

Slow Dance is the tale of Shiloh and Cary throughout the years. In high school, they were best friends, just best friends, despite what everyone else thought. After high school, they went their separate ways, Cary to the Navy and Shiloh to college to pursue acting, but they swore they'd always be friends.

Well, time went on and things changed and they lost one another. Now, 14 years later, after running into each other and the wedding of their mutual best friend, they're finding their way back to the start.

I'm a HUGE Rainbow Rowell fan. I've read it all. Landline was my previous favorite from her adult books, but Slow Dance has far surpassed it. I should have taken my time with this one, but I flew through it, and I'm sad it's over. I loved everything, from the awkward and embarrassing teenage years to the equally awkward and embarrassing thirties. Perhaps being in a relationship that started as a high school friendship and grew into more makes me biased, but I thought this was a beautiful and real story. I cried multiple times, in the best way.

I will be recommending this book to anyone and everyone that will listen to me, and I will most likely reread over and over once it's officially out.

Shiloh and Cary were best friends in high school. 14 years later, they reunite at their other best friend’s wedding. Cary is in the Navy now. Shiloh is fresh off a divorce with two young kids.

This one just wasn't quite for me. I like my romance novels to be an escape, but Shiloh and Cary had very real problems. I think this could be an appeal for others, but not for me. Don't expect a rom com. This is more like a realistic, contemporary literary novel driven by miscommunication. It was well-written, but it was too slow for me with too small of a pay-off.

Slow is a great word to be in the title because this was way too slow paced for me. I considered a DNF but did like the story enough to keep with it. Some details were repeated way too often (how many times did it need to be mentioned that the MMC had a lot of moles) and some details were a little off putting (specifically what one character wanted to do to another’s teeth.)

In this captivating story, the narrative seamlessly alternates between Cary and Shiloh's high school days and their present lives. The dual timelines are equally engaging, offering a rich portrayal of their evolving relationship. Cary and Shiloh are both likeable and authentic, making their journey even more compelling.

My god, I was rooting for Cary and Shiloh, longing for them to finally come together. This story is a heartfelt exploration of love and friendship that will resonate deeply with readers.

I enjoyed reading this book! Shiloh and Cary were the best of friends in high school. Everyone just assumed they were dating. But they were never dating. They got each other on a deep level, but there was never any romance. After one weekend changes their relationship forever, they lose contact for 14 years. Flashforward and they are attending a mutual friends' wedding. She has since been married and divorced with 2 kids. He has been in the Navy, which is his whole life. Will they come together for one night? Or will old feelings rise to the surface?

I have read and loved all of Rainbow's writing. I love her character driven stories that focus on deep emotions and real life circumstances. So, I went into Slow Dance blind. I didn't know what it was about, I was just meeting Shiloh and Cary as I read through each word. And what beautiful words they were. This story spans years, told through some memories of the past and then flashing forward to the now. These two seem like complete opposites from the outside and yet each of their hearts yearn for only each other. They may be too afraid to communicate that or they may not even know HOW to communicate that sometimes, but going on this journey with them made my heart so full.

This book is so REAL LIFE. Sometimes we go on a path that is not perfect but we make due. And the timing is never right. But this book gives hope that along the journey the person we miss the most can come back around and set the course straight again. This book made me smile and cry, it filled my heart so full. Reading an adult novel release from Rainbow again was like drinking a gallon of water when I was SOOO thirsty. This book was so fulfilling. I loved every minute. I loved Shiloh and Cary and all their flaws. These two will stay with me in my memory and my heart for a long long time to come.

This was a first by this author for me. It won’t be the last. The writing is just so….easy to get lost in. I was hooked from the first page!

Shiloh and Cary grew on me immediately. These were the most real-feeling romance novel characters ive read in a long time. Incredibly relatable, touching, and satisfying.

Well, well, well— Rainbow Rowell spiced things up for us Eleanor and Park fans! Slow Dance is a cute and snarky, second chance romance. The kind where young love and old flames meet again as adults. And I loved it.
Spicy, cute, second chance love with Eleanor and Park vibes.

Holy-bejezzz, I was not prepared! I requested an e-ARC of this book because (even though I don’t tend to gravitate to YA) I looooved the Carry On series. When I saw that Rainbow Rowell wrote a contemporary romance I was all about it. Simply put this is a childhood friends to lovers, 2nd chance romance. But it is truly so much more than that.

WHAT I LOVED MOST:
The characters! Every. Single. One. Of course, Shiloh and Cary are my favorite. They had their quirks, their perspectives, and clear voices. Shout out to Mikey and Lois (who had so great quips!)

The timing and flow. The books bounces from current times, to before times, but they don’t follow each other chronologically. I had no trouble following the story through the path RR led me down, and it made it that much more enjoyable.

REAL life stuff - kids, divorce, caregiving, family drama, military - It was all so real and deep. Plus, they ate Taco Bell… there is nothing more relatable to me!

FAVORITE QUOTES:
“I asked you to dance— you’re not a wallflower.” She held up a finger. “I’m an intentional wallflower. I choose this adventure.”

“She liked kissing, but it was just so . . . in your face. Kissing was like eye contact, but worse. Kissing was carnal eye contact.”

“She was softer, after. She’d gotten what she wanted, and she hadn’t decided what she wanted next. This was Shiloh in a rare moment— without an agenda.”

“All her self-discipline came unraveled. All of her anchors lifted out of the ground. She held him too tight. She kissed him excessively. She told him she loved him, again and again.”

“She almost wore heels . . . but something about heels would make this feel like a date. She decided that eyeliner was platonic.”

I seriously highlighted half of this book. Places that made me laugh, cry, squeal, google things… I recommend this book 1000000 times over.

Thank you Rainbow Rowell and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. I just purchased the paperback for an inevitable book snuggle and re-read.

Rainbow Rowell is one of my favorite authors, but this one wasn’t for me. Personally, I am not a huge fan of spicier romances so maybe it’s just me, but I wasn’t feeling very invested in the romance between Shiloh and Carey. I didn’t necessarily dislike the main characters, but sometimes found them to be somewhat irritating. As always, Rowell’s writing is very good! Fans of adult romance may still enjoy this book, this one just wasn’t a favorite for me.

4.25 stars

I enjoy Rainbow Rowell's realistic fiction because I think she gets that hazy space of teenage friendship on the cusp of a relationship so well. This one has a 90s wedding song list in the early part of the novel that will take you back as a younger GenXer or an elderly millennial to those quintessential songs that defined your teen years, and you'll always remember the lyrics.

Shiloh and Cary (male) were part of a friendship triad with Mikey in high school. Many years later, Mikey is getting remarried, and both Shiloh and Cary come to the wedding. There they reconnect after not seeing each other in many years.

The author creates vibrant vignettes with Shiloh and Cary in high school, college, and present day. We learn about both Shiloh and Cary's family dynamics. I loved learning about these characters as both high schoolers and adults. While I expected the high school scenes to have a YA feel, they really didn't, which I appreciated.

This second chance romance definitely has an appeal. I will give three cautions: 1. It is a long book (but reads fast). 2. This will appeal more to character-driven readers. 3. It has a quieter third act than I expected.

I won't forget the characters of Shiloh and Cary for a long time.

This story put me through the emotional ringer let me tell you what. Wow.
I have always been a fan of Rainbow Rowell, and when I got this ARC I was so so excited I yelped!?!?!?

The crackling intensity between Shiloh and Cary at all stages was palpable and I loved the duality of the timeline in this story and that you got to jump all around between past and present and see things when you needed to at different points in the story and how they relate to what is happening with Shiloh and Cary through the present time. It was equal parts heartwarming and heartaching. Normally, I personally really do not enjoy when stories use this convention, but in this instance, I really thought it worked super well and loved it very much. Rowell has such humor to her writing that I am just always in awe of and feel like is @ing me in a way I like and her characters are always so visceral and raw. Shiloh was an intense character and I loved her physicality and personality, and felt like I related to her in some ways that were interesting to reflect upon. Cary was really an interesting MMC and I loved his multifaceted-ness and the way he changed from teen years to adult (and the way we got to see him through different eyes and POVS). I loved their world and I loved the secondary characters and that this story was extremely character driven. There were so many lines in this one that had me chuckling to myself, or swooning, and choking up. This book definitely made me cry. (twice). I am going to need Rainbow Rowell to write a trillion more adult books so I can horde them like a dragon and live in a cave and read them in a comfort den forever. Had me screaming crying kicking my feet giggling the whole shebang. This was a balm. Will not be over this one for a while.

Thank you thank you thank you William Morrow for letting me read this early in exchange for an honest review!!!

Slow Dance is a slow burn romance that was perfect for the start of the summer (I know it's still spring...) but I LOVED this one. Rainbow Rowell is one of my favorites and has such a way with creating fully fleshed out characters and worlds. Highly recommended for those wanting second-chance loves, slow burns, and sweet reads.

SLOW DANCE
Rainbow Rowell

What I wanted was romance. I wanted true love and happily ever after, what it ended up being was a slow burn that went out before it even got started.

SLOW DANCE by Rainbow Rowell (secretly one of my favorite authors) stars Shiloh and Cary. It feels like they’ve known each other forever. They were friends in school and grew up to live separate lives. Now adults, Shiloh wonders if there might be something more to their connection, Cary has always known there is.

We follow as the years go by and their relationship morphs and changes over time. Will they put their feelings first and permanently change their status? Or will they stay friends forever?

Will they-won’t they can take you a long way but without a little bit of sizzle every once in a while the fire will go out. This romance pairing didn’t work for me, unfortunately. I did not connect with either of the main characters. Even though I didn’t connect with the characters I enjoyed the writing and carriage of the story.

As the book went on, I grew frustrated with how slowly everything moved, and I wished the characters were more in the driver’s seat of their lives, rather than observing from the passenger seat. My biggest problem with SLOW DANCE was the pace of the relationship between Shiloh and Cary.

I love Rainbow Rowell and will probably check out everything she publishes. Oddly, it seems although I don’t often read young adult literature, I prefer Rainbow’s novels for young adults.

Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow for the advanced copy!

SLOW DANCE…⭐⭐⭐