Cary and Shiloh are best friends from high school who meet again at a mutual friend’s wedding following a fifteen year estrangement. Chapters swap back and forth from the past to the present as Rowell details the relationship of this will-they-or-won’t-they pair. I enjoyed the writing and the story, though I found Shiloh’s personality to be irritating on many occasions. I didn’t particularly enjoy the scenes from the past while the characters were in high school, but it was harder to put the book down once we got the present. I think if you have liked Rainbow Rowell’s earlier books like Eleanor and Park and Landline, then you should enjoy this. If you are bothered by miscommunication tropes and couples being unreasonably difficult to get past their stuff and get together finally, you may want to proceed with caution. I particularly found the sex scene to be so cringy to read because Shiloh is being so difficult and it’s almost like she wants to push Cary away still. I wish we had delved into her hang-ups the way we got to see Cary’s based on his family life and upbringing.

As someone who has been a huge fan of Rainbow Rowell's previous standalone novels for adults, like Landline, I was ecstatic to learn that she had a new one on the horizon. And let me tell you, SLOW DANCE exceeded all of my expectations! The characters in this book felt incredibly genuine, with their raw emotions and relatable struggles. I found myself cheering them on right from the first page.

This book was definitely worth the anticipation, and I highly recommend it to others.

✅ Shiloh (33, single mom), Cary (33, in the Navy)
✅ dual timelines
✅ second chance
🌶️: no

For the first half, I wasn’t sure I even liked this book, but it was compelling enough to keep going. If you’re looking for a giddy, effervescent romance, this is not it. It’s frankly more litfic than romance even if it’s about the 2 main characters. It’s happy and sad and hopeless and hopeful all at the same time. Overall, I did enjoy it.

I loved seeing Rainbow Rowell return to the geeky yet raw and real relationships found in Eleanor & Park and Landline. I enjoyed the story and the character development.

Shiloh and Cary were best friends in high school, both poor kids from a bad neighborhood in Omaha, determined to escape and fulfill their dreams. During college, they eventually lose touch with each other, and as the book opens, Shiloh and Cary haven't talked in 14 years. Shiloh is a single mom of 2 young kids, living with her mom in her childhood home, and Cary is in the Navy, currently stationed in San Diego. Shiloh is hopeful she will see Cary at their high school friend's wedding, but will anything change if he is there? Slow Dance explores their current relationship, while also alternating into chapters from various points in their lives "before", in high school and college.
This is a slow burn book for me, from the beginning Shiloh and Cary have undeniable chemistry. As the book summary promised, this is a book about two kids who fell in love and lost it, and the book explores why things didn't work out between them in high school, while they dance around the possibility of picking up where they left off in the current timeline in the book. There's a good bit of character development as they work through their communication issues and move past some misunderstandings. As with previous books by Rainbow Rowell, it's well written and developed, although a bit slow moving at times. This is one I certainly enjoyed overall!
Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

Rainbow Rowell's long-awaited return to adult fiction was worth the wait! This is a perfect pick for fans of a slow burn full of rich, empathetic characters.

Rainbow Rowell has long been a favorite author of mine, so diving into her latest work, Slow Dance, was a thrill. Shiloh and Cary, once tight high school pals, find themselves drifting after a college fling fizzles out. Fourteen years later, they reconnect to discover that old sparks still flicker, though their baggage - her kids, his Navy career, and their tangled history - adds complexity. Their journey unfolds like a slow dance, like the title, as they navigate rebuilding their relationship amidst life's chaos.

Rowell's knack for crafting authentic characters shines here; Shiloh and Cary leap off the page as flawed, intricate, and utterly human. This isn't a tidy tale with a perfect bow; it's messy, raw, and rich with depth. The backdrop of poverty adds layers, shaping the characters in profound ways. While the narrative structure might diverge from the norm, Rowell's signature style remains intact. It's reminiscent of YA, yet distinct in its maturity and complexity.

The reunion of childhood friends Cary and Shiloh, peppered with flashbacks, paints a vivid picture of their evolving dynamic. Their journey is marked by missteps, miscommunications, and genuine, relatable emotion. Their relationship, like them, is imperfect and real - a refreshing departure from cookie-cutter romcoms. Cary's perspective, though engaging, leaves a desire for more depth, especially given his pivotal role. Yet, his character remains enjoyable, albeit occasionally blurring with Shiloh's in an oddly charming way.

Rating Slow Dance proves to be quite challenging; while some aspects were a bit jarring, the overall experience was undeniably captivating. I'll settle on 4.5 stars, acknowledging its flaws while embracing its charm.

I was super duper excited for Slow Dance as I've loved many of Rainbow Rowell's previous books and have been waiting for her to write another adult novel. Unfortunately, Slow Dance wasn't really my cup of tea. I generally love slow books, so I don't think it was because the book moves slowly... I think it just moved slowly AND nothing really seemed to happen. I also don't love the miscommunication trope and there was A LOT of miscommunication in this book.

Shiloh and Cary were best friends in high school and it was always obvious there was something more there. But since they were immature teenagers who don't know how to communicate, nothing ever happens. Understandable. The book starts off with them reuniting at the wedding of a mutual friend many years later. Shiloh has been married and divorced and has two young kids. And Cary has made his dream come true of being in the navy. Will something happen now that they're seeing each other again after all these years?

The book jumps back and forth from present day to high school and college days and we get a lot of details about Shiloh and Cary's relationship and what happened to it over the years. I just felt like I wasn't really that interested. Nothing totally pulled me in to make me feel like the story was super unique and special (as Rowell's books have always seemed to do in the past) and I felt like I couldn't get a really good picture of who Shiloh was.

That said, lots of people have been loving this book, so definitely give it a read for yourself. Oh, and there are a couple reallyyy steamy moments if you're into that!

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Overall I just didn't care for this book. I almost DNF'ed several times but figured I'd push though. I wish I had listened to my first instinct. I thought the two main characters, Shiloh and Cary, were pretty annoying. Shiloh was worse than Cary. I just never cared for her or what happened in their story.

Even though it's a coming of age story and a slow burn romance I felt like it was awkward and disjointed. And it wasn't just the awkwardness of a high school romance vs current day. The writing felt awkward and wasn't enjoyable to read.

Rainbow Rowell has a uniquie gift in which she is able.to pull forth emotions in her writing with the mist subtle turns of phrase and i am happy to report that Slow Dance is just as phenomenal as her others! I may be one of the only few people who prefers her adult books to her YA so its safe to say im obsessed with this one!!!!

Rainbow Rowell is one of my favorite authors. I love her writing style and her characters. I'm just not sure that I love her adult romances. So far her weakest books, in my opinion, have been Landline and Slow Dance. In the few days since finishing Slow Dance, the lingering issue I seem to be having is that no one--neither the characters nor Rowell herself--seems to have a stance on much of what is happening throughout the book.

(Spoilers from this point on.)

Ryan cheated on Shiloh. Shiloh thinks Ryan is a bad person, but it's her fault for marrying him.
Shiloh is sexually interested in men and women but only a few; she seems to have very little interest in having sex at all, in fact. Shiloh wouldn't define herself as a queer woman.
Cary is in the military, the Navy specifically. Cary never sees combat and, throughout the book, never grapples with or interrogates being involved in a military that is actively engaging in combat on multiple fronts. As an adult Shiloh completely walks back her strong anti-military stance from her teenage years.

There's probably a point about changeability and fluidity in here. There's probably a point about never fully knowing ourselves or the people we love. But it feels a little like a cop out at times.

Overall, I enjoyed the reading experience. I would be interested in going back to read it again after some time to see if I read it any differently but for now it's a solid 3.5 star read.

Like all of Rainbow's books, this was EMOTIONAL. Her characters are so real and flawed, but that is just what makes them beautiful.Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I found it unique and thought provoking- the type of book I know will stick with me

SLOW DANCE by Rainbow Rowell is about grown ups!

Nothing against the Simon Snow series, but I generally read books about grown ups...being a grown up. And I love her adult books! This is classic Rainbow Rowell, with a tightly wound, mildly-to-moderately neurotic woman and the man who loves her.

Shiloh and Cary were best friends in high school, then he joined the navy and she got married and they haven't talked in 14 years. But now she's divorced and he comes back to Omaha for their other best friend's wedding, hoping for a second chance. Or third, or fifth (they had some near misses, you could say).

It's so lovely. There's so much real life in it—growing up in poverty, divorce, raising kids that are not your biologically own—it doesn't shy away from heavy themes. But also it's just two sweet dummies (affectionate) who have to get on the same page so they can be happy.

There is also (I am delighted to inform you) an epistolary element in the form of emails. I love epistolary! I like pithy dialog, and what is more dialog than email correspondence??

SLOW DANCE comes out July 23, and I loved it and all its incredibly timely musical references.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"You can't make new old friends"

I had forgotten how good a Rainbow Rowell book can be. Slow Dance is the latest adult book by Rowell and I can't say enough about this story. Shiloh and Cary are childhood friends who lose touch until the wedding of their friend Mikey brings them back into each other's orbit. It's obvious these two were always destined to be together, but can they get out of each other's way to realize it?

This story had so much heart and charm that like another reviewer I read it so fast that when it was over I just wanted to flip to the beginning and read it again. A perfect summer read, and I can't recommend it enough.

This was such a beautiful read about a unique and unconventional romance. I really enjoyed it and loved these characters.

Shiloh and Cary were besties since high school but Shiloh was afraid of messing up a good friendship with love and always kept her feelings tucked away. Years and years pass as we see their friendship and love grow and mature. I have always loved Rainbow Rowell's stories and this one doesn't disappoint.

I loved this book! It follows the story of Shiloh and Cary, best friends growing up who drifted apart then reconnect at a wedding 14 years later.

It hit so many of my favorite tropes. One of the main ones being best friends who are super in love and everyone knows it but them. I love that dynamic.

The story switches between present day and 14 years ago “before.” Some is from Shiloh’s POV and some from Cary’s which I enjoyed. I stayed up till 2 am on a Saturday reading this and then spent all of a Sunday am at home cause I wanted to finish it. Had the perfect amount of angst, great character growth and development. Really engaging. The plot is really just the story between the two of them and their relationship so if you’re looking for something more plot driven and less character driven this might not be for you. It was just what I wanted and I’d highly recommend if you want a low belt slow burn character driven story about the realities of two people finding their way back to each other.

Childhood best friends to lovers and second-chance romance are ways to describe this book, but it goes so far beyond that. I was in my feels from the first chapter, and I only felt more angsty as the book went on and we learn about all the history between Shiloh and Cary. I was rooting for them so hard, feeling all that yearning and love and misunderstanding and heartache right along with them. Rainbow Rowell does such an excellent job of creating imperfect characters that are easy to love. I have a strong feeling this will be one of my top reads this year.

I liked the romance, but the book felt a bit too slow. Also, the chapters ended very abruptly. I liked having a romance with a single mom, and adults with real complications in their lives, but the pacing was off.

"I want to remember this day . . . . But I also want to have so many good days that this one gets lost in the plethora."

Shiloh and Cary were best friends, destined to be together but they were kept apart by the fear that romance would destroy their perfect friendship--so afraid that they stopped talking altogether. Since then, Shiloh started a family and has been running the local children's theater, and Cary raised though the ranks of the Navy. Fourteen years later, when reunited at an old friend's wedding, they are forced to decide what they are to each other, and how they fit into their new lives.

There are many things about this book that I am not normally so enthused about: miscommunication that could be easily resolved by a single sentence, small children embedded in a romance, However, I LOVED this book. I'm not sure if it was the endearing main characters, or the writing style akin to a stream of consciousness, or the friends to lovers... but my heart was so warm by the end. Rainbow Rowell was able to craft such a slow, sweet rekindling romance, while also showing us glimpses of past at the right times. She also managed to achieve a miracle: I didn't find the children in this book to be too annoying or get in the way of the romance too much, A victory in my opinion!

I haven't really reached for Rowell's books since her YA releases when I was in high school, but after reading Slow Dance, I am certainly more interested in what she has to stay about friendship, self-discovery, and love. I highly recommend this book!