I MISSED RAINBOW ROWELL'S VOICE SO MUCH! I've read Fangirl an obscene number of times and I could recognize RR's voicey writing in a blind sample. Her writing is so comforting and funny and witty and wonderful and it was so delightful to be back in Omaha with her for a while.

I think people will be divided on this book. The two main characters are incredibly frustrating, bordering on unlikeable in moments. But they have their reasons and there's so much to unpack with both Shiloh and Cary and their issues. It takes a long time for them to work through their issues, both together, and apart, and I really loved the process of this. There are a lot of quick scene cuts, and it felt a lot like a play, which maybe with Shiloh's theater background that was purposeful.

In the end, this is truly a beautiful slow dance and I really enjoyed everything about it.

2.5 rounded up to 3 stars.

Overall, if you want a second chance romance that has a lot of realism and family drama, this book is for you. However, it was not for me. I struggled to get through it and it was moslty becasue of the two main characters. Shiloh is severly unlikable, she pokes and prods at Cary constantly as a kid and then has 0 emotional intelligence as an adult. I also suffer from anxiety, but it was her entire personality and her own character never grew becasue of it. Cary cannot communicate to save his life, which is very real for CIS/Het men but I don't need to read about men like that. He is quick to anger and jump to conclusions instead of having a single real conversation. He was more likeable than Shiloh, but not by a lot. I never felt like she and Cary actually connected fully because they were both holding back so much. The proposal came out of left field and made no sense at all. I think I yelled at my phone while I was reading that section.

I didn't dislike the writing or the other characters, but the sadness of 2006 Omaha was a bit overwhelming too. It was all just a bunch of sorrow and depression wrapped in a romance cover with two characters I wasn't rooting for at the center. A tough read for sure.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC!

If you are looking for a second chance, slow burn, with the emotional reconnection then look no further!

Slow dance is about childhood best friends who fall apart and then reunite years later. We are brought on a story where we see decisions being made and the consequences from them.

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for this eARC!

This book follows high school best friends Shiloh and Cary from when they meet as teenagers and reconnect at 33. There is a lot of switching between present day in the book and flashbacks that help understand how each of them grew over the years. I really enjoyed both of the main characters in the present day and did find their personalities frustrating when there we flashback to high school. Around the middle of the story, I understood more of why we needed to understand them as their younger selves to see the growth in both of them.

The story was very well written, and I felt like I really got to know all the characters. Some of the flashback chapters were short but helped fill in many gaps in both Shiloh and Cary's story to understand they was they acted as adults. To be honest in the beginning of the book I did not think I was going to like this and thought it would be hard to get through mainly because of their personalities from high school but I kept going and truly started to love both of them and wanted to know how it would end.

The ending was a little rushed, but I truly enjoyed the ride and the friendship of Shiloh and Cary.

I devoured this book! I read and enjoy a lot of romance novels, but it was so great to read a romance between characters who felt like real adults with real lives, not just a series of TikTok checkboxes. Rainbow Rowell has such a talent for writing about the messiness of relationships (romance, friendships, parent/child, siblings, etc.) and the messiness of your expectations for yourself vs. your reality. If you're looking for escapism and grand gestures, this is not the book for you. If you're looking for a story and characters with the highs, lows and mundanities of real life (especially if you're over 30 and have kids), this is well worth your time!

I’ve been a fan of Rainbow Rowell since her debut Attachments (I read it every October). Her first stand-alone novel in over 10 years did not disappoint. I finished it a couple of weeks ago and keep thinking about it. 

SLOW DANCE (pub 07.23))  poignant story about 2 high school friends who had a special connection, lost touch during college, and reconnected in their 30s. Thank you to  William Morrow and Netgalley for the early copy.

My favorite bits: Elements of 1990/2000's nostalgia.Real characters with messy, complicated lives and endearing flaws. Unique pacing that gave a true glimpse into the characters fears and dreams.The flashback/before chapters provide a heartwarming backstory while also anchoring us to the present. Banter and dialogue that was both sassy and sentimental. Rowell perfected the duality of teenage awkwardness and angst alongside the lifelong impact those friendships leave. I related to this story and characters in such an unexpected way. What a pleasant surprise.
If you like Rainbow Rowell, add this to your TBR. If you haven't read her before, add this to your TBR.

Fangirl is one of my absolute favorite books and I've enjoyed most of Rainbow Rowell's books. This was a bit of a miss for me though. It felt pretty melancholy even though it's somewhat of a romance. I'll still pick up any book Roweel writes, but was a little disappointed by this one.

Synopsis: Cary and Shiloh are high school best friends who reconnect at a mutual friend’s wedding.

Thoughts: This was adorable! I loved the jumping bath and forth between their teen years and current day. The plot was adorable and I was rooting for Cary and Shiloh since chapter 1! I devoured this book and could not put it down!

Thank you to Rainbow Rowell, William Morrow and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

My favorite Rainbow Rowell book is Attachments, hands down. While I didn't like this one as much, they are very similar in their vibe, and I couldn't put it down. It was a very sweet story, and I loved how it ended.

I don't mind a second-chance romance and even if i have had a hit-or-miss time with rainbow rowell's other books, i'd say that this one is more of a hit. rowell does a good job balancing the timeline and each character pov in different parts of the book, and is able to keep the dialogue well-paced for the flashbacks. i think this is a great showcase of rowell's ability to write YA and contemporary adult lit all in one book, and allows readers to see the main characters' respective growth arcs.

I loved this book so much. Rainbow Rowell knows how to write honest, flawed, endearing characters no matter what genre she’s writing. Shiloh and Cary’s friends to lovers arc was so real I felt like I was reading about people I know in real life, and I love that. I was engaged from start to finish.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I would like to thank the author and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

When I saw that Rainbow Rowell was coming out with an adult novel I immediately requested to read it, I was so happy when it was approved.

I have read many of her books years ago. I am now a 26-year-old mom. I love to read romances but I can no longer identify myself with the characters I am reading. This book was perfect for me!

I went into it without even reading what it was about, knowing the author was enough. I was so impressed to find that the main character was a mom of two and that this was not a secondary plot, it affected all the decisions and the day-to-day of the main character.

The author was able to make me feel like I was reading an adult romance but a the same time I got a bit of what I loved in her YA books since part of the book is about them in high school, looking back on their relationship.

It is a slow-burn romance, with a second chance and friends-to-lovers tropes. It was so endearing! I would recommend it!

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted (free) ARC

Rainbow Rowells writing is very nostalgic for me. I look back on my 2010-2015 reading years as my favorites and she was included in there many times.

But, this book drug on for me. It needed to lose about a hundred pages. It needed some excitement. I was just underwhelmed with the story, and found myself looking away from my read.

Overall, I wouldn’t discourage you to read this book if the synopsis resonates with you. But if you’re looking for a rec from me, this wouldn’t be on my list.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the chance to read this book early.I loved this book about a single mom who falls in love with her high school bestie.I did not want this book to end.

Such a good book! I typically love everything Rainbow writes, though. I could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Inseparable during high school, Shiloh and Cary haven't spoken to each other in over a decade. However, at a close friend's wedding, the two reconnect and begin the long road of building a meaningful adult relationship, because, after all, you don't get the chance to make old-new friends. As they grow closer, their lives begin to fall into one another, and both of them are forced to open up and re-examine choices made in the past (and present).

In her highly anticipated return to adult fiction, Rainbow Rowell has once again stolen my heart with her latest book SLOW DANCE. Perfectly described as a power ballad (I'm not sure quite how but that feels like the best way to refer to this book), SLOW DANCE is the story of two high school friends returning to one another in adulthood, and is the epitome of second chance romance done right. Both Shiloh and Cary are messy-- realistically and heartbreakingly messy-- and, even though it took me a while to warm up to them individually, their story lingers in my heart long after the story ended.

SLOW DANCE is the closest a book has come to capturing the complex nature of real life I've read in a long time-- it's refreshing, and heartbreaking at times, but a beautiful story because of its imperfections. Longtime fans of Rowell rejoice, she has returned and brought a poignant story of love and loss and the beauty of human connection.

Slow Dance was another great story from Rainbow Rowell. I've been reading her books for years and was thrilled when I heard about this one. This was her second adult novel, and just like all her other books it had me feeling all the feels. This one comes out in three months, and I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy for my shelf!

Wow, I loved this. It was so nostalgic and funny. It made me laugh, it gave me butterflies and it made me cry. Shiloh’s inner dialogue and anxieties really resonated with me. I loved the back and forth timeline, and POVs of Shiloh and Cary’s friendship.

Sad to say this is the first book by this author that I haven't a) absolutely devoured and b) did not love. I’ve been waiting for years for Rowell to get back to regular books after the Simon series and unfortunately this was a big let down. It was quite slow paced, the characters were kind of downtrodden and tragic, I don’t know why but I just couldnt connect with it. Normally I cant wait to get back to a book after work but with this I’d find myself putting it off. Hopefully the next offering resonates with me as much as her previous work!

This story of two friends and their enduring love for each other, even through years of separation, was a lovely read. I love the flashbacks - the author showing the reader where our main characters are coming from and what is driving their choices and actions is one of my favorite things about this book! I’ve loved Rainbow Rowell’s adult fiction in the past (The Attachments is a great one!), and Slow Dance did not disappoint!

Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for this advanced readers copy.