I really wanted to love this book as I am a huge Rainbow Rowell fan, but it just didn't do anything for me. You begin the book with Shiloh and Cary reuniting at a mutual friend's wedding after not seeing each other for 14 years. They used to be best friends in high school, but they had a falling out in college. This book will flash back to their high school days, college days and present day.

High school days: It seems so obviously that they both like each other in high school, but they both didn't have the guts to take their relationship that one step further. My biggest problem with the high school day scenes is that Shiloh is very unlikable. She just seemed rude majority of the time. It's hard to like a book when you yourself wouldn't want to be friends with the main character. Shiloh hated that Cary wanted to start a career in the military when he graduated high school. She talked so negatively about the military even when she knew that it was Cary's passion. A good friend would support their friends.

College days: Shiloh starts to get the distance she wanted from her hometown, Omaha. Cary comes to visit her during his leave after boot camp. From this visit, they both start to realize that their relationship could be more. BUT of course there is a huge argument/misunderstanding when Cary leaves for his next location which begins the decline of their friendship. After a few months of letters back and forth, their relationship/friendship completely ends.

Today: Shiloh and Cary see each other at a mutual friend's wedding for the first time in 14 years. There is an instant connection again. Shiloh takes Cary home, but says some things that makes Cary leave suddenly. Again, Shiloh is so frustrating and rude for 90% of this book. Shiloh has two kids now, and I will say that she seems to be a fantastic mom. Her kids are a hoot. Shiloh and Cary start writing to each other again after he leaves for another deployment. Can they mend the relationship that seems to constantly be butchered by snide remarks, insecurities, and misunderstandings?

Things I loved about the book: I loved how the book is taken place in Omaha as I lived there for 10 years myself. I loved Junie and Gus - they were the best part of the book in my opinion. Junie talking like she is an adult and Gus just wanting to play with cars. They remind me of my own kids.

Negatives: Again, Shiloh was just so unlikeable. She definitely got better at the end, but I still wasn't the biggest fan. The first half of the book was so slow. I would get to a point in the book thinking it was wrapping up, only to find out I was only halfway through the book. Then the ending was so rushed. I would recommend less flash backs and developing the ending more. All in all, the book was just meh to me. I will still pick up Rainbow Rowell's next novel, but I don't plan to recommend this specific title to anyone.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book but I didn’t 🫣

I’ve read Rainbow Rowell’s YA stuff before and really enjoyed them so I thought I’d like this one too. It was SO. BORING. At no point did I find myself actually WANTING to read this, I was dragging myself through. The main character is so unlikeable, the miscommunication trope was used about five times too many (and can I just say this trope is the WORST??), and there were absolutely no swoon worthy moments. Some sentences were so beautifully written but most of it was just boring and awkward. This book made me literally cringe at times. Plus the ending was just…nothing? Like I read through ALLLLLL of that for…that? Ugh. Not my cup of tea.

Anyways, thanks to Netgalley for letting me read this in exchange of an honest review!

LOVED THIS! It was like a less sad Eleanor and Park. Both the main characters felt a little...off? But overall charming. 4/5 will definitely recommend to friends!

An absolutely brilliant story! Heartbreaking at times and inspiring in others, I thoroughly enjoyed following Cary and Shiloh through their history together as best friends and soul mates. There's something so incredibly special about a bond that can stand the test of time through absences and life's ups and downs. I reaf this with tears in my eyes and my heart in my throat, it was just beautiful.

As always, Rainbow Rowell has gifted her readers with an unforgettable, un-put-downable, brilliant story. This one will take pride of place up there on my favorites shelf next to Eleanor & Park, Fangirl, Landline, and Attachments.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper CollinsPublishers for sharing this digital ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

Slow dance was exactly that - a slow dance in life. This story contained such authentic characters with their very own quirks. From friends (the best, actually) to lovers along with a slow burn… this story was so well written. The character development was amazing, the setting and events that played out added to the story tremendously, and the ending was lovely. Themes of poverty and low confidence and family were all throughout the story, which made it all too relatable as a reader. My only quip was the back and forth of the timeline - one minute it’s way before, then current time, then a little past, then way past, then back to current. It all tied together beautifully, but it was just confusing sometimes when the story was taking place. Overall, loved every minute of this story - made ya believe in love again!

Reading Slow Dance felt like listening to "Faithfully" by Journey on repeat and singing along while driving down a long road at sunset with the windows down. Both nostalgic and fresh at the same time. I adore Rainbow Rowell's books and this one is no exception. I was totally captivated by Shiloh and Cary's years together. Also love the way Rowell tackles the difficult parts of life with such normalcy and care. Seriously could not put Slow Dance down and am so grateful I got the opportunity to read an advance copy.

I always love Rainbow's characters. She always writes these beautifully imperfect and human characters with excellent character development. Slow Dance was no different. You will connect with Shiloh and Cary, feel their feels and root for them. And each MC had a messy family and complicated history that shaped them as adults. I want to be clear - this is not a bright and shiny rom-com. This read felt cozy, nostalgic, real, and sad. And with Rainbow's writing, I can always *see* each scene. I love how descriptive she is, but never feel like she's belaboring the point.

Cary is Shiloh's person and she is his. They are inseparable as teens but after a mishap they each go their own way and before they know it fourteen years have passed. Shiloh gets married, then divorced and has two kids. Cary joins the navy and is based on the west coast. It is not until a friend's wedding that they finally reconnect and realize that neither of them wants to let the other go ever again. The book shifts back and forth between multiple timelines as Cary and Shiloh reconnect and come to a new understanding about past hurts.

Slow Dance is a slow burn. While Rowell delicately bounces us between before and now - I yearned for more time in the happy. Which is a credit to Rowell because I loved Shiloh and Cary so much that I just wanted the best for them, especially after all they went through.

For fans of Normal People, two childhood friends now in their 30s reconnect after over a decade of not speaking; This is Rainbow Rowell’s version of Normal People by Sally Rooney. It’s about two friends who were inseparable as teenagers, now reconnecting in their 30s after 14 years of silence. Oddly enough, there were times where this book felt like YA and then other times where it almost read like literary fiction. The characters are messy and complicated, they make bad decisions and they don’t communicate. But you realize that the characters know this about themselves and you’re able to empathize and feel for them. I thought it was an engaging story and I was wholly invested in the journey of these two characters finding their way back to one another.

rainbow rowell might not for me…after giving many a book a chance, i simply can’t get into this book and will sadly be dnf-ing around the halfway mark. it was mostly the writing that was a bit stilted and couldn’t really vibe with it

I absolutely loved this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who has read this author before. I have a feeling this one is going to be in the top charts and libraries will want to order a lot of additional books for lending.

I am a big fan of some of Rainbow Rowell's older standalone novels for adults, such as Landline, so I was over the moon to see that she had a new one coming out -- and SLOW DANCE did not disappoint! The characters were so real, so achingly authentic and relatable, that I was rooting for them from page one. Absolutely worth the wait: Highly recommend.

Read in nearly one sitting, this book hit me in lots of ways. Not sure if it would have had the same impact if I, myself, were not coupled with my high school best friend, whom I did not date in high school. Rowell got a lot of things exactly right about the way those intense high school friendships do and don't transition after graduation. I appreciated the complexity of the two MCs, but I do wish I'd gotten to know Shiloh a little better. We're in her head for most of the book, but somehow I still felt at arm's length from her. Her narration is a bit glossier than a real life headspace. And some of the most intense moments for her - sex, for example - are narrated by Cary or at a remove. I think that's because Shiloh's dialogue and body language is more expressive than her internal narration, but it's a shame. I'd love to understand more of what was happening for her. Another shame is overuse of the word "hummed" - everyone was always humming in agreement, humming to indicate pleasure, humming in reply, etc. After the first few uses it really stood out to me.

I'm interested now in reading another of Rowell's adult books - in my TBR for years - to see what I think!

Rowell has always done a good job of focusing on realistic relationships without overly dramatic circumstances. This book is no exception, it highlights the love story between Shiloh and Cary from their awkward teenage years to reconnecting to their adulthood. It shows the bittersweet realities of growing up and the difficulties of adult relationships.

Rainbow Rowell has such a knack for writing characters that are so authentically flawed that even though you may not like them a whole lot in the beginning, you’re still demanding a happily-ever-after once the frustrations within your soul of paths taken/decisions made settle down. Because as we delve into the narrative and ponder on their lives for a bit, they really are just like the rest of us.

Expanding on her all-to-real character development, Rowell strengthens tropes like “miscommunication” and “second-chance romance” with surface deep analyzations of Shiloh and Cary’s flaws as individuals, friends, and lovers. Meaning, when reading this, thoughts like “this is so dumb, they could have totally avoided this” or “what a giant waste of time this has been, look at all the years that were missed out on” did not cross my mind—but instead I was reflecting on MYSELF and how I could have easily misinterpreted words, actions, feelings because of my own insecurities and vulnerability to love.

Basically, we all need to get off our high horses and confess that we are all kinda crappy people in our own special way but what makes us decent is our willingness to recognize, adapt, and work on those qualities for the ones we love.

I struggled with my rating for this one because I didn’t finish it and was like “omgosh, I am obsessed” but it did make me feel a lot and it made me think a lot. And it will probably stick with me forever…. and I also think it’s important to read, so sounds like a winner to me.

4.5/5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC! Everyone, be sure to read this one when it comes out July 23rd of this year!

Oh, I'm so glad that Rainbow Rowell is back! It truly feels like ages since she's published something full-length contemporary, and especially adult so I was so anxious to get my hands on this one. It felt at once so different (I think this is Rowell's first single mom, post-divorce book and it really opens up this whole new level of plot for her) from her other work and so recognizable as Rowell (anxious, sarcastic, stressed out woman is in love with a man who is more well-adjusted than she could ever hope to be, lol) This isn't my favorite of her work and I can't see myself returning to it every year the way I do with Fangirl, but I it is 100% worth reading and I'm so glad I did.

I've read a couple of Rainbow Rowell's books before and really enjoyed them, which is why I was interested in Slow Dance. The title is highly accurate, and the slow dance theme is prevalent throughout the book, which nicely ties a lot of the major plot points together.

The characters have such common and relatable upbringings, family situations, and financial circumstances, but for some reason I failed to really connect with their personalities. I guess I felt like Shiloh and Cary were just a little boring. I found the relationship between the them to be confusing and frustrating. It was a lot of "will they-won't they", and "almost did" as the story rambles along. I also thought the ending was very anti-climactic, although everything gets nicely sorted out in the end.

I rated Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell 3/5 stars. I suspect my expectations were a little high coming into this book. The writing was very well done, but perhaps this just wasn't the story for me. Despite the average rating I gave this book, I would still be interested in reading other books by this author, based on her previous writings. I recommend this book for those who enjoy a lot angst with their love stories, and realistic characters who live in and through relatable circumstances.

Thank you to Netgalley, Rainbow Rowell and William Morrow for the opportunity to review and ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Growing up in the less affluent part of Omaha, Shiloh's primary ambition was to escape. In the midst of her struggles, she had Cary by her side—Cary who tolerated her quirks, Cary who brought laughter into her life. At sixteen, Cary was slender as a stick of gum, cruising around in his mom's worn-out station wagon. His circumstances were even tougher than Shiloh's, but their friendship saw them through high school. While Shiloh pursued college, Cary enlisted in the Navy.Fast forward fourteen years, and Shiloh, now thirty-three, feels trapped, as if she never truly escaped her past.Having not read Rainbow Rowell in quite some time, I found "Slow Dance" to be a delightful surprise.Shiloh experiences marriage, divorce, and becomes a mother of two. Meanwhile, Cary serves in the Navy on the West Coast. It isn't until a mutual friend's wedding that their paths cross again, leading them to realize they never want to lose each other. The narrative weaves through various timelines as Cary and Shiloh rediscover each other, confronting past wounds.Their journey is marked by moments of discomfort and vulnerability, but the palpable love between them makes it all worthwhile.The title "Slow Dance" aptly encapsulates their love story—a continuous, gentle dance as they orbit each other, drawing closer and retreating in turns.A big thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for providing this eARC!

I thought this was a nice take on a different type of couple. It also wove in the relationship between Mikey, Shiloh and Cary which added some interest to the book. I did think that the story didn’t flow quite as well as it could have as *spoiler*


…all of the sudden they were engaged. It seemed like it took a painfully long time to show their past and not enough time in their future. And I think an opportunity was missed to write in more detail about when they got married at the courthouse (which also didn’t really seem to match up with the two weeks after engagement with the amount of time they spent cleaning out the house.)

This review is my opinion only and I was graciously given an ARC by William Morrow Books.

This is my first not a YA novel by Rainbow Rowell. Being someone who is completely obsessed with Fangirl, I had high hopes for this book. To say my expectations were met is an understatement. The time jumps are seamless and really help progress the story. Cary and Shiloh are so real and relatable. This book just captures the reality of life as an adult and navigating a past right place wrong time.

I'd forgotten how much I love Rainbow Rowell's writing until I got this ARC. I can't believe this is her first contemporary adult novel in over ten years??? Her writing style is always so warm and familiar, and you can't help but love her characters even when they're in the wrong. I absolutely adored both Shiloh and Cary, and I was rooting for them the whole time. I loved seeing the flashbacks to when they were younger, and I loved the modern (well, 2006) plot, too---which is surprising for me because I usually don't enjoy books with child characters. I might even consider Shiloh and Cary one of my favorite fictional couples. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves pining and a good slow burn, or anyone who has missed Rowell's novels in general. I will definitely be picking up a copy when the final book is published!