Thank you NetGalley and Rainbow Rowell for the chance to read this book.

I loved this story. I loved the characters. I loved that it was told in alternating time lines. I loved watching the characters grow up together and learn together. Some parts felt slow, some parts felt rushed, but over all I loved the story so much.

I have loved everything else I have read by Rowell but this one just moved so slow, I struggled to care about the characters. I’m sure others will like it more than I did,

Rainbow’s writing is always high bar. Love this slow burn second chance romance. You will not be disappointed if you read this. Fans of her previous work will resonate with these characters and this style of writing. Worth your time and the read and appreciated the dual POV

I was so so excited to have the opportunity to read Rainbow Rowell's first novel in a while! I really enjoyed her other books, so I had high expectations going into this. Thank you for allowing me the chance to read this book.

We follow our MMC, Carey, and FMC, Shiloh, through a second-chance romance. We flit back and forth between past and present day, and primarily focus on Shiloh's internal sense of her own self and how she can (or if she should even try) relate to Carey as an adult.

This book is strongest when they're rehashing their different interpretations of the same event. Another thing Rowell does so well is present tough family situations with a massive element of compassion and realism. Granted, her past characters were experiencing emotional upheaval teens, and BIG EMOTIONS tend to fit well into teenagers. I think the back-and-forth between adults and teens plays to her strengths but allows her to venture into adult themes as well. I'm not entirely sure that the characters seem to be in their 30s, but perhaps that speaks to the immaturity they have to present in order to grow up with each other again.

I'm rating this book 3 stars because it's a close examination of a relationship story, not a plot heavy story where there are external challenges to overcome. They really do "slow dance" around their feelings for each other (slow=YEARS), and even when presented with opportunities for change, they're slow to accept. I enjoyed it, but won't be rereading.

**ARC provided by NetGalley**

This feels like a timeless love story. The characters were about the same age as me so I think that resonated with me. The story alternates between the two main characters, Shiloh and Cary. I love being able to have both perspectives, you aren’t guessing around how the other is feeling. Both characters felt very genuine and relatable and you can’t help cheering for them,

I liked the back story and liked that you got the relevant history based on what was happening in the current timeline. It did throw off the pacing for me a little because “before” meant different parts of their timeline. It wasn’t hard to follow and gave critical pieces of information about their pasts.

Can we all agree that everyone should see an ocean?

Thank you to Rainbow Rowell, NetGalley and William Morrow Publishers for the advanced reader copy of “Slow Dance”. Ever since I read “Eleanor & Park” years ago I have been a huge Rainbow Rowell fan. I was so excited to get the ARC to her latest novel.

“Slow Dance” is a story of Shiloh and Cary, best friends in their teen years, helping each other through poverty, unknown parentage, and typical teenage issues until Cary joins the Navy and Shiloh goes off to college. Fourteen years later, Shiloh is divorced and living back with her mom and her two kids and feels as stuck and lost as ever. Cary had been in the Navy, seen the world and grown up, too.

At their friend’s wedding they meet up again and their chemistry is there and Shiloh realizes how much she has missed her best friend and that she loves him. Carey had his own set of stressors and between his and hers and a lot of anxiety and misunderstandings, the back and forth timelines showing readers what happened before and what’s happening now, a moving, heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting story shines through.

I didn’t want this story to end. I loved Shiloh with all her “imperfections”. She is a flawed and injured character who has a hard time being around people. Cary, flawed in his own ways, lends credence and believability to the story.

This book will be available 7/23/24 and I urge you to buy it when it comes out. Rainbow Rowell books are to be treasured.

I squealed when I got this ARC. I am a huge Rowell fan, Eleanor & Park is one of my all time favorites, and I couldn’t wait to read her latest. Overall, it did not disappoint. This is a slow burn second chance romance that goes back in forth in time between the early 2000s and the early 1990s. We see Shiloh and Cary in high school with their all encompassing friendship and then later as they rekindle their relationship and make decisions on what that will look like. Through the “before” sections we learn what led to their falling out of touch and how Shiloh became a single mom.

No one writes real, fully realized, flawed and endearing characters like Rowell. Shiloh and Cary were both so easy to picture and hear their voices. Their story is definitely the main attraction, but Junie and Gloria are great secondary characters and have the funniest lines.

In the end, I struggled with some unanswered questions about Shiloh and some rushed aspects, but I laughed and cried, and settled on five stars. Rowell’s books are the only time I’ve ever thought to myself “Omaha sounds cool”.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy and a chance to read this early. All opinions are my own.

I have been a fan of Rainbow Rowell since Eleanor & Park, so it was very exciting to read and review!

The author has this way of creating characters that feel real, with real problems and fears and joy. I was cheering for Cary and Shiloh from the first page because I knew, through the writing and as a fan of Rainbow Rowell, they were good people with good intentions; I trusted that I wouldn't be disappointed.

My favorite quote: "If she emptied her head in his lap, all that would fall out was his name."

Slow Dance is a story about second chance romance and finding the right time for a relationship to work. As usual Rainbow Rowell’s writing and funny and full heart with bittersweet moments as we explore the relationship of Shiloh and Cary both past and present. As the title suggests this is a story that takes it’s time to unfold much like the story of these character’s romantic feelings and ebbs and flows in their lives.

Fans of her previous work will see some parallels to her past writing. Some of it worked for me but sometimes it felt like a little too close of a retread. There is some very Atrachments-esque banter that felt very charming and which I really enjoyed. But some moments from the teenage years felt just a little too close to a couple of stories from the recent Scattered Showers short story collection and a character dynamic that personally I’m not a fan of, but that’s just my personal preference. As someone unfamiliar with the Midwest I thought the setting was interesting and enjoyed reading about it and how it shaped these characters. Overall it was enjoyable and sweet with lovely dialogue and character moments but it’s not my favorite thing she’s written. It could definitely be a really nice comfort for someone I feel.

This is a book for someone looking for a sweet and funny romantic read with bittersweet and emotional moments. Someone who’s looking for a second chance romance with lovely banter that takes its time.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher. I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I have been a fan of Rainbow Rowell for a while - absolutely adoring her YA books, like Fangirl and Eleanor & Park. I was so excited to see her release an adult romance - and was not at all disappointment. I loved this angsty, slow burn romance, which hooked me from the start. I seriously could not put this down!



The story follows Shiloh and Carey - childhood friends from Omaha through growing up, moving on, and finding their way back to each other. Told through a series of flashbacks to their high school and young adult days, they find themselves re-meeting at their mutual friend’s wedding while in their early 30s. Despite Shiloh’s best attempt at leaving Omaha behind, she finds herself back, living with her mom with her two young kids, and divorced. Carey has left Omaha behind - as best as he can - as he continues building his career in the navy. However, sparks fly when they see each other and they work through their past history and current challenges.



The characters were so well written and Rainbow Rowell does a lovely job developing them throughout the course of the novel. Their dreams, flaws, and fears were well lived in. They are so perfectly imperfect, but I was so invested in these characters and their lives. You want to root for them throughout. I absolutely adored Cary and couldn’t help but be concerned for him throughout his deployments. The dialogue was also witty and sharp, which added to the spice. Thoroughly enjoyed the slow burn, second chance contemporary romance - and hope you do, too!



Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC!

Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell examines the long-term, meandering, relationship between Shiloh and one of her high school besties, Cary. The third member of their trio, Mikey, is a supporting character in a story that revolves around whether or not Shiloh and Cary can ever figure out their relationship, and whether it is romantic or platonic.

I loved Eleanor & Park, and I think I went into this book expecting to fall in love with the main characters like I did in that story. Unfortunately, that was not the case this time around. I found Shiloh impossible to like; I could not find anything about her character that redeemed her more annoying, childish qualities and behaviors. Cary was more likable than Shiloh was, but not by much, especially towards the end. The one character I enjoyed was Junie, Shiloh's six-year-old daughter. In an adult romance novel, a child should not be the best part of the story.

I was so distracted by Shiloh's quirks and insecurities that it was hard to get fully immersed in the story, and this continued to happen as the book moved along to its conclusion. Their backstories were sad, their adult lives were lonely, and the way they were unable to open up to each other time and time again was very frustrating. I still enjoy the author, and will give her future books a try for sure, but Slow Dance just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Oh I've been so excited to read this new Rainbow Rowell's new adult romance novel! And this, her latest book, resonated with me more than expected.

The book explores themes of long friendship, unrequited feelings, flawed characterization, second chance love, and found family, similar to the adaptation of "One Day" on Netflix. The characters, Shiloh and Cary, are likable despite their imperfections, making them unique and real.

Shiloh and Cary first meet at sixteen, forming a close friendship with hidden crushes. Fourteen years later, they reunite at a wedding, both unhappy with their current lives. The book's storyline and character development receive high praise, with engaging dialogues, banter, and emotional moments. The flashbacks to the 90s and 2000s provide a realistic portrayal of the characters' lives, although the pacing is criticized for feeling rushed and repetitive towards the end.

Overall, the book's genuineness, honesty, and poignancy make it a heartwarming read, recommended for fans of contemporary and second chance romance, as well as Rainbow Rowell enthusiasts.

Thanks a lot to Netgalley and the publisher for sending an arc my way!

Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I’m familiar with and love Rainbow Rowell’s writing style so I immediately requested this ARC. Her work is very easy to read and be entertained by.

That being said, I am not the biggest fan of the second chance romance trope. It was super awkward for me at the beginning and while the characters aren’t bad per se, I didn’t find myself relating to or enjoying their stories.

Overall, this wasn’t my cup of tea. It was a sweet little story but unfortunately, it was one that I just don’t resonate with.

Witty banter + strong characters were positives of this read. Loved the setting of Omaha.

Did not love the pressure of marriage from the MMC. Also, I understand that unhealthy communication is common, it's just not one of the tropes I enjoy in a book.

Love Rainbow Rowell, will absolutely continue to read her work.

This was a romance about Carey and Shiloh, highschool friends who meet up again later in their thirties and realize they’ve always been in love but life’s complications make it hard for them to realize it and be together. There was more depth to this than normal books in this genre which I enjoyed because I am not a typical romance reader. The book did go back and forth in timelines and sometimes it messed with the pacing. This was at times slow but still an enjoyable read

This one definitely wasn’t for me. It was the slowest dance. I liked Carey but did not care for Shiloh in the slightest. Love Rainbow Rowell’s other work immensely. This one just fell short for me.

4/5!!!
I have loved Rainbow Rowell since 2o12 and I am so happy I received this ARC.
Eleanor & Park sparked my love for reading so when I saw this book on NetGalley I knew I needed to read.

This book was amazingly written and I love how it went from "before" and then the present. I loved seeing the past and understanding why the characters do what they do.

At first, I had some issues with Shiloh. I didn't enjoy how negative and opinionated she was about EVERYTHING. Once I got used to it, and I gained love for the characters, I ended up really enjoying her. I love second-chance romances they are always my favorite.
Cary was amazing and I love how he is worried about everyone in his life (Shiloh, his mom, Mikey etc)

I also loved how realistic these characters are. While reading, they had depth and messiness that made them feel real.

Thank you Rainbow Rowell and William Morrow for this ARC.

Rainbow Rowell's latest book, "Slow Dance," lives up to is namesake in that much like a true slow dance, the story starts witha sort of longing that only grows with each turn of the page. The plot feels unique in that it's both firmly planted in the present while deeply rooted in nostalgia. Rowell weaves us through our main characters' story in various timelines, and I found myself torn between wanting to know how it started as much as I wanted to know how it might end.

Much like a denim jacket from the back of your closet, this storyline feels timeless. I could relate as much to the teenage characters and I could their present versions. The themes of friendship, family, small towns, and big worlds were beautifully blended so that you never felt like any one aspect of the book took away from Shiloh and Cary's journey and story. Instead, these characters provided a better glimpse of their foundational upbringing, which made aspects of the story that might have felt otherwise frustrating feel far more natural and belivable.

Much like a true high school slow dance, I found this a bit slow moving to start, but it didn't take long to fall in love with the characters and romance of it all. If you're looking for someone who can write emotion well, I think Rowell is one of the best, be it a YA character or a thirtysomething, she always manages to capture the inner voices of her characters until you feel like it's you who is being pulled out to the dance floor.

"Slow Dance" became a quick read for me, staying up into the night reading to see what would become of Cary and Shiloh. Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC that I couldn't put down.

Obviously, Rainbow is a genius and I loved this so much. I wish they would have gone harder on the title and cover, though.

4+

I adored this book! It was one of those romances where you are viscerally rooting for the protagonists to end up together for every page of the book, which is my favorite kind, and I spent two days reading this in a swoony blur. Rainbow Rowell just has a way with words that works for me.

Anyway, this is a "friends to lovers," "second chance romance" type of book, where the protagonists have been friends since high school but they went 14 years without speaking before the start of the story. It also deals with divorce, and family, and all sorts of messy issues that come with life. The protagonists aren't perfect in a way that I really enjoyed. Pick this up if you're in the mood for a romance with grip, and like your spicy scenes to be PG-13.