Romance the Rainbow Rowell way!

By that, I mean the characters are deeply flawed, real, and beautiful. Their insecurities brought my own to the surface. I knew Shiloh's fears because they were my own. I knew Cary's communication issues because they were so relatable. Maybe too relatable.

And it's spicy! (For Rainbow Rowell)

So much about this book is right. The setting is standard Rowell: Omaha. The world-building is spot on, with these characters dealing with bad neighborhoods, aging family members, and real-world dynamics that should sound depressing, like divorce, shared custody, and the logistics of being a military family. However, somehow, Rowell paints a magical story that's still a romantic fantasy come to life. The story taps into how no matter how old we get, or how much our lives change or divert from that ideal we thought we'd have when we were in high school, life can still be a fairytale. Thank you, Rainbow, for showing readers that the magic is never gone.

Story: 5 stars
Character Development: 6 stars!
Writing: 4 stars

I. Love. This. Book.

It’s been 7+ years since reading Eleanor and Park, and 1/3 of the way through this book I realized it was making me feel all the same things.

It feels like real people in real love. Not the glossy romance novel love, but complicated and true.

I love that there’s no contrived “breakup” at the 70% mark. There are real struggles and the couple figures them out together.

I’ll be honest, for the first 50 pages I wasn’t sure- I wasn’t sure I liked these characters. We’re so used to reading shiny perfect people- who don’t have quirks or anxieties or weird little habits. But then I just fell in love with them- The timeline jumping is perfect. I love it! Can’t wait to get this book into the world!

Slow Dance was a perfect name for this book because that’s exactly what it was-a slow burn romance where everything happens at a tortoise’s pace. That’s not to say that I didn’t like it, but I usually prefer things a little more fast paced.

I loved Cary and Shiloh’s second chance love story. I especially liked the before flashbacks as it painted a picture of the two falling in love at the wrong time and not acting on feelings sooner. I loved the character development and the growth that was shown from high school to adulthood.

At first, I didn’t like Shiloh as a character, but she grew on me. Her realism and her life in general felt so relatable, like you were reading about an actual high school friend you knew once. I liked Cary right away but wanted to shake him for how blasé he was about everything in the past. I definitely teared up at some parts, especially when certain things were revealed. If a book makes me feel something, anything, that’s already a win.

The pacing overall was a bit unusual and a little too slow for my taste, but I liked the early 2000s feel of it. While this wasn’t my favorite book from this author by any means, however I did enjoy the beautiful love story that reminded me of my own best friend.

Rainbow Rowell does it again. Like Landline, in Slow Dance Rowell takes on adulthood and mines the interior lives of folks who are-- not past their prime exactly, but perhaps learning how it feels when the bloom is off the rose. What really sells her work though, is that she hasn't forgotten the rose and knows how to make someone like me, in their forties, both feel seen and nostalgic for the best parts of being young.

I was, of course, rooting for Shiloh and Carey from page one.

Typically, books and films where miscommunication plays such a large role drive me mad, but Slow Dance held on to me the whole way through. I can't wait for it to be released so I can recommend it to all my friends!

PS- "That's Where I Am" by Maggie Rogers has to be the main soundtrack cut for the movie!

Thank you Net Galley and William Morrow for this ARC!

It’s been so long since I’ve read one of Rainbow Rowell’s books and I was really looking forward to reading this adult novel from her. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this as much as I wanted to. I really loved Shiloh’s awkwardness and her moments of overwhelming emotion really hit home for me. While I liked Cary as a character, I didn’t love the two of them together and was mostly rooting for them because it was a second chance romance. Since it was second chance I understood the flashbacks, but the way that they were in no particular order gave me whiplash and made it hard to care for their relationship and feel them grow together through the years. The flashbacks made this feel so long, and yet the ending felt rushed to quickly tie up every loose end. I definitely think I would’ve been more attached to the characters if the flashbacks were in chronological order and told more of a story than out of order bits and pieces of their lives.

Overall, I really appreciated these two flawed, normal adults working on ways to come together for one another! I just wish the timeline and writing evoked more emotion from me.

I received this book as an ARC copy to review.

How does Rainbow Rowell able to devastate readers emotionally over and over again with her storytelling? Slow Dance is an amazing story of young love, what could have been, and how we can grow old, grow apart, and still be the same person we were when we were 17. This book has so much hope, loss, and overall angst.

Shiloh is a mom of two kids, who goes to her close high school friend's second wedding hoping and not hoping to see the best friend she had in high school. While struggling to find who she is amongst divorce, coparenting, and navigating adulthood she reconnects with a Cary, and nothing goes as planned from there.

I loved everything about this book, I couldn't put it down from start to finish. I have already recommended to friends, and will be buying a copy when it comes out in July.

Always a fan of Rowell and how she tells the story of a relationship. These characters are messy and messed up, like most humans are in some way, especially in our precocious younger years when we think we known it all but totally do not. But thankfully we grow beyond our teenage selves. I thought I would hate Shiloh at the beginning and I ended loving her and rooting for her. Her commentary on making friends "out in the wild" was brilliant and relatable. And Cary... what a damaged boy always hoping for love in his life but broken down by his family of origin. Well done.

BOOK REVIEW ✨ SLOW DANCE BY RAINBOW ROWELL ✨

Big thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the eARC (baby’s first arc!!)

Slow Dance is a new upcoming adult novel by Rainbow Rowell that centres around Shiloh and Cary and their relationship as they go from teens, to college students, to adults. i loved this story! the story spans their 14 years of friendship as they navigate love, change, divorce, and distance to name a few challenges. initially as i began reading i found myself comparing it to normal people, but as i got further in i saw deeper comparisons between slow dance and talking at night by claire daverley. both explored characters who were so deep into their own experiences and trauma that it made it hard to communicate and open up to the person closest to them, who they wanted the most.
this felt like rowell’s most mature novel yet, both in themes and writing style, but it still had that rainbow rowell flavour i love so much. the characters and relationships were complex and at times the characters weren’t always likable even though you’re always rooting for them, which is exactly what i look for in a novel.
i’ve been a fan of rainbow’s since 2014 so was a little nervous at her departure again from YA, even though i loved landline by her, but this was brilliant and heart wrenching and had me shaking my kindle in the best way!

i would have loved just a little bit more exploration on shiloh’s time away from cary. we got a brief look into why her marriage ended but i couldn’t connect why she would have married anyone but cary in the first place so that would have been the cherry on top for me, exploring her psyche and choices just a little bit more because she was so interesting as a character.

overall this was a 4 star read for me! can’t recommend enough especially if you love character studies!

4.75/5 (spoiler in final section)

First of all, thank you William Morrow, Harper Collins and Netgalley for the eARC of Rainbow Rowell’s “Slow Dance.” Throughout most of my teenage and early adulthood, Rainbow Rowell was an instrumental author in who I was and what I loved to read and it was an incredible thrill to see the email that I had gotten approved for this.

If you are starting this, please - give it time to really set in and feel these characters.

Slow Dance follows Shiloh and Cary, a second chance romance pair that ultimately never knew they had feelings for each other but really knew they had feelings for each other. Shiloh is taking care of her family, so is Cary and ultimately their romance is slowly built over the whole novel.

What I loved:
- How relatable and honest these characters felt. Their houses were messes, they had grilled cheese for dinner, they ditched real life to go get ice cream. It made me fall in love with them instantly because I felt like I could see myself in them.
- They weren’t typical romance or adult characters. They had responsibilities, they weren’t perfect or going out to fancy dinners. They reminded me of people I knew in real life.
- How much their friends were cheering them on. It felt like it was truly a HUGE moment when they finally connected. A giant smile on my face and a giant clap from all of their friends.
- Non-Tropey romance. While this may not be classified as a romance book (or it may be), it didn’t feel like classic tropes or something I expected. I never knew what was coming and didn’t feel like this was predicted.
- The “spicy” scenes felt like LOVE, not like sex. I felt like I was finally experiencing love between two people, not just a random hookup.

What I didn’t expect to like:
- I am fully used to Rainbow Rowell’s adult writing style and it took me a little while to let my guard down and understand how this book was different than something like Fangirl or Eleanor and Park.

The ONE thing I could have lived without:
- Some anatomical wording during the love making scene. It just gives me the ick in general and feels a little medical.

Wow. Wow. I LOVED this one and breezed through it in a day.

📖 The Details
Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell

⏱️ Quick Summary
Shiloh and Cary grew up together in a rough neighborhood with some rough family dynamics. They didn't date as teens, but they were just..."beyond" that with their bond. The story follows them over the year, switching from past and present, through hardship and heartbreak.

💁‍♀️ My Take
This was just... beautiful. Rainbow Rowell never disappoints, and I think this is my favorite by her by far. Shiloh and Cary were just such REAL characters with flaws and growth. They grow up together then grow apart then back together, and it's just heartbreaking and sweet the whole way through. I loved the dialogue and the FEELINGS and the side characters and the whole backstory. Would definitely recommend.

5 stars ⭐️

Another Rowell hit novel. I loved the look back through time throughout the story. Normally I don't always enjoy popping back and forth in the timeline, but this was different. It felt much more linear and well-done than others I've read. This novel has something for everyone and we will definitely be purchasing several copies for the collection.

RR never ceases to entertain me. I loved the character and the story line - five stars to the banter, sassiness, and humor - I was smiling and crying sometimes at the same time! Taking me back to the 90s and 2000s was also a hit for me, as someone who was a teen and young adult in those decades.

Overall this book warmed my heart, and gave me renewed appreciation for the second chance romance genre.

With wit and profound emotional insight, Rainbow Rowell crafts an exquisite, melody-rich exploration of enduring love and connection in her latest novel "Slow Dance." Centered on the beautifully rendered bond between lifelong friends Shiloh and Cary, the book deftly captures the inexplicable tethers that sustain us through life's detours and the sacrifices we make for those sacred relationships.

Rowell masterfully guides Shiloh and Cary's sweeping journey from inseparable teens to disconnected adults grappling with unfulfilled dreams. When they reunite years later, long-suppressed feelings reignite, forcing them to confront the love they've been denying. Balancing humor and pathos, Rowell imbues her vibrant characters with incredible authenticity as they navigate life's complexities.

An exquisite melody of hard truths about resilience missed chances, and the profundity of unconditional bonds, "Slow Dance" is a resonant, rhythm-rich masterpiece. For anyone who has felt the soul-stirring depths of a transcendent connection, this book will leave you awash in new appreciation for love's enduring cadences. Rowell's latest is a rhapsodic must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced ARC of this title.
Rainbow Rowell has been a favorite of mine since the release of 'Park & Eleanor'.
What I love about Rainbow's writing, is ability to make her characters so real. Her characters are flawed. They are imperfect with blemishes and crooked teeth. In the age of photoshop and filters, this is so refreshing. She has only written a few adult romances, and knew immediately this would be a must read for me.
This book is the story of a divorcee, Shiloh. It is about her finding a new normal and finding herself while managing her household, ex-husband, and children. Her last sense of comfort and safety is none other than her best friend and the one who she never had a chance to love fully.
After years apart, they meet at a mutual friends wedding and enjoy a slow dance that is so intimate and perfect, you will have butterflies.
The story did get a little redundant in the middle as the two go back and forth and in the same pattern that keeps them apart.
Will they be able to move from their past mistakes and find a future together?
This is a lovely second chance romance, childhood friend to lover with some miscommunication mixed in. I would highly recommend

I'm always on board for Rainbow Rowell and was very excited for her newest adult title. Realistic characters living realistic, messy lives and maneuvering the pitfalls of adult romance with kids. Thank you NetGalley for the advance ecopy.

I knew the moment I read the first line that this was going to be something special, at least to me. RR is one of my favorites so of course without hesitation I had to jump in immediately, with both feet and my whole heart. Shiloh and Carey were very relatable. They weren’t your typical romance mc’s as they had flaws and issues but I loved them. I felt their heartbreaks, I celebrated their victories. This was funny and beautiful, wrapped in a pretty cover!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Rainbow Rowell knows how to make you feel all the feels. I felt Shiloh's awkwardness so much. And her just being overwhelmed with the sensations of living. And it was sweet how long it took both Shiloh and Cary to come to terms with their relationship.

I adore Rainbow Rowell and Fangirl will forever be one of my top 5 favorite books of all time, but since her short story collection I've been really unimpressed with the characters and the writing. This story felt really repetitive and boring, and maybe because I was reading it on my phone it almost felt like I was reading a fanfiction, which I used to do to pass time in high school rather than for the literary quality of the works. I didn't find the characters all that likeable or the story very compelling. I hope I enjoy her next one more than the last two, but I may have just grown out of her writing.

This is a solid Rainbow Rowell read for romance fans, but lacking in the magic of some of her other romance titles, literal and figurative. It took me too long to invest in Shiloh and Cary, in their relationship and the miscommunication, misinterpretation, and disruptions that keep them apart. The action begins at a wedding that enables the reset of the relationship but is awkward for our characters and a snooze for the reader. Even the first few flashbacks to high school and college didn’t convince me that this was a relationship that I wanted to root for. Things get interesting when things awkward in a funny, this-would-be-terrible-if-it-were-anyone-else overstuffed car trip sing-a-long with Cary’s Grandma toting an oxygen tank with Shiloh’s precocious daughter and tantruming son. Here is where Rowell finds her stride and we are at last set free from the weight of the set up and able to fall in love with characters falling in love.

Thanks to William Morrow & NetGalley for providing a copy for review!

I have been a longtime fan of Rainbow Rowell, and I was so excited to get the opportunity to read her new book, Slow Dance. The best way I can describe this book- it was perfectly imperfect. Shiloh and Cary are close high school friends who drift apart after a brief romantic encounter in college goes awry. Fourteen years later, they reconnect and find that the spark is still there, but it's complicated by their baggage- her kids, his career in the Navy, their messy history together. What unfolds is truly a slow dance of them building their relationship back up, trying to figure out if it could ever really work between them.

I read a lot of romance/women's fiction, but I can undoubtedly say I have never read a main character like Shiloh before. The way Rainbow Rowell wrote both the main characters made them feel like REAL people- flawed, complicated, messy, endearing. This is not a pretty story that makes you feel warm and fuzzy and predictably wraps up neatly with a bow. I think the setting and the themes of poverty added a lot to the story, and it was so interesting to read how their backgrounds shaped them as adults.

I will say, it threw me off a little bit at first that the flashbacks to 'before' were not chronological- but in the end I do think this structure added to the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I found it unique and thought provoking- the type of book I know will stick with me. Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for providing this ARC for my review!