Are you looking for your next slow burn romance? Look no further!

✨ Best friends to lovers
✨ Slow burn
✨ Single mom/Navy
✨ Family drama
✨ Past/Present POV

Shiloh, Cary, and Mikey are the three best friends that anyone could have. In high school they were connected at the hip, but there was always something special between Cary and Shiloh that had everyone guessing "when will they admit they love each other?"

Fast forward 15 years and they all meet up again at Mikeys wedding. Shiloh and Cary slow dance all night and remember what it felt like to be together all those years ago. But with her kids and his career and family, how would that even work?

This book was SO CUTE! I am used to Rainbow's YA series, but this one really knocked it out of Omaha. There was the sweetest romance, Neurodivergent rep, theatre love, hilarious banter, and
I just couldn't put it down.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for letting me read this early! I cannot wait to get my shelf trophy when it releases in July!

I loved this adult romance by Rainbow Rowell - so grateful for the opportunity to read it. I thought the timing shifts may be confusing because the time in the past wasn't linear, but all was clear and the "before" chapters have so much insight into Shiloh and Cary's history and relationship. I also appreciated the realistic picture of a single mom with a less than perfect relationship with her ex-husband and kids not immediately wanting a happily ever after for their mom. So happy for their well deserved and long awaited happiness!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm on the fence with this one. It's both a quick and slow read, while also being captivating and somewhat boring. The book bounces between timelines and sometimes between points of view. I found the POV confusing at times and would have liked for the chapter to have started with the name of the character just like some started with "before" so we knew where we were. Some of time bouncing also seemed random although I know it was intentional. I would have liked to have seen more chemistry between the two main characters. So much miscommunication that felt unnecessary, and I couldn't really feel the angst or the spark.

Definitely a different approach with a love story, and it's probably 50/50 on whether you'll like it. It certainly has a niche audience.

Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell is absolute perfection. Once I picked it up, I couldn’t stop reading. I literally stayed up until 1am, because I was IN it with Shiloh and Cary. I’m a huge fan of Rainbow Rowell, so I knew Slow Dance wouldn’t disappoint, however I was not quite expecting how thoroughly my heart would be destroyed and then resuscitated. I cried, I laughed, I exclaimed with joy, and frustration. Quite honestly, all the feelings. Did my husband end up asking me what was wrong? Yes, yes, he did.
Shiloh and Cary are high school best friends who are no longer in contact (14 years later) for reasons you’ll go on a journey of discovery with both Shiloh and Cary. We do switch to the past and present, and I quite enjoyed the 3rd person POV while also getting to see both Shiloh and Cary’s perspective. Slow Dance does have the miscommunication trope, but I would also say it’s more-so also our main characters just not communicating their feelings, which they have a lot of. Even though they know each other very well, you see from both the past and present how and why they end up where they do. I loved seeing every step of the way of them find their way back to each other. I LOVE their banter/dialogue. They do have a unique (to me) way of communicating. Mikey also is a true best friend in their trio, and it’s fantastic to see how Shiloh, Carey and Mikey kind of reignite their high school friendship. Their friendship is definitely one of those where they can go months without seeing each other and pick up where they left off, and as adults in their 30’s, I think it’s easy to lose that balance of friendship, so it’s good to see how the “hang outs” are done.
As a mom, I also loved seeing the dynamic between Shiloh and her kids. While I, fortunately did not marry a Ryan, it is difficult being a parent, let alone a single parent dealing with someone like that. The representation of handling kids and relationships (even friendships) was very well done. Also, the potty training struggles with Gus is so real.
I will 100% be thinking about this book and its characters for the next month and longer.

Special thanks to HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I have loved Rainbow Rowell for so long, I still actively think about the books Eleanor and Park and Landline. I am happy to report this book does not disappoint. About two childhood best friends who find their way back to each other and fall in love later in life, it is funny and sweet, and has this author’s perfect touches. I devoured it in a day.

This was the first book of Rowells that I had read in about a decade and boy I’m glad I did.
This second chance romance was wonderfully written. Told in third person dual POV alternating between the past and the present. We truly get to experience the characters at their best and their worst. We watch them navigate their feelings both past and present all together.

Thank you William Morrow, Rowell, and NetGalley for the ARC. I am truly honored to have read it.

Rainbow Rowell can always crack me wide open and find those parts of me that I forgot existed and put them into her characters' stories.

First loves are always messy and complicated, throw in some anxiety and confusing best friend vibes and Cary and Shiloh never had a chance before graduation. Fast forward 14 years, some kids, and a whole lot of life, and this second chance romance throws you through the wringer. There's something about finding the right person at the wrong time that just gets me in the feels. And Rainbow always writes her complex characters with such depth and love that you can feel.

I don't think I'll ever love a RR character as much as I loved Wren and Elenor, but this one got me in a new way that I didn't expect. Loved the slow-burn and that it was less a story of miscommunication but trying to figure out one's feelings. Working through things and trying to push past the hurt that was just part of growing up.

ARC received through NetGalley and William Morrow Books in exchange for an honest review

This was a great book. The multi pov and timelines were great and I reallly enjoyed it. The writing was also very good.

This is a story of so many things: missed opportunities and regrets, first love and second chances, and being young and thinking you have all the answers, only to grow up and realize you never did (and still actually don’t). It focused on two imperfect people who were complicated yet relatable and flawed yet real. The vibes were reminiscent of the TV show This is Us with the multiple timelines and showcasing of those seemingly insignificant, mundane moments that are actually so much more. “Just one more chapter” turned into twenty, and it was wonderful.

Things I loved:
- Multiple timelines (before - teens and 20s, now - 30s)
- Dual POV - Getting the opportunity to see events that unfolded from both of their perspectives helped me to really understand and appreciate the complexities of their relationship
- Cary - A Sailor who loves an oath, can hold a grudge, and has a very complicated family life. There were so many times I wanted to shake him, but I also couldn’t help wholeheartedly rooting for him anyway.
- Shiloh - A single mother with a busy brain who is not great with eye contact, likes old things and bright colors, and really does not like meeting new people. A little bit of teenage Shiloh went a long way, but the more I learned about her and walked in her shoes, the more I just wanted her to have all the things. She also made me laugh on many occasions.
- Mikey - The supportive, comedic relief friend who speaks the truth and saw it all happen. What a blood brother.
- Junie and Gus - Shiloh’s kids were written so well and added such a beautiful depth to her character and the story as a whole.

This novel leaned more towards beige prose, which was absolutely perfect for the atmosphere of the story. It allowed me to engage with the dialogue and invest in the characters and events. I wasn’t distracted by needing to decipher any complicated descriptions. I felt like I was truly in it. And it was… painful. beautiful. funny. raw. exciting. emotional. I am sad that it’s over, so, so glad that it happened, and am absolutely bummed I won’t be able to read it for the first time again. But, I will most definitely be reading it again.

** Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. **

An amazing return to adult fiction from Rainbow Rowell! I love this book so much, and I can't wait to talk about it with friends. This is the romance novel I always want to read -- it reflects adults dealing with real responsibilities who work hard to make their relationship work. In this book Shiloh and Carey become friends in high school, and reconnect years later at their friend Mikey's wedding. Shiloh is divorced with two children, and Carey has traveled the world through his work in the Navy. Their deep connection and friendship is immediately reignited, and they pick back up talking.

The novel follows them through a non-linear storyline, there's the present where they're adults, and flashbacks at different time points throughout high school and early college. The flashbacks don't go in order, and sometimes we see a scene through Shiloh's point of view and then will see the same one through Carey's. I thought this worked really well, and really appreciated the insight it gave me into these characters. Their romance was believable but still swoon-worthy, and I loved how much you could feel their connection.

Overall cannot rate this highly enough. I thought it was excellent and look forward to the next novel from Rainbow Rowell!

My favorite Rainbow Rowell book of all time is Fangirl. I've read her other works, but nothing else she's ever written has hit me the way Fangirl did...until now. Slow Dance is a beautiful romance filled with unique and interesting characters. I think I might have enjoyed this book so much because it was written in a similar style to Fangirl, but I can tell you with 100% certainty that you should read this book.

I was given this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I've enjoyed previous books by Rainbow Rowell and was looking forward to her latest release. In this novel you follow Shiloh and Cary, who've been friends since childhood. You alternate between when they are teenagers to their now adult lives. In their current time Cary and Shiloh have drifted apart but are reconnecting at a fellow friend's wedding. From there Carey and Shiloh find they are still drawn to one another just like they were back in high school. They both wonder if now is their time to be together.

While I did enjoy parts of this book, I did have a harder time getting through this one than Rowell's previous books. I enjoyed seeing Cary and Shiloh's alternating timelines, seeing how they were in high school and seeing them finally reconnect after all those years they drifted apart. Seeing them reconnect was interesting too, they both have obligations and obstacles in their way and it's not an easy path, they have to find ways to make it work.

I haven’t read Rainbow Rowell since I was a teenager, and honestly, it just didn’t resonate with me like it used to! I liked it, I just couldn’t relate to the characters or the story. It was totally a me issue!

Heartbreakingly real. A devastating slow burn.

I've not read Rainbow Rowell since Fangirl (which I loved), and I missed her vivid descriptions. In almost every Friends-to-Lovers story, I find myself asking: why haven't the two got together yet? Surely, friends would just know. But with this book, there are answers galore to that question. Every reader gets it: we don't always comprehend what we deserve, or we settle for much less. What we say versus how we feel inside can be so divergent. The teenage versions of ourselves are ill-equipped for romantic declarations and the adult versions travel in a short loop each day. Life's circumstances can keep you away.

This one was a deep read for me, and I found myself thinking about it for hours after. Gorgeous writing.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Absolutely loved this book! I read it in one sitting! Thus has become a one click author for me! Thanks to the publisher

Loved this one! I think we will be seeing it as a highly-sought after pick for a lot of book clubs. I highly recommend this unique story. Rainbow Rowell does it again!

Slow Dance

Thank you to William Morrow, NetGalley, and Rainbow Rowell for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5/5

I’ve been excited about Slow Dance since it was announced, as Rainbow Rowell is my favorite author. I knew I was in for something good. Rainbow has a way of telling stories that sinks into your skin. The way she writes makes you feel what the characters are feeling. I can visualize her stories so well. The balance of telling enough detail and not too much is perfect.
Slow Dance is no different. A love story about not quite the right time and communication not on the same wavelength. Usually, I hate communication issues tropes. They can be a lazy way of writing a love story, but Rainbow makes it more believable, more real. It’s more understandable and makes sense. The characters are so well developed, so complex and realistic.
Was it my favorite Rainbow Rowell book? No. I didn’t love Cary as much as some of her other male lead characters. But it was still hard to put down and gave me all the feels. Highly recommend Slow Dance!

4.5 stars. I haven’t read a Rainbow Rowell book in a long time so I forgot how it feels to read her books and why I love them so much. This book’s depiction of a unique love story was so beautiful and heartfelt and it made me cry multiple times.
Slow Dance tells the story of Shiloh and Cary, two best high school friends who have not seen each other in 14 years. It deftly explores their past (in an interesting non-linear way) as they find their way back to each other in the present. The books deals with difficult subject matter and does not gloss over how hard making a life together will be. This book is wonderfully written and I hope Rainbow Rowell blesses us with many more adult stories.
Thank you to William Morrow and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Five Word Book Review: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁.

Slow Dance is a book about best friends in high school who lose touch and come back together in their 30s. It’s visceral. Sad and hopeful, selfish and prodding. There’s an unendingness to it that will make you shiver. They were and continue to be terrible communicators. They think they’ve shared how they feel about each other but they never do. Not sufficiently. And they can’t get past it. It’s maddening in its reality.

There’s no way I can summarize this book with enough gravitas so you just need to trust me and read it. Rainbow Rowell never lets you down.

Shiloh, Mikey, and Cary meet in middle school and grew up as best friend oddballs in Nebraska. While Mikey had a proper middle class upbringing, Cary and Shiloh lived on the wrong side of the tracks, in single parent homes, struggling in all ways imaginable. Except, not, because they had each other.

After 14 years of radio silence, Cary and Shiloh reconnect at Mikey’s second wedding. And it’s rough. Cary is a Naval officer, Shiloh a recently divorced mother of two. Their lives are complicated, but they’ve always been. The biggest complication? They’ve been in love as long as they’ve known each other but have never gotten out of their own way to be together.

Told expertly in both real time and flashbacks, it’s the story of two heartbroken teenagers who have to learn to love themselves before they can love anyone else.

It’s such a beautiful, tender story that had me in tears one minute and laughing out loud the next. The supporting cast is so full and expertly written and I dare you not to fall in love with Juniper and Gus, Shiloh’s kids.

This is what fiction should be. It should fill you up.

I have my own Cary, who, ironically lives in San Diego, and while texting him as I was reading this book, he frustrated me so greatly that I texted, “I hate you so much sometimes that my heart swells with love.”

That’s what this book feels like.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the ARC to read and review. Available July 23, 2024.

"Slow Dance" by Rainbow Rowell is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and self-discovery set in Omaha. Shiloh's journey back to her hometown leads her to confront past regrets and rediscover a lost love in Cary. Rowell's tender prose and vivid characters make for a compelling read, with themes of identity and personal growth adding depth to the narrative. Overall, "Slow Dance" is a beautifully crafted novel that resonates with its bittersweet portrayal of human relationships and the pursuit of authenticity.