I loved this book so much! I just want to keep reading about Shiloh and Cary even more! They were bestfriends in highschool but then couldn’t communicate well after and parted ways. This book shows how you should say what you really mean not what you think the other person wants to hear. I love how the author made the characters so real with serious real life problems even while they try to reconnect. Go read this!

I would give this book 10 stars if I could. The exact kind of Rainbow Rowell book I like the best, like an excellent combination of Eleanor & Park and Landline. Love the back and forth on the timelines, love the way in which trauma and background play into character reactions and development in totally realistic ways, love both Cary and Shiloh. I always end up with Rainbow Rowell books that the inside of my chest hurts for awhile, and this one did not disappoint.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am in LOVE with these characters. I went into it only knowing Rainbow Rowell from her Simon Snow trilogy and her YA works. This book surpassed my expectations.

bestselling author of Landline, Fangirl, and Eleanor & Park-Slow Dance tells the humorous and heartbreaking love story of best friends Shiloh and Cary from their inseparable teen years to their far-flung adulthoods as they try to figure out what their relationship is, where it went wrong, and how to finally make it right.

I genuinely didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did and these characters were so relatable and flawed that they felt real.
I loved the way it was written, and the way their dialogue flowed so well between mental and verbal.

I will definitely be going back to read it again once it’s been published and will likely be buying the physical book too!

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rainbow Rowell finally writing another adult novel, I knew I would eat this up.

Alternating between the past and the current timeline we see two people who are meant for each other find their way back into each other’s lives.

Rowell has a way of writing characters that feel so real, so tangible that it’s absolutely heart wrenching to read in the best way.

There was a line in this book I had to put my kindle aside and do a lap around my house because it was so good it made me ache. The yearning is unmatched in this book.

There is some of the miscommunication trope but in a way that makes sense because the miscommunication happens when they’re young and dumb and comes back to haunt them later, so I didn’t mind.

Overall I devoured this book in 24 hours and Rainbow Rowell has not let me down. I can’t wait to read whatever genius she comes up with next.

Rainbow Rowell writes characters that feel like they exist off the page. While it took me a little bit to connect with Shiloh and Cary, once I was into their story, I was fully in. I flew through this, and wish now that I’d slowed down a little so I could spend more time with them.

If you loved Attachments, you’ll love this too 🩷

I’ve even waiting for a new adult novel from rainbow Rowell but to be honest I will read anything she writes. I love the dialogue which is one of the reason I love her books. I loved the setting and 90s references. I graduated in 1993 so…. Yeah. The characters were challenging. They drove me crazy but in the end i understood their motivations and reasoning. I loved it. They frustrated me but I loved it. You did it again Rainbow!

Rowell just never disappoints. Shy and Cary are such terrific characters, and their relationship is written with such beauty and honesty. It is heart wrenching and powerful as you will find yourself hoping these two will find a way to find their way to each other.

What a roller coaster! I almost DNFd this book and looking back there were multiple times I think I could have. This was not your fairy tale, too sweet and give you a toothache romance. For a lack of a better word it had some grit. I found myself wavering on my like for the FMC but found her to be just as flawed as I imagine myself in my own head so I read on. I felt the beginning and middle to almost drag on and the ending felt rushed. It jumped perspectives in a way I would have imagined myself to get lost but found it to make so much sense. It would jump backwards to a point in the MCs timeline that would fit so beautifully with the present time. Never once did I feel lost in the story. My adoration for the FMC only grew as the story went on because of this. She felt like a real persona. The story didn’t feel all polished and glittery that you find with many contemporary romances. I can’t say this would be one of my first rereads on the list but the story will stick with me because of how real Rowell made the characters. Rowell found a way to make the MCs feel so real and the drama not over the top. Even though I felt the ending rushed and really felt like there was no way for a happy ending I couldn’t have felt more satisfied.

I'm fairly confident in saying that this is my favorite book of 2024. I have always been a fan of Rainbow Rowell but the way she wrote Shiloh and Cary is next level. She brought up feelings that I've had buried for years and broke my heart and repaired it again and again!

I’ll read anything Rainbow Rowell writes and was thrilled to be approved for this book. This author’s strength is creating characters who are genuine, and whose story you become invested it. She did it again with Cary and Shiloh as the reader follows their connection from teen years to present in alternating timelines. I loved the banter between the two, and also appreciate how the characters are shown as real people, flaws and all. This is another beautiful book to add to my Rainbow collection and I’ll recommend it at publication. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read in advance.

The best of Rowell's YA and adult titles, all in one book! The time jumps are done masterfully, with plot elements unfolding in such a way that the reader builds understanding of Shiloh and Cary's deep but complex relationship at a pace that keeps the reader wanting more.

There is something so personable about Rainbow Rowell's characters and the way they speak to each other. Without fail, I am drawn in every time to her slice of life stories and warm characters. This was another charming story set in Omaha, Nebraska and I liked that we got to see the characters gradually come back into each other's lives. I think I would've liked the book even better if there had been timestamps of the date instead of just before to give us a better idea of the whole sequence of events, and maybe even more descriptive imagery of the surroundings. Overall, this was a great story and I'm looking forward to this author's future stories!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to have an early access copy of this book!

Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell initially captivates readers with its endearing depiction of a high school friends Shiloh and Cary. Their story unfolds with the two meeting up again at a mutual friend's wedding. The story follows them back and forth through present times and flashing back to high school. The emotions for this book are pretty intense as it goes through domestic issues, divorce, homosexuality, etc. There are also some pretty intense sexual scenes, so I definitely won't be able to add this one to my library collection in high school. As the narrative progresses, the insertion of worldly views feels forced and detracts from the overall enjoyment of the book. Slow Dance isn't quite as fun as some of Rowell's previous books and feels just a bit heavy. Its falls short a little short of delivering a cohesive and satisfying reading experience.

A new book from Rainbow Rowell is such a treat-it should be savored, but instead I devoured it! This romance story is ALL about patience and if you loved One Day (Netflix version) you will fall hard for this one! What if you found your soulmate in high school but you had separate paths to follow? If life brought you back in each other's orbit, could you reconnect as adults, even with your messy adult lives and your adult emotional baggage? Shiloh and Cary were as close as two people can be in high school, but Cary left for the Navy and Shiloh left for college and neither trusted that this connection could last. Fast forward twenty years to a wedding, and the sparks fly between them, but now Shiloh is divorced with two kids and lives with her mom and Cary lives on a ship and has to manage his mother's life. Can romance still blossom when you have to pay bills and deal with exes and the house is a mess? Can two people who haven't ever really been in LOVE with anyone else actually say the words and make the leap to committment? Or are their paths going to cross again with no resolution? You will want to move to Omaha and hang out with Shiloh, Cary (and Mikey) and eat hummingbird cake because it all feels so incredibly real and relatable. Neurotic and chaotic and sentimental as all get out.

This book started off strong but quickly lost momentum for me. I found the alternative timelines a bit jarring and eventually started skipping the "before" passages because they seemed superfluous to the story. It just didn't hold my attention.

As always Rainbow Rowell’s adult titles have me unwilling to put it down. This book
Are my heart ache as I waited for the characters to find their way back to each other.

Rainbow Rowell may be most known for her Young Adult books (at least in my community) but damn, her adults books always blow me away. Slow Dance tells the story of two friends who drift apart and come back together. I hesitate to use tropes to describe it because there is so much more to this story than that. Friends to lovers does not feel like enough when it comes to Cary and Shiloh's relationship.

The plot isn't too eventful, but the emotions running through the characters kept me on the edge of my seat. With flashbacks to different parts of their lives feels a bit like Landline in the best way. While there's no magical realism, it still gives those vibes.

The characters were (like always) what yanks you into the story. I found Shiloh to be a bit annoying at the beginning but it quickly became obvious that it was because I saw a bit of myself in her anxiety and fear. Rainbow writes such unique characters in what seem to be 'boring' experiences. She makes what could be boring moments meaningful and impactful instead.
The side characters were pretty limited but in a good way. It was nice to get to know their families in a way that informed you about the main characters. They were all realistic and relatable.

I planned on savoring this book but I devoured it in one day. I reread Landline every couple years and I can definitely see myself doing that with Slow Dance for the same reason. It was so intimate, heartbreaking, and tender. Do yourself a favor and preorder it now!

Thank you for the ARC Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I've been looking forward to reading a new title from Rainbow Rowell, and this one definitely does not disappoint. The characters are very relatable, and the romance is so bittersweet it aches your heart.

Rainbow Rowell has an amazing talent for writing a slow-burn, heartfelt, achingly beautiful love story. Even better, her zillions of original young fans of her young adult novels, Eleanor & Park, and Fangirl, are all grown up now, and what great timing for them to come to this book as adults. I truly look forward to recommending this title.

I've read Rainbow Rowell's previous adult fiction books some 10 years ago & I do remember liking them, "Landline" and "Eleanor & Park in particular, so I was excited that she's finally released a new adult romance title - "Slow Dance". I did enjoy this story about two Nebraska teens, Shiloh & Cary, BFF's who go their separate ways after high school and then meet up again 15 years later at a wedding. I found both MC's very likable & relatable & I enjoyed how this novel is focused on their character growth and less on passion - it totally worked for me :). My sincere thanks to Net Galley & the publisher for the complimentary DRC, my pleasure to review it.