This book is exactly the reason why I thoroughly enjoyed reading Eleanor & Park and Fangirl during my teens. An easy read that will make you smile.

It's a classic trope of right person but wrong timing. The story follows Cary and Shiloh from high school to adulthood. They were the best of friends during school but drifted apart. A mutual friend's wedding provides them an opportunity to reconnect and maybe rekindle something that they both buried deep within.

Shiloh is a divorced mom of two and Cary is always away because he's in the Navy. Read to find out how they navigate through their midlife crisis to be with each other.

I adore Rainbow Rowells books so it will come as no surprise that I loved this, it was fantastic, one of the funniest and loveliest books, o full of the sweetest characters, heartmelting moments and so much humour. I never wanted it to end, but sadly it has to and I regretted devouring it in one day,but it’s such a fab read, I can go read it again anytime

This was a little slow paced for me but it wasn’t until I finished it that I realised the clue was in the title - Shiloh and Cary’s relationship is literally a slow dance and it’s a sweet, easy to read romance, peppered with realism and diverse personality traits and clumsy miscommunication which is something you don’t often see.

I DNF'd at 10%.

I couldn't connect to the characters and felt like everything was being explained twice.

I’ve been reading Rainbow Rowell’s books for years now. Her YA books were a staple in my teenage years and as I’ve gotten older so have her adult novels. So, of course I was excited to see that she was releasing another adult romance this year. I was even more excited when I found out it was a second chance, friends-to-lovers romance. It lived up to all my expectations and turned out to be such a captivating and beautiful story.

Back in high school, everyone though they Cary and Shiloh would end up together. Everyone except Cary and Shiloh. They were just best friends. The pair spent entire summers together, dreaming about the future. Shiloh was going to be an actress and Cary was going to join the navy. And, nothing was ever going to change between them.

Shiloh did go to college and Cary did join the navy. But, somehow everything changed. Now it is fourteen years since Shiloh has spoken to Cary. She’s been married and divorced has two kids and is back living in the same house she grew up in. Her life is nothing like she planned. When Shiloh gets invited to an old friend’s wedding, all she can think about is whether Cary will be there and what she would do if he is.

From the very first page of this book we are drawn into the world of Shiloh and Cary. I was worried this was going to be a book that took me some time to get into but that wasn’t the case. I read the first chapter and I was hooked. And, it kept me hooked the entire way through.

I loved that this book has flashbacks to Shiloh and Cary throughout their lives. I loved seeing how the pair are now, compared to how they were in the past. It shows readers how they’ve changed, the issues they’ve faced and how they got to how they are now, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Both of the main characters in Slow Dance are full of personality and authenticity. I liked that we saw the story told from both the perspectives of Cary and Shiloh as I feel like it gave us as readers a closer look at each of the characters.

I found Shiloh difficult to get along with at first, especially in the flashback chapters. But, as the story goes on you realise why she is the way she is and by the end of the book I loved her. She is a wonderful mother who cares so much for her children and those around her. I loved Cary from the moment we were introduced to him. He is dealing with so much but still manages to be one of the most caring characters I’ve ever read. I loved seeing his love for Shiloh and also how much he cares for her children.

I have to give a shoutout to Shiloh’s children Junie and Gus. They are both hilarious. Gus is a determined kid and then Junie knows exactly what she wants which I loved. Another special shoutout goes to Grandma Lois. It has been so long since I’ve seen a character with my name and it was a wonderful surprise.

Shiloh and Cary together were wonderful. They were awkward at first but throughout the book we see them both relax more around one another and get back to what they used to be. I loved watching the romance develop and the interactions between them both.

This book covers a lot of hard-hitting topics from loss, moving on, personal development and finding love again. These topics are all discussed excellently and honestly which I appreciated. Rainbow Rowell is still one of my favourite authors. Her writing is captivating, fun and heart-warming. I cannot wait for there to be another book from her hopefully in the near future.

Overall, Slow Dance is a heart-warming novel that explores love, loss and the joy of human connections. If you are looking for a book that will grip you whilst allowing you to slow down and appreciate the little things, then this is one for you. I would highly recommend giving it a read.

Rainbow Rowell is an instant read for me, whenever I see she has published a book I am all over it! I am obsessed with this, it gives me Landline and Attachment vibes in just the best way. Slow burn, rooting for the couple and the reality of life mean this is an excellent story that I cannot recommend enough.

They were friends inseparable but time drifted them apart until a wedding brought them back together. Can they truly find a way through all their changes and issues to be happy. Is it even possible anymore.

I do love Rainbow Rowell so much. I have to admit this wasn't my favourite story but I still enjoyed it. The plot jumps from the past to the present throughout the story. It can be a little confusing at times but I liked seeing their history that got them to this point. Its very real and not sugar coated like some stories can be. Shiloh's hesitation as a mother make sense and often get glossed over so i like that this felt much more realistic. The ending felt a little rushed but it also fitted with the pace of the story. A good open read.

A big, sentimental, extremely romantic, sweep of a book. It isn’t for everyone, but I enjoyed that this novel wore its heart on its sleeve and dared to believe in romance.

I have always loved ‘rowells writing and this one was no exception. I recommended it to one of my friends and she is super looking forward to reading it as I feel the story will resonate with quite a few people .

Really good adult outing from Rainbow Rowell following the lives of two almost-lovers who reunite at a friend's wedding. This is a very real fiction, very grounded. Heartwarming in places and tear your hair out in others.

Oh wow. I have missed Rainbow's romances!!!

Fangirl, Attachments, Ellenor and Park, Landlines... she just has a way of writing love that speaks to my heart.
Slow Dance is a perfect mix of drama, tension (will they, won't they?!?) and swoon.

- Second Chance
- Friends to lovers
- Dual timeline

A great read. Easy to follow as it jumped between now and then. I wanted everything to work out for them and liked that we got to see both points of view. I would have liked more of an epilogue though.

A realistic slow-burn romance, with complex characters that deals lightly and respectfully with some pretty serious topics. Occasionally frustrating in the miscommunications, but I was always on board for these characters, and really loved this book, and the friendships within.

This was the first Adult Novel of Rainbows that I have read, despite having read her entire YA catalogue.

Personally, I love complex characters. Cary and Shiloh were the definition of complex and frustrating (in the best way). Cary and Shiloh, high school best friends, reunite at a wedding, having drifted apart years prior. It becomes apparent to readers pretty quickly that the pair want the same thing, they are both just too nervous/undecided/insecure to communicate about it.
We follow the pair as they navigate their reconnection whilst also gaining an insight to their past and the roads that led to them drifting apart.

Despite having some of my least favourite tropes (miscommunication & dual timeline) I was brought on side and actually found myself enjoying these. I do feel that the pacing towards the end was a bit rushed after such a long build up, but the true appeal of this novel is that it is both romantic whilst maintaining realism and relatability.

Tropes include -

-Second Chance
-Miscommunication
-Dual Timeline
-Friends to Lovers
-Single Mom

Is anything more relatable in your 30's than questioning if you life is where you think it should be? Second chance romance can be hit or miss, but this one was perfect. It gave me all the feels without making me cringe. As usual Rowell has done it again!

Just didn’t set my heart-racing

I thought this sounded like a lovely story and was intrigued to read a story based in the US that was set somewhere other than the typical New York or LA setting.
Sadly I think that might have been a mistake on my part as there were a lot of references that I just didn’t get, to songs, food, the American school/college system, the military cadets that Cary was part of etc.

This is the story of Cary and Shiloh (probably another American reference in that name only means Angelina Jolie’s daughter to me) who were best friends at school - with a third gang member, Mikey at whose wedding they meet at again as 30somethings.

I so badly wanted to feel the passion and angst that went with first love but it just didn’t happen for me. The book was sooooooo long and I think because I was so desperate for Shiloh and Cary to fall in love all over again that it just made it feel even longer.

I thought the book was well written but overall, the exposition was just too long. Too much going back and forth on the timeline, too many near misses, barriers and mistakes and I never did feel that heart-stopping; stomach-flipping fizz of first love that I wanted.

If that’s what you’re looking for, read Paige Toon’s Five Years From Now or Jane Sanderson’s Mix Tape.

Also, I never really rooted for Shiloh. She just wasn’t particularly likeable. I think if I had been Cary I’d have told her to do one with all the tugging at his hair and his heart!

I really wanted to feel some of what other reviewers say they felt, the profound romance, the ‘power ballad’ emotional wallop… Slow Dance… yep, really, really slow.

It was pleasant enough but that isn’t a gut-punch of nostalgia and romance.

3.5 stars rounded up

This is my first Rainbow Rowell novel, so I came to it without any preconceptions. What I found was a slow burn, friends to lovers tale that gave no quirk, no giggles, no shmultz, just a gentle realism which was heartfelt and raw.

Where it fell down I think was by not easing the reader into Shilo’s mental health issues so that they understood her character / responses better. There was nothing mentioned in the book to suggest that Shilo had any mental health issues but a lot of the things she did resonated with me and I have ADHD. So maybe / maybe not.

Overall, an enjoyable read. Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a lovely read and the characters were great. I loved how they were written, not entirely perfect, making them so much more relatable.
I loved the concept of it being from childhood friends to still holding the bond years after even though they hadn’t spoken in 14 years.
I loved the journey and getting to know the characters and their idiosyncrasies.
I highly recommend this book.

I loved this book! Sentimental and heart warming, without being mawkish or twee. A definite recommendation for romance lovers.

A fantastic friends to lovers second chance romance - Cary and Shiloh felt authentic with their vulnerabilities and their emotions.