Sorry but this book wasn't for me. I didn't connect with the characters and the story was just too slow.

It's hard to say why I loved this book so much. I think it must be down to the warmth and depth of the two main characters (both very relatable despite their quirks) and the strength of their bond over all those years, coupled with great writing and a real feel-good factor. The minor characters were fabulous too, particularly Juniper and Cary's mom, and I started recommending this book to people as soon as I finished it, despite being at a bit of a loss to explain why it was so good!

This book blew me away (as, to be honest, do all Rainbow Rowell books!). I grew up reading her YA stuff and now, as an adult, I can love her adult romances. I am not normally a romance reader but this one has made me rethink that stance.

I loved the build-up of the characters, how their histories are slowly drip-fed to you, not so much that you feel you don't know who they are but so that you're always ravenous for more. Especially in terms of the two main characters, how their personal history is continually developed through the time-jumps, giving you insight that links up to their present-day (2006!) behaviour. I loved how their relationships with one another, with Mikey, with their families were each different and normal. This book was filled with normal people and that was part of what made it so great - it felt realistic. It didn't feel fantasist and untrue. It felt like it could, it would happen to someone down the street from you. They were normal and flawed and recognised that in one another and still it all worked out. This is exactly what I want from a romance book.

The writing flowed, was humorous and honest, and that helped immerse me in the story. There were a few references I didn't get, but given I wasn't sentient during either of the time periods the book was set, that's to be expected. To be honest, I'm not totally sure why the 'now' section had to be set in 2006 other than so they could send mail + slow emails rather than rely on the instant connections of wifi while falling in love?

I struggled with the kindle formatting, especially the section where they are emailing one another - it all appeared out of order. Hopefully this will be fixed in time for the actual kindle edition publication.

All in all, this book had me laughing and crying and gleeful to read more - I finished it in about 28 hours!

This is a really sweet, slice of life contemporary romance, I appreciated that the characters were in their thirties, that people had kids and failed marriages and normal jobs and that all the relationships seemed believable. It’s a fun read for a couple of hours. Would recommend.

I love when an author can write well rounded characters with flaws and imperfections and still make them undeniably loveable which Rowell absolutely does with this book.

It took me a little while to get with the pacing of the book but once I did I adored everything about it!

Relationships show fragility and change over time. This is,a story about two people learning how to adapt to life. A compelling look at a new couple. It's an interesting and surprising tale.

This book made me heart so happy.

FANGIRL was the story that Teen Me needed and I think SLOW DANCE could be the story that Grown Up Me needed too.

This is an exploration of what a friends-to-lovers romance novel would look like when cast into reality: with all the complicated families and messy feelings included. Everything felt considered and considerate.

Cary and Shiloh are magnificently well-drawn characters - not always making the best decisions, not always expressing themselves in the best ways, not always likeable - and as a result they felt like people I'd known for a very long time. Starting a new chapter felt like catching up with old friends. At times, I forgot I was reading.

SLOW DANCE is one of the most accurately described slow burn romances I've read in a very long time and I am so glad to be reading Rainbow Rowell again. Big big love for this one.

A classic “will they/won’t they” romance. While I enjoyed the flashbacks and changing timelines across Cary & Shiloh’s lives, I never really warmed up to either character. It’s a fast and easy read but not one I’d say I loved. A nice option for the beach where I read it in a day.

I really enjoyed this, it was a sweet read, I liked the past and present changes between chapters, the emotional depth, realistic problems that Cary and Shiloh had to deal with the only thing I’d say, is the two leads lack of communication when they were (both) suddenly upset confused me at times.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this, in exchange for an honest review.

This is a classic will they/won't they storyline, from high school through to the current day. I liked the fact that both characters had a lot going on. There is divorce, kids, dealing with aging parents...it was refreshing to have the real life complexity in a story like this.

I did enjoy it, I just didn't warm to the male lead the whole way through so I wasn't as invested in their outcome as I hoped to be, hence the 3 stars.

Released August 1st 2024. Thank you to @netgalley and @michaeljbooks for the opportunity to review.

I think Rainbow has done a brilliant job of showing how messy life and love can be. Both the MC and FMC were flawed, and I found that really refreshing.

This is a classic will they/ won't they storyline. I usually love slow burn romances, where we get to see and feel the tension build, but this one sadly didn't work for me.
I've mentioned above both characters are flawed, however, I never felt Cary was 100% in. I felt Shiloh had to do alot of running and begging to keep him in her life which was a turn off for me to be honest.

Some may argue that Cary showed he cared in  ways other than words and admittedly, Shiloh was a difficult woman to be around at times, but I just couldn't really connect with him. He was wishy washy and just not the kind of MMC I'd connect with, which in turn made it difficult for me to believe in their love story. He got angry if Shiloh didn't pick up on his actions and it annoyed me.
He did kinda redeem himself towards the end but I was already over him.

So, I enjoyed this, but it wasn't my favourite. Thank you to Netgalley for letting me read an early copy of this book.

Slow dance by Rainbow Rowell took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. I loved it, and I was so invested.

It’s the details and observations that make this book so compelling. You feel like you have a window into the most intimate lives of Shiloh and Carey. The story is so well written and true to the complexities of human nature… a great read.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for an early review copy of this book.
Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell. #SlowDance #NetGalley

A very sweet classic Rainbow Rowell book - some on the nose pop culture references & a teenage dream of a romance.

No one writes about love like Rainbow Rowell. I was so excited to read Slow Dance and it didn’t disappoint. I don’t want to spoil the plot as I avoided reading all reviews before I started reading it, but I will say this….

At its heart, the story deals with love in all its forms; friendship, romantic, familial- and does not shy away from the often messy and complex nature of love- real love, with its downsides as well as the joys. Rowell highlights the realities of life experienced by the characters and doesn’t airbrush the challenges they have faced.

Shiloh and Cary grew up together, grew close and then grew apart, both spending years trying to figure out what they meant to each other.
The two characters are flawed, quirky, but the kind of people you’d want to go grab a drink with. Both bruised by their experiences of love (in all its various guises) we see them explore their relationship at this stage of their lives, when the things they thought they wanted didn’t quite go to plan.

A story of second chances and new beginnings, I adored this novel and of course, Shiloh and Cary… ‘Shary’? 😉

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for the proof copy

It’s feels like it’s been so long since there’s been a new rainbow rowell book, the carry on series is one of my all time favourites, so I was very excited to dive into this one and it did not disappoint!

I loved this dual timeline story between 2 best friends as they get their second chance at love. It was a gorgeous slow burn story with the couple navigating through past mistakes, current life situations and ultimately having to decide if they are willing to put their hearts on the line for love.

Shiloh and Cary have been best friends since high school, losing touch over the last few years and about to reunite at a mutual friend's wedding.

I'm a big fan of Rainbow Rowell, some of her earlier works, Fangirl, Attachments and Landline have been highlights from my reading over the last however many years. I did enjoy this one, but not quite as much. It was quite real story of two people, who have always loved each other but who have had difficulties in life, finding their way together as adults. They are both flawed and have both made mistakes, but you do root for them both throughout.

I'm not quite sure why this one didn't quite hit the mark for me, I can't say that there was anything wrong with the book itself and can only think that its a bit of a "its not you, its me" situation. It perhaps wasn't quite what I was looking for at the time.

I'd recommend for Rowell fans and anyone who wants to read a bit of a second chance romance.

Okay I loved this booked and cry and I laughed and I hung on every word. I loved the story and how it was told. I read a lot and sometimes it takes a lot to really impress me, but I was super immersed in this world. I don’t want to ruin this story with any spoilers so please just give it a chance and see where the story will take you.

📚 review 📚
slow dance - rainbow rowell
urgh i don’t know if i can be coherent with this one - this had long lost love,
second chance romance , emo high schoolers… basically everything on the books leah will like bingo card.

rainbow rowell is always a bit hit and miss for me - i maintain that i love eleanor and park despite how problematic it is. the simon snow series will always have my heart and so will slow dance. this book feels grown up, its mature and relatable, shiloh and carey feel real, much more so than most romance characters. the spicier scenes are done with care and sensitivity and the miscommunication, though frustrating at times, felt realistic.
this is my new favourite rainbow rowell novel and i’ll be picking up a copy when it is released in july.
thank you @netgalley for the early copy

I’ve been a reader of Rainbow Rowell for many years and I’ve really enjoyed her writing in the past, so when I saw that she was writing an adult romance I knew that it was going to be good. And I was not disappointed. Slow Dance actually exceeded my expectations, the writing was excellent, emotional and thought provoking. I can’t wait for more to come of this same genre from Rowell.

Rainbow Roswell’s depiction of motherhood and womanhood was realistic and raw, and I really appreciate this because in romance I think there is a tendency for male character to come in and save the day, but Rowell really does not fall into this trap. Our main character is careful, considerate and respectful of her children and puts them first. The male character and love interest is all of these things too.

What I thought was really fantastic was how Rowell lead us through the dynamic shift between the characters; there is a scene where the male acknowledges that he didn’t understand how high the stakes were for her, and how difficult it has been for her to raise her children and how he needed to be able to handle this and not let it injure his ego. She isn’t the high school girl he knew back then. She has changed with time and has this whole other life. She is a mother with responsibilities and commitments.

I just thought the whole thing was beautiful, and I really liked that the miscommunication trope wasn’t too silly… sometimes it can be in romance, where I want to throttle them and tell them to just TELL THEM THE THING, but Rowell does this in a way where you can see why the characters have seen a scenario in a different light.

If you like Rowell’s previous novels and you appreciate a character study story rather than a plot filled one, I think you would really enjoy this.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read the book early! I pinky promise that my review is my own and that it’s genuinely how I feel. I’d tell you if I thought it wasn’t good.