Beautifully pitched with protagonists that make you want to give them a good talking to. Quite claustrophobic in the intensity of the relationship over the now and before sections. These shifts in time helped to provide a breather from the now story. Great supporting characters of all ages.
Enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this title.

2* disappointing

Slow Dance wasn't for me, I found it slow and depressing and had no empathy with the main characters. Shiloh was unpleasant as a teenager, as an adult she oozed negativity. Cary was inadequately described resulting in his lack of depth and little personality – pity, because he had potential.

An author’s aim is to grab the attention of their reader, preferable during the first chapter, I managed 10% before reluctantly deleting.

eARC generously supplied by Penguin Random House and NetGalley, this review is my personal, unbiased opinion

When I saw this book it sounded like something I was really in the mood for so as soon as I got the book, I read it.

The story is filled with the ups and downs of Cary and Shiloh’s friendship. Everyone thought the relationship they’d had in school was more than it was but it had only ever been friendship.

The story flips between timelines so you are pulled into the friendship from the very beginning and all that went with it. It’s a really sweet story and it was just what I wanted in a book.

A book that was easy to get into, easy to read and hard to put down. My first book by this author but certainly not the last.

I wasn't prepared for how much this book would move me, reading it in as close to one sitting as possible. Cary and Shiloh should be together, they should have always been together - everyone thought they were together as teenagers. But life, and particularly Shiloh's low self-esteem, didn't allow it to happen. Now older, and somewhat wiser, can they finally get it together? A beautiful love story that felt more real than most, with characters who were complicated shades of grey rather than clear-cut black & white.

I feel bad that I didn't enjoy this book, but I just could not get along with the main characters.
A disjointed start to the story, with the timeline constantly jumping around meant that I struggled to pick the book up even at the beginning, which never bodes well for the rest of the book.

I never really found anything to like about our two main characters. They were just so unlikeable that it killed any relatability that they may have had. Especially Shiloh, who in both past and present seems to hate and find fault with everything and everyone and it was never endearing.

It was utterly frustrating to read about these two because they're morons and they needed to get their shit together. I could not believe that Shiloh is such a shitty character that it would take her 15 years to attempt to give Cary a go and let him in.

Character motivation was never very strong, I'm not sure why these people's stories got told. I guess it was just a second chance at love romance trope, but it was only their own stupidity and stubbornness (mostly Shiloh's) that they never got together when they were teenagers.

When I felt like the book should be heading towards a solution to the problems that the characters were throwing up in their pursuit of getting back together, I was only halfway through the book. It was such slow going. The pacing was awful and there's no real plot to keep the reader's interest, just two fucked up characters having minor drama and conflicted feelings about each other whilst not seeing each other for months and years at a time.

I feel like I've been trapped with these characters for far too long. What sort of adult human still resolves their pent up emotions by biting and poking and hair pulling another human being? Shiloh is awful. Cary was too much of a pushover of a character, willing to put up with any shit she throws at him.

Thank you to NetGalley UK and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exhange for a review.

4⭐

I loved this book. It has the anxiety of being young and flirting the line between friendship and something more, pining and heartbreak and pure nostalgia. Cary and Shiloh's relationship was not without its issues at ANY point of the story... but you really rooted for them to work through it and just BE. The flashbacks were really well done, placed perfectly to add to your understanding of the characters and their relationship. All the side characters were compelling too. Lived up to my hopes for this book for sure.

A slow romance brimming with melancholy and lost chances, Slow Dance didn't ready like a typical romance to me. It spends a lot of the novel building up this complex relationship between Shiloh and Cary, with the story bouncing between a wedding of one of their mutual friends and their past. We see the missed opportunities, the paths chosen that have led them to this moment and how things could have been. It's an emotional, very believable read and the sadness oozes off the page at times - especially from Shiloh. However I did find the pacing a bit all over the place. The first third is very slow, spent building up these characters, their history and backstory, yet there's not much movement in the 'present'. As such I really struggled to get through, however as their relationship picked up and feelings become more apparent I started to really enjoy this. It feels like a breath of fresh air at times, as the two take a metaphorical dance around each other regarding their deeper emotions.

Highly recommend if you like emotional romances.

NetGalley thanks for an amazing book by Rainbow Rowell free review incoming.
Well what can I say Rainbow catches your breathe again with deep bonds in relationships. She grasps your very life experiences by the heart and soul.

I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t love to see an old 🔥 flame when your down and slightly out of sorts see you again for everything you used to be . Back when everything was easy and you didn’t have adult responsibilities.

The character banter is too from the loves interest is so sweet I might need some dentistry.

Thanks again I would recommend this book to anyone who hasn’t read Rainbow Rowell other books no fantasy just real life stuff x

Shiloh and Cary were best friends at high school but there was always a spark between them that hinted at something more. After a brief fling in college, the two went their separate ways, despite everyone thinking that they would always eventually end up together. 14 years later and the two re-connect with each other at their friend Mikey’s wedding. Despite the long years apart, Shiloh can’t help but feel pulled towards Cary and the pair resume their friendship. After Cary’s mother has a fall and Shiloh comes to the rescue, Shiloh and Cary start to spend more time with each other and the spark between them is reignited. Maybe this friendship was always destined to be more…

Slow Dance is a masterfully told friends to lovers romance that is full of longing and hope. The writing is lyrical and poignant and the plot is beautifully paced. I was so invested in Shiloh and Cary's relationship and I was rooting for them to end up together. The pair are both very likeable characters, even if some of their decisions had me screaming at the page! They're both flawed humans who are trying their best and this makes them very relatable and realistic. I really love how Rainbow Rowell manages to write realistic flawed characters without it feeling heavy or dark.

Cary is a kind and caring boy-next-door with strong morals and a dedication to his career in the navy. Shiloh is an arty single mum with two kids who works for a theatre company. The two make a very natural couple and their chemistry is very wholesome and heart-warming.

Whilst I did enjoy the flashbacks to the early days of Shiloh and Cary’s relationship, both at high school and at college, I did sometimes find the timeline a bit confusing. However, this is my only criticism of the novel.

Overall, I give this novel 4 stars. It’s a touching romance about second chances that reminds you that it’s never too late to fall in love again and reconnect. I would recommend this read if you like the following tropes:
✨ Friends to lovers
✨ Slow burn romance
✨ Boy-next-door
✨ Second chance
✨ Military romance

Slow Dance will be released on 1st August 2024. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

The way I am absolutely obsessed with Shiloh and Cary. Not only is it a gorgeous love story, but it also deals with some very sensitive topics which are handled so carefully and sensitively. This is going to be one of my top reads for this year!

There was so much I loved about this, I want to dive deeper into Shiloh and Cary's world and find out more about them. My only issue is it took me a while to love them, there were points near the start where it was nearly a DNF and I'd have been gutted if I'd left it then. It took a while for me to love them, as it took a while for them to find each other and I'm so pleased all round! I was already a fan of Rainbow Rowell's writing and she does not disappoint.

Slow Dance is another Rainbow Rowell special and it didn't disappoint - especially as it follows one of my favourite tropes: the friends to lovers storyline. Although a little slow to get started, which meant I found it more difficult than some of her other books to get into, once the story got fully up and running and I got to know our central characters, I flew through the pages. Hopefully we won't have as much of a wait for the next Rainbow Rowell book!

Rainbow Rowell has unsurprisingly done it yet again. She has crafted a beautiful love story that transverses the passage of time efficiently, and delivers fully developed characters into the palm of your hand. Her dialogue for the children characters was a big highlight whilst reading, I was sitting there with a big smile on my face whenever they entered a scene, especially when they interacted with Cary. Shiloh was a great protagonist, and her overall journey, along with her exploration of sexuality, was an amazing aspect that really elevated the story. As did Cary’s family subplot. There is also so much more to the story than the initial blurb suggests, which is an incredibly welcome surprise.
Overall, just a really well crafted love story. A solid four stars from me. I think the book could have benefited from a bit more resolution at the end in regards to its secondary characters, as they kind of fade away — which is a shame as they were great side characters!

I've enjoyed all of Rainbow Rowell's books and was thrilled to learn she's returning to adult fiction. Her previous works in this genre left a lasting impression on me.

The narrative centers on Shiloh and Cary, who have been each other's soul mates since their teenage years but never quite managed to unite. They reunite at a friend's wedding as adults, complete with careers, families, and pasts, and it's evident they still share a bond...

The story is a beautifully woven narrative of two individuals discovering their importance to each other and contemplating their potential actions. Due to the skillful crafting, Shiloh and Cary, as well as the supporting characters, are depicted with a genuine sense of realism.

I extend my gratitude to Netgalley and Rainbow's publishing team for the opportunity to read this advance reader's copy. Eagerly anticipating the acquisition of a physical edition.

My first adult Rainbow Rowell book and I'm definitely not disappointed. Vastly different to any of her other books I've read but just as absorbing. Heartfelt and poignant, I couldn't put it down.

Thank you Netgalley and Michael Joseph for providing me with a free digital copy in exhachge for an honest review.

(Review below to be published two weeks prior to publication)

Rainbow Rowell writes with the upmost efficiency yet still manages to make you feel every syllable of a sentence to the very marrow of your bones.

This was like reading Attachments for the very first time. I wholeheartedly love the characters. I love their story. I love their heartache and their joy and their patience, but most of all I love that they endured.

A true adult romance, not because it was spicy but because it was real and it was raw.

A story about moving on but also not. About second chances and missed opportunities and longing yet getting on with life.

The timeline was all over the place but never once did it feel off or out of sync or did I feel lost. It just felt right from start to finish. Shiloh and Carey will forever be tucked neatly in my heart next to Lincoln and Beth, Eleanor and Park and of course Levi and Cath.

From the blurb:
Everybody thought Shiloh and Cary would end up together – everybody but Shiloh and Cary. Slow Dance follows these star-crossed best friends from their inseparable teen years on the wrong side of the tracks to their far-flung adulthoods – through her marriage and motherhood and his time in the Navy – as they try to work out what they’re actually supposed to be to each other.

What did I think?
Appositely, Slow Dance felt slow to get off the ground and there were a couple of moments early on where I almost gave up. Reminding myself of how much I love Rowell's adult fiction - Attachments is one of my all-time favourite romance novels, and Landline is also great - made me persevere. And I'm so glad I did! Somewhere along the way I went from disengaged to completely obsessed.

Something Rowell writes brilliantly is the messiness of adult life and Slow Dance tackles this especially well. The messiness not just of romantic relationships, but of friendships that have fallen by the wayside; of complicated family relationships and ageing parents; of trying to co-parent with exes you no longer respect. If her beloved YA novel Fangirl is about the idealistic teenage years, Slow Dance asks the question: what about the rest of your life?

God I’ve been die hard Rainbow since I was a teenager and when I heard she was releasing a new contemporary romance, I could have cried with joy. And you know what, she HAS DELIVERED WITH THIS.

I’m not a fan of a slow burn. Ever. But this was written so beautiful. I was impatient for them to get to the point of defining what they were. I wanted to see it play out and it did so organically.

The yearning between Cary and Shiloh was delicate and precious and stunning and Rainbow showed her writing skills at their best when she was writing their relationship.

I loved the before and after aspect of the plot. Seeing them as teenagers and figuring out life and that they’re literally doing the same thing as adults. It was just a pure story of love and devotion and second chances.

Rowell will always be one of my top five authors and this book is the reason why. I want to shout about it from the rooftops and I can’t wait for others to read it and witness this blessing of a story.

I love reading anything by Rainbow Rowell, I know I will always feel a range of emotions and I just absolutely enjoyed it.

I love all of Rainbow Rowell’s books, but I must admit I was very excited to hear she was writing adult again - I loved Attachments and Landline so much. Also Slow Dance is just the most gorgeous, evocative title.

It’s the story of Shiloh and Cary who have been soul mates since their teens but never really actually got it together. They meet at a friend’s wedding as adults with jobs and families and baggage and clearly still have a connection…

This is a beautifully written (of course) slow and sexy study of two people trying to work out what they are to each other and what, if anything, they can do about it. There were lines that made me gasp and others that made me laugh out loud.

Shiloh and Cary feel entirely real, as do the supporting characters, particularly Shiloh’s hilarious daughter, Juniper.

I really loved it. I could have carried on reading it forever.