I love the way Nicola Yoon makes her characters real and relatable. We experience their struggle and growth as if it's our own. There's something very special about that.

This story has everything...heartbreak, joy, anger, all the feels...with a little bit of magic thrown in for good measure.

Grab a tissue, you're going to need it.

Evie Thomas is bitter about love after her parents split, and especially after something curious starts to happen. Whenever she sees a couple in love kiss, the "life" of their relationship flashes before her eyes, and she can see what ultimately breaks them up. Super-bummer!

This also happens to coincide with her finding a book, "Instructions for Dancing," which leads her to a dance studio. There, she somehow gets roped into learning to dance in order to enter a ballroom dance competition with a cute and cheerful guy named X who says yes to everything.

After "Everything, Everything" and "The Sun Is Also a Star," fans of Nicola Yoon's young love stories will immediately get pulled in with this unique premise. Built into that, however, is an inherent bittersweetness. All of her books have challenging topics, but this might be the most. I feel some people will end up loving it or hating it.

I was in between. I think it was beautifully sketched out, and there was work put into each of the characters. And yet ... I felt a bit removed from the events, as if I were watching it take place in silhouette behind a curtain.

Maybe it was because I was tired when reading it. I did appreciate that this was an utterly ambitious and original story that will stick with young readers. Yoon writes an afterword that I think offers some insight into what I thought was why I felt a bit detached. It might be one of those stories to revisit at a later date to see how I feel about it.

Review based on an ARC by Netgalley

Evie and X are opposites, but can their dancing and the hope for love being them together? But is love something really worth hoping for, dreaming for or working for when we know it usually ends in heartache? Yoon’s novel is bittersweet and not quite a love story, I don’t want to give too much away except that reading the afterword is a MUST.

Nicola Yoon is a master at creating characters, and that is evident in Instructions for Dancing. Evie and X are wonderfully complicated. Their relationship was fun and flirty and a delight to read. The best part of the book is Evie's journey from grief to acceptance. Yoon's writing shines as she delves into Evie's pain to find her happiness. The book is a fast-paced, fun read, and fans of Yoon's will not be disappointed.

Oh my gosh...this book. You have heard it said before already, but this book wrecked my heart. I loved both of Nicola Yoon's previous books and I loved this one too. Instructions for Dancing is not at all like her previous books in feel, but the writing is still captivating and beautifully done. The characters (most all of them, I'm still iffy about one) are likable, and let me tell you, it will pull at the heart strings. I recommend you read this book.

This book was a very quick read for me and it was really a cute romance. There was a lot of chemistry between the two main characters and also between the friends in this book. I like that the main character grows as a person, not because of her superpower, but because of the environment shaping her opinions. The ending was very brief, but I think that was the point because the ending is never the most important part....that will make more sense if you read the book :).

My cold cynical heart loved this book and tugged my heart strings in all the right ways. This book was a 5 star read for me! I adored all the characters and how the main character grows. I really loved the writing style and this was a very tender read. Overall, highly recommend picking this one up if you are a Nicola Yoon fan!

I read Instructions for Dancing a few days ago and this was a read full of emotions. It's a YA contemporary mixed with magical realism where love is the main focus of the story but at the same time it's not a love story. 4.5⭐

It follows Evie who becomes cynical and stops believing in love after her dad cheated and left her mom for another woman.

It's such a sweet, extremely emotional, magical, and thought provoking read that pulled at my heartstrings. The writing flows beautifully, it's descriptive and captivating, and the characters are so vivid and loveable. Reading this book gave me a feeling like I was watching a movie, and I think this book would be perfect for an adaptation.

It's all about love in this book, about falling in and out of love. About taking risks in love, being bold and loving people even though you aren't sure how the future will turn out. It's a bittersweet story that made me tear up at the end, especially after reading the author's note and the way she took her own pain, pour it into words, creating a beautiful story. Highly recommend!

Nicola Yoon never disappoints and this was another beautiful book from her!

First of all, it was totally not what I was expecting! The "powers" that the MC had was something that took me by surprise but it was so well done and I loved it so much. This is my new favorite Nicola Yoon book for sure!

The journey that the MC goes on, to discover what love is again and believe in it. It broke my heart and healed it. It's such a beautiful way of telling this story.

This book also hit super close to home with me, the situation with the dad was so similar to mine and it made me so emotional. This book makes you a believer in love by the end, it's everything I didn't know I needed in a book and I want all of my friends to read it.

I hope that we get a movie adaptation of this Nicola Yoon hit as well!

INSTRUCTIONS FOR DANCING is an engaging YA contemporary about romance, family, and coming of age. Evie stopped believing in love when her parents' marriage ended with an affair. Now, she wants nothing to do with her father, and she has no interest in love for herself, her friends, or her family. This includes the romance books that used to be her favorites, and she is taking some of them to a little free library to pass along. A mysterious woman comes up and chats with her about them, insisting she must also take a book, as those are the rules of LFLs. The only book that is not hers to take is "Instructions for Dancing."

Not long after, she sees her sister kissing her current boyfriend, and suddenly, she is watching a movie of their romance from the start to present to the future when they breakup. When what she saw later comes to pass, Evie knows she has a new, witchy skill around romance, something she has no interest in. When she discusses with her BFF, Martin, he suggests that she needs to go with the flow and check out the studio in the book she was told to take by the mysterious woman.

As she does, she enters the world of ballroom dancing and continues to see snapshots of everyone's romances when they kiss. What Evie notices most is the way they all end, and she is not ready to take a chance on her handsome and talented dance partner.

What I loved: This book was completely riveting - the storyline really kept me hooked, between the magic, ballroom dancing, and romances. The touch of magic was really interesting, and I loved watching the relationship snapshots that Evie sees. It's passive (she cannot change anything), but they show so many different types of beginnings and endings that I really loved it. Add that to the tidbits about Evie's favorite romance novels, and this was a really great showcase of love. Also, as a romance reader, I found a lot of the lists and discussions around romance novels to be particularly entertaining.

The characters were really compelling as well. Evie has a lot to work through with the way her parents' marriage ended and her views on relationships. She is grieving the life she lost and the disillusionment of those changes. During the book, Evie really starts to realize more about the people who are important to her and forgiveness. There is a lot of character growth, particularly towards the end of the book that was really beautiful. The other characters, particularly those at the studio, were also really fantastic. I fell in love with all of them.

The romance was really lovely. Evie and X (Xavier) were both dealing with their own grief and reactions to it, and together, they are able to support each other and grow so much apart and together. I was definitely cheering for them all the way through, and I cried at one particular scene that I won't share to avoid spoilers. This was all the feels.

Final verdict: So much more than a love story, INSTRUCTIONS FOR DANCING is a beautiful YA contemporary about romance, family, and character growth with a touch of magic. Highly recommend for fans of INSTANT KARMA, THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END, and DON'T DATE ROSA SANTOS.

Please note that I received a review copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

“Happiness is tricky. Sometimes you have to fight for it. Sometimes, though—the best times—it sneaks up behind you, wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you close.”


Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon just released on June 1st, and it’s the YA book your heart needs! As always, I did a combo of reading and audiobook! Thank you to Delacorte Press, Get underlined, PRHAudio, and Rockstar book tours for the gifted copies!


Evie’s perfect family is shattered when her parents announce they’re separating. Not only that, Evie discovers her dad was having an affair. With a newly pessimistic attitude towards relationships and love, Evie starts to have visions. Anytime a couple kisses, she sees a vision of their entire relationship, how their romance began, how it progresses, and ultimately, how it will end.


Trying to figure out how and why these visions are happening, she’s led to a dance studio where she meets X, a young musician who’s her polar opposite. Before she knows it, Evie is signing up for a ballroom dance competition with X, and they are getting to know each other. But will Evie open her heart up enough while she learns to dance with X? Will he be enough to make her believe in love again?

Instructions for Dancing was my second book by Nicola Yoon and WOW! This one will give you all the feels. It was everything with its funny puns, great conversations and interactions, an excellent cast of supporting characters, and young love. I highly recommend you check out this one!

Evie wants no part in anybody's love story, least of all one of her own. Her family's shown her enough of how so-called "love" turns out that she can live without it. This makes it all the more disconcerting when she begins having visions of how the love stories of other couples will end whenever she sees them kissing. Love is overrated, but at least Evie can make time for herself and dance, so she begins to move to the beat and trot the fox at La Brea Dance Studio. Her partner, Xavier, is so different from her, and why is he always so agreeable, and willing to dance with her at the upcoming ballroom dance competition? As they continue circling each other, eyes locking, palms meeting, Evie has to wonder to herself about what matters. Is love defined by the end of the story, or the journey as it unfolds, and is it worth risking heartbreak for?

What a beautiful, meaningful story, about love and what it means, and the many paths it can take. The magical realism Evie experiences helped to elevate her feelings and experiences, allowing glimpses of other people's experiences, and letting Evie reflect on what that meant to her. She's definitely a bit cynical, but I think she has a right to feel that way. Many people feel love, and want to be loved, only to see it slip through their fingers like traitorous beach sand. Yet Xavier jumpstarts her heart in a way that surprises her, and she starts to feel something she's not sure of. I felt like a lot of the author's feelings poured onto the page, as what happens to Evie is both beautiful, and bittersweet.

The feeling of love in its many forms is an exquisite experience, one that I believe Nicola Yoon captures well here. Instructions for Dancing is a story about a girl who doesn't trust love, but finds that maybe it's worth seeing for yourself before dismissing it. Recommended for readers who enjoy stories about what love means, stories about dancing, and stories about reaching for what your heart needs now, while allowing the future to write its own ending.

I've always been a fan of everything Nicola Yoon has written and this is no different! The romance in this book was super sweet but also was definitely insta-love (or at least it felt like that). The author always does such an amazing job making the characters feel real.

3.5 stars

I’m a big fan of Nicola Yoon’s work and was pretty disappointed to not have enjoyed her latest book It had all the ingredients of a great book—swoon worthy love interest, a great friend group, and dance—but it didn’t wow me.

I wanted more focus—I felt like it could have been two different novels. I wish Yoon chose to focus on one concept and work to flesh out and expand that single story. Our main characters were great, though I wish there were more awkward instances between the two, especially dancing wise. When learning something like ballroom, you are in each other's personal space and for two teens, that had all the makings of funny and uncomfortable scenes.

The "magical" element was really well done. The reader is kind of learning the rules of this power with Evie—seeing how it all plays out. I would have loved to have read a full novel about this more in-depth.

ARC provided by NetGalley for review

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read and review this book. This is a book that has a lot of different elements; romance,friendship, family dynamic, dancing, etc. But the overall theme is love. I love that there were a ton more profound quotes than I was expecting and the twist at the end! Ah! it made me feel a ton of emotions Overall, I have to say bookwise this will be now my favorite from Nicola Yoon, and I am definitely excited for more from her. 4 out of 5 stars.

From the author of Everything, Everything, this is another adorable young adult rom-com, this time with a twist of magic! Evie is done with love after her parent’s divorce. A mysterious woman grants her the power to see the timeline of a couple’s love story when she sees them kiss. Seeing so many couples that will eventually break up only adds to her resolve to not fall in love. However, there’s this boy.... X is a free spirit who says yes to every opportunity, including entering a dance competition with Evie, when she goes to explore the La Brea Dance Studio. Can Evie take a chance on love? Can she forgive her father for breaking up their family? Or, will she choose to dance away from every relationship in her life?

I adored this book! I loved the relationship between Evie and X! X’s grandparents and Fifi, the dance coach, are great characters as well. The story is well crafted with a good arc for the protagonist. I would highly recommend this book!

Nicola Yoon most definitely did not disappoint with this book. Nicola has a way of ripping your heart out and we thank her for it. There are not enough adjectives created for me to express how much I loved this book.

Yvette " Evie" Thomas's world has just imploded. She thought her parents had a forever love but they divorced and he's getting remarried. Evie is given a book that allows her to see the love story of couples when they kiss. I was a little skeptical at first but the way the lives of the couple's Evie saw was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. I do feel that ability was a lot of pressure to heap on a teenager.

Then there was X, a dancing competition, and her friends since middle school is thrown into the mix. Any YA book worth it's salt MUST have some teenage angst! Nicola Yoon provided just the right amount of angst. I did not want this book to end. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this wonderful book.

Nicola Yoon has been one of my favorite Young Adult authors and her latest book does not disappoint. Nicola Yoon's newest book, Instructions for Dancing, is such a wonderful book discussing how a teenage girl deals with her father's cheating, her parents divorce, and finding love, even amidst the possibility of loss. Evie's emotional range is perfect for character development and the entire book lends well to theme development if you were using this book in classroom book clubs.

A heartwarming story of growth and forgiveness. This story will most certainly make you cry, but is worth the read!

This book’s synopsis grabbed me right away, and I knew I had to read it. I also even saw the author on a Sunday morning news show a week or so ago, making me even more eager. So when I saw this blog tour coming up with Rockstar Book Tours, I signed up right away. And I was not disappointed at all! In fact, I read this in less than a day because it was so good!

A lot of things ended up in just the right place at the right time, coincidences? Or not? But every little detail and event made the story move in just the right direction at just the perfect speed! It wasn’t hard to understand why Evie was as upset as she was about her parents’ divorce. At her age, with the things that happened, it made sense. However, when she did finally get both her dad and her mom to talk about things, separately and at different times, it was exactly what she needed to hear. This book had a lot of good family issues and how they were dealt with in very realistic ways.

Then there were her friends, and all the ways that teens grow apart as they get older and their lives move to different stages. That senior year of college is a big one. I remember all my friends at that time, and how soon I didn’t really talk to any of them once I was at college and didn’t see them anymore. Of course that was before social media and keeping in touch online like we do today.

Finally, the curse, or when she started seeing how relationships would end. I figured at some point she’d have to see one that lasted, they couldn’t all end in divorce or break-up, etc. And when she finally saw that one, wow. It was so emotional to read. While it did change things for how Evie saw and dealt with her feelings on love, when she saw something more personal, man, that was a twist I didn’t see coming.

Of course it wasn’t hard to fall in love with X, Xavier. He was funny, and charming, and fun. The other aspect of this book that I loved is how Evie had been a big fan of contemporary romance stories, and how she drew on that familiarity in what was going on her life, and had trouble not comparing things to the stories she’d once loved.

A wonderful, sweet, short, fun book, but it had a lot of depth in its own way as well!