This was such a darling read. The amount of passion in the writing shined through. The characters had such distinct personalities and I loved getting to know them.

When I requested the ARC for this novel, I didn’t know what to expect but I’m so glad I did. Instructions for Dancing is a surprising, sweet, romantic, funny, suspenseful, angsty, original, and beautifully written young adult romance that left a huge smile on my face and a pang in my heart. It’s a novel about more than dancing, it’s about friendship, family, creativity, trust, and most of all, love, and the beauty, wonder, life, pain, strength, and growth it brings into our lives if we are brave enough to take a step of faith and the risk it requires.

Instructions for Dancing is written from Evie Thomas’ POV in first person. She’s a high school senior with Jamaican heritage, who no longer believes in love anymore. When she begins experiencing visions of how couples’ relationships begin and end after she sees them kiss, her cynicism only increases. Evie’s investigation of her visions leads her to La Brea Dance studio where she signs up for dance lessons, meets X, and enters a ballroom dance competition. She and X become dance partners, learning to waltz, fox-trot, and tango together. While Evie is a practical, reserved, risk-averse planner, X is adventurous, passionate, daring, and open to all the possibilities life has to offer. Evie cannot resist X, finding herself falling for him despite the risks as he challenges her ideas about life and love and even how she sees herself. But is she able to risk it all knowing for certain now not only that love ends, but also how, when, and why because of her visions?

I love Yoon’s lush description, and lyrical writing style that wonderfully brings the characters and this original story to life. Specific details and wording that is relevant to who each of the characters are and the story is consistently used throughout the novel to describe and make them feel real. The interactions between Evie and X are filled with chemistry and develop not only their relationship, but also the characters as the story progresses. Yoon’s prose is concise, flowing naturally from scene to scene, drawing you in from the first scene to the last word. The characters and the story from this novel stay with you long after the novel ends. Perhaps my favorite part is how Evie, a reformed romance lover, tells her story by relating it to different tropes, characters, and scenes from romance novels. It’s something romance lovers can relate to and will love. It also lets you know that for all her cynicism and talk of having moved on from romance, she hasn’t really let it go deep in her heart and soul – in her being.

Fantasy, magical realism, and romance lovers will love this emotional, humorous, romantic, insightful, entertaining, and beautiful love story that brilliantly explores the themes of friendship, family, taking risks, trying new things, forgiveness, and a young woman learning that the value of love is the experiences it brings into our lives – both happy and sad – and discovering that is always worth the risk.

Damn. 💔 💗 I love a @nicolayoon romance & INSTRUCTIONS FOR DANCING was no different.💃🏻 The structure of the storytelling & drama drew me in & kept me up past my bedtime so I could read to the very end.

This book was enjoyable, but though I realize it was YA it read younger than I think it intended. I wanted it to dive a little deeper into some of the things going on and it ended fairly suddenly. Overall ⭐⭐⭐💫  This is a good, fast, summer read.

I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK!!! It has all the qualities of previous books by Nicola Yoon, but it had a touch of magical realism and I am here for it! The story was emotionally riveting, and sweet and I did not want it to end, Honestly, the description does not do the book justice, it sounded cute and fun, but it brought so much more to the table. Nicola has an amazing talent for drawing you into the emotions that character is feeling, so much so that at times I had to remind myself that I was not reliving my own parents' divorce.

Instructions for Dancing should be a required summer reading this year. Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

From the first paragraph, I knew this book would be a good one. I immersed myself into the book from the first chapter and I cannot say enough good things about this book! Honestly amazing! The writing is incredible and the plot is just one to die for. I am absolutely obsessed with this book. My favorite part would have to be the character development throughout the book. Character development is something I look forward to and this book did not disappoint.

I somehow missed out on both of Nicola Yoon's previous books, and so I went into with Instructions for Dancing without any real expectations. Safe to say this book totally snuck up on me in the best way and made me feel all the feelings.

As a lover of romance novels and love in general, Evie is a girl after my own heart - or was, until her parents' divorce rocks her world. Ready to give up on love entirely, Evie packs up all her beloved romances and donates them at a Little Free Library, where a mysterious lady appears and encourages Evie to take a book of her own, entitled Instructions for Dancing. After this chance encounter, Evie starts having mysterious visions - when she sees a couple kiss, she sees the entirety of their relationship, including the inevitable end. Perplexed by these new visions and convinced they're further proof that all love ends, Evie tries to bring the book back to the dance studio listed inside, but there she meets X, who challenges everything she thinks she knows about love.

This book was just a beautiful examination of love and pain and the inevitability of both. Yoon's writing is gorgeous and packs a punch, saying a lot using only a few words. It will be an incredibly rewarding re-read, as on my first read, I know I rushed past some of the beautiful prose in an effort to find out what was going to happen with the propulsive plot. It's only June, but I can already tell this is going to be one of my favorite contemporary YA books of the year.

Thank you very much to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

After finding out about her dad's affair and her parents resulting divorce, Evie Thomas has given up on the idea of true love. If her parents' relationship can't stand the test of time, what hope is there for anyone else? Why bother falling in love if she is just going to be hurt in the end? But then things start to get strange for Evie. She starts having weird visions. She meets a handsome boy named X. She enters a ballroom dance competition. And through all of these things, Evie learns that maybe it could still be worth it to take a chance on love.

I was not expecting the touch of magical realism in this book. I guess I should have read the summary more closely, because it talks about Evie's visions right there! But I really enjoyed the magical touch to this story and found it to be a pleasant surprise. Even though there is a dose of magic, this is a very realistic story. It is sort of a love story and it is definitely about love, but it is mostly a story about Evie figuring out how to deal with heartache and pain.

This was a cute and delightful story, but it wasn't just easy and breezy. There is some substance here and and I enjoy a YA book that is both fun and thoughtful. It's also bittersweet and a bit heartbreaking and might lead to a few tears shed as well. I did feel like the ballroom dance storyline got pushed to the side towards the end of the book, and I was hoping for a few more ballroom dance scenes. But I guess that wasn't really the main plot of the story either.

I would recommend this book for a heartwarming and perhaps heartbreaking YA summer read!

This was a one sitting kind of book, I just flew through it. Contemporary romance reader Evie Thomas is dealing with the aftermath of her parent’ divorce, deciding that love isn’t worth the heartache that comes when, in her eyes, it inevitably ends. When she goes to get rid of her romance novels, a mysterious woman sets her on a path that leads to dancing, visions, and X. X is the grandson of the owners of Evie’s new dance studio and so perfectly poised to teach her how to live again.

Instructions for Dancing isn’t your typical romance, Evie is working through a lot of emotions (good and bad) and Yoon doesn’t shy away from them and how they effect Evie’s relationships with all of the characters, not just X. It asks big questions of its reader: is love worth the potential hurt? If it’s over does that lessen it’s worth? How do you move on from a love that’s hurt you, be it romantic or not? The book isn’t just the story of Evie and X after all, it’s also of Evie figuring out how she how/why she can still love her dad after everything that happened.

The story flowed smoothly and I never felt rushed or bored. All of the characters grow in ways that are believable and leave you cheering for them. My favorites are for sure Martin, one of Evie’s friends who is her rock through the story, and Fifi, the dramatic and dedicated dance instructor.

This book is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time! I don't want to give away too much, so I'll stick with saying Evie's a loveable character, even when closed off from love. X is also a character you can't help but fall for, and I love his philosophy for life and where it comes from. Evie's sister, Danica, comes off as the little sister you just don't get at all but becomes cuter as the book progresses. I love the fact that this story starts off with and ends with a Little Free Library! The fact that most of the book is centered on ballroom dancing already drew me in, but I think Fifi made me want to stay. There's just so much to love about this book!

Nicola Yoon has done it again!! Or should I say... done it even more? Done it better? In my opinion, this is the strongest of her works so far. It's definitely a bit different from books past, but with many of the concrete aspects to Yoon's writing we know and love.

Instructions for Dancing is about a girl who becomes a "love cynic" after witnessing her father cheat on her mother. Then, she's cursed with the ability to foresee the entire relationship arc of which every could she chooses to look at. Of course, statistically most romantic relationships are doomed to fail, so of course this ability just makes her more cynical about romance. Until she meets a boy, and she falls for him fast.

What's new about this book is the magical realism aspect. In many ways it reminded me of Lauren Shippen's Bright Seasons series. I thought this was a brilliant and exciting new addition to the typical romance book Yoon writes.

This book has the same beautiful writing and meticulous plotting as Yoon's past books, as well as elements to the plot much deeper than just a romance novel. The second half of this book gets extremely deep, which I alsolutely loved.

Instructions for Dancing combines magical realism, dance, romantic pessimism, and a charismatic and lovable main couple to create an unforgettable book. I would love to see this book on the big screen if possible, and I will definitely be recommending this to anybody who will listen. Thank you so much for the ARC!

Ever since Evie witnessed her dad cheating on her mom, she has sworn off romance. One day, while dumping the last of her romance novel collection at a little free library, an encounter with a mysterious woman leaves Evie with the ability (curse?) to see the entire arc of their relationship each time she witnesses a couple kissing. This chance encounter also sparks a fun series of dancing escapades. At first, Evie's visions confirm her negative outlook on romance, but as Evie begins to fall for her new dance partner, she uncovers shocking truths. What she learns will change her forever and will remind readers why they should fall in love with not only this book, but also the world all over again.

I finished this book in one day. I have always loved Nicola Yoon’s writing and her characters so much and this book definitely has the same charm and appeal as her other novels. It’s such a heart wrenching, extremely emotional, and, thought provoking story!

This started off as a cute light YA rom-com and I really enjoyed the female MC's snark and sass, and the male MC's say-yes-to-everything attitude. There were so many hilarious moments where I couldn't stop myself from laughing out loud, but then my emotions took a 180 degree turn during the second half of the book because things started to get deep. IMO, this is definitely the author’s best work so far! It was a beautiful story with the right amount of everything…and it was so full of laughter and life! I would definitely recommend this!

Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars

3.5 stars - thank the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of Instructions for Dancing for my honest review. I went out and purchased a copy this morning as well.

After her father cheats on her mother and ruins their marriage Evie no longer believes love exists. She drops off her beloved romance books at the local little library and receives a book from a mystery woman. Where she ends up going to a dance studio and meetings the book's love interest. Yoon doesn't disappoint in this great summer read for 2021. Sweet, beautiful writing and a quick weekend read that, of course, answer the long old question of if love is worth all that pain.

Overall, I felt kinda meh about this book. Not necessarily bad, but not particularly memorable either. Giving it 2.5/5 Stars.

Would you want the ability to see the future? Evie Thomas stops believing in love after her father leaves her mother for another woman. She even goes so far as to give all her beloved romance novels away only to come across a book that leads her to a dance studio. There she meets X. The interest and attraction is instant but is X convincing enough to change Evie’s views on love and romance?

This is a sweet and thought provoking book. The writing flows well and the chemistry and characters interactions believable. While this story has definite angst I really felt for Evie as a young adult who has been changed by her parents divorce. I could totally see why she would be wrapped up in young love while at the same time be slightly afraid of the hurt that May result.

This is a story about living in the moment and appreciating what you have while you have it. It’s about being thankful for those you love and who love you back. I really enjoyed this one as the author puts her heart and soul into the story and it shows. Nicola Yoon continues to be a must-read for me.

Evie Thomas doesn’t believe in love. She’s become jaded in life after finding her father cheating on her mother and causing her life to implode. She’s become miserable in life - can’t read the books she’s always loved, can’t connect with her sister or mother and is sad. One day she’s annoyed with her sisters never ending train of new boyfriends when she catches a glimpse of their love story. She sees how it started, the good parts in the middle and then the end. She is shocked by it but then is shocked when it all happens just as she saw it.
Such a good concept and how love can come and go but also can be everlasting. Like usual Nicola Yoon shows a side of life that is real and heartbreaking and I couldn’t put the book down.

I was planning on having Instructions for Dancing be my last book of May, and a happy, upbeat, contemporary romance. I read and loved Nicola Yoon's other two books, but I think I forgot how sad they really are. Or maybe they just aren't as devastating as this one.

I loved every second of Instructions for Dancing. It's a beautifully written book, with amazing characters, wonderful representation and diversity, and an engaging plot.

I read the synopsis of this book months ago, when I first requested it, but I never went back to it, so when I started reading, I went into the book completely blind, with no idea of what the plot really was. That ended up being the best way for me to read it, as I wasn't anticipating anything, just going along the journey of the characters.

Evie, the main character is a brutally realistic and raw person. A teenage girl going through her own struggles, falling out of love with books, and is struggling to find joy in her life, especially with her parents' divorce, which happened prior to the events of the book.

"I grab my bike and head out and tell myself I’m not in a romance novel."

Dancing, specifically ballroom dancing becomes really important to Evie, and as a teenager who loves to dance, I really felt how it could be an escape for her, and how it gave her something to focus on with her life.

I think one of the most painful parts of the book for me was how through her parents' divorce, Evie was falling out of love with her books, most specifically her contemporary romances (a genre I live for). With her parents splitting up, Evie has trouble believing in any love. She even at one point says she no longer believes in OTPs (one true pairing) something I was deeply offended by. Percabeth, Kanej, Wesper, Solangelo, Helnik, and Zoyalai are mine, and those couples are true soulmates. Argue with me if you want, but they are all meant for each other. Especially Percabeth.

"Books don’t work their magic on me anymore."

Evie's relationship with her sister, Danica, made me so happy!! It's not perfect, but nothing is, and how they worked through their differences, and really came together made me so happy, no matter how minor a part of the book it was.

Evie's relationship with her best friends, Sophie, Cassidy, and Martin also made me so happy to read. The four first became friends in middle school, and I loved learning about their history. They don't always get along perfectly, but that's what makes reading about their friendship so fun, and so realistic.

Nicola Yoon's writing in this book is so beautiful. Poetic at times, and at others, straight up making fun of teen texting.

"Cassidy: Lemme get this straight. The v hot rocker invited u 2 c him play his guitar & sing his songs with his band @ his v first gig in LA?
Martin: Jesus, Cassidy, would it kill you to write the words out? I just had to read that five times
Cassidy: F U"

I mean it's not wrong so I can't really complain. But the writing is truly incredible. A more eloquent example would be this passage.

"It’s hard to completely hate someone who loves someone you love. She loves Dad. I can’t deny that. Just like I can’t deny that I still love him."

I loved this book, and recommend it to every single person out there. From the writing to the plot, to the characters, Nicola Yoon nails every aspect of the novel.

All in all, Instructions for Dancing broke me in all the right ways, and although any I review I write could never do it justice, I hope that it is enough to convince you to pick up a copy.

Such a touching YA story, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I definitely flew through it!

This book is perfect for the audience - when you’re young and moving through various seasons of your life (friendship changes, graduation, first heartbreak, etc). The message of taking a chance even though the ending may not go as you hope is prevalent throughout.

The plot itself centered around a similar premise to “That’s So Raven” but with a mix of dancing thrown in. It’s a really memorable read!