Nicola Yoon is an amazing writer.

Evie is reeling from her parents' divorce and slowly falling out of love with idea of love. When donating all her beloved romance books to a Little Free Library, she receives two surprises: a book about dancing and a magical power.. Evie is soon involved in learning to dance at a studio with the good looking grandson of the owners and trying to avoid her power at all costs.

This book was amazing. I fell in love with Evie and X, and I loved the writing. Young adults will easily identify with the main characters and enjoy the dialogue and plot.

I think Yoon is one of the best writers in the genre today.

I finished this book a couple of days ago, but purposefully didn't write my review immediately. I really needed to let this one sit with me. And I couldn't get it or it's characters out of my head - which should tell you right there what a wonderful book it was.

I admit I have a soft spot for YA literature. I think it's a combination all of the teenage angst, first love, figuring-out-who-you-are stuff that, even though it's pretty far removed in my own life, still somehow feels like it was only yesterday. Nicola Yoon really has a beautiful way of bringing such wonderful characters to life and I fell in love with her heroine, Evie. I related so much to Evie's anger over her parents divorce, the way she tried to protect herself from the pain of loss as well as the fierce way she loves and wanted to be loved.

This sweet story centers around seventeen-year-old Evie. Her parents, who she thought had a love of the ages, have recently divorced and she, her mom and her sister are living in a new apartment. She is angry at at love and at her father in particular, which she deals with by getting rid of all her romance novels that she once cherished. Upon taking them to a neighborhood "Little Library", she is set on a course of meeting a very special young man in X (Xavier) and learning what love is really all about.

I had free-flowing tears at the end of this novel - both over the story and because I didn't want it to end.

I read Yoon’s two other books three years ago and loved them more than I can put into words. Her writing is beyond fabulous and I have not so patiently been waiting for her next book. When I saw the ARC was available on NetGalley I knew I had to read it. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC and immediately began reading it. Instructions for Dancing is so beautiful. Yoon’s description of love, loss, and heartache are just so insightful and real. I wish the book didn’t end. Read it. It’ll make you laugh, cry, and appreciate love. Trust me.

Nicola Yoon just keeps getting better and better. This one follows Evie, who no longer believes in love. But then she finds a mysterious manual entitled Instructions for Dancing that leads her to a local dance studio. At the same time she begins to see visions of couples past, present, and future. She hopes the dance studio will help her understand the reasons behind these visions. That's where she meets X and is talked into a ballroom dance competition as his partner. As she begins to fall for him she has to ask herself is love truly worth the risk. What I love about this book is the main character's cynicism about love. I felt that as a teenager (heck sometimes as an adult) and I love seeing these feelings portrayed in a young adult book. I also love the family dynamic in this book. It's such a realistic portrays of family life and the bumps you hit along the road. I also love seeing a strong friendship group in a book. X and Evie's romance is adorable but at the same time I love the serious conversations they have about the risks you need to take in life. Overall, Nicola tackles issues of love and forgiveness with humor and heart. Make sure to pick this one up when it comes out in June.

Book Review for Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
Full review for this title can be found at: @fyebooks on Instagram!

Instructions for Dancing is a beautiful story about love, heartbreak, and living in the moment. This is a young adult novel that follows Evie, a senior in high school, who is dealing with her parents divorce. She doesn’t think that love is worth the risk because it always ends in heartbreak. After a strange encounter with a mysterious woman she finds herself being able to see other people’s love stories play out in visions. This encounter leads her to a dance studio where she meets a boy named X and her story really starts.
I really loved the characters. They sometimes make mistakes and feel very realistic. The side characters add charm and humor, as well as touching moments.
The friendships in this book were wonderful to see. The dynamic between Evie and her dad was explored really well. There are sad moments, but so many happy ones too. I’ve read many YA contemporary novels and this one really stands out to me.
I would recommend this book to those who like contemporary romances with a lot of heart.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this arc in an exchange for a review!
" Sometimes the only thing to say about a period of time is that it's passing and that you're surviving it."
This book was absolutely phenomenal and my favorite book I have read this year (so far)definitely!!
Things I loved:

Evie, I loved Evie so so much! She was kind, stubborn and so fiercely protective over her heart and everything and everyone she loved. I found myself relating to her a lot, more than I normally do to characters, which is an amazing feeling.

X, he was such an amazing, well-developed soft boi and I loved him and how passionate he was about his friends, family, interests and values.

Side characters, I loved Fifi, Maggie, Archibald and all of Evie's and X's other friends and family.

Dancing, as one would guess this book featured a lot of dancing and I loved every moment of it!! Learning about some different dances and following Evie and X as they learned them was so interesting and fun!!

Chapters, I love love how Nicola Yoon writes her books!! In all of her books, she always has her unique writing style show through and this book was no different. I loved everything about the writing style, from the different chapter lengths to the titles of the chapters to the different insights we got into people's lives, I was captured from the moment I started this beautiful book!!

Magic, I loved the twist of the magical ability Evie had that allowed her to see into other people's (romantic) relationships

Plot, throughout this book I was so connected to everyone, more than I have been in a while, so much so that I was crying (I mean full on sobbing) at certain points, which never happens!!

The message, to me the message throughout this book was that love is something everyone need and longs for in life, whether be romantic or platonic, everyone deserves to be loved and to love, but sometimes it can be scary to put your heart out there and take a risk on someone, the possibility of breaking your heart or someone else's sometimes seems to grand.

Things I didn't love:
Nothing I can think of

Anyway, please read this book when it comes out!!

As expected, Nicola Yoon does not disappoint! A recommended first purchase for YA and high school fiction collections.

This is an amazing story of love and loss. Evie’s parents have recently divorced, and Evie feels betrayed by her father, who she caught cheating on her mother. This has colored her view of life and love negatively. Evie finds a book and has a brief encounter with a woman at a roadside free library that changes her life. The encounter has left her with a strange ability and encouraged her to visit a dance school where she is talked into learning Latin dance for a competition with a hot guy named X. Will they make it as a couple and if so can it last?

What a lovely and heart warming book! This is my first Nicola Yoon book, and while I initially didn't think it was going to be for me, I absolutely loved it - so much so that I finished it within 3 - 4 days?

You should pick up this book if you enjoy love, heartbreak, growth, family and friend dynamics, and dance. This story is about a girl named Evie who is thrown off track when something happens to her. On the way, she learns about herself and life in general, all while picking up some dance moves.

Great YA Romance!
I was expecting a cutesy YA rom com, and that was not exactly what this is.
It was much more emotional, and honestly, a little heart breaking.
It has a cool concept; when a couple kisses, Evie can see their love story play out. The past, the present, the future. The good, the bad.
The romance is insta-lovey, but I didn’t mind it. I liked the characters and thought they were a good match and pushed each other to make better decision for themselves.
The ending was bittersweet, and I could’ve done with a HEA, but life doesn’t always end with a HEA.

I feel likes it’s a sin to admit this, but this is my first time reading a book by Nicola Yoon! And I already know it’s been a big mistake, and I will be remedying it.

Nicola Yoon. You have done it again.

Not only did this book have me up reading until 3 am, but it also tore my heart out of my chest (in a good way).

Instructions for Dancing is about a girl grieving the loss of her youthful innocence and idyllic view of love after finding out that her dad cheated on her mom. Reading romance novels has lost the magic that it used to have for her—it no longer transports her to other worlds and lives. Evie symbolically takes all of her beloved contemporary romance novels and donates them to a neighborhood Little Free Library, where she meets a mysterious woman who urges her to take a book if she is going to leave one. That book is "Instructions for Dancing." After this encounter, Evie begins having visions of the trajectory of every couple's relationship when she sees them kiss. She wants to get rid of the visions that only cement her viewpoints that love is not forever, and she finds that the book the woman at the park gave her has an address to the La Brea Dance studio. In hopes of finding some clue, she goes there and finds herself being talked into dance lessons and soon after, a dance competition for the studio in an amateur Nightclub Dance category (consisting of five dances: bachata, salsa, West Coast Swing, hustle and Argentine tango). She agrees before meeting the boy who will be her partner--X ( short for Xavier), the owners’ grandson and a boy with a smile created to break hearts. This story explores divorce, grief, loss, and love in the most beautiful way and I can't wait for everyone to get their hand on it.

Thank you Random House Children's/Delacorte Press and Netgalley for letting me read this fantastic ARC!

NICOLA YOON.
I love you.

Thank you for writing such a beautiful book that will probably be in my top 10 of 2021. Nicola hasn't published since 2018 but I have loved her other two books tremendously that I knew instantly I would really enjoy this one. I didn't even know what it was really about upon picking it up but I was not disappointed.

We follow our main character Evie Thomas as she is going through the stages of grief dealing with her parent's divorce. She cannot figure out why they got divorced until she comes upon a secret that her father was hiding from her family and it completely guts her. As this is quite a relatable topic for myself, I completely loved it. Her portrayal of grief is exactly what I encountered and it is written so raw and real.

This book also has an aspect of speculative magic as Evie often has visions pertaining to couples in relationships and can see the trajectory of their relationship and how it will eventually end in heartbreak. I loved this aspect of the book because it did not overshadow the main plot and eventual romance Evie has with another character.

Enter, X. Evie finds herself at a dance studio where she meets a boy named X. She eventually gets roped into participating in a dance competition and her partner is no one other than X. OBVIOUSLY we know where this is going to end up but I think the realness of Evie letting herself fall in love even though everything must come to an end is....incredible.

The writing is immaculate and I definitely cried. I read this in 2 hours and I honestly wish I could read it all over again.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc!

I love Nicola Yoon's books and couldn't wait to read this one. After Evie's parents divorce, she doesn't have much faith in love. After an odd interaction with a strange woman, Evie begins seeing visions when she sees people kiss. It's like a mini movie of their first meeting, first kiss, and how their relationship ends. This makes her lose more faith in love. After deciding to take ballroom dance lessons, she meets a boy named X who is up for anything. The dance studio owners convince Evie and X to participate in a dance competition and they get to know each other. Will Evie see the ending to their relationship too?

I loved most of this book. In fact, before the ending, it was well on its way to being a 5 star book. Then, well.

I’m confusedly disappointed by the ending of this book. The very ending, I did love, but it was what led up to the ending that I didn’t care for. I wish it had played out differently. I understood it, especially after reading the author’s note at the end, but still, I didn’t like it 🥺

But! the rest of the novel I really really loved. It made me smile and laugh and I could not stop jotting down memorable quotes. The writing! It was deep and meaningful, and light and fun. On that note, I really enjoyed Evie’s character and personality. She pretty much personified all of us book lovers, and she’s snarky, and loving, and lovely, and fun.

My favorite character, however, was Fifi. Fifi is life and gold and I want to know her in real life. Her sharp little jabs that aren’t really jabs, just her speaking truth, in a loving way. Her loving way. I just loved her. I’m sure I’m not describing her right or fully. There’s just one thing I wish. I wish there had been more of her in the novel! I need more Fifi! The beginning was perfect, and then she faded away a little in the middle to make way for other conflicts, which I also appreciated. I just missed Fifi and her humor!

And the dancing. I love dance, and it was described beautifully on these pages. I could envision perfectly the dances Evie and X performed, and their attire, and feelings between them.

I haven’t read many YA magical realism contemporary romance books, and while I really like them and the touch of magic infused into the stories, I feel like the magic sometimes gets a little lost along the way in order to focus more on the romance and other conflicts. I guess I just wish the magical realism aspect had a little bit more of a presence throughout the entire novel. Not to say it was lacking much here. I really liked the magic in this novel and how it was executed and woven in. Except the ending 😒

So, in the end, I loved most of the book and would have given it 5 shining stars if not for one particular plot point. Also, I think this would make a really fantastic movie. Oh, and I LOVE the cover!

𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑜 𝑁𝑒𝑡𝑔𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑛 𝑒-𝑎𝑟𝑐 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤!

I hate to be the “Nicola Yoon has done it again” girl but…Nicola Yoon did it again. This book is filled with love and loss and also a dash of magic and it is so, so good and powerful and important. Evie is a relatable main character with a newly discovered fear of love (mainly losing love) because of her parents’ divorce, so throughout the book we follow her journey to rediscover what love really means. She also obtains a bit of an ability and it takes a turn I wasn’t expecting but was really entertaining (but also sad at times and quite thought-provoking). The main plot is Evie and her love story, both with love itself and with a boy, but there were also some great side elements, like Evie’s relationship with her father and sister and friends and dealing with the end of senior year. I also loved the dancing element where X and Evie are entering a competition, it really helped progress their relationship along. This book was short but it packed a real punch with authentic characters and great insight on the meaning of love, and I’d highly recommend it.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: June 1, 2021

After loving Yoon’s The Sun Is Also a Star, I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of Instructions for Dancing. Another fast-paced YA/teen romance that will have you racing through the pages although this one seems a little too rushed at times. If you’re into love with a bit of magical realism, this will be an easy one for you to fall for!

I was so excited when I received this advanced reader's copy! I love Nicola Yoon's books, and this did not disappoint! This is my favorite book of hers to date. I loved everything about this story, the characters, the writing, and the plot. I fell in love with these characters immediately, and I loved how perfectly imperfect they were. Sometimes the characters made the wrong decisions, sometimes they acted rashly, but always, they were human and relatable. I think the relatability of the characters in this book is the major selling point. I identified with the main characters on so many levels, and that just made me feel seen. Thank you for such a good book!!

Nicola Yoon does it again! She brings emotion to her characters and draws you into their story. This one has a bit of a "magical" twist as she suddenly gets the ability to see visions of couples romantic journeys when they kiss. It's poetic, and sad and the ending was not what I expected at all. There is a lot of truth about life in this story.

I didn't give it full stars because I'm a bit of a cynic when it comes to romance novels. Things always seem the tiniest bit forced. HOWEVER, on that end this book did a good job of making up for it with the rest of the plot and characters.

I really enjoyed two of her previous books, but I couldn't get through this one. The dialogue didn't work, the characters didn't work, the plot felt predictable.