I would like to thank the author and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

When I saw that Rainbow Rowell was coming out with an adult novel I immediately requested to read it, I was so happy when it was approved.

I have read many of her books years ago. I am now a 26-year-old mom. I love to read romances but I can no longer identify myself with the characters I am reading. This book was perfect for me!

I went into it without even reading what it was about, knowing the author was enough. I was so impressed to find that the main character was a mom of two and that this was not a secondary plot, it affected all the decisions and the day-to-day of the main character.

The author was able to make me feel like I was reading an adult romance but a the same time I got a bit of what I loved in her YA books since part of the book is about them in high school, looking back on their relationship.

It is a slow-burn romance, with a second chance and friends-to-lovers tropes. It was so endearing! I would recommend it!

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted (free) ARC

Rainbow Rowells writing is very nostalgic for me. I look back on my 2010-2015 reading years as my favorites and she was included in there many times.

But, this book drug on for me. It needed to lose about a hundred pages. It needed some excitement. I was just underwhelmed with the story, and found myself looking away from my read.

Overall, I wouldn’t discourage you to read this book if the synopsis resonates with you. But if you’re looking for a rec from me, this wouldn’t be on my list.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the chance to read this book early.I loved this book about a single mom who falls in love with her high school bestie.I did not want this book to end.

Such a good book! I typically love everything Rainbow writes, though. I could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Inseparable during high school, Shiloh and Cary haven't spoken to each other in over a decade. However, at a close friend's wedding, the two reconnect and begin the long road of building a meaningful adult relationship, because, after all, you don't get the chance to make old-new friends. As they grow closer, their lives begin to fall into one another, and both of them are forced to open up and re-examine choices made in the past (and present).

In her highly anticipated return to adult fiction, Rainbow Rowell has once again stolen my heart with her latest book SLOW DANCE. Perfectly described as a power ballad (I'm not sure quite how but that feels like the best way to refer to this book), SLOW DANCE is the story of two high school friends returning to one another in adulthood, and is the epitome of second chance romance done right. Both Shiloh and Cary are messy-- realistically and heartbreakingly messy-- and, even though it took me a while to warm up to them individually, their story lingers in my heart long after the story ended.

SLOW DANCE is the closest a book has come to capturing the complex nature of real life I've read in a long time-- it's refreshing, and heartbreaking at times, but a beautiful story because of its imperfections. Longtime fans of Rowell rejoice, she has returned and brought a poignant story of love and loss and the beauty of human connection.

Slow Dance was another great story from Rainbow Rowell. I've been reading her books for years and was thrilled when I heard about this one. This was her second adult novel, and just like all her other books it had me feeling all the feels. This one comes out in three months, and I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy for my shelf!

Wow, I loved this. It was so nostalgic and funny. It made me laugh, it gave me butterflies and it made me cry. Shiloh’s inner dialogue and anxieties really resonated with me. I loved the back and forth timeline, and POVs of Shiloh and Cary’s friendship.

Sad to say this is the first book by this author that I haven't a) absolutely devoured and b) did not love. I’ve been waiting for years for Rowell to get back to regular books after the Simon series and unfortunately this was a big let down. It was quite slow paced, the characters were kind of downtrodden and tragic, I don’t know why but I just couldnt connect with it. Normally I cant wait to get back to a book after work but with this I’d find myself putting it off. Hopefully the next offering resonates with me as much as her previous work!

This story of two friends and their enduring love for each other, even through years of separation, was a lovely read. I love the flashbacks - the author showing the reader where our main characters are coming from and what is driving their choices and actions is one of my favorite things about this book! I’ve loved Rainbow Rowell’s adult fiction in the past (The Attachments is a great one!), and Slow Dance did not disappoint!

Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for this advanced readers copy.

I really wanted to love this book as I am a huge Rainbow Rowell fan, but it just didn't do anything for me. You begin the book with Shiloh and Cary reuniting at a mutual friend's wedding after not seeing each other for 14 years. They used to be best friends in high school, but they had a falling out in college. This book will flash back to their high school days, college days and present day.

High school days: It seems so obviously that they both like each other in high school, but they both didn't have the guts to take their relationship that one step further. My biggest problem with the high school day scenes is that Shiloh is very unlikable. She just seemed rude majority of the time. It's hard to like a book when you yourself wouldn't want to be friends with the main character. Shiloh hated that Cary wanted to start a career in the military when he graduated high school. She talked so negatively about the military even when she knew that it was Cary's passion. A good friend would support their friends.

College days: Shiloh starts to get the distance she wanted from her hometown, Omaha. Cary comes to visit her during his leave after boot camp. From this visit, they both start to realize that their relationship could be more. BUT of course there is a huge argument/misunderstanding when Cary leaves for his next location which begins the decline of their friendship. After a few months of letters back and forth, their relationship/friendship completely ends.

Today: Shiloh and Cary see each other at a mutual friend's wedding for the first time in 14 years. There is an instant connection again. Shiloh takes Cary home, but says some things that makes Cary leave suddenly. Again, Shiloh is so frustrating and rude for 90% of this book. Shiloh has two kids now, and I will say that she seems to be a fantastic mom. Her kids are a hoot. Shiloh and Cary start writing to each other again after he leaves for another deployment. Can they mend the relationship that seems to constantly be butchered by snide remarks, insecurities, and misunderstandings?

Things I loved about the book: I loved how the book is taken place in Omaha as I lived there for 10 years myself. I loved Junie and Gus - they were the best part of the book in my opinion. Junie talking like she is an adult and Gus just wanting to play with cars. They remind me of my own kids.

Negatives: Again, Shiloh was just so unlikeable. She definitely got better at the end, but I still wasn't the biggest fan. The first half of the book was so slow. I would get to a point in the book thinking it was wrapping up, only to find out I was only halfway through the book. Then the ending was so rushed. I would recommend less flash backs and developing the ending more. All in all, the book was just meh to me. I will still pick up Rainbow Rowell's next novel, but I don't plan to recommend this specific title to anyone.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book but I didn’t 🫣

I’ve read Rainbow Rowell’s YA stuff before and really enjoyed them so I thought I’d like this one too. It was SO. BORING. At no point did I find myself actually WANTING to read this, I was dragging myself through. The main character is so unlikeable, the miscommunication trope was used about five times too many (and can I just say this trope is the WORST??), and there were absolutely no swoon worthy moments. Some sentences were so beautifully written but most of it was just boring and awkward. This book made me literally cringe at times. Plus the ending was just…nothing? Like I read through ALLLLLL of that for…that? Ugh. Not my cup of tea.

Anyways, thanks to Netgalley for letting me read this in exchange of an honest review!

LOVED THIS! It was like a less sad Eleanor and Park. Both the main characters felt a little...off? But overall charming. 4/5 will definitely recommend to friends!

An absolutely brilliant story! Heartbreaking at times and inspiring in others, I thoroughly enjoyed following Cary and Shiloh through their history together as best friends and soul mates. There's something so incredibly special about a bond that can stand the test of time through absences and life's ups and downs. I reaf this with tears in my eyes and my heart in my throat, it was just beautiful.

As always, Rainbow Rowell has gifted her readers with an unforgettable, un-put-downable, brilliant story. This one will take pride of place up there on my favorites shelf next to Eleanor & Park, Fangirl, Landline, and Attachments.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper CollinsPublishers for sharing this digital ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

Slow dance was exactly that - a slow dance in life. This story contained such authentic characters with their very own quirks. From friends (the best, actually) to lovers along with a slow burn… this story was so well written. The character development was amazing, the setting and events that played out added to the story tremendously, and the ending was lovely. Themes of poverty and low confidence and family were all throughout the story, which made it all too relatable as a reader. My only quip was the back and forth of the timeline - one minute it’s way before, then current time, then a little past, then way past, then back to current. It all tied together beautifully, but it was just confusing sometimes when the story was taking place. Overall, loved every minute of this story - made ya believe in love again!

Reading Slow Dance felt like listening to "Faithfully" by Journey on repeat and singing along while driving down a long road at sunset with the windows down. Both nostalgic and fresh at the same time. I adore Rainbow Rowell's books and this one is no exception. I was totally captivated by Shiloh and Cary's years together. Also love the way Rowell tackles the difficult parts of life with such normalcy and care. Seriously could not put Slow Dance down and am so grateful I got the opportunity to read an advance copy.

I always love Rainbow's characters. She always writes these beautifully imperfect and human characters with excellent character development. Slow Dance was no different. You will connect with Shiloh and Cary, feel their feels and root for them. And each MC had a messy family and complicated history that shaped them as adults. I want to be clear - this is not a bright and shiny rom-com. This read felt cozy, nostalgic, real, and sad. And with Rainbow's writing, I can always *see* each scene. I love how descriptive she is, but never feel like she's belaboring the point.

Cary is Shiloh's person and she is his. They are inseparable as teens but after a mishap they each go their own way and before they know it fourteen years have passed. Shiloh gets married, then divorced and has two kids. Cary joins the navy and is based on the west coast. It is not until a friend's wedding that they finally reconnect and realize that neither of them wants to let the other go ever again. The book shifts back and forth between multiple timelines as Cary and Shiloh reconnect and come to a new understanding about past hurts.

Slow Dance is a slow burn. While Rowell delicately bounces us between before and now - I yearned for more time in the happy. Which is a credit to Rowell because I loved Shiloh and Cary so much that I just wanted the best for them, especially after all they went through.

For fans of Normal People, two childhood friends now in their 30s reconnect after over a decade of not speaking; This is Rainbow Rowell’s version of Normal People by Sally Rooney. It’s about two friends who were inseparable as teenagers, now reconnecting in their 30s after 14 years of silence. Oddly enough, there were times where this book felt like YA and then other times where it almost read like literary fiction. The characters are messy and complicated, they make bad decisions and they don’t communicate. But you realize that the characters know this about themselves and you’re able to empathize and feel for them. I thought it was an engaging story and I was wholly invested in the journey of these two characters finding their way back to one another.

rainbow rowell might not for me…after giving many a book a chance, i simply can’t get into this book and will sadly be dnf-ing around the halfway mark. it was mostly the writing that was a bit stilted and couldn’t really vibe with it

I absolutely loved this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who has read this author before. I have a feeling this one is going to be in the top charts and libraries will want to order a lot of additional books for lending.

I am a big fan of some of Rainbow Rowell's older standalone novels for adults, such as Landline, so I was over the moon to see that she had a new one coming out -- and SLOW DANCE did not disappoint! The characters were so real, so achingly authentic and relatable, that I was rooting for them from page one. Absolutely worth the wait: Highly recommend.