Slow Dance: A Novel

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars | 1,287 ratings

Price: 22.04

Last update: 08-27-2024


About this item

A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Eleanor & Park and Attachments comes Slow Dance—a novel of true love and friendship.

“A will-they, won't-they second chance romance for the ages, this one is poised to be one of summer's breakout hits.”—PEOPLE

“Sexy, sweet, wise, and nostalgic–Jane Austen’s Persuasion for our times.”—Gabrielle Zevin, New York Times bestselling author of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

“Deeply human, profoundly romantic. Rowell will break your heart and you’ll thank her for it.”—Leigh Bardugo

“I loved every page of Slow Dance, a book that is romantic to its core, and as funny and smart as its wonderful characters.”—Emma Straub

Back in high school, everybody thought Shiloh and Cary would end up together . . . everybody but Shiloh and Cary.

They were just friends.Best friends. Allies. They spent entire summers sitting on Shiloh’s porch steps, dreaming about the future. They were both going to get out of north Omaha—Shiloh would go to go to college and become an actress, and Cary would join the Navy. They promised each other that their friendship would never change.

Well, Shiloh did go to college, and Cary did join the Navy. And yet, somehow, everything changed.

Now Shiloh’s thirty-three, and it’s been fourteen years since she talked to Cary. She’s been married and divorced. She has two kids. And she’s back living in the same house she grew up in. Her life is nothing like she planned.

When she’s invited to an old friend’s wedding, all Shiloh can think about is whether Cary will be there—and whether she hopes he will be. Would Cary even want to talk to her? After everything?

The answer is yes. And yes. And yes.

Slow Dance is the story of two kids who fell in love before they knew enough about love to recognize it. Two friends who lost everything. Two adults who just feel lost.

It’s the story of Shiloh and Cary, who everyone thought would end up together, trying to find their way back to the start.


Top reviews from the United States

Susan Newman
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Quick Read
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2024
I say quick, because I could not put this book down. Loved these two. Even though they were frustrating at times. I had my fingers crossed that they would finally realize they belonged together. Other books by Rainbow that I have read that I liked were: Fan Girl, If the Fates Allow, and Landline. Thank you Rainbow!
thomas
4.0 out of 5 stars every good day started with you
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2024
These two lovers are unusual for a modern love story in that they are not particularly attractive, and very old school in their morals. He is described as having small pouch eyes , lots of moles and a thin top lip. She was called “Sasquatch” in high school as she was taller, with broader shoulders and wider hips than most of the boys, and her bottom teeth were a wreck. And yet
Nikki Lloyd
5.0 out of 5 stars A Romance for the Romantics
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2024
I’ve loved Rainbow Rowell’s books for a while now, but this book had me tearing up! It’s filled with will they won’t they moments that give you such anxiety.
There’s not a better book about coming back to the people you love and always will.
Kindle Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars Poetic
Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2024
This was well written, but like many well written books it was rather slow. It conjured up feelings of my misspent youth, which is pretty impressive. Poetic, slow, and feeling invoking.
mar
4.0 out of 5 stars high school relived
Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2024
What a well written book, so much so that I read it in a few days.. The author even fleshed out the personality of the children .. it was great highly recommend it!
Cathleen Klein Perry
5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet magic
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2024
Rainbow Rowell is a word goddess. No one writes dialogue, interior monologue, description, or relationships quite like her. Do yourself a favor and let this book sweep you away. And then, if you haven’t already, read all the others too. You won’t be disappointed.
Tracey Elliott
5.0 out of 5 stars So good. so very good I couldn’t stop reading it until the end
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2024
I loved this book. I loved the very many “that sounds just like Rainbow Rowell” sentences. I loved the love story that was there all along, but just slowly revealing itself. I can’t say enough good things about this book. You simply must read it. You won’t be sorry; I promise.
Tanya Atkinson
4.0 out of 5 stars Classic Rainbow Rowell
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2024
Shiloh, Cary and Mikey. They were best friends all through high school and did almost everything together – even as Shiloh and Cary’s bond extended beyond friendship and always felt like more. Post-high school, Mikey went to New York to pursue his art career, Cary joined the Navy, and after college Shiloh returned to Omaha. Fourteen years later Shiloh is divorced, a single mother of two, and back living in her childhood home with her mother. When Mikey returns to Omaha to get married, Shiloh accepts the invitation with one thought in mind: Will Cary be there? What follows is the story of Shiloh and Cary, both then and now, how they got here, and if they can finally get it right.

It's been so long since Rowell released a contemporary novel that I almost forgot why I love her contemporary stories so much. Then I started reading Slow Dance and it was like, oh yeah, this is why. When it comes to snappy, honest, believable dialogue, Rowell just gets it. Her signature funny, clever (without being overly so), realistic banter was in full effect here, right along with deeply flawed characters whose lives were messy and relatable. Shiloh and Cary always had something special, and their reunion showed the spark was still there, but it also proved that their old patterns were alive and well. Cary always gave vague indications of his feelings for Shiloh, while her insecurities ruled her decision-making.

For Cary, Shiloh was always The One. His pining for the girl he’d wanted since they were teenagers was everything. The responsibility he felt for his elderly mother and the ripple effects of trying to improve her living situation was developed so well and I empathized with him deeply. Shiloh was a little trickier with her acerbic personality and I often felt frustrated as she continued to be her own worst enemy. Overall, I just never felt that I understood her.

Slow Dance was a second (or third?) chance romance and it reflected how much more complicated life is at 33 than at 17. There were many obstacles in Shiloh and Cary’s way – some legitimate and some self-created – especially as they both had the tendency to avoid the hard conversations.

It’s worth mentioning that while the present and past chapters allowed for a fuller, richer story, the fact that past chapters were not chronological often threw me off and I frequently had to reorient myself to what time period we were jumping to.

Ultimately, I enjoyed Slow Dance and its tale of missed opportunities, and what happens when you find your person just a little too early in life.

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