Slow Dance

"It had to be romantic. First love, reconnection..." ~ pg. 59

Back in high school, everyone though Shiloh and Cary would end up together but they were just best friends with hopes and dreams beyond north Omaha. Shiloh went to college and Cary joined the Navy. Promises to keep in touch fall by the wayside. Fast forward fourteen years and they see each other at a mutual friend's wedding. Life is nothing like they planned but the connection is still there.

I heart Rainbow Rowell but Slow Dance was a huge miss for me. Shiloh was annoying from the very first chapter with her inner dialogue of "is he here, is he not, of course he is, oh no, what do I do, what to say, blah blah blah." Girl, get it together! Add in Cary's miscommunication and it was impossible to like either of the main characters.

"Almost assuredly not." ~ pg. 132

Where is the smooth storytelling? The sudden alternating chapters between past and present did not help the story move along. I understand background is needed to portray the second chance trope but there was a better way to deliver without disjointed flashbacks. The awkward writing of Slow Dance led to a slow pace.

All readers want in a romance is a HEA. At page 51, I considered marking the book as DNF when I realized I didn't care how it ended. But I continued reading on the strength of the author. Welp, it took 350+ pages when all these characters needed was a mature conversation instead of a boring walk down memory lane and predictable ending. Leave this one off the shelf, Bookhearts.

Happy Early Pub Day, Rainbow Rowell! Slow Dance will be available July 23.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Slow Dance
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Published: July 2024
Pages: 357
Edition: Galley
Genre: Romance
Rating: 🖤