Breakaway Books

Authored by Rainbow Rowell; Published July 2024; Romance

⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🏖️

Slow Dance, at times, felt so real that it was difficult to read. The miscommunication, the stubbornness of the male and female leads, even just how annoying kids are in high school. But it does a lovely job showing how even years of missed connection can be unwound with patience and dedication.

Shiloh and Cary were the best of friends in high school, but almost immediately after setting off for college, they fall out of touch. Reunited after more than a decade at their friend Mickey’s wedding, they begin to unravel what happened to break them apart and just how much they miss each other. Cary is an officer in the navy, sworn to serve wherever they send him, and Shiloh is newly divorced, bound to her two kids. As strong as their love is, it’s possible that too much time has passed… or perhaps that the time just hasn’t ever been right for them. 

Normally, romance novels are the height of escapism for me. But this one? It seemed to highlight all the parts of Shiloh and Cary’s relationship that normally get skipped over in fictional renditions. There is no jumping straight into bed to make up for the years together they have missed—there is frustration about how exactly they failed to understand each other’s intentions and continual questioning about why Cary would volunteer to become a stepdad at this point in his life. There are none of the normal magical fixes that appear in many romance novels, like a partner with unlimited funds or extreme locational flexibility. If this weren’t enough, Cary and Shiloh themselves are pretty awkward folks, neither quite comfortable expressing what they truly feel in the typical “romance novel” way. (It doesn’t help that at least half the novel spotlights their time together in high school, when all of us are awkward.) All of this combines together to make Slow Dance the opposite of an escapist romance novel.

But only by emphasizing the weirdness and awkwardness of Cary and Shiloh could the author effectively convey the heart of the story: They still fit together, no matter how strange or dramatic or awkward they are. Cary and Shiloh find a way to be together after years of missing each other, partially because of how deeply they know each other’s quirks, how much of each other’s lives they’ve witnessed. It’s not exactly sweep-you-off-your-feet romance, but it does make you think that love can be real.

Did I still find it less enjoyable to read than other romance novels? Yes. Frankly, I don’t want to spend time immersing myself in a realistic portrayal of two teenagers who can’t quite get it together. It was sad to witness just how much of a jerk Shiloh’s ex is and how she settled for it. Cary’s family drama nearly tipped the balance from fun to watch to cringeworthy. But, those are the same things that made me feel like this love story could happen to real people.

Slow Dance is a good one to pick up if you feel like all the rom-coms you watch could never happen to you. It’ll make you feel like your happy ending is at least a little bit closer.