Slow Dance, by Rainbow Rowell

I found Slow Dance to be a fun and extremely readable novel about a couple of high-school friends, Shiloh and Cary, who meet up again at a mutual friend’s wedding. Shiloh and Cary never dated in high school, had a close brush with romance when Shiloh was in college and Cary was in the neighbour, and then grew apart after some painful misunderstandings. Now both single again, they are finding their way slowly back to each other, but real life in adulthood is full of complexities – Shiloh has two young kids and is sharing custody with her ex-husband; Cary is still in the navy but visiting their hometown to help his disabled mother, who is living in poverty while still being responsible for lots of other, needier family members. I really enjoyed how believable this depiction of romance amid the complications of family, friends, and memories was.