Oh this book... it got me right in the feels. Evie is such a great protagonist and her battle against romantic disillusionment extremely relatable. The magical realism elements are done really well - as a reader, you truly believe that this weird, impossible thing is actually happening - and the supporting characters are well-rounded and likeable. But that ending! Make sure you have tissues on hand.

Last summer, I read Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon and was blown away by her talent. I couldn’t stop thinking about her characters for ages after I had finished the book. Even now, a year later, every so often, something will reminds me of the story and send my thoughts back to its protagonists.

Nicola’s latest book, Instructions for Dancing, is another powerful meditation on life and love, with wonderful characters who linger long after the last page is turned. I finished this last night and was left feeling tearful, elated and completely in awe of the author’s incredible talent. This is definitely one of the best and most enjoyable novels I’ve ever read.

We’re introduced to Evie, a disillusioned teenager whose father’s infidelity and parents’ subsequent divorce has made her cynical where romance is concerned. She’s also frustrated with her mother and sister. They appear to have accepted what has happened and forgiven Evie’s father, while Evie has nothing but contempt for him.

Then something strange happens. Every time Evie sees a couple kiss, she has a vision of their whole relationship. This includes the future as well as their past, and the inevitable end of their mutual affection. This cements Evie’s conviction that love eventually leads to pain. When she meets X who, “belongs on the cover of a romance novel about bad-boy rockers with hearts of gold,” Evie tries not to fall for him.

As Evie wrestles with her undeniable attraction to X, as she also struggles with her feelings about her father as his wedding approaches. Can Evie protect herself from potential sorrow by shutting out the people in her life who already have or may one day disappoint her? Or will turning her back on different forms of love be what ultimately brings Evie heartache?

I love being in the company of Nicola Yoon’s characters. She creates protagonists that not only feel 100% authentic, but with whom you wish you could be friends in real life. Evie is so self-possessed and witty, it’s impossible not to fall in love with her and with X too. Evie’s friends and family are also brilliant, fascinating and multi-faceted. Nicola Yoon carefully and convincingly avoids limiting her characters. They all have multiple layers, so that no-one is ever in danger of becoming a stereotype, not even the philandering husband or the wicked stepmother.

The magical realism might have felt far-fetched when handled by a less skilled writer, but fits perfectly into Evie’s world. The reader suspends their belief effortlessly and these elements enrich the story beautifully. I love how imaginative the premise is and how interesting and moving all of Evie’s visions are. The scope of this novel is phenomenal; Yoon creates poignant beginnings, middles and ends for a variety of bit parts as well as the lead roles.

As the title might suggest, a large part of the plot involves Evie learning to dance and letting go of her inhibitions, and this is a fantastic metaphor. Pain is an essential part of life’s long waltz, but when we try to avoid it, we don’t get to dance. This is a magnificent story about falling in love with life and all its chaos, accepting that it won’t always be perfect, but choosing to dance anyway.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an e-arc for review.

I've enjoyed Nicola Yoon's previous work, but I still went in sceptical. I didn't know anything about the book, but I wasn't disappointed.
I really liked our main character Evie, but her pessimism got really boring really fast, and was just too repetitive really. But I understand that it was an essential part of the plot, and the rest of the story wouldn't be able to happen without it.
The love interest is one of my favourite people in the whole world. He was cute and smart and just everything you want in a love interest.
I expected the book to be more centred around the romance, not the underlying message that Evie learns throughout, so I did knock down the rating for that, but it didn't hinder my enjoyment of it.
Overall, it was a book that was enjoyable, while also making me feel my feelings (I cried... I don't cry), but will it stick with me forever, no. I still recommend you read it! A very strong 4 stars:)

Evie is disillusion by love ever since she caught her father cheating on her mother., she used to love romance novels but is now getting rid of them all., because happy ever after does not exist.

Evie is given a copy f the book Instructions for Dancing which belong to a dance studio which she takes back and takes a chance on learning to dance.

With the book Evie acquires a strange gift, if she sees a couple kiss she sees how there relationship will end - this only proves to her that love does not bring about a happy ending.

While at the dance studio she meets X and start to fall in love with him - can he convince Evie to take a chance on love?

I liked the premise of the book, you could understand why Evie had given up on love and it was great to follow her journey of discovering that love is not all bad.

Instructions for Dancing by Nicole Yoon is an essential reminder of the importance of love and enjoying the journey of that love rather than worry over the destination.

What I Loved About This Story

I loved the relatability of it all. It had a significant impact on me emotionally because I could completely relate to Evie and how confusing and overwhelming life can be at times. It's a beautifully told story that focuses on the reaction of a teenage daughter after catching her father and his mistress together kissing. That situation is very confusing to a child, and parents rarely recognize the truth of that reality or the consequences. Evie is written so genuinely that she quickly takes you through the laughter and the tears as she struggles to work through her feelings.

I loved the magic element in the story. I always say there can never be enough magic in books. After Evie donates all of her favorite romance novels to a little lending library, she meets a mysterious woman who encourages her to take a book from the library – the only book in there that isn't hers is a book on dancing. This action takes her to the beginning of her journey with all of its ups and downs.

My favorite character had to be Fifi, the dance instructor. She always has an excellent response to each situation, and she made me laugh out loud more than once. She is very wise, and her observation skills are always spot-on. She is a supporting character with a significant presence.

The story's bittersweet ending is so poignant that I shed a tear, or two, or many. And then I went on to read the acknowledgments and cried even more. After reading the novel, the inspiration for the story is just as touching as the story itself. Love is an essential part of life, but it comes with equal parts pleasure and pain. The fact that love's not all happiness and light does not ever mean it should be avoided. If you do avoid it, you will miss out on the most essential part of life.

To Read or Not to Read

If you are looking for a story that will remind you what's important in life, that will make you laugh, that will make you cry, and ultimately that will make you hug your loved ones a little tighter, this is the perfect book to touch your soul in unexpected ways.

"The problem with broken hearts isn't that they kill you. It's that they don't."

Thank you to Penguin Random House, Turning Pages NZ and Netgalley for allowing to the opportunity to read this as an ARC.

Evie has all but given up on love. After her dad left her mum for another woman, she turned into a cynic, believing there is no such thing as a happily ever after, and that real love doesn't exist. Everything starts to change one afternoon, when she notices a couple kiss, and the timeline of their relationship is revealed to her - beginning, middle, and end - only proving to Evie that all relationships inevitably end.
On a mission to find answers, she goes to the only place she hopes will help, a dance studio. She learns to dance with a boy, X. She's forced to rethink her ideas on relationships and love, as X and Evie grow closer to each other.

This book captures something beautiful - from the heartbreak of your family splitting up, to the world around you changing too quickly for you to keep up, and the vulnerability of falling in love. Evie's journey of self discovery is so relatable, and I found myself really appreciating some of these lesson that Evie had to learn. The character felt very real, and well fleshed out, and I loved the dynamic that Evie had with her friends.
This book had such an important message of appreciating the love you have, no matter how long (or short) you will have it, because "just because a thing ends, doesn't make the thing any less real."
The ending really broke my heart. I had tears when I finished it, because it was just such a bittersweet and beautifully written ending. Prepare for some emotional turmoil while finishing this!

Nicola Yoon, you have made a wonderful first impression, and I cannot wait to see what else you have written!

"Beginning are nice, but the best part is right now, in the wide-open middle. I made fun of you, but you were right this whole time. I should live in the moment and all that other stuff."
Evie, Instructions for Dancing

Instructions for Dancing follows Evie who is disillusioned with love and quite literally sees heartbreak everywhere she looks.

It is a poignant story that somehow manages to stay light-hearted and feel good, despite the heartache. A very atypical romance that doesn't focus on happy endings. In fact, it tells a story of not focusing on endings of any kind, but instead living and loving in the moment.

A delightful, emotional story for all contemporary fans.

Instructions for Dancing is a solid YA romance novel with a cheeky self-awareness that highlights the tropes of the genre. The novel is set LA and centers around a teenage girl who despite her jaded views on love since her parent's divorce finds herself in similar situations to her old romance novels. The chapters aren't uniform, mixing between prose and text conversations which, while it took me out of the lyricism, I can imagine will appeal to the younger audience. All in all it was enjoyable and I hope it gets a film adaptation as the slightly supernatural elements would lend themselves to that medium.

Such a lovely book! i loved everything everything so was very excited to read this! This shows love truly is a super power! i love the characters and the story! so good!

Another great YA from Nicola Yoon, Brilliant voice, witty and engaging dialogue and I really loved Evie's character and how they explore her feelings. The premise is super interesting and Nicola Yoon delivered it well- Evie has become disillusioned with romance and love after her parents divorce, then she discovers she has the ability to see what a couple's future is.

The book sums itself up in a line towards the end: it isn’t about the ending, but the here and now.

It manages to dance the line between cutesy and just right very well: using the narrators own love of romance novels and new found cynicism as a way of breaking the fourth wall and say ‘I know how this looks, and it isn’t that!’.

Its almost a ‘fake relationship’ trope, but it’s not. It’s almost a bad boy with a heart of gold, but it’s not.

Eighteen year old Evie is struggling to deal with her parent’s divorce and no longer believes in love. One day she sees her sister and her boyfriend kissing and has a vision of the beginning of their romance... and their future. And then it happens again. When Evie meets X, she starts to fall for him. Will their romance last the course, or will Evie’s determination not to believe in love come back to haunt her?

This is the second of Nicola Yoon’s books I’ve read and like The Sun is Not a Star, I found this one to be equally as enchanting. It’s not your typical YA romance; there’s a little bit of magic and a lot more depth to the characters and their emotions. Evie’s relationship with her dad in particular was incredibly well written with a sensitivity and emotion and heart, it felt really real.
A lot of life lessons are packed in here in a pretty subtle way which is perfect for a teen read.

Rep: Black (MCs), F/F relationship
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This book pulled me right into the story from page one. Evie was a senior who never came to terms with her parents divorce. She is angry at both her parents for two different reasons. This divorce has influenced her in more ways than she let's on. She stopped read romances, her favourite genre, and is cynical about love.
One day when she is on her way to donate her romance books, she meets a mysterious person gives her a book, Instrcutions for Dancing, which is pretty much self explained from the title. She has no clue what to do with the book and keeps it aside. Then when she returns home, she sees her sister kissing her boyfriend and baam! She see their past, present, and future of their relationship. She has no clue what to make about this vision and keeps it to herself but when the vision turns out true, she starts to freak out. It's throught some coincidence that she joins the dance lessons and takes part in Dnaceball. She is set on a journey to learn about true love, break ups, and moving on in life.
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This book was slightly angsty. I loved Evie's character. She was snarky, witty and had a great sense of humor. Reading about Evie and X banter was amazing. Their text exchanges were so funny and sweet. I was rooting for them from the beginning and I didn't want to be disappointed.

The friends in this group were very supportive of each other. There was F/F rep that ran alongside the story. I loved the group dynamic until the last quarter of the story, because after that everything went down the drain.

The dancing lessons were so much fun to read. Fifi did a great job in training these guys and she was a real firecracker.

Overall, this book was short, fast and evenly paced novel that I immensely enjoyed reading. It made me feel so many emotions and I loved how it represented the strain in divorced-parent-children family. If you're looking for a fast-paced, lightly angsty romance novel with sarcastic characters and great amounts of banter, then you should definitely pick this one.

TW// Grief, Loss of a Loved One


Thanks to Penguin, TheWriteReads Tours , the Author, and NetGalley for this wonderful book (eARC).

Instructions for Dancing was a fluffy fun read that had elements of dancing, heartbreak, and predicting the future.

This was a great read that had me hooked and wanting more! The scenes that showed Evie seeing the future were very exciting yet heartbreaking! The characterisation and character arch of Evie was fantastic and made her more realistic.

However I did find the ending a bit unsatisfactory. Other than that this was another brilliant book by Nicola Yoon and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the E-arc! All opinions are my own.

Once upon a time, I had ballroom dancing lessons, so when I read the blurb for <em>Instructions For Dancing</em> by Nicola Yoon, I was sold immediately. It was already on my TBR before I even signed up for the tour.

<em>Instructions For Dancing</em> is a contemporary romance with a touch of magical realism. I wouldn't say it's enough to call it paranormal, but it's definitely something like the high school romance movies from the 90s and 00s. I can this one being turned into a movie too and doing really well. Their love story and the subject of ballroom dancing would be a good mix of new and old ideas.

The characters of Evie and X are adorable together. They seem like complete opposites but at heart, they also have a lot in common. They both have a big love. Both Evie and X have strong characters arcs, together and separate. They learn to be better, but only because they're together. The side characters are fun, but they're not too involved in the main couple's arcs.

The only thing that slightly bugged me is the amount of telling. Instead of Evie finishing the conversations with her friends, Yoon opted to summarize the rest of the conversation. This increased the pacing, but it also made me connect less with the characters.

This book is filled with emotion and be prepared to feel either hollow or too overwhelmed when you finish the book. Good books make you think, great books make you feel. And Nicola Yoon delivers both.

I give <em>Instructions For Dancing</em> four and a half star. If you're looking for a fun dance-centered romance story, this is definitely it. It's fast-paced and easy to read, so perfect for a vacation/beach read.

I always LOVE a Yoon book, in fact I think Everything Everything was one of the first reviews I ever did after picking the book up in a supermarket. I did LIKE this one, just didn’t fall in love with it like I have her other but lets look at this one without comparing it…

Evie isn’t speaking to her Dad anymore, she doesn’t believe in love anymore. When dropping her books at a book box Evie is forced to pick up a dance book, not wanting the book she returns it to the dance studio but the book isn’t the only thing she got from the encounter. Now Evie can see from just one kiss what the future of any couple is going to be – from the beginng to the end. The end is the problem. They all end in one way or another, so when Evie starts to fall for X during dance lessons how will she cope?

It was definaly a hard one to put down, I kept reading ‘just one more chapter’ for hours! Some of the characters I loved, both Evie and certainly X but others felt kind of shoved in the book. With that said I was very happy to read the LGBT+ representation without all the bells and whistle of it becoming a HUGE thing, as an LGBT+ person I loved how Yoon made it feel normal.

One of this things that has made me give 4* instead of a 5* – I felt a bit rushed through some of the story, I wanted to saver the moments at the love between Evie and X but felt like I didn’t get to. I felt some of the other bits around it could have been dropped any more space given to them.

While I don’t think this is my favourite work of Yoon’s, it is still a great book. Reading the back of the book Yoon’s had a tough year which I can relate to and my heart goes out to her. I’ll defiantly pick up another by her but this want felt a bit…forgettable?

Many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Children’s UK for the ARC in exchange for this an honest review

I am not a regular contemporary YA romance reader but this one I will recommend to everyone!

It was amazing - it had love, laughter, dad jokes, friendships, dances and a go-to waffle place. I connected to the main character, Evie, for so many reasons. I understood her loss of faith in love because of her parent's divorce (my parents are divorced too) as well as how much friendships matter when family life does not seem to be the best. The last year of school was depicted well and I really liked how Evie put herself out there when she came across a dance school. The end was bitter sweet and I felt that it expressed the lesson of enjoying every day well. The characters were well thought out and I enjoyed the familial and friend tensions along the way.

All in all, one of my favorite YA books! Full review will be on the blog on June 11th as part of the blog tour hosted by WriteReads. Thank you to them and the publisher for gifting me a complimentary digital copy of the book through NetGalley for an honest review.

After her parent’s divorce, Evie has given up on love. Why fall in love when it always leads to heartbreak? While donating all of her favorite romance novels to a Little Free Library, Evie picks up a book, which magically gives her visions of couple’s relationships from the very beginning to the very end. After seeing the end of so many relationships, including some couples close to her, Evie is more convinced than ever that love is not for her.

The book also leads her to a local dance studio where she meets X. Evie decides to sign up for classes and is paired with X. As feelings between them develop, Evie has to decide if loving someone is worth the risk of potential heartaches. Is it better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all?

I enjoyed this story. It has so many great characters, a unique magical element, and wonderful messages about life and love. Evie is such a well-developed and interesting character with a quick wit and a bit of cynicism. She has become a bit bitter of love, which isn’t surprising considering her parents recently divorced, and she can see visions of people’s relationships. Some of Evie’s thoughts about romance are hysterical, and I love the chapters where she talks about romance novels. She’s so afraid to give in to her feelings and fears loss more than she wants love.

X, Evie’s dance partner and potential love interest is fabulous as well. He and Evie really get each other, and they develop a lovely connection. X is a musician and the grandson of the owners of the dance studio, and his support and understanding of Evie are so sweet. They have fantastic banter throughout the story. Evie’s friends, as well as the people who work at and own the dance studio, are fantastic, especially Evie’s dance instructor Fi. She is so funny and has some memorable lines in the story! When she instructs Evie and X and says things like “Steer a little less. She’s not a large construction vehicle,” and “You’re leading her, not kidnapping her,” I couldn’t help but laugh. She has a fun and easy way with her students, and I love her humor.

The magical element (Evie’s visions) is really unique, and I love how the author delves into the positives and negatives of it. I also love the dancing element. From the practices to the final competition, the dancing is so exciting and fun, and the chemistry between Evie and X shines in these scenes. Their dates and moments with friends are also endearing and show a deep connection growing between Evie and X.

One of my favorite parts of most books is the romance, and I adored this aspect of the novel. Though the story focuses on and I loved the budding romance between Evie and X, I was also captivated by some of the other romances in the story. X’s grandparents, for example, had an epic, long-lasting, and beautiful love story, and Evie’s parent’s both experienced new love. I definitely think there are strong messages throughout the book about different kinds of love (new love, unrequited love, long-lasting love, etc.) and embracing love.

Instructions for Dancing is a great book about growing up, healing, friendship, and learning to let go of things you can’t control. Messages of living in the moment, embracing love, and forgiveness are also explored. I didn’t expect it to be such an emotional read for me, but it was. It’s cute and charming and little bit devastating, and I may have cried on more than one occasion while reading the book. I definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy contemporary YA romance and am so thankful to NetGalley, Nicola Yoon, and The Write Reads for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to #TheWriteReads and Penguin for making this book available to me as part of the blog tour!

This is the first Nicola Yoon book that I have ever read and it is good that I am definitely going to be reading her other books.

We follow Evie Thomas who has lost all hope in love since she found out the reason her parents got a divorce. It seems to her that everyone (her mother, sister and even father) have gotten over the divorce and she is the only one still holding on and dealing with her loss of faith in love. She decides to get rid of all her romance novels. All the books have built her standard of love and romance. Contemporary and Paranormal genre romances that she used to enjoy, no longer hold importance or even spark hope in her anymore. She takes all her books and donates them to the little library in her town. That is when she meets an old lady who advises her to pick up a book title "Instructions for Dancing". A book that illustrates dance sequences.
When she gets back home and see her sister, Danica and her boyfriend kissing she is instantly thrust into a vision. A vision of how their romance started and how it ends. She is immediately fazed and when her sister tells her later that she had broken up with her boyfriend just the way she saw in her vision, she knew immediately that something was wrong.
When she gets back to school, she tells her friend Martin about her vision and he is immediately intrigued. He suggests that her visions have something to do with the elusive old woman she met at the Little Free Library. He suggests that she follows the instructions on the book and visit the dance studio whose address was on the book.
This leads her to La Brea Dance, a small dance studio that specialized in group and private ballroom dance lessons. (to avoid enticing spoilers) She is enrolled in a dance competition with a handsome guy, X. X is adventurous, daring, passionate with a philosophy to say yes to everything including entering a ballroom dance competition with a girl he just met because his grandparents asked him to.
In learning to dance together, they had to get to know each other. Once she got to know X and how he viewed the world and his presence in it, she started to think about her new gift and how it has made her see love differently. How she had let her new gift hold her from believing in love. When they finally kissed and she saw what the future had in store for them she is heartbroken and she returns to her shell. The love she has for X has sadness and pain at the end, she could see that but was she willing to spend the time she had with him now mourning for the end of their love. Mourning for the end of them. She is faced with the sudden fear of losing the NOW because of the FUTURE.
The ending definitely made me cry and made me mad at the same time but the fact that she came to the understanding, that will things might last forever, it is better to enjoy things at the moment so that you can reflect upon them in the future.

A adorable and emotional read!

I adored the dancing element of this one and all the characters! Some great representation.

Evie’s character development throughout the book was well done and I liked seeing her thoughts on love change throughout the book.

Wasn’t a huge fan of the ending but I get why the author went that route and the romance was a little too rushed for me but it was still very cute.

Overall it’s just as great as Yoon’s other books!