Past Present Future is a sequel to Today Tonight Tomorrow. You need to read the first book to fully appreciate this one.

Rowan and Neil get together on the last day of their senior year, officially ending four years of intense academic (and occasionally immature) rivalry. They have one glorious summer together, but college plans had been made before their initial hookup and they will be attending two different universities. The good news is that Boston, where Rowan will be, and New York, where Neil is going, are actually fairly close. The bad news is that there is enough distance between them that, given their packed schedules, they will still have only minimal time together. Fortunately, modern life includes things like phones and sexting.

The start of their university lives are very different. Rowan has an absentee roommate who is almost never in their dorm. Skyler, with whom Neil shares his space, is as warm as a fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookie. On the other hand, Neil finds his classes less than enjoyable, while Rowan bonds with an absolutely amazing professor. In between making new friends and figuring out what they want to do with their lives, they discover the joys of commuting on the East Coast, exploring new cities together, the wonders of oral sex, and just how much you can miss someone you no longer see every day. Then Neil’s father reaches out, and a part of his life Neil thought he left behind in Washington suddenly starts to play an outsized role in the fresh start he is making.

I’m not going to say too much about the plot because those who read that first story and are down for this second installment will want to discover everything for themselves. I will say that the author gets full points for continuity. I read the novels within a week of each other, and the characters’ behaviors, attitudes, and personalities seamlessly transition from one book to the next. We do see (well-explained) growth, but we never get broadsided by actions that are inexplicable or worse, contrary to the people we were initially introduced to.

Who they are is bright, capable white Jewish suburbanites who’ve lived typical, genuine middle-class lives. Rowan had to work in order to afford a car, and Neil’s family struggled a bit to get by on just his mom’s salary, but they live in safe neighborhoods in decent houses with steady meals, plenty of clothes, their own rooms and all the usual trappings you have when you’re not rich but you’re not exactly broke either. They aren’t the most beautiful or most popular kids, but they have good relationships with their families (except for Neil and his dad), good friends, and a loving relationship with each other. Neil is a tiny bit nerdy with his deep love of Star Wars (he nicknamed Rowan “Artoo”), and Rowan loves romances and is defensive about it, but the author does a lovely job of making them both very ordinary and very interesting.

I also loved how positively young love is portrayed. Right now, people are increasingly skeptical about anything lasting, especially couples/partners, but Solomon does a great job of showing us a relationship that works.

The primary conflict beyond the bumps of the expected adjustments to this era of their lives is the issue surrounding Neil’s father. Neil has been to therapy in the past due to all the trauma caused by his dad, and has been able to put most of his angst surrounding this to rest, bug he finds himself reliving it when his father manages to get back in touch. I struggled a bit with this portion of the tale because there isn’t sufficient exploration of the instigating events and the personalities behind them to explain everyone’s (especially Neil’s) reactions.

For many people, the term ‘entitled’ evokes the idea of someone wealthy and privileged, but in psychological terms, it means someone who has pervasive feelings of deservingness. Rowan and Neil both display that trait a fair bit in this novel. They have no sense of how fortunate they are or that even though they might not have everything they want they have more than many, many others do. I hate to sound old, but here goes: this is typical of the young in any time period, so not a big deal, even if it can be a tad annoying at times.

Those quibbles aside, Past Present Future will delight its intended audience. Those who haven’t read the first book and are a fan of teen/NA romance should definitely take a look at Today Tonight Tomorrow. It’s a lovely work that sets this one up perfectly.

I loved Today Tonight Tomorrow so much and Rowan and Neil are two of my favorite YA MCs. When I saw PPF announced I was worried I might feel different about them after reading it. But Rachel proved me wrong, I love the, even more now.
She did a fantastic job with this follow up, it felt so natural and smooth. Her writing of Rowan and Neil growing and strengthening each other and their relationship felt very real.
My only problem was the beginning felt slow but after sticking with it I was back in the world with Rowan and Neil.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, and Rachel Lynn Solomon for the ARC for my honest review.

Absolutely adored this continuation of the Today, Tonight, Tomorrow story. Would highly recommend to any library to purchase. Incredibly representation, and I felt like the story was an excellent and natural follow-up. It is definitely a bridge book, with the characters being 19/20, I would recommend it to any older-YA looking for a great entry in the "almost adult but not quite" genre. Loved.

“You’ve been important to me for years…The distance isn’t going to change that.”

When I tell you that the original story of Rowan and Neil, Today Tonight Tomorrow, is one of my all-time favorite YA stories … no, scratch that. One of my all-time favorite books in general, I’m not kidding you. So when I found out there was going to be a sequel, I could not wait. I was up in Rachel’s DMs squealing in excitement and likely scaring her away—but I couldn’t help it, because I was simply too excited to return to the wholesomeness that is Rowan and Neil.

I’m honestly not sure if I’ve ever read about two characters who feel so real to me. Rachel Lynn Solomon manages to do this with all of her books, but these two particular characters hit my heart in just the right way that they feel incomparable.

While book one covers their last days in high school through a scavenger hunt that takes them throughout Seattle, this book, Past Present Future, follows them through their first year of college. Through the ups and the downs, the imposter syndrome and loneliness, the trials and tribulations that come from a new environment, new friends, and a long distance relationship.

“It reminded me why I prefer romance: because even if your heart gets broken along the way, the author always promises to repair it by the end.”

This book was eerie for me, personally, because Rachel somehow managed to write my life story. I attended Emerson in hopes of becoming a published author. I dealt with depression, a long distance relationship that was far from easy, imposter syndrome, and a struggle with creative inspiration. I questioned transferring, changing majors—all of the above. This book felt like Rachel tapped into my brain and wrote my early college life. And while I don’t largely look back on that part of my life fondly, this book is nostalgic in the absolute best of ways.

“The romantic part isn’t just falling in love…it’s staying in love, too.”

If I can convince you to read a single young adult contemporary romance book, I urge you to pick up this two-book series. The first one is YA while this one is more new adult, but either way, I cannot recommend them enough. I will forever be wishing Rowan and Neil were real and in my own friend group. I will wish for more of them in the future even if it never happens. And I will reread their story for many years to come, because it’s just THAT good.

Tropes:
- Long distance relationship
- After the “happily for now”
- Sequel
- Mental illness representation
- Dual POV
- College setting (Boston, Massachusetts + NYC)

An absolutely lovely, if not more grown up follow up to one of my all-time favorites! I loved revisiting Neil and Rowan, and to see them grow and mature, both separately and together.

Thank you to the publishing team for the review copy! What a gentle treasure, a sequel to a book that maybe was complete in and of itself but now has a welcome follow up, one that asks the big questions as to what happened next. What happens when two overachieving, but talented and caring, teens find each other at high school graduation only to then move away to start college separately? This book nicely expands on the Today Tonight Tomorrow universe by exploring the complexity of going away to college, the worries and pressures associated with that shift, and the push/pull of a long distance relationship and perhaps the push/pull of their past selves/family at home (which I thought was very well handled for Neil's story and I appreciated that). The story is about Neil and Rowan's relationship but also about each of them as individuals, which I appreciated.

For me this book is a standout because RLS firmly places us in the world of Neil and Rowan without pandering to YA tropes or making the story seem trite simply because they MCs are young. She instead values their age, their stories and explores developmentally relevant relationships, fears, and worries with care and respect. I loved the voices she gave to Rowan and Neil in the first book and here she lets them grow and expand out of their high school shells, just as they did in TT&T, and moves them into the next steps of the young adult lives.

True rating if partial stars allowed: 4.5
Rachel Lynn Solomon scores again! Regardless of whether she is writing YA or Adult characters, her books are unputdownable. I discovered Today Tonight Tomorrow long after its initial release. I fell in love with RLS when I read The Ex Talk and went looking for more books of hers that I could read. Neil and Rowan immediately had my heart and I was so excited to learn they would be getting a sequel.
RLS handled these beloved characters with so much care and heart as they navigated the challenges of a long-distance, relatively new relationship amidst all the changes and challenges of starting college. I loved that we got real glimpses of what freshman year was like for Neil at NYU and Rowan at Emerson. The colleges and classes felt different and unique (as they would in real life) so it didn't feel like they could be having the same experiences if they were at the same school. This book filled me with nostalgia as I recalled starting college myself (ages ago) and living in NYC (for grad school) and suddenly being apart from beloved family and friends who were part of daily life in high school. I was biting my nails and flipping pages with abandon as Neil and Rowan navigated their own life hurdles and those of their relationship. I don't want to say too much, lest I accidentally spoil something, but this book is a fabulous sequel to Today Tonight Tomorrow and also a wonderful book in and of itself. Thank you so much to Simon Teen and Netgalley for this review copy. Thank you to Mr. RLS (Ivan) for encouraging the creation of the beautiful epilogue. And thank you to Rachel Lynn Solomon for writing such amazing stories!

this is 100% a “what happens next” romance for everyone wondering if rowan and neil stay together after their book, TODAY TONIGHT AND TOMORROW! and … I didn’t really think it was needed… 😅

I feel like I have an unpopular opinion here, but I’m firmly a team don’t ruin a good thing girlie!! some stories just don’t need a sequel because they were so wonderful on their own - and I definitely felt that about rowan and neil! their enemies to lovers story was so raw and open for a YA type novel that I didn’t have a doubt they would work it out in the future!

the continuation of their story follows them through their first year of college and dealing with the struggles of a long-distance relationship. and while I absolutely loved the realness of the positives AND negatives of a long-distance relationship, I just felt like nothing really happened to further their relationship.

I did enjoy the exploration of how college and independence changes people (such as adapting new passions, making friends, struggling the work-life balance), and my favorite parts were with neil coming to terms with his relationship with his father and himself simultaneously!!

for a YA novel, this was very character forward and emotionally heavy - and while I did enjoy it, the whole thing felt unnecessary to me 🤷🏼‍♀️

a big thank you to netgalley and simon and schuster for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!!!

rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: california brut sparkling wine

Tropes: 
❤️Enemies to lovers
🧡High school romance
💛Long distance relationship
💚Mental health rep
💙LGBTQ+ rep
💜TW: mentions of domestic abuse

Summary:
Their past made them rivals. In present time they’re working together to make their long distance relationship work. Whats in their future? It took them 24 hours to fall in love with each other. They’ve spend the summer together before they have to go their separate ways for college.
Rowan will be in Boston and Neil will be in New York. Rowan is trying to find the spark in her writing that she previously had in high school. Being an overachiever, she wants to impress her creative writing professor but struggling to find her voice again. Neil had a brief issue in finding where he belongs but is grateful to find a small group of friends he clicks with. His past won’t leave him alone though and struggles to cope with it, resulting in a dip in his mental health and in return, making it difficult to talk to Rowan.
They’ve spend years being rivals but can they work as a team to get their happily ever after?

My thoughts:
I completely devoured this duology! I read both books in less than a week which is FAST for me. I’m usually not a fan of YA romances but these just hit different. I enjoyed learning about the Jewish community and loved that it played different roles for both of the MCs. The buildup to the relationship between Rowan and Neil was perfect. Their struggles both separately and together were presented well. Loved the representation of mental health and the LGBTQ+ community. Today Tonight Tomorrow and Past Present Future were such a fun and heartwarming experience!

Both books are available NOW! 🥰

In Today Tonight Tomorrow, high school rivals Rowan Roth and Neil McNair spend the last day of their high school senior year exploring Seattle, besting their classmates one last time in a game of Howl, and possibly falling in love. After a summer of perfect moments, it's time for them to embark on their next journey of life - flying across the country for their first year of college. With Rowan in Boston studying creative writing, and Neil in New York as a linguistics major, the two must work harder than ever to ensure that their relationship stands the test of time and distance. On top of that, both are undergoing a crisis of identity when realizing their futures are not as crystal clear as they once thought, and as a part of his past comes back to haunt Neil he must work on allowing himself to be vulnerable and letting people in.

I absolutely adored Today Tonight Tomorrow when I read it in 2020. I thought it might have been a bit of my early pandemic-brain giving it five stars, but after a recent re-read to prepare for the sequel, it certainly does stand up to the test of time in my eyes. And with the additional dual-perspective added for Past Present Future, it was tough deciding which book I loved more (good thing I don't actually have to choose). There is so much to love about this book, so I'll try to keep my gushing to a minimum (but just know I couldn't put it down and cried several times throughout my read). Rachel Lynn Solomon captured the first year college experience so well - being away from home on your own for the first time, not knowing if your roommate is actively avoiding you or just has an opposite schedule, being too overwhelmed by the amount of extracurricular options you just don't join any in the end, underestimating how long it'll take you to get to class on the first day, and, most importantly, finally being able to study what you've always dreamed of and it... disappointing you in ways you never could have imagined. We get to see Neil and Rowan struggle to figure out who they are as individuals, small fish in bigger ponds than their singular Seattle high school, and also how to be a long distance couple when it seems like almost all their classmates had ended their relationships before / after graduation. It was really cool getting to see both Rowan and Neil's inner thoughts as they're constantly questioning different aspects of their lives, but the one thing that seemingly never falters is the fact that they love each other, and want to work to make their relationship as solid as it can be. And without going into too much detail about Neil's story specifically, I felt for him so much throughout the course of his freshman year journey. It seemed like every time he made progress something came up that knocked him down a few pegs and sent his mind spiraling to thoughts he didn't know how to properly handle on his own. I appreciated the focus on acknowledging when you need help understanding how to parse through your emotions and being able to talk to your loved ones when situations are affecting you. We love good mental health representation in this household. When I reached that epilogue and was hit with the header "three years later," I knew I was coming to the end of Neil and Rowan's story, and while I am sad to see it ending I am incredibly appreciative of how things their journeys have collectively come to an end.

In conclusion, Today Tonight Tomorrow remains one of my favorite YA novels, and its sequel Past Present Future has solidified its place on that list. It's a duology full of heart, family, friends, love, self-discovery, and a lot of emotion, and I would not have it any other way. I can't wait to meet Rachel Lynn Solomon at Steamy Lit Con this August, so I can tell her just how much these books, as well as many of her adult romances, mean to me. Past Present Future releases on June 4th, 2024, which is (hopefully) the day this post goes live, so please join me in wishing it a happy book birthday and consider picking up a copy (and its prequel) if you're interested. *Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Simon & Schuster BYR, for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

I loved Today, Tonight, Tomorrow so I was super excited to receive this ARC and read it! I loved being able to revisit Rowan and Neil, and see how they have grown as characters, strengthened their bond despite distance, and how they navigated life as adults.

I think the portrayal of what young couples experience in terms of ups and downs was very vulnerable and real, and overall very accurate. Additionally, I really appreciated how this book touched on the adjustment from high school to college, and how out of place one can feel in terms of the work load, personal struggles, and academic challenges. I think this book was the perfect sequel and was so heartwarming!

Today Tonight Tomorrow was one of my favorite books. When Rachel announced the sequel I was so excited, I could not wait to revisit Neil and Rowan. This book navigated the real life scenarios of long-distance college relationships, it was raw and real. It showed the ups and the downs of what couples go through and their transition into the college life. It also delved into their personal struggles with college and how different it is from high school. Rachel has done it once again, I absolutely loved this sequel. I was so happy to be able to read more about Neil and Rowan and see them live their happily ever after once more.

I loved this! It was such an authentic story of the vulnerabilities people face during that first year of a relationship. It's hard to navigate a new relationship as well the new life in a new place. College alone is difficult, especially that first year.

I thought Rachel did an amazing job of balancing the character development of each Rowan and Neil while also portraying the obstacles they were facing in their new environments. I love them so much and am so glad we got to see them again!

100% recommend!

I am a Rachel Lynn Solomon fan, having discovered her through The Ex Talk and her adult reads, so I'm relatively new to Rowan and Neil - I read Today Tonight Tomorrow last weekend and Past Present Future immediately after because I had to know what happens!

This is a book I wish I had during my own college days. Those were times I haven't thought about in a long time but Past Present Future brought it back. I also went across the country for school and knew no one and had to figure out how to make a life for myself fairly quickly. Reading through how Rowan and Neil separately approached this was really wonderful. I especially loved the friendship between Neil and his roommate.

As for Rowan, I loved the storyline of her losing her way a bit, as her achiever/perfectionist nature nearly kept her from evolving (I identified with this hard!)

The theme of mental health was excellently handled here. I was also blown away by the pretty great relationship advice coming through - it's something I believe deeply in - about how being part of a couple shouldn't keep you from growing and changing and that you can have things that are just "you" things and not "couple" things and that that is healthy!

My clueless college self could have been spared a lot of angst and pain if I'd had this as a bit of a blueprint and it is my hope that young folks who need this story will find this book. 5⭐️

I was obsessed with Today, Tonight, and Tomorrow and was excited for the sequel! We don’t usually get to see life after the happily ever after, so that was refreshing.

Rowan and Neil are back it and still together! This book brings us through the very real life, and totally relatable, things that happen to high school turned college relationships.

I loved how this was a mix of sweet and emotional moments.

I was quite excited for this sequel since I hoped for more of these characters I loved in the first book.

I must say that I didn't love it as much as the first. We still got to see the characters we loved, as well as some fun new additions. My biggest complaint is how slow the first half was...if you are impatient, this may not be the book for you.

However, if you can get through the slow pace, the book definitely gets better. I loved that we got to see the characters in more real life situations, including exploring Neil's struggle with his mental health.

All in all, I still enjoyed the characters and the story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🔥🔥

I have to say, this felt completely different from Today Tonight Tomorrow! TTT was cute, fun, and lighthearted with SE good underlying messages. In Past Present Future, the mood is more somber. The high schoolers have headed off to college, and this sequel has swerved into adult territory, with full open door spice and heavier themes. While the book is about navigating a new (and now long distance) relationship, to me the highlight was the focus on our MMCs journey recognizing and learning to manage his mental health. In fact, I found myself not caring much for the long distance romance side of the story (asid from hoping things worked out), and only wanting to read for Neil's self discovery and growth.

Rowan and Neil's struggle to keep up/explore the physical side of their relationship long distance, while realistic, was a little more cringe for me than anything else.

Although this wasn't a total hit for me, it had some great things going for it, and I liked how things were wrapped up in the end!

+ healthy conversation
+ adulting
+ making friends
+ boston/nyc
+ angst
+ boundaries

While I prefer Rachel's adult romances, these still checked the marks for the things I love best about her writing: realistic, unglamorous, sweet romance.

They're back! Rowan and Neil are back!!!

What I loved about the book:
1. I loved the struggles they both went through, the things they learned about themselves, the majors they thought they wanted but ended up finding something that intrigued them more. This whole story did a wonderful job encapsulating the college experience, from those first day jitters, to the minute experiences you have with people who you won’t remember one day, to the hardships you endure along the way. I loved how there were highs and lows for BOTH of them, because that is life, especially when you’re trying to figure out what the hell you want to do with yours.

2. I loved Neil’s dormmate Skyler and his ex-girlfriend Adhira. I loved that he was a fuckboy in high school who didn’t take their (3 week?) relationship seriously, and now thinks years later that she was the best thing he ever screwed up. This is one of my favorite tropes and I selfishly want a book for them next!

3. I loved that they struggled with intimacy and had to work to get it right. Neil researching online how to give her pleasure in different ways, going to a sex shop to get supplies, and even talking with his roommate about needing to communicate about it with her were just key book boyfriend moments for me.

4. I loved the entire premise that we get to see the “after the HEA”, and with one of the YA romance world’s favorite couples no less.

5. I loved all the references to Jewish philosophers and psychologists, as well as how prevalent the Jewish practices and community was in the entire story. It wasn’t a focal point per se, but it definitely was emphasized.

6. The take on mental health and depression was heavy but perfect. Watching the thoughts that would spiral, the oversleeping, and the overall lethargy embrace our MC was very powerfully done. I also loved the recovery and how it was done for them without using the other as a crutch ❤️

7. I loved that we got to see 2 more scavenger hunts, given that was the driving force in book one!

What I wasn't a fan of:
1. While they did have a lot of page time together, and there were a lot of sweet moments, I felt this book was a little heavy at times. I get it, it’s about a time in life with arguably the most anxiety, and that was captured well, but a bit more sweetness woven in would have gone a long way for me personally.

2. There were some areas where the formatting was difficult to follow, primarily when it came to flyers and some of the text messages within the chapter, as opposed to the texts at the end of the chapter where it was more of an image. This made it a little difficult to follow along at times.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, and Rachel Lynn Solomon for the opportunity to read a copy of this book. The thoughts and opinions expressed above are honest and my own.

I don’t think there is a sequel to a book that I have loved more. This continuation of Rowan and Neil’s journey was absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking and just everything.

Long distance is so damn hard and it is written perfectly as well as depression and some of the ways it can make some one feel. It just is so brilliantly done.

This one is definitely not YA like the last one. It’s evolved like the characters into a more new adult, because you get some steam, which is amazing. I couldn’t get enough of these two. I seriously binged this one. It made me feel everything. And my heart is so full after finishing it. I seriously have tears in my eyes because how much I loved it.

If you want a book that just has so much soul and depth and rawness of an incredible journey of life then this is the book for you. Highly recommend.

Feeling so lucky that we get to come back to Rowan and Neil's world!

Not to flex, but I've known about this sequel for a few years *flips hair* and I was so excited to see where the next journey with these two beloved characters might take us. Theres's something so magical about getting to revisit these lived-in characters and their world, and it was a special homecoming for me as a reader.

I love Rachel's writing, and she is so thoughtful in her craft about representation and sex positivity, and I appreciate that so much. And I love that we get to experience an AFTER the HFN story, where we see a relationship through the difficulties after the fade-to-black of their initial love story. There is so much depth here, especially with Neil's backstory and struggles.

The only issue I had with this book is that it felt like the only thing moving the plot forward was the school year timeline. It felt like there wasn't much plot conflict -- there were, of course, emotional and social struggles for each of the characters, but otherwise, it didn't feel like much was *happening.* That made it feel slow for most of the book. A small part of me felt like we could've done without this book, tbh. If it ain't broken, you know? But also, I'm never going to complain about more Rachel Lynn Solomon, so!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.