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.

I will read anything Rachel Lynn Solomon writes! The first book I read of hers was Today Tonight Tomorrow and I will admit I was hesitant to dive into this sequel because T3 ended so perfectly in my opinion. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much heart was poured into this novel. Solomon always manages to capture realism in her romances that I don't see in other books and this was no exception. I felt so many of Rowan and Neil's struggles myself when I started college and this book nearly brought me to tears at least three times. 5/5, highly recommend both this and T3.

4.25⭐️ Rowan & Neil are back and this book gave me all the feels 🥹🫶🏻

This was a beautiful, albeit quite sad and emotionally intense sequel to Today Tonight Tomorrow. It follows Rowan & Neil through their first year of college as they work through their long distance relationship and personal identities being away from home for the first time. A lot of similar themes and issues make their appearance in the sequel, as well as new topics around mental health, which I really appreciated.

I love these characters so much, and I enjoyed watching them mature and grow together. Did I mention it had such a sweet HEA? ❤️

Overall an enjoyable read and I would recommend to those who enjoyed TTT!

Today Tonight Tomorrow was a book that took me by surprise in such a pleasant way. I loved Rowan's and Neil's story and remember wishing we'd get more with these two characters. The author ended up answering my wishes with Past Present Future. I was so excited when I was approved for an eARC and it took me about a week to read, because I just didn't want it to end.

We start off near the end of the summer right before Rowan and Neil head off to college. They've just been together a few months and will be starting a whole new part of their lives. This aspect of the story felt so realistic. Leaving home, meeting new people, starting classes that will hopefully help you towards the career you want. This can be overwhelming and complicated and the author didn't try to make this prettier than it is. Of course, both of are characters enjoy some of the aspects of starting college, but there are some difficulties. We get a dual POV which was so nice, because we really experienced everything both of our main characters were going through. Neil also deals with some things from his childhood and struggles and I appreciated that the author didn't make this magically go away. He really worked at it.

On top of starting school, Rowan and Neil are also dealing with a long distance relationship. Both of them are really missing each other, but really try and make it work. Phone calls, visits, texting are all things used to keep on communicating, but we also see that it's hard. What I did love was that they communicated. I loved that both of them opened up to how they were feeling. This isn't something we always see in romances in books, so it was a pleasant surprise. I do feel like this romance leans more to new adult than young adult, but I was definitely a fan!

I really could talk about this book all day! It's definitely one that hit me in all the feels and the epilogue left a smile on my face. Rachel Lynn Solomon proved to me again why she's one of my auto buy authors.

My full review will be posted on https://thebookdutchesses.com on June 8th.

5 stars

It’s been nearly a year since I read Today Tonight Tomorrow, and as someone who forgets everything that happens as soon as I shut the book, I was expecting to have no clue what happened going into this. I was wrong, blessfully, and it took the entirety of one line before I remembered Rowan and Neil’s chemistry together.

Past Present Future takes place the summer after their senior year, where they confessed their love for each other in just twenty-four hours. Now, they’re going off to different colleges and trying to make their long-distance relationship work.

Rowan and Neil are one of my favorite couples because I have a soft spot for academic rivals, but also because I fell in love with how their chemistry still jumped off the page even though phone calls, texts, and the occasional visit. I was scared going into this from the blurb alone (any bttm fans here? Because that blurb is scaring me) but I’m so so happy that their love for each other is withstanding the tumultuous experiences of college.

Solomon takes us through each character’s respective journeys of self-discovery, new friendships, a new way of love, a bad case of writers’ block, and delving into the world that is adulthood, in this dual-pov sequel. I loved Rowan, as always (I too, have been faced with many a bout of writers’ block), and I loved Neil so so so much too (especially with his mental health rep). The romance was fantastic and justttt a little spicy, but not so much that it breaches into new adult romance.

If it’s not clear yet: I. LOVED. IT. SOOOO MUCH. And now I will be crying because I need more of them (I’ll just have to settle for rereading forever now).

Smart, witty, and charming. Long distance relationships and college struggles, something everyone can relate to in one way or another. This book was so relatable in a way that can only be expressed as insanely specific shared experiences i personally faced in my younger years. I thought this book did a beautiful job of showing mental health in an appropriate but serious tone without glorification. Fantastic read for any young adult reader!

Rowan and Neil have my entire heart and soul, hands down. I didn't think I could love something more than Today Tonight Tomorrow, but Past Present Future is just as special (if not more) of a book for me. The character development between the two of them is immaculate and I loved seeing them in their respective college spaces. I saw pieces of myself in each character and found myself incredibly emotional at various points in the book. I also love the Jewish representation as always, and something about the way Rachel wrote those tidbits had me feeling seen in ways I didn't expect. Also, the writing just felt relatable and comforting. I not only see myself in Rowan and Neil, but I see parts of my life in their journey and relationship and that was really special to witness. Also, the way she wrote intimacy had me reeling in the best way. It was so well done and I felt that the chemistry and closeness were unmatched. Everything was done so beautifully and I can't get enough of these characters and their love story. I loved everything about this book. Thank you to Simon and Schuster for sending me a copy to read and review!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Simon & Shuster for allowing me to read this amazing book early.

This book immediately picks up after the events of Today Tonight Tomorrow, which I decided to give a re-read to before I picked up this book. Rowan and Neil have easily became my perfect book couple, and I wanted to jump into this book and protect them at all cost. I loved that this book had different POVs and we went deep into the minds of Rowan and Neil having different college experiences. Even though this book is geared as YA, I felt this book was geared more towards the higher end of the YA age and do not expect the same vibes as Today Tonight Tomorrow. Where that book is more on the fun and cheesy, this book is tends to deal with more adult situations. It's very sex positive, and very mental health heavy where I suggest looking up trigger warnings before picking this up. I think Rachel Lynn Solomon handed all this hard topics really well and makes it very realistic in terms of long distance relationships, going through your freshman year of college, and having to change your aspect of life because everything is different from when you were in high school. It's like Rachel decided to give these characters a bit more of an adult development since we grew up with these characters also. I personally loved Neil's POV a bit more. For me, he had the most character development between the two and loved that we got more of him since we were only able to get Rowan's side of the story during the first book. Overall, I absolutely loved this book. It definitely hit home with a few aspects of the story, and it was a tough read. I will definitely be recommending this duology to anyone who asks.

I am so so so grateful this book exists.

5 stars. I have so much praise to give this wonderful book. Rachel Lynn Solomon perfectly encapsulates what it's like for an over achiever to be a college freshmen, surrounded by other people who are just as good.

Rowan's college experience rings so true for so many and I think it was so important to document and to share so others know they're not alone with these feelings.

Neil's experience is not a unique one either, but I'm so glad it's been published into an accessible book for others to read. Neil's depression helped me feel not so alone.

Rachel handled these two's young people's experiences so beautifully and did justice to the original content and characters.

I can safely say Rowan Roth and Neil McNair will be in my heart until the end of time.

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 love Rachel Lynn Solomon’s books. I love her adult romances and have really come to think of her as one of my favorite YA authors as well.

I loved the idea/theme of this book. It reminded me of my college experience and I was happy to see a different view point that isn’t the cookie cutter perfect freshman college experience.

It was a little spicier for YA tbh, maybe more NA. This author is always very sex positive as well as good at portraying mental health. These are things I always look forward to while reading.

It really was a cute sequel to Today Tonight Tomorrow. I kept wanting to read it. Love short chapters!

📖 The Details
Past Present Future by Rachel Lynn Solomon

⏱️ Quick Summary
The sequel to Today Tonight Tomorrow, this book follows Rowan and Neil after they head off to separate colleges and navigate their new lives long-distance.

💁‍♀️ My Take
Hmm, I'm not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, I love revisiting characters and seeing them work through even more life together. But also, maybe it had just been too long since I read TTT that I wasn't super connected with Rowan + Neil and their stories this time. It was GREAT writing (as always), and I think it was a very real and relatable take on going away to college, especially with a long-distance SO. Just Ok - 3.5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This is the third or fourth book I have read by Rachel Lynn Solomon, however, because this is a YA book and I am almost 26, I do realize I am not the key demographic targeted for this book. I thought this one was super cute. I really love the chemistry between Rowan and Neil and I was rooting for them the whole time. I was also lucky enough to receive a physical copy and an ebook widget, thanks to Alex at Simon and Schuster! This book is a quick, adorable and fun summer read, perfect to pack into your beach bag! I loved this book!

Read if you like
Rachel Lynn Solomon
Lynn Painter


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Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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I can’t remember exactly when I read the first book, Today, Tonight, Tomorrow. However, I remember being utterly charmed by the enemies to lovers trope, the yearbook confession, and most of all, the pure joy and fun that the Howl hunt created for the readers. Therefore, upon discovering that there was impending sequel, I re-read that novel in order to prepare myself for this one.

Unfortunately, the charm that Today, Tonight, Tomorrow possessed seemed elusive in its sequel. Don’t get me wrong— I enjoyed Past Present Future. However, the conflicts that the protagonists face and the inner turmoil with which they grapple as they progress through their respective first year of college, apart, held a weight that was not present whatsoever in the first novel. As such, I think part of my inability to get through this novel as easily (I stopped reading at several points and even started skimming, looking for the fun) was because it was a very different kind of novel. Quite honestly, I never expected a sequel— the story told in Today, Tonight, Tomorrow doesn’t really translate to a series, as it encapsulates a particular feeling that we can’t really ever duplicate again, even under the best of circumstances. Given my lack of interest in a sequel, I should have expected to feel a bit let down. You know what though? That’s okay. Perhaps it’s because I can easily channel the excitement that graduating from high school creates, as I am around high school students every day as a teacher. However, I can’t as easily empathize with Rowan and Neil’s tribulations during their freshman year because I myself am past that point and have been in far more complicated and stressful situations.

Past Present Future cannot be read as easily by those who have not read the first novel. However, it deserves to stand on its own. Upon reading the novel in full, I appreciate the fact that it attempted to give its readers more of the story. I’m just not sure that story needed to be told.

6⭐️
This was ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL. I loved this so much, somehow more than the first one. I loved Rowan and Neil, and watching their relationship grow/change as they go through their first year at college doing a long-distance relationship. I laughed, I smiled, and I even shed a few tears. Watching Neil struggle after being diagnosed with depression was really heartbreaking to me, but also had a beautiful mental health representation. Watching both of them struggle in their respective majors resonated really well with me as a college student who has felt those struggles identical to them. I loved reading about these characters again. It made my heart so full and so happy, and I'm forever grateful to NetGalley for gifting me an early arc of this book. Please do yourself a favor and get your hands on this when it comes out on June 4th💙

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. Rowan and Neil have made it through high school but now their biggest challenge lies ahead - college. Sure, they’ll both be on the East Coast but in two different cities. Neil will be attending NYU while Rowan will be at Emerson in Boston. Though their love story is just beginning, can they make it through the stressfulness of Freshman year while maintain their relationship or will this be the end of them?

This book immediately picks up from where “Today, Tonight, Tomorrow” ended. The book takes us through Rowan and Neil’s freshman year, the difficulties both are experiencing while showcasing their relationship and the challenges there are to maintaining a long distance relationship. Rachel does a fantastic job of showcasing the supporting characters and giving them their place to shine while moving Rowan and Neil’s story along. I laughed, cried, wanted to throw this book across the room all while falling back in love with Rowan and Neil. Though I just finished it, I immediately want to reread this book. If you loved Today Tonight Tomorrow, then you’ll absolutely love this sequel. Highly recommend.

Published date: June 4, 2024

DNF @ 45%

I loved Today Tonight Tomorrow and was SO excited we were going to get to continue Rowan and Neil's story, but unfortunately this didn't work for me. The first book is so much action and tension - the plot is robust with the school scavenger hunt, and the enemies to lovers storyline is so much fun to watch unfold. This book shifts gears and I guess I would call it a coming of age story - it's Rowan and Neil each in their first year of college. There's no plot beyond just watching them navigate life at school and a long distance relationship. I'm usually fine with quieter stories, but I was just...so bored. There are some mental health pieces at play, but even that wasn't enough to keep my attention. It took me 10 days to get not even halfway in and I realized I was starting to attempt to speed read just to get through it, so I decided to cut my losses. It has really strong Goodreads rating so I definitely seem to be in the minority. I by no means hated it, but just couldn't get into it because of the lack of plot.

This is everything I hoped and expected that it would be! I loved getting Neil's POV in addition to Rowan's. I also loved how we got to see them each navigating their freshman years and the many challenges that comes with in their relationship and beyond. RLS captured those college feelings so well and I truly felt like I was transported back to my own distant college time.

The last half of this did get heavy, but like usual RLS handled the mental health representation so beautifully.

I would absolutely recommend this book to any fans of Today Tonight Tomorrow, and to anyone who hasn't read that one yet, now is the perfect time!