The sequel to Today Tonight Tomorrow is almost here! Rachel Lynn Solomon’s Past Present Future picks up only months after Rowan and Neil’s tumultuous last day of high school. Their rivals-to-lovers romance took place in a single day, and we finally get to find out what happens afterward.
Past Present Future follows our favorite lovebirds in their first year of college. Rowan’s studying at Emerson in Boston, while Neil’s at NYU in New York. They must navigate their new lives in new cities while also figuring out how to maintain their long-distance relationship. Plus, we get the story from both Rowan and Neil’s POV!
To make things even sweeter, we had the honor of interviewing Rachel Lynn Solomon herself! (Yes, we’re still fangirling.) Be sure to check out our exclusive author interview here!
Howl, THP Edition
Now, to celebrate the release of Past Present Future by Rachel Lynn Solomon, we’ve created our own version of the Howl scavenger hunt. Here are the clues if you want to follow along:
- Our favorite Rowan x Neil moment
- A callback to Today Tonight Tomorrow
- Our favorite side character
- Neil’s greenest flag
- A moment we related to Rowan/Neil most
- A place we want to visit in Boston/New York
(Spoiler alert: Our book review will reference some scenes and mention a few spoilers from Past Present Future. Please read at your discretion!)
Book Overview: Past Present Future
Content Warnings: depression, anxiety, mental breakdowns, childhood trauma, mention of domestic violence
Summary: When longtime rivals Rowan Roth and Neil McNair confessed their feelings on the last day of senior year, they knew they’d only have a couple months together before they left for college. Now summer is over, and they’re determined to make their relationship work as they begin school in different places.
In Boston, Rowan is eager to be among other aspiring novelists, learning from a creative writing professor she adores. She’s just not sure why she suddenly can’t seem to find her voice.
In New York, Neil embraces the chaos of the city, clicking with a new friend group more easily than he anticipated. But when his past refuses to leave him alone, he doesn’t know how to handle his rapidly changing mental health—or how to talk about it with the girl he loves.
Over a year of late-night phone calls, weekend visits, and East Coast adventures, Rowan and Neil fall for each other again and again as they grapple with the uncertainty of their new lives. They’ve spent so many years at odds with each other—now that they’re finally on the same team, what does the future hold for them?
Our Favorite Rowan X Neil Moment
One of our favorite Rowan x Neil moments is when they try sexting for the first time. We love this scene because of how well-written it is (while still keeping it YA) and how it normalizes sexting for any couple, not just long-distance ones. Reading this scene from Neil’s POV makes it even better because he’s getting past the awkwardness of what he should say to set the mood. Rowan keeps the conversation super smooth and sexy, and we couldn’t have asked for better representation for long-distance relationships.
Another classic Rowan x Neil moment that we play over in our brains is when they’re cuddled up on the couch watching The Last Jedi during winter break. This scene highlights the reasons we love them together so much. It’s safe and vulnerable, and at the end of the day, they care about being together. We also fully support forcing your partner to watch long movie franchises with you.
A Callback To Today Tonight Tomorrow
As we all remember, Today Tonight Tomorrow featured a scavenger hunt for the seniors. You’ll be pleased to know that Past Present Future also has one, only this time it’s not in Seattle. We love that Rowan and Neil can connect through this while in their new college lives. But we also can’t ever forget how the scavenger hunt made them fall in love in the first place. It would be downright criminal of us to create our own scavenger hunt and not mention this beautiful callback!
In Today Tonight Tomorrow, Neil writes a love confession in Rowan’s yearbook, which she doesn’t read until she sits on a Ferris wheel to get one of her last clues. So when we saw that Rowan wrote a similar love confession, we knew we had to include this callback. Near the end of Past Present Future, Rowan writes a still-in-love confession to Neil and sends it to New York(all while studying for finals). She doesn’t see how he reacts, but she also doesn’t expect the surprise she gets after sending her letter. That’s all we can say about it for now.
Our Favorite Side Character
There are a lot of new characters that we get to meet in Past Present Future. And if we’re being honest, we fell in love with so many of them! But none of them grabbed our hearts the way Neil’s roommate Skyler did. Skyler is the kind of friend everyone needs in their life. When Neil’s having a rough time, he gives him space while still finding ways to remind Neil he’s there for him.
We also fell in love with how he brought Neil into his life. From partying with his friend group and visiting his family on holidays or weekends, all the way to the ultimate frisbee game that gave Neil a black eye. He pushes Neil to get out of his comfort zone and embrace college while respecting and preserving the things that make Neil, Neil. Consider Skyler a new member of The Honey POP’s Side Character Wall Of Fame!
Neil’s Greenest Flag
Neil himself is arguably one of the greenest flags to have ever green flagged. But if we had to pick his greenest flag, it’d be how he prioritizes Rowan’s pleasure no matter what. Even when Rowan felt worried about her writing class and got distracted from the moment. Even when the second semester kept the two of them busier than before. Neil’s search history speaks for itself. He doesn’t let his lack of experience stop him. He educates himself first, searching things like “how to sext for beginners” and “how to maintain intimacy long distance relationship.” What a king.
A Moment We Related To Rowan/Neil Most
We think the most relatable moment with Rowan happened when her impostor syndrome peaked at Professor Everett’s house. In the first semester, Rowan struggled with establishing her voice. But she had submitted an assignment she finally felt positively about, and it didn’t have its intended effect. So when her creative writing class gathers at Professor Everett’s house in the second semester, Rowan breaks down and wonders if she’s even supposed to be in the class. We relate so much to the pressure we often put on ourselves and our writing. It’s important to give ourselves the grace to write “badly” before it can become good.
We also need to mention how relatable it was to see Neil battling with his mental health. Neil has always had demons he’s tried to shove down, most of which stem back to his incarcerated father. After receiving a letter from his dad while away at NYU, these thoughts and emotions consume him completely. He pushes his friends, family, and even Rowan away by asking for them to take a break. He inevitably realized that wasn’t the solution, but the entire process is one we relate to. And seeing a character actively and healthily process these emotions and life situations makes us feel seen on a whole other level.
A Place We Want To Visit In Boston/New York
One place that we need to see in Boston is the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. This gorgeous museum displays a collection of European, American, and Asian art pieces. Some of these include sculptures, paintings, furniture, ceramics, and textiles that are sure to spark inspiration. We can so see this being one of the places Rowan takes Neil whenever he visits her in Boston. And then we see her writing at this museum until the moment she graduates from Emerson.
Is it too on the nose if we choose the New York Public Library? Because we can definitely see our main characters becoming regulars at the main branch by the end of Past Present Future. Don’t worry; we won’t spill any more details! We are lifelong library lovers, and the New York Public Library is on our bucket list of places to visit in New York. The stunning architecture, the special collections, and the reading rooms make it the perfect place to study and write. Or, you know, to be a tourist.
Rachel Lynn Solomon’s Past Present Future has everything we could ask for in a sequel: lovable new characters, true-to-life experiences, and a healthy romance that lets us keep believing in love!
Past Present Future by Rachel Lynn Solomon is available June 4th, and you can preorder a copy of it here!
Did you enjoy our Howl scavenger hunt? What do you think of Past Present Future so far? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!
Want to hear some of our audiobook recommendations? Here’s the latest!
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