If the sentence, “Rachel Lynn Solomon non-consensually probed my brain and wrote this book about her findings,” doesn’t show just how relatable of a story she created, then you are just going to have to trust me.
Today Tonight Tomorrow is a romance between two academic rivals, but it takes place over one day, the last day of senior year, which means every moment is wrapped in nostalgia and “one last time”s.
Rowan Roth is determined to beat Neil McNair in everything. The most pressing title being valedictorian. So, when she finds out that he won that race, she is determined to try and get one more win before her high school career is over.
That win being the last person standing in an assassin game/scavenger hunt throughout the city of Seattle. The story takes place all around town while the main characters take pictures in places like Pike Place Market, Kerry Park, the Fremont Troll, and more.
Rachel Lynn Solomon wrote this book as a love letter to the city she grew up in, so some of the scavenger hunt locations do not exist anymore or are ever changing, but that doesn’t mean Seattle has lost any personality.
Rowan as a character is one of the most real book characters I’ve ever read. She’s very academic but it’s mostly out of spite rather than a sort of perfectionist complex. Both her and Neil have their awkward moments, but in a regular fashion. They aren’t particularly shy or lacking in social skills, they are just regular teenagers.
The two have had previous relationships; they have a close group of friends but everyone and everything feels so realistic. Rowan has a bit of tension between her two friends; Neil has some parental issues; the two have realistic character flaws.
The two main characters are also nerds. Neil is a Star Wars fan and is a geek for all things words. He can speak a few romance languages and studies others as well. He nerds out about certain words, what they mean, and is a lover of proper punctuation.
Rowan loves romance books and wants to be a romance author one day. Though, she keeps her love quiet from her family and friends because they make fun of her interest in the genre.
There is quite a bit of representation as well. Rowan and Neil are both Jewish, they end up having a Shabbat dinner at Rowan’s house, and talk about antisemitism. Rowan is Mexican, too. Rowan’s two friends are in a LGBT relationship.
The characters are also unconventional in looks. Rowan briefly comments on her pear-shaped figure, and her curls that can’t be tamed along with her bangs that won’t stay put. Neil is insecure about his freckles, and that he blushes easily, both a product of his redheaded genes.
They all seem real.
Of course, spoiler alert, Rowan and Neil end up together in the end, but that’s actually not where their story stops. They are going to different colleges, albeit only four hours away from each other, but they are going to have to navigate the East Coast and how to start their adult lives.
Today Tonight Tomorrow is a great quick read and a real fun time. It highlights the city of Seattle in a way only a local would know. Can’t go wrong with a little romantic read for spring.
