Article contributed by Zoë Leonarczyk
Enemies to lovers is a common trope and with good reason as they’re just so fun and the thrill of the never ending “will they, won’t they” question creates such anticipation while reading. Rachel Lynn Solomon’s Today, Tonight, Tomorrow takes the enemies to lovers trope and applies it to a witty and exciting story that takes place just over the course of 24 hours. That’s right, you get the best of both worlds with that push and pull from two opposing main characters throughout the story, but it’s also not taking them forever and a day to realise that they may be more similar than not.
The story starts off with Today, the last day of high school for Rowan Roth and Neil McNair. These two have spent the past four years competing with one another, so they know just how big their rivalry is. Think everything from battling to become valedictorian to trying to one up one another in gym class. So, it seems like the most unlikely thing ever when the two decide to pair up to beat out all the competition in the annual Howl scavenger game for the seniors. Yet the impossible becomes possible.
This leads up to the Tonight, will the two be able to set their differences aside long enough to beat out the competition? Or will they maybe find that they can have fun together when they’re not trying to one up one another. But this is also where I leave off on my brief overview, because it is up to you now to pick up the book and find out that if by Tomorrow Rowan and Neil can become something more than just high school rivals.
Rowan is a spit fire and not afraid to give it how it is, even if that means she has to admit to some faults of her own. She also has a great passion for romance novels and wants to write them in the future. The thing I actually loved most about Rowan is her name, I’ve grown so used to seeing/knowing males with the name that I really liked that it was applied to a female character. Neil is a red-haired awkward individual, but he has a love for linguistics and can be really witty (or infuriating, if it were up to Rowan to describe him). I really loved his love of linguistics because I’ve always been interested in the field, so it was really cute to see a character want to go into it.
Rowan is nervous about leaving Seattle, while Neil can’t wait to get out. Each of them portrays one side of how many teenagers feel upon graduation. That trepidation and temptation of the unknown. And that’s one thing that this book excelled at: portraying what it feels like on that last day of high school. It’s a day of such mixed emotions. A day of new beginnings and a day of endings. Solomon really did an amazing job of portraying just what it feels like to be on the cusp of adulthood. She did not stray from talking about important social issues and there were realistic conversations about sex in the book. It was this honesty throughout that made the story so much more than what it appears to be on the outside. Each of the main characters are Jewish, and this story does also touch upon some anti-sematic overtones.
The other amazing thing about this story is that it felt like a love story to Seattle. As someone who has never been to the city, I felt like I was getting my own personal insider tour of it through the scavenger hunt. And for those that know and love the city, this book will allow you to reintroduce yourself with everything that is amazing about Seattle.
All in all, this book is one of those contemporary books that, even if it isn’t your favourite genre, you will fall in love with the story and the characters. It’s got that amazing enemies to lovers trope, but it’s so much more than that. This book has heart and the characters will take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions through the course of a single day.
Today, Tonight, Tomorrow is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of July 28th 2020.
Will you be picking up Today, Tonight, Tomorrow? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
The Hating Game meets Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by way of Morgan Matson in this unforgettable romantic comedy about two rival overachievers whose relationship completely transforms over the course of twenty-four hours.
Today, she hates him.
It’s the last day of senior year. Rowan Roth and Neil McNair have been bitter rivals for all of high school, clashing on test scores, student council elections, and even gym class pull-up contests. While Rowan, who secretly wants to write romance novels, is anxious about the future, she’d love to beat her infuriating nemesis one last time.
Tonight, she puts up with him.
When Neil is named valedictorian, Rowan has only one chance at victory: Howl, a senior class game that takes them all over Seattle, a farewell tour of the city she loves. But after learning a group of seniors is out to get them, she and Neil reluctantly decide to team up until they’re the last players left—and then they’ll destroy each other.
As Rowan spends more time with Neil, she realizes he’s much more than the awkward linguistics nerd she’s sparred with for the past four years. And, perhaps, this boy she claims to despise might actually be the boy of her dreams.
Tomorrow…maybe she’s already fallen for him.
