“I learned to love love in all its forms, and I wanted it desperately for myself: to write about it, to live it.”
Rowan Roth and Neil McNair (AKA McNightmare): A Brief History.
Four years of academic bloodshed. The duo have been clashing over test scores, competing for student class council elections, and one-upping each other for all of high school. But they’re like a packaged deal causing Rowan to feel McMigraines when their names are mentioned in the same breath. Rowan vs Neil. Neil vs Rowan. Their rivalry is entertaining. It’s the last day of senior year and after graduation Rowan will never have to see Neil again. Neil with his objectively cute face. Since Neil was named valedictorian, Rowan would love to beat her nemesis one. last. time. during senior game night. Howl is a Westview High tradition for the graduates. It’s a game that’s part Assassin and part scavenger hunt in the Emerald City (Seattle). The plan is to destroy McNair and regain confidence. McWar- it’s on. However, after learning a group is out to get them, the pair decide to team up until they’re the last players left. Rowan recognizes that nothing about today, about tonight, went as planned. The OTP are arguments and threats. Fireworks and flames. There’s so much more to Neil than the nerdy linguistics boy who drove Rowan bonkers. Do Rowan’s feelings for Neil go deeper than rivalry? Are they only friends or just two people who were supposed to meet somewhere but got lost along the way?
You know how some stories just completely gut-punch you? Like a boulder shoved into your chest and pressure building behind your eyes. Like you have to press a hand to your heart as though the feelings are a physical pain. Today Tonight Tomorrow was THAT for me. It was a love letter to love. A good-bye to high school that will leave you feeling nostalgic. Rachel’s characters have burrowed into my heart. I am trash for Rowan and Neil. Their text-taunting was amazingly LOL. The music ? my music snob heart likes! The prom scene in the library left me swooning as I listened to Smokey Robinson & The Miracles envisioning Rowan and Neil slow dancing. I was desperate to know what Neil wrote in Rowans yearbook, and when I found out, I read it (three times) with tears threatening to spill over. I would LOVE to see this optioned. T3 would make a SUPER cute and fun Netflix film! Today Tonight Tomorrow is an adorable enemies-to-lovers, rom-com novel that will leave you feeling giddy when its over!
? song: This Charming Man by The Smiths ?