Book Review: Past Present Future (Rowan & Neil #2) by Rachel Lynn Solomon

August 11, 2025July 14, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: NA Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Rachel Lynn Solomon
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: June 4th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

They fell for each other in just twenty-four hours. Now Rowan and Neil embark on a long-distance relationship during their first year of college in this romantic, dual points of view sequel to Today Tonight Tomorrow .

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 states.

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?

LOVED THIS.

There was something so true to life in this book that spoke to my previous college aged self on multiple levels. I loved that I got to see Neil and Rowan struggle. It was the good kind of struggle, the one where you know they’ll make it, they just have to tousle with some things. And tussle they did. Exploring the depth of their relationship, making long distance work, learning to communicate, figuring out college, it’s all there and it’s all beautiful. I feel like we don’t get many books of a couple after they get together and I didn’t find this story boring or slow in any context. The plot was exactly as it should be to see Neil and Rowan and that invisible string between them.

I loved both of these characters together and separate. And those are the best kind of books for me. Neil’s depression was such a hit to my soul and the representation of that was so well handled. Seeing both of them navigate friendships and new cities brought back a lot of the same things I used to feel in school. I loved this book (the audio is great) and it’s definitely worth picking up if you enjoyed the first.

Overall audience notes:

NA Contemporary Romance
Language: low-moderate
Romance: 3 vague open door
Content Warnings: parent who’s incarcerated, depression depiction

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: Things I Wish I Said by Gracie Graham

April 5, 2025March 20, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: NA Contemporary Romance
Length: 543 pages
Author: Gracie Graham
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: October 29th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Lung cancer patient Ryleigh Sinclair wants a boyfriend for the summer.

And my mother wants me to be the one to make her wish come true.

Me. The eternal pessimist. The guy who no longer believes in happy endings after my dad died of pancreatic cancer and my girlfriend dumped me in the same month.

But after weeks of spending time with Ryleigh, she somehow does the impossible. She fills the gaping hole of my father’s absence until I’m the one hoping for a miracle.

I’ve learned my lesson about wishes.

Happily ever afters are a lie.

Yet I’m the one wishing like hell for another outcome for Ryleigh.

I lost my father to cancer; I can’t lose her too.

Thank you to the author for a gifted copy.

THE WAY I BINGED THIS.

For a book over 500 pages I read this at an unhinged rate because the medical anxiety it was giving me made me need to know what was going to happen next. Not to mention, Gracie Graham has such addictive writing. You want to keep turning those pages and fall in love with these characters.

I loved both Ryleigh and Grayson so dang much. There was a lot of trauma and past histories, secrets and turns that brought the unexpected. This is a drama filled book that really has you wondering where it will go next. I loved the banter and relationship between these two and the undeniable chemistry that was present from the first moment they met. Both of the character arcs with filled with a strong impact that hit me square on and I appreciated how the ending all came together.

This is a new adult book (which I loved) but I did struggle with the innuendo throughout. It was crass to me and I didn’t think wholly necessary. The intimate moments were great and worked well with the plot, it was the extra stuff that stood out. And this one does have a LOT [read that again] of language.

Overall audience notes:

New adult romance
Language: very strong
Romance; 2ish brief open door; low explicit + high innuendo
Violence: moderate
Content Warnings: major theme is cancer (treatments, doctor’s appointments, etc.), loss of a parent from cancer, grief and depression, drug use, underage alcohol use, major car accident

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

ARC Book Review: The Atlas of Us by Kristin Dwyer

January 4, 2024November 24, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: NA Contemporary Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Kristin Dwyer
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: January 9th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Atlas James has lost her way.

In a last-ditch effort to pull her life together, she’s working on a community service program rehabbing trails in the Western Sierras. The only plus is that the days are so exhausting that Atlas might just be tired enough to forget that this was one of her dad’s favorite places in the world. Before cancer stole him from her life, that is.

Using real names is forbidden on the trail. So Atlas becomes Maps, and with her team—Books, Sugar, Junior, and King—she heads into the wilderness. As she sheds the lies she’s built up as walls to protect herself, she realizes that four strangers might know her better than anyone has before. And with the end of the trail racing to meet them, Maps is left counting down the days until she returns to her old life—without her new family, and without King, who’s become more than just a friend.

Thank you HarperTeen for the eARC.

A GOOD READ.

I really enjoyed this book. I do want to note this fits into the new adult category and not young adult. The characters are 18-20 and there are some vague open scenes.

Anyways

This was a messy journey in the best ways. Grief is nonlinear and gut punches you at the worst times and this showed a lot of that. I liked that Atlas had ups and downs and that in the end of the book she had found something new to hold on to and look forward to.

The romance grew on me but I do feel like it was missing something, like maybe a little more background King?? I don’t know, but I did like many of their quiet moments and the connection they were trying to forge. The found family was tangled and pushed and pulled all of the emotions. I loved the hiking and nature plot that allowed for the chance to just let go.

It was a really good book and one I’d recommend if you’re in the mood for something heavier.

Overall audience notes:

NA Contemporary Romance
Language: some strong
Romance: 2 vague open door
Violence: low
Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a Dad from cancer, grief/depression depiction, underage drinking

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: The Kiss (London Prep #3) by Jillian Dodd

May 14, 2021February 28, 2021 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Length: 518 pages
Author: Jillian Dodd
Publisher: Swoonworthy Books
Release Date: September 17th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

It’s the last week of my exchange in London, and my flight leaves on Saturday.

Harry wants our relationship to progress, but his family life is falling apart. And shocking news from his parents might send him over the edge.
Noah is becoming more reckless with both his words and his actions. Between longing glances, sweet conversations and heated moments, I don’t know where we stand.
And Mohammad tells me that I have some important decisions to make.

The countdown is on, and only two things are certain.
I’m going to have to leave the three boys I’ve grown to love.
And by the end of the week, I’m not sure if any of them will ever forgive me.

It’s a good thing my time at Kensington is almost up.

COSMIC.

That’s literally the only word I can use to describe this book.

Here I am, book three. Still heavily invested y’all. I can’t wait to get my hands on book four. I NEED THE FINALE.

I did struggle with Mallory this time. She came off so oblivious and wishy-washy about every little thing. For the way the other characters described her, I did not feel the same. Mallory was a bit blinded by it all and it really led to obnoxious drama. I did love her relationship with Mohammed. They are such cute friends! And I like that there was more of his background in this story.

But WOW. Did that ending leave me gasping or what? This is a continuation type series where every book essentially is a cliffhanger because the next one picks up immediately where the previous left off. I am flabbergasted as to how this goes and I kind of hope it continues back in New York! Bringing the boys over there would be a hoot.

As usual, a lot happened and I found the pages flying by. I love escaping into these books and enjoying the magnetism of this love triangle saga. MY TEAM BETTER COME OUT ON TOP.

Overall audience notes: