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In Five Years by Rebecca Serle is a story about friendship and finding one’s self. The main character is perfectly flawed and the writing is captivating. The book is an unforgettable and moving love story that is a perfect read for fans of One Day in December.
Author: Rebecca Serle
Publisher: Atria Books
Genres: Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Publication Date: March 10, 2020
Rating:
Perfect for fans of Me Before You and One Day—a striking, powerful, and moving love story following an ambitious lawyer who experiences an astonishing vision that could change her life forever.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
When Type-A Manhattan lawyer Dannie Cohan is asked this question at the most important interview of her career, she has a meticulously crafted answer at the ready. Later, after nailing her interview and accepting her boyfriend’s marriage proposal, Dannie goes to sleep knowing she is right on track to achieve her five-year plan.
But when she wakes up, she’s suddenly in a different apartment, with a different ring on her finger, and beside a very different man. The television news is on in the background, and she can just make out the scrolling date. It’s the same night—December 15—but 2025, five years in the future.
After a very intense, shocking hour, Dannie wakes again, at the brink of midnight, back in 2020. She can’t shake what has happened. It certainly felt much more than merely a dream, but she isn’t the kind of person who believes in visions. That nonsense is only charming coming from free-spirited types, like her lifelong best friend, Bella. Determined to ignore the odd experience, she files it away in the back of her mind.
That is, until four-and-a-half years later, when by chance Dannie meets the very same man from her long-ago vision.
Brimming with joy and heartbreak, In Five Years is an unforgettable love story that reminds us of the power of loyalty, friendship, and the unpredictable nature of destiny.
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
Dannie and Bella have been friends since childhood and although they are complete opposites, their friendship is one that is everlasting. They make a great pair and it is enjoyable to discover how each woman has helped the other to grow over time. As well, it is refreshing to read a book about women who lift one another up. While there is a similar love triangle to One Day in December in this novel, it is actually a book about friendship and not a romance.
❀ A Theme of Self-Discovery
Another theme that Rebecca Serle has woven into In Five Years is self-discovery. Dannie is a character with quite a few weaknesses, including her Type A personality. She has her entire life plan mapped out and it seems as though things are going according to plan until she has a strange glimpse into the future. It is interesting to watch how Dannie reacts to the shifts in her world and comes to a realization about herself. Although Dannie has an experience at the beginning of the book where she travels in time, the story is not one that I would consider a time travel book. The step into the future merely shapes the rest of the story.
❀ Fast-Paced and Surprising
This novel has beautiful writing and it is a very quick read. The descriptions of New York are vivid and will give any reader a sense of wanderlust. Also, the book has an ending that will surprise most and completely catch them off guard.
❀ Flawed Characters
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle is an interesting contemporary romance book that digs deep into the themes of friendship and discovering one’s true self. It would make a fantastic selection for your next book club. The characters are uniquely flawed and the feel-good story is well-written. Definitely a novel that requires a box of tissues close by.
About Rebecca Serle
Rebecca Serle is an author and television writer who lives between New York and Los Angeles. Serle most recently co-developed the hit TV adaptation of her young adult series Famous in Love, now on Freeform. She loves Nancy Meyers films, bathrobes, and giving unsolicited advice on love.
About Lori
Avid reader. Contributor to The Candid Cover. Educator.