I read this over the course of a day and loved the Tobias/Sabrina storyline, reminded me a bit of
the classic romantic movies., writ modern. Pretty much could have done without the back and forth
of the Dinner Party, but maybe it’s because I prefer linear storytelling and no plot devices. Very
bittersweet and I wasn’t prepared but loved the realness in the age of instagraming.

I enjoyed this book. The going between the last and the present was seamless. Though sometimes it was slow in parts it was still interesting to keep on reading on how it all ties together. My five words on this book past, present,dinner,interesting and love.

The Dinner List was compared or for fans of Nicholls’ One Day- that was spot on. They are not the same book by any means, however they both captured me in the same way. The Dinner List feels very realistic, which before reading I wondered if it would feel otherwise given the fact of having deceased people for dinner. The interaction is superb and the flow to telling the story of the past is perfect. Just when a “stopping” point happens at dinner, you are pulled in to the past to learn another tidbit as to why that person made The Dinner List. I highly recommend this book.

The dinner list was thought-provoking, and not only did it make me think, it got me feeling too. I'm not that far past my 30th and so found it so easy to connect with the main character - remembering well the soul-searching and feeling of crossing a threshold that came with the end of my twenties.

The characters reflected so well the friends that you have by that age - at least one major boyfriend you still think of from time to time, and in your darkest moments question if you'll ever know love, because surely he was the one! The friend who was your other soulmate, the two of you forever having each others backs until you realise it's been over a year since you last spoke. The father figure and actual father finally facing off outside of just her imagination - and finally, Audrey Hepburn. The woman she always held as what she would someday be when she "grew up", the unattainable ideal she'll have to finally release.

It's best to go into this book cold, so I'll go no further than that. Things change halfway through the book and the bitter definitely starts to take it's toll on the sweet. But this was a gorgeous book and one I'm grateful to have read.

That famous icebreaker question.. who would you have dinner with, dead or alive? In this inventive novel, Sabrina is asked this very question. She chooses her father, her best friend, a past professor, Audrey Hepburn and her true love. A story mixed with laughter, sadness and a twist I was not expecting! I wanted more when this one came to a close! Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to enjoy this creative piece.

This was a great book. The character development was fantastic, and I loved the ending ;) I will definitely be reading more of Rebecca Serle in the future--you have a devoted fan!

The Dinner List - Sabrina arrives at her annual birthday dinner expecting to catch up with her best friend, Jessica. Instead Sabrina is greeted by Audrey Hepburn, Robert, Professor Conrad, Tobias and Jessica - all people she put on her list of 5 people dead or alive with whom she'd liked to have dinner. The evening does not go as planned as relationships are tested, alliances shift and old scars break apart. Will this dinner be one Sabby wants to remember or try to forget?

This was a unique book that was much different than I was expecting. Sabrina is dealing with the loss of some important people in her life and this dinner becomes a therapeutic experience. Told in the present and in the past we see how life's events have brought us to this dinner. As the dinner does involve people who are dead, you have to suspend reality a lot which honestly was hard for me to do. I don't know why but to me having Audrey Hepburn there and talking about her personal life seemed forced and unbelievable. There was a lot of back and forth between characters but ultimately you did get some resolution. The love story throughout reminded me a lot of The Light We Lost. I would recommend The Dinner List but it won't go to my top reads of 2018.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flat Iron Books for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. The Dinner List will be available on September 11, 2018.

"Five."
What Five people you would invite to dinner, dead or alive?
What are Five things you're thinking right now?
The number Five plays a big role in this novel.

When asked the question of whom Sabrina would invite to dinner, these five people are the five people she needs to confront in order to get the unanswered questions dwelling in her life answered, and also they are the five mirrors she has causing her to look back on her previous endeavors through life.

I couldn't help but relate and place myself completely in Sabrina's shoes. It's a novel that makes the reader ask them self if they're making the most out of their lives and full potential. It's definitely one that had me shedding tears here and there (but in the best of ways). Serle did a fantastic job of jumping between Sabrina's past and "present." When faced with a new question to be answered, you're thrown into the back story of why that question is being asked or why emotions are coming out the way they are.

I only wish there was more of it, I wanted it to continue and never end. It was so beautifully written in an easy-going way. This is a great romance and women's contemporary fiction read that will have you wanting to devour its pages with its constant twists and non-dull moments!

A young woman comes to terms with the business of unfinished relationships. This story alternates between telling the reader of the development of her relationship with the love of her life, and a dinner party—a birthday wish—that brings together five characters from the past and present who, in various ways, shed light on her current emotional status.

This was a long book, and I actually took a break mid-way through to read something else. It just seemed like it was going nowhere; I picked it up and finished it to find no great revelations. If you enjoy the lives of 20-somethings and like love stories, then this might be something you would enjoy. It didn't grab me.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Flatiron Books in exchange for an honest review.

There was an intriguing potential in the storyline; but for me, it never got where it was going – or maybe I got lost along the way. The dinner, itself, was pure boredom. The alternating chapters of Sabrina’s life’s experiences not only didn’t flow, but weren’t at all interesting nor believable, even. The characters were stilted and dull. I guess Sabrina represents today’s 20-30 aged somethings who have no social skills and no life skills.

I never figured out what Serle’s purpose was or what the theme of the book was. Perhaps she wanted to give us a picture of an immature whiney modern woman or perhaps she wanted to compare and contrast modern day Sabrina with sophisticated and classic Audrey Hepburn. I first thought she was comparing her character, Sabrina, with the character played by Audrey Hepburn in the 1954 movie, Sabrina, but I couldn’t make that work.

This review will be published immediately on Goodreads and on Amazon when the book is released.

Sabrina arrives at her 30th birthday dinner and is shocked to find not just her best friend, but three people from her past and Audrey Hepburn! The classic philosophical question of which five people you'd invite to dinner has miraculously come true. As the evening unfolds, Sabrina's past is revealed through lengthy flashbacks and she learns how to heal her relationships with her father and fiance.

I love the basic idea of this novel, having dinner with five people of your choosing, but I felt the story could have been much more intriguing if taken in a different direction. Essentially, this was simply a recap of Sabrina's relationship with her fiance and the dinner was a chance for her to find closure. I wish the dinner had been more of the focus, with perhaps more unique guests from throughout history and how they would interact with each other.

There was one twist halfway through that took me by surprise and added depth to the dinner. However, overall I just didn't connect with the characters as much as I was hoping.

Thank you to Net Galley and Flat Iron Books for an electronic advance of this novel. I'm a very fast reader, and the mark of a great book is one where I keep looking at my percentage left to read and determine if it's worth losing the sleep. This one was, and I was up until 1:30am finishing it. I'd probably honestly give this 4.5, but I felt it was more than 4...hence the 5. Who hasn't answered the question...what five people, dead or alive, would you have for dinner? I hadn't thought about how this might change over time, and the implications of the gathering and group of people. I loved the narrative of the dinner guests and going into the past. There was one point where I actually gasped at something I hadn't anticipated. I enjoyed this book about growing up, being in love, friendship, relationships with our parents, and life.

This is a novel approach to examining the question we've all been asked. Who would you invite to dinner: they could be living or dead? What if it actually happens. In effect as the story evolves, it is clear it is all about the protagonist and the relationships she has/had with the guests. This is a light, funny and sad book that is a quick read.

I absolutely love the premise of The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle! This is one of those books where I am so excited to jump in thanks to a single idea, that one being: At one point or another, we’ve all been asked to name five people, living or dead, with whom we’d like to have dinner.

Who would you invite? Because I love Marilyn Monroe so much, she’d be first on my list. After that, I dont know! Maybe I will learn something from this charming story. Its on my To-Read list and you should add it to yours too!

Synopsis:

“We’ve been waiting for an hour.” That’s what Audrey says. She states it with a little bit of an edge, her words just bordering on cursive. That’s the thing I think first. Not: Audrey Hepburn is at my birthday dinner, but Audrey Hepburn is annoyed.”

When Sabrina arrives at her thirtieth birthday dinner she finds at the table not just her best friend, but also three significant people from her past, and well, Audrey Hepburn. As the appetizers are served, wine poured, and dinner table conversation begins, it becomes clear that there’s a reason these six people have been gathered together.

Delicious but never indulgent, sweet with just the right amount of bitter, THE DINNER LIST is a romance for our times. Bon appetit.

If you could invite any five people, living or dead to dinner, who would they be? Rebecca Serle has crafted a thought-provoking tale of a young woman who does just that. She invites her estranged father, ex-fiancé, best friend, a former professor and Audrey Hepburn. What do they have in common with the dinner's host, Sabrina? As we go back and forth between the dinner party and the past, we see how each of these people influenced Sabrina for good and bad. We also see the impact Sabrina had on each of them. Who would be on your list?

This book has an interesting premise that grabbed my attention right away. Sabrina, a 20-something Manhattanite, made a list of the five people, living or dead, she’d have dinner with if she could. She thinks about it seriously, but it’s not as if it’s real, so she doesn’t really consider how dinner with that mix of people would really pan out…until she arrives at the restaurant for her 30th birthday to all 5 of the people on her list waiting for her.

You’ll want to read this if you like getting inside a character’s head. Told in chapters alternating flashbacks and the current dinner situation, it is all about Sabrina’s relationships with each guest at the dinner, but mostly her ex-boyfriend/fiancée, Tobias. There are a lot of feelings and thoughts. A lot of digging around to figure out why a relationship ended, or why it changed, and what needs to happen next. Usually, I like these types of storylines. And this is a pretty good read, but I thought Sabrina got a little too whiny at times without really doing anything to make things better. I found her (and Jessica [best friend] and Tobias if we’re being brutally honest here) a little too annoying to completely enjoy the book. I mean--yes, sure. Whine and complain about things for a time, but don’t stay in the same negative situation for a decade because you don’t know what to do. Do SOMETHING! The end of this book is a little depressing. It definitely isn’t a total bummer and ends with a wrapped up feel, but it’s that nothing really changes for Sabrina. Her relationships were discussed at dinner and certain ones were ended, but nothing really changes. She is just finally able to say goodbye. Which, while good for her, is a bit of a downer when closing out a novel.

This short little book was delightful! We always hear that icebreaker question, "If you could have a dinner party with five people, living or dead, who would it be?" We talk about it, but it hardly ever comes to fruition (especially if your dinner party does actually include the deceased). In THE DINNER LIST we get to experience the dinner party of our protagonist, Sabrina, whose list gathers for her birthday. Among the attendees is Audrey Hepburn, her estranged father, and the love of her life who got away, Tobias. I finished this book over my lunch break and was crying in the bistro. This book was surprisingly feel-good, yes, it's a lot of fluff. But I think sometimes we need a fluffy book.

We've all done it before. We've daydreamed, analyzed, pondered, wished and sometimes argued about it. What five people would you invite to dinner if you could have anyone. Living or dead, famous or family, past or present, real or fictional, people you know or someone you've never met - those are a few of the questions we have contemplated when making our ultimate dinner list.
Years ago, thirty year old Sabrina and her best friend, Jessica, make a list of five people they want at their dinner. Years later, Sabrina's list becomes a reality at her 30th birthday dinner.
Rebecca Serle's book, The Dinner List, invites us to take a seat at the table for a lively dinner full of conversation. Sabrina, along with Jessica, spends the evening with a professor from the past, her absentee father, her ex-fiancee and Audrey Hepburn. Why Audrey Hepburn? The real question should be, why not Audrey Hepburn. It's hard not to fall in love with this story as you will become invested in each character's story. Serle's character development is rich and deep. You will feel yourself laughing at times as well as shedding a few tears with each one of these characters and their story.
Former North Carolina State basketball coach, Jim Valvano, once said, "We should do three things everyday of our life. Number one is laugh, you should laugh every day. Number two is to think, we should spend some time in thought, and number three is you should have your emotions moved to tears."
The Dinner List gives us an abundance of all those things inside a beautiful yellow cover. Not only do you get a wonderful story from Serle, you will find yourself thinking and daydreaming of your "dinner list" as an extra bonus.
Add this book to your must read shelves and enjoy the meal. For readers looking to add The Dinner List to your book clubs, make sure to allow extra time because you and your friends should enjoy this discussion over dinner and dessert for sure!
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley. My reviews are unbiased and you can follow all of my reviews at thejwordpress.wordpress.com as well as Goodreads. #Netgalley #TheDinnerList

What a tearjerker! This book centers around the classic question: if you could have dinner with 5 people, dead or alive, who would you pick? Sabrina, our main character, finds herself in this very situation. Her dinner party unfolds with her 5 picks and Sabrina is forced to figure out who is dead and who is alive. Some are obvious, some are less so. The Dinner List will keep you turning pages until the very, very end.

4.5 Stars

The Dinner List is an imaginative, heart-wrenching tale that asks its narrator, Sabrina, if she could invite five people to dinner who would it be? Her list consists of her father, her best friend, her boyfriend, an old college professor, and Audrey Hepburn. When Sabrina arrives at her thirtieth birthday dinner she is surprised to find that it isn't just her best friend Jessica in attendance. There is tension at the table though, as it is revealed there is a purpose behind the special guests being there. Rebecca Serle explores personal growth, forgiveness, and acceptance as the dinner progresses from simple topics to those that weigh Sabrina down daily.

We've all pondered over this question at some point in our life; would we pick someone famous or maybe someone we had lost? For Sabrina, she selects those she knows and loves, someone she wants to know, someone she wants to learn more from, and a woman she idolizes and connects to many important parts of her life. The story begins at the table, with alternating chapters taking us back into Sabrina's past. We learn about her friendships, her relationships, and the events that lead to the dinner. It's a sentimental tale, one where we see Sabrina grow and accept that she must both forgive others and forgive herself if she is to ever succeed going forward. I loved how the story was crafted, directing large moments in Sabrina's life and revealing to us the impact those events had on her and on others. It's imaginative, a story that I know has been done in the past, but has not left such a lasting impact on me. It's also incredibly sentimental, this feeling of wanting someone or something, being able to touch it, but knowing it isn't tangible once the dinner is over.

This sounds sort of odd, considering I did give 4.5 Stars and not 5 Stars, but The Dinner List is a novel that NEEDS to be on your TBR list. I wasn't engaged the first 40% of the novel, I struggled to want to continue reading and I admit the only thing that kept me reading was the other reviews I had seen. Then came the nitty-gritty, deep part of the novel and I was done for. Once the story picked up I was turning the pages so quickly and trying to get every bit out of this novel I could. With tears streaming down my face and my heart aching I finished this novel in love with it. I highlighted so many passages and have thought of it several times since finishing it a few days ago. It's a fantastic chick-lit novel, with main character, Sabrina, questioning life, love, and the future she must create for herself.