I struggled with rating this book. I'm not sure if it was because I thought it would be one thing and it was another... or I didn't like how it played out or the ending was kind of out there. Perhaps a combination of all of the above.

Dannie starts the book with numbers. She's very analytical and thinks in numbers. However, this would have been a cool theme to carry through the book, but it's not brought up again. Rather, we get to see Dannie get engaged to her boyfriend, David. The pair lives together and when they return home after their engagement, Dannie falls asleep and has... a vivid dream? A premonition? She's unclear, but it affects her whole life.

She tries to direct the path of her life away from it, but it is always there. Is there such a thing as fate? Or do we control our choices to get there? Is life pre-determined or do our choices exist in a vacuum? I wish the book had delved into this a bit more. Rather, despite knowing what will happen "In Five Years," we go through her life leading up to that point. It doesn't seem to make sense until the end, but I was left a little... disappointed by it.

Spoiler-free review, so that's all I'm going to say. This was a quick, fast read for me. It reminded me of One Day in December, although that was a lighter read than this one.

In Five Years makes you think it’s one thing from its synopsis and intro when it’s really something else entirely. I enjoyed the story enough to fly through this in a couple days. I have to admit though, I was hoping for something else, and kept reading thinking I’d get it. When I realized my assumption of the plot was off, I stopped looking and just read. It’s an engaging narrative, and I may have teared up a bit. Its main pitfall, in my opinion, is that the main character is so detached from others for most of the book that I had a hard time feeling for her. Her lack of emotion impacted mine. I also get frustrated by too much attention paid to outfits, and there were a bunch of outfit descriptions throughout this book. I would recommend people give this book a try, as it is enjoyable. But it doesn’t stand up to The Dinner List. This book is interesting, but not as engrossing. Still a fan of this author, and will eagerly await her next book.

⭐✨⭐✨⭐✨⭐✨⭐
8 pm- 12:30 am. That's how long it took me to devour the entire book the other night.

Having read The Dinner List by @rebecca_serle, (which u should definitely pick up if u haven't yet!) I was really excited for her 2nd novel. I'll admit, it didn't quite start off at 5 stars, and I almost second guessed my expectations, but once I got into the groove it made it's way up pretty quickly. This story is about a woman happily living her life on her way to a career in law with a fiance in tow, when she has this too-real-to-be-a-dream premonition where she wakes up 5 years in the future, in a completely different apt, with a different man than the one she's supposed to marry. After that glimpse, she wakes back in her normal life but everything is tainted, she's deeply affected by her vision. @rebecca_serle has this talent for inviting u into this nice lighthearted world, and then turning everything on it's side and all of a sudden you're emotionally gripped; in love, distraught, hopeful, and at a loss for words. You think it's about one thing and then all of a sudden that thing is so inconsequential to what it's really about. This novel was so masterfully executed, I really appreciated how she tied the end to the beginning where everything made so much sense within each context. You'd be remiss not to pick this one up (trust me you'll see...) ✨Huge thank you to @atriabooks @netgalley for my advanced copy (u had me at "by Rebecca Serle" 😉)

How would seeing a momentary glimpse of your future change how you live your life? Would you try to prevent the premonition from becoming an actuality, or would you let fate lead you where it may? Such is the premise of Rebecca Serle's new novel, In Five Years. Dannie, a type-A Manhattan corporate lawyer has just gotten engaged. Of course, she has - her life is unfolding just the way she planned, like it always does. But when she falls asleep that night, she awakens in a strange apartment engaged to a strange man, exactly five years in the future. The date is December 15, 2025, and Dannie has no idea how she got here. After falling back asleep that night, she awakens once again in present day. She must have been dreaming, but it all felt too real to be a figment of her imagination. She puts it to the back of the mind until the summer of 2025, when she is unexpectedly introduced to the stranger from her dreams. What follows over the next six months is definitely not part of Dannie's meticulous plan for her life - just how far will she go to pull the reins on destiny?

It is not often that a book has me contemplating and feeling so much, while also compelling me to turn the pages to discover how it all turns out - In Five Years did just that. If you think you are picking up a romance, think again, because this captivating novel delves deep into fate and free will, examining all the little ways that life sneaks up on you, shocking you out of your comfort zone, and opening your eyes to the things that really matter. Serle's writing is heartfelt and introspective, and will give readers much to think about - a characteristic I wish more authors had a talent for. Who hasn't wondered where they will be in five years; how their life will be the same or different; how much will have changed? This book is for all the wonderers; for anyone who has ever contemplated how their life fit into the bigger picture, and what it all means.

I'd love to say more, but I don't want to spoil the story for others. All I will say is enter it with an open mind, and have the tissues ready.

Romance is not really my genre, but this story hooked me from the beginning. As annoying as Dannie’s quirks could sometimes be, I found a vulnerability in her from the very beginning.

I enjoyed how tightly this book was written. It didn’t meander off point. The friendship between Dannie and Bella was explored and I was constantly asking myself where this story would go. Opposites do attract and these ladies couldn’t be more different. What would be a satisfactory ending? The ending wasn’t what I had hoped for. I won’t say more to avoid spoilers - but the book was a solid read!

Dannie is a Manhattan lawyer who has just landed the job of her dreams and she has accepted her boyfriend's marriage proposal. Exhausted, she falls asleep and finds herself awaking in December 2025 in a different apartment with a different man, yet she is wearing the same dress, and her clothes are in the closet. She then wakes up to find herself in her own apartment. What has happened? As time passes Dannie is immersed in her job and she and her boyfriend make no plans for the wedding. That is, until Bella gets a new boyfriend, the very person Dannie dreamed about four years earlier. In a panic, Dannie starts to plan for her wedding. The plans are interrupted when Bella develops ovarian cancer. This is an absolutely captivating novel about loyalty, friendship and destiny. Not to be missed.

Amazing! Compulsive reading, utterly romantic but with twists and turns and ups and downs that your regular genre romance does not have. This book is the total package! -- This very capably author explores all the big themes: Love. Loss. Grief. Life. Career. Breakups. Friendship -- with a deft, light touch.

I will admit that I was taken places emotionally that I did not expect to go. Frankly, if I had known that that a major plotline of the book was coping with cancer of a very good friend in the prime of her life, I would not have dived in as that is too close to the bone for me right now. This plot could easily have sent me into despair and rumination, but it did the opposite! I felt joyful and hopeful after reading it..

Part of what makes the pages fly by is that you want to get to the bottom of the mystery that is presented at the very beginning -- where the main character finds herself in five years' time, a very unlikely place! That is resolved so very nicely and twisted into a happy ending you do not see coming, but that is much more true to life than the ending you assume you'll get.

I will NOT describe this book to patrons as dealing with a loss, or dealing with cancer. I will describe it as a celebration of life and hope in the midst of grief. I will heartily and joyfully recommend this book to anyone!!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this terrific, life-affirming book.

A book that will be high on my top ten list in 2020.A book of friendship with characters I fell in love was surprised by and loved reading about.A very special book that you will devour,#netgalley#atriabooks.

After reading Rebecca Serle's "The Dinner List" last year, I had extremely high hopes for her next release, "In Five Years". Once again, Serle hooked me with an intriguing premise: What would you do if you had a premonition about your life 5 years into the future, and it was nothing like the life that you are in the process of building right now? At first I thought this book was going to be an intense love story, one of those cases where the lead character discovers slowly that she is in love with the wrong person, a la' Hallmark movie, but this title was much more than that. In truth, this book is not about romance, and is more about the friendship between the main character Dannie and her best friend Bella. Once again when reading a novel by Serle, I cried. Once again, Serle caught me with a twist over halfway through the book. This would be a wonderful selection for book clubs and I will definitely be recommending it to patrons when it publishes in March.

How cool would it be to have a crystal ball that shows your life five years in the future? Probably really cool-unless the ball shows you in bed with a man other than the one you just got engaged to minutes before. That is the premise of In Five Years-although Dannie "sees" her future in a dream not a crystal ball. At first Dannie assumes her premonition is the result of a few too many drinks during dinner with David, her longtime boyfriend who has just asked Dannie to marry him. But four and a half years later Dannie meets her dream lover in real life. And guess what...he's (I won't spoil it for you, but his identity certainly makes things more complicated than they already are). In Five Years is a hybrid of fantasy, romance, science fiction and drama. You really need to stretch your imagination to appreciate it, but that's what a good story should do. Despite its predictability (you can see the proverbial train wreck coming a mile away), the plot is engaging, and the only flaw is the ending. After all the build up as Dannie races to change her fate the last few pages of In Five Years feel bland-and a let down for an otherwise very creative novel. But enjoy the story until then. It will tug at your heart and make you believe that dreams really can come true.

Sorry, this wasn't for me. I found both hyperambitious workaholic Dannie and spoiled hippie Bella to be one-sided, almost caricatures. It was hard to see them as people, which made it hard to care about their relationships or goals.

So thankful for the chance to read this book! Let's start with it taking place in New York City, love love love! The friendship between the main character Dannie and her best friend Bella was incredible, they have an amazing relationship. It brought a lot of humour and I think when Dannie was with her she was her true self, we could see her character evolve a lot in that relationship. The romance is great too, I loved that it wasn't the main story though, definitely recommend!

I made the mistake of reading the negative reviews ahead of time, and letting them influence my expectations. Is the blurb a little misleading? Yes! But I think this is where Rebecca Serle excels. She writes fiction that flies by, with a hint of this surreal, magical realism– often touching on topics far deeper than her synopses might have you believe. I thought the “love story” in this one was absolutely beautiful, and my only complaint is that I almost wish there was a little more fleshing out of some of the story, because I left this one feeling like I didn’t *really* get to know these characters the way I wanted to.

That said– a super fast read with heart, not what you expect it’ll be, and if you’re looking for something melancholy, but ultimately uplifting and hopeful, this is a great pick. (I actually think it’d be a great non-Christmas December read, but it doesn’t come out til March.) Many thanks to Atria Books for an early copy!

I finished this book last night and I am still reeling from it. It was nothing like I expected but absolutely everything I needed. I am actually still trying to find all of the right words to articulate my feelings here. It is absolutely wonderful when you read a book and it hits you so hard when you aren’t expecting it.

To be honest, as soon as I finished last night, I jotted down a few notes and raw feelings that I had. After, might I add, I stopped sobbing. This first thing I wrote is “crazy beautiful and unbelievably sad”. I think, of everything I jotted down in the brief moments where the story was the most fresh, this still remains my sincerest feeling on this book. In Five Years shares Dannie and Bella’s story. The synopsis is a little deceiving.- because while it is all true, it’s only the very beginning of the story. The real story here is Dannie and Bella’s lifelong friendship and the strong bond between the two of them. Coming from wealthy families, these girls meet and grow up in NYC. Bella is a free spirit, lives in the moment and is gorgeous. Dannie is driven, smart and intense. Their friendship seems unlikely but it is the most unshakable thing in their respective lives.

Reviewing this is difficult because I don’t want to give away spoilers and I 1000% think that someone should experience this book without knowing everything ahead of time. Just know that it’s an amazing love story. And for me, such a personal one that I can relate to, probably more than others. I can not recommend this enough. I can not wait for it to come out. All of the stars.

I saw this synopsis and knew that I had to read it.

I really enjoyed this book, this author new to me.  She gave us characters that interested me, which made me want to keep reading.

The ultimate question - "Where do you see yourself in five years" is the premise of the book.  Our heroine Dannie has a dream (but she's not quite sure it was just a dream or a premonition) about where she will be in five years. It's nowhere where she thought she would be.  On the heels of landing her dream job and a romantic (yet predictable) proposal, she has this dream.

Fast forward 4 1/2 years and Danni is determined to not allow the premonition ring true.  But in comes the twist, one I never saw coming.

This book had me gasping at the shock, crying tears of sadness and biting my fingernails in frustration.  I think this book is one of those that will stick with me for a really long time.  I have been thinking about it since finishing.  It's a great concept that Rebecca Serle executed with ease.

A compelling read about friendship, that drives inevitably toward a surprise ending that is revealed at the beginning of the novel. This unusual device frames the storytelling, but doesn't overwhelm it. I read it in less than 24 hours, so I think it will classify as a "couldn't put it down." Recommended for readers of Me Before You.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the chance to read this novel early.

It's no secret I love mindbending books that play with the concept of time. As soon as I read the blurb for this one, I knew I would be bumping it to the top of my to be read list. I'm so glad I did because this book was very nearly perfect and not what I was expecting at all.

The blurb for In Five Years is a little misleading, but I'm actually glad it was. Oftentimes the blurbs give so many details away, it removes the mystery of the story. This book, on the other hand, gives nothing away and I was left guessing about what would happen throughout. In fact, I enjoyed not knowing what would happen next so much, I'm loathe to give too much away in my review. I want every reader to have the experience I did with this story! I would encourage readers not to read too many reviews and simply dive in.

I was certain this was going to be another love-triangle, cheating story but I'm pleased to report this wasn't even remotely the case. Instead, this novel deeply explores fate, friendship, and romantic relationships in a way that wouldn't let me go even after I turned the last page. I was sucked in from beginning to end, unable to put this book down until I knew what would happen!

As I said, this novel was very nearly a five-star read for me. My only hangup about the story was, unfortunately, I didn't connect with our main character, Dannie, as much as I would have hoped to. I'm not sure where the disconnect came from, other than my inability to relate to her lifestyle and choices, because I thoroughly enjoyed reading the story from her perspective. I think if I had felt a deeper connection to her, this would have easily become one of my favorite books. Despite that, I was still impressed by the beauty and creativity of the story, the important lessons it tackled, and its ability to tug on my heartstrings.

I highly recommend this to lovers of Women's Fiction looking for a quick, compulsive read. In Five Years by Rebecca Serle releases on March 3, 2020.

I went into this book believing that the central plot would be a love triangle between the main character (Dannie), her fiance (David), and her best friend's boyfriend (Aaron). I was pleasantly surprised, as a majority of this book truly focused on the female relationships, specifically the friendship between Dannie and her best friend, Bella.

The novel asks the question, "where do you see yourself in five years?", as we discover the journery of Dannie, a lawyer in Manhattan, who has her entire life planned to a tee. In the midst of a successful career, she becomes engaged to her long-time boyfriend at the beginning of the novel. That same night, she has a dream-like vision where she sees an entirely different story play out five years into the future.

While the book was a pleasant surprise in many ways, the one downfall I will give this is the lack of character development between Dannie and Aaron. It makes it difficult to believe a relationship forms between two characters when there is enough time dedicated to their story.

A 3.75 from me, but can't quite give it a 4. I REALLY liked this in that it was a page turner and I essentially read this book in a day, but sometimes I struggled with the pacing and how much we were getting from characters, particularly the protagonist. It's hard when you realize something about a character (or in real life, any person) so long before they do about themselves. An interesting premise, not quite what I expected, and a must buy for any public library's contemporary fiction collection.

I was a bit surprised by this book. I was expecting something fluffy and this book was much more serious. I enjoyed how the premonition turns out to be different than the reader expects and I liked how the story is left open for the reader to fill in what’s next.