Member Reviews

In Five Years is about the paths we unexpectedly go down and the choices we make — ultimately more about friendship than romance, which surprised me.⁣

This is one to recommend to your mom or your friend who likes to read the book before the movie comes out (I 100% was envisioning this as a movie as I listened to it!) Rebecca Serle paints a great picture of New York City as a young professional female. As far as comparisons go, I think fans of Josie Silver would like this one.

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“You mistake love. You think it has to have a future in order to matter, but it doesn't. It's the only thing that does not need to become at all. It matters only insofar as it exists. Here. Now. Love doesn't require a future." ― Rebecca Serle, In Five Years

Beautiful story of love, friendship, loyalty and a little of magic thrown in. Dannie and Bella are best friends. They share a love that is not easily understood and not often felt. They've been best friends since they were small children. They complete one another's sentences and love with an intensity for one another. And most importantly they balance one another.

This story is about believing you've seen the future and reconciling in your mind what's true, what you can control and what's worth trying. It was a quick read, a compelling story and a tug at the heart for so many reasons.

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This was a beautiful story about love and friendship. An easy, engaging book that gives the reader a lot to think about when done. I can’t say much more without giving away spoilers but it is a story that will stick with me.

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Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I previously enjoyed Serle's debut book so I was pretty interested in this one. This is a great follow up to her debut. The book starts out with a cute romance with a quick twist of "what happens in five years". I won't say more so I don't give anything away, but I loved this one. Definitely recommend.

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I keep going back and forth between 4 and 5 stars here. I love that it was different. The whole "deja reve" thing took me by surprise. And it took a twist I did not see coming.

That being said, there were some parts I didn't love. I didn't really get why Dannie's dead brother was brought up multiple times. It didn't really add anything to her character or the story. There was a lot of work-related details written out that seemed superfluous. Also, I felt like the way that Dannie ended up treating David was pretty crummy. Like, she didn't want to be the bad guy, so she just waited him out. Not cool.

On the other hand, there were more good things than bad for me. I really loved Bella and Dannie's friendship. Their whole back story was just wonderful. I really love that when Dannie struggled, she didn't hesitate to reach out to a therapist. I love therapy! And I really enjoyed that this book made me think about what I would do if I were to have a similar experience as Dannie, and get a glimpse of a moment 5 years into the future. How would I react? It's kind of a mind-bending question, which I enjoy.

Overall, an enjoyable read. Definitely gave me some serious feels. And I look forward to reading another Rebecca Serle book in the future

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I loved the sweet friendship story. I loved that it was set in NYC. I’m a pretty forgiving reader. I enjoyed it enough to finish it. But I feel like it had this great set up and then it ultimately left me unsatisfied.
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I enjoyed 90% of this book. But the 10% I didn’t enjoy just keeps poking at me like an annoying younger sibling.

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Rebecca Serle does NOT disappoint with her latest release, IN FIVE YEARS. Last year I was so pleasantly surprised by Serles book “The Dinner List”, that I just knew I absolutely could not pass up her next novel. Her stories, are refreshingly unique and something I highly recommend adding to your #tbr. I think, like me, you will find IN FIVE YEARS; thoughtful, heartwarming and even a bit surprising. This story is best gone in blind but guard those hearts dear friends as this is no tear-free journey.

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It’s absolutely not what I had expected! I started this one thinking it as a rom-com and the initial portion kicked off that way but it is actually about love (not romantic kind) between two lifelong best friends Dannie and Bella. How these friends handle their relationship during some major struggles in life is the key plot. It gets very emotional at a point and is a lot heavier.

If you are looking for a light, fun rom-com, this is just the opposite! It shows how life rarely goes according to our plans and how we need to adapt based on deviations from our plan.

It is a beautiful story about friendship and reminds us to cherish little things in life as we never know what happens in the next moment! This is truly a story of unconditional love!

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I am disappointed. In Five Years was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. Even before the hype.

The reviews I have read for this book prior to reading it myself were mostly positive.

If you are someone who absolutely loves this book I am not here to bash it. I really wanted to love it and I went into the book expecting to love it.

Throughout this whole book I found myself wondering if I would have enjoyed it more if I had decided to sit down with a physical copy instead. The narration is not bad.

The narrators interpretation of Bella’s voice makes her come across as spoiled , entitled and bratty. Really immature and unlikeable. From there I felt a disconnect. Bella is a huge part of this story.

In the beginning I was also getting One Day in December Vibes minus the time travel/ dream aspect. There is a conflict in both of these books that would have been easily solved if characters would have just spoken to each other.

When I realized the characters weren’t going to talk things over I asked myself what is the authors next move and I figured it out pretty quickly. If you have not read this book please click away. I don’t want to spoil anything for you.

I knew the author was going to kill off a character. I am upset that the plot was that simple and that’s what the author chose to do. So when Bella was diagnosed I felt nothing. When she died- I felt nothing. I just wanted to feel something.

Also- the author kept bringing up this dead brother that had no relevance to the story what so ever. I feel like he was used as a device to create depth in the main character and was not needed.

Now some positives. Mainly so I don’t sound completely bitter 😂. I’m not. I promise.

It’s a short book. I love a quick read.

The premise of the book and the question it raises. Where do you see yourself in five years? Some of us think we have it all planned out. Much like the main character. Some are more free spirited. Either way life throws us curve balls.

The friendship. Throughout the story you see it evolve and become stronger. It made me thankful for the friends I have and not to take them for granted. You don’t know what tomorrow will bring.


Overall- I’m still glad to have listened/ read this book. I think I am done with this author though. I DNF’d her previous novel The Dinner List. Not every book/ author is for everyone and it’s time to call it quits.

I say this y’all and then months from now a new book will be announced and I may go back on my word 😂. Why am I like this?

I don’t know.

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So i might be in the minority here but i am not sure that the story was about. Was it about Dannie and her fiancé or dannie and her best friend or Dannie and her best friends boyfriend? Or was is just about Dannie's life. for 5 years? It was well written but I dont see the whole picture. I fell like it was bits and pieces of many stories mashed together. I can't wait for other people's reviews maybe ill get some clarity.. :)

I gave it 2 stars due to my confusion and not sure what the point of the story was.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC.

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This book was so good. And so unexpected. I have been seeing it EVERYWHERE! So, I had to give it a shot and it was amazing. I absolutely fell in love with the story line and characters.

I cried and laughed and smiled. It is like a warm cup of cocoa on a cold winter night. This book is perfection.

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This is an emotional roller coaster and I was so not prepared. Don't expect a happy ending, or even a conclusive one, but hey, that's life.

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I really liked this book when I started and I definitely had it going in one direction... only to be completely blind sided by where this went. It was easy and breezy. But definitely unexpected.. and I am not sure in a good way.

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I fell in love with this book almost immediately. I was not expecting the story to be what it was, the synopsis left a considerable amount of plot lines out. I read this novel fairly quickly, which I believe speaks to the flow and the novel. I wanted to keep reading as I was getting more invested and drawn into the story by the characters and their development throughout the novel. The writing style and the flow of the words seemed to come effortlessly to Serle.

This was a soul searching book for me. I took away a considerable amount of life lessons and a new outlook on my life after this book. This novel triggered me in a way I did not expect, it came as a shock to me.

I can’t pinpoint what was awful about this novel, I loved every tear-soaked minute of it. I liked the characters, the plot, the flow, the writing style, everything.

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I fell in complete love with this story. While the concept may not exactly be realistic, the feelings and emotions were oh so real. This book is beautifully written and crafted in a way that you feel for each character deeply. The ending was a complete shock. I straight up ugly cried reading this book. This is the book of 2020 that I want to just shout at the rooftops for everyone to read!

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I love the premise of In Five Years by Rebecca Searle and was excited to see where it went. Part of me is disappointed at the direction; part of me walks away with life lessons that we would do well to remember. Reader beware: This book is a love story but not the one you expect. It is not a not a light-hearted read that you might envision based on the description. It deals with a serious, life altering issue.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2020/01/in-five-years.html

Reviewed for NetGalley

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With In Five Years, Rebecca Serle weaves a delightful love story that you can devour in one sitting! Dannie Kohan has it all going on. She's meticulous, and her life shows it. She's just nailed the most important job interview she's ever had, and said yes to the man of her dreams - in the same day. She falls asleep over the moon. Imagine her surprise when she wakes up in a completely different apartment, a different right on her finger, and a different fiancee in her bed. Dannie spends one hour in this alternate universe - and then wakes up in her own bed, the clock close to midnight. One hour may not seem like much, but it's an hour that Dannie can't seem to let go of. What if? What then? What now?

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A story of both friendship and romance, with a bit of suspense as well. The story is based around a dream that one of the main characters had, where she saw herself in a specific place and relationship five years in the future. There are a then a few twists and turns, and finally a somewhat unexpected ending. I felt that the story dragged on a bit at times, however, was interesting enough to keep me reading.

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I really enjoyed this book, and I seriously wish I'd written the review sooner than SIX MONTHS AFTER I READ IT. So that being said, what I mostly remember is that it was thought-provoking, full of beautiful writing, and not as chick-litty as I expected (in a good way). I know I was left feeling unsettled, like the characters didn't have good choices before them.... I just don't know. I think this is a prime candidate for a future reread!

The fine print: I was already behind and didn’t write reviews for a huge chunk of the pandemic, so anything I read from February-July was reviewed in August or later… hence the lack of details!

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In Five Years is a quick novel with a passionate punch! I was left with a heart overflowing with so many different emotions all at once.
Dannie is a woman who knows what she wants and is determined to make her life go as she sees fit. She crushes her dream interview and her boyfriend proposes in the most expected, romantic way. When she falls asleep after a big celebration with champagne, she has a vivid dream that fast forwards her life 5 years. She’s suddenly in a new apartment, with a different guy and a ring on her finger.
After Dannie wakes up from her vivid dream, she has a new perception for her life.
This story caught me off guard, similar to the way Dannie’s dream did. I absolutely adored Rebecca Serle’s newest novel of love, friendship, grief and hope.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

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