I read about 75% of this book in one sitting as I couldn't put it down.
We follow Dannie through the events of the five years between when she fell asleep on December 15th 2020 up until the same date in 2025. Highs and lows, happy and sad.
The main characters were so likeable and I found myself wanting the best for all of them.
A beautiful story of friendship, love, ambition and loss - I challenge anyone not to shed at least a few tears reading this.

True love doesn’t always look the way we expect. And that is certainly true int his unexpected and mesmerising love story.

I am a wreck after finishing this book. I couldn’t put this book down and was utterly, obliviously lost in this beautiful, heartbreaking and lingering novel. I stayed up until the early hours, reading it in pretty much one sitting, as there was no chance of sleep until I knew what happened.

In Five Years begins like a typical love story but through a number of clever twists it morphs into something I never saw coming; a story that is both devastating and uplifting. The author’s strong sense of place brings New York to life, transporting me into Dannie’s world and making the one around me disappear. With her wonderful characters and powerful and compassionate storytelling she reaches into your heart and soul. I went through a rainbow of emotions and cried many tears while reading.

Dannie was a great character. She is a type-A personality who believes in living by numbers and has no doubts that her five-year plan will come to fruition. Even though she’s someone who’d drive me crazy in real life I quickly fell for her and my heart went out to her as her meticulously organised life began to spiral out of her control. But the character who really took my heart was Bella, Dannie’s best friend, who is illuminating, wild and kindhearted. I adored their friendship and how their stark differences complemented each other.

This is one of those books that if you give too much away then you ruin it. So I’m not going to say any more about the plot. What I will say is that the hype is real. This affecting and profound book is one of the best you’ll read. Ever. It is a stunning celebration of love, friendship and life. A story that reminds us we can’t plan and control everything.

Now I really need someone to turn this into a movie. Reese, are you listening?

Thank you to Quercus and Netgalley for the copy of this book.

I’ve just finished 'in five years' by Rebecca Serle. Published by Quercus books. Released 10th of March.

My god this book didn’t half pull on my heart strings. Made me laugh & cry. I’ve never read any of Rebecca’s books so when I received this via netgalley I was a little sceptical whether I’d like it.

Although I received a kindle copy I’ve seen pictures of the cover & I have to say I think it’s beautiful. I love how it shows landmarks & it’s pretty plain and simple and doesn’t give too much away.

I much prefer a love story with a twist, I like it to be a little different to the norm and this is exactly that. Dannie is is a lawyer and a well organised person, she has to control every single thing in her life. She lives with her fiancé David. But some things are out of her control. She falls asleep and dreams she’s with a mysterious man, in an apartment she doesn’t recognise. Dated five years into the future, Who is this stranger? & why isn’t she with David? That dream haunts her for the next 4.5 years until one day she meets that stranger..

I won’t say much more, but this book isn’t your typical romance - it concentrates a lot on friendship & that’s what I loved. It took me by surprise and always left me thinking about it when I put it down. Get your tissues at the read your gonna need them.

If you like authors like Marian Keyes or Josie Silver - you’ll love this!

Wow, I was not expecting 'this' here! This being that it was not at all what the blurb teases it to be, especially when we find out who the dream guy actually is... Heart-breaking is how I'd describe this book, and the ending, wow. Throughout, I kept wondering what that first dream actually was (premonition? Vision? Fallacy?) and then when this scene happens in (their) real life, man, it's such a revelation - it all makes so much sense, just fits in so nicely together. Do think this needs to come with some sort of trigger warning for how heart-breaking and sad it really is and the way you end up feeling totally gutted as you reach the ending and move towards it...
Not my first Rebecca Serle book (Famous In Love left me meh) but this is so NOT YA and so much real life/chick-lit without the bubbly feels and giggles but actual heartbreak and emotions and how family is so much more than blood... Wow! Really grabbed me and left me gutted but so high on all these emotions, too

Well, I certainly see what all the fuss is about.

When career-girl Dannie is asked the “where do you see yourself in five years?” question, she has the perfect response: her professional and love life is mapped out by the minute and she is used to things going her way.

However, as we all know, life has a funny way of not going quite to plan, and Dannie finds herself in unfamiliar territory.

I loved that although this book considers itself a Romance, (and it does fit that profile), it is as much (if not more) about the love within a friendship as it is within a relationship.

The friendship between Dannie and Bella is believable; their personalities and outlook on life couldn’t be more opposed, but despite their differences, they are fiercely loyal and protective to each other. Their backstory is rich with detail and their characters are emotionally well developed; the reader understands the ups and downs of their relationship and is with them throughout.

However, my feelings towards Dannie’s character were thwarted by the premonition she had early on; it stopped me really connecting to her as a character because I was fearful of what might be. In a way, I felt drawn closer to Bella (a supporting character) as it felt disloyal to their friendship to grow too fond of, or empathetic towards, Dannie. I’m glad there was a plot twist (I genuinely sighed in relief at that) as it somewhat restored my faith in literary friendships. Perhaps if this had been written in an alternate PoV format I would’ve felt more invested in the book because I’d connected more solidly with the characters?

I enjoyed this read and devoured it quickly; the plot has just the right level of complexity for an “easy read” for me, and the gentle twists which lead the reader to wrangle with their own conscience were a welcome touch too.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for my advanced copy of In Five Years, in exchange for my review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TW: unexpected decline in health, pregnancy/fertility difficulties

Dannie is a planner, the kind of person that has everything mapped out and she knows where she'll find herself in five years, has clear plans for her future. She lives with her boyfriend and she knows he's going to propose soon - they work together brilliantly, both ambitious and hard - working. After the proposal, when Dannie falls asleep, she has one of the weirdest dreams - she wakes up five years later, in a completely different apartment, with a completely different engagement ring, with a completely different man at her side... And then she wakes up... But the dream doesn't leave her.
Fast forward 4 years and we are close to the date that Dannie has dreamed about. And then she meets the man from her dream - but there is no way they could end together. Or is there?

I actually thought that the book is more about Bella than Dannie, to be honest, or at least it felt like this. And to be totally honest, so between us, I think I didn't get the story. I mean, why? Why having this strange dream that didn't feel like a dream at all, and I couldn't find any foothold, was it supposed to be a romance? What was this dream, actually? A premonition? Fantasy? Predicting the future? This open end left me so confused, this whole built - up led to actually nothing, but well, maybe it's not bad because if it led to something it would be even more confusing, as there was no chemistry between the two characters, they actually didn't know each other that well, and yes, simply - why?

Even though I didn't feel any connection to the characters - simply, we somehow didn't have anything in common, and I couldn't relate to any of them - they were well developed, full of flaws, irritating.

The switch from Dannie to Bella took me by surprise, but this is when it becomes really clear that this book is about the power of true friendship. Bella and Dannie's friendship was real, genuine and emotional and felt authentic. They were there for each other, and I think it was especially Dannie that was a great support for Bella - in all times, not only when something happened.

It was different to what I was thinking, so if you are looking for time - travel or magic in this book, you won't find it. You won't find a romance here, as well. It is a story about finding yourself, staying true to yourself and life choices. It touches upon many issues, one heavier than the other, actually, and it's for sure not a funny, light - hearted read that I thought it's going to be.

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

The future of Dannie Cohan looks set and it looks good. A successful lawyer in New York City her career is really taking off and she can’t get enough of it. She’s also just got engaged to David, a man who understands exactly what her job means to her. They’re a fit. Then one morning Dannie wakes up in a different apartment, with a different ring on her finger and with a different man in the bed. The date on the TV news tells her that it’s five years in the future. Everything has changed. And the strange thing is that this feels right, too. Shortly afterwards, Dannie wakes again and she’s back home and all is as it was. But Dannie has changed. She can’t get this vision out of her mind but, as the years pass, she does her best to do just that, until four and a half years later when she meets the man of her dream.

In Five Years is one of the most powerful and moving novels I’ve ever read. It’s short (arguably, it deserves to be read in one sitting) and every page is perfect, building up a story that will stay with the reader for quite a time. It is not an easy book to review and the reason is that it relies on you knowing nothing about it beyond the premise presented on the cover and summarised above. It certainly has a pull to it and couldn’t resist it and read it as soon as it arrived. It took over my life while I read it.

The premise (and the cover) does, I think, give a bit of a wrong impression and if you went into this book thinking it is a science fiction time jumping novel, then you’d be disappointed, and the reader also shouldn’t expect a psychological thriller. When Dannie meets the man she dreamt about over four years before I thought that I knew exactly where it would go. But it didn’t.

I fell for Dannie completely. She’s a workaholic and has some issues (don’t we all) but I could relate to her. My heart, though, was given to Dannie’s best friend, Bella, who fills this novel with light and love. Please read this novel and discover Bella.

In Five Years is a devastatingly beautiful and heartbreaking tribute to love. While not a romance, it’s a love story all the same and not the one you expect. I recommend you read this tucked away on your own, there will be tears and lots of them. This is a book to treasure and if it isn’t in my top books of 2020 list I’ll be very surprised.

Beautifully written with characters who are believable and human. This book made me smile and it made me sad but ultimately I could not put it down. A page turner which I really enjoyed and I totally recommend.

I initially picked up 'In Five Years' because I loved everything about it. The premises of it was right up my street. It was a romance novel set in New York with a time hop into the future. Everything about it was just screaming at me to read it! Also as I'm terrible when it comes to book covers, this one was soo gorgeous so it was no brainer that I had to read it.

‘In Five Years’ was nothing like I expected it to be. A lot of the romance books that I’ve read are cliché, cutesy and follow the same story arc. But this book was so different. There were some twists that took me by surprise because I did not see them coming! I loved how ‘In Five Years’ managed to maintain that warmth and cosiness from a romance novel but still have that punch of realism coursing through it. I think that’s what made it such a powerful and heartbreaking read. The ending was really empowering. I don’t think there was any other way this book could have gone. Everything just seemed to fit seamlessly.

The characters were all so lovely and likeable. Dani was relatable with her head strong, career driven life. But what set her aside was her relationship with Bella, her childhood best friend. The bond between them was the real heart of this novel.

Overall, ‘In Five Years’ was an incredible book. It was emotional and not what I was expecting at all.

I was lucky to get approval via Netgalley of #InfiveYears by @RebeccaASerle and boy did it make me cry so much alot of tissues were needed. It tells the story of Dannie Kohan who is a young lawyer being interviewed for a big job and one of the questions asked is Where will you be in five years time? This is pretty easy for Dannie to answer as she has her life planned but what if her best laid plans do not go the way she hoped. I have not read many contemporary novels but this story of love is not the usual boy meets girl instead it is quite different. I'm not going to give any spoilers but all i would say is Rebecca has crafted something so beautiful that it will stay with me and at some point I will have to revisit which I never normally do. So there is no doubt in mind that this book is worth 5 stars.

I’m not sure what I expected from this book - a light hearted romance with an element of time travel? There’s certainly some of that but this is so much more than that. It’s deep and layered and raw and emotional, and a beautiful love story, but not the love story you thought it was going to be.

In Five Years is a book that will give you all the feels. The most surprising love story ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5.

I could not turn the pages quick enough with this one. I stayed up far too late to race to the end and then was devastated it had ended. I then continued to be annoyed at myself for doing this.

This book took me completely by surprise. What a love story. Certainly not a conventional one. A surprise in the best way. So very clever and beautiful. Dannie and Bella have a love story of their own.

It made me laugh and broke my heart and then carried on with this cycle. This book is one that you won't want to miss.

I adored the writing style, effortlessly flowed. The characters you can't help but love and empathize with. What more do you want in a book?

Major book hangover. This is a gem of a book that I feel will make massive waves in the book world this year. Absolutely wonderful. This will be one of my go to recommendations.

So grateful to have been approved for this one.

My reading experience can be divided into three phases: 1) I'm not in the mood for a heartwrenching story but I must read it for a blog tour 2) I don't know why have to put it down to eat or sleep 3) As my granny used to say "I had lot of fun, cried a lot".
It was a gripping and moving read that somehow was close home as I have been working as consultant for years and I met people like Dannie in real life and I was like her in some moments.
Dannie is a driven, focused and ambitious person but she's also a very frail one as everything depends on hard fact never giving room to the unexpected or just living.
Bella is apparently the weakest one but she's also the one who is really living.
In my opinion all the story is centered around them, their life and how they change and evolve.
The male characters play a secondary role because the main love relationship is between Dannie and Bella and between Dannie and her work.
It's a story about taking changes, accepting what is really important to you and living with grief.
The author is a good storyteller and I loved how the atmosphere of the story went from "life of the rich and talented" to "how life can strike and you have to survive".
It's also a love letter to New York and I liked the description of places and of the city.
I was left wondering what will be next but also knowing that after a life changing experience you can't go back to what it was.
I note that what I wrote is a sort of diary of impressions and reflections. This book will remain with me because it made me think and reflect.
I was entertaining, moved and loved what I read.
It would be great to read another story with these characters, I will surely read other books by this author.
An excellent and poignant read, strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Quercus and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I was so incredibly disappointed by this book. Mainly because the idea and premise that is given to you is not what happens in this book. It's barely a romance, and there's very little of the slowly leading up to the 5 years time. (It actually skips forward something like 4 and a half years, so...) If you're wanting to pick it up for that aspect plus romance, possibly think again.

I was bored throughout the entire thing, the only two times I enjoyed it was when we first ran into the dream guy for the first time and even then it quickly started to bore me again. Very little actually happens apart from the plot twist / narrative twist - which, don't even get me started on that.

Dannie, our main character, I found was stuck up, narcissistic and one of the worst characters. There was nothing redeeming about her. She is so incredibly judgey to her best friends, and I really couldn't stand her. Her boyfriend is an absolute wet wipe. Her best friend is probably my favourite character. For 270 pages I'm really confused about their personalities and who they are as characters, because none of them except Bella had any sort of personality.

I would have DNF'd at 40% but really wanted to see if it would get better and how the narrative would progress. Safe to say, this wasn't my kind of book. I think it's because I was expecting this extraordinarily cute and interesting love story and instead got this bland mush of god knows what. And that ending? It's a massive nope, underlined, with an asterisk note leading to the word: YIKES.

Thank you to Quercus Books for my copy of this book via Netgalley. I had heard a little about this book and it sounded intriguing to me so I requested a copy.

I finished this book and I felt broken. Completely and utterly broken. I didn't know what to do with myself. I put the TV on but quite honestly I couldn't pay attention. All I could think about is Dannie and Bella.

I'll admit it for the first quarter of this book I wasn't even sure if I liked Dannie but I really warmed to her. Bella was an instant hit with me but Bella is an instant hit with everyone. It's just who she is.

I went in thinking this was going to be a love story and while it was it just wasn't in the way I thought it would be. The true love story here was Dannie and Bella's friendship. This friendship is everything to these girls. At first, it may seem like Bella needed Dannie more but as the book progressed it really was a two-way thing.

This was the first book I read by Rebecca but it will not be my last! I was engaged and captivated by Rebecca's words and the characters she created. Now I have gushed and poured my heart out I am going to go back to sobbing and trying to work through this book hangover.

Oh my word!!! I have no words! “In Five Years” by Rebecca Serle is a truly exceptional book which has left me completely broken.⠀
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This is a love story, but not the obvious, conventional kind.....it is a love story between two best friends, who have been through everything together.⠀
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Dannie and Bella have the most wonderful relationship and it is a friendship that is so true and genuine, and one that I’m slightly envious of.⠀
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I literally did not see how the plot would carry out, and to say I’m shocked is an understatement. I got the whole story completely wrong and I love that I had no idea what was coming. At no moment did the plot become obvious, which is really refreshing.⠀
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Rebecca’s writing style is magnificent, and I’ve not cried like this while reading a book since “Me Before You”⠀
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“In Five Years” is a heartbreakingly beautiful book that I would recommend to anyone who will listen!! ⠀
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Thank you for approving me to read and review this book! An outstanding ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ From me

Dannie, our leading lady, gets engaged to her boyfriend. She knew this was coming. It was in the plan. The plan that, so far, is being executed just how she imagined. But on the night of her engagement, she falls asleep and has a dream; a dream of her life in five years time. She wakes up an hour later, fast forward four and a half years later & there's been no sign of that dream. So far so good, right?

Wrong.

Suddenly she finds herself face-to-face with the man from her dream and she realises it was never a dream but a vision. A vision that she now tries very hard to ensure doesn't come to fruition.

So, where do you see yourself in five years time?

This question is one we are all familiar with. We're supposed to have a plan, people tell us. But life doesn't always know we have a plan and even when it does, it sometimes gets in the way of it. Dannie is a planner because she likes to know what's coming. She's ambitious, she's meticulous and she likes to be in control. But now she has to learn to deal with a huge curveball that's coming her way. It was never in the plan so how will her Type-A personality cope with it?

Believe the hype! In Five Years is a book I did not want to end. It's an easy, quick read which I started and finished in one sitting because I truly couldn't stop. It's a modern day love story with a really exciting twist and it addresses different kinds of love in a relatable way. I love that there is nothing cheesy about this book. It's a romance novel that, apart from the vision, has been written in a realistic way which is what makes it so beautiful and poignant.

Dannie has a five year plan for her life. In five years she plans to be junior partner at Wachtell, law firm and employer of her dreams, married to David and living in Grammercy. And all of that is pretty much on track. She has met her equal in David who also has a life plan. On the eve of her engagement to David, she wakes up in a strange bed with a man in the house who is not David. From the tv, she sees is 2025 - five years into the future.

Such a premonition completely throws Dannie and when she finally meets the man from the "dream", she realises that she must avoid getting too close as this is not a relationship that she can pursue.

This book was fantastic, it is very different, really well written and easy to read. The characters are very likeable and really well developed. It is sad but really uplifting. The ending was not something I could have predicted, however, it is an ending very true to the story and that made it all the more enjoyable.

This is a fab story about love, friendship and the unpredictability of life. A brilliant page-turner. Loved it 5/5.

I loved the premise of this book and it was really well executed.

Dannie, the main protagonist seems to have it all - a great, lifetime friend and a boyfriend who is perfect for her. She is actually a little annoying to begin with as she seems so focused on material things like her and her boyfriend's salaries, where they feel they should be living and what they should be doing in their lives to be 'successful'. However, as the story progresses Dannie becomes a little less ambitious and begins to focus on the importance of experiences and the people in her life.

The turning point is when she falls asleep on the evening of her engagement and has a premonition of five years in the future. It really shakes her and it was good to see how she responded to it. It makes her reassess/doubt things she had taken for granted. What really surprised me was how we were introduced to the man she had 'seen' herself with in her premonition. I kept expecting him to be introduced sooner but when he does appear I thought how can the premonition possibly come true now.

The turn of events was heartbreaking yet stayed true to Dannie's character and how important she felt her personal relationships were; particularly that she has with her best friend Bella.

I felt really sorry for her boyfriend/fiance David as he doesn't seem to get the love and investment that he deserves but it is not through Dannie being malicious or anything. It is such an authentic romantic relationship and I really felt for both of them.

What really threw me was what happened after the five years time premonition moment had passed. I did not foresee the ending and it was actually really very good as it avoided cliches and felt right for the characters.

I initially thought the book was an alternative realities style book where she was with someone else in the future but someone she already knew. However, it was a little bit different and I really enjoyed that.

Well written; great and unpredictable plot; fantastic characters and an all round heartbreakingly realistic (surprisingly!) read.

I have already ordered a copy for my library!

Thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for my ARC.

There is a line in this novel that perfectly sums up how I felt whilst reading In Five Years. Reading this charming, life affirming tale of love and friendship I felt i had indulged and submerged myself in my favourite bubble bath only to come up for air with the final words. I literally flew through this novel and then almost wished I hadn’t since the characters of Dannie and especially Bella are so easy to fall in love with. Now I’m reading more of this genre I’m trying to figure out what makes a novel of this type stand out from the rest, apart from excellent writing and brilliant characterisation of course. There seems to be this magic ingredient that can transform an average, lighthearted and pleasant enough read into one that draws you entirely into the fictional characters lives, making you feel like you don’t want the journey to end. In Five years is that book for me and I ABSOLUTELY loved it.
Without divulging too much of the storyline, this novel centres around four individuals, Dannie and David, Dannie’s best friend Beth and Aaron. Dannie is a high flying corporate lawyer with her life clearly mapped out, so accepting David’s proposal is simply the next step in her life’s trajectory. But life has a funny way of throwing a spanner in the works and when Dannie experiences a premonition/dream into her life as it will be in five years time, she’s shocked to see herself with another man, in a different apartment! So begins Dannie’s attempts to control what happens from now until that day 15 December 2025 she has already glimpsed, determined to change the course of events and avoid what she believes to be inevitable.
At the beginning I could see similarities with another storyline in Josie Silver’s lovely novel One day in December but it turns out to be only fleeting.
Whilst this novel is about romantic love, it is also about nature of love in general, in all its glorious forms and in particular about love that is unique to strong female friendship. The idea that realising your goals and ambitions is the be all and end all is seriously challenged, proving there are other aspects of life equally important, the main one of course being love. Although both characters are immensely likeable and the strong bond they have nurtured over the years is wonderful to witness, I fell most in love with Bella. These two women are polar opposites but their love for each other is evident throughout. The author’s writing brings Dannie and Bella alive so that you can imagine them as real people experiencing these relatable scenarios. I’d hazard a guess the author is a real foodie as the pages are littered with food references which may (or may not!) whet your appetite.
Yes of course some parts of Dannie’s and Bella’s story are predictable but there are a couple of surprises, particularly at the end which left me in no doubt that I’d rate this as a five star read. I’m not ashamed to admit that my heartstrings were well and truly pulled and I shed a tear or two along the way.
In Five Years celebrates the value and joy of female friendship and is such a delight to read. Highly recommend for fans of authors such as Beth O’Leary and Josie Silver to name but two!My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.