In Five Years

Rebecca Serle

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.

-Excerpt taken from Goodreads.

Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.

My Opinion

4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5) This book revolves around the question, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” It starts out giving a woman a glimpse of her life in five years. It is nothing what she expects and it is confusing to her how it would be that way. The last sentence of the blurb states, “…and the unpredictable nature of destiny.” This is more what the book focuses on. Our futures are unpredictable, and even when we have a glimpse or a plan or an idea of how we’d like it to go, it is still not up to us.

The friendship between Bella and Dannie is heart-warming. If everyone could have a friend like them, this world would be a better place. I loved hearing about their experiences together and how their differences made them stronger. About halfway through the book, the story takes a life-altering turn and I had to put it down. Not because I wasn’t enjoying it, but because listening to it made it raw and emotional and heavy. To me, that is the sign of an incredible writer. When you are truly able to experience the emotions they are conveying, that author has my attention. When I was able to pick it up again, Serle took me on a journey through hope and love and heartbreak and grief. Everything was described beautifully and the narrator on the audio did an amazing job. It broke my heart and made me mad, but I respect the ending for being more realistic.

Ultimately, this is a story about self-discovery and love. Both are vital parts to the book and are portrayed very well. It was a difficult story for me to hear but it was so well written that I have to give it credit for that. It touches on subjects that are painful and heart breaking so I cannot recommend this to everyone. But it’s definitely a story to get your emotions going and to help realize the important people in our lives.

The content was minimal with a small amount of language, some sex (but tastefully done) and no violence. I recommend this to those who love realistic, heart wrenching stories that are OK with a good cry!

Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio and Libro.fm for this audio in exchange for an honest review.

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