“In Five Years” by Rebecca Serle

Read via hardback 

A captivating journey through grief and heartache.

Triggers:

• Grief
• Loss

Synopsis:

Ever since the tragic death of her brother when they were children, lawyer Dannie has coped with the grief by living according to a very structured plan- one she feels she has complete control over. She has a best friend, Bella, with whom she’s been attached at the hip since they were 7 years old. She has a great boyfriend, David, who fits into her life like a perfect puzzle piece. Dannie has also nailed the interview for her dream job! This is how it’s supposed to be… everything is going according to plan. Check. 

Dannie and David have been dating for 2 years and she knows, according to her plan, that David will be proposing within the year. As scheduled, he proposes in December of 2020. They have dinner reservations at The Rainbow Room, he proposes, and Dannie says yes. Check. 

When the newly engaged couple arrives back at their apartment, Dannie falls asleep after downing too much champagne. She ‘wakes up’ in a completely different apartment with a different man and a different ring on her finger. She notices the date on the TV… December 15, 2025. After an hour-long intense encounter with her future and a man she doesn’t know, she wakes up- back in her apartment with David. How did she get to that strange life? Was it just a dream? It surely felt like a lot more than that.

The story follows Dannie navigating her way through the next five years, trying to rationalize her “dream” and turn life in another direction. But can she really control her own fate? 

Rating: 4.5/5

Review: 

The journey through Dannie’s struggles with grief, heartache, and friendship is truly captivating. The character descriptions are impeccable and I felt like I was apart of her life!

There were never any dull moments in this book and I truly did not want to put it down. The chapters were relatively short, which I love, since my attention span is sometimes… well let’s just say… not the greatest! Long chapters don’t hold my attention, even if they’re interesting, like short chapters do. Maybe it’s the sense of accomplishment coming more frequently? 

The story takes quite a heavy turn halfway through, which caught me totally off guard. Ironically, I don’t read many reviews in fear of spoilers. If I had, I may have been more prepared for the emotional twist. I read the entire second half in one sitting, sobbing my way through! It definitely wasn’t the light-hearted novel I thought it was going to be, but it was amazing nonetheless.

Conclusion:

“In Five Years” is a wonderful, read-in-one-sitting, book. I recommend it, but come prepared with a box of tissues! 

Amazon: In Five Years

This post may contain affiliate links to Amazon. At no additional cost to you, I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Read more about the disclosure here.