In Five Years: A GMA Book Club Pick (a Novel)

I devoured this book in one day, and I’m very glad I didn’t read reviews first. Go in blind if you can—the jacket gives just enough and nothing more. At first, it feels like a story about control. Dannie—who has planned every detail of her life—has everything working exactly as intended. Until one night she falls asleep and spends an hour five years in the future. It doesn’t feel like a dream. It feels like inhabiting a premonition—something real, physical, and undeniable. When she wakes up, everything shifts. The story moves from careful planning to knowing—and not being able to change what’s coming. It’s not the story you think it will be. But it is a very good love story. What I appreciated most is how it explores what love actually asks of us, without dressing it up or making it easy. It’s a quick read, but it lingers. And somehow, I’m not even mad at the author for taking me on an unexpected journey.

Dannie has had her life planned out since she was a little girl. Get into the good school, find the right job, meet the guy, find the perfect job, get engaged, get married, buy the house, and maybe one day, have the kid. So far, everything is going according to her plan. She has made it to the "get engaged" moment and it is perfect. She has the man of her dreams and everything is on track to meet all of her goals. But the night of her engagement, something makes her swerve off course. She dreams a very vivid and real dream that it is 5 years in the future and she is in a different apartment and has a different ring on her finger, and there is a different man in her life. She wakes up suddenly and tries to forget. 4 and a half years go by and Dannie still hasn't set a wedding date...life keeps getting in the way. One night she and her fiance meet her best friend, Bella, for dinner on a double date only to find that her best friend's date is the man she dreamed about. All Dannie can think about why he is in her life and more importantly, how she can change the future. Along the way, Dannie has to learn many hard lessons, including accepting the unexpected. Told from Dannie's perspective, this fast paced and heart breaking novel, examines love and one's chosen family. The author uses "the dream" to frame the entire story and I loved the feel and rhythm of this book. It feels suspenseful knowing Dannie is on somewhat of a countdown. This isn't a romance book (believe me, not my thing) but it is a love story. It is a rather short novel, which made it a fast read, but I found myself wanting more. I would have liked to have seen a little more plot development before the story's major twist occurred. But overall, I really enjoyed and would recommend to anyone wanting a heartfelt, yet not sappy, summer read.

Can I just say I have mixed feelings? Not because I didn’t love the story but because I’m not sure I agree with the ending. What a heartbreaking and beautiful story! In Five Years brought out so many emotions in me. The novel is a story of two best friends, their friendship and the love, loss and hope they experienced. From the first moment I opened this book, I knew I wouldn't be able to put it away for any reason. It's one of those books that demand your attention. This story spoke to me in so many ways. As I said earlier, it made me feel all types of emotions. The characters: We have Bella, a free spirit girl who had absentee parents growing up. As a rich girl, life has brought her everything she wanted except love; Love from her parents or love from a significant other. Yet, Bella falls in love easily. Bella is a good person and a good friend with a good heart. Then, we have Dannie Kohan who is a woman with her feet well planted on the earth. She's all about numbers and she loves her job as a lawyer. When the book begins she’s getting ready for an interview with a new firm but she also suspects her boyfriend, David Rosen is about to propose. Dannie is happy with her life and her five-year plan. Then a dream happens. A very real dream where she wakes up five years into the future, in a different home, in Brooklyn, with a ring on her finger and with a different man. A man named Aaron Gregory. The dream shakes her to her core. Years later, Dannie meets the man of her vivid dream and she tries to stay away from him but fate or her destiny has other plans for her. In Five Years had an amazing writing and a well-developed storyline that I won’t easily forget. Cliffhanger: No 5/5 Fangs

Let me start by saying, I’m not completely upset with the story or ending. But let’s be clear, this is not a love story, nor a story about friendship. Was love and friendship in the book? Yes, but so was a detailed description of their meals and the wine they chose to go along with it. I feel like I remember those scenes way more than the pages of the characters relationships. I loved the idea of having a vision of your life 5 years from now and seeing how it all transpires, but this book failed at connecting the reader to the outcome. The main character’s description of her best friend came off as obsession rather than best friends growing up together. Her reminiscing gave me stalker vibes. I couldn’t connect, I couldn’t route for anyone, except for Bella and her battle with cancer. This could have been a really good book with a great concept but unfortunately fell short. Easy read, but if you’re on the fence, find something else.

When I read the Amazon “blurb” on this book, I went into it thinking it would be one of those two friends who agree that “if we’re not married by the time we’re 35, we’ll get together” books. It was not that. Instead, this is an interesting and sometimes uncomfortable look at the truth of the old saying that “life is what happens when you’re making other plans.” This book, with its very interesting premise, is testimony to that frustration and futility. I still haven’t resolved my feelings on the ending. For me, it was a bit surprising, but overall it makes sense.

I am not a big reader (but I wish I was! Too restless) so when a friend suggested this book to me, I wasnt sure I'd be able to start (or finish it) to my surprise, I loved it and finished it in a weekend. Now I am on to her other books! Great read! (Even for us non readers) :)

I hate this book, well, I loved it. But it made me cry like a baby and that I hate! I thought it was a freaking romance, nothing like this! Nothing could prepare me for this. It is a love story, but not one that we expect. I stayed up at night crying because I hated what was happening to Bella. I lost my best fur friend (yes my dog) to ovarian cancer and it just hit so closed to home and made me realize that I haven’t processed her death. And I live my life very much like Dannie. I didn’t know I would go through this, and it wasn’t planned. Who could plan this? Great job at making me feel so much! Rebecca Serle is an amazing writer. A must read if you like to appreciate life and need a stern reminder that we need to be present.

It's a beautiful story. It wasn't what I expected, but I am very glad it wasn't. Highly recommend

I really don't know why so many people didn't like the book. It wasn't the lovestory I expected this I have to admit but that made it different from all those stories where everybody already knows the end when reading the summary. This book was a surprise and it has a message in it. The ending was a bit too short for me and not really the happy end I would have wished for which is only logic knowing the story. However, I can highly recommend this book to everyone who wants to read something special and about life, the real life not "la vie en rose"!

This is the first book that I've read by this author and it was absolutely fantastic, you literally could not take your eyes from the pages, it has you complete;y hooked right from the first page and doesn't let you go until you have finished the whole book. This story line is awesome and you will be desperate to see how everything plays out until the end its not what you expect at all, it's awesome. Where do you see yourself in five years ? This is the question a lot of us ask ourselves at some point or another throughout our lives. Dannie has everything or so it seems, she has a high flying career and is about to have a massive important interview of her life that she aces. Her boyfriend has just proposed and after having a few glasses of champagne to celebrate she falls asleep thinking that she is way up on her five year plan. That is until: BOOM! When she wakes up she is some where totally different, different home, different husband and ring and a completely different life, when she realises after looking at the TV five whole years have passed. She decides to ignore what ever it was that happened, a dream a premonition whatever it was she decides to ignore it. The question is will fate let her ignore it or did it happen for a reason? ( NO SPOILERS) As soon as I started reading this book I was very intrigued and I was desperate to see what was going to happen I couldn't take my eyes of the pages. The characters in this book were written so good and the friendship between Dannie and Bella is so beautiful to see and also so heartbreaking. These two are like sisters and go through so much together that your emotions will be on a roller coaster ride, you will really need the tissues when reading this book because some moments are totally heartbreaking. This book is a very powerful read and the love story between the pages that is blossoming is beautiful to see. I really enjoyed seeing how this story was going to play out, this book is a complete page turner and I couldn't put it down, I was hooked from page one and I will highly recommend this book to everyone because it is one of the best five star reads that Ive ever read and its a book you have to read. I'm glad that ive found another fantastic author to read. I will definitely look forward to more of this author's work in the future. This book is out now.

Hella bad story. Cheating on your dying bestfriend involved. Won’t recommend. But good books seller.

The ending is completely unexpected ! The story in itself is a beautiful and in my opinion a genuine life lesson.

Once I started reading this book, I couldn't stop. I've read it in 2 and a half days, which says a lot, being a mother of two. It never gets boring, I just wanted to keep on reading to know what happens next. Great characters that you feel you know and want to get to know. Surprising ending. Loved it!