“I look out on that view. The water, the bridge, the lights. Manhattan on the water, shimmering like a promise. I think about how much life the city holds, how much heartbreak, how much love. I think about everything I have lost there, this fading island before me” (230).

I really liked this book—even more than I was expecting. As I was reading, I kept thinking about how much I was enjoying it—Dannie’s goodness, her drive to succeed, her need for control; she was completely relatable. I kept thinking, “This book is a five, but the ending could definitely be its fall from grace.” Surprisingly, I was really satisfied with the ending. I give this book a five because there’s not anything I’d change about it. While there were some predictabilities, like knowing Bella would end up with the future-dream Aaron, I was completely surprised by how the ending, the premonition, was tied into reality. I also really liked that there were no villains—no bad guys. David was such a fantastic fiancé. Aaron really was loyal to and loved Bella. Bella and Dannie were true to one another. So even though there was this shadow of a love triangle hanging over the plot, it was unexpectedly delivered in such a way that showed really sucky circumstances with really good humans. And the ending wouldn’t have been quite as satisfying without Dannie’s brief encounter with Dr. Mark Shaw in the bagel shop after Aaron leaves her DUMBO apartment. It’s easy to feel the hopeful possibilities of this unknown and uncontrollable future. ( )

“Love doesn’t require a future."

In In Five Years, writer Rebecca Serle creates a maze of love, fate and controlled destiny. The story follows Dannie Kohan, a measured and driven young attorney in New York City, who gets engaged to her longtime boyfriend on the same night she has a startling glimpse of herself five years in the future. In this vision, she discovers her carefully calculated life has gone awry. Her future self is not only engaged to someone else but she seems to be living another life entirely; a life that has completely deviated from the future she has meticulously planned her entire adulthood.
The novel's dual timelines create a captivating tapestry, weaving a story that keeps readers eagerly turning pages until every piece falls into place. This structure keeps the reader engaged, as they are constantly trying to piece together the puzzle of Dannie's life and how she arrived at her future. Serle's writing is engaging and easy to follow, and she creates characters that are relatable and well-developed.

Highly recommended as one of the most unique books I have read in recent memory. In Five Years explores an unexpected range of emotions with lots of unexpected twists and turns. The character connection created by Serle is effortless. This enjoyable and thought-provoking novel is the perfect light read for fans of chicklit and magical realism. ( )

What would you do if you were given a glimpse of your life 5 years from now, and it's nothing you expect it to be?

Danni is an extreme "A type" most people will have trouble connecting to, a person who lives by numbers and plans everything to a minute. She's best friends with Bella, her free-spirited friend who is her proverbial opposite. The depiction of their friendship is the only redeeming quality of this book.

I read this in one sitting, so I can't say this was entirely poorly written. However, I had major issues with this book. I found these two main characters difficult to relate to and pretty shallow for the most part. There is also annoyingly too much brand name-dropping in this book for my taste, listing all the fancy restaurants, hotels etc. But, that's forgivable.
Another, more serious critique is that the "future" scene is misleading and honestly - unbelievable. I don't want to get into details without spoiling this, but the story never came together for me with that ending. It just didn't make any sense.

2.5 stars
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This is a very short read. I enjoyed the book but overall it seemed dragged on and predictable. I hated the end and did relate to the main characters. But, the plot and idea of this book is FAB! ( )

Hated it. Best friend is dying of cancer. Perfect time to daydream about hooking up with their partner. Then friend dies. And they hook up immediately! Omg just no ( )