In Five Years 3.5⭐️/5

In Five Years by by Rebecca Serle

3.5⭐️/5

A really solid 3.5 stars! I think this book is best if you go in blind, so don’t read below if you don’t want spoilers!

This was a heartfelt and fast-paced read! I liked it, I just didn’t love it. The writing is charming, lighthearted, and emotional when it needed to be (and it needs to be). A story that explores love, loss, friendship, and grief.

Things I liked:
1. The premise! A creative, intriguing idea: spending one hour five years in the future? And you wake up and don’t recognize where you are or who you’re with? I think Rebecca Serle did a fantastic job balancing the present moment and the future, and the eventual discoveries the reader makes along the way.
2. Dannie’s relationship to work, maybe a strange thing to pick out in such an emotional book, but I really enjoyed the insight into a life of corporate law and her professional relationships! Love a protagonist who has a dynamic professional life and isn’t just a baker or an artist. **also this book REALLY made me miss New York. This almost felt like a love letter to the city: her trips to the deli to get whitefish, spending time along the water in DUMBO, reminiscing on their younger days in going out in Meatpacking, I ate it all up.
3. The love story. Not the love story you expect, but one that captivated me all the same.

Things I didn’t care for:
1. The rushed ending - I did love where the author ultimately takes us, I just felt it was less profound than the rest of the story. I think she brought Dannie to a place that makes sense for her, but there was very little closure on certain characters and relationships that, though they weren’t the focus on the novel, felt side-stepped in a way that left me wanting more.
2. The lack of character development for Greg/Aaron. I know. This book is not about him, but he felt overlooked in a way that didn’t work for me. He and Dannie have a connection early on, but then it just culminates into something that doesn’t mean anything? I was left a bit confused on their relationship.

Overall, I would recommend this book because I found the characters equally lovable, the conflict they face real and nuanced, and a memorable journey, even if the ending didn’t really deliver.