SYNOPSIS:
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.
My Thoughts:
There is no doubt that the design of this book is absolutely beautiful and is a huge factor as to why I picked it up in the first place. The fact that it is set in New York City and the story addresses the unpredictability of life intrigued me and I was so excited to read it. For someone who also loves to occasionally dive into a whimsical romance story, what more could I want?
But as the saying goes, you can't judge a book by its cover!
It is definitely true that this novel is a love story but not the love story you are expecting.
This was a very quick book to finish, not necessarily because I was hooked, but more because there wasn't a whole lot of substance. I felt that I didn't connect with any of the characters and so when tragedy hits, I didn't feel as emotional as I could have. I feel this novel could have the power to be utterly moving and to pull on your heartstrings, but I felt it lacked character development and story progression for me personally.
The concept of the novel is lovely, and I wish there were more books out there that showed friendship like this one does between Dannie and Bella. Dannie was an interesting character who worked so much to follow her life plan that she didn't notice what was falling down around her. Her relationship with her fiancé was one of them!
With all of that said, I did appreciate the overall message that you can't know exactly where you are going to be in the future, it can be planned but you may spend your whole life planning to get there that you miss out on enjoying the present moment.
Thank you to Rebecca Serle and Milly Reid for letting me read this book before publication. The Hardcover and Kindle edition is available from 10th March and paperback is available from 1st October 2020.
AUTHOR:
Rebecca Serle is an author and television writer who lives between New York and Los Angeles. Serle most recently co-developed the hit TV adaptation of her young adult series Famous in Love, now on Freeform. She loves Nancy Meyers films, bathrobes, and giving unsolicited advice on love.
You can find Rebecca Serle:
Twitter: @RebeccaASerle
You can buy Truth Hurts on Amazon UK from 10th March: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Five-Years-Rebecca-Serle/dp/1529405807/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1582042261&sr=8-1