A unique take on love and friendship.

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Pages : 273

First published: 2020

Original language: English

The plot: Dannie Kohan, a Manhattan lawyer, knows exactly what her five year plan is – get her dream job, and marry her long-term boyfriend. Hours after the most important interview of her career, and accepting her boyfriend’s marriage proposal, she wakes up in a different apartment, in a red dress, with a different man beside her. The date is five years in the future.

One confusing hour later, Dannie wakes again, back in her apartment, next to her fiance. Life continues as it should, but she can’t shake what has happened. Four and a half years later, she meets the man from her vision – and he’s on the arm of her best friend, Bella.

What follows is an emotional story of love, loss, and the power of female friendship.

What did I think of this book?

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy In Five Years as much as I did. Having read the premise, I anticipated that it would be a fairly average rom-com, with predictable characters and the inevitable happy ending. I couldn’t have been more surprised to find that I tore through it in 5 days! In Five Years is a surpring read in that it is so much more than a romantic comedy. It is funny, sad, moving and eloquent in equal measure. Without revealing any spoilers, it’s a love story between two friends. Keeping the focus on the power of female friendship elevates the narrative above a traditional rom-com.

What was most interesting about this book?

Unusually for a romantic comedy, romantic relationships take a backseat. The friendship between Dannie and Bella is the real love story, and the one we root for. The two have been friends since they were children, and have seen each other through career successes and challenges, failed relationships, and family dramas. They are the one constant in each other’s lives. When Bella is unexpectedly diagnosed with ovarian cancer (after believing that she is pregnant with her first child) it is a crushing blow and provides the novel with a devastating twist.

The happy ending we think we’re expecting never comes. The ending we get is darker, more neutral, but in essence the right one. We have rooted for these characters throughout the novel, and know that uncertainty and challenges await them. But we find ourselves hoping for the best, and knowing deep in our hearts that they will survive. I wasn’t expecting the ending and it blew me away.

What am I going to take away from this book?

That romantic comedies don’t always have to be a love story between romantic partners. The love we share with friends, or even the love we have for our careers, can be just as satisfying. The love of our life sometimes isn’t who we think it is, and we never know what our future holds. We can plan our lives to the nth degree (as Dannie does) but we never know where life will take us or where we will end up.

Will I enjoy this book?

Absolutely. Go in with an open mind (unlike me!) and enjoy the ride. Expect the unexpected, and you’ll find it a satisfying one.

Rating: 4/5