A review by hallowitch
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

I enjoyed this well enough. It was a quick listen and had the bonus of being narrated by Megan Hilty. The blurb is purposefully misleading, and this was more of a love story to friendship than a traditional romance.  The only hint of magical realism is the "time travel" dream/premonition that we see right at the beginning. I felt like Dannie was well fleshed out as a character (type A workaholic with full tragic backstory), but Bella struck me as a bit of a caricature (stereotypical poor little neglected rich girl who is wild, artistic, whimsical but mercurial).  I feel this is a disservice to her character as she is as important to the plot as Dannie. I love books with strong friend bonds, and this one definitely packs an emotional punch there. I would say the brief romantic pairing at the end felt a bit weird (no build up to attraction other than what we know from the time skip), but I think maybe we are supposed to view their interlude through the lens of grief and solace.