“If there’s a clock ticking toward anything, it should be your happiness.”
During her interview for her dream job, lawyer Dannie Kohan confidently responds to the standard question, ‘Where do you see yourself in five years?’ She aces the interview, happily accepts a surprise proposal from her wonderful boyfriend, and goes to bed that evening with what seems like the ideal life mapped out for herself. However, her night takes an unexpected turn when she dreams of waking up five years into the future with a different ring, in a different apartment, and next to a different man. Rebecca Serle’s In Five Years is an innovative romance book that explores the power of loyalty, friendship, and connection, as well as the unpredictability of our fates. If you enjoyed Serle’s work, join us at What We Reading as we explore the best books like In Five Years!
Who Wrote In Five Years?
Rebecca Serle is a New York Times bestselling American author and television writer. She is famous for writing The Dinner List, and the young adult novels The Edge of Falling and When You Were Mine, as well as developing the hit TV adaptation Famous in Love, based on her YA series of the same name. In Five Years was first published in March 2020. Serle currently resides in Los Angeles.
One Italian Summer – Rebecca Serle
First up on our list of books like In Five Years is another one of Rebecca Serle’s most beloved works, One Italian Summer. Another contemporary romance tale, it follows protagonist Katy as she reels from the loss of her mother (and best friend), Carol. Not only has she left Katy right when she needed her most, but also on the eve of their planned two-week break to Positano, the magical town her mother had spent the summer before meeting her father.
But, having decided to brave the trip alone, Katy feels her mother’s spirit as soon as she touches down on the Amalfi Coast. Buoyed by the stunning food, charming residents, crystal blue waters, and beautiful cliff sides, she can feel herself coming back to life. And then she sees her mother, fresh-faced, fully-tanned, and thirty years old. Throughout one gorgeous Italian summer, Katy can have Carol back in her life, though truly as her friend now, not her mother. Only Carol is not exactly the sort of woman Katy was expecting, and she is forced to reconcile the woman who knew everything with this young woman who doesn’t yet have a clue.
One True Loves – Taylor Jenkins Reid
In her twenties, Emma Blair married her high school sweetheart, Jesse, and together they built an idyllic life away from the prying eyes and expectations of their parents in their Massachusetts hometown. On the eve of their first wedding anniversary, Jesse’s helicopter vanishes over the Pacific Ocean. Quitting her job and returning home, Emma slowly begins rebuilding her life, eventually running into and falling in love with her old friend, Sam.
However, Emma’s second chance at happiness is suddenly upended when Jesse is found alive and well, attempting to make it back to her. Now, with a husband and a new fiancé, Taylor Jenkins Reid’s One True Loves is a contemporary romance book similar to In Five Years, following Emma as she grapples with two men from different points in her life. Another devastatingly beautiful take on the love triangle trope, Emma has to decide who she is, what she wants, and what the real meaning of the term ‘one true love’ is.
All Your Perfects (Hopeless #3) – Colleen Hoover
TikTok sensation Colleen Hoover delivers a gut-wrenching story akin to In Five Years in her Goodreads Choice Award-nominated novel, All Your Perfects. This new adult contemporary romance chronicles a troubled marriage and an old, forgotten promise that may hold the key to saving it.
Quin and Graham’s seemingly perfect love is threatened by their imperfect marriage. Years of mistakes, secrets, and lies have accumulated, now perilously close to tearing them apart. The one thing that could save them might also be the final blow that irreparably damages their marriage. The bestselling author of It Ends With Us returns with another heartbreaking exploration of a damaged couple whose love hinges on promises made in the past. All Your Perfects raises the poignant question: ‘Can perfect love survive between two imperfect people?’
You Were There Too – Colleen Oakley
At first glance, Mia Graydon’s life appears picket-fence perfect – the dream house, a loving husband, and plans to start a family, all neatly set and mapped out. Yet, Mia harbours other dreams, recurring ones featuring the same mysterious man. She dismisses them until a move to small-town Pennsylvania brings her face-to-face with this stranger, who harbours a secret of his own: he’s been dreaming of her too. Eager to unravel the mystery, the two embark on a quest for answers. However, as they delve deeper into the past, Mia is left with a singular question: ‘What if?’
Colleen Oakley’s You Were There Too is an unforgettable story, reminiscent of Rebecca Serle’s work, about a woman compelled to choose between the man she loves and the one fate seems to have picked out for her. It serves as another poignant reminder that, at times, it’s best to be guided by what the heart wants.
The Soulmate Equation (DNADuo #1) – Christina Lauren
Jess Davis, a number-crunching whizz and a single mom, is the last person eager to reenter the dating scene. A lifetime of disappointments has taught her the value of holding onto what she has, even if staying afloat can be challenging and lonely. However, when she discovers GeneticAlly, an innovative DNA-based matchmaking company, her interest is piqued. The idea of pairing relationships based on genetics and numbers appeals to Jess.
Her excitement falters when the company pairs her with its founder, Dr. River Peña, claiming an unheard-of 98% compatibility. Jess already knows River, and he’s far from her ideal soulmate. Stuck up and aloof, the company makes her an offer she can’t refuse: they’ll pay her to get to know him and give him a chance. With no financial ability to turn down the offer, Jess accepts, and the pair are begrudgingly dragged from date to date. However, as time passes, Jess begins to realize that there might be more to this scientist, and the science behind soulmates than initially appears. Much like In Five Years, Christina Lauren explores the delicate balance between fate and choice in The Soulmate Equation.
One Day – David Nicholls
Now a major motion picture starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess and a Netflix series, David Nicholls’ One Day tells the story of Emma and Dexter, a young couple who meet for the first time in July 1988 on their graduation day. However, after just one night together, they are forced to go their separate ways. Similar to In Five Years, Nicholls plays with time across the pair’s relationship, revisiting them every year on the same day they met: July 15th.
Over twenty years, both Emma and Dexter’s lives undergo profound growth and change. Readers witness their triumphs and tragedies, dreams, and relationships. Told with wit and incredible depth, the pair are soon confronted with the true meaning behind this one crucial day in their lives, as well as the reality of love and life itself.
This Time Next Year – Sophie Cousens
Sophie Cousens’ This Time Next Year is a cosy and instant New York Times bestseller, offering an addictive rom-com that follows Quinn and Minnie. Born barely a minute apart in the same hospital on New Year’s Eve, these two girls come from vastly different backgrounds.
Quinn’s life has been nothing short of spectacular, evolving into a charming and successful businessman, while Minnie’s string of bad luck only intensifies with each disastrous birthday. However, when they unexpectedly run into each other on their mutual thirtieth birthday, they begin to question why fate continually throws them into each other’s orbit. They ponder why these encounters always leave them longing for more.
Check Out The Best Books About Time Travel
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
