Sometimes throwing away your life plan can be just what you need, and books like In Five Years will show you how good life can be when you run off course.
On the same day, Dannie has an excellent interview at her dream law firm, she gets engaged to her supportive and dependable boyfriend. Things seem to be going as planned until that night when she has a dream, more like a premonition, and sees a completely different life five years from now.
Life can be more than just following a planned timeline. Continue reading for more life-changing books like In Five Years.
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10 Books like In Five Years
One Italian Summer, by Rebecca Serle
Written by the same author as In Five Years, One Italian Summer has a similar theme with the main characters experiencing life-altering moments that push them to new adventures to discover themselves.
Katy has just lost her mother, who was her best friend and her whole life. Now she wants to feel closer to her again, so she takes the mother-daughter trip to Positano in Italy that they had always planned.
Although she is alone, as soon as she gets there she can feel her mother with her instantly. As she follows the perfectly planned itinerary her mom made for them, something unbelievable happens to Katy.
Katy not only feels her mother’s spirit, but she can see her in the flesh as the young thirty-year-old woman she was when she first visited Italy.
Although she doesn’t understand how it’s possible, Katy has the chance to get to know this different version of her mother before she had her life figured out and before she met her father. This summer can help Katy through her sorrows and help her find her own way in a life without the love of her life – her mother.
All Your Perfects, by Colleen Hoover
The night Quinn and Graham met, finding out their partners were cheating on them with each other, should’ve been the worse days of their life. But instead, it was the start to their perfect life together.
All Your Perfects goes back and forth between the past and present moments in Quinn and Graham’s relationship, showing when everything was perfect and when it became imperfect.
At some point, the two stopped talking about their feelings and dreams, which kept their marriage strong and started to pull away from each other until they became strangers even though they still loved each other.
Thinking back to forgotten promises and opening up to her husband can help Quinn save their marriage or end it forever.
The Soulmate Equation, by Christina Lauren
As a young single mom, Jess has prioritised her daughter since she was born, unlike her own mother, but it hasn’t left her with much time to date.
Her best friend gets her to submit a DNA sample to a new matchmaking company, GeneticAlly, that uses DNA to find potential soulmates.
Even though Jess knows the ins and outs of data and statistics, she can’t believe she matched with someone at 98 per cent. Especially when it’s the rude founder of the company, River, who she nicknamed “Americano” for his drink of choice.
Now that GeneticAlly is about to launch publicly, the company offers Jess a monthly salary to explore a relationship with River just to see if the match is as perfect as the data projects. Jess can’t let this opportunity go when the money can really help her family out.
Similar to Dannie from In Five Years, Jess isn’t ready to risk her comfortable life for the chance of something better because she’s afraid of change and potentially messing up her daughter’s life by being selfish for once.
So as Jess and River, the “Diamond” couple get to know each other and Jess sees River bond with her daughter, it becomes hard not to believe in the data. But can The Soulmate Equation be too good to be true?
Butterfly in Frost, by Sylvia Day
In Butterfly in Frost, Teagan has moved across the country to try to forget her past and have a fresh start in Washington state.
For once she can see a brighter future, thanks to her good friends Roxy and Mike who are also her neighbours.
That is until she meets her new neighbour next door and she can see that he can change her whole life. Whether it’s for the better or worse, they share surprisingly similar sorrows.
Similar to books Like In Five Years, in order for Teagan to get the future she dreams of she needs to be open for new experiences and needs to also learn to live with her tragic past.
Sometimes tragedy can help rebuild something beautiful. If Teagan can be vulnerable and open up to Garrett, she can finally move forward to live a truly happy life.
In a Holidaze, by Christina Lauren
No matter how terrible her life is going, Maelyn can always count on Christmas time at the Utah cabin her family shares with their family friends.
But at the end of the holidays, when her happy place is about to be taken away from her and she begs the universe to show her what will make her happy, she is transported to the beginning of the trip, entering In a Holidaze.
Just like in books like In Five Years, Mae will get a chance to see her life change when she makes different decisions.
Now she has to figure out how to get out of a time loop where she keeps reliving the same week over and over. In the process, she will try to save the cabin and find out if her life-long crush can see her as more than just friends.
One Day in December, by Josie Silver
Laurie was never one to believe in love at first sight until she met a man on the street while she waited on the bus and felt the magic that ran through them, on One Day in December.
After that moment she spends a whole year searching for him everywhere she goes and looking at anyone she passes to make sure she doesn’t walk past him.
When she finally sees him again, it should be the best day but he turns out to be her best friend’s new boyfriend Jack. And she can’t even tell her friend any of it.
This situation is similar to In Five Years, with Dannie’s best friend also dating the man from her dreams. Both Dannie and Laurie want to protect their friends and learn to push their feelings aside.
For the next ten years Laurie, Sarah and Jack continue to intertwine their lives, with Laurie and Jack keeping the secret of their special moment many years ago. But at some point, Laurie may need to put herself and her happiness first.
Have you already read this novel? Check out our list of books like One Day in December!
Nine Perfect Strangers, by Liane Moriarty
When Nine Perfect Strangers happen to be at the same health resort at the same time, it has to be more than just a coincidence.
The nine people seem to be at the resort for all kinds of reasons and the Tranquillum House director believes she knows exactly how to help them all even when she has her own issue she hasn’t dealt with.
Like in books similar to In Five Years, each person taking part in the “health treatment” needs to acknowledge that their lives are taking different turns than what they had planned for and needs to learn how to accept it.
Masha, the resort director and owner, takes it upon herself to microdose the guests with drugs to kickstart their recoveries and tries to lead them through meditation. However, her plan gets out of hand and her experiment takes an unexpected turn.
Even with all the crazy events, the nine strangers learn to open up to one another and they might be better off afterwards if they figure out how to get out of the resort.
Already a fan of Liane Moriarty? Check out our list of books like Big Little Lies!
Summer Sisters, by Judy Blume
When Summer Sisters Caitlin and Victoria begin their life-long friendship, Caitlin holds the power in the relationship and Vix just feels lucky to be chosen as her friend.
A similar friendship dynamic is seen in books like In Five Years, for example with Dannie and Bella. The two are very different but somehow they balance each other out and fit perfectly together.
Over the years, as Caitlin and Vix grow up, they continue taking their yearly summer trip until life gets in the way.
When Vix moves to New York City after college and Caitlin moves to Martha’s Vineyard, where they used to vacation, their friendship still feels off balance. Caitlin is trying to live the traditional life she didn’t have as a child but seems jealous of Vix’s more adventurous life.
As the two navigate through life sometimes apart but never forgotten, Vix might finally get to learn the truth about Caitlin’s numerous betrayals.
Don’t You Forget About Me, by Mhairi McFarlane
Similar to books like In Five Years, Don’t You Forget About Me focuses on memory and how it can impact the main character’s life.
On the same night, Georgina gets fired and finds her boyfriend cheating on her. But those things won’t keep her down, so she goes out and finds a job as a barmaid for a new pub.
To her surprise, the bar owner is no other than her school crush Lucas who she once was in love with until he broke her heart.
When Georgina feels like she hasn’t done much with her life, Lucas and her good friends are there to remind her of her accomplishments and encourage her to follow her dreams.
However, Georgina has secrets from her past that continue to hunt her. She has to let them out or ruin what she could possibly have with Lucas before it even gets started along with her new life.
I’ll Give You the Sun, by Jandy Nelson
I’ll Give You the Sun is about Jude and Noah, twin siblings, and their journey back to each other via their mother’s death.
Growing up they were inseparable and somewhere along the way that changed. The book alters from Noah’s perspective in the early years to Jude’s side in the later years.
Similar to Dannie and her best friend Bella from In Five Years, Jude and Noah are each other’s other half in a non-romantic way. When they aren’t together, the world is not so bright.
As they work through their issue and put together the pieces that were missing to figure out the truth, the two can rebuild the world or break it in the process.
Have you already read this novel? Check out our list of books like I’ll Give You The Sun!
Books similar to In Five Years will show you different representations of love stories that are not only about romantic relationships but are just as special. While some of the books might hit you right in the heart, they will also rebuild hope and promise for a happy ending.
Are you searching for books like In Five Years? Have any recommendations that didn’t make the list? Let us know in the comments!
