Have you fulfilled the dreams you had planned for your life? Orla had a five year plan, but now, after the years have passed she is not sure all the sacrifices she has done were worth it. Meeting an old flame will make her re-considering all her life and dreams… was the sacrifice of their love worth it? Maybe now they will have the chance to repair it… ready?
This is one of those books that I couldn’t stop reading, I started it before going to sleep and I finished it the same night, I think that this lock-down makes me want to read happy endings, a story where the troubles and problems they have could be repaired, and they can find what they were looking for.
I feel really connected with this story, Orla and Aiden are real, they don’t pretend to be perfect or to be redeemed of their faults, they simply want to be accepted. Orla loves her job, but finding Aiden again will make her re-think about her priorities, maybe it’s time to try to be happy instead of only having the perfect job? Aiden has travelled around the world for years, now he wants to find a place to call home. Will Orla be part of this dream?
I really don’t want to say too much about the story, the chemistry between the two characters is there on every page, you can almost touch it! But, there’s not only fire, there’s friendship and love for nature… But the eternal question will pop all the time, is the love between them worth taking the risk for all they have? You’ll have to read the book if you want to know the answer, of course!
This is a book I loved and will be on my top ten this year, a beautiful love story with real characters and emotions. Ready?

I loved the structure of this book which gave us two stories in a way.We saw Orla and Aiden when they first met and saw how their relationship developed. Then in the second half of the story, we came forward in time by five years and saw what happened when they met again. There are some lovely touches in the story. I loved the part where they were staking out the otters and of course, Orla's talent for falling over adds quite a spearkle to the story.

This is a light- hearted story but at the heart are two great central characters. Aiden almost seems too good to be true but who can dislike him? Orla is set on becoming a reporter in London but of course, sometimes it is a case of be careful what you wish for... This is a lovely second chance story which is a bright read where you are genuinely rooting for the characters.

In short: A fun read with vividly drawn characters and some moments to make you smile.
Thanks to the author for a copy of the book.

This is an easy, fluffy read that's perfect to transport you away whilst you're stuck inside! It's definitely predictable and a little bit cheesy, but it's just what I needed to read, and I think it will be for lots of other folks too!

The first chapter sets this story off with a real bang! We're quickly transported five years into the past to find out what went wrong between Orla and Aiden's relationship. It's then a slow burn story bringing us up to present day.

If you like cute romance reads with wildlife, photography, Irish families and a stubborn heroine, then this is the book for you. Orla's convinced that her five year plan will end up with her in London working for a major tabloid as a journalist. Unfortunately, she's so into planning her future she seems to forget to live it.

There was definitely a theme of taking chances and making the most of life throughout. I'm more like Orla in life, I like having things planned out and being prepared although I should be more spontaneous in life.

I loved being whisked away into the countryside feeling like I was watching the world go by. Orla's excitement about seeing otters had me feel like I was living vicariously through her.

The only thing I didn't like was the length of the book, it could have had more impact having been a tad shorter. 555 pages for a romance is long! The conversations became a bit monotonous and repetitive just over halfway through. I've seen other reviewers mention it too, so I'm glad I'm not the only one! I was far too invested in Orla and Aiden's relationship to just give up though!

It's a gorgeous read, perfect for transporting you away when you need it the most. You can even come away from reading this feeling like you've learned new things - I certainly think I know more about otters now. This tugged at my heartstrings and had me desperate to find out what the future was going to hold for these two characters.

The Five Year Plan by Carla Burgess

Beautifully written story of two characters with electric chemistry!! Wow what a love story!

I absolutely adored this story!! The chemistry between Aiden and Orla is amazing. Carla Burgess has truly written and amazing story about two people that are so right for each other in everyway that she really makes you believe in soulmates. I've come away from this book in awe and cannot wait to see what this talanted author has in store for us next. If you like Romance pick up this book asap!
5/5 AMAZING Stars


Thank you #NetGalley and #HGDigital for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I didn't love it but I didn't hate it. There were times when it seemed to drag a little which made it hard for me to read. I'm not a fan of books that jump between the past and present so that was a bit of a distraction. I liked the writing but what I really enjoyed was the storyline. It was different and that's what drew me to the book. The characters were great and there was an emotional aspect to the story that I didn't expect.
Overall I liked it but it won't make it to my reread pile.

A light and fun, and a little long, read about two past lovers reuniting. Plus, otters! The relationship between the two characters is the main focus and really builds through the story. It's a good read for a little escape during these times.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I loved this book! It was a great escape while starting my quarantine. I felt that it was very relatable. Timing can be everything in a relationship, and I thought that was certainly captured in this story. I enjoyed the character development with Orla and Aiden across both parts of the book. I will certainly recommend this book to friends looking for a great beach read!

Thank you to Carla Burgess, HQ Digital, and NetGalley.

Two very different people: a ambitious young journalist who knows just what she wants and has a plan to get there; and an adventurous photojournalist who lives in a tent and takes life as it comes. Neither is interested in a committed relationship when they meet, but they fall in love--and then go their separate ways; their futures headed in two completely different directions. Several years later they meet again and their feelings for each other are as strong as ever. I really liked Aiden and Orla early on: the easy way they talked to each other and how well they complimented one another. I was not as impressed with Aiden years later, however. I imagine he was coming from a place of hurt feelings and so should cut him some slack, but I thought at times he was unkind to Orla and should have given her the benefit of the doubt. One minute he was mad at her and accusing her of not being honest with him (she was confused about her own feelings), and the next, when she asks him to tell her what was wrong, he refused and told her to let him know when she figured it out. I don't know why that bothered me so much. But it was moments like that that that annoyed me about him. Still, I did enjoy The Five Year Plan overall. It was funny, especially in those early years, and quite charming.

Orla is sent to interview wildlife photographer, Aidan, while he is photographing river otters in her hometown. She literally falls into a rabbit hole and Aidan comes to her rescue, never leaving her side for the remainder of the summer. Five years later, they meet up again at his photography exhibition in London, and the chemistry is still there, but is it five years too late?

I enjoyed the book and found the characters to be relatable and the storyline was easy to follow. Overall, I recommend it if you want to read a sweet romance, but the story doesn't have much depth or make you think of it long past the last page.

This was a sweet, heartwarming read, and I recommend to those who are fans of escaping this insane reality to Orla and Aiden's life.

Carla Burgess is a terrific writer, and I am now a fan!

Their five-year plans didn’t include each other. Orla is a career-driven journalist and Aiden is a constant-travelling wildlife photographer so when they first meet, though they briefly hook up and experience a connection, they later go their separate ways. And then they met again. (I love second-chance romance storylines.)

I enjoyed the first few chapters but the book seems to drag at times and feel a little too hollow, especially the dialogue between Orla and Aiden. Overall, this is a cute, feel-good romantic read that can make the gloomiest days a little brighter. (I know because I read this on one of our many recent 40 degree rainy days.) While there was nothing remarkable or extraordinary about this book, it was an entertaining, if a little long, light read that I would recommend to others.

I received The Five-Year Plan by Carla Burgess for free in exchange for an honest review. I honestly really enjoyed it. A little slow to start, but the characters made it worth it. I would read more by this author for sure.

I loved this - loved the strong characters that didn’t conform to the typical story line that I was expecting

Orla is a junior reporter who is sent on an assignment to interview a wildlife photographer. She sprains her ankle during their meeting and thus begins their epic love story. Aiden, aforementioned photographer, prefers living in a tent and doesn’t stay in one place long. But when he meets Orla, their budding friendship makes him reconsider things.

Half of this book is about Orla and Aiden when they meet and the other half picks up five years later when they reunite at Aiden’s art exhibition. I loved how character driven this story was, but at 500+ pages I can understand that if you don’t like the characters you’ll lose interest quickly. I found both characters endearing and their story a heartwarming way to spend a few hours.

Thanks to HQ Digital and Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for this review.

Rating: 2.5 stars

The idea behind this book is good, it something that happens quite often in real life, you have certain plans and out of the sudden the plans changed or you are forced to re-considered them. However, the execution and were the story went was not ideal. I feel this book is 200 pages too long... it is meant to be a Romance but the first encounter happens at. 50%!!!! It takes way too long for everything to happen.

Sadly I did not enjoy this book and at the end I ended up skimming the last 100 pages.

When I saw that the book was 555 pages, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t too thrilled despite how good the synopsis sounded. After that I lowered my expectations. However, I was pleasantly surprised, I enjoyed every second of it!

The book starts with Aiden and Orla in the present, meeting up after five years of no contact. After that we see into the past for half of the book. We see how they met, how they became friends and then closer. And we also see how they separate.

That’s when we get back to where we left off in the first chapter and all the feelings seem to rush back in as if they were never gone. But Orla’s new boyfriend and Aiden’s nomadic lifestyle prove to be hard to push through, mostly on Orla’s part.

I love how sweet and easy to read their story is, especially their past. Their carefree attitude and banter was entertaining and made me smile a bunch of times.

I think my only problem with the book stems from the miscommunication between them after Aiden announced his trip to India and Orla started bottling everything up. I get why she did it and I don’t think it was fair of him to ask her to leave everything behind and travel with him. However, I think she should have been honest about her feelings to him at the time.

Then later when they meet again. I think Aiden was a bit selfish when he got upset over her not confessing her feelings for him when she was already seeing someone. She had to break things off with James in person or it would have been a horrible thing to do.

In the end, I love that they settled down in Ireland together. But I’m even happier she still writes articles, even if they’re not the same kind. It was the only thing I didn’t want her to give up since she sacrificed so much to get the reporter job.

Anyways, this is getting pretty long. I really recommend this to people looking for second chance romances and the one that got away kind of thing. It’s a lengthier read than your average romance, but I think it’s worth it.

Overall, I enjoyed this book once the details of their past relationship was finished. I thought the author spent too much time focused on the details of Aiden's job and made the development of their relationship more of the secondary story. I enjoyed how well the author captured the beautiful of the wilderness and animals. Aiden was a free-spirit individual that did not put much stock in long term commitments when it came to woman. I believe the author made him this way because of the traveling and his career as a global warming and wildlife conservation. The chemistry between Aiden and Orla was very realistic and heart-felt. Orla was also a well written character, who was driven to complete her five year plan to become a reporter for a national newspaper. The last half of the book was well satisfying, but I became annoyed with Orla. She kept wanting a sure thing and was scared to take a chance. I felt this did not fit with the character's image as a woman who goes after what she wants. The writing style and use of language was thoughtful. The overall pacing of the story was good, but the book could have been much shorter and still made for a decent book. I would recommend this book to those readers who are a fan of the Jane Austen book Persuasion . I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future.

This book was so cute!

I loved seeing Orla and Adrien and their chemistry. They were the best couple without actually being a couple. I would love to see more of their life after their reunion but before the epilogue..

At times I felt that the writing was a bit off, just a touch too formal. This mostly happened in the current day parts so it was easy enough to look past it. This book was just so wholesome and heartwarming.

What a fantastic book!

Love the story. Aiden was so dreamy!

I love their dynamics, pulling and pushing and just not admitting to each other how they feel.

It's been a long time book made me laugh out loud but this book totally got me. Some parts of it made me cry out from laughter.

I've recommended it now to few of my friends

This is a great romantic book which flows well and easy to read. I didn't want to stop reading once I started, i look forward to reading more books by Carla