I loved the slow burn build up friendship to romance in the flashback (which for reference is about half the book). Watching Aiden and Orla go from total strangers to tentative friendship, to strong friendship, crush, and beyond was deeply satisfying. I detest insta-love and Orla (who's perspective this novel is written from) certainly does not suffer from the trope. With one glaring exception (the abrupt and less than romantically discussed transition from platonic friendship to friends with feelings with benefits) the first half of this book was by far my favorite. 

I appreciated that Orla remained cautious when Aiden suddenly showed back up in her life five years later. Despite the fact that she still obviously loves him, they have issues that need resolving and she has a life with existing commitments. The suggestion of dropping everything to move out of the country after spending a week together with no promise of a long term commitment is BANANAS. Orla had one redeeming moment in this situation that made me want to shout, you go girl show him that backbone! I wish she had a few more of them.

Sometimes I just need a cliche romance where I know it will be a happy ending, and this was perfect for that. I was really excited to read this and I enjoyed every second of reading it.

So the book starts in the present day; Orla is a journalist in London and she is personally invited to this Aiden person's gallery, so she takes her colleague and they go together to get an interview. There is clearly some tension and unsaid things and I personally was dying to know how they got to this part of their lives, as much as I needed to know what happened after this. So we get taken back to 5 years earlier where Orla and Aiden meet. I like the slow burn of them going from friends to more; they are both very much set on only being friends, as neither want to date anyone, but without either of them realising it as they spend more time together and get to know each other, they fall in love (this is actually how me and my boyfriend happened so Orla and Aiden took me down memory lane). However, Orla has her 5 year plan and she sticks to it, which I loved because a lot of times the woman will fall in love and drop everything for the guy she's fallen for, but Orla doesn't. So they go their separate ways and then we end up back at the beginning of the story again where it's set in present day and we get to see if anything has changed for either of them over the five years they were apart.

I did find the ending felt a little rushed, but I think that was purely because the bulk of the story was quite slow-paced. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes this type of book.

The Five-Year Plan - Carla Burgess 4/5: This book was adorable - I love second chance romance books so much! I have seen so many mixed reviews on Goodreads and was super confused why! Orla was such an empowering female lead character. She had a five-year plan and stuck with it; career and personal growth first. She didn’t put her life on hold for a man! I can appreciate this type of mentality and respected Orla’s choice. She didn’t give up everything she was working toward because of a man. I had such major butterflies with Orla and Aiden from their beginning. Everything about their friendship was natural and honest. I adored how Orla and Aiden fell for each other. You could tell that they both built their foundation on their friendship and let it blossom from there. Aiden had such a bright spirited soul and it was obvious Orla was going to fall for him eventually. If you’re into romance books, just be aware the steam isn’t there; very PG-13 but it works. This is a very slow-placed read, with no real plot twists or big heartache. Sometimes you just need an uncomplicated love story and this definitely hit the mark. Burgess made their love story valid and realistic. Overall, this was a sweet story and I definitely enjoyed it.

Others might like this second chance romance more than I did. I wanted Orla, who was supposedly so focused on her career, to talk about HER job, not Aiden's. I liked that Aiden is a wildlife photographer who wants to save the world. Unfortunately, although I'm always up for a good rom-com chick lit type quick read, this one just didn't spark for me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for the honest review.

This book was not my cup of tea. I wanted to like it but the characters were both incredibly selfish, there was enough spicy romance and it bored me to the point where I ended up flipping ahead to get to the good part, which never came. A real shame because it was a good premise.

OMG! The chemistry between Orla and Aidan in the opening scene is electric.
It's the best opening chapter I've read in a long time but it left me hanging!

The impatience I felt here was real.

We are catapulted into their lives where they meet again for the first time after their five years apart. After reading this scene I was so tempted to skip past the time jump chapters of their youthful, summer romance because I wanted to follow their present day getting back together scenes!

Self control won out.

Their story is quite a slow burn romance but I quite like that as it makes the inevitable reunion that much sweeter in the end.

I really liked Orla and Aidan although Orla did drag her feet a bit and I wouldn't have minded giving her a little nudge to move the story along.



This was a cute, feel good romance and I loved it.

Loved the first chapter, and the end/epilogue redeemed what was a pretty hum-drum and so-so story throughout. It dragged in many places and what was said could've been said in half the words and episodes, but it carries along okay and can be enjoyed on a free afternoon

I enjoyed this easy to enjoy romantic comedy that I read through in a day.
The story begins in the present day with Orla, a journalist visiting the photography exhibition of a long lost "friend" Adrian where it is clear that they have a special connection. The rest of the story is told with one long flash back to five years ago when the pair originally met and the story of why they ultimately parted ways. The tale then returns to the present day to find out how they end up.
It's definitely a predictable romance (but most are) that could've been told with two povs instead of just Orla's but I still enjoyed the relationship they had despite the reasons for the relationship not working baffling me. An enjoyable read!
I read this as an Arc from netgalley.

A quick, cute read!
Orla meets Aiden when she’s out to interview him about otters he’s photographing. What follows is a love that can’t be forgotten even after five years time has passed.

I found the first couple of chapters captivating, and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. I read eagerly on and kept wondering if guys like Aiden actually exist. He was very honest and open about his feelings, sometimes it felt slightly strange as he had just met Orla but kept showing up at her house etc.

I felt like towards the end the story became more and more of a cliche and it became a little bit harder to read without rolling my eyes every now and then. But I enjoyed the beginning and better half of the book.

If you’re looking for a quick, sweet read then this is it!

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was an OK read. The story was cute, kind of predictable. The climate change angle kind of felt like it was thrown in at the end, didn’t really feel necessary.

Overall, a decent summertime read.

This book begins in the present where the two characters Orla and Aiden meet again five years later at Aiden's photography exhibition. It then flashes back to their time together five years earlier telling the story of how they met and their friendship that developed. It was a nice realistic story of friendship becoming something more beautiful.

When they first met Orla was a strong, independent woman, starting her first job as a reporter, who has a five-year plan to improve her career. Enter Aiden, a wildlife photographer who is her first solo interview. After an unlikely accident, they are drawn together and become unlikely but great friends, that slowly turns into more. As they knew would happen Aiden gets called away to his next assignment and they part ways.

Flash forward five years and Orla goes to Aiden’s photography exhibition on his invitation. He is now a famous wildlife photographer with some documentaries under his belt and she is a successful journalist working on a large paper in London, her dreams fulfilled.

The story continues in the present with what happens after their five year reunion.



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***I received a copy through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.***

Working in the field of conservation, I was THRILLED to see a main character (Aiden Byrnes) as a wildlife photographer and conservationist. It was breath of fresh air to be able to relate to a character's career and not have another doctor/lawyer/businessman as the hot guy lead. Major kudos to Carla Burgess for breaking the mold on what a love interest can be!

With that said, I had a hard time connecting with the book after the first chapter because of the timeline switch. The bulk of the book is spent 5 years before the first chapter, which leads to great storytelling and plot building. It was difficult to get into it, for me, because the first chapter immediately throws you into Aiden and Orla's relationship and then switches to a slow buildup of their first meeting, their friendship, etc. It wasn't a bad thing, but something I needed to take some time adjusting to. And once I did, I was hooked to the characters and story!

What I truly loved about this story was how Orla, who is not a conservationist, was describing her experience with the otters and the bliss she felt being outside. Those were very real feelings that I have had and I adored how Burgess translated those feelings to people who might not experience them every day. She managed to bring real-life things like climate change, wildlife extinction, etc into a very cute love story. I not only thank her but applaud her for that!

I was really excited to read this one due to the premise of it and storyline, but it just fell flat for me. I think it could have been 100-150 pages shorter. There were times it just dragged on for me with nothing significant happening. I was glad to be done with it considering I have so many anticipated reads to be read right now. I do want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this one as an advanced copy.

The Five-year plan 3.5 stars it was a book that I really wanted to read, the Blurb caught my eye, the description sounded promising but as soon as I started reading the first pages, I started to feel like something was missing. Everything was there to make this book an amazing read but I felt like it was liking of depth.. The dialogs were too quick and the situations and scenarios change also very quickly, I had a little difficult time identifying when the dialogs change from character to character but other than that as I said it was a great story that got lost in the pages.

Oral and Aiden's story started five years ago, they meet by mistake and since that very moment both of them have never been the same, she was only there for her job and in the end, she felt like their encounter was more than just a simple interview but life and circumstances have a funny way of changing things and Aiden and Orla soon will find that nothing is set in stone.

Orlas' character was perfect for Aiden but at times her internal dialogs were very insecure, and sometimes a little immature for her age. she fought so much the attraction and the love they felt for each other but no matter how much she tried everything was meant to be

Aiden was determined and always knew what he wanted until he met Orla, a girl who will change his life and every rule he ever wanted to follow.

I recommend that you give this book a chance and make your own conclusions, what it wasn't for me maybe it ill be perfect for you.

I had many thoughts on this book. The story is about a young female reporter named Orla (a name which seemed unsuitable to the character) who lives in a small town and is going to cover her first solo story on a travel photographer named Aiden. The two meet, and a unexpected injury blossoms into a fast-friendship turned romance. Unfortunately, Aiden, always on the move, quickly moves to another part of the world, leaving Orla, and her five year plan, behind. Five years later we catch up with Aiden and Orla who have recently met again, and realize that some feelings have not gone away with time.

At the beginning of the story I really enjoyed it, I was excited to keep reading and I loved the characters. However, the longer this book went on, I could not wait for it to end. The story dragged with too much dialogue between the characters. There was a complete lack of other characters or enough of a secondary story to parallel the main storyline. The information about Aiden's job dragged on and was uninteresting. Orla becomes annoying because of her stubbornly refusing to give up on her five year plan, which she could adapt as she has a job she can do from anywhere in the world. Orla was so set on everything but never communicated her feelings with Aiden. Then, she was upset at how everything turned out, it did not make sense. In the end, suddenly her feelings just come out and they live happily ever after! It was extremely predictable. I found that their conversations went in circles, they talked about the same things over and over again, it was not enjoyable to read. The story could have been written in less than half of what it was. I generally liked the love between the two characters, their connection was sweet and the storyline was not bad, the overwhelming details and similar dialogue made it an unenjoyable read.

The book opens in present day. Aiden is a famous wildlife photographer and has filmed lots of documentaries (think Bear Grylls) and is in London for an exhibition of his photographs. Orla is a journalist. She's personally invited to the opening. They speak very briefly before he gets swept away to talk to other guests. She leaves early. She gets on the train and right before the doors close, Aiden jumps on. It's been 5 years since Aiden has seen Orla.
Flashback to when they first met and this is the story of Orla and Aiden. They meet cute. She's a junior reporter in the small town of Hawksely and he's a quirky Irish wildlife photographer. She gets sent to interview him about the otters he's observing. She sprains her ankle and he ends up taking care of her because he's a nice guy. They have great friend chemistry and are super flirty but he isn't into relationships because he's always on the move from one exotic locale to another. They spend the summer together observing otters and doing the will they or won't they dance. Orla has a 5 year plan. Does Aiden fit into her plan? Does she fit into his?
I loved the way this book started and then went into flashback but I have to say, the flashback was a little too long. Also, I found Aiden to be a bit creepy and persistent just showing up randomly at the beginning. I get that he liked her, but the dude was a little too "friendly."
All in all, it was enjoyable and had a different story structure, which was refreshing.

The story begins in the present and then flashes back through their time together five years previously to tell the story of their friendship. Not an unrealistic, romantic, love story like some, more of a realistic story of friendship becoming something more beautiful.

When they first met Orla was a strong, independent woman, recently gaining her first job as a reporter, who has a five-year plan to improve her career and nothing, not even love, is going to stop her. Enter Aiden, a wildlife photographer who is her first solo interview. After a scare and unlikely accident, they are drawn together and become unlikely but great friends, that is until Aiden gets called away to his next assignment.

Flash forward five years and Orla goes to Aiden’s photography exhibition on his invitation. He is now a famous wildlife photographer with some documentaries under his belt and she is a successful journalist working on a large paper in London, her dreams fulfilled.

I really enjoyed this light-hearted read about second chance romance with a lovely happy ending.

💗 BOOK REVIEW 💗
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The Five Year Plan | Carla Burgess
Pub date: 3/20/20
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RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
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SYNOPSIS: Orla is a trainee reporter with a five-year plan: work her way up the career ladder, move to London and secure a job on a big national newspaper. She doesn’t want a boyfriend, he’s only going to hold her back anyway.
Aiden spends his life travelling the world and living in a tent. He knows his goal: to photograph animals and raise awareness of global warming and wildlife conservation. He’s definitely not looking for a relationship past the odd casual hook-up!
So when Orla and Aiden’s lives collide, they do everything to not fall for each other – with the opposite effect. But they stick to their plans, and go their separate ways…
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REVIEW: ** possible spoiler? ** This book is so much more than a modern RomCom/ChickLit novel! Carla Burgess did a wonderful job bringing A strong, independent, passionate woman to life in this book. I feel it so appropriate on #internationalwomensday to review this book and highlight such a refreshing woman lead. It was also so heartwarming and endearing reading about Orla and Aiden’s friendship turned love. You could feel his kindness and caring for her. But the best part to me was how even when he asked her to come with him, she walked her own path and lived her own life FOR HER! Such a great testament to taking care of yourself and following your dreams. I just really loved the overall feeling of love in this book whether while they were friends, or apart, or more...
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This was a happy, heartwarming read I would definitely recommend & won’t be my last Carla Burgess novel!

I absolutely loved story of Aiden and Orla. I loved how it began in the present and then flashed back. Orla, a new reporter, meets, hunky, free spirited Aiden, on an assignment. After an unlikely accident, the two become fast friends, which quickly leads to more, only problem, Aiden is a free spirited, adventurer, while Orla has a very clear, five year plan,

The realness of this story immediately drew me it. It wasn’t some far fetched lovey dovey story. I highly recommend this book for those looking for a realistic love story!

THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN is nice but not really memorable story of easy friendships blossomed between two strangers. It is a firt-person, present tense, single POV; told from one Orla Kennedy who struck me as an insipid character. Consequently, it diluted the promising scenario altogether for me.

The book started at present before going back revealing how Orla first met Aiden and the unlikely friendship developing between them. I actually enjoyed the back and forth between them where Aiden introducing Orla to things she’d not usually find interesting. Only, she was so darned clueless even this reader got frustrated before long into the story. Yes, there abound romcom wherein the main player(s) are oblivious and said cluelessness are stuff of hilarity that boost the story. But when the story was delivered from the oblivious person’s POV ...it became a nightmare! I was afraid I blew a vessel over the exasperation I had throughout reading.

Just to clarify, it all went well. This slow burn romantic comedy had our heroine win her love of her life in the end, amidst encounters with a bunch of interesting characters along the way. But oh how I wish for Aiden’s insight being included in it. It might improve the story for me. Maybe.


Copy of this book is kindly given by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.