Orla is a trainee reporter when she meets Aiden for the first time. Aiden's interview was her first solo interview. Aiden is a wildlife photographer and an environmentalist. Their worlds are poles apart. Orla has a five year plan where she wants to go to London and work in a national newspaper. Aiden doesn't even know half of the time what day it is. He travels across the world and never settles at one place. Both don't have time for relationship. And after a casual affair they say their goodbyes.

Five years later they meet again. But still do they feel for each other? And is any one of them ready for commitment?

Review-

The start of the book is so funny and so emotionally well written that you expect a lot from the book. But after few chapters this book just disappoint you.

From the blurb I thought there will be a career driven female protagonist who will try to balance her love life and her career. But Orla's character is flat. Except one or two mention there is nothing concrete written about her career. And when it comes to love she comes as a needy and an emotional fool. Aiden tells her she is not attractive and she falls in love with him. Like really? There are so many such incidents when you just want to yell at Orla and say walk out of this relationship. Or stop feeling so guilty about everything.

I did not feel the chemistry between them at all. They just talks talks and talks. Like who discuss so much sex before doing it. And they just keep on repeating they are not ready for relationship like every 3 times in a single page.

Aiden is your typical male egoistic character. He says he supports Orla's career but then say you can work form anywhere. He constantly tells her to leave her job because it is just a job, and move in with him or travel with him. I felt he was emotionally manipulating Orla throughout the book. I think I really needed his POV to understand some of his actions and why always blaming Orla for the break up.

And why no side character ever works. They all are just interested in Aiden and Orla's love story. Whenever Orla goes to office all they talk about is Aiden, Aiden and Aiden. More than half of the book is filled with Aiden's profession, describing his work and success but what Orla does is only gossip.

The premises is really interesting and it could have been so much better but characters were so cringy it was a struggle to complete the book. I don't DNF books and that is the sole reason I complete it.

A romance novel about second chances and finding what “feels right”.
Orla, is a career woman who ironically doesn’t really talk much about her career except that she has ambitions and Aiden is a wildlife photographer who is apparently a very big deal and together they get along quite well until Aiden leaves onto his next assignment and Orla, who has no intentions of following along prefers a clean break and a fresh start.
However, five years later Aiden returns and the plot except for the end rehashes.

Though it was a simple read the character of Aiden made me uncomfortable because of the way he pursued Orla every time he wanted to.
He felt creepy more than caring.
A very predictable and casual read.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Otters and squirrels and foxes, oh my! A sweet second chance romance with a wild side. This is the story of Orla A girl with a five year plan. She is planning on getting her dream reporting job and moving to London in five years. Having a boyfriend and falling in love are definitely not in her plans. Then one day she goes to interview a man who is studying otters and finds herself falling into a rabbit hole and spraining her ankle. She also meets Aiden a wildlife photographer. Orla and Aiden have an instant connection that soon develops into more, the problem is Aiden will be leaving soon and the two of them are not looking for love. The two part ways and five years later their paths cross again.

Orla and Aiden were both very likable characters, but boy did they frustrate me. They seem to hash the same issues that they dealt with the first time the second time around as well. They also had a really hard time admitting their feelings to one another. I was also a bit annoyed that it seemed like it was Orla that needed to give up her hopes and dreams to be with Aiden, not the other way around. In spite of these things I really thought they were a cute couple and there was chemistry between them. I also loved all the wildlife in the story, made me want to go camping.

This book in emojis 🦦 ⛺️ 🗞 📸

*** Big thank you to HQ Digital for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources, Netgalley and HQ Digital for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

This book’s premise was certainly interesting and I feel like this gave me some “what if” feels in my own life, which thank goodness I got to see play out in the form of a romance novel rather than real life. I’ve always thought about what would have happened if the person I thought I loved in the past ended up coming back into my life after we both had some growing up to do separately. Would we still want to be with one another? Would we be two completely different people? Would we even remember what we went through five years ago?

This book let me think about all of those thoughts and more, and the way that Burgess wrote this story was great. I think I could have done a little less of the flashbacks in the way that Burgess had this novel, or at least formatted a different way, but I’m still very glad that she included their past from five years ago in this novel. It showed whether the characters went through any personal growth as well as professional – which seemed to be the main reason why they didn’t wind up together in the first place – and it felt like it brought everything full circle.

I feel like the development of the relationship between Orla and Aiden was well written, both their first development and then the current one. I feel like there’s some sort of negative stigma of really fast building relationships being unrealistic, and while sometimes I can agree with that if I don’t feel any genuine chemistry between the characters in question, I didn’t get that vibe with this one. I think that it worked out in this one, and I liked seeing how that relationship changed from when they first knew each other.

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.

Honestly I dont really have a lot to say about this book, it was pretty much a typical romance book that has some British humour and a slight love triangle. I did enjoy the scenes set 5 years ago more because of the wildlife chapters but overall I found the rest quite cliche but enjoyable.

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.